Modernist Maritime Magic: Duo Centre in Krakow by Paradowski Studio.

Hello friends! I’m thrilled to share with you a project I’ve been sitting on for ages that’s still got me feeling all kinds of excited—the Duo Centre in Krakow by Paradowski Studio. If you know me well, you know I’m a sucker for interiors that blend eras and styles with the finesse of a cocktail mixologist like this bad boy.

A common lobby of a residential building, this space is part modernist marvel, part nautical nook, and 100% pure design genius. Piotr and Zuza Paradowski, the dynamic duo behind Paradowski Studio, have whipped up an interior that’s like Design Christmas and your birthday rolled into one delicious package. Or perhaps that’s just me?

European Building Foyers Photographed by Romain Laprade.

Romain has an incredible eye for finding beauty in the less obvious, but it is his obsession with building foyers that has me feeling completely smitten. I've previously written about my own obsession for Spaces in Between—the often overlooked spatial underdog considered to be less important than traditional “hero” spaces.

When the Paradowskis were approached for this project, they were given a brief that was “to link it to the character of the building itself which is modernist with some nautical elements,” the duo explains. Their signature design moves—curves, arches, and organic shapes in muted colours—create a modernist canvas jazzed up with a maritime melody. “We were working on a tension between core finishing materials and all the nuances are hidden there,” Piotr and Zuza revealed.

But wait, there’s more! (hahaha, I sound like an infomercial, but I swear, this space is kind of exciting, no?) The Paradowskis didn’t just stop at blending eras—they went full-on matchmaker, pairing furniture from contemporary brands like Hay and Massproductions with lighting from Santa Cole and Marset. “We wanted to give a twist to the classy modernism and invite more contemporary design,” Piotr and Zuza continue.

One Prospect Park West Building Lobby by Workstead.

For Workstead’s first residential building, the New York natives pay homage to the historic Park Slope address in this lobby. Sumptuous 1920s detailing is reinterpreted through a rigorously contemporary lens.

And can we take a moment to appreciate the materials and colours? Piotr and Zuza are particularly chuffed about this aspect, saying they are most proud of the “refined selection of the materials and colour palette we managed to build.” Refined? More like divine, babes.

Duo Centre perfectly embodies Paradowski Studio’s design philosophy of time-traveling design wizardry. It plucks the best bits from different eras and weaves them into a tapestry that’s both nostalgic and cutting-edge. This magical mix turns a simple common area into a space that’s anything but common. Respect.

Puro Hotel Kraków by Paradowski Studio.

Located in one of the oldest cities in Poland, Puro Hotel Kraków celebrates elements nearly forgotten during the interwar periods, and one with which the world isn’t entirely familiar.

[Images courtesy of Paradowski. Photography by Pion Studio.]