This 968-Square-Foot Seaside Home in Poland Is Full of Colorful Surprises
Hanna Połczyńska
Owning a summer home on the Polish coast had always been high on Agnes Berchem’s wishlist. But the Poland-raised, Luxembourg–based art collector and curator, who runs art gallery Galerie 39 alongside her husband, Remy, was wary of committing to just anything. (“Seaside or nothing” was her motto.) So when she found something by the sea in the northern Polish town of Puck, with room for the couple’s art at that, she took it as a sign (or two) from the universe. “It seemed perfect,” recalls Agnes. Except it wasn’t—at least not right away. The interior had lost its sheen, and luckily, the couple knew just the person to bring it back—interior designer Magdalena Bielicka of Gdynia-based studio Pracownia Magma, to whom they’d been introduced by a mutual acquaintance just a few months prior.
Aesthetically speaking, Agnes and Remy knew what they wanted, but they also knew what they didn’t—which was, basically, anything too formal. “Our home in Luxembourg already was, so we decided to do a complete 180 with this one,” shares Agnes. Her brief to Magdalena? “Make it interesting!” Which, to Magadalena’s mind, meant something bold and vibrant, with free-flowing spaces, open-plan layouts, and art—lots of art—not just as paintings and sculpture, but also as furniture, furnishings, and objects. “Their Luxembourg residence had an impressive collection of vintage designs, some of which found new life in this apartment,” avers Magdalena, who conceived the interior as a colorful counterpoint to the soothing water views.
One painting that was reborn, so to speak, was the Eugeniusz Minciel abstraction in the dining room, which as Agnes tells it, “didn't really do much for our other home, but really shines in this one.” So it does, thanks to its palette, which echoes all the colors of the interior and sets the stage for more curiosities, including the Jo Malano artwork in the lounge and the custom dining table with a Rosso Lepanto marble top, which Magdalena tailored to the shape and proportions of the awkwardly shaped dining room. In the same spirit, anything and everything was considered art, even the full-height bedroom doors with Art Deco patterned fronts, which glide open like Mondrian stage screens.
When it came to decor, Magdalena had one rule: the brighter, the better. So in came original Eugen Schmidt chairs in burgundy. Up went gilded Art Deco lamps. One bedroom received a red ceiling and door frame, while another was cocooned in terracotta. “We went for dark, atmospheric colors in the bedrooms to effectively cancel the noise and light of everyday life,” notes Magdalena. Not all light, however, required canceling. Exhibit A: the entrance, which was already long and dark. “The main challenge for us was to brighten this section, which had no access to daylight.” The solution, it turned out, was knocking down the wall to the kitchen, which Magdalena did to open up a magical view to the seaside.
Because they use it as a holiday home, Agnes and Remy specified lots of cozy perches. “Our favorite is the turquoise sofa by &Tradition,” says Remy. “We have a beautiful view to the water, so you can knock back with a paper and a cup of tea. It’s the perfect spot for a sunny afternoon.” So perfect, that the couple has already received interest from prospective buyers (for the home, not the couch)—with said list including their contractor, a few friends, and the parents of their architect. But as a long-held dream come true, it’s safe to say that they have no plans of parting with the home anytime soon.
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
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