OSTROVSKÉHO Attic Apartment
At first glance, the apartment did not look as if it needed a major renovation. Once the previous owner moved out, however, the reality underneath the uniform white and grey surfaces became much clearer. Uneven floors, leaking windows and several different flooring materials simply painted over to look the same — even the bathroom tiles. We did not try to squeeze as many rooms as possible into the generous attic space. Quite the opposite. The apartment was designed for one or two people who wanted space, calm and comfort after work. We only changed the layout where it made a real difference: enlarging the bathroom, adding wardrobes and replacing the staircase. The bigger transformation was in the way the whole duplex works and how its individual spaces connect.
Stainless-Steel Island Instead of a Dining Table
The original kitchen ran all the way to the large French window leading to the terrace. We shortened it instead and gave the window some space. A large stainless-steel island was added to the kitchen, functioning both as a bar and a dining table. And because a kitchen should suit the person who actually uses it, we did not design this one for daily three-course dinners. A smaller oven, a half-height dishwasher — and a wine fridge instead. A practical hierarchy based on real life. The kitchen opens directly into the living room beneath the sloping roof. We had the corner sofa custom-made to fit precisely into the low part of the attic, while the tall chimney wall became the obvious place for the television and a bioethanol fireplace. Rather than fighting the sloping walls, we gave them a purpose.
Bedroom, staircase and everything in between
The bedroom gained its own narrow walk-in wardrobe, using the full height of the roof. A small angled window in the gable brings in daylight and provides ventilation. We designed the large bed to measure and lifted it visually from the floor with concealed lighting underneath. The space beneath the staircase was just large enough for a reading corner with an armchair and shelves hidden between the books. The original staircase was too steep, so we removed it completely. The new one sits on a substantial central stringer with raw steel treads. The stainless-steel handrail is divided into two sections and fixed directly to the staircase structure. In an otherwise light attic, it is one of the few elements that makes absolutely no attempt to disappear.
A guest room one floor above
The upper gallery is more than a circulation space around the staircase. It works as a second lounge, a home office and, when needed, a guest room. By moving the boiler into a built-in niche upstairs, we freed up space for a larger bathroom below. We also added a small wardrobe for seasonal clothes. Because the gallery connects directly to the bedroom, we replaced the original metal railing with full-height glass. The two levels remain visually connected and daylight can pass through freely. When someone stays overnight, a curtain provides privacy without the need for another solid wall.
A black bathroom open to the bedroom
The bathroom is the darkest part of the apartment. The entire volume containing the bathroom and toilet is finished in anthracite both inside and out, making it read almost as a separate object inserted into the otherwise light attic. The large shower is visually connected to the bedroom through fixed smoked glass. Inside, we combined microcement and decorative finishes, glass, metal and an intentionally raw stainless-steel shower. The Glass Design basin was one of our finds at the Milan design fair. Its silver surface resembles crumpled aluminium foil sealed beneath a durable resin finish.
An entrance hall without the usual wardrobe
For an attic apartment, the entrance hall is surprisingly generous. We used one wall for a built-in shoe cabinet with a seat and mirror, while the opposite side remains open with a simple stainless-steel coat rack. The real protagonist here, however, is the huge photograph of Ergon, the client’s horse. We did not want to compete with it by adding more furniture, so everything else was deliberately kept simple. The ribbed radiator and polished metal furniture continue the technical character of the interior.
What was hiding beneath the previous renovation
At the beginning, it seemed that the apartment would need little more than an interior update. Once it had been emptied, we discovered uneven floors, leaking windows and several different flooring materials unified by a single coat of paint — including the bathroom tiles. The previous renovation had simply aged much faster than it should have. So we did not improve the apartment only on the surface. What did not work was removed and rebuilt properly, rather than concealed for another few years.
Renovation as a second chance
This is exactly what we like about recnovation projects: somebody has already made decisions before us, and we can decide which of them are worth keeping and which are better removed without sentimentality. At OSTROVSKÉHO, we did not increase the number of rooms or try to extract another function from every square metre. We kept the generosity of the attic and changed the things that prevented it from working well. We take the same approach to our other RENOVATIONS : first we look for what already works. Then we decide what has to go.
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19. 8. 2026