<strong>Distinct brass accents in an apartment for a young student</strong>

In a completely renovated apartment building Na Švihance in Prague's Vinohrady, designer Ing. Iva Hájková has created an airy apartment tailored to the needs of a young lady coming to Prague for her studies. The attic apartment in the Art Nouveau house is full of light and shades of brass, and it sensitively and creatively combines custom-made new furniture, interesting lighting fixtures, retro rotary switches, and remarkable old artifacts.

The Na Švihance apartment building is located on one of the most beautiful streets in Vinohrady. The residence was created through the careful reconstruction of a charming Art Nouveau building from 1908. It stands in the place of former vineyards at the corner of a street named after the Švihanka estate, which became part of Rieger's Gardens at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the street is adorned with beautifully maintained Art Nouveau buildings, and wide sidewalks are lined with cherry trees, which turn pink every spring and cast a pleasant shade in summer.

The more than 100-year-old building underwent a complete renovation in 2019: it received a new façade, roof, glass elevator, vertical and electrical installations, and a gas boiler room. Significant emphasis was placed on the representative appearance of the common areas during the renovation—especially the grand entrance hall illuminated by crystal chandeliers. The airy apartments with generous spatial layouts are full of light. Most of them include a balcony, and some also have glass bay windows.

One of the attic apartments was fully furnished by Iva Hájková in collaboration with Katrin Grund, owner of the design store Monobrand. The investors gave the designer free rein, and it shows in the overall result. Despite its relatively small size, the apartment overall gives a generous and clean impression, primarily due to the concealment of selected appliances (such as an American refrigerator) in custom-built walls and cabinets. Brass metal elements and reflections run through the apartment like a red thread. At first glance, the old refurbished brass bed, which dominates the bedroom, stands out. The bar counter in the same brass hue, which separates the kitchen from the living area, is also hard to overlook. "The brass bed is a gem in itself, which deserved to be supported in the interior by other elements in golden shades," explains Iva Hájková. "In the apartment, you can find a number of lighting fixtures and high-quality fittings that accentuate the color of brass and create a harmonious whole with prominent elements like the bed and bar counter," adds Katrin Grund.

The choice of switches became a separate chapter. After careful consideration, the designer ultimately chose round switches and sockets from the Berker Serie Glas by Hager. "While the Art Nouveau house originally suggested the use of retro rotary switches made of real porcelain, this choice didn't align with the young student. So in the end, the modern Berker Serie Glas round devices won out. They harmonize perfectly with the interior—they complement it beautifully without drawing too much attention," concludes Katrin Grund.

The overall layout and timelessness of the apartment's furnishings will be tested by time: the apartment aspires to eventually transform from a student’s lair into a first refuge for a young family.

www.hager.cz/vypinac
www.monobrand.cz
www.ivahajkova.cz
photo: Juliana Vlčková