Natural brick, shades of gray, bottle green and steel elements - this is how the interior of a Poznan loft-style apartment by AMJ studio can be described in a nutshell. Attention is also drawn to the openwork bookcase, visible from every space, with characteristic divisions, which, according to architects Adam Jankowski and Kamil Paszek, were inspired by the work of Piet Mondrian.
an openwork bookcase is visible from every space in the apartment
© AMJ studio
The Poznan apartment, named POZ_04, amounting to less than 50 square meters, was designed for a young couple who plan to rent it in the future. For this reason, versatility and durability were important to both investors and architects. A characteristic element is the aforementioned brick wall and a steel openwork bookcase - visible from almost everywhere in the apartment. It separates the living space from the entrance area. Another important guideline, defining the space, was to provide two independent workspaces in the house. The final result was a bright interior, accented by potted plants and black accessories.
Brick creates a strong contrast with anthracite accessories and a green corner
© AMJ studio
interview with Adam Jankowski and Kamil Paszek
Dobrawa Bies: The project we are talking about is an example of an interior in the trendy loft style. What, for you, is its quintessence?
AMJ studio: We believe that the style of a space should be judged by the overall feeling it causes. In this case, brick combined with contrasting anthracite-colored accessories and natural wood has the most impact. Dark steel profiles made to measure create an openwork bookcase full of greenery - this is the main element of the apartment, which, through its geometric austerity, gives associations with an industrial interior. Another element is the contrast between the white walls and the furnishings - it's what makes the overall impression we can call loft. The most important thing for us is a consistent perception of all the rooms in the project. We believe that in this case the leitmotif is visible to the naked eye.
The composition of the space is inspired by the geometric relationships present in Mondrian' s work
© AMJ studio
Dobrawa: For whom was the apartment designed? With what did you start the work?
AMJ studio: The apartment was designed for a young couple as a living space for the coming years. It is worth mentioning, however, that it was important to the investors that in the future the premises would change its purpose and become a residential space for rent. In practice, this boiled down to guidelines assuming high durability of the proposed solutions and universal design - so that it would work well for subsequent tenants.
And here we come to our way of working on the interiors. We began our work by dissecting the basic functional guidelines to be met by the designed space. Then to discuss the inspirations - what the investors like best, and what should definitely be rejected.
Behind the brick wall is a bedroom with a space dedicated to work
© AMJ studio
Dobrawa: The attention of visitors to the apartment is attracted by an openwork bookcase with characteristic divisions, inspired by the work of Piet Mondrian. Where did this design decision come from?
AMJ studio: For the proposed minimalist/loft style, we looked for inspiration in contemporary art. Basing the composition of the space on geometric relationships drawn from Mondrian's paintings captivated our investors and became the starting point for further work. Such a design decision resulted from the search for individual solutions and character for the interior of the apartment. The investors wanted to feel that the space they live in will be unique and steeped in original inspirations.
For architects, it is important to create harmony in the designed interiors
© AMJ studio
Dobrawa: How do you arrange the space of an apartment if you want to achieve visual consistency?
AMJ studio: In our opinion, it is best to start by creating a single moodboard for the interior - based on the inspirations reviewed and what the investors like. In this case, we heard dreams of a bottle green corner, brick and anthracite accessories right from the start. Then we tried to develop the palette of materials and establish the idea of the space of individual rooms: living area, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, with accents of gold and natural wood. It is important for us to interweave the materials used in a way that gives a sense of harmony, while avoiding too much saturation of variety in a small space.
Dobrawa: Thank you for the interview.
