For their pre-war tenement apartment in the Praga district of Warsaw, a couple with a small child wanted to channel 1950s style. Anna Bialobrzewska of the firm In Architekci helped add midcentury style to the space, along with some less traditional elements. "The clients really wanted to restore the original character of the interior, but not in a literal way," the architect says.
Bialobrzewska gave the family an unexpected, never-before-seen accent in the kitchen, where she installed cabinets lacquered in shades of blue, pink, and green. "The color of the kitchen was quite a spontaneous choice," she says. "The clients presented a color palette that they feel good around."
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With such a strong design statement in the kitchen, the architect toned the rest of the apartment down. The herringbone parquet floors were restored and Bialobrzewska also added floor-to-ceiling bookcases to the living room, study, and bedroom — another nod to the past. "The wall unit–type furniture (with the optimal use of the wall space to the full height) is also the leitmotif of our parents and grandmothers' apartments," she notes. From the colorful accents to the built-in furniture, the apartment is a fun and modern approach to 1950s style.
