While it is easy to imagine renovation and remodeling as the process of adding new pieces - new furniture, new windows, fresh paint - it can just as readily be the process of taking things away. In this Lithuanian home renovation, interior designers Ramūnas Manikas and Valdas Kontrimas from the Ramūnas Manikas firm streamlined and simplified an existing house, giving it an entirely new life. From the open floor plan they created on the ground floor to the sunny and sleep spaces dedicated to the upstairs bedrooms, the minimalist home became a place of easy relaxation and ultimate beauty.
The main living area downstairs consists of the living room, dining room, and kitchen. The original space had these rooms clearly delineated, but the new design opens up the space so that they all flow together. The central wall around which the rooms pivot contains a modern answer to a fireplace, certainly a requirement in Lithuania.
While the interior is certainly minimalist in its furnishings and colors, it is not boring. The flat gray on the walls has an almost velvety look to it while sunlight pours in from the wide window in the dining room. Plenty of white in the furniture and paint makes the entire space feel bright and clean.
The staircase was also part of the renovation. Where it was once a bit dark and dreary, the new open design on the ground floor allowed natural light to hit the stairs. The dark wood flooring is one of the few decadent indicators in the otherwise stark interior.
The bedrooms and bathrooms on the second level are, of course, closed off from one another but still maintain the simple elegance of the ground floor rooms. From white tiles and wood paneling to a smattering of colored glass flooring, the rooms have their own personality while staying within the theme of the overall design.
