How much inspiration can be combined in one arrangement? In this case, the biggest challenge for the designers at mJoy studio was not to find inspiration, but to combine such a wide variety of needs and ideas in one interior.
How to combine a love of Legos, cycling, inspiration from boho style and Scandinavian interiors while respecting the four-legged household? In Warsaw's Mokotow district, designers from the mJoy studio helped a couple combine their love of different styles and passions into one cohesive arrangement.
Renata Michalowicz, an interior designer at the mJoy studio, talks about what was important, what prevailed in the design, whether cats or Lego blocks were more important, and what it looks like to create a mix from all the elements.
Wiktor Bochenek: The investors wanted to combine their love of cats, Legos and bicycles. How did you combine that?
Renata Michalowicz (mJoy): The clients like to put the blocks together, but they don't like to display them. They didn't want to have them in the living area. Therefore, we provided a place for them in the home office. We designed shelves, specifically for Lego sets. The display is in the study. The bikes, on the other hand, have their own room. Bikes and bike parts and micro parts stand there :) They are the apple of one of the owners' eye. So they could not go to the storage cell.
In the interior it was important to combine several inspirations at once
Photo by Marta Behling, © mJOY
Victor: How did the cats influence the designs, and how did the Legos?
Renata: The cats were definitely more influential. Because they can go into almost any room, except the bedroom, and they are a bit of such a troublemaker.
We took them into account when choosing most of the materials. Starting with the flooring itself. We used vinyl panels instead of wood. Vinyl will do better when confronted with claws.
In fact, in the part of the apartment where the cats roam, the only fabrics are those on the couch, chairs and accessories like blankets, pillows and carpet. All the fabrics we used are easy to clean. Because of the cats, we could not use some fabrics like curtains, various details or flowers.
One important consideration was hiding the cat litter boxes. They ended up in the utility room, where we made a passage in the door for the convenience of the cats. The door can be closed and the cats have access to the litter boxes all the time.
Victor: Where did the idea for the "monkey hall" come from?
Renata: The clients wanted some element related to navy blue in the apartment. They also wanted the eventual wallpaper to have a fairly repeatable pattern. We started looking for wallpaper, and a monkey grove caught our eye. And since the clients are quite adventurous people, we felt that the idea of monkeys might appeal to them. We showed it to them on a visualization and they immediately said a magical yes.
The hallway, next to the monkey grove, was dictated by the cat's needs
photo by Marta Behling, © mJOY
Victor: How was the common area of the apartment solved?
Renata: The clients said right at the beginning of the cooperation that they dreamed of a large island and that they wanted a round table. This was the starting point for further design. The focal point became the island and the life that goes on around it.
The common space connects the dining, living and kitchen areas
Photo by Marta Behling, © mJOY
Wiktor: What is worth noting in this interior?
Renata: The lattice - openwork panel in the built-in carpentry is a reference to natural wood, a boho element. It is an element through which bookcases can be slightly obscured, exposed, exposed. It is a different solution than traditional closet doors.
Island - I wanted it not to be so heavy, but to have a lighter form. Therefore, the island stands on copper-colored metal legs. In addition, the countertop seems to hang over the island, which makes the whole thing even lighter in appearance. The island has fluted sides. The whole is surrounded by copper-colored metal profiles.
Noteworthy are the handles for the drawers in the island. They are porcelain, completely different from the rest of the carpentry and kitchen buildings. The island is such a candy, with copper-colored metal elements transferred to two other shelves. Above the island and the shelves on the edge of the upper cabinets. In the kitchen, the fronts in the upper kitchen cabinets and the built-in refrigerator and chimney are not obvious. They have a delicate pattern of gray herringbone.
An eye-catching wallpaper in the hallway. It is very original and expressive. Customers wanted a wallpaper with a slightly repetitive pattern and a shade of blue. Not everyone will opt for such a wallpaper. Also noteworthy is the original cat passage. Behind the door there is a laundry room and litter boxes for the cats.
We will find here not only Scandinavian style, but also boho
photo by Marta Behling, © mJOY
Victor: What was the hardest part, and what gave you the most satisfaction?
Renata: About six months after the clients moved into the apartment, I asked them if they would change anything from what they have now. After thinking about it for a while, they answered that nothing. And this is the coolest reward for the designer. Both the layout of the apartment, the furniture and the visual layer were refined in such a way as to hit the mark with the clients' tastes and needs.
The biggest challenge was the cats. Because the clients said they are cats who like to mess around, eating something they shouldn't. The whole project took cats into account from the beginning. This meant, first of all, choosing the right, durable, easy-to-clean fabrics. We selected furniture that would endure the hardships of "cooperation" with cats.
Victor: Thank you for the interview!
In the bathroom, attention is drawn to the small small tiles that build the whole
Photo by Marta Behling, © mJOY
