Natalia Kostrzewska designed an 89-metre flat in a tenement block dating from 1939 in Warsaw’s Saska Kępa district. The interior was created for a family with young children. Spanning two floors, it provides space for shared meals, play and entertaining guests. The wooden fixtures are complemented here by navy blue, burgundy and a mosaic created to a bespoke design.
The upper floor is where the household’s communal life takes place. The open-plan living area makes it easy to spend time together, whilst the large table allows friends to be invited round with ease. The owners wanted a home that was relaxed, welcoming and suited to everyday family life. The parents’ bedroom is on the same level. The lower floor has been set aside for the children, with a utility room also allocated there. This layout has made it possible to balance the need for closeness with space for personal activities and rest.
Vibrant colours catch the eye as soon as you enter. A burgundy wardrobe provides storage for outerwear, whilst the accompanying mosaic was created especially for the residents. Its pattern recurs in the kitchen, running along the built-in units. The second key colour is navy blue, featured, amongst other things, in the chest of drawers flanking the stairs. This is one of the most ingenious pieces of furniture in the flat: on the living room side, it stores books; on the hall side, it serves as a shoe cupboard and a seat. As a result, the unit proves useful in several everyday situations, from choosing a book to getting the children ready to go out.
In the kitchen, bolder accents give way to a more subdued combination of materials. The wooden fitted units are complemented by wall units in a buttery shade and a granite worktop. By the windows, the run of furniture is finished off by a steel display cabinet, which houses a small coffee corner. The wood introduces a warm tone, the light-coloured fronts brighten up the composition, whilst the stone and steel add character. Everything remains close to the shared space, in keeping with the open-plan layout of the upper level.
The upper bathroom features the richest colour scheme. The navy blue tiles are adorned with a pattern reminiscent of batik, the fabric-dyeing technique. Against the dark background, the raspberry-coloured tap handles and radiator stand out. In the other rooms, bold colours reappear in smaller doses, for example on the bed upholstery, lamps, cupboards and handles. In the evening, ambient lighting plays a major role. An extensive lighting system allows you to select individual light sources and adjust the atmosphere for relaxation, conversation or gatherings around the table. The flat in Saska Kępa respects the surrounding architecture and draws on this magnificent heritage.
About the studio:
Natalia Kostrzewska is a graduate in interior architecture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław. She has over ten years’ professional experience, gained through interior design and working in an architectural practice. Renaissance art, Italian design and the Italian way of life are key inspirations for her practice. In her projects, she focuses on enduring aesthetic choices, carefully selecting proportions, materials and details to suit the residents’ needs.
Design: Natalia Kostrzewska
Location: Saska Kępa, Warsaw
Photography: Pietruszka fotografia
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