Plus One Architects has renovated a 19th-century country house located in the Vysočina region of the Czech Republic. The modernisation focused on the upper floor of the building. The designers had as much as 144 square metres of space to transform into a holiday cottage outside the city for the family and guests of the property owners. Despite significant changes, the historic layout has been preserved, featuring a stone wall facing the road and a wooden barn door.
A 19th-century country house
The house stands on the edge of the plot, surrounded by a gently undulating, wooded landscape. From the entrance side, it is shielded by a stone wall, behind which lie the farm buildings and the residential part of the property. The building, dating from 1820, came into the hands of the current owners in 1993. Over the following years, they carried out gradual work on the façades to restore the country estate to its original beauty. The work and financial outlay were so extensive that it was only a few years ago that the couple renovated the ground floor of the house. This marked the start of further renovations in the attic. The new design of this space takes the ground floor’s style into account, though it is not a literal continuation of it. It is limited to a few similar materials, such as solid spruce timber and an exposed stone wall.
Darkness as a design tool
In the private section of the attic, the designers at Plus One Architects employed a range of dark tones, which is quite unusual for Czech country homes. They combined this with raw textures to create calm, tranquil interiors. Combined with cleverly designed lighting, they succeeded in limiting visual stimuli, which aids relaxation. The architects treated darkness as an active tool for constructing the composition of the attic. The dark rooms and nooks create a sense of pleasant intimacy and separation from the outside world.
Renovation of an old house
The conversion of the attic in this century-old house primarily involved the worn-out roof truss. This allowed for an increase in usable floor space and the creation of additional rooms. Furthermore, the floor level was raised to level the heights across the entire floor plan, and new stairs were built to connect the two storeys. “The changes in the attic allowed us to fit new windows into the existing openings in the stone wall and bring light deep into the interior. It enters in a more indirect way, which enhances the peaceful atmosphere here,” explains architect Kateřina Průchová. The windows, set back slightly from the floor level, reveal only the upper sections of the frames from the inside. They have been fitted with shutters, which allow for the adjustment of privacy and interaction with the surroundings.
New features following the renovation
The interior has been divided into two zones with distinct atmospheres. The private area houses the bedroom and dressing room, both finished in dark tones. The guest rooms, on the other hand, have been designed in a lighter, more understated style, reminiscent of the standard found in good hotels. Between them lies a central space with a bar, a spot for a chat and a workspace, if needed. A bathroom and toilet are situated near the stairs. In summer, comfort is provided by air conditioning; in winter, radiators, excellent insulation and a sliding partition by the stairs help to keep the house warm.
The country house and its materials
The dominant material, visible in many parts of the house, is black granite. It features, for example, in the bathroom and as a bar top, which flows seamlessly into the work surface beneath the roof. An exposed stone wall is another striking feature of the interiors. It is also worth noting the details, such as the sliding doors fitted to the irregular line of the wall. At the heart of the house stands a steel column with a custom-made swivel TV mount. The unique atmosphere of the loft is enhanced by indirect lighting, such as lamps, reflected light and integrated LED strips with adjustable brightness.
The next phase in the life of this historic property
The owners’ knowledge of the house played a significant role in the design process, allowing them to clarify the scope of the work and how it should be carried out. “The owners knew from the very beginning that they didn’t want to rush the renovation. What mattered to them was a well-thought-out approach and high quality, even if it took a little longer,” emphasises architect Petra Ciencialová. The execution of many elements was entrusted to local craftsmen, which facilitated a gradual and conscious transformation of the building. The result of this work is not a dramatic metamorphosis, but rather the next stage in the house’s long, over 200-year history.
design: Plus One Architects
completion: 2023–2025
photography: Radek Šrettr Úlehla
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