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Villa OHNIVCOVA

The interior of Villa Ohnivcová is designed to make the most of natural light and open space. The concrete staircase becomes the central element that connects the different parts of the house. A sensitive combination of exposed concrete and steel in the interior gives the space a modern and industrial touch, while still maintaining harmony and a warm character. This project is another example of how we build upon the design of another architect and refine the interior to perfection, highlighting its best features and transforming them into a unique and functional space. The architectural design of the house is by the 4DS studio.

Concrete as an expressive element

Probably the most striking part of the entire space is the living floor, which is glazed on two sides, creating a nearly functionalist space. We used monolithic constructions and left them exposed. In addition, we complemented the interior with dark oak floors and kept all the steel columns in a dark color. It might seem like there would be too much concrete in the interior, but the opposite is true. Imagine that instead of a concrete ceiling, the interior would be defined by a white drywall ceiling, and the columns would be covered with a drywall shell. Quite bland and cold, right? On the contrary, concrete adds flair to the space and, in open and minimalist interiors, it “makes the space homey,” giving it structure.

View from the dining area to the living room of Villa Ohnivcova — concrete spiral staircase on the left with steel rod enclosure and glass railing, beige modular sofa, dark bookshelf wall with TV, exposed concrete

Living room of Villa Ohnivcova — beige modular sofa with side table, dark TV unit, bookshelf wall, steel rod staircase enclosure on the left, exposed concrete ceiling

Living room of Villa Ohnivcova — beige corner modular sofa, dark TV unit, pivoting black ceiling lamp, exposed concrete ceiling, sheer hanging curtains at the window wall

View across the beige sofa towards the steel rod staircase enclosure of Villa Ohnivcova — steel rods enclosing the concrete spiral staircase, built-in LED step lighting, bookshelf wall on the left

Reading nook of Villa Ohnivcova — dark built-in bookshelf wall full of books, wire-frame black reading chair, globe floor lamp, exposed concrete ceiling, sheer curtains

View across the dining table towards the spiral staircase of Villa Ohnivcova — brass branching pendant, staircase with rod enclosure and glass railing, beige sofa, dark steel column

Dining zone of Villa Ohnivcova — dining table with a light top and steel V-shaped base, black dining chairs, branching brass pendant light, exposed concrete ceiling, open kitchen in the background

Outlets in a concrete ceiling

The charm of exposed constructions also comes with a few challenges that need to be addressed in advance, as they cannot be solved later. In order to keep the exposed constructions in the interior, we need to route all the wiring in the floor above the ceiling and only drill the outlets through. This approach requires careful planning of the lighting design, coordination with other outlets such as fire alarms, ventilation, and more. Unfortunately, it also limits any future modifications. But let’s admit, that’s actually a good thing because endless changes to the construction only extend and increase costs. An exposed ceiling is strict not only in appearance but also in execution and project preparation. We followed a similar approach in the renovation of the Hradební cottage, where the original vaults were exposed in the interior.

View from the kitchen island across the full living floor of Villa Ohnivcova — large round glass pendants, exposed concrete ceiling, dark steel columns, bookshelf wall and beige sofa in the distance, spiral staircase in the background

View from the dining area of Villa Ohnivcova towards the living room — branching brass pendant, beige modular sofa, TV wall unit, steel rod staircase enclosure on the right, exposed concrete ceiling

Detail of the steel V-base of the dining table of Villa Ohnivcova — hot-rolled raw steel with a characteristic bluish pattern, light tabletop, dark oak floor

Dining table of Villa Ohnivcova — frontal view of the steel V-base and light top, brass branching pendant, rod staircase enclosure in the background, exposed concrete ceiling, beige sofa

Spiral staircase

Similar to the realization of Lučiny, the solution for the staircase railing here became an incredible puzzle. The original design with a brick railing around the entire staircase and a wooden handrail seemed very closed off. We wanted the staircase to be a dominant element of the interior.

Therefore, we chose the option with a tubular rod structure around the entire staircase spanning three levels, and a glass railing in the open space of the living room. The entire staircase is cast in concrete, and it was extremely challenging to prepare the anchoring for the steel rods and the built-in lighting for the steps with such precision. Does anyone still think that interiors are about furniture? To enhance the impact of the staircase, we suspended light fixtures in its center and finished it with a fine plaster coat.

