Commissioned by a young couple to revamp a compact apartment in a historic building in Warsaw, interior design studio La Folie artfully complemented the property’s period heritage with modernist and classical French elements, a balancing act that reflects the owners’ diverging taste in design. Eclectically furnished with a range of custom-made pieces that the team specially designed for the project, as well as several handpicked vintage finds and a site-specific mural by a local artist, the apartment is a gem of bespoke sophistication, exquisite details and nostalgic poise.

Having to contend with limited floorspace, the lead designer Natalia Malarska went with an open-plan layout with a primary space housing the living and dining area, kitchen and bedroom, the latter discreetly delineated by an Art Deco-inspired decorative metal portal, with a small study and bathroom rounding up the apartment’s amenities.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Featuring three tall windows, high ceilings and white-painted walls, the living/sleeping room is bright and airy but is also imbued in warmth, courtesy of an earthy palette of brown, caramel and tan hues, and splashes of juniper green. Restored herringbone parquet flooring and ornate stucco cornices faithfully recreated from original pieces found on site speak of the property’s architectural heritage and convey a sense of classical elegance, while custom-made skirting boards, doors and kitchen cabinets, all painted in a juniper green, add modernist touches.

Designed to complement the apartment’s classical sensibility, the rounded form of the bespoke kitchen island adds decorative flair – elegantly clad in wood, fabric and rattan, with brass details and a brushed granite top in green and pink shades, also embodies the Studio’s classicism-inspired aesthetic and eye for detail. The same goes for the custom-made bed which features an Art Deco-inspired headboard upholstered with a hand-woven fabric by French brand Pierre Frey.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Echoing the rounded forms of both the headboard and metal portal, an arched niche framing the bed is a vibrant focal point in the otherwise sparsely decorated space courtesy of an exotic scene painted by a local artist. A pair of original Taiwanese lanterns hanging on either side playfully complement the exotic theme and further draw attention to the mural. The lanterns are part of an eclectic selection of vintage lamps that Malarska carefully sourced from online auction houses and specialty shops in order to enhance the apartment’s unique character.

In the study, a bespoke folding desk designed in response to the compact space is paired with a Japanese-themed wallpaper, also by Pierre Frey, while the windowless bathroom has been granted natural light with the introduction of an opening fitted with fluted glass for privacy.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Portrait of Natalia Malarska. Photography by Pion Fotografia.

Portrait of Natalia Malarska. Photography by Pion Fotografia.

A Warsaw Apartment Blends Period Details with Modernist Touches

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