Find out how the process of designing an apartment works, what the biggest challenges are when designing interiors, and what the most popular trends are in furnishing spaces. Drawing on the example of an attractive apartment interior in Zagreb, we offer expert advice on interior design in an interview with Fani Car, a renowned architect and deputy president of the Council of the Community of Interior Designers (ZADIN).
Discover How the Apartment Design Process Works and What the Biggest Challenges Are
What are the biggest challenges you faced when designing the space?
“In general, the biggest challenges I’ve faced when designing spaces are kitchens and storage areas. This is where the personalities of an individual and/or family are expressed through their lifestyle habits. Custom-made furniture today can truly meet almost all investor requirements, although modular furniture is often combined when it comes to limited budgets.”
Can you explain the process of designing an apartment to us?
“The process of designing an apartment and the duration depends on the project task that comes before us (interior designers and architects) and on how accessible the investor’s requirements are, in terms of materials and finished furniture.”
“When renovating a residential space and doing everything ‘from scratch’, non-load-bearing partitions, floor and wall coverings, and substrates are often removed, and installations are relocated (as far as spatial and professional permission allows). Sometimes, a part of the load-bearing wall is also removed statically, provided the structural engineer confirms the permitted opening through a static calculation. Such a project is the most demanding in terms of both design and calculation. Coordination of everyone involved in the adaptation process is then extremely important. Also, for investors who embark on such a project, it is important to know that adaptations, i.e., the works themselves, last from six to nine months, in the best case.”
“Furnishing apartments in new buildings is often requested, where we already have non-load-bearing partitions installed, installations have been carried out, and floor coverings have been installed. Such an apartment does not require finishing work in its entirety, but only in part. Here, the story is based more on the spatial refinement itself and highlights the virtues of the space. Such a process also takes three to six months, depending on the size of the space itself.”
See the Design Project of an Apartment for Sale in Zagreb
Where is it located, what is its square footage, and was it difficult to design?
“This apartment is located in Zagreb, measuring 60 m2. It was demanding to design, since it was a residential space for sale. Therefore, it had to be furnished for the unknown end user. Care was taken to ensure that the living space was not finished (you will see in the photos that details such as paintings, carpets, floor lamps, and plants are missing).”
What are its special features?
“The special features of the apartment are the spaciousness and open space of the living area, as well as the abundance of light on the southwest side of the living space.”
What requirements did the clients have?
“The seller required that the apartment be furnished in a quality and harmonious manner, minimalistic, but with a striking signature to stand out in the market. We arranged the color palette and patterns in warm, earthy tones and pastel colors to “warm up” the living space itself.”
“Inside the kitchen, it was not an option for us to install ceramics, so we installed waterproof wallpaper (a shade of white wall color and Marble wallpaper, by Josipa Maras) to make the space easier to maintain.”
“Given the open living room space, and to visually separate it from the kitchen and dining room, we placed wooden slats on the wall and linen wallpaper, Landscape (by Josipa Maras), which rounded out the palette of colors and patterns.”
Related Article: Unique Apartment Design in Zadar by Architect Iva Klepo Lepur
Find Out What the Most Popular Trends in Interior Design Are
Which trend would you say has been the most popular lately?
“There are several trends that have been popular lately. On the one hand, sustainable design, neutral, natural tones, textures, and patterns are emerging, while on the other hand, the counterpoint is provided by the bright and bold colors and the so-called statement pieces of furniture.”
“For example, at the time of furnishing this apartment, we were furnishing another residential space in the wider Zagreb area. The second residential space, whose furnishing project we worked on, stands out with bright and bold colors, with specific requirements of the investor, who was moving into his first residential space after many years of tenancy.”
“Most often, trends are brought by investors when they come with a project brief and ready-made examples from the internet.”
“I don’t push bright and bold colors where people aren’t ready for them or where they haven’t shown interest. As I pointed out at the beginning, it’s the personality of the individual and/or family that provides the guidelines in which I operate. With a suggestion, I encourage them to step a little outside the box. That suggestion is often accepted, and in the end, the investors thank me because I encouraged them to be a little bolder in designing their spaces.”
“I believe that interiors should reflect the personality of the people who live in them,” Fani Car, an architect and deputy president of the Council of the Community of Interior Designers, revealed to us.
Photos: Marko Car
On this link, you can read the original article (in Croatian) I wrote for tportal.
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