Recreational cottage converted for living

photo: Jiří Ernest

To demolish or not to demolish?
This question occupied the investor for almost an entire year. Although he already had two proposals for a new building, he decided on the reconstruction of the cottage with minimal extension. This allowed him to preserve the energy invested in the original structure, which is also very sensitively placed on the plot, and by minimizing the scope of construction work, he reduced the ecological impact on the surrounding nature. The investor chose to pursue a path of minimal living space, limiting the number of things needed for life, and reducing housing costs.
The original recreational cottage, with a living area of approximately 50 m², was built in the 1950s. The new annex, measuring 20 m², has a flat roof and is clad with Cembonit. It includes a wardrobe, a bathroom, and part of a bedroom. The renovation also involved expanding the basement under the annex. The gray color of the facade and cladding provides an apparent "invisibility" of the building on the plot.

Interior
Since the rooms are very small, white was chosen as the base color (built-in wardrobes, bookshelves, kitchen units, ceiling lights), complemented by light gray shades (kitchen countertop, upholstery of the sofa, tiles, plaster in the bathroom). Such a small living space would require a unified material for the floors, but in the main room, the well-preserved parquet was retained, and in the bedroom, floorboards. Therefore, the original floors were restored, and oak boards were laid in the third room, including wall cladding made from the same material. The overall concept of the interior is very minimalist to the point of being spiritual. You will not find any paintings, curtains, or rugs here. The windows with beautiful views of the forest and gardens take on the role of paintings.