Residential Design, Small ProjectsFlorence LMay 24, 2025Interior Design, Residential Design, Prague

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE || A Clever Apartment Redesign That Feels Like a Family House

Residential Design, Small ProjectsFlorence LMay 24, 2025Interior Design, Residential Design, Prague

Some designs shout to be noticed. Others reveal their brilliance through quiet precision.

This Prague apartment, reimagined by No Architects, does just that. On paper, it’s an 82m² flat in a century-old building, statistically average by Czech standards. But with architectural sleight of hand, this compact dwelling unfolds into a spatial symphony of 11 living zones, challenging every preconception about small living.

*A sculptural hallway connecting the various zones of the home doubles as a storage and seating area, setting the tone for this light-filled apartment.*

*Clever spatial planning turns every surface—walls, storage, even transitions—into an opportunity.*

In cities where square footage is currency, “More Than Meets the Eye” isn’t just a title—it’s a philosophy. Rather than trimming down to fit the constraints of the original three-room layout, the architects did the unthinkable: they added space by rethinking purpose.

Circulation was no longer residual. Rooms weren’t just functional—they were expressive. At the centre of the apartment, a long hallway becomes a spine that holds the home together. Not merely a passageway, it acts as a seating area, display corridor, and buffer—all while diffusing light deep into the plan.

*The kitchen’s muted palette and round dining table offer a calming space for daily rituals.*

*Sunlight animates the living room, where built-in bookshelves frame a flexible seating platform.* *A modular couch transforms into a lounge zone or guest bed in the multipurpose living area.*

From there, the living zones unfold in a well-choreographed rhythm. A raised platform beneath the living room window invites rest, reading, and conversation, framed by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that feel both practical and poetic. A generous round dining table anchors the kitchen, which is visually and conceptually open to the rest of the apartment. The window between the kitchen and hall doubles as a playful camera obscura—a reminder that design can be rigorous and joyful.

*Overhead storage and a sea-green headboard bring understated charm to the sleeping quarters.*

*Bunk-style beds and pops of colour animate a child's room designed for rest and play.*

The private rooms are just as intentional. Two children’s bedrooms cleverly accommodate three young inhabitants, while the primary bedroom balances softness and structure with a bespoke headboard, fluted detailing, and integrated storage. Even the hallway, often the most neglected area in apartments, is treated with dignity: it receives daylight through glass doors and plays host to a tidy dressing area and laundry room. A sauna—yes, a sauna—adds unexpected comfort, proving that no detail was too ambitious.

*The clever and intentional spatial planning left sufficient room for a sauna, yet another space for residents to relax and unwind.*

Materially, the palette is understated yet warm. Oak parquet floors flow throughout, accented by ceramic tiles, muted MDF joinery, and soft-toned built-ins that bend and curve like the softened edges of a well-used page. There is continuity here but not repetition; each room is resolved in its own way while contributing to a unified whole.

What sets this project apart is not just spatial generosity but emotional intelligence. It understands that a home is more than the sum of its parts; it’s a container for memory, movement, and meaning. No Architect has shown that with precision and poetry, even the most modest apartment can become an expansive, livable world.