The raw brick on the walls is the first characteristic element one notices when crossing the threshold of a Szczecin apartment. The author of the interiors inspired by loft and industrial aesthetics is Filip Raupuk, architect and founder of Filip Raupuk Studio Architektoniczne. The couple, for whom the project was created, wanted cozy interiors, but with character.
Raw brick appears in several places, such as on the wall in the living room
Photo: Sylwia Gudaczewska © Filip Raupuk Studio Architektoniczne
The 65-square-meter apartment was designed for a young couple with a young child. The architect wanted to reconcile the industrial style with a homely atmosphere. His main inspiration was demolition brick from a Szczecin factory. The brick appears in several places - on the main wall in the living room, above the worktop in the kitchen, and behind the bed in the bedroom. The living space was seamlessly connected to the entrance hall. To maintain consistency, the architect designed the hallway in a similar style to the rest of the apartment. The fronts of the furniture development and the tiles on the floor were made of the same materials used in the kitchen. The main materials are brick, oak and walnut wood, as well as steel accessories in copper and black. The color scheme has been kept in subdued tones, and the background for the whole composition is the white of the walls and ceilings, as well as the gray of the furniture fronts. The character of the apartment space is given by art, atmospheric lighting and furniture specially designed for this interior.
The Szczecin apartment consists of five rooms and has an area of 65 square meters
© Filip Raupuk Studio Architektoniczne
Dobrawa Bies: What were the assumptions and design inspirations?
Filip Raupuk: The main design assumption was to reconcile the industrial and unique character while achieving a cozy and homey atmosphere. We drew inspiration for this project primarily from the widely understood loft style, as well as from the many post-industrial buildings in Szczecin, which, in an intact state for several decades, are unfortunately deteriorating before our eyes. It was the demolition brick from one of Szczecin's factories that was a kind of main inspiration and inspiration to start a project with just such an industrial form.
The color scheme is kept in a subdued range
Photo: Sylwia Gudaczewska © Filip Raupuk Studio Architektoniczne
Dobrawa: What did the investors expect from you?
Filip: The investors' expectations were contained in one sentence: cozy, but with character.
Dobrawa: The leitmotif in the apartment is exposed brick and natural colors. Where did such design decisions come from?
Filip: In Szczecin there are many post-industrial buildings with an interesting past, which are unfortunately deteriorating in sight. It was the demolition brick from one of Szczecin's factories that was kind of the main inspiration and inspiration to start a project with just such an industrial form. Natural colors, on the other hand, are the result of the investors' expectations of a cozy character of the interior.
The architect tried to maintain stylistic consistency throughout the apartment
Photo: Sylwia Gudaczewska © Filip Raupuk Studio Architektoniczne
Dobrawa: What caused the greatest design difficulty, and what are you proud of?
Filip: The biggest difficulty was to properly balance the means so that the apartment is not just a beautiful, soulless object of admiration, but above all a well-designed, comfortable and pleasant place to live.
What I am most proud of is that after three years the owners are very satisfied with the implementation. From a design perspective, I am most proud of maintaining stylistic consistency throughout the apartment. The individual spaces, although different from each other, correspond with each other always having some common denominator.
Dobrawa: Thank you for the interview.
