This unique and historic building is located in charming Vilnius oldtown and included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. However, the renovation of the building in 2020 converted its premises into residential apartments, not leaving much of its history inside.
The Interior’s history is reflected in new windows with an authentic look and old brick arches around them. The first decision was to restore and preserve those authentic brick arches. To emphasize these areas – a thin white window board was chosen. Smart switchable glass film was installed in the windows to ensure they remain clean as much as possible, and yet have privacy for its residents.
The second decision was to clean interior spaces to form rooms with simplified geometry. To do so, we replanned a partition wall placement and raised the door height to match the existing door opening in a load-bearing wall. Whilst the space had plenty of ceiling height, new building reinforcement constructions, installed during the 2020 building renovation period, created several irregular geometry elevations around the ceiling. The biggest challenge was to re-arrange ceiling areas without losing too much height or without covering unique brick motifs.
The main goal was to create an overall light and airy ambiance. A brighter color palette was chosen to counterbalance deep walls and lack of direct sunlight due to the northeast orientation of the main windows. To give a natural texture background, white clay plaster was chosen for the walls and ceiling. Oak chevron flooring seemed like a natural fit for an apartment located in Oldtown. In terms of furnishings, custom furniture made from oak, and covered in oak veneer complemented the choice of flooring and brought warmth to the space.
The apartment’s owner is a jeweler with very authentic taste. Working together we sought proportional harmony using graceful and massive object combinations. Her love for elegant stainless steel details and delicate travertine stone enabled us to consider and feature these materials throughout the interior. Her passion for Scandinavian furniture helped us to adopt a modern and minimalistic style throughout all rooms.
Project name: Airy apartment; Design: Ikures studio; Project completion year: 2023; 67sq.m. Located in Vilnius, Lithuania; Photographer: Mona Avik;
