Amber Apartment by em²
In Warsaw, em² shapes Amber Apartment as a quiet counterpoint to the pace of city life, designed as a place of retreat for clients drawn to the Baltic Sea and the restorative presence of art and nature.
Conceived as a holiday-minded interior, the project tempers the apartment’s raw, angular shell with softened geometry and a warm, light material palette.
Curved forms guide the design from the outset. A gently arcing oak built-in becomes the project’s central structure, organising daily living while allowing movement to feel open and unforced. In the entrance hall, a large-format mirror expands the threshold to the main living area, pulling daylight deeper into the plan and brightening the apartment’s darker passages.
Material decisions are grounded in finishes associated with landscape and touch. Italian travertine, bleached oak, architectural concrete, clay plasters and natural wool fabrics create a calm base that stays consistent across rooms, shifting in proportion rather than changing direction. In the main bedroom, oak joinery takes prominence against a travertine headboard, while the bathrooms give travertine centre stage through sculptural basins and stone-lined bath and shower enclosures. In the study and guest room, a wardrobe transitions seamlessly into wall cladding, forming a continuous oak surface with a wave-like contour.
In the shared areas, the floor is cast in architectural concrete and inlaid with travertine slabs, producing an oversized terrazzo effect that adds texture without introducing contrast. The kitchen island anchors the main space, supported by a substantial travertine leg that doubles as a bar, its profile shaped in response to the room’s geometry. Nearby, a custom round oak dining table rests on three turned legs, and the living room is completed by a shelving unit designed to integrate television and audio equipment.
Art sits at the forefront, supported by restraint elsewhere. The interior is tuned as a backdrop for a private collection, with soft tonal shifts and gentle materials allowing each work to hold attention. A painting by Agata Bogacka sets the tone on entry, followed by a work by Karolina Jabłońska in the main bedroom and an integrated piece by Edward Dwurnik in the guest room.
Lighting is kept deliberate and edited, limited to a small selection of decorative models repeated across the apartment. Dimple Sconce wall lights by RBW Lighting and Tense pendant lamps by New Works feature in the living room, adding warmth and definition without overtaking the calmness of the palette. Danish furniture completes the setting, including the Hay Mags sofa, the &Tradition Little Petra armchair, &Tradition Betty chairs and HVEN bar stools by Fritz Hansen, alongside Gropius chairs by Noom at the desks.
