Franziska, how do you define “home”?

We used to lease a farm in North Rhine-Westphalia that we had to leave, so when we decided to move back to my native village of Gilsa, it truly felt like coming home. Now, our farm, our animals, our work and the village itself feel like home to me. It’s a place where our work and personal lives intertwine; it’s a home for us, our animals and our apprentices.

What was it like starting out in your old hometown?

In the beginning, I felt watched and constricted by the conservative people in the village. It took a long time to find like-minded people who shared our thinking about organic farming and alternative ways of living. We now have a group and go on excursions together. In the last few years, more people from my A-level years have moved back, and my generation is regaining representation in the village once again. So, it’s becoming a real home for us.

How would you describe your home?

Our home is defined by the patchwork life we’ve stitched together. Gregor’s son, Oskar, lives with us, and his mum visits frequently. The residents of our home regularly change with new apprentices and trainees coming and going. Our agricultural roots have taught us that the kitchen is a gathering place, and indeed, our communal kitchen is the heart of our home; it’s where we eat, play and chat. But as more and more people join us on our journey, we’ve also come to learn the importance of creating spatial separation.

Which room is only for you?

Our office bedroom on the upper floor is our private retreat. For me, there’s almost an allergic reaction when I sense someone coming up the stairs. It’s a space filled with our personal clutter, so it’s challenging to open the door and let someone in at all. The bedroom is divided into two areas: the front includes a walk-through room with an office, and at the back is our small bedroom with a window overlooking the garden. When you’re lying in bed, you can see the large hanging copper birches – it’s my sanctuary.

Where does your home reflect your personality?

Our tastes are very similar; Gregor and I aren’t “decoration kings,” but discussions about aesthetic appeal and harmony are often subjects of our discussions. We enjoy working with natural materials and undertaking projects around the house ourselves, a process that we believe can never truly be finished. So far, we’ve laid oak parquet flooring throughout the house, with clay plastering as our next task. Recycling old items is a part of our lifestyle that we cherish. We’ve used old tiles to cover one side of the roof, and most of the furniture we have was given to us.

How did Annie Leibovitz capture the atmosphere?

She arrived at our doorstep on a cold, rainy and foggy day. But nothing could deter her from finding the perfect angle to capture such a unique picture of our home. Her knack for sensing the right place, light and mood is so impressive; Gregor said that she handled the camera as if it were a natural extension of herself. When an assistant asked if I could let my hair down for a photo, Annie swiftly responded, “No, that isn’t her,” and she was right.