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Polish studio Mistovia has paired plywood, walnut and graphite accents with a mishmash of vintage furniture in Plener Istebna – a pair of gabled cottages in the Silesian Beskids mountains. More
Design studio Holloway Li has reimagined the interiors of the Puro hotel in Poznań, Poland, integrating natural materials, contemporary furnishings and locally sourced art to create “a layering of history”. More
Polish architect Dawid Konieczny has added mid-century modern elements to this Warsaw studio apartment, conceived to echo the compact size and sophistication of a hotel room.
Set within an early 20th-century building clad in terracotta bricks, the apartment’s petite perimeter formed the basis for its interior design.
Dawid Konieczny designed the apartment to mimic a hotel room”We’re talking about 30 square metres, so it’s kind of the size of a hotel room,” Konieczny told Dezeen.
“I wanted to combine the ease of a good hotel room with the idea of a chic mid-century modern apartment.”
The hallway features oak-panelled wallsThe hallway features sinuous walls covered in smooth oak panels, concealing subtle storage compartments that make the most of the apartment’s high ceilings.
This entrance gives way to a single room that holds both private and public spaces and maintains the building’s original herringbone flooring.
Veiny quartzite was applied to the kitchen countertopA boxy, stained oak and steel shelving cabinet separates the low-slung double bed from the dining area, where a bespoke rounded table is surrounded by a set of vintage Casala cantilever chairs upholstered in pinstriped fabric.
“I hoped to express the soul of the 1970s,” explained Konieczny, who also placed a small abstract painting by Polish artist Tomek Opaliński above the dining table.
Konieczny selected vintage cantilever chairs for the dining spaceOn the other side of the room is an open-plan kitchen with a caramel-hued countertop finished in veiny Palomino quartzite, illuminated by antique mid-century sconces Konieczny sourced specifically for the project.
A sleek oven is tucked into one of the oak-panelled, space-saving walls.
Pistachio-coloured tiles line the bathroomOpposite the bed, a pair of dusty mauve armchairs frame a squat coffee table, forming a small living space.
“Thanks to quality materials and vintage furniture selections, the apartment has a timeless character,” said Konieczny.
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Pistachio-coloured tiles line the bathroom, which is separate from the main space. Monochrome, basketweave flooring was chosen to complement the room’s retro standalone sink and built-in bathtub.
“The idea was to create a warm and comfortable feeling for the apartment but with a classy vibe,” added the architect, who designed the home for a duo of Paris-based fashion photographers seeking a “cosy shelter in Warsaw” in between frequent travel.
The apartment was designed for a pair of fashion photographersElsewhere in the Polish capital, interiors studio Mistovia incorporated walnut burl and terrazzo accents to another apartment while Noke Architects created a two-tone interior for an Italian bar.
The photography is by Oni Studio.
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Bespoke scalloped edges and a Verner Panton S-Chair feature at the Pops holiday apartment in Kraków, which Furora Studio designed to be more playful than a permanent home.
Named Pops after lollipops, the dwelling was conceived by Diana Żurek and Gutek Girek of Polish firm Furora Studio.
“The project is a temporary apartment for anyone who wants to spend time in an attractive and very sugary interior,” said the designers.
Pops is a holiday apartment in central KrakówSpread across one level of a multi-storey building in central Kraków, the rental home includes an open-plan kitchen and living room.
This space was dressed with a velvety salmon-pink curtain, which stretches the length of one of two of the walls, and a central display cabinet finished in pistachio green and “crowned with frills”.
Furniture including a decorative display cabinet was custom-made by Furora StudioMuch of the furniture and other design elements were custom-made by Furora Studio and follow the same toy-like geometry as the cabinet – a combination of round and wavy motifs created in pastel pinks, greens and creams.
For example, a white and turquoise pendant light with scalloped edges was suspended above a circular dining table, while a ribbed half-moon alcove was created as a backdrop for the wall-mounted television.
Pastel hues define the apartment”First and foremost, we aimed to find suitable forms,” said Żurek, describing the studio’s starting point for the project.
“Most of the elements were custom-made because we wanted to maintain the coherence of the interior while ensuring proper functional arrangement,” she told Dezeen.
“Essentially, each element was its own small project. The selection of shapes, milling, small details, and perfecting the form – all of these were important considerations.”
A ribbed, half-moon alcove was created as a backdrop for the televisionAn olive-hued, L-shaped sofa was tucked into one corner of the living space and echoed by the kitchen splashback, finished in the same green colour.
