WHILE ORIGINAL, CLASSICAL FEATURES were retained in this 180-sq-m apartment, found in an elegant 1930s
building in a bohemian hub, new elements were incorporated to create a more functional, interesting space for the
homeowners: Isis Colombe Combréas, her husband Karel Balas, and their children, daughter Hiroko and son Aliocha.
The architects responsible for the new design, Andrea Marcante and Adelaide Testa, say their clients gave very clear
and precise specifications at the get-go. The home had to be made more functional for the family of four, without any
major structural changes. Special attention had to be paid to communal areas, such as the kitchen and study, and
private areas – bedrooms and bathrooms – to create different spaces for everyone to retreat to. There was also a tight
deadline (the family could only relocate for up to three months while the work was done) and a strict budget.
Fortunately, the architects and clients were immediately in complete, and somewhat daring, agreement. Alongside
the functional requirements to be met, it was decided that – without physically altering the space – a new kind of
architectural “idiom” would be introduced into the apartment creating a very different look and feel in the home. APERFORATED-METAL
SCREEN DIVIDES THE SPACE@reallivingmag