Architects from Katowice-based studio Mistovia prove that design doesn't always involve a big budget, and a space for rent doesn't have to be gray and bland. Take a look at a 1970s block of apartments full of vintage furniture, bathed in distinctive colors and textures.
The small apartment for short-term rent is located on the eleventh floor, in one of the 1970s block of apartments located in the center of Katowice, on the border of intensively developing Bogucice and popular Koszutka. From its windows you can see, among other things, the Silesian Museum complex designed by Riegler Riewe Architekten, located on the site of the former Katowice Coal Mine, and the buildings of the International Congress Center by JEMS Architekci - which together with other buildings make up Katowice's Cultural Zone.
The apartment is a mix of colors, patterns and textures
photo: ONI Studio © Mistovia
an apartment for rent doesn't have to be boring
Getting down to work, the designers faced the task of creating an interesting space that would attract the attention of those browsing websites offering apartments for rent, while at the same time assuming to fit into a fairly limited budget.
Reviewing listings from popular booking sites - most often kept in safe grays and neutral white, we knew that in this interior we wanted to show the possibility of juxtaposing completely different materials. The bold color scheme was, in a way, a continuation of the climate we found in the apartment when we started working with the client. At the same time, we had to remember to scrupulously watch the spreadsheet," the architects explain.
The architects created an open space
Photo: ONI Studio © Mistovia
The functional layout of the thirty-five-meter apartment was slightly modified to give the impression of a larger, open space. The architects turned two, small rooms into a spacious and bright living room combined with a kitchenette. After removing most of the partition walls, the apartment became functional and fully adapted to modern needs.
New functions of old furniture
Working on the interior design, the designers made extensive use of elements already in the apartment and from "second-hand". Meanwhile, by exposing the reinforced concrete wall and creative solutions, they referred to the history of the modernist housing estate where the apartment is located.
The former chest of drawers serves as a kitchen built-in, and the display case is now a TV cabinet
Photo: ONI Studio © Mistovia
During the inventory of the apartment, we found on site wonderfully preserved, "high-gloss" varnished furniture that certainly remembers the time of construction of the local blocks. We decided to make use of them, giving them new, surprising functions - the dresser from the living room became a kitchen built-in, and the showcase turned into a TV cabinet, the designers say.
Behind the foxhole wall there is a bathroom
Photo: ONI Studio © Mistovia
In the old cabinets, the architects placed new furniture modules and installed lighting. The old ceiling lamp made of crystal glass was painstakingly restored. The vintage furniture is harmoniously matched by contemporary accessories - bentwood chairs, a matte black table on a polygonal base and a simple steel kitchen cabinet, whose shiny surface contrasts with the texture of the reinforced concrete wall.
An intense blue door leads to the bathroom
Photo: ONI Studio © Mistovia
a nod to modernism
In a nod to modernist architecture, there are glass foxholes, which were used to build the bathroom wall, which is curved in the corner - thanks to them the room, which is deprived of a window, gained daylight. Similar foxholes are located in the staircase. The Italian tiles with a colorful terrazzo motif, which were popular in the communist era, are a reference to terrazzo, used for lining the floor in the hallway and kitchen area. The terrazzo motif in a different color variant also appears in the bathroom. A strong color accent is the intense blue bathroom door made of stained plywood, which contrasts with the brick red curtain separating the bedroom from the bathroom.
A mirrored closet optically enlarges the apartment
Photo: ONI Studio © Mistovia
multifunctional closet
For the investor, it was also important to find a practical solution for storing belongings and to set aside space for a utility closet - an apartment intended for short-term rental requires frequent visits from a cleaning person. All functions were hidden by the architects in a mirrored closet, which not only reflects the light, optically enlarging the space, but additionally accommodates the full equipment of the apartment - dishwasher, refrigerator, washing machine, as well as the previously mentioned utility closet.