Żurek described the apartment’s double bedroom as “a pink box with a whimsical headboard and an abundance of pillows”.
Designer Diana Żurek described the bedroom as “a pink box”In one corner, a light green built-in desk was positioned in front of a sculptural Verner Panton chair.
The iconic S-shaped seating was originally designed by Panton in the early 1960s and recently influenced the furniture created for the Dreamhouse at the centre of the set design in this year’s Barbie film.
“We rarely have the opportunity to be in interiors that evoke memories of earlier years, when as children, we had few responsibilities and sought joy and playfulness,” noted Żurek.
“But this is not about returning to preschool or infantilising the space,” stressed the designer.
“It’s about positive energy. We sought solutions that would more literally create a colorful space, full of rounded patterns, light colours and a sense of relief,” she added.
The studio added a Verner Panton chair to the apartmentThe bathroom is also awash with pattern, featuring a jumbo scalloped-edged cabinet and pink and brown terrazzo tiles.
Bulbous pendant lighting illuminates the space, which contains a walk-in shower.
Summarising the holiday apartment, Żurek called it a place to “have fun and cuddle”.
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“Certainly, there are many enthusiasts of such candy-like solutions, but this interior may not be for everyone, especially for long-term use, such as in the case of a private home,” reflected the designer.
“For short-term rentals, I believe most people would be tempted to experience how it feels to be in such a vibrant interior,” she added.
“These projects allow for the use of [design] solutions that might be somewhat tiring on a daily basis, but spending a brief moment in such a place opens us up to new experiences, feelings of peace and relaxation.”
A jumbo scalloped-edged cabinet features in the bathroomElsewhere in Kraków, London-based office Studio Mills transformed an apartment at a converted monastery into a family home. Polish practice Projekt Praga created a bar with a self-service beer fountain within the taproom of a centuries-old brewery just outside of the city.
The photography is by ONI Studio.
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Polish design studio Projekt Praga has overhauled the taproom of a centuries-old brewery outside Kraków to accommodate a new bar and restaurant, inserting bold contemporary elements into the historic brick-vaulted space.
Tenczynek Brewery dates back to 1553, although parts of the building were destroyed during world war two and only reconstructed in 2014.
The Taproom bar is set inside the 16th-century Tenczynek BreweryThe original taproom spans an area of 250 square metres, with a little under half of the space devoted to the bar and eatery. The remainder was allocated to the kitchen and the alembic, where spirits are distilled behind a glass partition.
Projekt Praga opted for a minimal-intervention approach in order to respect the existing architecture and reduce the project’s environmental impact.
Alembics for distilling spirits are on display behind a glass partitionThis included exposing the original brick walls from behind a layer of tiles, leaving them “raw” in a bid to minimise construction waste and emissions.
The new elements were made from a palette of natural materials – including oak, ceramics, steel and glass – in collaboration with Polish artisans and craftspeople.
Customers can pour their own drinks from a central fountain”In Tenczynek, we understood the importance of the local character of the brewery,” Projekt Praga co-founder Marcin Garbacki told Dezeen. “Here, the production of beer and vodka is carried out using traditional methods.”
“The place has a unique atmosphere and energy that works well with individual craftsmanship,” he added. “The design elements are intricately tied to the brewery’s artisanal nature, seamlessly integrated into the existing space without attempting to transform it.”
Glasses are displayed on red metal shelves nearbyThe principal focal point of The Taproom is a central self-service drinks fountain, set inside a column clad in handmade ceramic tiles by family-run workshop Ardea Arte.
Their warm burgundy tone layers with the original brickwork and the rich reds used across shelving and table legs to create an intense and immersive atmosphere.
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The dispenser allows visitors to pour themselves any desired amount of beer or vodka using 14 different taps.
“Since this element defines the modus operandi of the venue – it’s a taproom – we decided to turn it into a centrally located mini-rotunda, the heart of the space,” Garbacki said.
“It defines the logic of the space and facilitates accidental meetings of different users, serving as a social tool.”
The bar’s solid oak furniture is by Artur CzajkaThe oak floor was designed to act much like a carpet to delineate space, stopping short of the walls at a distance of around ten centimetres in order to draw a clear distinction between old and new.
At the same time, the flooring helps to ground several of the bar’s other oak elements, including the benches and tables by designer Artur Czajka.
