Historic apartment in the centre of Prague inspired by Nordic design
Ing. arch. Klára Valová, ateliér SMLXL
In the historical part of Prague, near Rieger Gardens, there is an apartment house that could tell a long story. It saw and experienced a lot. But now it will serve new owners, and that is why it has undergone a complete renovation. An apartment full of Italian design in bright Scandinavian colors with a timeless Czech door handle.
The apartment is cleverly split into two parts. Into a living, day part for visitors and a private part with bedrooms. These private parts can be closed off behind large, double doors that lead us into the living room with kitchen. To many it seems original, but it is not. The windows and doors are replicas to meet the functionality of today while retaining the character of a historic vineyard dwelling. The wood panelling along the wall is related to this, and is used from a practical point of view: it hides the modern heaters that don't fit with the whole composition of the apartment, and at the same time, together with the fine trowel on the walls instead of large pieces of furniture, the panelling makes the room more cosy.
"The client wanted a Nordic style, plus it's a current trend. However, when he gets tired of it and wants a change, he just needs to change the small accessories and he has a completely new style," , says Ing. arch. Klára Valová from SMLXL architectural studio.
The whole apartment is a harmony of clean lines, minimalism and at the same time distinctive accessories in the Nordic style... The investor of the whole house in Vinohrady is an Italian, whose wish was to incorporate mainly Italian products into the interior of the flats. The owner of this apartment, on the other hand, had a request for Czech brands. Most of the furniture is therefore made to measure by Czech carpenters and the Czech signature appears in larger or smaller details. "The locally made handles were the obvious choice. From my own experience, I have reached for the M&T brand several times. I have used them myself in my home. The owner chose Terry door handles, which from a frontal view resemble a thin line. Despite their angular appearance, they are very pleasant to the hand thanks to the excellent work with the material," says architect Klára Valová.
For a strong contrast with the white doors, the architect chose a black titanium finish for the handles and lower rosettes, which also have a square design. The pleasant matt appearance is not the only advantage of titanium surfaces. The main one is their durability. Not only do they resist abrasion from scratches, but their - in the case of this implementation - deep black shade remains unchanged even after many years. The cool tones, the play of Nordic accessories and the Italian quality in the appliances unite the Prague apartment into a new home.
"I choose the handles based on my own experience. I also use the M&T brand in my home",
Ing. arch. Klára Valová, studio SMLXL
Terry fitting design: Roman Ulich