A 60-year-old lawyer who travels frequently has found his perfect retreat in Warsaw's trendy Praga district, where Polish interior architect Marcin Czopek has transformed a modest 800-square-foot apartment into a stunning Space Age-inspired home. The renovation showcases Czopek's exceptional talent for maximizing small urban spaces while creating a dynamic interior that blends postmodern elements with bold material combinations.
Czopek, working through his agency Mistovia, faced the challenge of opening up a compartmentalized space that was divided by multiple walls. When he encountered a load-bearing reinforced concrete wall between the kitchen and living room, he embraced a fundamental design principle: what cannot be hidden should be celebrated. He removed the plaster coating and transformed the obstructive partition into a perforated wall featuring glass ceramic bricks, creating an architectural feature that enhances rather than restricts the flow of space.
The decision to expose the concrete ceiling proved to be one of the project's biggest challenges, according to Czopek. "You have to find the right contractors and manage all sorts of technical difficulties. But the result was worth it," he explained. This bold move revealed the raw structural beauty of the space and established the foundation for the apartment's industrial-meets-futuristic aesthetic.
The kitchen serves as a prime example of the Space Age influence throughout the home. An oval stainless steel island sits on legs reminiscent of Eero Saarinen's iconic "Tulip" series, creating a sculptural centerpiece that appears to float above the floor. Behind this striking feature, Czopek clad the integrated kitchen units in dark wood veneer, while deep green tiles provide dramatic contrast. The countertop showcases blue quartzite with distinctive veining, while dark green Mutina tiles evoke oversized Lego pieces.
The bathroom design represents a complete departure from the owner's initial vision of a gray concrete-dominated space. Instead, Czopek installed a large terracotta red panel behind the freestanding bathtub, while the sink rests on a cabinet covered in colorful mosaic tiles from Bardelli. The curved edges found throughout the apartment continue into this space, where a concrete sink in bold color harmonizes with pink mosaic tiles, creating an unexpectedly vibrant sanctuary.
Access to the small bedroom occurs through an archway that serves as a portal to another world. This room stands as the only space in the apartment without exposed concrete walls, creating a more intimate retreat. Above the bed, a bright red Artemide lamp by Vico Magistretti from 1967 illuminates a narrow niche, while artwork by Przemek Bizon adds contemporary flair to the sleeping quarters.
Throughout the living areas, Czopek has carefully curated a collection that includes subtle references to legendary designers like Verner Panton. A chrome wire bar stool with light yellow legs sits near the oval kitchen island, echoing Saarinen's design language. A stainless steel shelf displays art objects and travel souvenirs, while the concrete wall in the living room, which couldn't be removed due to its structural importance, now serves as the perfect backdrop for a bold painting by artist Zbigniew Olszyna.
The Space Age design movement, also known as the Atomic Age, emerged in the 1960s during a period of intense Cold War tensions between East and West. Born on the American West Coast, this design philosophy reflected both the trauma of nuclear threat and creators' attempts to reappropriate atomic imagery through humor and lightness using "vital forms." These recurring shapes, derived from nuclear iconography including molecules and atomic particles, featured round, organic, and cellular forms with geometric patterns that playfully reproduced scientific nuclear principles.
Czopek deliberately played with the openness of space while ensuring the apartment meets its owner's practical needs. An additional room can be isolated when necessary, though the current layout proves ideal for the lawyer's lifestyle. The designer successfully created flexible zones that can adapt to different functions while maintaining the cohesive Space Age aesthetic that makes this small Warsaw apartment feel both futuristic and timeless.
