Located within a newly developed residential complex in Bucharest, the apartment came with clear initial directions regarding color, materials, and functionality. The 70 sqm project engages a familiar question of contemporary urban housing: how to soften compartmentalized layouts into fluid environments that support family life while preserving a sense of enclosure and intimacy.
The intervention followed a restrained and intuitive approach. The original layout was largely preserved, with no structural alterations or forced redistributions. Instead, spatial relationships were recalibrated through controlled openings and closures, mediated by custom-designed furniture. A continuous cabinetry system runs along the shared-wall, integrating the various functional requirements of daily living. Its expression shifts gradually as one moves through the space, acting both as a connective element and as a subtle spatial divider.
The transition between the living and private zones is articulated with discretion. Rather than relying on pronounced separations, intimacy is introduced progressively through material warmth: oak finishes, textured surfaces, and walls treated with a fine-grain decorative plaster. An initially proposed sliding slatted door was ultimately omitted, allowing the two zones to remain visually and spatially connected. The entire apartment is anchored by the presence of the color teal, accompanying the spatial sequence from the entrance to the wet areas. Working with this hue required careful calibration. In the bathrooms, teal shifts towards warmer tones, while in the main living spaces it remains cooler, balanced by light terrazzo surfaces in salmon pink and white, as well as oak wood in two distinct shades.
The transition between the living and private zones is articulated with discretion. Rather than relying on pronounced separations, intimacy is introduced progressively through material warmth: oak finishes, textured surfaces, and walls treated with a fine-grain decorative plaster. An initially proposed sliding slatted door was ultimately omitted, allowing the two zones to remain visually and spatially connected. The entire apartment is anchored by the presence of the color teal, accompanying the spatial sequence from the entrance to the wet areas. Working with this hue required careful calibration. In the bathrooms, teal shifts towards warmer tones, while in the main living spaces it remains cooler, balanced by light terrazzo surfaces in salmon pink and white, as well as oak wood in two distinct shades.
Material continuity grounds the intervention. Oak flooring extends throughout the apartment, providing tactile and visual coherence across all zones.Custom-designed furniture supports the spatial sequence, mediating between openness and enclosure without introducing rigid separations. The project unfolds as a coherent spatial sequence, where color, materiality, and boundaries work together to define a calm, settled, and resolved domestic environment.
PV APARTMENT. "TEAL" THE END
for A YOUNG FAMILY
for A YOUNG FAMILY
year: 2025
location: București, RO
status: finished
team: Oana Bălan
services: interior architecture, concept creation, furniture design
location: București, RO
status: finished
team: Oana Bălan
services: interior architecture, concept creation, furniture design
photography: WIP
