Urban romanticism

In an innovative concept spanning luxury hospitality, real estate investment and communication launched by the Prague-based design influencer Insidecor, the SQUAT project involved the renovation of a complete early-twentieth-century townhouse in the prestigious setting of Pařížská Street in the Czech capital’s historic centre. In this highly original project, five renowned Czech architectural firms were commissioned to redesign the five floors of the building so as to create five separate apartments, each with its own distinctive style and furnishings. As a result, the building becomes a kind of show house based on five different interior design concepts: sophisticated, playful, conservative, timeless and nostalgic. This last mood in particular is conveyed by the second-floor residence, named iD23B and designed by architects Radka and Jakub Vala from the practice OOOOX. The apartment, intended for a couple of young professionals, stands out at first glance for its luxurious and eccentric atmosphere, bold crossover effects, plays of light, period furnishings and metal details, all of which help to create a contemporary urban romantic feel.
The large living area comprising kitchen, dining room and lounge reveals an intriguing blend of styles and a continuous interplay between present and past. A dark, super-minimalist kitchen island, rigorously sculptural geometric pendant lamps and a long concrete table all express a contemporary spirit in contrast with a series of period details such as Vienna straw chairs, doors with Art Nouveau-style windows, a majolica stove and cement tiles on the floor. Hexagonal porcelain tiles from Marca Corona’s Terra collection alternate with light and dark cement-effect floors to create a pleasant colour gradient and an original interplay of geometries. The cement tiles, with their classic perspective pattern, form a kind of irregular carpet extending underneath the large table which divides the kitchen area with its dark grey porcelain tiles from the relaxation area which instead is paved with light-coloured tiles. The irregular layout creates an almost unfinished look that gives the room a strong personality. In addition to their powerful decorative function in the living area, the hexagonal cement tiles in fact serve as a unifying element throughout the entire interior design project. They are used in a monochrome anthracite floor tile version in other areas (entrance, bathroom, walk-in wardrobe) and as a vibrant wall covering in the shower, again chosen in the Rombo geometric pattern.
Colour plays an important role in defining the atmosphere of the apartment. While white reigns supreme in the brightly lit living room, the hallway is dominated by powerful black and white contrasts. The female bedroom stands out for its light tones and golden accents, while the male guest room adopts dark parquet and total black furnishings. The architects successfully combined bold elegance with an intelligent reinterpretation of tradition to create an ideal urban-chic living environment.