Hanna Pietras and Joanna Poradowska architects from Hanna Pietras Architects designed an interior located in a historic Lodz tenement house. The arrangement combines classic architectural elements with modern design.
Among other things, the apartment managed to preserve the original woodwork and parquet floors
Photography and styling: Follow The Flow
Preserving the authentic atmosphere
The 90 m² apartment is located in a building from the turn of the 20th century. In keeping with the typical architecture of this historical period, the rooms are tall, as they are as high as 370 cm. However, the apartment was unfortunately in very poor condition.
- Probably the simplest solution would be to liquidate everything down to the bare bricks or ceilings and start from scratch, but then you lose that originality and authenticity of the place. And that's what a tenement apartment is all about, that atmosphere. You won't get it in an apartment building or a block of flats," describes architect Hanna Pietras.
A tall double-sided door leads to the bedroom
Photography and styling: Follow The Flow
The designers and the investor decided to preserve as much as possible of the interior's former splendor, but did not aim to recreate the 19th-century style. Thanks to their efforts, they managed to recover the original woodwork, parquet floors and stucco. Close cooperation with restoration companies and craftsmen also made it possible to determine the original color of the monumental double-sided tall doors.
The arrangement is kept in shades of white and blue
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Blue in the leading role
The architects wanted to keep the originality of the architecture in the details, but from the beginning they wanted to design an apartment that was bright and modern. So they decided that blue would be the main theme of the arrangement. This color adds freshness and lightness to the rooms. In addition, it blends beautifully with classic interiors, emphasizing their architectural qualities.
- Combined with period details, such as ornate ceilings, wooden floors and stylish doors, blue creates a unique atmosphere that tells the story of bygone years, while maintaining contemporary functionality and aesthetics, says Hanna Pietras.
Blue emphasizes the classic character of the interior
Photography and styling: Follow The Flow
The past in a modern edition
Originally, the entrance to the apartment led directly to the kitchen. This not-so-practical layout was modified by separating a small hallway. This newly created room now houses a dressing room. It is worth noting the creamy white tiles. These are the original kitchen tiles, which have been preserved for decorative effect. From the hallway we move to a long corridor, along which a toilet, a laundry room and a bathroom are arranged. At the end of the passageway are two rooms in an amphilade: a living room and a bedroom.
The hallway retains the original kitchen tiles
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Harmonious connections
The architects were keen to create a space that would not be overloaded or cluttered with unnecessary objects. All elements of the interior were carefully selected according to the key: bright, light and elegant.
- For this project , we stubbornly stuck to one principle: the interpenetration of the old with the new, intertwined with a blue thread," explains Pietras.
The bathroom and toilet are located at the end of a long corridor
Photography and styling: Follow The Flow
A perfect example of this is the kitchen, where the dark veneer contrasts with old tiles with a blue theme, referring to the original color of the woodwork.
The kitchen furniture was made of dark veneer
Photography and styling: Follow The Flow
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Compiled by:KATARZYNA SZOSTAK