“Part of our intention was to make a bold gesture in the space, a single fundamental intervention that will encompass all the other changes made and serve as a canvas for them,” Garbacki said.
Andrzej Bero and Piotr Linca handmade clay lamps for Tenczynek BreweryTo counter the narrow, elongated nature of the space, Projekt Praga made strategical use of mirrors and other reflective finishes both to illuminate and to extend the sense of space.
“The reflecting mirrors placed in the arcades across from the windows add depth to the space and multiply the impressive brick arches,” the studio said.
“Watched from a certain angle, they multiply natural light coming in through the windows, which is important as the natural light is quite restricted.”
The building’s original vaulted bricks ceilings are left exposedHandmade clay lamps suspended low over the tables enhance the venue’s intimate atmosphere.
Created in collaboration with ceramicists Andrzej Bero and Piotr Linca, they feature a colour palette that links to the original brick as well as to the new materials used on the project.
By using a range of different shapes and sizes of lampshades, each table’s setup is subtly different.
Red brick also features across the floors”The soft shapes of the smooth clay lamps are a bridge between the new interior decoration and the existing structure of the rough walls and arches,” Garbacki said.
Tenczynek Brewery project has been shortlisted for this year’s Dezeen Award in the restaurant and bar interior category alongside a seafood eatery with a vaulted-wood interior and Ikoyi by David Thulstrup, which is decorated with copper walls and a curved metal-mesh ceiling.
Projekt Praga, which was established by Marcin Garbacki and Karolina Tunajek in 2010, previously converted another historic brewery in Poland into minimalist apartments.
The photography is by ONI Studio.
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From a muted colour palette to lights that are rarely switched on, the MIGRE treatment centre by Hanczarstudio in Wroclaw, Poland, was designed to help alleviate discomfort.
Local design practice Hanczarstudio designed the interior of the MIGRE migraine treatment centre in Wroclaw, Poland, to deviate from traditional medical environments.
“We wanted to create a space that was soothing and evokes associations with a beauty salon, spa or massage parlour, rather than a medical facility,” said Hanczarstudio founder Szymon Hanczar.
Hanczarstudio designed MIGRE to reduce impact of migrainesMigraines are persistent and throbbing unilateral headaches, often accompanied by nausea as well as noise and light sensitivity. The causes of migraine episodes are difficult to identify, but throughout the design the studio aimed to minimalism potential sources of discomfort.
Photophobia – meaning sensitivity to light – was addressed by diffusing soft light throughout the space. Translucent blinds help to temper bright natural sunlight coming in through the windows.
Plants absorb sound and promote a sense of calmArtificial lighting had to be installed in order to meet building regulations, however these are usually left switched off in favour of indirect natural light.
“Standards are met with the inclusion of all upper light sources, but in the day-to-day operations of the centre, they are not used,” explained Hanczar.
“The project even included halogens, which are absolutely inadvisable in the environment of migraine sufferers, as illumination for the display rack, but it too has its alternative source of soft lighting in the form of reflected light.”
Blinds diffuse sunlight, which is reflected off of wooden surfacesThe 110-square-metre space – that includes five treatment rooms, an entry hall and a waiting room – was lined with rhythmic floor-to-ceiling oak panelling. Furniture with rounded edges, a significant amount of which is bespoke to the project, was used through out the space.
The decision to use a neutral, warm-toned colour scheme and avoid any use of bright or contrasting colours was taken in order to avoid aggravating migraine symptoms through visual overstimulation.
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Migraine sufferers can also be highly sensitive to noise – the site benefits from being in a relatively quiet neighbourhood, and acoustic ceiling panels installed throughout help to mitigate any additional loud noises. Upholstered chairs, plants, wood panelling and blinds further help to dampen sound.
“[MIGRE is] a soothing, patient-friendly space, devoid of stimuli that exacerbate malaise during attacks of migraine pain,” said the studio. “It was the needs of patients, not fashionable trends, that had a decisive influence on the final design of this space.”
Treatment rooms have timber panelingDespite being worlds apart from conventional medical spaces with stark white walls and bright overhead strip lights, the interior still needed to be up to code with hygienic standards.
Specifying PVC carpet tiles for the flooring, easy to clean hard surfaces and removable and washable upholstery ensure that the space can be kept sterile and sanitary.
Both bespoke and specified furniture and treatments are medical grade”The interior design will not take away [the patient’s] illness, but I hope it will make them feel maybe better and for sure calmer,” Hanczar told Dezeen.
