Why do we love freunde von freunden so much?
Checking out the homes of the beautiful and creative is inspiring.

What is Freunden von Freunden?
An international interview magazine, that portraits people of diverse creative and cultural backgrounds in their homes or within their daily working environments.

Frederik, congrats on the release of the book!
Thanks. The project is exploding. We started interviewing friends in Berlin in 2009. In German only at that time. Now we interview people from all over the globe, there’s a video section, mixtapes and a book.

Are the subjects on the site really all friends?
Yes, either direct friends or people from our network or friends of friends. So the name describes the concept. The mixture of people evolves from our different backgrounds.

What will you show us?
A random selection of cool people interviewed on our site.

Get your copy by clicking on the cover.

Every year, just as the holiday season begins, the windows of the big department stores turn into imaginative wonder worlds and Johanna Burke is one of the masterminds behind the spectacle.
She welcomed us with open arms and when scheduling a time for the interview she already was in the final production stages of her holiday display at Bergdorf Goodman. With foresight she summoned us to her place just a couple hours before the sun was about to set and invited us to a stunning nature show – certainly also keeping in mind how the lighting will affect the photography. She was a fantastic host and we literally hung out most of the interview on her couch, enjoyed some sparkling wine and in the end witnessed a stunning sunset from her panoramic window overlooking the East River and Downtown Manhattan. She not only showed us to her wonderful apartment but also walked us through long, spooky concrete corridors of the building – mainly inhabited by artists – to her studio where she was working on the final touches to her holiday windows devoted to the theme „Carnival of the animals“.

Nestled on the quiet New York City block of Crosby Street between Grand and Broome, Saturdays is the hangout spot for any day of the week.
Since its opening in the summer of 2009, the shop has established itself as the go-to boutique for cool clothing, serious surf gear, books, coffee and the destination for local and visiting creatives to share surf stories, brainstorm new projects or to just hangout in the back garden amongst vintage motorbikes, scooters and funny caterpillars climbing amongst the flowers and surfboards.
Along with partners Morgan Collett and Josh Rosen, Colin Tunstall has created this unique atmosphere making them the laid-back darlings of celebrities, surfers, skaters, photographers, filmmakers and everyone in between.
On a lazy weekday morning, Freunde von Freunden talked with Colin at his Bowery apartment and then followed him on his morning routine, traveling the few blocks with him to the shop.

In the Boros residence – a former Second World War air raid shelter built in 1942 in central Berlin – visitors can easily lose their way in the maze-like corridors of bare concrete.
Bullet holes from the Second World War testify the historical significance of the building. The heart of this hermetic concrete cube contains an exhibition of contemporary works from the private collection of ad agency founder and publisher, Christian Boros. In order to create a suitable space for the collection, architect Jens Casper deconstructed the 3,000 square meter bunker, which was once devoid of natural light, transforming it into a complex room arrangement. The glass superstructure of the penthouse is the polar opposite of the cube’s massiness.
There, Christian and his wife, Karen, live with their son amidst paintings by Elizabeth Peyton and a series of installations by groundbreaking artists such as Olafur Eliasson. It is a dream home that once seemed impossible to realize, but has now become an art manifesto for Berlin’s historical Mitte district, where change is the norm.

Kelsey Brookes did not come to art in any of the usual fashions. In fact, as he tells us on a rainy morning in Kreuzberg, the microbiologist-cum-artist found art through self discovery and surfing.
Without a sign of jet-lag, and brimming with energy and enthusiasm for everything from the neighbourhood to his work, Brookes talks to us about his show at Circleculture Gallery, surfing, and how his dog helps him get to work—in more ways than one.
Staying with friend and curator Johann Haehling near Paul-Lincke Ufer, Brookes takes some time out to tell us all about his path to becoming an artist before heading to Mitte to hang out and see his exhibition at the Gallery.

