Apartment in Špindlerův Mlýn

Introduction
The design works with the theme of recreational housing, high user comfort, and material continuity with the mountain environment. It combines the current standard of apartment accommodation with the atmosphere of a mountain lodge, without slipping into literal decorativeness or kitsch.

Initial Condition
The apartment is located on a slope, just two hundred meters from the ski slope in Špindlerův Mlýn. The investor purchased it in a "shell and core" state, which allowed for the complete design of the layout, material solution, and built-in elements from scratch. Due to the complete absence of internal partitions, it was possible to divide the space very freely, respecting only the perimeter structures, window openings, and the existing location of the plumbing for water and sewage.

Structural Solution
A fundamental structural engineering intervention was the relocation of the entrance door in the public hallway to a new position. This step required the removal of the original steel column that supported the top truss. The column was replaced with a steel weldment in the shape of an inverted U, which allowed for the creation of a new passage while maintaining the load-bearing function of the roof structure. The intervention also contributed to a more logical arrangement of the entry zone and the associated operational parts of the apartment. The steel structure itself is hidden in built-in cabinets at the entrance.

Architectural Concept
The basic motif of the design is the contrast between warm wood, light surfaces, and dark metal details. The distinctive grain of oak veneer and solid larch wood meets the white built-in surfaces, gray ceramic tiles, and black elements of fittings, lighting, and furniture details. The result is a contemporary mountain interior that appears visually calm yet retains a sufficiently distinct character.

Spatial Solution
The operation of the apartment is divided into an entrance and hygiene section, a separate bedroom, and a main living space connected to a second bedroom that can be separated by a heavy curtain. This curtain can be completely hidden in a niche behind the television if needed.
The entrance hallway serves as a filter between the exterior and the living part. It is complemented by a bench with metal shelves, hangers, storage capacities, and space for sports equipment, including a snowboard or skis. A specific element is the dryer for shoes, gloves, and other equipment.
The entrance section is followed by a separate toilet and a bathroom with a shower and a Finnish sauna. The work surface, including the sink, is made of artificial stone as one compact unit. Beneath the countertop, beside the sink, the washing machine is placed behind doors.
The main living space consists of a room opened to the roof structure, which includes a kitchen, dining area, living area, and the second bedroom. The kitchen unit is designed as a built-in furniture block that becomes a natural part of the interior. The dining table extends from the kitchen island and creates a central place in the apartment, accentuated by distinctive glass light fixtures from the brand Bomma.
The separate bedroom works with a more intimate scale. The wooden cladding on the wall behind the bed and the adjoining wooden ceiling create a compact, warm, and acoustically pleasant space, enhanced by a soft carpet on the floor. The motif of the mountains also appears in the details – in textiles with a deer motif, decorative trophy elements, and subdued lighting.
In the hallway, a flat ceiling is designed, above which a storage space is created for less frequently used items.

Materials and Surfaces
The dominant material of the interior is wood. It appears on the floors, wall cladding, furniture doors, door wings, window casings, and the ceiling. The wood used has a pronounced grain, knots, and natural color variations, which bring authenticity and natural irregularity to the interior. This structure prevents individual elements from appearing too technical or anonymous.
In the hygienic spaces and the entrance section, large-format gray ceramic tiles and cladding evoking natural stone are used. The material was chosen with regard to durability, ease of maintenance, and the operational demands of a mountain apartment. The gray ceramics also create a neutral background for the wood, black fixtures, and glass elements.
The white surfaces of the built-in cabinets, doors, and shelving units visually lighten the interior and balance the pronounced grain of the wood.

Atypical Details
There are oak handles, hooks shaped like antlers, doors with hidden frames revealing only black knobs, and wooden window frames with recessed tracks for curtains and drapes. The floor convectors are fitted with oak grilles so that technical elements naturally blend into the overall interior solution.
A part of the living space is a Samsung The Frame television, which functions as a picture when idle and thus does not disrupt the character of the room. A significant element of the kitchen is the glass panel behind the countertop featuring a photograph of the Krkonoš mountains, which brings a direct visual reference to the surrounding mountain landscape into the interior.

Heating is addressed centrally. The heating elements consist of a combination of floor convectors placed under the windows and radiators.

Furniture and Storage Solution
A substantial component of the design is atypical built-in furniture that maximally utilizes available space without visual clutter. Storage capacities are integrated into walls, niches, benches, and built-ins.

Lighting
The lighting is designed in multiple layers. Basic technical lighting is provided by recessed spotlights and linear LED elements. These are complemented by decorative pendant lights with glass shades that soften the overall atmosphere of the interior. Soft wall lighting is used at the beds to support the intimate character of the rooms. The backlit mirror in the toilet functions as a striking atmospheric element and also visually enlarges the space.

Relationship to the Place
Although this is an interior installation, the design significantly engages with the surrounding environment. Large windows frame views of the mountain landscape and bring changing natural light and the atmosphere of frequently changing weather into the interior.

Conclusion
The final architectural solution avoids literal stylization of a mountain cottage. Instead, it combines contemporary details, clean lines, and quality materials with an atmosphere that is natural for the mountain environment. The result is an apartment that, according to the owners, works well as a comfortable recreational base while preserving a timeless character.

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Owners' Evaluation
"The collaboration on our apartment in Špindlerův Mlýn was absolutely fantastic and the result exceeded our expectations. It perfectly combines beautiful design with maximum functionality. We especially enjoy the generous kitchen with an island and how cleverly the whole apartment is interwoven with storage spaces. The shelving unit adds amazing variation and flair to the living room. A separate chapter is the bathroom, which has turned into a true SPA – we love the sauna, the enormous mirror, the practical niche in the shower that stretches across the entire wall, and the beautiful sink cast in one piece with a countertop, under which the washing machine is also hidden. Every day, we are delighted by the thoughtful details from the inventive photo behind the kitchen counter to the elegant hooks in the hallway to the wonderfully designed curtain that cozily separates the sleeping area. The attic for seasonal item storage is the most practical to us, and replacing a classic wardrobe with a heated towel rail for wet clothing after skiing was an absolutely genius move. Thank you very much for the beautiful work and perfect approach!"