Harmony of neutral colors in an apartment in Vinohrady

Under the direction of the architectural studio SMLXL, a unique apartment has been created in Prague’s Vinohrady, dominated by neutral colors combined with modern materials. The overall atmosphere of the space is enhanced by unique decorative elements – designer lights, Berker switches, and mirrors of various geometric shapes act as extraordinary works of art in the space. The imaginative combination of different patterns, materials, and textures adds a playful touch to the area, while the bold use of dark colors on the ceilings and walls gives the apartment a refreshingly luxurious impression.

The Vinohrad apartment for a young family was created by merging two smaller residential units. The entire layout had to be completely changed, and only the windows remained from the original construction elements. When choosing the flooring, the architects drew from the original parquet floors commonly found in Vinohrad apartments, but increased their size and played with an atypical arrangement. Wood was used as flooring throughout the apartment, except in the hallway and bathrooms.

In the entrance hall, the first thing that catches the attention of visitors is the concrete finish, which is embellished with a golden line to correspond even more with the atmosphere of an old Prague apartment. The gray finish is complemented by a wooden built-in wardrobe with atypically profiled doors. Thanks to this profiling, the seams between the doors disappear, and the wardrobe appears as a wall cladding. Although the ceiling in the entrance hall had to be significantly lowered due to the technology, the architects boldly applied black paint to it. And the result looks impressive! "We wanted to achieve a more interesting effect when transitioning from the hall to the main living space, which now feels even larger and lighter," explains architect Klára Valová. "The entrance hall has become even cozier with the use of black paint on the ceiling," adds Klára Valová.

The walls and ceiling in the main living area are covered with a fine finish that resembles old plaster. This is further complemented by subtle fabions that create discreet interesting elements on the walls. A generously designed kitchen occupies a large portion of the main living space, which was the most important element for the client. It will be frequently used, and therefore it is fully equipped with all appliances and also has a sufficiently large workspace. The stainless steel part of the kitchen transitions to an island with aluminum doors and a stone section. The tall kitchen cabinets are placed in a niche, and their doors continue as wall cladding that connects to the cladding in the entrance hall. A niche for small appliances with additional workspace can be closed, making this entire part of the kitchen compact and forming a dark gray box that also conceals the toilet and doors to the wardrobe. These are of the same profiling as replicas of the original doors to other rooms. Since the client enjoys cooking, another of his requests was to incorporate a large dining table for 10 people into the space. The architects chose an artifact made from a single piece of wood. The choice fell on oak, which was then stained to a darker color. The table’s base is made of rough steel, again representing an imaginative and atypical solution.

The wardrobe is outfitted with an open storage system, a mirrored dresser, and several other mirrored elements: several rotating round golden mirrors in the space and a large steel mirror leaning against the wall. This wall is clad with steel plates, which were also used as cladding behind the beds. Adjacent to the wardrobe and bedroom is a bathroom, separated only by glass. This is fitted with a film with an ombre effect so that the bathroom isn't too visible but remains visually connected to the surrounding rooms. The part of the ceiling that had to be lowered significantly for technology and translation has been clad with ceramic tiles, and the architects have further emphasized it visually with LED strips. An originally unwanted block has thus become an interesting element of the bathroom. An atypical freestanding double sink made of Corian is complemented by round golden mirrors again – an element we have already encountered in the wardrobe. In the otherwise dark-toned bathroom, this white element, along with the freestanding bathtub, becomes the visual dominant of the entire space. The bathtub is positioned in the center of the room and is separated from the shower area by irregularly shaped gray glass. All storage spaces in the bathroom are hidden in a built-in cabinet also clad with ceramic tiles. This makes the cabinet become part of the wall and not protrude or disturb it.

A special part of the apartment is designated for the children. The children's rooms are adjacent to their own bathroom, which is styled in light tones and decorated with wallpaper depicting whales. In the children's bathroom, the stainless-steel faucet with a special pink hue combined with classic stainless steel stands out. Here, too, the architects ensured ample storage space.

The atmosphere of the representative apartment in the traditional residential district of Vinohrady is further underscored by the retro rotary switches made of white porcelain from Hager. The Berker Series 1930 switches made of genuine porcelain from the Rosenthal porcelain factory embody a perfect harmony of noble material and the highest craftsmanship. While their design refers to modernity, the material used evokes a time before the invention of synthetic materials. The switches, the majority of decorative lighting fixtures, and even some other solitary decorative elements were supplied by the design store MONOBRAND. "The rotary switches from the Berker Series 1930 made of genuine Rosenthal porcelain are among my favorite pieces," explains Katrin Grund, founder of the MONOBRAND store. "Not only do they belong with their shape and material to classic modern interiors, but they surprisingly harmonize well with minimalist, strictly contemporary interiors. They fit excellently into the luxurious apartment in Prague's Vinohrady with their atmosphere," adds Katrin Grund. Another significant and atypical element of the apartment is the internal window shutters, which the architects used in almost all the windows. "These interior shutters serve not only as full-fledged shading but also as a subtle and original decoration," concludes architect Klára Valová.

www.hager.cz/vypinac
www.monobrand.cz
www.smlxl.cz