1930s Warsaw Apartment Renovation by Marta Chrapka of Colombe Design.

Marta Chrapka of Polish studio, Colombe Design, has renovated a 1930s apartment in Warsaw, for a client who had relocated from Paris. The Parisian influence is evident in all the rooms – from the original features maintained within each space, to parquetry flooring and an abundance of layered colours and textures. Contemporary meets old, with owner’s personality expressed in the bold choice of furniture and furnishings within each room.

The timber floors were laid out in a Hungarian Point design. “I wanted the home to have a historical feel, so we stained the oak to match what would have been used close to eight decades ago,” said Chrapka to Architectural Digest. Much of the furniture pieces were custom made by the designers carpenter, while other pieces hail from brands such as Vitra, Petite Friture and Serge Mouille, mixed with a number of astute eBay finds.

Chrapka designed folding glass-and-timber doors which open the living room to the dining, breaking up the traditional layout and giving the homeowner ability to adapt the space while entertaining guests.

And let’s not forget about THAT kitchen. Wowzer! Interestingly, Chrapka states the following – “My client doesn’t cook at all, so the main design focus in the kitchen was storage. I wanted to create a space similar to the Orangerie at Versailles, so I used a lot of iron construction to frame the cabinets.” The wallpaper behind the custom-made cabinets is Boussac by Pierre Frey, and the brass pulls are by Arte.

[Images courtesy of Architectural Digest. Photography by Rafal Lipski.]