Hostivař — empty new-build 2+kk → an apartment at the edge of the forest, Prague-Hostivař · 60 m²

The brief

The developer handed over bare walls. The layout was sensible and didn't need changing. Everything else had to be built from scratch.

Electrical installations in Prague new builds tend to be basic: one or two ceiling outlets, kitchen circuits with no logic, no lighting scenes. The developer's heat-recovery ventilation — a small unit in the exterior wall — covered the minimum, not the real life of a household.

The challenge. Only on site did it turn out that the non-load-bearing walls were plasterboard. The panels, wall-hung furniture and multi-layered headboard required embedded fixings and reinforcement during the works.

Concept

Let the forest in — through texture, not through pictures of the forest.

Solutions

Storage

The only thing missing was a walk-in wardrobe. We placed it in the bedroom behind glass sliding doors. Open, it reads as part of the room and takes no volume away; closed, it hides the everyday routine. Inside are open shelves and lighting: a structure that invites order by itself. The utility room door is also sliding, and the interior doors are concealed.

Materials

We chose Shinnoki veneer because you can feel it under your hand: wood has direction, laminate only a pattern. The Porcelanosa tiles were selected to match the teak and continue the tone of the hallway floor, so the transition between zones feels seamless. The Cleaf Cashmere fronts in Perfect Sense finish don't show fingerprints. The walls are painted in deep-matte washable Tikkurila paint. The sofa fabric looks coarse but is soft to the touch, with a green-blue undertone.

Bedroom

The headboard is the detail that took the most calculation. 3D panels imitate rock: they had to be anchored, the joints feathered out and painted so they read as real stone. The rock then turns into panels of a different profile, the panels into the headboard, and the wardrobe trim meets the same joint. The Lago bed stands on a backlit base and seems to float above the floor. The Maytoni lights were chosen to match the shape of the panels.

Living room and kitchen

“Wave” panels with mirrored inserts, display cabinets, tinted mirrors in a warm spectrum. A bio-fireplace is built into the cabinet under the TV. The ceramic island serves as a meeting point. The upper fronts open with a touch thanks to Servo-Drive, and the Grohe Blue Home tap delivers filtered, chilled or sparkling water.

Technology you don't see

Hidden LED profiles, recessed ceiling lights, three lighting scenes — work, evening and full. The outdoor AC unit on the balcony is hidden in a box that became a side table.

The cat

Anti-scratch upholstery on the entire sofa. The litter box is hidden in the vanity cabinet — an opening is cut into the side of the door. It was a new solution for us; the cat accepted it immediately.