Prominent women show their sanctuary

Refuge: The music room of opera singer Nadja Michael

The sanctuary of Nadja Michael

Today Madrid, tomorrow New York and then Naples: Nadja Michael is a celebrated soprano. She travels half the world, lives here, sometimes there and enjoys it all the more, to come home, relax and leave the world behind.

The 41-year-old has found her own personal haven in Berlin, her own empire, in which she spends about two to three months a year. "There's no other place in the world where I like it so much," she says.

Understandable. Because the rooms of the old Berlin apartment are all lovingly furnished and have their own unique, distinctive style.

There is the "black room": three of the four walls are decorated with a dark baroque wallpaper, one of them has a comfortable, large sofa bed. From this room it goes on into the music room, jade green painted, a colorfully filled bookshelf extends to the longitudinal wall. In the middle sits the black wing on which Nadja Michael rehearses her pieces.

The mother of two children loves being able to give her home a very personal touch: "I enjoy setting myself up and the surroundings should reflect me".

On the next page: The sanctuary of presenter Nina Ruge

Refuge: The reading corner of Nina Ruge in her glass house

The sanctuary of Nina Ruge

A private house in Tuscany - for many a great lifelong dream. Nina Ruge has fulfilled it. Nine years ago she and her husband bought an Italian olive oil producer from their dream home in the mountains near Lucca.

Since then Nina Ruge and her husband spend as much time as possible in this little paradise. Nina Ruge has created a very special sanctuary in the garden of her house. Down there, in the olive grove, a writing office for the 54-year-old has emerged from an old, small glasshouse, where fruit was once grown. "I chose this place because I can write here in total silence with a view of the olive trees, whether it is windy or very cold," explains the moderator, who loves to write books.

The decor looks romantic and comfortable. Old heirlooms alternate with furniture from bulky waste. Carpets on the wooden floors and thick velvet curtains on the windows provide comfort and tranquility.

On the next page: The sanctuary of Olympic dressage rider Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff

Refuge: The French recliner by Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff

The sanctuary of Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff

Purple wallpaper and carpets, tile stoves and romantically amutende, antique pieces of furniture: With much love Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff has set up her house on the family stud farm in the Taunus.

Olympic dressage rider Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff

Here the Olympic dressage rider lives together with her husband and children. From here she plans her travels, because the deputy UNICEF chairwoman and founder of her own foundation is traveling a lot. She shares her office with artistic horse sculptures and little Meissen figures decorating her showcase and desk.

"This purple room is my cave, I like to knit here and write letters to friends and partners of my foundation by hand," says the 50-year-old. It is friends that she likes to have around her and she loves to cook for her fellow human beings.

In her "purple Cabinet", however, she is only allowed to distract the family from her work.

On the next page: The sanctuary of author Manuela von Perfall

Refuge: The turquoise bedroom of Manuela von Perfall

The sanctuary of author Manuela von Perfall

Once her home was a horse stable. Today, turquoise walls alternate with red bookshelves and colorful oriental rugs. The author Manuela von Perfall has created here together with her husband, the four dogs and parrot Kiko an oasis of calm.

Author and dog lover Manuela von Perfall

The former stable walls belong to the Bavarian castle Greifenberg, the family estate of the Perfalls. Here, Manuela von Perfall regularly organizes her own dog festival and writes her novels.

From her sanctuary, she says, "Without my room, I do not feel at home, I need a room that knows me and lives with me."

The rooms are colorful and comfortably furnished. For example, her bedroom, in which the pink bedspread is a nice contrast to the gold-blue baroque chair, the Oriental rug and the turquoise painted wall.

"I always feel like changing and rebuilding," explains Manuela von Perfall about her pleasure in decorating. "It's like a haircut for the house."

On the next page: The sanctuary of actress Nadja Uhl

Refuge: The Arabic by actress Nadja Uhl

The sanctuary of Nadja Uhl

Nadja Uhl, her friend Kay and the two children are still living in the old, dilapidated Villa Gutmann in Potsdam. There is still too much to do and to renovate. But the landmarked house on Jungfernsee is already a very special haven for the 38-year-old actress.

For years, the property, which was built at the beginning of the 20th century, was empty, a refuge for squatters and swallows. Now Nadja Uhl and her husband want to breathe new life into the 2,600 square meters. Often the actress comes here, wanders around in the endless corridors, seeks inspiration and recharges strength.

"Many have found our home weird and scary, but we loved it and loved it back right away," she says. A very special place in the villa: the Arabicum, an original preserved room from ancient Syria with oriental wall decorations. Art was exhibited there in the past, today the place for Nadja Uhl is "a place of contemplation".

On the next page: The sanctuary of artist Elvira Bach

Refuge: The black and white living room of artist Elvira Bach

The sanctuary of artist Elvira Bach

Elvira Bach not only finds true peace and inspiration in her apartment, but above all in her 550 square meter studio in Berlin-Kreuzberg.

With vigorous brushstrokes, she captures opulent female bodies and impressive faces on canvases, making sculptures, vases and glass works. The 59-year-old spends every day in her huge studio loft and enjoys being on her own.

And her apartment in Charlottenburg is also bursting with creative charm. For example, her living room, completely in black and white, with a striped wallpaper and an oversized doorknob on the wall.

"I always separated my life and my work and owned a studio from the beginning," explains the artist about her two worlds of life.

On the next page: "Women and their refuges" - the book

The book: "Women and their refuges"

More women, stories and impressive spaces can be found in the book "Women and their refuges". Author Stefanie von Wietersheim and photographer Claudia von Boch visited 21 women and showed their very own places of retreat. More information about the book can be found at www.frauen-und-ihre-refugien.de.

Stefanie von Wietersheim / Claudia von Boch Women & their refuges 2010. 176 pages, 225 color photos Bound with dust jacket 29.95 EUR