MasteringSpaceEfficiency

We worked on the complete renewal of a Budapest condominium apartment, with the goal of creating a compact yet fully livable home for a family of four. The starting point was a late-1960s apartment that, after 50 years of service, required significant technical and functional refurbishment.

The apartment was almost entirely stripped back to its structural core, allowing for a complete redesign of the spatial layout. The primary aim of the new organization was to maximize space efficiency. Through re-optimizing the floor plan, we created a living area consisting of a lounge and two bedrooms, complemented by a separate bathroom and toilette—tailored to the lifestyle of a family with children. A bathtub was installed in the bathroom, and the kitchen was designed with ergonomic considerations and storage capacity in mind.

Special emphasis was placed on maximizing storage solutions. Every square centimeter was consciously designed, with limited space becoming a source of creative challenge. Most of the built-in furniture was custom joinery, while some elements were crafted by rethinking (or “hacking”) existing IKEA pieces—featuring curved fronts and integrated wall paneling.

The interior design concept combined Scandinavian functionality with Japanese spatial philosophy—following the so-called “Japandi” approach. The result is a space with restrained, natural materiality, deliberately airy yet warm in atmosphere.

One of the client’s key requirements was a short project timeline: design, demolition, and construction were all completed within six months. This was made possible only through meticulously organized workflows and a well-coordinated team effort.

This apartment exemplifies how a modestly sized, decades-old property can be adapted to contemporary living needs—without compromise, both technically and aesthetically.