This flat makes an impression from the threshold and then, step by step, reveals further qualities. They are hidden in the mirrored enclosure of the bathroom, behind the stuccoed doors, and even in the interiors of the furniture – where probably no one would have expected. Lost charm and beauty in new guises in an intimate flat in Łódź was composed by Piotr Łucyan. The interior designer has created a comfortable haven for himself here.
Łódź – the 19th-century “promised land” – pulses with creative energy today perhaps as strongly as in Reymont’s times. The city teems with art, design and fashion. It attracts students, those seeking new career prospects and business people. Soon, a new chapter will be opened by the railway tunnel, which will completely change the position of Łódź Fabryczna station on the transport map of the country – so there is already no shortage of investors.
Piotr Łucyan – the author and owner of the presented flat – came to Łódź when he found the perfect postgraduate course at the local Academy of Fine Arts. He wanted to explore traditional, but new to him, media. Among them – the secrets of handmade paper, textile printing, tapestry making, furniture restoration, and clay sculpture. So that he could spend enough time in the arts and crafts studios, he decided to create a second home for himself here.
Old classroom – new classroom
Piotr found a suitable location on Nawrot Street, named after the direction of the carts that used to return to the city with their loads of wood from the surrounding forests. The turn-of-the-century building along this historical route has been revitalised. The facades of the house and the stairwells were carefully renovated. The redesigned flats, however, were left to individual renovation. It was realised by Marcin Opyrchał, known to Piotr from many successful collaborations.
Due to the high-class context, despite the small size (34 sqm), the happy buyer decided to incorporate the same highest standards here that he provides for his clients. –Initially, I wanted to do this renovation very sparingly. But this place deserved really excellent materials and the utmost care in the work ,” he says. The window sills, countertops and wall cladding were made from several types of marble, the floors were made from locally stained oak and the stuccowork was made from traditionally moulded plaster. In addition, upholstered bed headrests and lampshades, among others, were made to order. There was no shortage of artwork: painting, prints and sculpture. –In the eclectic creation of the interiors, we wanted to evoke the spirit of transformation from the time of the ‘Promised Land’ to the present day,” explains the designer.
Good company
Those entering the flat are greeted by a group of creative greats. In the centre stands a comfortable sofa by the Polish brand Sits from the 9design shop. Next to it is a designer table made of yellow plexiglass by Roberto Giacomucci. –It is an auction rarity, handmade by the designer,” emphasises Piotr Łucyan.
The best exposed wall of the living room was occupied by a canvas by Grzegorz Worpus-Budziejewski. The upper spheres of the interior were filled with a magnificent chandelier, one of a number of striking brass vintage lamps from the designer’s collection. Among the newest objects in the collection is the ‘Metropolis’ model by Jan Garncarek, visible on the sill of the living room window.
The brass shade returns in the metal electrical fixtures by the Polish brand Vectis, as well as in the ‘Beosound 2′ loudspeaker bythe legendary Bang&Olufsen. Alongside this playing statuette were the stone tatties of Agata Knorowska, creator of the Branik Delight brand.
Colours, tastes, smells
Behind the sofa was a console that also served as a buffet table. –The ultramarine shade, in addition to full gloss, was supposed to break up the flat’s subdued colour scheme,” says Piotr Łucyan. Effectively! The breakfasts, lunches and dinners are served on hockers made by the Polish company Fameg.
The “California Burl” veneer visible on the kitchen fronts is reminiscent of the “czeczota”, one of the favourite materials of the inter-war era. There is also a long tradition of fluting, the rhythm of which enriched the discreetly single-coloured doors of the wall cabinets – its prototype can be traced back to antique columns. References to the long and rich history of design (with facets at the forefront) are a hallmark of Piotr Łucyan’s style. At the same time, the upper cabinets hide another colour surprise. Their interiors are a shade known as Chinese red.
Interestingly, there is little red – contrary to the name – in the Rosso Levanto marble from which the tops are made. – ‘ Among the many slabs, I searched for a long time for one that falls into a deep green for a change,’ reveals the designer. His determination in the search for beauty is reflected in many collector’s items: a coffee service and three decorative plates made of stoneware from Łysa Góra or glass goblets made by Zbigniew Horbowy.
Hiding by exposing
An unusual feature of the living space is the huge mirrored casket. Its presence is the answer to the greatest design challenge, which was not at all the slim space here. What was? – Creating a bathroom ,” reveals Piotr Łucyan. – Its location was defined by a riser placed in the living room wall. In order not to upset the proportions of the 3.5-metre high room and not to disturb the layout of the neo-Baroque facets, I decided to place the bathroom inside a mirrored cuboid,’ he adds.
The result is excellent. The silver lump that greets those entering the flat is its very practical decoration, and in many ways. The reflections almost double the space of the living room, and at the same time illuminate the part of the living area away from the window – led by the kitchen. In addition to the bathroom, the mirrored unit houses (accessible from the front door) a dressing room, utility cupboard and washing machine.
However, this is not the end of the games with optics and perception of space. In the bathroom cubicle itself, Piotr Lucyan created a feeling of spaciousness by combining white Calacatta Lilac marble, large sheets of mirror and a stretch ceiling illuminated from below. The skylight appears to float upwards, pulling away from the walls. It also gives the feeling that the sun is streaming into the interior from above.
A space of privacy
Yet another trick was used by the designer to hide the passage to the bedroom in the living room space. The door blended into the wall was additionally covered by appropriately composed stucco. – In accordance with the old rules of art, it was cast by hand by Rafał Brzozowski ,” emphasises Piotr Łucyan. All this together creates a solution as if from a French palace; one would not so much like to enter the bedroom, as to sneak in. And here – another surprise. The glyphs, or recesses of the mighty wall around the door, are covered with shimmering black tiles with a fanciful, uneven surface, just like at the entrance to the flat.
The bed in the bedroom seems to levitate, supported only by one central, invisible leg. The feeling of cosiness is emphasised by the upholstered headrest in Dedar Milano fabric (Jacek Wichlinski – Tapex Design). The cushions and lampshade were also sewn from the same fabric (Ewa Defitowska – @ewa_defitowska_studio). Together, they envelop both the space and its users.
The bedroom, like the living room, is a place for art. Above the bed, a work by Małgorzata Szymankiewicz (BWA Warsaw) is displayed, and on the coffee table – next to a bust by Piotr Łucyan himself – stands a print by Jan Tarasin. Among the curiosities are three ladles turned out of wood according to a design by Jan Garncarek, who today works mainly with metal, glass and stone. There is also an anecdote of a carved chair visible by the window. It was supposedly created as a birthing chair. Perhaps it is thanks to it that the most beautiful dreams are born in this interior?
Design : Piotr Łucyan / ArtUp Interiors, artupinteriors.com
Photography: ONI Studio
Styling: Bartłomiej Panasiuk
See also: Flat | Architecture | Apartment | Kitchen | Łódź
