A family home

They actually wanted to build a house themselves. But then Janine and Dominic found one in Weinfelden TG that was made for them.

On their first date, Janine and Dominic were already discussing their life plans: do you want kids? Do you want to get married? Do you want to own a home? “That’s a little bit of Swiss-talk,” they laugh. “But it was a match.” Eight years later, we are sitting in the cosy seating area in her house. Her sons Gian and Nevio are running around in the garden. Their life plans have become a reality.
Dominic and Janine actually wanted to build a house themselves. In the country. “Then our mothers thought we had to look at this house, which was advertised for sale. We went there and realised that 95% of it is exactly what we would have built ourselves.”

They no longer want to live in the country. Dominic and Janine feel totally comfortable here. They live close to the centre of Weinfelden, yet the location is quiet and close to nature. “We love to go out spontaneously because there’s always something going on in the city. And in the evening, when we get home, we have a glass of wine with the neighbours or we sit together all night by a fire pit in the communal area.” Their neighbours have become their friends. The boys also like it, because there are so many children to play with here.

The exterior facade of a modern, two-storey house. In front of the house is a children’s toy house. There is a plaque on it that says “Casa Gian Nevio”. The small house is decorated with a string of lights.

Janine and Dominic discovered their dream home in Weinfelden TG by chance.

Man in shorts and brown T-shirt stands in front of a children’s football goal in a garden. In front of him stands a little boy with his back towards the camera, who is about to kick a ball with a colourful print. The boy has a print of an astronaut skateboarding on the T-shirt on the back.

Common hobbies: Gian and Dominic love football and hockey.

Gian is four years old and started kindergarten this summer. Right now, he’s playing football outside. He is the sporty and creative one, and enjoys everything related to exercise and handicrafts. His parents say that Gian is a “really great big brother. The first thing he does in the morning and the last thing at night is to kiss Nevio.” One-year-old Nevio is a curious explorer, quietly wandering about or climbing over everything. “If the boys are out and about together, it’s mostly noisy and wild. And of course there’s sometimes arguments too.”

The inside of her apartment is full of attention to detail and beautiful stories. For example, the wooden sliding door in the entrance that leads to the storage and laundry room was made from a tree that came from a forest belonging to Janine’s cousin and her husband. Or the special dining table with indentations in the middle and exciting metal elements. “I had seen it somewhere and I liked it so much that I had a carpenter recreate the table. My godfather then made the sliding elements,” explains Janine. Dominic produces accessories for the home and toys for the children in his workshop in the 3D printing laboratory.

Modern two-storey residential building with carport under which a white Cupra car is parked. Next to the carport are a wooden bench and garden tools. A sign with the inscription “Waldhof-Allee’ is affixed to the wall of the house. In the foreground is a paved walkway and a shrub.

Janine and Dominic’s home is close to the city centre and yet in a quiet, family-friendly neighbourhood.

A living and dining area in a modern detached house. In front is a big wooden table with metal elements. At the top there is a lamp, which was built from an old wooden ladder. At the back of the picture you can see various wooden furniture and toys and a TV.

There is a lot of attention to detail in the fixtures and fittings. Janine designed this lighting construction featuring a ladder.

A little boy plays with a black and white toy consisting of wheels and tracks. The boy has a focused look. He has brown hair, and is wearing a black T-shirt and two colourful bracelets on his arms.

Dominic made the marble run with a 3D printer in his workshop.

A children’s room with a white wooden bed. It is a bunk bed and accessible via a small ladder. Small flags are attached to the bed as decoration. Behind it is a teddy bear sitting on the floor. The door bears the lettering G and Gian in the form of a wooden decoration. Next to it is a measuring stick with Gian Josef written in capital letters.

Gian’s room.

When work is over and the children are asleep, Janine and Dominic like to spend evenings together as a couple in front of the fireplace. “Then we talk about ourselves, our relationship and our plans over a glass of wine.” Spending time together is important to them. “Life changes completely when you have children.” Dominic, a former League One hockey goalie and coach, and musician Janine have put their sport and music on hold for the time being. “That’s totally fine with us. As life with children, jobs and everyday life is wild enough, we currently need all our energy for the family.