For her heart's project HEIMAT-Salon, Ilka Peemöller regularly invites interesting people to dinner in her attic apartment in western Berlin. In an interview, the journalist and presenter tells us what makes a perfect hostess, stylish table decorations and a successful evening.

When do you start preparing for such an evening?

I usually plan two HEIMAT salons in parallel, i.e. several months in advance, because I mix and match my guests from different areas, different cities and even countries. They are all very busy, so it takes a lot of preparation. The hot phase with setting up the tables and chairs, laying the KPM Kurland tableware, and delivering and cooling the drinks usually starts two days beforehand. I am extremely well-planned then, because I do everything myself. With the strong support of great cooperation partners.

How much time do you put into table decoration?

Preparation is the key word. If you are well organized, as I have learned through my job for various photo shoots around the world, it doesn't take that long in the end. The flowers are the eye-catchers for my table decorations. As the saying goes, what you eat with your eyes is what you eat with. That's why I am grateful for the most beautiful seasonal arrangements from KIANS Garden in Berlin, who have been by my side since the HEIMAT salon was founded.

You have chosen our KURLAND collection for the HEIMAT Salon? Do you have a personal connection to this collection?

I like this classic elegance; it looks very classy in combination with the special and colorful floral decoration. And every time I get the most wonderful feedback from my guests about the porcelain, which is on loan from the porcelain manufacturer, which is known for its great tradition.

How do you give your table decoration your own individual touch?

Attention to detail is the most important thing here. The silver cutlery is from my home state of Schleswig-Holstein, and has been used for large celebrations on my parents' farm. And the eight-meter-long tablecloth comes from my now deceased neighbor "Aunt Lisa," whose daughter ironed it and gave it to me especially for my salon evenings. It is a special piece of local history.

What makes the perfect guest list for you?

A successful evening depends on the guests and the right mix. As in my book "HEIMAT - Where the heart is at home", it is a mix of politics, art, culture, film and television. My network of 25 years of professional experience and the trusting relationships I have as a journalist and author are of great benefit to me: I have already welcomed Atze Schröder, Julia Klöckner, Düzen Tekkal, HP Baxxter, Jasmin Tabatabai, Augustinus Bader, Linda Zervakis and Jörg Thadeusz - to name just a few. I always plan so that one or the other from my HEIMAT book is there.

How do you create the perfect seating arrangement?

That's the icing on the cake. I trust my intuition completely and only hand out the lovingly and stylishly calligraphed menu and place cards by the Hamburg artist Jeannine Platz at the end, when everything is already in place and the table is ready. It feels like I'm sprinkling a little confetti on the table, it gives me a lot of joy - especially when I see at the end of the night how well my seating arrangement worked out for the guests.

With style and heart: handwritten table and menu cards by artist Jeannine Platz in the mix with KPM KURLAND

How did the idea for the HEIMAT Salon come about?

Through my #Apartment48 on Fasanenstraße in Wilmersdorf. Moving into this special attic apartment has awakened new ideas and possibilities in my head. It is a very special place. And as I later discovered "by chance", the founding director of the Hotel Adlon, Gianni van Daalen, is said to have lived there. Great-great-grandson Felix Adlon and his wife Nina Adlon drove from the Wachau to my first HEIMAT salon - isn't that a nice coincidence?

What does “home” mean to you personally?

I am "Nordic by nature" and very proud of my roots in Schleswig-Holstein, where I grew up with two brothers on a farm between Hamburg and Lübeck. When the vowels are drawn out, you say "plietsch" instead of "schlüpfer" or my father stumbles over the sharp stone - that is the sound of home for me.

What do you associate with eating in company?

When guests come from near or far to visit you for just one evening in Berlin, that is the highest form of appreciation. Giving yourself time is the greatest luxury - and that is why it is so valuable to enjoy it at a table with excellent food. Head chef Samuel Haas and managing director Stefan Reinhardt from the excellent restaurant Dae Mon in Mitte have been creating and serving incredible creations, real explosions of taste, since the very first hour of my HEIMAT salon.

Your insider tip for interesting table conversations?

No small talk. We all have that often enough at big events, and it can be very tiring in the long run. Warmth is key. As a host, I build bridges between my guests, who feel like they are in a safe space among like-minded people.

Can you tell us the funniest anecdote that happened to you at dinner?

What happens in the HEIMAT salon stays there, and every one of my guests appreciates that. The funniest anecdotes are probably those that guests tell in their spontaneous speeches. There is a lot of laughter, and a few tears have been shed out of emotion - for example when soprano Nina Adlon sang Puccini. Emotions play a very big role on these evenings.

Who was the most exciting man or woman you have ever sat next to?

At home, I wouldn't want to single out anyone from my illustrious circle. I have fond memories of an exclusive dinner evening at "The Grand" in Berlin as the table lady for star tenor José Carreras: We talked about Luciano Pavarotti, with whom he had performed on the biggest stages in the world and with whom I had the opportunity to work together in Germany and Italy in my early years as a reporter. Lucky me!

Photos: Dan Zoubek

Would you like to dine like Ilka Peemöller and her guests in the Heimat-Salon? Discover the KURLAND collection here .