Architecture professional Sarolta Hüttl has completed a stunning renovation of her 968-square-foot Budapest apartment, drawing inspiration from her deep family connections to the Bauhaus movement and her step-grandmother's background as an architectural historian. The transformation of the 1930s apartment showcases how personal history and design philosophy can merge to create a contemporary living space that honors both heritage and modern functionality.
Hüttl's fascination with the revolutionary Bauhaus school began during her high school years when her step-grandmother, an architectural historian with connections to legendary architect Marcel Breuer, gifted her a book about the movement. "The mix of fine arts, photography, and theater was interesting for me," recalls Hüttl, who later studied architecture at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. This early exposure to Bauhaus principles would prove instrumental in shaping her approach to her most personal design project.
The apartment is situated within a protected 1930s villa-turned-apartment building in a quiet, leafy Budapest neighborhood. The building's distinctive dusty-pink facade, which some residents want to modernize with insulation and white paint, was actually one of the features that attracted Hüttl. "I knew immediately it was Bauhaus," she says, recalling her first encounter with the space. The Mediterranean-inspired exterior color brings what she describes as a "magical aura" to her home.
Over the course of a full year, Hüttl transformed the previously dark and run-down space into a light-filled sanctuary. The renovation involved significant structural changes, including moving the primary bedroom from its original location into what was previously the kitchen space. She also expanded and updated the bathroom with Hungarian-made cement tiles, and added a custom closet designed to blend seamlessly into the wall of the new bedroom.
The kitchen underwent perhaps the most dramatic transformation, moving from a small, tucked-away space in the hallway to an expansive area that flows directly into the living and dining rooms. Vintage stackable chairs from Rotor Deconstruction in Brussels, where Hüttl previously worked, surround an &Tradition In Between table. The space features Valchromat cabinetry in a vivid mint-green color, paired with neutral-toned tiles and Nemo Lighting's Applique Cylindrique Petite wall lamps designed by Charlotte Perriand.
The living area showcases Hüttl's commitment to honoring the building's original character while introducing contemporary elements. She preserved historical features like an original ceiling light, which now mingles effortlessly with modern Marset pendant lights – the first items she and her husband, director Luka Kostil, purchased before even developing a comprehensive design scheme. "Luka thinks about lighting in a filmmaking way," Hüttl notes, acknowledging her husband's professional influence on their lighting choices.
Throughout the apartment, Hüttl has woven together vintage treasures and family heirlooms with carefully selected modern pieces. The deep-blue Hay sofa in the living room reflects the Bauhaus embrace of primary colors and holds sentimental value – the couple fell in love with this particular style while on vacation. Vintage and antique pieces include kilim rugs, a late-19th-century chest of drawers inherited from Hüttl's grandmother, and selections from her family's ceramics collection.
The designer's family history plays a particularly significant role in the apartment's character through ceramic pieces that tell a story of Hungarian craftsmanship. Hüttl's family founded the renowned, now-defunct Hüttl Tivadar porcelain company in the mid-19th century. Shelves throughout the kitchen display vintage Karcagi glasses made by the porcelain factory her family once owned, while contemporary ceramic creations by her sister Melinda, an artist continuing the family's ceramics tradition, are thoughtfully integrated throughout the decor.
The renovation also pays homage to the original architecture through careful attention to flooring details. Hüttl replicated the building's original chevron parquet pattern but added her own contemporary twist by slightly rotating it, complementing the new look with stone baseboards. Behind the radiator, the couple installed the same tiles they had cherished in a previous apartment, demonstrating how personal memories influenced design decisions throughout the project.
The apartment now serves as home for Hüttl, Kostil, and their four-year-old son Misha, who has his own bedroom featuring colorful Valchromat cabinets and playful design elements. The former kitchen space, transformed into the primary bedroom, creates a breezy retreat accented with rugs from Budapest's Abra and Normann Copenhagen Klip wall lamps. Above the Cubile bed from Collaboratorio, topped with a Matri Aava bedspread, hangs a tapestry created by a friend that brings to life a photograph Hüttl took while spending time in Burundi.
The bathroom renovation showcases the intersection of historical appreciation and contemporary functionality, featuring earthy, Bauhaus-approved 10-by-10-centimeter cement tiles from Otti Manufactura in Székesfehérvár, Hungary. The terrace, previously an underutilized space, now serves as an outdoor retreat centered around a Karup Pace daybed set on reclaimed tiles and layered with rugs and greenery.
Industrial elements throughout the apartment reflect the Bauhaus movement's appreciation for functional materials and honest construction. Metallic bookcases from Hüttl's stepfather and storage units that help demarcate the kitchen space exemplify this industrial aesthetic while serving practical purposes in the compact floor plan.
Hüttl spent part of her childhood in San Francisco, and she notes that the sun streaming through the windows from the terrace lends the living room an appropriately relaxed California vibe. This international influence, combined with her European roots and family history, creates a unique cultural blend that permeates the design.
"Much of the design came from our past and different memories," Hüttl reflects, summarizing the deeply personal approach that guided the renovation. The completed apartment stands as a testament to how architectural movements like Bauhaus can be reinterpreted for contemporary living while maintaining respect for historical principles and family heritage. Through careful curation of vintage pieces, modern furnishings, and meaningful artifacts, Hüttl has created what she considers a contemporary reimagining of the Bauhaus spirit – one that successfully bridges past and present while providing a functional, beautiful home for her family.
