Creating a sensible scheme for a small apartment is a delicate dance. And for interior designer Gosia Kotyczka of Warsaw's Obiekty Studio, that idea became unusually literal. Her client, who works in tech but has a lifelong passion for dance, tasked her with shaping a 50-square-meter apartment in Warsaw's Grochów district — and the tight quarters required its own form of choreography.
"My client wasn't looking for a ‘catalog home,’ but rather a sanctuary for her identity," recalled Gosia of their first meeting. "The space had to be just as dynamic, expressive, and multi-dimensional as she is."
Fifty square meters is modest, though not the smallest. There was room to carve out three distinct zones — a bath, a living area, and a sleeping nook — but not much more. While some apartment owners with busy lives might gravitate toward calm minimalism in a small space, Gosia wanted more: she wanted energy and flow in this modern home — a space that might inspire the kind of expressive movement typical of dance. She was not interested in a space that sits still.
Gosia’s scheme embraced the idea of motion, beginning with a lively material palette. "I translated this passion into architecture by using ‘active’ materials, such as mirrors, steel, and structural glass, which constantly react to the user's presence," she says.
Glass bricks separating the bathroom and kitchen allow light to filter through. A shiny black Smeg refrigerator and a round glass dining table bounce reflections across the space.
Metallic accents — steel table legs, brushed-steel cabinet fronts — shimmer against the glow from red accent bulbs. Perhaps the most daring move, a mirrored kitchen backsplash, creates an illusion of space and flow, allowing the space to expand and breathe.
Color, too, isn’t flat. Partly inspired by the artwork of Keith Haring, the owner dreamed up a mural of dancers drifting across the living room wall. Painted by Michał Nalewajko, the figures are rendered in contrasting shades of red and blue, adding what Gosia calls a "pulsing" effect to the palette. The bright, saturated hues are unapologetic, but purposeful.
The contrasting tones nod to Bauhaus theory. "This palette introduces a spirit of creativity but also organizes the space beautifully," explains Gosia of the strong hues. "Because of it, despite the high volume of stimuli and textures, the entire apartment reads as a coherent, logical, and harmonious composition where every element has its place."
The hardest-working surface may well be the monochromatic International Klein Blue floors. Gosia says the vivid color makes moving between zones feel like gliding through water. "Interestingly, that intense blue, which feels electric during the day, becomes incredibly cozy, almost enveloping and soothing, when dimmed by warm lamp light in the evening," she says.
The furniture also reinforces the idea of movement. Gosia chose pieces that wouldn’t feel static — with an 80s bent, the forms and silhouettes are mostly sculptural. She points to a coffee table with a glass top that rests on a red concrete sphere that, as she puts it, "looks as if it only stopped rolling a moment ago."
This sense of animation extends to the decor: vibrant tabletop sculptures from Totem Studio Warsaw feature playful silhouettes, and in the painting by Warsaw artist Irma Tylor titled Paris Is Burning, there is yet another exploration of the human body. "The rhythmic forms of the furniture and lighting enforce a natural, almost choreographic awareness of one's own body within the space," adds Gosia.
And for an almost performative moment, the bathroom is sure to leave an impression. To bring energy to daily routine, the shower walls feature a mosaic created alongside the artisans at Trufle Mozaiki — a dancing figure inspired by Matisse’s The Dance.
It injects a touch of theater into an unexpected utilitarian space. "It becomes a ritual space where the light streaming through the glass blocks brings the red silhouette to life, creating a light-and-space installation," says Gosia.
But there is, after all, rest to be found. A built-in bed, set behind soft curtains, creates necessary balance. "In contrast, the bedroom, designed like a wooden resonance box with a soft striped headboard, serves as a point of stillness," says Gosia, who added a mirrored wall above the bed to add depth to the tight footprint.
Recently, the owner told Gosia that the conceptual scheme walks the talk. Especially when friends visit, the apartment has become something of a stage for creative conversation and thought. It’s a playful counterweight, she says, to the rather technical life she leads in the business world.
And for Gosia, that’s what brings her the most joy, that the interior 'tingles' with life. "I hope she feels like the lead character in a non-stop performance," she says.
