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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Apartment Amsterdam in Netherlands by Robert KolenikJanuary 27th, 2017 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Robert Kolenik Kolenik creates multifunctional luxury apartment in Amsterdam. ‘A typical Amsterdam apartment’ is how the interior designer Robert Kolenik describes this apartment in Amsterdam city centre, which comprises the upper three floors of a building. Having lived and worked abroad for years, the owner asked Kolenik to come up with an interior design for his apartment. ‘Homes in the city centre are limited in terms of size’, the designer explains, ‘so the challenge is to create functional space that retains a luxurious, homely feel.’  Image Courtesy © Robert Kolenik
 Image Courtesy © Robert Kolenik As part of his concept, the first thing that interior designer Robert Kolenik did was to design a large wall unit to link together all the spaces in the apartment naturally. In narrower or smaller spaces, most people tend to use smaller pieces of furniture. ‘I do the opposite’, Kolenik explains. ‘By putting in larger pieces, I emphasise a sense of spaciousness in the home. The floating block in dark oak creates a line in the apartment that visually enlarges the space.’  Image Courtesy © Robert Kolenik The seating area is a symbiosis of colour and style. The living room design features modern furniture, most notably two Minotti armchairs with backs of dark grey leather, and insides upholstered in subtle grey suede. Standing opposite them is a four metre-long Hamilton sofa, also by Minotti. The coffee table is fashioned from bronze and marble. ‘The side table and the coffee table are closely matched. Their luxury materials link up to the finishes on the wall cabinet’, Kolenik explains.  Image Courtesy © Robert Kolenik In his dining area concept the interior designer has combined a solid walnut table with Vitra chairs upholstered in fine felt. The whole area is lit with warm LED lighting that is indirectly positioned behind the television cabinet. There is also an integrated 130 centimetre-wide gas fireplace by Boley in the centre of the space; a solid piece that adds both a touch of luxury and a great deal of warmth to this apartment in Amsterdam.  Image Courtesy © Robert Kolenik About Interior designer Robert Kolenik Robert Kolenik (1981, Westervoort) is an interior designer and furniture designer with a warm, luxurious, international and timeless signature. He represents the new generation of Dutch designers who are respected and admired around the world. This is due to the high quality of their work, their businesslike approach and their unique design style. What’s more, Kolenik combines all this with a huge amount of passion, a critical eye and an inspiring personality. His design studio is based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. From here, he creates a wide variety of interiors and design furniture. These range from villas to restaurants, and from design chandeliers to sofas. The interior designer’s projects take him all over the world. He might be in London for a villa in Notting Hill one day, and in Mauritius designing a beachfront home the next. The common thread running through all these designs is his rich, natural approach to design and production. Aficionados will recognise this design philosophy in the Eco Chic Awareness Label. Kolenik founded the label in 2014 and he is still passionate about it today.  Image Courtesy © Robert Kolenik Interior roots After completing his marketing degree in 2004, Robert Kolenik started work at his father’s construction firm. This taught him all aspects of the job, from technical installation to plastering and carpentry. This early practical experience would turn out to be of crucial importance to his development as a designer. After the sudden death of his father, Kolenik took over the business in 2005 and renamed it Kolenik Interior renovations.  Image Courtesy © Robert Kolenik After spending three years renovating homes and hospitality venues, Kolenik landed his first big design commission in 2008. This was for the interior design of the Demain cocktail bar in Nijmegen This year would mark the beginning of his career’s stellar growth, despite the serious financial crisis that had taken the world by storm.  Image Courtesy © Robert Kolenik Rising star In 2010, the young designer set up his own design studio in Amsterdam under the name Kolenik Eco Chic Design. That same year, having taken part in a number of prestigious trade fairs, he won an award. At that point, his name was already established amongst a select group of fans of his warm, luxurious and minimalistic style.  Image Courtesy © Robert Kolenik Right from the start, Kolenik Eco Chic Design’s portfolio expanded rapidly, and it includes an impressively diverse range of projects. These range from individual home interiors to a variety of corporate designs. He has also created a furniture range and designs for high-profile brands that are implemented under licence. His studio’s ability to translate brand values into appropriate designs for hotels, restaurants and bars means that Robert Kolenik is now a well-known name when it comes to hospitality design projects. Kolenik Eco Chic Design, which now boasts an experienced team of architects, designers and graphic designers, is rapidly spreading its wings all over the world.  Image Courtesy © Robert Kolenik Environmental focus Driven by his passion for nature conservation, Kolenik decided to co-found Plastic Soup Foundation Junior in 2014. The foundation organises educational programmes to raise children’s awareness from a young age of the plastic waste polluting the seas. Later, Kolenik also started the Eco Chic Awareness Label, his sustainable design guarantee. This means that where possible, his designs – from furniture to lamps – incorporate rich, natural materials, chosen with the greatest care. And that’s not all: his pieces are also manufactured ecologically, as well as complying with the very highest quality standards.  Image Courtesy © Robert Kolenik Style and philosophy Kolenik finds inspiration for his interiors in the natural world. His subtle use of colour is drawn from nature. So too are the materials that he lovingly uses in his interiors and designs. These range from luxurious woods and natural stone to shells. The carefully considered and consciously chosen balance between functionality and aesthetics creates harmony in every – unique – design and interior. Natural elements like living green walls and the spectacular boardroom aquarium are endlessly fascinating and unique. And that’s not forgetting his use of sophisticated technology to create optimal comfort, plus his eye for a perfect finish.  Image Courtesy © Robert Kolenik  Image Courtesy © Robert Kolenik
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Tags: Amsterdam, Netherlands Categories: Apartments, Residential |
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