Project scope:
Concept design, floor layout plans, 3D model, interior elevations and sections, photorealistic visualisations, bespoke furniture technical drawings, materials and furnishings procurement list, realisation

Floor area: 192 m²

Some homes are not simply created as new spaces for living. They come into being as a return. To a place, to memories, to the feeling of a familiar kind of safety. It is precisely this story that the renovation of this Functionalist First Republic villa in Poděbrady tells — a home to which a young family of four decided to return after years of living in Prague.

The owners' wish was to create a home that would preserve the historical soul of the building and its original genius loci, whilst offering contemporary comfort, lightness, and the clarity of modern living. The interior was to feel minimalist, but not cold. Elegant, yet still human and natural.

It is for this reason that the entire design is interwoven with a play of muted terracotta, sage green, and soft smoked oak tones — hues that bring warmth, calm, and a distinctive character to the space. These colour accents became the thread connecting the whole house, from the entrance hall all the way through to the private retreat on the upper floor.

The heart of the home is the generous entrance hall, with its original spiral terrazzo staircase in a deep terracotta tone and polished brass balustrade. The dominant atmosphere of this space is further underscored by the tiled stove, which introduces a sense of tradition, calm, and domestic warmth. In order to acoustically and visually separate this area from the main living zone, an elegant glazed portal with sliding doors was created — one that preserves the airiness of the interior whilst establishing a gentle boundary between the different functions of the house.

The living room and dining area are defined by tall French windows oriented towards the garden, through which natural light transforms the interior throughout the day. Two key materials meet on the floor — oak parquet in a chevron pattern, and a light polyurethane floor in a terrazzo style with colour flecks in terracotta, sage green, and soft yellow. This detail gives the house a sense of playfulness and individuality without disturbing its overall calm.

The kitchen works with a combination of clean lines and rounded details that recur throughout the interior. The centrepiece is an island with brass ribbing and a white marble worktop, connecting aesthetics with everyday practicality. Rounded edges on the cabinetry, delicately framed door fronts, and subtle brass accents soften the interior and give it a more welcoming expression.

The family wished for the home to reflect their lifestyle and passions. And so bookshelves, reading nooks, musical instruments, and abstract artworks all have their place here, lending the space emotion and authenticity. Each part of the house has its own character, yet everything reads as harmonious and connected.

The upper floor was designed as a restful zone for relaxation, privacy, and slowing down. Part of the composition is a glazed orangery with views over both the garden and the town, serving as a place for relaxation, reading, or quiet working moments. The main bedroom flows seamlessly into a glazed bathroom with gradient sandblasting, ensuring sufficient privacy whilst preserving the lightness of the overall space.

Here too, the combination of white marble and brass details with oak chevron parquet repeats — the whole reading as elegant, timeless, and deeply calm.
This project was not, for us, simply the renovation of a historic house. It was a search for balance between the past and the present, between minimalism and emotion, between architecture and everyday life. The result is a home that has retained its original soul whilst offering a space for a new chapter in one family's story.

Project: 2022
Realisation: 2022–2023 (the client wishes to remain anonymous; the completed project has not been photographed)
Visualisations: Eva Váchová
collaboration: Ing. arch. Lucie Náhlovská