Handpicked originals
Zopf is a neighborhood in Adliswil. And “old-fashioned” would probably be a rather inappropriate description for the impressive studio house we have the pleasure of visiting today.
But first things first: Before Mariya and I set out, a completely different question came up: What do you bring to a family’s home when visiting them for the first time? We decided on something very Swiss and very personal: a homemade Zopf.
Still warm, fragrant, and slightly steaming, it sat in the trunk as we drove toward Adliswil. What we didn’t know at the time: Our destination was in the Zopf neighborhood.
Quite a nice coincidence. One of those little moments that, in hindsight, you might almost think was too good to be true. But it was exactly the opposite: We hadn’t planned any of it.
Some stories aren’t written by the author, but by life itself.
And the house? It welcomed us even before we’d really had a chance to look around. Not just in terms of space.
Nestled between two streams, at the foot of the Uetliberg, stands a dark wooden house in the late-’70s studio style that looks as if it’s always been there. And in a way, it has. The property has belonged to the family since 1964, acquired as a stroke of luck by grandfather Hans Zangger, an architect himself. The studio house in Zopf, nestled between the forest and nature, is vibrant, contemporary, and deeply personal.
David and Samanta Zangger live here with their children, Leo and Mia. A charismatic family, straight out of a picture book. He is a craftsman, industrial designer, tinker, and an aesthete with soul. She has an equally refined sense of beauty. And then there’s a 60-year-old Monstera that majestically watches over the household, as if it had always been there. In a way, it has.
Their Instagram account is @slow.home.slow. For the Zanggers, “slow” isn’t just a lifestyle slogan—it’s a genuine way of life.
Here, “slow” means: slowness as a luxury. Choosing things mindfully. Taking your time to find the right things with care and a delicate touch.
This applies equally to the interior design as it does to the selection of furniture, art, flowers, and all the other elements that are allowed to share space in this wonderful studio home.
The same principle applies in the kitchen: mindful and deliberately good. This is evident not only in the design of the soaring, imposing open-concept studio kitchen, but also in the incredibly good coffee that David serves me like a trained barista.
What sets this home apart from many others isn’t just its style. It’s its depth. Nothing here was put together from a catalog and furnished in a week.
Every piece of furniture, every object, every light fixture carries a history. The same is true of the house itself.
Where it stands today, there used to be a studio house from the 1930s, replaced by a new building that has preserved the outline of the old one.
It’s as if even its imprint in the forest were part of its heritage. David, together with his father Thomas Zangger—also an architect—reimagined the house he had purchased from his grandfather. Craftsmanship and design, two generations, one philosophy.
The Womb Chair by Eero Saarinen in the living room—in Yves Klein Blue, a shade that takes your breath away—was inherited from their grandfather and has been carefully reupholstered. It looks wonderful in front of the colorful Eames Storage Shelf, a classic whose mid-century allure complements the Zanggers’ studio home even more. The old locker in the entryway—where David and Samantha, incidentally also wearing Yves Klein Blue overalls, posed so beautifully for us—has always found a place in every apartment since his days as a carpenter’s apprentice. A find for life, so to speak.
The grandparents’ sideboard now stands in the study, where the inherited and refurbished Akari lamp by Isamu Noguchi casts its warm light.
David crafted the venerable table in the dining room from harbor pilings from Lake Lucerne, and the bed in the children’s room is made from old floor planks. And the Monstera? Sixty years old. Sixty years of family history, encapsulated in a single leaf.
David and Samanta inherited the property itself from David’s parents.
None of these things are a coincidence; they're a matter of attitude: Good things stay good. And they're passed on.
In an age when furniture is often replaced more quickly than the seasons change, the Atelierhaus im Zopf offers a quiet answer to a loud question. What remains? What is worth keeping? David and Samanta choose carefully.
The Eames Lounge Chair, the Wishbone Chair, the Womb Chair. All of them are classics that bear the marks of time with dignity.
They’re complemented by newer pieces that meet the same standard: move in, but do it right. And for a really long time.
The Bit Hocker brings modernity, circularity, and freshness to the studio house. And the Monstera? It’s the foundation, soul, and lungs of the house and its residents.
The interior design itself is “seamless.” Carpenters, designers, and the company Schärholzbau worked together with David to bring to life a concept that makes no compromises.
Soaped silver fir, precise dimensions, non-load-bearing and load-bearing walls defined with exact precision.
> “Save wisely, spend boldly”: that could be the motto of this house. Nothing left to chance. And yet, everything is wonderfully nonchalant.
Exactly how I perceive the family, by the way. Always focused, very passionate—but all with a sense of ease and, somehow, effortless grace.
As soon as you step into this studio, you feel it right away: Here, light takes center stage
Seven skylights were strategically placed in her section of the house to capture the light that the forest would otherwise absorb. As an added bonus, they provide natural ventilation without the need for any controls. Daylight streams in from above, flows through the rooms, and shifts as the day progresses.
