fbpx
Interior

This small apartment feels twice the size, because the bathroom hides in a mirrored box

this-small-apartment-feels-twice-the-size,-because-the-bathroom-hides-in-a-mirrored-box
This small apartment feels twice the size, because the bathroom hides in a mirrored box
In the kitchen, a deep green Rosso Levanto marble meets California Burl veneer for a dramatic contrast. A burst of Chinese red inside the cabinets adds surprise, while a glossy ultramarine console defines the open-plan living area with bold color and precision.

In Lodz, a city that still hums with studios and workshops, designer Piotr Lucyan has created a second home that reveals itself in delightful stages. The apartment is only 34 square metres, yet it greets you with sculptural light, fine materials, and a few audacious tricks. The biggest surprise waits in plain sight. A mirrored “jewel box” stands at the heart of the living room, hiding a full bathroom, wardrobe, utility closet, and washing machine, while its reflections quietly double the sense of space.

A Creative Address

Lucyan found the apartment on Nawrot Street, in a revitalised tenement whose facades and staircases were restored with care. The shell was left for individual renovation, which suited a designer who treats craft as a daily practice. He studied papermaking, textile printing, tapestry, furniture restoration, and clay sculpture at the local Academy of Fine Arts, and wanted a pied-à-terre that could carry those influences.

Inside a restored tenement in ?ód?, designer Piotr ?ucyan transforms a 34-square-metre apartment into a refined studio-meets-home. Every surface reflects his background in craft and fine art, creating a space that feels personal, layered, and full of intent.

Materials With Memory

The palette is tactile and exacting. Window sills, counters, and wall cladding are cut from several marbles. Oak floors were stained on site for a deep, tailored tone. Wall mouldings were cast from traditional gypsum. The kitchen mixes a dramatic Rosso Levanto stone that reads as deep green with “California Burl” veneer on the tall fronts and fluted, monochrome uppers. Open a cabinet and a burst of Chinese red lights the shelves like a small stage set.

Opposite, a high-gloss ultramarine console sits behind the sofa and plays multiple roles. It is a serving counter, a breakfast spot, a standing desk, and a crisp line that punctuates the soft textiles. Barstools are by the Polish company Fameg.

In the kitchen, a deep green Rosso Levanto marble meets California Burl veneer for a dramatic contrast. A burst of Chinese red inside the cabinets adds surprise, while a glossy ultramarine console defines the open-plan living area with bold color and precision.
In the kitchen, a deep green Rosso Levanto marble meets California Burl veneer for a dramatic contrast. A burst of Chinese red inside the cabinets adds surprise, while a glossy ultramarine console defines the open-plan living area with bold color and precision.
In the kitchen, a deep green Rosso Levanto marble meets California Burl veneer for a dramatic contrast. A burst of Chinese red inside the cabinets adds surprise, while a glossy ultramarine console defines the open-plan living area with bold color and precision.
In the kitchen, a deep green Rosso Levanto marble meets California Burl veneer for a dramatic contrast. A burst of Chinese red inside the cabinets adds surprise, while a glossy ultramarine console defines the open-plan living area with bold color and precision.

The Mirrored Jewel Box

Solving the bathroom was the project’s central challenge. The plumbing stack ran along the living-room wall, and the ceiling rises to 3.5 metres with neo-Baroque coving that deserved to stay intact. The answer was a mirrored cuboid built as a freestanding volume. It preserves the room’s proportions, brightens the kitchen side of the plan, and reflects light deep into the flat. Step inside and the illusion continues. White Calacatta Lilac marble, large mirrored panels, and a back-lit stretch ceiling create the sensation of a skylight and a room that opens upward.

A mirrored cube hides an entire bathroom and wardrobe in plain sight. Its reflections expand the small apartment, while inside, white Calacatta Lilac marble and soft backlighting make the space feel impossibly bright and tall.
A mirrored cube hides an entire bathroom and wardrobe in plain sight. Its reflections expand the small apartment, while inside, white Calacatta Lilac marble and soft backlighting make the space feel impossibly bright and tall.
A mirrored cube hides an entire bathroom and wardrobe in plain sight. Its reflections expand the small apartment, while inside, white Calacatta Lilac marble and soft backlighting make the space feel impossibly bright and tall.
A mirrored cube hides an entire bathroom and wardrobe in plain sight. Its reflections expand the small apartment, while inside, white Calacatta Lilac marble and soft backlighting make the space feel impossibly bright and tall.
A mirrored cube hides an entire bathroom and wardrobe in plain sight. Its reflections expand the small apartment, while inside, white Calacatta Lilac marble and soft backlighting make the space feel impossibly bright and tall.
A mirrored cube hides an entire bathroom and wardrobe in plain sight. Its reflections expand the small apartment, while inside, white Calacatta Lilac marble and soft backlighting make the space feel impossibly bright and tall.