Other medical treatment centre’s featured on Dezeen include a cancer care facility in Belgiuminterior by Archekta and Ark-shelter and a wellness centre in New York City by Remedy Places.
The photography is courtesy of Zasoby Studio.
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Walnut burl and terrazzo accents are combined with chunky statement furniture in this apartment in Warsaw, which Polish studio Mistovia has renovated for an art director and her pet dachshund.
Located in the city’s Praga Północ neighbourhood, the 45-square-metre flat is set within a 1950s estate designed by Polish architects Jerzy Gieysztor and Jerzy Kumelowski.
The Warsaw apartment was renovated by MistoviaMistovia devised an eclectic material and colour palette when updating the interior, which the studio describes as an “elaborate puzzle” of contrasting patterns.
“The apartment is based on several dominant ‘cubes’,” said Mistovia founder Marcin Czopek. “Each of them has a different function, accentuated by various patterns through the use of veneer or colour.”
Panels of swirly grey wood veneer feature in the living spaceThe living room is defined by a wall panelled in swirly grey wood veneer– originally designed by Memphis Group founder Ettore Sottsass for Alpi in the 1980s – while the bathroom is obscured behind a wall of glass blocks.
The kitchen is now connected to the lounge to create one open-plan space, filled with statement pieces including a misshapen vase and the molten-looking Plopp stool by Polish designer Oskar Zieta, set against the backdrop of floor-to-ceiling walnut-burl cabinets.
A tortoiseshell cabinet defines the bathroomTerrazzo was used to form chunky black-and-white legs for the kitchen’s window-side breakfast bar as well as an entire burnt-orange table in the dining area.
“A muted base – bright, uniform micro cement flooring and walls with a delicate texture – allowed for the use of geometric forms, rich in interesting structures and bold patterns,” Czopek said.
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Designed for an art director and her dog, the apartment features a similarly striking bathroom.
Here, gridded monochrome tiles and glass-brick walls are paired with a statement standalone sink, featuring squat cobalt-blue legs that support a tortoiseshell cabinet crowned by a triptych mirror.
The single bedroom includes purple and marble accentsA purple wardrobe complements the rectilinear marble headboard in the apartment’s singular bedroom, adding to the boxy geometry of the home.
Also in Warsaw, Polish studio Projekt Praga incorporated mid-century elements and pops of colour into a dumpling restaurant while local firm Noke Architects referenced the high waters of Venice in a bar complete with sea-green floors and skirting tiles.
The photography is by Oni Studio.
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Polish studio ACOS has used timber joinery to conceal the functional elements of this apartment in Gdańsk, with the aim of creating a calm and tranquil interior.
Located at the edge of one of the few remaining green spaces in the city’s heavily urbanised historical town centre, Hideaway Home is a family apartment that was designed to make the most of its 70-square-metre footprint.
ACOS has designed the Hideaway Home apartment in GdańskACOS, which is a collaboration between architect Anna Stojcev and designer Stanisław Młyński, began the project by mapping out the existing space to create the most efficient layout.
“The optimal arrangement was achieved by carefully analysing each square centimetre and redesigning the infrastructure,” the studio said.
“As a result, we’ve managed to unclutter the original layout and benefit from a more generous volume. This resulted in a solution that seems very shy and modest at first but becomes more interactive once one starts to explore its layers.”
Routed timber screens conceal the kitchen’s food storage and preparation areasThe apartment is split into “day” and “night” zones. An open-plan living, cooking and dining area occupies one half of the apartment while the bedrooms and bathrooms are located on the other.
ACOS used blocks of timber, stone, concrete and a mineral surfacing called microscreed to define the different spaces, softened by neutral fabrics and brass accents.
The entrance to the living room is framed by a timber portalThe joint kitchen and dining area revolves around a large custom-made wooden dining table and a utilitarian concrete trough sink. The space is framed by routed timber screens that completely conceal the food storage and preparation areas.
Eager to combine new technologies and materials with time-honoured crafts, the studio custom-designed furniture pieces such as the dining chairs, which were made using digital 3D modelling and traditional carpentry techniques.
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The adjoining living area has a more generous footprint, with its entrance framed by an oakwood portal and a timber window seat running along one of its walls.
The space between the day and night zones, where the apartment’s entrance is located, is finished with veneered panels that support a textile ceiling.
Textile panels cover the ceiling in the hallway”The simplicity of details and forms aims to bring back the value of honest design and craftsmanship,” ACOS said.
