Golden House

NESTLED…

in the luxury residential district of Hanspaulka, Prague lies Golden House – a 527 square meter home designed by polymath Ivanka Kowalski. A graduate of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University, Prague, Ivanka went on to obtain a master’s in applied mathematics from Oxford University. Following a career as a banker at Morgan Stanley and EBRD, the burgeoning designer left the financial industry to pursue her long-time passion for design. Today Ivanka brings her well honed sense of style to homes in the city center and surrounding countryside.

DESIGNED…

for an exclusive property developer, Golden House is one of a series of transformations Ivanka has undertaken in the partnership. The brief for this space was to create an warm, luxurious home with a light, and airy atmosphere.

“When working on the layout of the house my goal was to open up… as much as possible. I removed as many walls and doors as I could to connect space horizontally and placed a generous staircase in the center of the house to connect it vertically across the four floors.” – Ivanka Kowalski

THE MATERIAL…

and color palette were of utmost importance to the transformation – with a special focus put on natural tones and materials. The pared down selection of American walnut, travertine, brass, white walls and concrete floors aid in unifying the home – running from one space to the next “like its DNA.” the designer explains.

A TWIST…

on traditional hardwood, Ivanka opted for white concrete flooring throughout. This austere choice was balanced by swaths of warm wood walls, built-ins, and brass detailing, including a brass kitchen island at the ground floor’s heart.

IN THE…

master suite, Ivanka clad the ceilings in American walnut – creating a textural landscape that carries through to the dressing room and en suite bath. Designed as a continuous space, the master’s functional areas were delineated via transparent walls of glass – allowing for dramatic views onto rich wood details, a sculptural bath, and tailored travertine sink.

OF ALL…

the takeaways from this luxe Prague abode, we are possibly most fascinated with the clarity of thought behind it all… from the architectural approach to creating a sense of connection, both horizontally and vertically, to the concept of a material palette as DNA – we can hardly wait to see (and hear) what’s next from Ivanka Kowalski.