The style of the couple draws from the timeless formula of pre-war houses, consenting it with the character of contemporary interiors. Combining manor houses with working-class housing estates, and industrial locations with idyllic parks and natural lakes, the Berlin district of Reinickendorf is both relaxed and inspiring.

“Life moves at a much slower pace here, compared to Berlin’s city centre. The lack of trendy cafes and restaurants provides ideal conditions for genuine contemplation and focus. In addition, the local lake is a great summer destination."
Ewelina Makosa

"All this makes for a stimulating environment in which diverse projects can be brainstormed and eventually developed in various directions."
Ewelina

The space is sparsely furnished with a selection of Jan’s designs as well as vintage pieces such as the ‘Tatra’ sofa mass-produced in Czechoslovakia in the 1950s. Predominantly made of brass and channeling a pre-war, Art Deco aesthetic, Jan’s pendant, desk, and wall lamps add accents of opulence and refinement into the studio’s otherwise industrial starkness, while their hand-crafted quality echoes the human labor that once filled the premises.
Some of them are still prototypes, like the office glass-desk and the living room coffee table others – such as the “Hasta” lamp or the “U2” suspensions lamps – has already acquired the status of desirable and highly acclaimed collectible design pieces under the brand name of Jan Garncarek Design.

As Ewelina discovered, the loft windows are particularly useful when making large-format paintings. The artist she is , is always amazed by the warm light within the workshop which plays on the warehouse’s surfaces creating an aura of daybreak lucidity or hazy twilight – depending on the time of day and year.

“The place is like a haven to us. It lets us quiet down and focus, simultaneously providing an inexhaustible source of inspiration."
Ewelina



On the mezzanine level, hardwood flooring and white curtains soften the starkness of the exposed concrete surfaces while a free-standing bathtub, cheekily suspended on timber supports, further stokes the dialogue between the hand-crafted and mass-produced that runs through the project – a fitting discourse for a studio housing the practices of both an artist and a designer.