The interior of this flat in Krakow was designed by architects from Studio Kuchejda. It is a 120 sq m space, which was designed in the spirit of subdued elegance. The interior was created for a young family who spends a lot of time in the United States, so their flat in Krakow was meant to slightly refer to the local aesthetic.
The apartment was created by combining two 60-square-metre flats, which required precise wall punching and a new layout of the partition walls. The author’s zoning approach resulted in an open kitchen with an island, dining area and workspace, a separate family room with a concealed sliding door and a separate night area: a master bedroom with a sliding wardrobe and private bathroom, as well as a children’s room with a play area and its own bathroom. A special role was played by the black steel wall at the island, which serves to delimit the entrance and dining area – a measure that the developer, after handing over the interior, called crucial to the feeling of cosiness.
The biggest challenge was the coordination of the work, which involved various contractors. The American-style oversize kitchen island received an upholstered seat and a casing of black clear-coated steel, precisely matched to the change in materials on the floor and the height of the table. The coordination of the stonemason, carpenter, upholsterer and locksmith went perfectly to ensure that every inch given met the design intent.
Among the solutions that brought the architects the greatest satisfaction was the zoning of the living and sleeping areas (despite the complicated structural arrangements). Equally important was the lighting: in addition to the technical grid, numerous decorative and floor lamps were designed, including a 3.5-metre high showcase in the hallway with lacquered frames and smoked glass.
The colour palette is based on natural shades of beige, brown, wood and stone, broken by bottle green on the upholstery and purple appearing on the wallpaper in the living area and in a section of the bedroom. The walls are decorated with hand rubbed decorative plaster and wallpaper imitating linen or patterned patterns in the children’s room. In the guest toilet, a graphite mirror in an aluminium frame is used instead of traditional tiles, on which a circular illuminated mirror is suspended.
The client, given his love of art, was given a thoughtful setting for his collections by the architects. Appropriate lighting routes were designed for the paintings and prints, and each segment of the lounge and corridor course serves to present the works under optimal conditions.
Where did the ideas for specific solutions come from? The designers’ inspiration comes from their travels: the scale and functionality of American interiors, the Italian love of stucco and stone, and Scandinavian attention to form and detail in furniture and lamps. This is how an interior was created that combines the international character with the local tradition of Krakow.
Selected furniture and lighting complete the composition. In the living room, the central place is taken by the green Loafer SC23 armchair from &Tradition, juxtaposed with the stone base of the LATO LN8 auxiliary table, also from &Tradition. The lounge area is completed by the Outline sofa by Muuto in a cognac leather finish. A decorative Aromas Dalt lamp with stone balls hangs in the bedroom, while the circulation of the space is emphasised by two floor lamps: the travertine JWDA from Auto Copenhagen and the gold Captain Flint cone from Flos. In the home office stood the Flex chair designed by Andreu World, set on a Long Island Blue carpet from Louis De Poortere.
The flat in the Soho Residence in Kraków exemplifies a synthesis of precise design, masterful co-ordination of execution and a balanced, timeless aesthetic that subtly references American spaces while also fitting into the historic fabric of Kraków’s Grzegórzki district.
design: Studio Kuchejda(http://www.studiokuchejda.com)
design team: Elżbieta Starowicz, Katarzyna Fidelus, Barbara Starowicz
photography: Pietruszka fotografia
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