The creation of space-time is an art that subtly combines painting and interior design, while providing a tool for narrative and aesthetic expression. It can be likened to a dialogue between two related disciplines – architecture and painting, with the former bringing structure and permanence and the latter bringing emotion and metaphorical depth. As shown in the design of the Red Stove flat by Karolina Rochman, which is located in the attic of one of Sopot’s 1904 townhouses, a living space can be a painting enchanted within four walls.
Every detail – from the colour of the walls to the arrangement of the furniture – reflects the harmony, rhythm and symbolism that come from the traditions of painting. Inspiration can come from specific styles, techniques or eras, such as 17th-century Dutch painting, whose philosophy of the everyday and the beautiful is reflected in the way interiors are arranged.
The Red Kiln project is a space where painting meets literature, creating a composition full of references to art and poetry. Inspired by Dutch genre painting, Karolina Rochman found the key to building harmony and emotion into the space. The central element of the flat is the marble fireplace, which catches the eye as soon as you cross the threshold. It is this fireplace that, according to Roland Barthes’s theory, acts as a punctum – a point that creates a strong impression and introduces the viewer to the interior narrative.
The fireplace, although set in a lemony space, blends seamlessly into the subsequent rooms, which are dominated by muted greys. In a room with grey furnishings and two sofas, the attention is drawn to a wooden table decorated with marquetry – a subtle reference to the craftsmanship of the ebenists, artistic woodworkers whose work was as precise as the works of master painters.
Viewing the interior as if it were a painting, one notices a subtle compositional treatment referred to as a view through (doorsien) – a spatial opening that allows the eye to penetrate from one room to the next. From the grey of the living room, we see the marble fireplace in a yellow setting, and further on, the intense colours of the kitchen – navy blue and red, harmoniously combined with the brown of the kitchen island.
The interior design of the Red Stove draws from Dutch painting not only the colours, but also the philosophy of everyday life. As Zbigniew Herbert wrote, Dutch interiors reflect the ‘discreet charms of the bourgeoisie’ – the harmony and order of everyday life. In this spirit, the kitchen and dining room become spaces where functionality and aesthetics dominate. Navy blue walls, red accents and the ‘glossy-smoothed heavy wood table’ from Czesław Miłosz’s poem (Table II), create an atmosphere reminiscent of interiors from the paintings of Johannes Vermeer.
In the design, painting not only inspires, but also literally appears in the interiors. The ceiling of the main room features a painting inspired by Abraham Mignon’s still life – flowers in luscious colours bloom against a black background, surrounded by white stucco that frames them. This subtle allusion to still life makes the interior a ‘living painting’ – a testimony to the fragile life of objects, as Czesław Miłosz wrote.
As Herbert notes, in Dutch interiors, art had a utilitarian function and living spaces were a ‘painterly blueprint for domestic life’. This spirit is also found in The Red Stove – an interior that tells a story through, among other things, objects, colours. The amphilade layout of the rooms, the precise composition of colours and details, and the rhythmic transitions between the different zones of the flat create a cosmos inspired by painting and poetry.
The Red Stove is not just an interior design – it is an invitation to a dialogue with art and literature, which are reflected in the living space. In this project, space-time becomes both a functional arrangement and a metaphor for life, where the beauty of the everyday intertwines with a refined aesthetic. In her work, Karolina Rochman proves that interior architecture, like painting, can be a form of storytelling – an image recorded in space.
Design: Karolina Rochman Design
Photography: Rafał Lipski
Read also: Interiors | Apartment | Sopot | Architecture in Poland | Painting | Detail
