Layers of warm-toned timber veneer in the kitchen are matched with a combination of white and black marble benchtops, with a sleek, linear white and black Santa & Cole Lamina pendant light.
Filled with furniture that tells stories, this 1970s apartment in Warsaw, Poland, has been respectfully restored and layered with personality and charm by Ewelina Moszczyńska.
When designer Ewelina Moszczyńska and her husband, architect Maciej Zawadzki, moved into a 1970s home in Warsaw’s Sadyba district, her instinct was not to completely transform but rather to carefully adapt. “I saw myself as a steward of the home’s evolution, not a disruptor,” she says. This ethos has imbued the apartment with a reverence visible in every decision.
The house was designed by Donatan Putkowski and once owned by fellow architect Zygmunt Dytkowski. And it was originally part of the Experimental Atrium Housing Estate—an architectural experiment by professors from the Warsaw University of Technology in the seventies. Inspired by Scandinavian influences, the L-shaped homes feature modest façades, internal courtyards and narrow skylit corridors. The beginnings of what Moszczyńska admits as being good bones.
“The house was well-conceived to begin with,” Moszczyńska reflects. With this in mind, her changes were restrained: removing select partitions, converting a garage into a liveable space, and replacing outdated PVC windows with wooden frames. The latter of which is in keeping with the original architecture. “Our move here was serendipitous,” she adds. “We were looking for more space for our family of four and stumbled upon this area.”
Internally, the home radiates warmth and calm. The living room balances polish and patina with a Baxter Milano sofa, and a sampling of vintage pieces including a Cassina dining set by Vico Magistretti. An eye-catching lacquered wood harp chair by Jørgen Høvelskov steals the show. Above it all sits the sculptural Floatation pendant by Ingo Maurer. Its ever-presence lends levity to the space. “These pieces are more than furniture– they’re stories,” she says. “The search for the perfect item, and sometimes its repair is what, for me, adds depth to a home.”
A USM Haller storage module in the living area.
Pictured: The Flos Taccia table lamp.
The kitchen contrasts light marble and black granite benchtops with caramel-hued oak veneer joinery, illuminated by a linear but softly curved Lamina pendant by Santa & Cole. The bathroom, with its wood-panelled walls and Pico floor tiles by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Mutina exude spa-like serenity. “I love how the imperfections of the original materials have aged gracefully,” Moszczyńska adds.
Subtle elements throughout— like the Oyster White walls that change hue with the light—allow vintage and contemporary details to quietly coexist. Books, artworks and tactile objects create a sense of home that evolves with its owners.
“Sustainability is about more than materials,” Moszczyńska says. “It’s about valuing what already exists—preserving it, adapting it, and letting it evolve.” In her hands, this house does more than survive the decades— it has flourished.
Original details and the 70s bones of the home have been maintained where possible, such as the parquet floors. The layered Floatation pendant by Ingo Maurer alludes to the 70s era alongside a Baxter sofa.
There is a classic charm to the home, with original detailing maintained as much as possible. Moszczyńska reinstated timber windows as part of the upgrade.
The Kartell Componibili storage module in the main bathroom.
The apartment is in the Sabya district of Warsaw, which was built in the 70s by architects at the university as a part of an experimental housing project.
