When a young couple bought a modest apartment in the city center of Katowice, Poland, to turn it into a vacation rental, they knew the transformation would have to be dramatic to make it stand out on rental listing sites. So they approached local interior design studio Mistovia, who took inspiration from the building’s ’70s heritage to perform an eye-catching renovation.

“There are so many apartments in Poland from the 1970s,” says interior designer Marcin Czopek of Mistovia. “Unfortunately, young people often get rid of the fit-out completely. We wanted to refer to the history and atmosphere of the existing interior.”

During the renovation, all the interior walls of the roughly 376-square-foot apartment were demolished to create a more open plan, and the size of the kitchen was reduced to allow for a larger living-and-dining area. The bedroom is separated from the bathroom with a brick-red curtain that adds a splash of color and contrasts with the bright-blue bathroom door. “The layout of the apartment is similar to that of a room in a boutique hotel,” says Czopek.

The previous owner left much of the original furniture in the apartment, so Mistovia decided to restore them and give them new functions. A chest of drawers from the living room, for example, has become a kitchen unit, while a display case has been turned into a television cabinet.

“There are so many apartments in Poland from the 1970s. We wanted to refer to the history and atmosphere of the existing interior.”
—Marcin Czopek, interior designer

Since the space is intended as a short-term rental and requires regular housekeeping, it was essential to find a clever way to store cleaning products. The solution is a mirrored unit adjacent to the kitchen that not only conceals the cleaning supplies, but also the dishwasher, refrigerator, and washing machine.

The material and color palette throughout pays homage to the ’70s. The new bathroom is enclosed with a curving wall of glass blocks, a material choice inspired by the building’s stairwell, and features a plywood door stained blue. One of the walls has been stripped back to expose the structural concrete, and timber flooring combines with a chunky terrazzo that climbs the wall in the bathroom. “These raw materials have been paired with textiles that warm the interior and create interesting texture and structure,” says Czopek.

Of the project’s $31,000 budget—which was meticulously tracked—the largest expenditure was renovating the furniture.

“Looking at website’s rental offerings—most of which are in sensible grays and neutral whites—we knew that we wanted to showcase juxtaposing materials and daring colors that are completely different,” says Czopek. “Entering this apartment is like moving into the ’70s.”

Book your own stay at Katowice Apartment via the Airbnb listing.

Related Reading:

A London Townhouse Captures the Glamour of the Hollywood Hills in the ’70s

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Project Credits:

Interior Designer: Mistovia / @mistovia

Photographer: Oni Studio / @onistories