Reconstruction "in concrete"
A classic four-story panel house in Prague's Suchdol has been transformed by interior designer Iva Hájková into an impressive interior theater. Through a complete reconstruction literally "on the concrete," she created a pleasant and thoughtful interior.
"The owners approached me for the reconstruction of a 4+1 apartment in a four-story panel house. The task was to completely renovate the apartment because it did not meet today's requirements," states interior designer Iva Hájková at the outset.
The goal of her approximately six-month design work was to create a timeless interior that would be unique for the clients themselves.
"The owners were very receptive to my work throughout the collaboration. And above all, they resonated with the main idea of the atmosphere. I can say that it was almost an ideal collaboration: the owners let me create, and we discussed the individual elements together, finding the perfect path between design and practicality," Iva adds further. The only requirement was to use natural materials, optically enlarge and ventilate the apartment. Thanks to this approach, an apartment with a unique atmosphere was created, proudly linked to its history.
New layout
The task was to adapt a classic panel apartment with a 4+1 layout for the needs of a four-member family. After several variations of completely opening up the space, Iva and the owners concluded that a household with two boys needed separate rooms and peace behind closed doors. "We thus opened the living room with dining area and kitchen as one part of the apartment. And we separated the hallway with bedrooms, bathroom, and toilet with doors with side windows. We thus transformed the layout from 4+1 to 4+kk," specifies Iva Hájková. Each bedroom features a large built-in wardrobe. Because the apartment does not have a storage room, this solution allowed for minimal free-standing furniture that would clutter the space.
Concrete theater
When we say theatrical interior, we usually imagine a lot of colors, shapes, and colorful effects. In this panel apartment, it is quite the opposite: the theater that the designer envisioned is presented in a minimalist, calm manner and goes to the essence of a good apartment interior. And that is quality layout and attention to detail. "The owner of the apartment is a theater actress and a great theater fan, and that is why we arrived at this inspiration. 'Life is a beautiful theater' was the main motto of my concept," says Iva Hájková. Her main task was to incorporate the atmosphere into the apartment in a non-intrusive manner and harmoniously connect the possibilities of the space, its location, and the house from the seventies. And what elements did the designer work with? Concrete as the basic structural material of the house is complemented by wood, brass, all in its material rawness. The goal was to bring authenticity into the apartment and not hide the fact that we are in a panel house.
Materials in their essence
On parts of the walls and ceilings, concrete panels are cleaned from plaster and treated with a dust-free coating. The flooring is made of solid oak boards, just like on the theater stage, where real life unfolds. Brass complements as a decoration every traditional theater. Iva Hájková used it on the kitchen cabinet doors and details such as handles and lights. These were made according to her original design; the brass is polished and waxed to take on a modern timeless form.
The main brass lighting in the living area playfully evokes prominent chandeliers, which are essential in a theater. "We used a curtain for the practical closing of the wardrobe in the hallway; it is soft to the touch and also plays a deep color," specifies Iva Hájková. She chose doors that reach up to the ceiling to visually increase the space. The theatrical typical cream color was replaced by a contemporary modern gray. At the same time, she did not want the apartment to feel historical, so she used traditional materials, but in a modern form.
In the bathroom and toilet, the flooring features large-format tiles with a terrazzo look, and the walls are clad with brick-shaped tiles laid in a half-bond pattern with contrasting grout. The atmosphere is complemented down to the last detail by a modernly conceived lantern, made to measure. "The space for the kitchen is relatively narrow, and to focus attention elsewhere, we covered the lower part of the cabinet with brass sheet metal; it is hand-polished and waxed, bringing a changing and aging beauty," concludes Iva Hájková.
"The owners approached me for the reconstruction of a 4+1 apartment in a four-story panel house. The task was to completely renovate the apartment because it did not meet today's requirements," states interior designer Iva Hájková at the outset.
The goal of her approximately six-month design work was to create a timeless interior that would be unique for the clients themselves.
"The owners were very receptive to my work throughout the collaboration. And above all, they resonated with the main idea of the atmosphere. I can say that it was almost an ideal collaboration: the owners let me create, and we discussed the individual elements together, finding the perfect path between design and practicality," Iva adds further. The only requirement was to use natural materials, optically enlarge and ventilate the apartment. Thanks to this approach, an apartment with a unique atmosphere was created, proudly linked to its history.
New layout
The task was to adapt a classic panel apartment with a 4+1 layout for the needs of a four-member family. After several variations of completely opening up the space, Iva and the owners concluded that a household with two boys needed separate rooms and peace behind closed doors. "We thus opened the living room with dining area and kitchen as one part of the apartment. And we separated the hallway with bedrooms, bathroom, and toilet with doors with side windows. We thus transformed the layout from 4+1 to 4+kk," specifies Iva Hájková. Each bedroom features a large built-in wardrobe. Because the apartment does not have a storage room, this solution allowed for minimal free-standing furniture that would clutter the space.
Concrete theater
When we say theatrical interior, we usually imagine a lot of colors, shapes, and colorful effects. In this panel apartment, it is quite the opposite: the theater that the designer envisioned is presented in a minimalist, calm manner and goes to the essence of a good apartment interior. And that is quality layout and attention to detail. "The owner of the apartment is a theater actress and a great theater fan, and that is why we arrived at this inspiration. 'Life is a beautiful theater' was the main motto of my concept," says Iva Hájková. Her main task was to incorporate the atmosphere into the apartment in a non-intrusive manner and harmoniously connect the possibilities of the space, its location, and the house from the seventies. And what elements did the designer work with? Concrete as the basic structural material of the house is complemented by wood, brass, all in its material rawness. The goal was to bring authenticity into the apartment and not hide the fact that we are in a panel house.
Materials in their essence
On parts of the walls and ceilings, concrete panels are cleaned from plaster and treated with a dust-free coating. The flooring is made of solid oak boards, just like on the theater stage, where real life unfolds. Brass complements as a decoration every traditional theater. Iva Hájková used it on the kitchen cabinet doors and details such as handles and lights. These were made according to her original design; the brass is polished and waxed to take on a modern timeless form.
The main brass lighting in the living area playfully evokes prominent chandeliers, which are essential in a theater. "We used a curtain for the practical closing of the wardrobe in the hallway; it is soft to the touch and also plays a deep color," specifies Iva Hájková. She chose doors that reach up to the ceiling to visually increase the space. The theatrical typical cream color was replaced by a contemporary modern gray. At the same time, she did not want the apartment to feel historical, so she used traditional materials, but in a modern form.
In the bathroom and toilet, the flooring features large-format tiles with a terrazzo look, and the walls are clad with brick-shaped tiles laid in a half-bond pattern with contrasting grout. The atmosphere is complemented down to the last detail by a modernly conceived lantern, made to measure. "The space for the kitchen is relatively narrow, and to focus attention elsewhere, we covered the lower part of the cabinet with brass sheet metal; it is hand-polished and waxed, bringing a changing and aging beauty," concludes Iva Hájková.
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