WHAT
Apartment
49 m²
WHERE
Sofia, Bulgaria
WHEN
June 2022
black & white – apartment
When working with one half of a previously large apartment in the heart of Sofia that had been split in two and is situated in a building with classical architecture and high-vaulted ceilings, one needs to employ a very delicate approach and tackle the task at hand with care and respect.
photos by Ognyan Stoinev
before&after
We started with a space whose original layout was completely different from the end result. There was not even a proper bathroom in the original layout, as part of it had remained in the other half of the apartment.
living
Our starting point was a small apartment – only 49m2 – but we wanted to make sure to redesign it in a way that would mirror the beauty of the building, as well as its amazing location and exposure, as the apartment is south-facing, sunny, and surrounded by greenery.
living
Our goal was to make the best possible use of all of the available space and to present the new owners with two separate rooms in addition to a spacious living room.
living
The paintings were done by the artist Amenun Geneva, while the lighting fixtures were designed in collaboration with the company Cablelovers Studio.
We are proud to have been able to create an apartment with a feeling of spaciousness that shows no indication of its modest square footage.
We also brightened up the living room by adding a few large windows to both walls, and by installing a corner window.
kitchen
In terms of color, we went with a classic black-and-white color scheme paired with natural wood and added a few splashes of color with a terracota-red couch and other bright accessories.
living
We moved the kitchen area to its primary location from the original last-century floor plan, but we incorporated it into the new living area.
sleeping room
corridor
In order to let more natural light into the two new rooms that we created, we split one of the windows down the middle with a divider wall.
This allowed us to use one window to illuminate both rooms.
In addition, we installed overhead glass panes along the wall between the living room and the smaller room so that more light could enter.
bathroom
The bathroom that we first encountered was a far cry from any modern standards as it was a narrow, awkward space that had only a toilet in it.
We extended it by annexing a dead corner of the former kitchen area to it, as well as part of the former entryway. The end result is a relatively spacious full bathroom that now also includes a stylish shower stall.
entrance