Apartment SP in Ljubljana, Slovenia Refurbished by Sadar + Vuga.

Designed by Sadar + Vuga, Apartment SP in Ljubljana is a place of opposites: it is both warm and cold, soft and orthogonal. It is equally open and closed against its surroundings, and both in contact and in conflict with it’s past. It is an interpretation of two different but visually connected ambients with contrasting identities and materialities: the loft and the salon.

On first impression, the interior looks more like a commercial office than someone’s home. The finishes are hard, the furniture choices more suited to a boardroom or a bank lobby, although – once the initial reaction falls away, the challenge to look beyond the veneer brings about curiosity and intrigue.

Living room, furnished in textured and warm materials, reinterprets an Art Nouveau salon. Its layered materiality – ranging from an open fireplace in onyx stone to vintage hardwood floors – is reflected in the round ceiling mirror that acts as an illusionist fresco. The room is ambiently lit: apart from the contemporary chandelier, the light of which is reflected in the ceiling mirror and polished stone, the fireplace features light fixtures sitting behind the thin onyx, acting as a gentle source of light.

The loft, on the other hand, is defined by a grid of aluminium beams, suspended from the ceiling. The grid gives structure the space – bathroom, kitchen, bedroom and wardrobe volumes are defined by sliding doors, suspended from structural grid. By opening the doors, the living area extends beyond the dining room into the bedroom and the shower, thus creating functionally diverse ambients that range from straight-forward to complex.

The loft is lit by a system of reflectors, thoughtfully suspended from the grid. Materials, used in this section of the apartment – aluminium, plexi glass, textile, concrete and mirrors – further add to the industrial feeling.

Apartment’s layout allows for a sort of voyeurism: the position on the sofa offers views to the city square, to the fireplace, to the dining table, and inside the bedroom; and if we look upwards, even a view upon ourselves. Similarly, while sitting at the dining table, we can observe the kitchen, the bedroom and even the shower, which provocatively borders on the living area.

Closing the sliding doors can create neat and functionally separated spaces. Opening them, on the other hand, can offer us layers of visual experiences that vary from industrial to vintage, from etheric to earthly, from the physical space to it’s reflection.