Tucked away in the suburban forestry of Berlin, this summer apartment designed by Jacek Kolasi?ski of Loft Kolasi?ski is transporting us to lazy summer days against a provincial European backdrop.

Drawing on influences from Mediterranean architecture, the home is at once rustic, contemporary and eccentric, including subtle references to Polish design through the furnishings and accessories. With clear character, it feels both well-worn and fresh, ready to greet guests in search of a relaxed holiday home.

DESIGN Loft Kolasinski | PHOTOGRAPHY Karolina Bak

The apartment is part of a palace complex flanked by forest in the outskirts of Berlin, which posed an interesting starting point for the new design of the home. The once-elegant building had to first be thoroughly cleaned and garbage removed, and the walls required drying and restoration to make up the years of disrepair. Once the foundations of the home were up to scratch, an extensive renovation was undertaken to reflect the apartment’s new status as a holiday home, primarily for visitors in the summer and holiday months.

While inspired in part by traditional Mediterranean architecture, the home’s design was also influenced by local rural character, developed in the renovation process. Refining and simplifying the structure and materials has created a rustic, homely backdrop for the home, while furnishings add a touch of eccentricity. Kolasi?ski weaves in references to Polish design and heritage through the well-curated furniture selection, with pieces like the lamps, rugs and armchairs sourced from bespoke Polish manufacturers, as well as Loft Kolasi?ski’s own studio designs. 

If the combination of a rustic, minimal Mediterranean style and handpicked antique furnishings from Eastern Europe may sound a bit jarring on paper, there’s no such tension in the home itself. Instead, you get the feeling that every element of this design has been considered for character, building a holiday home that feels preserved from its heyday, rather than a modern restoration.

Described by the designer as “simple, homely and with a little rural character”, the kitchen embraces its status as the relaxed meeting place of the home, with a large communal table, exposed stainless steel shelving and window seats bathed in natural light.

Although Polish design certainly dominates the furniture collection, there are also midcentury pieces sourced from the Czech Republic and Denmark. Fitting in with home’s design emphasis on unique pieces with a touch of eccentricity, many of these pieces were made bespoke years earlier and sourced through the design process.