Monika Michałowska designed a 63-metre flat in the WSM Koło II housing estate in Warsaw, where the original ash parquet flooring sits alongside green quartzite, vintage furniture and art. The interior was created for art historian and estate agent Marta Gawęda and her partner, a solicitor and history enthusiast. It is a fusion of respect for the existing architecture and the everyday needs of the residents.
The history of this address begins with the housing estate designed in 1947 by Helena and Szymon Syrkus. The modernist buildings, with their recessed ground floors, columns and perforated stairwell screens, were constructed using rubble concrete made from the ruins of Warsaw. It was here, in one of the flats, that Pablo Picasso drew his famous ‘Mermaid with a Hammer’. In such surroundings, the owners sought space for their own collections and possessions, without literally recreating the décor of decades past. Eventually, they managed to find their dream flat in the WSM Koło II housing estate. Michałowska retained the ash wood flooring here, but rearranged the layout of the rooms. At the expense of a slightly smaller bedroom, she enlarged the living area, whilst an opening in the load-bearing wall, reinforced with a structural beam, allowed the kitchen to be opened up to the living room.
The wide passageway with rounded corners provides an interesting frame for the view of the cream-coloured kitchen units. The understated fronts, fitted with HVYT handles, serve as a backdrop for the green quartzite with its distinctive veining. The stone covers the worktop and the wall above it, whilst the cream-and-burgundy chequerboard pattern on the floor introduces another striking motif. The kitchen perfectly reflects the designer’s approach: the soft colours of the large surfaces allow decorative materials and details to take centre stage. Even the Katy Paty ceramic switches and sockets, colour-coordinated with the individual rooms, play their own part in this scheme.
The kitchen’s green tones are echoed by the upholstered sofa, the rug and the living room accessories, accompanied by shades of pink, burgundy and orange. By the windows stands a vintage table with a variety of chairs, above which hangs a large HAY paper lamp. The Ferm Living coffee table with a chequered pattern brings out the warm tones of the ash parquet flooring. Among the artworks is a piece by Andrzej Polanowski, the owner’s uncle, whilst books, ceramics and little trinkets sourced by the residents fill other parts of the interior.
“I wanted to create an interior for living in, not just for looking at. One where art, books, favourite objects and furniture can simply be part of everyday life,” says Monika Michałowska.
In the private area of the flat, the colours become more subdued. The bedroom is enveloped in olive and sage-green walls and linen textiles, whilst the undulating upholstered headboard breaks up the simple geometry of the burl wood bedside tables. Burgundy House Doctor wall lamps and a multicoloured Hübsch bedspread bring this composition to life. The long shelf above the bed provides space for books, prints and small objects. A similar palette of sage and pistachio tones recurs in the bathroom, which is clad in small square tiles. Their regular layout evokes the aesthetics of the mid-20th century, whilst chrome fittings, simple ceramics and a large mirror complement the understated décor. The tree tops are clearly visible through the window.
About the studio:
The project is the work of Monika Michałowska’s own studio; she is a graduate of the Faculty of Interior Architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź and the University of Greenwich in London. After years of co-founding the Warsaw-based MORR studio, the designer is now developing her practice under her own name. In her projects, she prioritises the comfort of the residents, natural materials and the freedom to select furnishings from different eras. Monika enjoys working with historic interiors, bold patterns and fine fabrics, whilst also drawing inspiration from British eclecticism.
Source:monikamichalowska.com
Photographs: Martyna Rudnicka
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