View looking down into the eye of the spiral staircase of Villa Ohnivcova — teardrop pendant hanging in the centre of the concrete spiral, exposed concrete steps, interplay of light and shadow

Side view of the concrete spiral staircase of Villa Ohnivcova — curved central core, exposed concrete steps, steel rod enclosure, teardrop pendants inside, view through the window to the garden

Full view of the concrete spiral staircase of Villa Ohnivcova from the ground floor — three-storey concrete spiral enclosed by a steel rod structure, glass railing at the base, suspended pendants, lit step edges

Detail of the glass railing and the base of the concrete staircase of Villa Ohnivcova — view through the transparent glass panel to the first concrete steps, rod enclosure, wicker basket

Top-down view of the concrete spiral staircase of Villa Ohnivcova — exposed concrete stair spiral, steel rod enclosure around the perimeter, teardrop pendant in the centre, light from the roof skylight

Detail of the concrete spiral staircase of Villa Ohnivcova — curved central core of exposed concrete, concrete steps, teardrop pendant, steel rod of the enclosure railing in the background

Macro detail of a suspended pendant inside the staircase of Villa Ohnivcova — glass teardrop lamp bound with black cords, reflected light on the exposed concrete staircase core

Detail of the steel rod fixings of the staircase enclosure anchored into exposed concrete of Villa Ohnivcova — precise installation of steel elements against the visible concrete texture

Ground floor hall of Villa Ohnivcova — base of the concrete spiral staircase with a fine plaster finish, passage towards the glass partition with bathroom beyond, polished concrete floors, minimalist space

Detail of the kitchen wall of Villa Ohnivcova — steel open shelving with wire glass panels, two black cylindrical extractor hoods, five-burner gas hob, glassware and tableware on display

Wire glass only in the elevator?

We all probably remember the most vulgar wire glass in every elevator from our childhood. That was before all the elevators had to be replaced with solid doors. We rehabilitated wire glass and used it in the kitchen furniture. Since we design and customize all our furniture, we can experiment. We left the upper part of the kitchen by the wall partially open with thin shelves and panels made of wire glass. A bit unconventionally, we placed two range hoods next to each other above the wide cooking surface, because certainty is key. On the island, we played with an inserted wooden board, which subtly extends from the countertop into the cantilevered bar.

Panorama of the dining and kitchen area of Villa Ohnivcova — dining table, kitchen island with bar top, steel open-shelf kitchen wall with black extractor hood, glass pendant lights, rod staircase enclosure on the right

Detail of the kitchen wall of Villa Ohnivcova — steel shelving with wire glass infill panels, two black cylindrical extractor hoods, hob, glassware on shelves, white kitchen unit fronts

Kitchen island of Villa Ohnivcova — cantilevered wooden bar top with bar stools, white island fronts, glass pendant lights, view of the spiral staircase in the background

Kitchen island of Villa Ohnivcova — cantilevered wooden bar extension, bar stools with dark wooden seats, steel open-shelf kitchen wall in the background, glass pendant lights

Contrasts

There is never enough steel. In addition to concrete, we also love raw steel, especially in furniture. For this project, we won with steel hanging shelves and a specially shaped dining table base. The subtle bluish pattern of hot-rolled steel is incredibly sexy. And in combination with concrete, it is beautiful.To avoid it being just industrial, we love combining rawness and delicacy. In this case, you’ll find small details in brass – such as on the light fixtures. The entire space is then framed by airy shading, which provides the open and glazed interior with the necessary privacy while beautifully waving in the summer breeze when the windows are open.

Home office of Villa Ohnivcova — view through a black steel framed glass partition to the white desk, office swivel chair, garden view through large windows, dark oak floor

Guest WC near the entrance hall of Villa Ohnivcova — view through the doorway to the wall-hung toilet with dark wood panelling, beside it a small oval wall-mounted basin, black wall-mounted tap, oval mirror

Bathroom of Villa Ohnivcova — light minimalist bathroom with a floating concrete vanity unit, recessed wall-mounted tap, full-width mirror, sheer curtains, white floor

Bathroom detail of Villa Ohnivcova — view past the concrete vanity to the dark wood tile wall cladding, built-in bathtub with a chrome shower head and thermostatic control, white resin floor

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by Radka - 27. 1. 2025