“Whether it is a large surface of an oak coffee table or textile soffit or curtains – those elements are purely a means to frame the volume gently cocooning the user.”
Full-height carpentry provides storage in the main bedroomThe bedrooms were conceived as simple and compact volumes, with walls finished in natural lime and marble plaster while the floors and skirting boards are pale timber.
Custom full-height carpentry provides storage in the main bedroom and integrates seamlessly with a timber entrance portal.
The apartment’s main bathroom is finished in white microscreed surfacing paired with custom-made terrazzo slabs.
The bathroom is accented by custom-made terrazzo slabsHideaway Home is among six projects shortlisted in the apartment interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.
Also in the running is a renovated Tribeca loft with a half-transparent, half-mirrored wall and a live-work space in London belonging to the founders of environmental communication agency Earthrise Studio.
The photography is by Pion Studio.
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Sea green floors and skirting tiles are contrasted against the all-red interior of this bar in Warsaw, Poland, which local studio Noke Architects has designed to recall the high waters of Venice.
Billed as Poland’s first cicchetti bar – an Italian bar selling drinks alongside small plates of food – Va Bene Cicchetti is located in a huge Socialist Realist housing estate from the 1950s called the Marszałkowska Housing District.
Va Bene Cicchetti is a bar in WarsawCustomers enter the bar via an arched doorway lined with antique mirrors. Inside, they are met by a huge red travertine counter with a large drinks cooler, which is hollowed out of the stone and filled with ice and bottles of prosecco.
Most of the interior is rendered in warm hues of red and gold in a nod to the colours of the Venetian flag.
But the floor, and everything up to about 20 centimetres in height, is finished in sea green to suggest the high waters of the Veneto region, locally known as acqua alta.
Its interior was informed by Venice’s floodwatersSeveral times a year, when the tide in the Adriatic Sea rises, these floodwaters will cover streets and piazzas in Venice in a layer of water.
To recreate this “flood effect” inside the interior of Va Bene Cicchetti, Noke Architects coloured the floors and skirting tiles, as well as the base of table legs, chairs and plinths in a watery shade of turquoise.
Tables resemble Venice’s red-and-white striped mooring poles”We wanted the place to be unambiguously associated with Venice but we also wanted for this reference to be fresh and unique,” said Piotr Maciaszek, who co-founded Noke Architects alongside Aleksandra Hyz and Karol Pasternak.
“We took inspiration from the colours of the Venetian flag, which dominate all finishings, and incorporated the acqua alta motif in the interior as an element of surprise.”
Turquoise skirting tiles run along the perimeter of the roomThe scheme is completed with glass lamps that resemble rippling water and bespoke furniture pieces including tables that pay homage to the red-and-white striped mooring posts found in Venice’s canals.
Taking over an entire wall of the bar is an intricate mosaic made from reclaimed materials including glass panes from the Murano glass factory in Venice and fragments of wine bottles from Va Bene Cicchetti’s sister restaurant Va Bene.
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The mural depicts the bar’s owners and their dog Koko enjoying wine and food at a table in Venice.
“Veneto is where the famous Murano glass and antique mirrors are manufactured,” Maciaszek explained.
“The region is famous for its ceramics and wine. We came up with the idea to use mini pieces of Venice as the building blocks of our artwork. Mosaic was the perfect solution for this.”
The bar is centred on a red travertine counterThe bar’s basement level is completely saturated in the same greeny-blue hue as the floors upstairs to create the impression of being underwater.
Bathrooms, meanwhile, are finished in black and white stripes and topped with a red ceiling in a reference to the uniforms worn by Venetian gondoliers.
An intricate mosaic covers an entire wall of the barPolish illustrator and graphic designer Ola Niepsuj was responsible for creating the bar’s visual identity, which depicts the Lion of Saint Mark – a winged lion that represents the patron saint of Venice and is found on buildings across the city.
At Va Bene Cicchetti, this motif can be found in the form of door handles and the neon light above the entrance.
The bar’s basement level is covered in sea green tilesElsewhere in Poland, local practice Paradowski Studio recently channelled the glamour of Kraków’s interwar cafes and the clean functionalism of its mid-century modern cinemas for a hotel renovation.
The Puro Stare Miasto hotel is located next to Kraków’s historic old town and spans 138 rooms alongside an extensive open-plan reception, lobby space and restaurant.
The photography is by Piotr Maciaszek.
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