It is 100 sq m in size and located in Amsterdam. The interior of the flat was designed by the architect Michał Głuszak, who runs his own interior design studio MG Interior Studio in Krakow. It is an eclectic space that reflects the owner’s sense of aesthetics well.
Monika has been mixing in Amsterdam for more than 20 years. She has already worked with Michal Głuszak, who designed another interior for her. This time, the architect designed a 100 sq m interior that was meant to envelop the people staying there.
I didn’t want to follow trends or minimalism blindly. I see it as not very human. I believe that people create art, crafts and other artefacts in order to surround themselves with them. This creates the ‘genius loci’ of the interior. I understand that the overproduction of everything litters the world, so I like to give new life to old objects. They are well designed, well made and often more durable than contemporary products. It just so happens that Monika feels this way too. We knew that a consistent colour range would bring the right harmony and blend the new with the old. Warm, calm wood grain, timeless vignettes, and no flashy or contrasting tones are timeless,” says Michał Głuszak.
The flat designed is located in an old building and required extensive renovation. All the work took just one month. A carpenter, a locksmith and a stone workshop worked on the interior elements. All the furniture (apart from the sofa) was designed specifically for this interior.
What about the proposed aesthetics? The architect was well aware of the investor’s expectations, who loves mirrored surfaces. They give a lot of light and enhance the impression of space. Following this theme, the architect designed a brown mirror cabinet in the narrow kitchen, which visually enlarges the room. The mirror also creates an irregular form on the wall of the living area. Opposite the mirror hangs a huge watercolour by Bartłomiej Bałut, which was painted especially for this interior.
I’m rarely surprised by my designs, because they seem to sit inside me and I feel like I’ve known them forever, but I have a special relationship to the bench by the sofa. It worked for me. I found a carpenter who rolled out 30 cm spheres and ‘sunk’ them into a simple form of polished stainless steel,” admits the architect.
The sphere motif appears in various corners of the flat. It has been used in the handles, table legs and lamps. The furniture set inside is an aesthetic journey through time. Vintage gems catch the eye. Lamps from companies such as Estiluz, Horn, Staff, Gepo and Georgia Jacobs. A 1960s swivel armchair from the home of the investor’s grandparents has been given new boucle upholstery.
The interior is also decorated with accessories, paintings, ceramics and decorative lamps. In the living room alone, there are as many as 18 lighting points. The number of lights in the living room makes it possible to adjust the lighting to the given needs.
The bedroom has become an oasis of calm, with its red ochre colour scheme. This can be seen from the walls and upholstery to the huge old American bedside lamps and paintings.
The search for a suitable marble that would harmonise with the warm colour of the wood took a long time. Rosso Lepanto was finally chosen – this marble appears in the kitchen, living room and bedroom. The marble’s intense veining fits in perfectly with the planned colour scheme without competing with other materials.
Finally, the kitchen. Although it is small, it has gained a practical semi-circular worktop with a stainless steel leg. In combination with the lightweight chairs, it creates a functional solution. The beautifully shaped chairs, named Zeta, were designed by Martin Hasksteen in the 1980s. They fit in wonderfully with the interior aesthetic.
design: Michał Głuszak – MG Interior Studio
photos: Mood Authors
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