The first glance at the interior of the Warsaw apartment leaves the observer in no doubt - the architect took care of the smallest detail, and the design process was long and arduous, since it produced such an effect. It won't end with the first glance - there are so many details around that attract your gaze that you won't be able to tear yourself away from them for a long time.
Basia Hyjek: What was the overall idea for this interior? Did you have a free hand, or did you fulfill the dreams of the investor?
Jacek Jaskóła: The apartment in Saska Kepa is located in an interesting building from the 1950s, which was built for the Ministry of Transport and Shipping, hence the references in metalwork - balustrades and railings, also the unusual layout of the apartments and their height refers to pre-war construction. I like interior designs to be consistent with the buildings in which they are located, so I am not a fan of, for example, retro, vintage or loft apartments in contemporary construction, not to mention stucco on walls or ceilings that are not original.
I try to preserve in the interior, if possible, as many original elements as possible - even if it's just a terrazzo window sill, it's a good idea to clean it, or brass doorknobs or parquet floors - these are some of the most common elements that I manage to preserve. This happens to be my private apartment, and since I collect art and design icons, these elements became the starting point for the whole project.
I really like simple and minimalist interiors, but only for a while. Definitely color, natural materials, different structures and original furniture - in such interiors I feel best.
Basia: Was it difficult to find furniture, ornaments characteristic of Polish post-war design? There was even a contemporary version of a wall unit!
Jacek: Since I've been collecting old furniture for years - whether it's pre-war or midcentury - I find it in various places - auctions, antique fairs, various portals like OLX. Icons of design are art, so they don't just have to hang on the walls. I attach great importance to light, because it creates the mood of a given interior, at the same time lamps are such functional sculptures - it happens that I spend the most time when choosing lighting.
As you can easily guess, designing for myself is the most difficult challenge, and so it was! Lots of color and material combinations, sketches and final decisions took a very long time. Of course, it started with the art and furniture I had - the rest was to become a background and complement each other. I like it when given elements of the interiors reinforce each other and create an often non-obvious juxtaposition.
Apartment in Saska Kepa
Photo by Yassen Hristov
Basia: You can see the attention to the smallest detail in this apartment - how long did it take you to create its interior? How did you approach the design in general, what were the first steps taken?
Jacek: As I mentioned, I don't like pretense, so the parquet floor has to be wood, the marble has to be marble and not sinter, even at the expense of it not being the best solution as a countertop in the kitchen - I did it with full knowledge, similarly the natural brass on selected cabinet fronts in the kitchen.
The big element of the apartment that unites the living room with the hallway is a huge plywood bookcase - since college I've been an absolute fan of this material, which led to the creation of my second company Intterno - which produces furniture precisely from plywood. It's an extremely versatile material, and the furniture itself is a beautiful reference to a wall unit, and it does its job perfectly.
Interiors are not only color combinations, furniture and light - the detail is extremely important. The aforementioned handles can transform any door, even air vents - I still found a manufacturer that has old dies. The thresholds in the doors are marble - such a nod to French townhouses. The handles for the kitchen furniture are completed with the names of favorite painters.
I avoid one-size-fits-all designs, an apartment, house or suite is not a hotel - it should say as much as possible about the owner. When working on projects with clients, I try to get to know them as well as possible, so that the interior fits them best, making it special and unique. And although you can see that a particular project from my prortfolio is of my authorship, each is different.
