Conversation with Visual Designer Heike Müller

Swiss visual designer and food blogger Heike Müller has been a member of BoutiqueHomes since we first started out. Over the last few years, she and her partner, architect Peter Kessinger, have stayed at quite a few of our properties – from Aufberg 1110 in Piesendorf, Austria, to Venice Place and Cactus Flower in Venice, California. They most recently spent a few days at another of our LA homes, the Topanga House.

We were lucky enough to meet Heike while she was here, and it was great to find out more about her. A former trend analyst, she currently works as a visual designer in Zurich, and shares her passion for vividly-colored and wildly imaginative plant-based food on her Instagram page @tastyasheck.

As one writer recently said, Heike creates and eats rainbows. When you see her work, you’ll understand exactly what that means…

WHY DID YOU START PLAYING WITH FOOD?

Heike Müller: “I trained in how to present merchandise in windows and stores. Back then, we did everything ourselves – it was really a process, like art. Today, it’s changed – it’s more like mass production. I need craftsmanship in my life, and food has always been important in my family. I started my Instagram page because it was the first opportunity to take pictures and use filters to edit them. I found out very quickly that people find food very attractive, and I connected with other people who make food. All of a sudden, I was in a community.

“What’s great is that you don’t repeat the same things every day. You want to create something new, and define your personal style. I couldn’t make the same coconut porridge every day because it would bore my community – and even myself. I have to challenge myself.”

EATING RAINBOWS SOUNDS INTERESTING…

HM: “When I was in my early 20s, I stopped eating meat. I like mostly plant-based food. Most people don’t know how you can feed yourself with only plants. Color is really important to me. Even in my home, I try to have one room which is really monochrome or beige, but then I have my own room which is exploding with colors. I can’t live without them – so I have to put them somewhere, and food is the perfect display. I use fruit powders – they also give a nice flavor. Like matcha which make it green, or blueberry powder and it gets blue.”

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN YOU TRAVEL?

HM: “We always want to stay in a place that is better than our home. We wouldn’t go for a place because of the village, or the island. We have to stay in a place we like, a home that is incredible. We choose the environment we live in, which brings us to places we might never have chosen.”

WHAT DO YOU EAT WHEN YOU ARE ON THE ROAD?

HM: “I make lists of where I want to go. I make a big list, and we finally visit about 3% of it! We always try new restaurants and go to farmer’s markets and supermarkets which offer a special selection of foods. We get inspired when we go to restaurants – how they present it and how they combine food.”

WHERE HAVE YOU STAYED WITH BOUTIQUEHOMES?

HM: “We have stayed at Cactus Flower and Venice Place in Venice several times – we know the owners now, and every time we come here it’s like meeting family. We’ve stayed at Homestead in Joshua Tree two times. It is a beautiful house, with very nice owners. With Aufberg 1110 in Austria, we loved the architecture, the interior, the view and the private sauna. Also it was super tranquil.”

YOUR MOST RECENT STAY WAS AT THE TOPANGA HOUSE – CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?

HM: “We really liked the architecture of the house, the magical garden, the tasteful and artsy furniture, and the wonderful, refreshing pool. Both indoors and outdoors are spacious, and the view is serene (even with the funny parrots from the Amazon who visit!). It was great to be away from noise but also close to lovely shops, hiking trails and the ocean.

“There is nothing bad on the site. There are only two or three sites I know that have the same quality, but usually they’re more expensive. So here you have the whole experience, from good prices to luxury – and it’s not focused on only architecture, or only modern, or only rural.

"It’s the whole experience you get here. The longer the site exists, the more interesting it gets. When we go somewhere, we always check it. We have never been disappointed.”

Follow Heike Muller here. To stay at the Topanga House, click here.