Krasińskiego

Interior design 2023 | Refurbishment of a compact apartment in a 1950s building in Warsaw’s Żoliborz district | Team: Jan Strumiłło, Stanisław Kilian | Glass mosaic designed and produced by Anna Libera who also designed the jacquard fabric produced by themost | Photography by Jędrzej Sokołowski

In a charming, luminous apartment, just shy of forty square meters, a long-overdue, radical transformation was desperately needed. That’s where we stepped in.
We expanded the constrained micro-kitchen, previously dimensioned as if for railway standards, by integrating it with the living room. Precise exploitation of the window niche allowed us to carve out a surprisingly accommodating, shallow yet compact cooking station. This design discreetly tucks away both the refrigerator and dishwasher beneath the continuous marble countertop. A vibrant cast glass mosaic, drawing inspiration from the rich motifs of Żoliborz, not only graces the backsplash but elegantly sweeps into the living area, tracing the window reveal.
Strategic design thinking led to the separation of the private quarters —comprising the bedroom and wardrobe — from the living room using sliding doors. This lucky intervention created a new visual axis along the exterior wall, bookended by the kitchen’s mosaic on one side and a shiny metal console for plants on the other.
For the living room, we hunted the key piece — a vintage, extendable Czechoslovakian-made table — perfectly matching the space provided. And a pleasant surprise awaits! Recognize the chairs? Indeed, these are the beautiful Polish Aldo chairs in bent beech, now enjoying a second life after gallantly serving countless distinguished bottoms at our book fair stand.
A critical aspect of the renovation involved meticulously shaping the entrance zone to prevent direct entry into the living room, thereby enhancing the apartment’s privacy. We envisioned a welcoming hallway, its colour palette and finishes harmoniously linked with the bathroom. This space efficiently accommodates a capacious utility closet, a dedicated guest cloakroom, and a laundry area. A broad opening subtly delineates it from the main living space. Above, a reinforced glass transom ushers in a pleasant, diffused light. The wardrobe fronts are clad in grey furniture linoleum, milled with a pattern that matches the ceramic floor covering.
Several custom-designed details are a testament to the client’s unwavering determination and remarkable patience. These include bespoke brass wardrobe handles, kitchen cabinetry clad in distinctive burr veneer, a sliding door panel crafted from reclaimed floorboards, and a plywood bed featuring practical rounded corners for effortless sheet changes. While the seemingly endless finishing touches took time, the results prove that the wait was worthwhile.