Antiques

Concept

Projects like this require a completely different approach, both in terms of design and execution.

This apartment had almost everything, yet bringing all the elements together into a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing whole required a lot of work to give it character.

Available for use were beautiful, stylish furniture, sofas, armchairs, lamps, and a rich collection of paintings.

The kitchen and bathroom needed a complete renovation, while the rest of the space required an arrangement that would bring out the beauty of the furnishings and decorations collected over the years.

Bathroom

An apartment in an old tenement house in Żoliborz, filled with stylish furniture and inhabited by an Art Deco enthusiast, required a bathroom that would fit these special circumstances.

I opted for a classic solution with white tiles intersected by thin black lines, creating patterns typical of Art Deco.

I managed to find a perfectly matching sink and toilet bowl with a black stripe on white ceramic, harmonizing with the overall aesthetic.

Kitchen

Like the bathroom, the kitchen required a complete renovation, including widening the entrance, replacing the flooring, and updating all cabinetry and appliances.

My kitchen design ideas initially met with resistance. It took a long time before we arrived at the final version, which my client fell in love with.

Materials

The bathroom materials were selected from a photo, and the client entrusted me with full creative freedom in this area.

The kitchen materials, however, required multiple iterations. Choosing the color palettes, selecting the stone for the countertop, the tiles for the floor, the wall cladding, and the perfect veneer took numerous visits to the stone supplier and tile stores.

The process was tedious, but the result was well worth the effort.

We paid great attention to details such as moldings, decorative trim, and finishing touches. Custom-designed interior doors and vintage-style radiators made a significant impact.

Furniture, Lighting, and Decorations

All the furniture and lighting (except for the gallery lighting above the paintings) were already in the apartment. However, their arrangement was random, failing to showcase their most refined details.

In the dining room, I focused on symmetry and incorporated oriental decorations that had previously been hidden in cabinets. Some of these elements were used in the panels of the new custom-built cabinetry.

In the living room, I rearranged the furniture to encourage social interactions and face-to-face conversations. We also added a newly acquired cubist painting to the collection, refreshing the slightly museum-like atmosphere of the space.

In the study, a beautiful oak desk was brought into prominence, while the wall behind the door was designated to display small prints, valuable photographs, and drawings that previously lacked a proper place.

Conclusion

While working on this project, I was acutely aware of the fine line between stylish and kitschy, between elegance and clutter, between charm and artificiality.

Despite this, I truly love this interior because I know that the final result was exactly what my client had envisioned. It met her expectations without pushing her beyond her comfort zone.

Projects like this are not easy, which is why I am sharing these photos, knowing that such interiors are neither the most popular nor the most sought-after. These types of interiors are rarely created from scratch—such furniture and artwork are collected over years or passed down through generations.

I have great respect for objects with history and enjoy finding the right place and setting for them. That is why renovating this apartment was such a special experience for me.