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With a focus on natural materials and the colours of nature, this new build apartment in Poznań, Poland designed by architect and owner Alicja Szmal-Baehr, is a warm and inviting space. Clever cabinetry is used throughout to maximise storage while preserving the spacious feel. While a picturesque wooden island housing the kitchen sink, dishwasher and oven serves as a barrier between the living and dining space. A suspended shelf above the island provides lighting and the perfect touch of greenery and when not in use, the hidden fridge, induction hob and storage appear as an uncluttered white wall. In the living room, two chaise lounges have been used instead of a traditional L-shaped sofa to save space and also double perfectly as an additional bed for guests. Smooth microcement flooring that matches the home's palette blends its zones together and enhances the sense of space.

#smallapartment #architecture #interiordesign

Project Name: Projekt Własny
Architect: https://alicjaszmal.com/
Carpenters: Stolarnia Rębacz https://stolarniarebacz.pl/pl/ (hidden kitchen, kitchen island and toilet) Hejna Meble http://hejnameble.pl/ (two wardrobes)

Produced by New Mac Video Agency
Creator: Colin Chee
Director: Nam Tran
Cinematographer: www.slickvisuals.co
Producer: Lindsay Barnard
Editor: Sebastian Tibbs
Music: Grace by Dear Gravity & Horizon by Dear Gravity
Transcript
00:04I love natural materials and the colors of nature. That is why I only used natural and organic
00:13materials like wood, metal, linen curtains and woolen upholstery in the apartment.
00:21My name is Alicja. I'm an architect and the owner of the interior design studio Alicja Schmal Studio.
00:30I live here with my husband Jan and our dog Pepi.
00:44The apartment is located in Poznań, Poland and more specifically Jerzyce district.
00:51Jerzyce is a popular district full of art-nowoutenament houses, restaurants with good food
00:58and cozy cafes. The apartment is 42 square meters.
01:06As this is a new apartment, I was able to work with the developers to create my dream space.
01:13There is a bedroom, bathroom, a kitchen with a functional island, a dining room, a living room
01:20and a cute little patio. I wanted to cleverly solve the cabinets to gain maximum storage while at the
01:28same time avoid the impression of being overwhelmed by them.
01:35The entrance is separated from the main space by a big cabinet which joins the corridor and the living space.
01:44To enlarge the space by the entrance, I designed the mirror on the side of the cabinet.
01:51I used the wooden stool to sit while changing shoes and for reaching the top of the shelves.
01:58There is also a small niche under the mirror for the shoes we often wear.
02:04On the other side of this cabinet, there are open shelves for books.
02:11I didn't want to choose a regular L-shaped sofa, as it is often really big.
02:16So I chose to join two chaise lounges together. They fit the space perfectly.
02:23By the window, there is a spot for my plants. The plants love the light here. And they also double
02:29as a privacy screen, since this window looks out to the street. Underneath the plants,
02:35there are some additional storage. I found the armchair in the trash.
02:41It's called Bunny from the iconic 60s Polish design by Józef Chiarowski.
02:47I had the chair restored and it looks great in this living area.
02:53If you flip one of the chaise lounges, you can easily get the additional bed for guests.
03:01The kitchen has an island that acts as a barrier between the living and dining space,
03:07so it doesn't feel like you are always in the kitchen. The kitchen island is made mostly from wood
03:13and was designed to be like a piece of art. It contains the sink, dishwasher, oven and storage.
03:23Above the kitchen island is a suspended shelf for plants. It also provides the lighting for the island.
03:34On the other side of the kitchen is a white wall with a hidden fridge, induction hob and plenty of
03:41storage.
03:46When the kitchen is not in use, it appears like just a white wall and is uncluttered.
03:55Microsment was used on the floor throughout the entire apartment. The smooth finish
04:00and use of a single material helps to make the space feel larger than it is.
04:08The dining table is round and compact. It is just right size for us. When we have guests over,
04:17we can extend the table to fit up to 10 people.
04:23The bedroom contains only the function of sleeping with a wardrobe and a mirror. There is no more space
04:30for anything else. The wardrobe with the leather knobs goes from floor to ceiling, so it looks like a wall
04:39and doesn't stand out. The wooden nightstands are from an iconic Polish design in Gliwice, south of Poland,
04:52where I am originally from. It goes well with the armchair. It is so cozy here, which makes it easy
05:00to
05:00get a good night rest. The bathroom is a small space, but it contains everything I need. I used large
05:11mirrors to
05:12reflect the space and made it look bigger. There is a bathtub with a rain shower and long comfortable
05:20vanity with storage under the sink. The irregular tiles on the wall behind the sink works nicely
05:28with the micro cement floors and is the same as the tiles by the induction hub in the kitchen. The
05:36washing
05:36machine is hidden behind a mirror storage unit next to the toilet. The patio can be accessed from the dining
05:46area. There is a wooden deck with outdoors furniture and a small garden. The patio becomes an extension of our
05:55apartment during warmer months. We like to chill out here with our dog, Peppy.
06:04I think that well-designed small interiors can provide everything we need to live comfortable and beautiful lives.
06:17We do not have to waste time to look after extra space and it stops us from hoarding unnecessary items
06:24so we can live more simply.
06:32Thanks for watching and if you're an architect or designer with a project we could feature,
06:37please share it with us at nevertosmall.com slash submissions
06:42and see if you're an architect.
06:42We'll see you next time.
06:43Bye.
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