And then there’s what’s deliberately missing here: blinds. In the summer, the tall forest, together with the overhanging eaves, provides shade all on its own. Nature as the architect.
Leuchten, Leuchten, Leuchten 💡
David ist ein grosser Leuchten-Liebhaber. Im ganzen Haus finden sich ikonische Lichtquellen, die gleichermassen Wärme und subtile Helligkeit spenden, wie sie Objektcharakter besitzen.
Ein gekonntes, sehr fein selektioniertes Stelldichein von Stehleuchten, Tischleuchten, Wandleuchten. Alle indirekt, alle warm.
Die Akari-Leuchte von Noguchi im Arbeitszimmer und über dem bunten Eames Regal, die riesigen Hängeleuchten über dem Esstisch, die coole Baltensweiler auf dem Hocker neben dem Ledersessel, die riesige Potence-Leuchte über dem Muuto-Sofa und die kultige Flowerpot von ]Tradition auf dem Coffeetable – um nur einige aufzuzählen.
Dazu kommen zartnatürliche Holz-Leuchten, die David in seinem Atelier nebst seinen schönen Holzschalen selbst gestaltet und entwickelt hat. Ein Lichtprofi, der nichts dem Zufall überlässt.
Color-wise, the house is set in a world of light wood, white, ochre, and rich green. Scandinavian style at its best, I’d say.
And then, time and again: red. A common thread of red runs through every room.
Subtle yet confident at the same time. A red accent here, a piece of art there. “Red theory,” you might say—which David is personally showcasing right now with his red baseball cap. Not a loud statement, but more of a playful nod.
Art plays a major role in this creative family’s studio home.
Paintings and items collected over the years—each imbued with soul and personality—lend these classic pieces of furniture genuine depth and warmth.
No piece seems out of place; none feels forced or put on display. David and Samanta’s vision is palpable in every corner, without being overly obvious.
What impresses me most: Despite the many classics, the many memories, and the well-thought-out concept, nothing here feels forced. Sam and David move through their home like people who know exactly where they belong. Relaxed. Warm. Authentic.
When David puts on some music during our visit—with the same care he puts into everything he does—something in the room changes. The height and airiness of the house, the play of sunlight, the music. You seem to float through the rooms. Small everyday worries and to-do lists fade into the background.
That’s exactly what this house does: it brings back the moment.
A house that doesn’t put on a show. A family that doesn’t stage things. And yet—or perhaps precisely because of that—every glance draws your attention. No showmanship. Just real life, lived in a particularly beautiful way.
Anyone who thinks the studio house in Zopf ends at the front door hasn’t looked outside yet.
The Zanggers’ garden is almost too beautiful to be true. Spacious, multifaceted, mysterious.
A spacious wooden deck invites you to linger, and a long dining table awaits summer evenings with family and friends. Sandstone and boulders from the lower Lake Zurich add character to the woodland garden, surrounded by native vegetation including beech, yew,
maple, and pine. Nothing exotic and nothing artificial. Just what grows here.
Wer lieber allein sein möchte, findet sein verstecktes Plätzli mit Lido-Liegen, sonnig, still, kaum zu finden, wenn man nicht weiss, wo man suchen muss.
And then there’s the enchanting natural pond with water lilies—a touch of romance in the heart of nature that manages perfectly well without any liner or waterproofing. And it sometimes serves as a stage for art, as David shows me while trying to keep the letters of an art installation inspired by Lake Zurich in check and arrange them for the photo.
Back to the lack of a liner: the loamy soil holds the water on its own. Like so much here: simply because that’s how it is. Because nature can do it.
If you want to venture even deeper into the greenery, follow the narrow path that winds from the garden into the adjacent forest, leading to a mysterious little clearing that would be a home in its own right.
Being outdoors with the Zangger family means truly being outdoors. In nature, not just next to it.
The Zangger family’s studio house in Zopf is not a showroom. It is a home. A home with history, character, and a family that understands that the most beautiful things aren’t bought—they’re lived. Inherited, cherished, and passed on.
The venerable Monstera continues to watch over the space. The children are growing up. The Womb Chair remains blue.
And the light—that warm, golden, indirect light—floods the rooms anew every evening, making them a little more each time what they already are: a home.
The Zangger family’s studio house in Zopf is not a showroom. It is a home. A home with history, character, and a family that understands that the most beautiful things aren’t bought—they’re lived. Inherited, cherished, and passed on.
The venerable Monstera continues to watch over the space. The children are growing up. The Womb Chair remains blue.
And the light—that warm, golden, indirect light—floods the rooms anew every evening, making them a little more each time what they already are: a home.
Thank you to David and Samanta for your hospitality and professionalism—thank you for letting us learn so much from you. We hope you enjoyed the braided bread as much as we enjoyed the shoot.
All our love,
> Jeannette & Mariya for Mooris.ch