Beautiful women, elegant architecture and a rich history – Paris is Europe’s most sophisticated capital and Claire a true parisian girl.
I called the selfmade woman who switched careers from being a law student to work for Luc Besson in the film business, at 2 p.m. on a grey Monday afternoon. I wanted to know if I could interview her during the week, but to my surprise she offered to drop by just two hours later. She said I got lucky because on Mondays the agency owner works from home.
When I arrived in her beautiful apartment in the 9th Arrondissement in a silent little rue, I felt instantly welcome. A huge window lit the living room where she was working on a long wooden table in front of a beautiful dark library filled with film books and art pieces. The hours passed by as we talked about her love for the movies, how she sat up her own film communication agency and shopping in Paris.

Guto Requena is one of Brazil’s most innovative up and coming architects. His work is based on the ever-evolving world of communication and technology, reflecting how these new advancements affect us. Drawing from his bucolic childhood in Brazil, Requena creates a world where flexibility and reclamation of materials and objects make the space both simple and comfortable.
His projects always push the envelope, redefining both physical and virtual space. With the Google offices in Sao Paulo as his next venture, it seems for Requena the sky is the limit.

Sonnenlicht durchflutet die geräumige, in weiss gehaltene Dachgeschosswohnung in Berlin-Charlottenburg. Draußen ist es ruhig. “Die Treppen in den sechsten Stock sind jeden Tag eine neue Herausforderung, auf die ich gerne verzichten würde”, sagt sie sichtlich genervt von dem steilen Treppengang in ihre Wohnung.
Helena kommt gerade von einem morgendlichen Werbedreh und muss sich erst einmal ordnen.
Sie wirkt locker und hat keine Probleme mit der Kamera.
Die gebürtige Münchenerin lebt erst seit knapp einem halben Jahr in ihrer Charlottenburger Wohnung. Vorher wohnte sie gemeinsam mit ihrem Ex-Freund Alex (auch als Lexy bekannt) in Kreuzberg.
Die gelernte Maskenbildnerin gründete 2007 mit dem gelernten Grafikdesigner Lexy das Label Niconé, ein Wechselspiel aus Mode und Musik. Ende 2008 öffnete ihr eigener Store in Prenzlauerberg seine Pforten. Wie es zu der Gründung kam, welche Ideen sie verfolgt und warum sie ihre Heimatstadt München immer noch sehr schätzt, teilt sie uns im Gespräch m

When in the city that never sleeps, every now and then you should take off your sunglasses, shake off your hangover and have a close look around because there may be a landmark right around the corner or a legend right next to you.
Michael Halsband is a New York City-based photographer with decades’ worth of eternal portraits of the most notable New Yorkers and all those that have traveled through these cultural crossroads. His diverse subjects have ranged from icons of art and music like Klaus Nomi, Basquiat, Warhol, monsters of rock The Rolling Stones and AC/DC, to the quietness of the School of American Ballet, the confidence of legendary Surfer Joel Tuder and skateboarder Mark Gonzales.

It is summer in the city and we are sitting on Malin´s beautiful balcony, surrounded by her vintage wooden interior and some fresh white flowers.
In the interview, she says that she´d love to have a garden but one of her biggest passions in life – traveling – keeps her away from that fulfillment. You can tell that she has traveled a lot in her life because she has a curious, well experienced nature. This curiosity lead her to what she is well-known for within her circle of friends – her Bread Exchange; fabulous cooking and a solid sense for good quality. While doing an internship at a bakery, she started baking bread in her free time. She was also working in Sales at Wood Wood. Just recently she took some time off to find herself and set her sight on some new goals in her life. We’ve found that she is down to earth and elegant at the same time – just like Bread Exchange. If you try her bread once, you will recognize the quality. Malin strives for quality in everything that she does, both personally and professionally, which is evident in the way she holds herself, and conducts her business.
Malin sets the example that elegance and creativity can be shown in various ways, whether it be fashion design, her sales job, traveling Antwerp or baking bread and exchanging it with friends.
We joined her for breakfast and had a chat about her story and favorite obsessions: Fresh food, traveling, music and fashion.