Pops of Pistachio and Ruby Red Energize This 635-Square-Foot Renovation in Warsaw

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Project Details: 

Location: Warsaw, Poland

Designer: Schudy Studio / @schudystudio

Footprint: 635 square feet

Upholstery: Sylwia Biegaj

Photographer: Martyna Rudnicka / @rudnickamartyna

From the Designer: "The apartment was purchased on the secondary market. It's located in a post-war building and it required a general renovation, which included replacing the electrical installation and radiators, and changing the water installation. The only preserved element was the old solid oak parquet, which we wanted to renew and save. 

"The big problem was a very small bathroom and no storage space. During the project, we moved a wall between the kitchen and the bathroom to add a shower and a large cabinet with a washbasin inside the bathroom. In the cabinet we've hidden a washer-dryer. To deal with storage space, in the largest of the bedrooms, we designed a large wardrobe that blends with the beige wall and adds ample storage space.

"The advantage of the apartment was its openings to both sides of the world, ample natural light, and a beautiful view of the greenery outside the window. We were also impressed by the architecture of the building itself and its location in a quiet and green part of Warsaw. The flat is located in a well known, old part of the city known as Zoliborz. During the project, we wanted to preserve its tenement house character, so we decided to recreate the curves under the ceiling (the details in a spot where the walls are touching the ceiling), preserve the old flooring, and even old door handles made out of bass. The advantage of older buildings is also the story height, which has a favorable influence on the proportions and also the air circulation in the apartment. In terms of layout, we have introduced cosmetic changes, moving the wall between the kitchen and the bathroom, changing the position of the bathroom door, and the smallest bedroom. 

"We decided to use a narrowed color palette; the colors were supposed to be energetic, contrasting, basic colors that would appear in spots in different parts of the wall. An important accent was the original vintage chest of chests in the living room, imported from Germany. The design also had to contain high quality fabrics, as the owner of the flat, Sylwia Biegaj, is an high-end upholstery maker by profession. It was a pleasure to select wonderful, high-quality fabric for roller blinds, headrests and puffs throughout the project. 

"For each project we design custom-made furniture or lamps. We like working on small scale items and we treat them a sculpture. In this interior, we've designed a mirror with a shelf for keys at the entrance to the apartment, a shelf and hooks to be set in the hall space, and a wooden stool with space for shoes below. Our client complemented the decor with a tiny pouf she made  for her daughter. She also made the headboards for the beds, according to our design, and the blinds in her bedroom. Another interesting element is also the green wall lamp in the living room. We took an old lamp shade she owned and designed a new mounting for it—all in Sylwia's favorite green color."