Apartment for a young couple in Brno

A young couple bought their first apartment in a nice residential neighborhood near the center of Brno. It was a 2+kk unit in a well-built brick house from the 1930s. It was clear that the apartment had undergone partial modernizations in the past, yet it still retained its original layout. This layout reflected times gone by and did not meet the wishes of the new owners.

In its original form, the apartment featured a hallway of approximately 5m², leading to a spacious, impractically designed bathroom. The hallway opened at both ends into similarly sized rooms, one of which was used as a bedroom, while the other served as a kitchen combined with a living room. In its original state, the rooms were poorly usable – the bathroom was unnecessarily large for the new owners, and the kitchen was impractically designed. Since they wanted to carry out a complete renovation with quality and thoughtfulness, they turned to us for assistance.

The task was to adapt the space so that it could serve not only as a sleeping area but also as a comfortable living area where they could cook, work, or spend time with friends. Given the limited space – the floor area of the apartment is only 56 m² – it was necessary to maximize the living area. Another requirement was the owners' wish to create storage spaces that could accommodate all household items without obstructing daily activities. The investors chose light, neutral materials to enhance the apartment's natural light. They also considered that one day their current apartment might become too small, and overly personal interpretations or colors could complicate a potential sale.

A significant advantage was the variability of the layout, as all walls were non-load-bearing partitions, allowing them to be moved or removed. The only exception was the wall on the right side of the apartment, where the chimneys and plumbing were located in the center. Therefore, it was necessary to maintain the center of this wall, but the remaining part was shifted to reduce the original bedroom and create a nook for a built-in table, potentially for a children's crib in the future. Another significant advantage is the high windows oriented to the southwest, which beautifully illuminate the entire apartment.

The bathroom was minimized to a shower cubicle and a toilet. The remaining space was opened up for the living area, kitchen, and hallway to the bedroom, where the most storage spaces are located on either side. The kitchen consists of two separate counters, with a sink and mirror along with cabinets for hygiene supplies located before the entrance to the bathroom. The view from the sink into the living area through the kitchen further opens up and ventilates the space. All technical facilities (washing machine, dryer, gas boiler) are concealed in built-in storage spaces. The cleanliness of the space was complemented by a ceiling soffit with built-in lighting.

Designing a compact and open space in such a small area was an interesting challenge for us. Today, however, we know that the young owners live well in it.