Project: Karlovy Vary Apartment
Studio: Plus One Architects
Author: Petra Ciencialová, Kateřina Průchová
Apartment styling: Janský & Dunděra
Project location: Svahová 37, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
Completion year: 2023
Usable Floor Area: 68 m2
Photo Credits: Radek Úlehla
The apartment, located near Karlovy Vary’s picturesque colonnades and Hotel Thermal which houses the world-known International Film Festival, underwent a complete reconstruction. Overlooking a hillside full of mature greenery, the historic 1900s apartment building features several well-preserved elements dating back to the time when apartments were generous and charming.
The main objective was to remove the accumulation of disparate structures, tiles, ceilings, and layout changes, to clean the passages, and to give the apartment back its original dimensions and atmosphere. Thanks to the utmost trust and mutual respect with the investor, we could afford to largely break through the openings, remove the doors and add transom windows instead. We removed the walk-through rooms and designed a more contemporary layout with two separate bedrooms and a connected living core.
In the living room, we focused on lightening the layout and opening the space. A kitchen unit was inserted into a newly created niche between the kitchen and the living room, connected by an interior window, formerly a common feature in such generous apartments.
In the bedrooms, the original wooden floor was preserved, and a new finish was applied. The bathroom is dominated by a spacious irregular-shaped shower, washbasin, and toilet. A minimal selection of materials and a unifying design run through the entire space and support the calm atmosphere of the apartment.
The leitmotif of the interior is the exposed original paintwork on the ceiling and walls which in each room creates images that are strong and bold, yet of subtle colour palette.
In the last phase of the design, the Karlovy Vary Apartment was furnished with minimalist pieces from the design studio Janský & Dunděra and the brand Todus.
