Forest echo

Subject to a major makeover, this home is painted in the colours of a nearby forest. Much has been redesigned with only a central supporting wall and stair left on the ground floor

On the southern facade, a strip of window

This renovation celebrates the original home's pretty, simple-house

Reconstruction of this suburban house included remodelling both

The renovating architects: "We wanted the house to

The formal entrance to the home was dramatically

New openings appeared into the facades due to

The reworked heart-of-the-house kitchen. - Forest echo -

Twin basins are echoed by twin pendants in

Connections to nature were an important part of

A regal-look double bed and frame are seen

Up the stairs to the reinvented attic. -

The home's attic space is complete with great

Renovation by Kaa Studio

From the renovating architect:

Circumstances

The task was to design an overall reconstruction of a suburban house in a retro style in Lány for weekend living.

The house is located at the outskirts of the village on a street consisting of a row of family houses and incorporating the edge of the forest. The surrounding developments are characterised by layering of various annexes and extensions to original houses.

This particular house was preserved in almost original form and, from this point of view, it was exceptional. It is a simple house with a saddle roof, raised ground floor and semi-basement.

The residential floor was organised so that the house was almost closed towards the garden, turning its back on it. In front of the main entrance there was a plain vestibule while the entrance to the residential floor was overly complicated.

In the attic there was a typical loft and a small room. Overall, the house had small windows and gloomy rooms.

Design

In the context of 'wildcat' reconstructions of the surrounding development we wanted to draw attention to the beautiful "little house-like" form of the object.

To this end, we worked with the original mass only on the level of remodelling the interior layout and window openings. The residential attic was used in the existing volume; we only brightened the roof.

The only new annex is a new wooden patio/summer entrance, attached to the garden facade.

The original vestibule was demolished and the house entrance was reorganised. Only the central supporting wall and the staircase were left on the ground floor. This allowed for a more contemporary layout of the living space and connection to the main garden.

The reworked heart-of-the-house kitchen.

The attic has been designed as an open space, for now. New openings appeared in the facades due to the change in the layout, with the original openings revised and adjusted. On the southern facade, a strip of window was made across the entire width of the home to achieve more light and contact with the forest.

The attic was brightened to the north by a strip of large roof windows, opening the space to the garden and views of the Lány horizon.

The neighbouring forest edge and two old spruces in the front garden were all significant for the location where the house stands. In response to this, we wanted the house to have the colour of the forest, so the facades are dark, grey-brown.

The difference in height between the entrances to the main residential floor and the garden level is negotiated using field banks/green hills, reinforced with rough stone. In the reconstruction, we used materials and craftsmanship corresponding to the context of the original house, i.e. the classical building materials – brick, plaster, stone, wood, ceramics and copper.

For the interior design, we wanted an ordinary feel, rural simplicity and functionality. In addition to the chairs, we also designed almost all the wooden furniture.