Hidden by Being Exposed

The mirrored volume is not the only sleight of hand. The entrance to the bedroom disappears into the mouldings. The door sits flush with the wall, then vanishes further under a composition cast by craftsman Rafal Brzozowski. Walk through and you pass a deep reveal lined in glimmering, hand-made black tiles, the same finish used at the main entrance. The sequence feels ceremonial and calm.

A concealed door melts into the wall mouldings, leading to the bedroom through a tiled threshold that glimmers like a secret passage. It’s a clever, poetic moment that turns a small transition into pure design theatre.
A concealed door melts into the wall mouldings, leading to the bedroom through a tiled threshold that glimmers like a secret passage. It’s a clever, poetic moment that turns a small transition into pure design theatre.

A Bedroom That Floats

Inside the bedroom, the bed seems to hover. Its weight rests on a single, concealed central leg, which leaves the floor clear and the room visually light. An upholstered headboard in fabric by Dedar Milano wraps the space in warmth. The same textile appears on pillows and a handmade lampshade by Ewa Defitowska. Brass wall sconces add a soft glow without clutter.

Art has a strong presence here. Above the bed hangs a painting by Malgorzata Szymankiewicz. On the bedside table sits a small bust sculpted by Lucyan himself beside a graphic work by Jan Tarasin. Three incense burners turned from wood are by Jan Garncarek, better known today for metal, glass, and stone. Near the window is a small carved chair with an unexpected backstory. It was reportedly made as a birthing chair, which gives the corner a curious tenderness.

The bed appears to hover, supported by a hidden central leg. Wrapped in Dedar Milano fabric and accented by brass sconces, the bedroom feels serene and weightless. Artworks, sculptures, and handcrafted objects give it soul and quiet personality.
The bed appears to hover, supported by a hidden central leg. Wrapped in Dedar Milano fabric and accented by brass sconces, the bedroom feels serene and weightless. Artworks, sculptures, and handcrafted objects give it soul and quiet personality.
The bed appears to hover, supported by a hidden central leg. Wrapped in Dedar Milano fabric and accented by brass sconces, the bedroom feels serene and weightless. Artworks, sculptures, and handcrafted objects give it soul and quiet personality.
The bed appears to hover, supported by a hidden central leg. Wrapped in Dedar Milano fabric and accented by brass sconces, the bedroom feels serene and weightless. Artworks, sculptures, and handcrafted objects give it soul and quiet personality.
The bed appears to hover, supported by a hidden central leg. Wrapped in Dedar Milano fabric and accented by brass sconces, the bedroom feels serene and weightless. Artworks, sculptures, and handcrafted objects give it soul and quiet personality.

Salon Style in a Small Footprint

The living area behaves like a petite salon. A comfortable Sits sofa, purchased from 9design, faces a pair of small tables, one of them a striking yellow plexiglass piece by Roberto Giacomucci. It is a unique auction find, handcrafted by the designer. The main wall carries a painting by Grzegorz Worpus-Budziejewski, and the ceiling hosts a dramatic chandelier from Lucyan’s collection of vintage brass lamps. On the windowsill sits the “Metropolis” lamp by Jan Garncarek, a crisp contemporary counterpoint.

Brass repeats across the apartment. You see it in the sculptural “Beosound 2” speaker by Bang & Olufsen and in the metal electrical fittings by Polish brand Vectis. On the console, small stone pieces by Agata Knorowska of Branik Delight add weight and grain. Decorative plates from Lysa Góra and glass bowls by Zbigniew Horbowy round out a group of objects that speak to the designer’s eye for Polish craft.

The living area behaves like a miniature salon, with layered art, a vintage brass chandelier, and a bold yellow plexiglass table. A deep sofa and curated Polish design pieces turn the compact footprint into a scene of effortless charm.
In the kitchen, a deep green Rosso Levanto marble meets California Burl veneer for a dramatic contrast. A burst of Chinese red inside the cabinets adds surprise, while a glossy ultramarine console defines the open-plan living area with bold color and precision.
The living area behaves like a miniature salon, with layered art, a vintage brass chandelier, and a bold yellow plexiglass table. A deep sofa and curated Polish design pieces turn the compact footprint into a scene of effortless charm.
The living area behaves like a miniature salon, with layered art, a vintage brass chandelier, and a bold yellow plexiglass table. A deep sofa and curated Polish design pieces turn the compact footprint into a scene of effortless charm.

Why It Works

The apartment succeeds because each move performs more than one task. The mirror box is storage, a bathroom, and a light machine. The ultramarine console is color, dining, and layout control. The hidden door keeps the living room quiet and preserves the classical rhythm of the walls. The floating bed clears the floor visually and adds a touch of theatre. Everywhere, the mix of marble, burl veneer, fluted panels, boucle, brass, and cast gypsum gives the small rooms a generous feel.

Lodz has long been a place where industry and artistry overlap. This home captures that spirit on an intimate scale. It is a retreat for a designer who values traditional techniques and modern ease, a place where the past is not merely referenced but worked by hand into the present.

Photography: ONI Studio | Styling: Bartlomiej Panasiuk | Interior design: Piotr lucyan / ArtUp Interiors

Source: Contemporist