Performer Inga Salomé’s apartment is such an extension of her that she almost blends in – and that’s before you factor in her leopard-print bedspread and leopard-print couch. The Hamburg native moved to Berlin in 2013, but took over the lease to her Kotti-adjacent Kreuzberg digs from friend and fellow performer Hottie de Paris in 2020.
Her apartment is full of Kleinanzeigen finds – including two foldable velvet theatre seats – and costumes Salomé makes herself: floral headpieces, a bedazzled snake neckpiece, a transparent belt with a silver lion’s head buckle. The centrepiece, though, is the red claw foot bathtub in her living room, which serves as bubbly break room, sewing project overflow zone, and her own burlesque stage.
How would you describe your decorating style?
I would describe my style as functional. I don’t like clutter, but I obviously love kitsch. My leopard print broom is another perfect example. Why would anyone have a normal broom if you can have a leopard print broom instead?
Why would anyone have a normal broom if you can have a leopard print broom instead?
What do you draw your inspiration from?
My apartment almost feels like a museum of my life. A lot of my decorations are either my own show costumes, from travels or artworks by my friends. I have this nude photograph that used to hang in my favourite Vietnamese restaurant. It seemed so wonderfully inappropriate, and when they changed their decor to generic orchid paintings, I was so disappointed that I ended up buying it from them. And despite being vehemently atheist, I have a weak spot for Christian iconography. The paradox of worshipping a ‘virgin mother’ that is literally depicted looking like a vulva never ceases to amaze me.
What are some of your favourite pieces in the apartment?
My dishwasher, without a doubt! I very much vibe with the fact that that thing is doing my dishes.
Is there a particular object that people are most drawn to or comment on the most?
The bathtub definitely gets the most attention. I had been looking [for one] a little bit, but they were all over Germany, and suddenly this came up on Kleinanzeigen in Friedrichrichshain. It was just the perfect match. I like that it’s shorter than a normal bathtub, I like the colour, I like the feet, and I love performing in it. Performing with my bathtub is my favourite thing to do, but transporting that bathtub is probably my least favourite thing to do.
Is it heavy?
It’s about 30 kilos – it’s acrylic. I have had some drunk tourists carry it up into my flat in exchange for some photos with it. When it’s not on stage, it stands in my living room. It’s obviously not connected to the plumbing, but I have a hose and garden pump to get the water in and out. It’s a little like sitting in a plastic bucket in your own living room, but a really pretty plastic bucket. I actually got Hausratversicherung (home insurance) just for this bathtub, because I was scared that if I took a bath in it and caused big water damage, I’d need insurance. It’s probably the most German thing I’ve ever done.
What’s the weirdest object you have?
I guess that would be my hotel trolley. It’s literally the elephant in the room. I was hoping to build a shelf out of it, but it simply does not fit into my apartment.
What’s your favourite feature of the apartment?
The fact that it is my apartment. These four walls have seen the best and the worst of me. I signed the contract without ever really having seen it, but when I arrived – you know that feeling when you’ve had a really long day, you have a lot of stuff you’ve been carrying? It really felt like coming home after a really long day and just putting your bags down.
