The interior of the Warsaw apartment, although with a raw, modern character, exudes tranquility and gentleness. For the residents - passionate travelers and nature lovers - it is the perfect retreat to return even from the farthest corners of the world, a place where travel memories settle in.
The 90-square-meter apartment houses a living room with kitchen, lobby, two bathrooms, bedroom, dressing room and guest room. An extension of the apartment is a forty-meter terrace. The owner of the apartment - a passionate African and travel lover - set Katarzyna Slawinska, an architect from TILLA Architects, the task of creating a space that at the same time refers to the Black Continent, but is also modern, functional and original. The interior was also to be "close to nature". - The voyages also bring back memories of the sight of cranes' keys in the African sky, the golden sands of the Kalahari, or the clammy hands of local potters. The whole, although maintained in dark colors, presents an economical design and natural materials, captivates with lightness and subtle character.
Kitchen and living room in a modern apartment
Photo: Yassen Hristov
anthracite color in interiors
The interior is led to the hallway, whose dark walls in a deep anthracite color are the perfect background for the expressive wallpaper with a floral motif (Wall & Deco). From the gray, black flowers emerge in places, which harmonize with the color of the walls and the elegant console. The corridor is complemented by a cabinet finished in anthracite veneer and mirrors that optically enlarge the space.
The wooden floor leads to the kitchen, which is open to the living room. In the "heart of the house" the eye is attracted to the anthracite-colored furniture, which is kept in an anthracite shade. The sparing design of household appliances and furniture allows the eye to focus on the more personal elements of the decor - a carefully arranged collection of teacups brought from various parts of the world.
Left: cup collection, right: wooden table and Night Birds lamp.
Photo: Yassen Hristov
The protagonist of this part of the apartment is a phenomenal lamp inspired by birds floating in the air. The handmade Night Birds lamp by Czech brand Brokis gives the space an unusual character, illuminating a simple wooden table and the surrounding black chairs - also made of wood.
travel memories
Wood is also a theme in the bright living room. A sparing coffee table on curved legs, a sturdy dresser with a clear grain pattern and the floor - wooden elements form a synergistic whole with an original armchair, a gray sofa and a solid carpet in the same color. The pillows are dominated by ethnic African patterns, and the whole is complemented by ceramics, which the owner of the apartment brings back from her numerous trips. The living room opens onto a spacious terrace, where a wooden table with a double top on black legs, garden furniture and lush greenery in large, beautifully decorated pots have found their place. An ideal place to relax and make plans for further escapades.
Bright living room with access to the terrace
Photo: Yassen Hristov
bedroom with bathroom
The bedroom area is combined with a bathroom and a dressing room. The whole is consistently kept in a subdued color palette, simple forms and carefully selected details dominate. The bathroom has been opened to the bedroom through the use of fashionable sliding glass doors. Anthracite walls are the perfect background for a light gray bed with an original high headboard. The economy of form is emphasized by a veneer nightstand with a characteristic grain pattern and simple lamps made of smoky glass. The whole is complemented by blue accessories: pillows and heavy curtains.
Anthracite walls provide the perfect backdrop for a light gray bed with a high headboard
Photo: Yassen Hristov
In the bathroom, the attention is attracted by an unusual wall referring to the rawness of concrete and a dark anthracite floor. A large wall mirror, a simple glass lamp and elegant washbasin and bathtub of glazed white create a coherent whole. The architect also made sure that while bathing, the owner can enjoy the beautiful view outside the window.
A minimalist bathroom with a large window
Photo: Yassen Hristov
The real artistry was to design the interior in such a way as to capture travel memories in a subtle way, to allude to the diversity of nature, and at the same time to make it a home from which one sets out into the unknown and to which one returns just as eagerly. And this task was met by Katarzyna Slawinska from TILLA Architects.
The uniqueness of the apartment: pure form, functionality, space and timelessness, was appreciated by an international jury. The Warsaw apartment is the winner of the prestigious European Property Awards Interior Design 2019-2020.
