Penthouse interior design: a home above the city

A panoramic window offers several possible settings. A pair of chairs beside the glass invites time alone or a conversation for two. A larger group of seats set further into the room can bring friends together while keeping the skyline in view. The dining table may deserve a particular outlook of its own.

Study the view from each seat, at the height at which it will actually be enjoyed. Consider where someone will put a glass or a book, and where other people will walk. A sofa facing the window can be wonderful for looking out; the arrangement still needs to support the conversations you want to have.

Where a terrace is part of the property, include the door and the route outside in that same study. Furniture should make it easy to move between an evening indoors and time outside. The terrace's use and exposure need their own design review.

Decide what you want a guest to encounter first. A glimpse of the skyline may lead the eye through the room. A painting or a piece of furniture might deserve the first moment of attention, with the wider view revealed as someone enters.

Trace the route from the apartment entrance to the place where you receive people. Include coats, bags and a guest bathroom in the plan. If the lift opens directly into the residence, the arrival needs particular thought; if it opens onto a shared landing, the sequence begins differently.

The same plan should let someone come home, reach a bedroom or take a private call while guests are still there. Discuss the degree of separation you prefer. Some households enjoy a very open interior; others want a clear threshold between hosting and private life.

Extensive glazing can leave fewer uninterrupted walls for paintings, books and objects. Bring important pieces into the conversation before the room is furnished. Their scale may influence an interior elevation, a doorway or the position of a cabinet.

A collection can give the home a character that no showroom arrangement can provide. Consider what you want to see every day and what deserves a more deliberate setting. The right place for a painting may be the view from a favourite chair, while a group of smaller objects may belong close enough to be handled and enjoyed.

Review display lighting, direct sunlight and any conservation requirements with the appropriate specialists. These decisions should support the way you want to live with the collection.

Visit the property in the evening if possible. The relationship between the interior and the view changes when lights are on; reflections in the glazing can become part of what you see. Review proposed lighting from the main seats, including the places used for dinner and conversation.

Give the room options. A table can have its own light while the surrounding interior becomes softer. A reading position needs a different setting. Window treatments should be considered alongside the architecture, with space for their fittings and movement planned early.

Brightness, darkness, colour and texture can all create pleasure. The decisions should follow the atmosphere you want, from a lively evening with friends to a slower morning at home.

For a private apartment in Złota 44, AD’ developed the interior in relation to the tower's architecture and panoramic city views. In the living-room design, a pale stone fireplace wall, a generous seating arrangement and a bar beside the glazing give the room several places to gather. The bedroom and adjoining jacuzzi continue the material palette into the private rooms.

The project illustrates how an interior can have its own presence alongside a strong outlook. The tower architecture is by Daniel Libeskind; AD’ is responsible for the interior design. The images shown here are design visualisations of the apartment.

Explore the Złota 44 apartment.

A newly acquired shell and an existing furnished apartment start at different points. Establish which layouts and finishes can change, what the building management needs to review and which consultants are already involved. Access for large furniture and bespoke pieces also deserves attention before those pieces are ordered.

For an owner who divides time between homes, agree how drawings, samples and decisions will be reviewed while away. At AD’, Andrea and Lorena lead the team assembled for the commission, with meetings at the property, on site or remotely. The appointment sets out the design stages, specialist input and visits needed for the work.

Our residential interior architecture brings the plan, architectural details, materials and furnishings into one design. A project can begin before every part of the brief is settled.