2024-04-26 21:34:49
It used to be an ordinary, old house in the shape of a cube, with a farm yard attached to it. But in 2018, it was bought by new owners and with the help of architects they transformed it in their own image. The originally dark ground floor has become a playful place full of light, color and unexpected features, such as a landing on the stairs or a room where parents can sew in front of their children.
“The task was very clear – to create a space primarily for spending free time together and at the same time to clearly define the night part,” say Juraj and Jana Benk, who led the reconstruction of the house in Slovakia. The family mainly wanted to transform the ground floor, where there is a dining room, living room, kitchen and garden. This is where they spend most of their time together.
“We added a simple extension to the house, which brought the living room closer to the ground. We turned the height difference into an advantage – a stairwell – the stairs thus become a very useful storage and living space, and the oven, which we placed in the middle, is like the cherry on the cake space,” add the authors.
Interior of the year
The architects submitted the project to the Interior of the Year competition, which annually selects the best of Czech and Slovak design. All registered projects implemented in 2023 can be viewed on the competition website, where the public can choose their favorite. Voting ends on April 30. The overall winner will be announced by an international jury at the Living Forum congress on Tuesday, May 14, at the DOX Center for Modern Art in Prague.
The entrance to the house is through a translucent door. From the welcoming hall you can see across the entire house to the garden. The kitchen with an island has contact with the street, the lower living room, and therefore also with the garden. Outside, the family has two terraces, one for breakfast and another for playing or family celebrations. “The basement remained a storage space, but with the addition of the English backyard, the parents found their “storage place”, it is again a full-fledged, light-filled room,” say the authors.
See what family housing looks like in Crazy in Slovakia.