Tropical Spice

Authors’ Comment

The story of this green and south-easterly lit two-room apartment begins with a young couple from Bucharest, with a good visual eye and a clear brief to match their desires: a joyful space where they will feel at home with their pet, surrounded by their natural plants and collectibles, while also being a space where they can work from home.
Hence the open space is divided into 3 functional spaces: the working zone that blends with the dining area and the living room - the relaxing space with the sofa and armchair, open shelves and a TV. In the same open space also stands one of the storage areas of the apartment, hidden by wooden panels and behind clear mirrors, as tricking the senses by magic into perceiving a bigger space. Amplified by an intelligent artificial lighting, the natural light flows in. Nothing is crowded.
The custom furniture is designed with a bifunctional purpose: acting as a stand for the collection of plants inside the place, but also to give a shelter for the owners’ cat, by creating a multitude of pieces of furniture for this goal. The TV stand with miniature stairs and openings bears witness to the fact that at least one of the owners is not a human.
The leit-motif of this imminent sense of biophilia is the touch of wood and a greenish palette, omnipresent throughout the space, but also with a touch of black and concrete, standing as a reminder that the place is still located inside one of the largest urban areas of Europe. Some industrial accents have been added, the glass sliding door with metal frames that separates the kitchen from the open space stands as the best testimony for this contemporary feeling. The kitchen becomes a black pillar inside the apartment, yet sweetened by wood and playful accents such as the green arch to the pantry or the patterned backsplash.
In order further emphasize the sense of warmness, multiple upholstered resting areas are present: the sofa and the armchair, with organic pet-friendly upholstery, but also the daybed, specially designed for reading and leisure. More natural materials are used, such as clay, eco paper, jute, wool or upcycled wood, especially in the living and the bedroom where is a continuously need for a visual and tangible comfort.