Interior design Wrocław

Design of a 35 m² apartment by the lake

So imagine our surprise when we discovered that the final builder's specifications included extremely curved walls, floors, and ceilings, with additional toilets that weren't mentioned in the design, which slightly altered the dimensions of individual functional areas.

It's good that at least the electrical wiring is already well-laid out...

So we started making changes to the design (again!) and brainstormed aesthetic solutions, that don't cost an arm and a leg! After all, we must remember that the apartment's primary purpose was as an investment.

The bathroom itself accommodated an 80x80 cm shower enclosure, complete with a shower column with a rain shower head and a built-in shelf. A toilet on a frame and built-in furniture above it were also included, as well as a small cabinet with a sink. Above the sink was a large mirror with LED lighting.

Almost the entire bathroom was clad in relatively uniform, light-colored tiles, featuring a fine beige terrazzo pattern. The exception were the dark porcelain tiles behind the mirror, which the investor personally selected in a store.

The interior design, despite some initial challenges, was completed quite quickly (including the cabinetry from a carpenter!), and the apartment looked truly interesting and cozy. The investor was very pleased with the final interior design, and that's what matters most to us!

To save space and increase functionality, we designed a narrow metal shelving unit to serve as additional storage on the kitchen side and as a bedside table on the bedside. Metal slats divided the shelving unit into separate sections on both sides – it was difficult to reach the alarm clock on the kitchen side, and impossible to pull out the salt shaker on the bedside.

The wide beam running through the apartment was covered with a special sheet metal with a dark smoked mirror finish, creating an interesting visual effect. Opposite the bed, we managed to fit a narrow shelf and a large mirror – this served as a dressing table and an additional countertop for the entryway.

At the darkest end of the apartment was the entryway and bathroom. A large, custom-made wardrobe was placed in the hallway, accommodating outerwear and many other essentials. The wardrobe's glass fronts echo the gray smoked glass motif. Opposite the wardrobe, the bathroom door is also glass, also smoked.

This way, we managed to fit the bedroom area into the darkest part of the apartment, which had a wagon-like shape (with a window on one wall, over 6 meters long, making the entrance area dark). The kitchen divided the second area and separated the bed from the living area, which housed a comfortable sofa bed, coffee table, and media wall. The kitchen itself consists of two rows of cabinets, one of which serves as an island with a bar counter, which replaced the dining table in the apartment.

The investor associated the sofa with the color of a squirrel – the chosen upholstery fabric echoed the copper fixtures and lamps (which the investor brought from Gdańsk because he really liked them in an interior design store), hence the playful accent of the lamp with a small squirrel hanging on the lamp next to the TV :)

And the investor, involved in the finishing work, brought a homemade table and a picture of a lake printed on canvas, which he took himself!

And so the idea for textured plaster in warm shades of beige, brown, and gray was born, to conceal some of the wall's unevenness; a combination of black accents, brushed copper, and delicate light drapery in the form of window treatments, cozy upholstered panels, and, of course, multi-level lighting!

It wasn't without some tweaking – we modified the investor's old wooden bed to fit the apartment's dimensions (we simply got rid of the headboard), and we applied the textured plaster ourselves using basic filler, pigments, and a sealer. The kitchen cabinetry is primarily the METOD system from IKEA, featuring wooden fronts and a wooden beech countertop. The remaining furniture was custom-made by a local carpentry company, which helped us here and there with modifications to the dishwasher fronts and bathroom door frames – for which we are very grateful :)

The visual design was intended to be modern – a bit loft-like, but cozy and, of course, functional. We submitted the first design concept even before the apartment's official handover. We even managed to negotiate with the developer to install the electrical and plumbing systems according to our specifications, which significantly simplified the subsequent finishing work.

However, the first design concepts were created before the apartment itself existed – the building just ended there, and there was nothing beyond the beam! The investor changed his mind many times about the design concept – first a raw industrial style, then perhaps a touch of Japandi, later perhaps more glamour – until we achieved a result that satisfied everyone!

A short, pleasant stroll to the lake and a peaceful retreat in a modern building complex – these were the goals of the project, which tasked us with designing a 35 m² studio apartment. This investment apartment was intended for rental purposes.

"It has to be luxurious!" the investor told us.

"I want the apartment to have everything: a comfortable bed, a kitchen, a dining area, a nice and comfortable sofa, and of course, a TV..." – it sounds simple, but how do we fit it all into 35 m²? That was the challenge we faced!

STUDIO APARTMENT BY THE LAKE

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