A Sweetly Simple, Minimal Poland Apartment Is Inspired by (and Designed Around) Music

Name: Wiktor and Natalia
Location: Kraków, Poland
Size: 840 square feet (78 square meters)
Years lived in: 2 years

Kraków lures you in with its abundance of beauty and rich culture, all while delighting you with its hospitality. And as you move into the industrial neighborhood of Zabłocie, a young family has set up their home—creating their own personal mix of music and minimalism in a city of beauty.

Victor and Natalia’s cozy home is a short stroll to the MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art and culinary hot spots in their vibrant neighborhood. In their home, a warm industrial vibe blends with mid-century aesthetics, all underlined by a respect for minimal living…and all done on a very tight budget.

The home itself revolves around music. Whether it is making it or listening to it, there is never a time that tunes are not heard within the home. This passion for music is also reflected visually in the home’s design: a 1960s Polish-made piano stands out as a masterpiece of craftsmanship and an elaborate Hi-Fi tube amplifier system hand made by Victor is a statement piece. And with young children living here, the couple also created a space that is comfortable and playful for kids, as well.

Our Style: Minimalist/1960s

Inspiration: Apartment Therapy, Polish interior design of 1960s and 1970s

Favorite Element: It’s hard to choose one—probably the entire setup for the hi fi system—vintage furniture + my father’s record player + amplifier and speakers hand-made by Wiktor

Biggest Challenge: To accommodate four people (two adults and two children) without cluttering the space

What Friends Say: Friends love the living area with sofas and carpet to sit on.

Biggest Embarrassment: Right now the state of our walls (due to the children)

Proudest DIY: Practically all our storage is DIY

Biggest Indulgence: Wooden floors. We had a limited budget, but at the same time one of our priorities was to stick to natural materials such as wood, metal and glass. So we decided not to get a few things but have the entire floor covered in wood.

Best Advice: Do not try to make everything perfect. Leave some empty space.

• Chest of drawers: IKEA
• Mirror: Loft Home
• Doll: Przytullale
• closet: DIY (curtain: IKEA)
• bench: IKEA
• bookshelves: hardware store

• Green couch: IKEA hack
• Navy blue couch: IKEA
• Blanket on the couch: second-hand
• Carpet: Komfort
• Amplifier and speakers: Haiku Audio

• Table and chairs: vintage
• Lamp: vintage
• Poster over the table: a poster from one of Wiktor’s concerts

• White cabinets and all the equipment: IKEA

• Bed: IKEA
• Closet: DIY (curtain: IKEA)
• Bookcase by the bed: DIY
• Framed print on the bookcase: heirloom
• Glass/metal desk and shelves: IKEA

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