Before & After: This Warsaw Micro Apartment Shows That 300 Square Feet Can Feel Grand

Studio Hoka honors a historic building with a design that melds the practical and the artistic.

Jul 3, 2024 - 20:34
Before & After: This Warsaw Micro Apartment Shows That 300 Square Feet Can Feel Grand

Studio Hoka honors a historic building with a design that melds the practical and the artistic.

A painting, from which Howorko looked to for inspiration when devising the color palette, brightens the living area, which stars an intimate dining table, a reading nook along the windows, and expansive storage.

Warsaw was devastated during World War II, so when designer Karolina Howorko, who flits between the Polish capital and Amsterdam, was called upon to revamp a petite studio inside a building dating from the 1930s, she was both delighted and shocked by the edifice’s resilience. "Until the facade was restored a few years ago, you could still see bullet holes from the war," says Howorko, who founded Studio Hoka. "There is also a private garden, which is a rarity for the city center."

The nearly 300-square-foot bijou apartment hadn’t been renovated in some 50 years, and when Howorko first stepped into it, it resembled "a ruin," she says. "I saw that the space was super tiny, but I knew that there was a lot of possibility. I wanted to rejuvenate it and connect it to the amazing history of the building."

Before: Entry

Before: Karolina Howorko was intent on salvaging the studio's old yet striking oak flooring.

Howorko’s client, a doctor close to retirement, initially "had limited expectations due to the age of the place," she admits. "My goal for Karolina was to create a welcoming and distinctive environment. I envisioned a space that felt modern with ample storage, warm tones, and a lot of white. I wanted it to be versatile and reflective of my interests, such as travel."

After: Entry

The hallway's wood flooring now flows into the kitchen tiles that Howorko used to replace the one section that was beyond repair.

The wood flooring runs alongside a patch of kitchen tiles that Howorko used to replace the one section that could not be restored.

Karolina Howorko

Howorko, who has a flair for transforming cramped urban domiciles into comfortable, multipurpose retreats, was just the right person to tackle the ambitious project.

Before: Kitchen

Before: The kitchen, brandishing a washing machine under the sink, was clunky and separated from the rest of the apartment.

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