THIS IS ME INTERIOR DESIGNER GRETA APAP BOLOGNA BRINGS HOMEWORKS A STRIKING APARTMENT OVERLOOKING PJAZZA TIGNÉ WITH A STRONG ARCHITECTURAL BACKDROP CONTRASTED BY SOFT, ELEGANT FURNISHINGS Interior Design & Styling: Greta Apap Bologna, Greta Design Photography: MAS Words: Lisa Borain 028
SPACES HW This is my getaway, my fantasy life. It s pretty, and no one messes it up. It s perfect. This is me, the homeowner of this elegant piazza apartment says with enthusiasm. I can go out to shop, followed by an easy transition to dinner. Now that I ve experienced the apartment on a daily basis, I ve realised how effortless it is. I spend the summer days by the pool or out in Pjazza Tigné. I can spend a whole day here and never get bored. My best friend bought a place here a while back, and when I saw what it was all about, I really wanted one. For a year and a half I looked at different spaces, which all fell through. Eventually the estate agent asked me why I was thinking of investing a lot of money in a place if I wanted to travel so frequently. He suggested buying something smaller and less expensive, since I didn t really need such a huge space. When I walked into this apartment, I literally decided the same day that I would take it. The original architect s strong structural backdrop of the apartment was balanced by the introduction of new, softer, contrasting materials and colours 029
HW SPACES The owner was excited by the original architect s strong structural backdrop of the apartment, but she wanted to balance it with some softness. She commissioned Interior Designer Greta Apap Bologna to create the contrast. Greta was recommended to me by someone who has a good design sense, and I actually didn t approach anyone else. I changed my mind about the brief quite a few times, but Greta and I immediately became friends and we found common ground quickly. When the interior designer entered the picture, the apartment was one big empty concrete room with a structural pillar virtually in the middle it. Due to its architectural angle, it was highly masculine with almost utilitarian muted neutrals, such as black and grey, alongside a khaki green wall colour. Greta, My starting point was listening to the owner s brief, which in the end we realised was an American classic style overall. She also wanted a striking kitchen, as well as an extra bedroom. It was always about prioritising, working with a lot of different textures, and not being afraid of colour. Now, with the introduction of new softer materials, it s full of contrast. Think suede meets steel, marble meets wood, and concrete meets velvet. I felt that the floor and ceiling had to stay because I wanted to keep the original architect s signature on the apartment. I wanted to add on to what he had left, rather than change it. A false ceiling was installed in the kitchen to identify the zone and determine the kitchen area, as well as to create better direct lighting. By mixing the gypsum ceiling corner with the concrete, the contrast of the smooth gypsum touching the hard concrete would enhance the concrete even further. 030
SPACES HW I FELT THAT THE FLOOR AND CEILING HAD TO STAY BECAUSE I WANTED TO KEEP THE ORIGINAL ARCHITECT S SIGNATURE ON THE APARTMENT. I WANTED TO ADD ON TO WHAT HE HAD LEFT, RATHER THAN CHANGE IT. The hallway wall was born from a corridor that was too narrow to accommodate furniture. The interior designer wanted an accent feature point in this area without the usual (and safer) accent colour wall or wallpaper. In order to also accentuate the shadows, she chose the horizontal bamboo wave design to add to the length of the corridor 031
SPACES HW Greta went about contrasting the textures, such as introducing soft-to-the-touch chair upholstery, cushions, and curtains against the concrete. The designer s solution to adding another bedroom was to create a black box to envelop the previous open unused space, and extend the panelling that was already there to make it feel as if the room had always existed. The hallway wall was born from a corridor that was too narrow to accommodate furniture. Greta wanted an accent feature point in this area without the usual (and safer) accent colour wall or wallpaper. In order to also accentuate the shadows, she chose the horizontal bamboo wave design to add to the length of the corridor. The open plan master bedroom includes a comfortably sized bathroom and open wardrobe. Greta installed an island complete with a fireplace that s highly practical, providing extra surface space, and encasing storage. It was created by installing two sideboards back-to-back, then wrapping them in walnut wood, which ties in with the wood of the bed headboard. The softness of the wood mellows the strong black marble flooring. The velvet bespoke headboard which includes shelving at the back began with the position of the floor lights and the window. The bed could afford to be moved forward due to the depth of the room, which allowed A false ceiling was installed in the kitchen to identify the zone and determine the kitchen area, as well as to create better direct lighting. By mixing the gypsum ceiling corner with the concrete, the contrast of the smooth gypsum touching the hard concrete would enhance the concrete even further 033
HW SPACES The velvet bespoke headboard which includes shelving at the back began with the position of the floor lights and the window. The bed could afford to be moved forward due to the depth of the room, which allowed the creation of the focal headboard piece, simultaneously incorporating much-needed additional the creation of the focal headboard piece, simultaneously storage behind incorporating much-needed additional storage. Greta included extending classical lights that descend from the modern mirror feature that was already situated above the bed. The pillar in the middle of the apartment was incorporated into the kitchen design. Here, the corridor wall was extended to create a pantry, which tied it in with the kitchen. Originally, the kitchen had a U-shape design and was totally detached, freestanding from all walls. However, this wasn t functional for the homeowner s lifestyle, as it would have been too limited for her needs. She wanted to have the option of extra storage, as well as a wine fridge. Greta, A home has to have a certain amount of things in it. You have to have them, but they can be concealed, which is why I believe in creating as much storage space as possible, wherever possible. Marble was chosen for the kitchen island to add visual interest from the dining area. The natural veins of the stone create intense movement and as a result, the island has become an eye-catching focal point. Since the layout was changed so drastically in this area, the next obstacle was getting the electric and water services to the other side of the kitchen. The solution was to pass a channel ducting with pipe work, and going a step further, it was designed to incorporate the existing kitchen materials to tie it in. The sliding door to the pantry was clad in mirror to allow those sitting at the dining table looking inwards to have a more interesting view than just a pantry door. Furthermore, it also added depth to the kitchen. Greta felt that retaining solely neutral colours throughout the space could have left it flat, due to the grey of the concrete flooring and ceiling. I wanted different tones of grey juxtaposed by a muted accent colour, and I felt that mustard yellow would work really well here. Also, with accents such as these, the owner can change the mood of the space easily. Outdoor furniture added interest as well as function to the expansive terrace. The owner, I like the feeling of life buzzing outside. It s public, but not the typical public space in Malta. It s organised and clean with good restaurants and coffee shops. Plus, it s car free, which is fantastic. I can hear the fountain all throughout the day and night. Believe it or not, it s a real community here, and it s actually the first time I ve ever gotten to know my neighbours. You meet people by the pool and then keep bumping into them at dinner or cafés. You go down and there s everyone and everything at your doorstep. It s living in Sliema at its best, sans the chaos and car noise. Also, it s secure even though it s a public space, it s very sheltered and private with full time security. Greta, Working on this apartment was so much fun. Not knowing the client at all and then becoming such good friends through the project was a wonderful experience. We were very similar in our priorities and tastes, so the decisions were quick and uncomplicated I love that! The open plan master bedroom includes a comfortably sized bathroom and open wardrobe. The interior designer installed an island complete with a fireplace that s highly practical, providing extra surface space, and encasing storage. It was created by installing two sideboards backto-back, then wrapping them in walnut wood, which ties in with the wood of the bed headboard The end result of combining the original masculine architectural backdrop with Greta s soft and elegant furnishings was a hugely unique look, with an overall comfortable feel. This, coupled with the easy location makes this homeowner a very happy one: I never realised how easy it was living here until I invested time in truly experiencing the lifestyle. Now, I really don t want to go anywhere else! 034