Villa in Beroun

The Beroun project is a showcase of a highly sensitive renovation of a 1920s house. The villa itself is very spacious, allowing us to expand certain areas and transform the layout, such as connecting the kitchen, dining room, and living room into an open concept. During our first visit, we were surprised by the excellent condition of the villa, including the well-preserved wooden coffered ceilings and original geometric stained glass. Modern touches like white cast terrazzo and minimalist furniture infuse the entire concept with fresh energy.

We Take Advantage of Existing Features

For a house of this age, we didn’t expect to find windows in perfect condition, reusable interior doors, or well-preserved wooden parquet floors. The home is built in a traditional style, yet it features a few functionalist elements such as terrazzo flooring, interior doors, and a small black-and-white mosaic. Together with the clients, we decided to preserve as many of these elements as possible and thoughtfully integrate them where more significant changes were made.

Layout Simplification

In terms of layout, the biggest changes were made to the bathroom and kitchen. We broke through the original kitchen wall into the dining area, creating one open space with a kitchen counter running through both rooms. The kitchen counter cleverly conceals an entrance to the pantry. We continued this approach of connecting living spaces into the adjoining living room, opening up the dining area further. This created a very pleasant, subtly segmented yet highly open living space.

Tiled Treasures

A truly unique feature we preserved were the two tiled stoves—one in the dining room and another in the living room. From the start, incorporating the ornate tiled stove in the living room was a challenge. We balanced its elaborate design by choosing simple, minimalist furniture and lighting, and we cleared the rest of the space of decorative elements. In contrast, the turquoise stove captivated us from the beginning. To make it stand out, we replaced the wooden flooring with white cast terrazzo, accentuated by thin brass strips embedded in its irregular expansion joints.

Wooden Coffered Ceiling

The living room is highlighted by a wooden coffered ceiling, which we accentuated using a subtle circular light fixture. We replaced the original radiators with new, simple cast-iron ones, finished with a clear lacquer to showcase the natural material rather than covering them with paint. We also preserved the original carved wooden dining table, which now seamlessly connects with the minimalist white kitchen counter and is paired with simple chairs.

Bathroom in Place of a Room

Thanks to the villa’s generous layout, we were able to convert one of the original rooms into a bathroom. From the beginning, we loved the idea of a bathroom with natural light and ventilation. In this case, the bathroom not only has a window but also provides access to a balcony. Unfortunately, we couldn’t salvage the original black-and-white mosaic, so we replaced it with a new one. The spaciousness of the room allowed us to position the bathtub prominently in the center. The shower was created in the footprint of one of the original storage rooms and is large enough for two. We placed the sinks on a wooden workbench repurposed from the basement and framed them with a black, illuminated niche.

Ribbed Glass

Another preserved element is the beautifully geometric stained glass windows. We had the missing panes reproduced, complete with beveled glass. However, the original, vividly painted glass door panels were replaced with simple ribbed flute glass. We also used this same ribbed glass in the bedroom, where we created a new dividing partition.

We cleared the entire floor plan of numerous nooks and small storage rooms, resulting in a clean and spacious hall featuring a piano and a library. Here, too, the original tiles were replaced with new white terrazzo, where the expansive space beautifully highlights the irregular expansion joints.

by Radka - 9. 11. 2024