The collaboration between Aleksandra Mętlewicz and Maciej Jasina of ICH Studio and Agnieszka and Filip – the owners of a house in Kiekrz near Poznań – began as a friendship. These personal ties not only ensured that the project was handled professionally, but also made communication between the clients and the architects more open and honest. Thanks to this, the designers were able to create an interior refined down to the smallest detail. What does this family home look like? Take a look.
The relationship between the designers and the owners created scope for thoughtful experimentation. It wasn’t about originality for originality’s sake, but about finding solutions that suited the residents’ sensibilities, their budget and their everyday needs. Every non-standard element had its own rationale and was discussed in detail. Although Agnieszka and Filip’s initial inspirations centred on the calm interiors of Japandi and Scandinavian styles, it soon became clear that they were looking for a home with character, and that they weren’t afraid of colour or bold decisions. The designers therefore had to find a design language that would reflect their temperament, rather than simply translating their inspirations into the design.
Agnieszka summed it up well herself: “The best thing is that even I didn’t know I wanted exactly the sort of home I have now, but you did.” For ICH Studio, moments like these are the very essence of design – creating a space that the residents recognise as their own, even if they couldn’t have imagined it before.
Open-plan living area
The central part of the house is an open-plan living area combining the living room, kitchen and dining room. On one side are the owners’ bedroom, a toilet and a utility room; on the other, Leon’s room and the guest room. The division between the communal area and the private wings is emphasised through the choice of materials – the corridors are finished in natural oak veneer, and the doors are concealed within wooden surfaces, ensuring that the circulation routes do not disrupt the walls with random cut-outs.
One of the key decisions was to reverse the original layout of the living room. Instead of the classic arrangement with the sofa in the centre, the designers proposed a bespoke, multifunctional piece of furniture. On the entrance side, it features a space for keys, a large wardrobe for coats and a seat with drawers for shoes, whilst on the living room side it transitions into a TV unit. It is a spacious composition of interlocking elements made of wood, steel and mirror – the mirrored base makes the whole unit appear to float above the floor.
Natural materials
Natural, understated materials have been used throughout the house: oak veneer, microcement, steel, stone and mirror. This calm base is broken up by bold accents – a brick-and-coral-coloured kitchen island and a vibrant green sofa. The bold colour lends the interior energy and a distinctive character.
Paper lamps by &Tradition hang above the dining table, their soft light balancing the geometry of the fitted units. The living room also features an Acustio acoustic panel – its subtle gradient improves the acoustics of the open-plan space and serves as an example of an element that combines aesthetics with function.
The kitchen, Leon’s room and private spaces
The kitchen is completely open to the dining room and living room, making it a natural part of everyday life. At its heart is a brick-and-coral-coloured island designed specifically for this house. Part of the base is finished in wood, part in mirror, which lends the solid structure a sense of lightness and a changing appearance depending on the viewing angle. Natural wood, a steel worktop and light-reflecting surfaces provide a backdrop for ceramics, books and plants – the interior is cohesive but not contrived.
Leon’s room was designed around his fascination with space. Instead of a neutral, beige aesthetic, an energetic space was created based on shades of red, blue and dark green. The centrepiece is an illustrated wall featuring a rocket and planets, accompanied by red furniture and a deep blue bookcase by Tylko. Open shelves house collections, books and models, whilst closed units help keep things tidy. The room is distinctive, cheerful and ready to grow alongside Leon.
The owners’ bedroom is more tranquil – natural oak and a light colour palette dominate. The wardrobes, wooden handles, headboard, dressing table and shelves were designed specifically for this interior. A limited colour palette does not mean anonymity, as character is created by proportions, original forms and precise details.
The bathroom has been divided into a neutral wet zone and a striking entrance area. The walls are clad in small brick-effect tiles, and the same colour is used on the built-in units and the washbasin. The result is a monochromatic ‘total look’ organised by a grid of light-coloured grout – the intense colour transforms this small space into one of the most memorable places in the home.
Everyday life and consistency
The owners felt that even the utility room should have its own character. It features a navy blue accent, light-coloured aglomarmur on the worktop and wall, and functional built-in units with a clothes rail. As this space is used almost every day, it was designed to be not only practical but also pleasant.
The aim in designing the interior of this house near Poznań was not to push for flashy ideas, but to consistently implement a cohesive concept, made possible by the owners’ trust and the experience of ICH Studio. It is precisely in this approach that Aleksandra Mętlewicz and Maciej Jasina see the meaning of their work – not in imposing a single style, but in finding, for each client, a space they may not be able to imagine, yet which they later recognise as their own.
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About the studio:
ICH Studio is formed by Aleksandra Mętlewicz, an interior architect, and Maciej Jasina, an architect. The decision to set up a joint studio was a natural consequence of many years’ work on private and commercial projects, carried out both separately and together. The name ICH refers, on the one hand, to ‘his and hers’ – that is, two perspectives, experiences and sensibilities. More importantly, however, is the second meaning: every interior is intended, first and foremost, to be a space for its inhabitants. Not just another project subservient to the studio’s single style, but a design arising from the character, everyday life, budget and needs of specific individuals. The ICH Studio headquarters serves as both a studio and a meeting place. Aleksandra and Maciej invite clients there, showing them not only how they design, but also how they themselves live with the materials and solutions they propose. Credibility and personal experience remain just as important to them as aesthetics. The house presented here is the first project officially published under the ICH Studio banner and clearly illustrates the values on which the studio wishes to build its business.
design: Aleksandra Mętlewicz and Maciej Jasina – ICH Studio
photography: MIGDAŁ Studio
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