ARTIST RESIDENCY

The project involved the renovation of a 130m2 apartment built in the 1950s and its conversion into a contemporary residential flat. The place had been used as an office space before it was abandoned. Due to the lack of maintenance over the years the interior space was in a very bad condition.

An essential part of our design study was the transformation of the interior layout into a more functional and cosy space, in accordance with its new usage. The new plan proposed three bedrooms with respective WCs, a kitchen, a dining area and a living room. The flat is surrounded by balconies and a large veranda, with  access to the exterior from almost  every room. To create the new layout, new walls and another WC were built using drywall materials. The unrestricted view from inside the apartment was an important aim. Therefore, the layout of the kitchen was changed in order to be in line with the dining area and the balcony. Natural ventilation and light circulation in the kitchen was achieved due to its effective position between the dining area and the  balcony. Concrete was poured over parts of the existing floor where the floorboards had been removed due to wood decay. Besides securing a level floor, it was essential to unify the different flooring types used in the common spaces (i.e. floorboards, concrete and artificial wooden boards). Therefore the floor was painted after its uniform quality was ensured. All the original doors and window louvers were saved following a special restoration process. The fireplace was also repaired.

The selected color palette of mainly white and light colored shades reflects a rather contemporary style. All the interior walls, except for the ones in the kitchen, are painted white while elements such as the fireplace are painted in a light grey shade. The doors and interior parts of windows are painted dark blue to provide contrast. The kitchen walls, ceiling, floor and cabinets are all painted in a green shade, resembling a colorful drop in a white scenery. The shelf unit opposite the cabinets is made of copper and polished artificial wood boards. This was a unique construction especially designed for the needs of the project.

The furnishings are largely based on mid-century modern design trends as we wanted to create a connection with this time period. We restored and placed some authentic Cypriot furniture of the 1950s/60s and merged them with our own designs. The dining table features an original and special Formica melamine sheet that was widely used in Cyprus at the time while the accompanying chair type, which is still popular today, could be found in many urban houses. Copper is widely used in the interior. Besides the custom designed sideboard, bookcases and coffee table,  all the lights in the house are also made of copper pipes. The use of this material adds an industrial style but in a rather subtle way that not cancel out the appointed style. Some essential house accessories were also custom designed by our team.