When we stumbled upon Colombe Studio’s Instagram account, we discovered image after image that activated our endorphins. It was clear that we had to share founder Marta Chrapka’s sophisticated projects on our site. A while ago, we did just that—see A Glamorous Pre-War Flat in Poland, Courtesy of Colombe Design (and eBay)—and today, not content with just a one-off, we’re spotlighting another refreshingly grown-up home by the Warsaw-based designer.
This one belongs to a couple (a writer of historical novels and his wife) who asked Chrapka to transform a renovated-for-the-worse apartment into a sophisticated pied-à-terre that was worthy of its prewar shell. As Chrapka very succinctly explains, “Everything outside—the beautiful building, the parks, the Vistula River, the view, the light—[was great].” And the bad? “Everything inside.”
After reinstating period details via moldings, herringbone oak floors, and new grand windows, Chrapka went about appointing the space with pieces—a mix of custom, new, and vintage—that, together, channel eclectic elegance. But it’s the colors in this project, a warm mix of rust and brick red punctuated with gold accents, that really got us.
Have a look.
Photography by Kasia Gatkowska, courtesy of Colombe Studio.
For more of our favorite European apartments, see:
- The Design Is in the Details: The Weavers House, Chan + Eayrs’ Huguenot-Inspired Oasis in London
- The Family Duplex: Architect Camille Hermand’s Newly Combined Paris Apartments
- A Modest, Mostly Vintage Rental in Berlin by Quiet Studios
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on March 8, 2019.
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