The client Prešeren Theater in Kranj, a city in Slovenia, rented an old town house from the beginning of the 20th century next to the theater, in which he wanted to renovate the space into a low-cost two-room apartment of 70 square meters, which will be used for the short-term stay of visiting theater actors and their staff. He set a budget of around EUR 35,000 EUR.
The apartment is in the corner of the first floor of the old town house. We decided to face the bedrooms on a quiet side street, while we oriented the living room, which is the main social space, on the main square with the Gothic church towards the Slovenian Alps. Inside, the entire space feels very open and airy. All rooms, except the bedrooms, are connected without doors.
When we removed the old white plaster from the walls, we found 14 different layers of pastel colors that had accumulated throughout the history of renovations. Under old tapestry we found original floor. Black pink terrazzo in the hallway, oak parquet in the shape of an Italian herringbone in the kitchen and gray linoleum in the main room. We decided to keep it all. Firstly as a decoration, secondly as a symbolic bridge between the past and the present and thirdly, because we also got a color scale for the new furniture. Everything was restored, brushed and coated with a durable transparent layer.
Next, we wondered how to connect these old elements with the new story, and we decided to use a more restrained design style when adding new equipment. Bohemian, but still fresh and modern. We combined the old black and pink terrazzo floor and oak parquet with the new black dining corner, kitchen counter and kitchen art deco pink ceramics with black joints.
The bedroom is bright in white with the addition of old pastel plaster and soft pink curtains. For freshness, we added a black floral detail on the corner using the old rolling technique. Golden vertical slats are the common denominator of the renovation. They bring optimism, sophistication and elegance to the room. One time they are combined with pastel green elements, the second time they are combined with black and the third time they are combined with soft pink shades.
