Located on the top floor of a relatively new urban residential in Bucharest, the project proposes a simple, conventional layout, tailored to a two-room dwelling.
From the outset, the design unfolded from a simple gesture – a step – tracing the subtle difference in level between inside and out. Starting from this “step”, each intervention reveals as its extension, bringing it forward subtly, not as a contrasting element but as an intention quietly taking form, adapting itself to each room and its functional role. In contrast to the studio’s initial approach – linearity, simplicity, visual continuity – the client, a young graduate with a strong affinity for art, envisioned a less conventional dialogue of materials, shapes, and colors. Thus, among other things, the shades of green, pink, and blue emerge throughout the apartment, sometimes receding, sometimes filling the space, depending on their placement.
F112 APARTMENT. ONE STEP INSIDE
for A YOUNG ADULT
for A YOUNG ADULT
year: 2024
location: Bucharest, RO
status: finished
team: Oana Bălan
services: interior architecture, furniture design, project management, space styling
photography: Ana Sandu
location: Bucharest, RO
status: finished
team: Oana Bălan
services: interior architecture, furniture design, project management, space styling
photography: Ana Sandu
The essence of the project lies in this precise calibration between form and color, between object and space.
Conceived as a glazed partition, the passage to the cooking area was deliberately widened to enable transparent and fluid communication between rooms, while still offering the possibility of complete openness.
From the entrance, the apartment opens towards the living area, a generous space that naturally integrates the dining zone while connecting directly to the kitchen.
Moving further, the transitional hallway leads into the more private area of the home - the sleeping zone and the bathroom.
The bedroom is positioned at the far end, becoming the most quiet and intimate space of the house. Wrapped in a warm shade of white, the room proposes a layout that frees up the center by integrating the bed into a wooden platform, a natural extension of the windowsill.
The bathroom, initially defined by a rather complex outline, ultimately shapes two carefully designed “pockets” dedicated to the shower and the washbasin. Not by chance, the two dominant colors of the interior (green and pink) appear here in generous proportions, contrasting with the otherwise white walls.
Access to the wet area, the shower enclosure, is marked by a portal-like element that follows the pink contour.
