The renovation of a 1920s apartment in Brno, Czech Republic carefully restores its original atmosphere, highlighting historical details and the quality of new materials. The reconfigured layout creates generous, flexible living space, complemented by neutral built-in furnishings inspired by Japanese aesthetics. Their regularity, grid, and repetition bring a sense of order, balance, and calm, while a linear neon light in the hallway resembles the character of the night streets of Tokyo.

The apartment building dates back to the 1920s. The early Czechoslovak era character of the apartment is defined by spacious rooms with high ceilings and numerous details made of quality materials. However, not all of these survived due to unsuitable past renovations. A key aspect of the design is to revive the original atmosphere while incorporating modern elements. Restoration includes replacing plastic windows with traditional wooden casement ones, refurbishing decorative door frames, and reintroducing wooden parquet flooring that runs seamlessly throughout the apartment.

The most significant intervention was the rethinking of the layout: the largest rooms now face west toward the street, while the kitchen and smaller rooms are oriented east toward the quiet courtyard. Moving the kitchen to the opposite side of the apartment and opening a passage connecting the second large room created a spacious living area filled with afternoon western light. Meanwhile, two smaller rooms on the other side of the apartment offer a more intimate atmosphere, benefiting from the morning sun and courtyard view.

The goal of the design was to create a space that can adapt over time. All built-in elements are therefore designed in a highly neutral manner, allowing the rooms to be furnished with expressive furniture that may change over the years and still harmonize with the surroundings. The built-in furniture is made of wood in the same tone as the parquet flooring, complemented by brushed stainless-steel elements that subtly reflect their environment.

The architects drew inspiration for the built-in elements from Japanese aesthetics, where regularity, grid and repetition of elements have a spiritual dimension. They are based on the idea of ​​ order, balance and cyclicity of nature. The rhythm of repetition symbolizes harmony between humans and their surroundings, peace of mind and acceptance of the constant flow of time. A distinctive linear element in the hallway is a colorful neon light, which resembles the character of the night streets of Tokyo.

The existing bathroom and toilet in their original layout did not meet the desired size, so they were expanded into the relatively spacious corridor. A mirrored wall once again reflects the surroundings, neutralizing the use of the corridor space and visually concealing the inserted bathroom volume.

In both the bathroom and the base of the bar counter, a textured arched tile was used, referencing the relief of the original fluted door frames. The green surface of the kitchen island is accentuated by complementary red linear lighting, serving as the apartment’s only bold design element.