How long has this apartment been your home?
I’ve been living in this particular apartment for more than five years. Back when I was still looking for a place, I’d narrowed it down to a few apartments that I liked based on the listings. This one wasn’t among them, but a friend who was helping me call real estate agencies arranged a viewing for me. I really didn’t feel like going, but I went anyway. It was the first apartment I saw, and it was love at first sight. I was also drawn to the beautiful, green, and clean courtyard that the building’s residents can use. But I’ve actually lived in this neighborhood for much longer—over ten years. My first home here was a spacious studio apartment, which I moved into after living abroad for a while.
What do you appreciate most about this neighborhood?
Definitely the local amenities. There are plenty of places where my dog can run around, like the Kinský Gardens. I also see a big advantage in the fact that it’s just a short walk from here to my shop on Pštrossova Street. From the apartment, it’s just a few steps to Plzeňská Street, where there’s always a tram running that gets me there in a few minutes. Right behind the building is another park, and in a few minutes I’m at the garden bar, which is part of the Gabriel Loci complex. Often, when I come home tired from work, I stop by for a cocktail or two. There are always very friendly people there, and my dog enjoys it too. This location is great for him as well.
Did you furnish the apartment yourself, or did you rent it already furnished like this?
When I moved in, the only furniture here was the kitchen cabinets. I had to furnish everything else myself. I love the Kartell brand, which is why you’ll find it in almost every room. The transparent Louis Ghost chairs in the entryway and bedroom, the Shanghai vase, and the Air du Temps clock in the living room. Most visitors who come here tell me it looks as sterile as a hotel room. But I don’t think so. Every item I have here is here because I have a connection to it. Most of them are souvenirs from my travels or gifts from friends, so I have fond memories associated with them. For example, the Dalú lamp by Artemide that I have in my bedroom was a gift from my colleagues when I left my previous job. A friend brought me the Fornasetti pillows from a trip, and the Kartell clock was a birthday surprise. I’m also very fond of the painting of a girl reading in the kitchen. Every time my grandmother comes to visit, she greets me and then the girl in the painting. (laughs) The vases from my friend František Jungvirt—and the Rückl vase designed by Rony Plesl—are in a league of their own. I like to surround myself with things that bring me joy.
Where at home do you most enjoy spending time when you don’t have to do anything at all?
Definitely on the couch in the living room, which is also my dog’s favorite spot. I just sit there and look at the painting—or rather, the photograph—of my favorite, now-defunct Transgas on Vinohradská Street.
I have it instead of a TV, which I see as a disruption to the home environment. Transgas reminds me of those wonderful times when my friends and I would gather on the concrete railing of this Brutalist building and discuss all the important things happening in our lives. That’s probably why looking at this photograph always calms me down.
Do you plan to stay in this apartment, or would you like to move in the future?
I definitely don’t plan to stay here forever. I need much more space to live than just a living room and one bedroom. I’m missing about two or three rooms here. I often have guests who stay overnight, so I’d use one room as a guest room. I’d also need a separate home office; right now, I’m using my bedroom as a workspace, which isn’t ideal. I’d also like to live on a higher floor than I do now so I can enjoy a view of Prague’s rooftops.
Photo: LEXXUS NORTON.
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