Skip to playerSkip to main content
Need more Never Too Small in your life? Want to take this friendship to the next level? Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/nevertoosmall

Named after the bustling Athenian quarter in which it resides, Kolonaki Apartment has been thoughtfully designed by Cluster Architects to match the 70’s style of the building and incorporate its own past as an artist’s studio. The floorplan was redesigned around a central pillar and a kitchen and bathroom that had to remain in place due to plumbing; adding in a bedroom and a fully-equipped bathroom together with a new dining and living area. Challenged with a lack of natural light, Cluster Architects strategically placed translucent frames and mirrors through-out. The clever incorporation of custom built furniture and storage ensures the open plan spaces offer adequately divided, but not closed rooms.

#smallapartment #architecture #interiordesign

Project Name: Kolonaki
Architect: https://cluster-architects.com/

Produced by New Mac Video Agency
Creator: Colin Chee
Producer: Lindsay Barnard
Director: Nam Tran
Cinematography: Alina Lefa & Xenofan Vardaros
Editor: Jessica Ruasol
Music: Montana by Ben Winwood
Transcript
00:04the apartment is located in Kolonaki in Athens our clients were looking to match
00:11the 70s style of the building and incorporate the past history of this
00:15apartment the apartment is used by Turkish capital they were looking for a
00:21fully equipped apartment that would combine functionality with cosiness and
00:24style as the apartment only has one window and one balcony door the main
00:30challenge was to bring light in as deep into the apartment as possible
00:44Kolonaki is a downtown Athenian quarter that is very close to the city center the character
00:53of the neighborhood and the street level is filled with lots of high-end shops art
00:57galleries bistro cafes and delicatessen the building was built in the mid 70s it
01:05was primarily designed as a residential building with commercial use on the
01:09ground floor today the upper levels are of mixed use residential and law firms while
01:16the ground floor is occupied by an antique store
01:23during the 90s this apartment was used as a studio by a well-known artist right
01:29before the renovation took place it was used as an office for a small public publishing
01:34house it was more of an open-plan space divided only by glass frames a small
01:40bc and a lot of building shelves all around the hydraulic supplies couldn't be moved so we
01:48had to plan the composition starting from that point other than that the
01:52apartment's floor plan was completely changed a kitchen a bedroom and a fully
01:57equipped bathroom were added together with the dining and living area
02:04the main design idea was to create an open-plan space that offers adequately divided yet not closed rooms
02:12through the use of translucent frames and mirrors we were able to bring in as much natural light as possible
02:21as we enter the apartment a round column appears to organize the open space by creating flow we
02:29designed a custom bronze lighting for the column which also serves a visual and the practical element to
02:36the apartment there is an area for the client to hang their coats and a cupboard for shoes next to
02:44it
02:44is a storage wardrobe with vintage bronze handles which is incorporated almost disappearing in this black
02:51space mirrors were added to the column along the ceiling to reflect surrounding elements and
02:59bounce the light from the windows on the other side of the entrance is a dining corner separated by a
03:10perforated wooden divider which was inspired from the 60s era a custom sofa with hidden storage under the
03:20seating is matched with mid-century modern designed table and chairs a wall full of signatures of famous
03:28artists and intellectuals of the 70s to zeros found during the redevelopment works was carefully restored and
03:35left in its original form it acts as a time capsule and makes for an interesting piece of history of
03:43the
03:43apartment the living area is accented by a custom designed bookcase with additional storage space at the bottom of the
03:53cupboards in front of the bookcase is a compact sofa that doubles as a guest bed along the other wall
04:05is a custom designed sofa which was integrated into the bench area and floats out from the wall the
04:13intention behind the design of the sofa was to make the space look bigger by keeping the sofa off the
04:19floor
04:21the bedroom maintains all its intimacy surrounded by metal construction filled in with semi-transparent glass
04:32behind this metal construction is a building wardrobe with light panels made of wood and japanese paper this
04:41combination of translucent materials allows the light from the bedroom window to pass through the apartment
04:51the kitchen was designed to be the central social hub of the apartment and connects the living room bedroom
04:57and bathroom the curved kitchen counter wraps around the bedroom's illuminated curved glass wall the
05:07customized cupboards have a handmade metal gold finish while the countertop is a special construction of
05:14handmade terrazzo the shelves located on the top of the countertop and next to the sink provide extra utility space
05:25the fridge is built into the black wall opposite the cooktop the bathroom is located in the darkest corner of
05:35the apartment behind the kitchen as there is a lack of natural light mirrors were used to create depth while
05:43the
05:43big slabs of marble in the shower and the floor showcase the natural beauty of the stone custom furniture was
05:50designed to incorporate the building washing machine and keep it out of sight a small living space should be
06:00functional ergonomic and versatile according to the needs of the users the architectural design needs to be smart to
06:11make the space not look limited by using appropriate materials natural or artificial light to give depth or
06:19perspective the main challenge for us is to understand the daily needs of our clients to create a charming
06:27environment for them without neglecting attention to detail
06:49koyma encanta
06:49open
06:49Voices
06:49friends
06:50in
Comments

Recommended