Heritage Apartment ÚJEZD
Heritage apartments have one great advantage. Once you understand their original logic, the design almost starts creating itself. Here, that logic had long been lost. A renovation completed some twenty years ago ignored both the historic structure and the natural flow of the apartment. The painted timber ceiling was hidden away in the rear bedroom, the kitchen was squeezed into a corridor, and visitors were welcomed by two unnecessary hallways with several changes in floor level. One of the most remarkable apartments in Prague's Lesser Town felt unexpectedly closed and confusing.
The ceiling takes centre stage
The living room was designed around the apartment's greatest treasure. The restored painted timber ceiling naturally became the focal point of the entire layout. The biggest surprise came during demolition. The partition wall we planned to remove wasn't load-bearing, yet it was holding the fragile historic structure together. To open up the space, we introduced a concealed steel beam that now carries the load while remaining almost invisible within the interior. At the centre of the room we placed a gas fireplace. Beside it stood a chimney in such poor condition that, instead of rebuilding it, we stabilised it with exposed steel bands that have become part of its new architectural expression. Then came the biggest reward. Beneath layers of plaster we uncovered a medieval stone wall. We refused to cover it with cables, sockets or visible lighting. Instead, it is illuminated only by concealed lighting integrated into the furniture, allowing the masonry to remain the true feature of the room. We applied a similar approach in our renovation of HRADBY, where the original stone walls became the defining element of the staircase.
One apartment, two worlds
Walk just a few steps and the atmosphere changes completely. The courtyard side is defined by exposed stone, the painted timber ceiling and the raw character of a medieval house. Facing the street, the mood shifts entirely. Large traditional windows, decorative plaster ceilings and abundant daylight create an atmosphere reminiscent of elegant Prague apartments rather than a medieval building. This contrast is exactly what we love about historic homes. Historic walls shouldn't be perfectly flat. They should feel authentic. That is why every original wall received traditional lime plaster with a hand-finished texture. New interventions, on the other hand, remain clean and contemporary. Modern architecture has no reason to pretend it has stood here for centuries. This part of the apartment also showcases the new oak floors. Each plank was hand-bleached, wire-brushed and carefully distressed to create a natural patina. The decorative ceilings are allowed to stand out through restraint—slender pendant lighting above the dining table is complemented by almost invisible micro spotlights.
A place for focus
Not every room needs to be another living room. We deliberately chose not to connect the corner room to the main living area. Massive historic load-bearing walls defined its character, and there was no reason to fight against them. Instead, it became a study—a place for focused work, but also one of the most enjoyable spots in the entire apartment. Sit down with a book by the window and the reason becomes obvious. At the same time, the apartment functions as a discreet piece of technology. The smart home system controls lighting, blinds and pre-set scenes, while speakers disappear into the walls and other technical equipment is hidden inside the furniture or behind finishes. We didn't want screens, switches and gadgets to compete with the historic character of the interior. Technology should make life easier. Not demand attention.
Behind closed doors
This part of the project required the most work. The historic structure left us with very few options, and reorganising the bathrooms around the bedroom became the biggest challenge of the entire renovation. In the end, those very constraints led to the best solution. The bedroom became much more than a place to sleep. It is now a private retreat where a bathroom, sauna and home cinema come together in one space. A deep recess naturally accommodated the sauna, while a freestanding bathtub sits in front of the window with a textured exterior reminiscent of carved stone. A projector screen descends from the ceiling, transforming the room into a private cinema in the evening while serving as a blackout blind during the day. One solution, two functions. The bedroom connects directly to an en-suite bathroom. Here too we uncovered the original stone walls hidden beneath old plaster. Rather than covering them or surrounding them with decorative elements, we highlighted their texture with nothing more than the soft backlighting of a mirror. Sometimes all you need is light. Everything else has already been there for centuries.
Every centimetre counts
The new layout also made room for a second bathroom and a separate WC. Both are compact, yet fully functional. Every centimetre has a purpose. The shower enclosure received particular attention. Its smoked glass screen may appear sculptural, but its unusual shape is entirely practical. It follows the natural movement of the body, keeps water inside the shower and leaves the room feeling open and generous. Its form wasn't driven by aesthetics. It was shaped by human proportions. The same attention was paid to every detail. Floor and wall tiles combine different formats with irregular joints to avoid the appearance of a newly tiled bathroom. Instead, they feel like a natural continuation of the historic building. We never wanted the new materials to look old. We wanted them to feel as though they belonged alongside the historic ones.
You never really know
This is exactly why we love renovating historic buildings. They can never be planned down to the last detail. A new building begins with a blank sheet of paper. A renovation begins by carefully uncovering layer after layer of the existing house. Every day can bring a surprise. Sometimes it's a painted timber ceiling. Sometimes it's a medieval stone wall. And sometimes it's a structure that seems to be holding itself together by sheer determination. That is why we always work step by step. First we listen to the building. Only then do we begin to design. Perhaps it's a little like opening a box of chocolates. You never really know what's inside. The difference is that, in historic buildings, what you discover is often far more valuable than chocolate. If you would like to learn more about our approach, explore our page dedicated to heritage apartment renovations, where we explain how we work with heritage interiors and protected buildings.
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Petr - 3. 8. 2026