Embracing the Unmovable: Mistovia Studio’s Warsaw Apartment Transformation.

In Warsaw’s vibrant Praga district, Mistovia Studio’s 75-square-metre apartment asks the question: can raw minimalism and maximalist expression coexist? The answer, it seems, is a resounding yes.

This project began as a collaboration with a lawyer in his 60s who needed both a launching pad for frequent travels and a personality-filled retreat for recovery afterwards. The brief was clear: transform a shell-and-core space into something open and spacious, moving away from the original cramped room configuration.

The transformation required demolishing most walls, leaving only one unmovable element—a reinforced concrete column smack in the middle of the living area. Rather than viewing this as a limitation, Mistovia’s Marcin Czopek embraced it as the apartment’s central focal point. “If you can’t hide it, highlight it,” became the project’s guiding principle.

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The column was stripped of plaster and extended with a perforated wall of ceramic glass blocks, then adorned with a bold painting by Zbigniew Olszyna. This raw concrete approach continued throughout, with plaster removed from ceilings and walls to create cohesive backdrops for the diverse materials that followed.

“Removing the plaster was one of the most interesting challenges, requiring contracting the right team and overcoming technical difficulties. But the result, including a unique ceiling with preserved traces of previous work, was worth it,” Marcin explains.

What started as a grey-and-concrete vision evolved into something far bolder. Site meetings and material sampling sessions gradually introduced striking dark burl veneer in the kitchen and bathroom, textured Mutina tiles with signature dotted patterns, and an impressive collection of vintage furniture pieces.

Design Duality: Penthouse Renovation in Madrid by Estudio Reciente.

This 120sqm Madrid penthouse renovation employs contrast rather than walls to define spaces. A vibrant core of rich materials—oak panelling, green walls, and striking marbles—transitions to calm, neutral living areas.

The space-age aesthetic shines through an unusual kitchen island—a steel oval form perched on yellow legs reminiscent of Eero Saarinen’s work, topped with natural quartzite in beautiful blue hues. Above it hangs a green crystal lamp sourced by the owner’s daughter, while vintage chairs tell their own stories: German chrome wire barstools, 1970s Mikado plywood chairs, and Verner Panton’s iconic burgundy piece from the 1960s.

Perhaps nowhere is the maximalist approach more evident than in the master bathroom, where large-format terracotta Rosso Francia tiles meet sky-blue surfaces resembling semi-translucent onyx. Walnut burl wood competes for attention with a striking coloured concrete sink paired with Bardelli pink mosaic tiles, while Patricia Urquiola’s checkered veneer cabinet adds the finishing flourish.

“This apartment is a space open to future changes and the owner’s needs,” Marcin emphasises. “In the end, the project successfully merges pragmatism with unrestrained artistic expression.”

Restoring the Soul of a 1943 Historical Gem in Poznań, Poland.

In the heart of Poznań, a residential district carries a structural gem that stood since 1943, patiently waiting to reclaim its former glory.

[Images courtesy of Mistovia. Photography by ONI Studio.]