The design of the interior of a house with such an original form required an equally expressive concept. Kuoo Tamizo Architects created it with great consistency and attention to detail, but without forgetting that this is a place to live, so a striking appearance must go hand in hand with functionality and homely warmth.
The client wanted the interior to be functional and at the same time very cosy. He emphasised that he wanted all the rooms to be consistent in terms of both colours and materials used,” says Katarzyna Kuo Stolarska, who runs Kuoo Tamizo Architects together with Mateusz Kuo Stolarski, about the homeowner’s expectations.
Therefore, the designers chose a warm off-white shade as the base. Both the walls and the ceilings and built-ins throughout the house are in the same taupe colour. Black accents add a dynamic touch.
With an area of just over 300 square metres, the house has a modern, horizontal body (designed by Reform Architekt) – and the numerous glass walls – both exterior and interior – open up the interiors to the garden and to each other. An original solution is the glass cubicle at the centre of the living room – a kind of atrium, opening up the inner garden from above. Kuoo Tamizo Architects designed the greenery – plants in spectacular pots by the Belgian brand Atelier Vierkant – and an artistic installation of outdoor lamps, which connects the two floors.
The lounge area is defined by wooden coffers on the ceiling and a large-format carpet with a composition of ‘Pixel’ sofas (Saba Italia). The TV has been installed on an electric lift – when it is not needed, it hides in the RTV cabinet, or rather rides into the ground – which made it possible to maintain minimalism in the interior and not to obstruct the glass cubicle. The technical innovation that the client was keen to use also worked well in the bedroom.
The living room’s composition is rounded off by paintings by Grzegorz Worpus-Budziejewski, which hang opposite one another – the painter created them especially for this interior, so they blend in perfectly. Another of his canvases exposed on a black wall adorns the staircase in the background. The impression of communing with art is emphasised by the sculptural form of the staircase.
All phases of the moon
The dining room, located between the living room and the kitchen, is separated from the large open space by a composition reminiscent of a home fireplace: Davide Groppi’s Moon lamp hangs above a massive table surrounded by a circle of chairs. The motif of luminous spheres and discs in the form of circular mirrors and lamps is repeated throughout the house.
In the kitchen, the eye is drawn to the black stone kitchen island.
As there was a lot of glass in the interior, we wanted to design fixed elements that would catch the eye. They will not only be a functional element, but also an art form,” explains Katarzyna Kuo Stolarska of the idea for the sculptural form of the island.
The concept of two black boulders is alluded to by two ‘Tethys’ tables by Living Divani in the lounge area. Meanwhile, the monotony of the uniform fronts of the kitchen units in the background is varied by the vertical “Dolma” lamps by the Belgian brand Kreon installed in the fronts.
Intimate spaces
The owners wanted their bedroom to form a common space with the dressing room and bathroom. To separate the zones with their respective functions, the architects used glazing. As a result, when lying in bed, one can have a view of the beautiful free-standing “By Cocoon” bathtub and the symmetrically composed washbasin wall with round mirror. Unless, of course, you feel like watching a film, in which case the TV emerges from the low RTV cabinet in front of the glass wall.
The bathroom space can be visually incorporated or separated from the bedroom by means of light. If we extinguish it in the bathroom, the eye stops on the “Wireline” lamps (Flos) hanging in front of the glass. The black frames of the sliding glazing are alluded to by the frame-cubicle in which the bed is placed. Together with the black carpet and bedside tables, it forms a kind of island in the bright interior.
The bathroom is decorated with Jolie Grey marble in warm grey, which is used to line the washbasin wall and the shower area. Because it is located deep within the bathroom and enclosed by walls, the architects used a stretch ceiling above it, which makes it appear spacious and filled with natural daylight.
In the bedrooms of the owners’ two teenage daughters, the architects proposed a non-standard solution for the desks. – We hung them from the ceiling in steel frames,” explains Katarzyna Kuo Stolarska. Both rooms are decorated in the same taupe shade as the rest of the house. Soft carpets, natural fabrics and, in one case, an upholstered headrest and in the other, plants, add to the cosiness. One of the girls has chosen the ‘Moon’ lamp – a smaller version of the one that hangs above the dining room table; in the other’s room, three discs of Vibia’s ‘Cosmos’ lamp are reflected in the round mirror. General lighting, as throughout the house, is provided by ‘Move It’ systems by XAL.
The girly bathroom is kept in a bright colour scheme. Its main decoration is made up of illuminated mirrors with an irregular, pebble-like shape above the “Ovvio” round washbasins (NIC Design) in Cipria Matt. The wc and bidet, on the other hand, are the rectangular “Cool” series from the same brand. This is completed by CEA Design fittings in Bronze Satin, a light wood built-in and a shower wall in a subtle black frame.
An additional family spa area is the sauna. Its hot area takes the form – once again – of a glass cubicle, while the shower area is clad in milled marble – the same as in the owners’ bathroom.
When asked about the strengths of this interior, Katarzyna Kuo Stolarska points out the trust and commitment of the client. – He presented us with what he cared about most and then it was up to us to pass the baton. ‘Thanks to our shared sense of aesthetics, we arrived at the final result very quickly,’ says the designer and emphasises that the success of this project lies in the fact that it was consistently realised, 1 to 1. ‘ It exemplifies the importance of cooperation and communication throughout the process, from start to finish. Both the client and us fought for every detail to achieve the best result.
Interior design: Katarzyna Kuo Stolarska, Kuoo Tamizo Architects, https://www.instagram.com/kuoo_tamizo_architects/
Photo shoot styling: Katarzyna Kuo Stolarska and Mateusz Kuo Stolarski, Kuoo Tamizo Architects
Photographer: Tom Kurek, https://www.instagram.com/tomkurek.co
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