Interior designer Julia Zembrzuska has created a space for herself and her partner where modernist elegance meets artistic daring. the 60-square-metre flat in Warsaw’s Old Żoliborz is located in a building from the 1950s. The design brings out the unique atmosphere of the past, relying on light, proportions and carefully selected materials.
Flat in Stare Żoliborz
The owner of the Metry studio has been connected to Żoliborz for years. She was born and grew up in this part of the city and, having entered adulthood, has consistently chosen it as her place to live. As she admits, she has always appreciated the architecture of the 20th century between the wars, which is why she previously lived in a tenement from this period. In recent years, the property market in this neighbourhood has become particularly challenging, prompting her to search for a new home among later developments. She found her new home in an intimate three-storey building from the early 1950s, surrounded by greenery and located on a quiet street. As she says, creating an atmospheric interior in such a place requires more effort than in a townhouse, but the solid construction of real bricks and the height of the rooms reaching 2.8 metres made it possible to achieve a satisfying result.
The conversion of a flat in a 1950s building.
The layout of the flat did not suit the designer’s needs, so it was completely changed. Julia even decided to interfere with the load-bearing wall in order to open up the space and bring light into the interior. As a result, the former cramped rooms gave way to a bright 30-square-metre living room with a kitchen. In addition, a spacious corridor with a large mirrored wardrobe, a bathroom with bath and shower and an 18-square-metre bedroom with a workspace were created. The designer admits that the renovation required a great deal of precision and patience, but yielded the desired result. In her originally non-functional flat, a space with a distinct character has been created, where daylight plays a key role, emphasising the textures and colours of the materials used.
Materials, patterns and details
The interior is based on distinctive veneers and natural stones, which are juxtaposed with geometric forms of furniture. A 1940s round table from Lodz, Mikado, Rey and Thonet chairs, Italian tubular models from the 1980s and a Pastform Furniture RTV cabinet evoke the spirit of mid-20th century European design. The colour base of the interior is subdued. Natural oak parquet flooring laid in a classic herringbone pattern, cream-coloured kitchen fittings and calm tones in the bathroom balance the intensity of the materials. Attention is drawn to the patterns of Blanc du Blanc granite, Guatemala marble or the two-tone wood veneer that appears in the kitchen and bedroom cabinetry.
A play of light and reflections
Julia Zembrzuska has introduced many mirrored surfaces in her flat to visually enlarge the space. Mirrors appear behind the kitchen cabinets, in the hallway, bathroom and bedroom. Some of them have a utilitarian function, others are a decorative addition to the whole. Thanks to their use, the interior gains an impression of depth and lightness.
A flat in the Old Żoliborz district and artistry in details
The flat does not lack individual accents. The accessories collected from various sources – from lamps from Artery, through the characteristic yellow vase by Mrs Jurek, to the pink ceramics by Ende/Waliszewka and the iconic ‘Kiwi’ design by Lubomir Tomaszewski – bring a personal tone to the interior. A handmade mosaic table with coral grout also catches the eye. Julia and her partner (a graphic designer) spend a lot of time at home. The flat was therefore intended to be a place to work and relax in one. As the designer emphasises, she has succeeded in creating a space that fully meets their aesthetic and functional needs.
Source: Studio Metry
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