A house – how it should be? Single family, detached, surrounded by greenery. Is that enough? Probably not. Especially, if the starting point is a slightly neglected building. Not only did it require refurbishment but also imparting a brand new character to the construction. The expected result would be a house which harmoniously integrates the charm of the past with a discreet modernity. This little house from the end of twenties in XX century was thoroughly redeveloped and modernized.
The accommodation plan was changed. Elevations were unified and reformed. The final result was an expressly modern building which, at the very same time, has strong connotation with previous housing formations and traditional shape of a detached house. It was possible to achieve this form by using a simple, compact solid with a high gable roof covered with ceramic tiles. Reduction of unnecessary details and additional elements gave the composition a unique modern look. For example, the base course of a building was substituted with a platform-terrace, mansard was covered with a glass cubic, the ground floor was singled out by a veneered timber facing and finally, all drainpipes were hidden so as not to disturb smooth surface of the walls. In case of such an old-new building great emphasis was put on the types of materials used in refurbishment. Carefully chosen supplies made it possible to combine traditional technologies with many innovative solutions. Selected colour scheme (grey, white and natural timber) determined the choice of finishing materials: graphite ceramic tiles, white concrete on the terrace, glass, timber veneer mixed with large sheets of glass on the ground floor and white thin layered plaster which enabled achieving the result of perfectly smooth, matte finish surface of the walls.
Silky white walls are a perfect background for greenery and the trees on the terrace, protecting the interiors from the southern sunlight and for the renovated casement window in Western elevation. Not only perfect white does expose the solid but also accents the fact that this building is not just a house – it is a hundred percent home.
