After many years in London, interior designer hana sally Knew it was time to return home to Vienna. With a priceless historic apartment in his family’s possession that was finally vacant after decades, the decision was clear.
Built in the late 1800s and located in the city’s famous Third District, the more than 1,000-square-foot estate was originally owned by Sally’s grandfather’s uncle. A Jewish man who survived the Holocaust managed to pass on the apartment to his nephew. The family has taken care of it since then, with the unit mostly being used as a rental property. Its most recent resident was an elderly woman – an opera singer with eclectic tastes who lived there until her death. “He had quite a strange style,” says Sally, who planned to take over the place as her home. “But we had a tight budget and we had to look at the layers to see what could work and what would have to be renovated.”
His first order of business was to modernize the kitchen, which was cramped, dark and outdated. “It felt like you were in an old pub,” explains Sally. The goal was to open up and brighten it up—and since it was a room that required a complete renovation, Sally saw it as an opportunity to lean into her natural inclination toward Scandinavian aesthetics. They chose a monochrome scheme with custom gray cabinetry Novak Design KuchenOak herringbone flooring, bentwood chairs femgand by an oak table madeAnd after struggling to find affordable artwork for the dining area that she liked, she decided to paint some herself – adding a jolt of ultramarine to the recessed space.
