Rey House / Studio Uzarowicz

Design: Studio Uzarowicz
Photography: Jacek Margol
Lead Designer: Maja Uzarowicz
Photo Production: Addbox
Location: Poznań
Country: Poland

Rey House is a private family residence near Poznań, Poland, designed by Maja Uzarowicz of Studio Uzarowicz. Set on the edge of a forest, the house balances a generous scale with a sense of intimacy for a couple, their three children, and their dog. The interior draws from the surrounding Polish landscape, using layered greys, warm beiges, olive green, muted black, and deep earthy tones. Dark, almost black wood appears throughout the house, revealing its character through grain, texture, and reflected light. The project is defined by precise geometry, continuous ceiling and wall alignments, a sculptural staircase, a glazed connector, concealed passages, and expressive lighting. Distinct zones for adults and children are shaped through material contrast, color, and carefully framed views, while books, games, ceramics, and collected objects bring the family’s daily rituals into the architectural narrative.

Rey House demonstrates how residential interiors can become more than a composition of rooms, materials, and furnishings when clients allow a designer to work with conviction. In this project, Studio Uzarowicz transforms domestic life into an immersive sequence of experiences, where risk is controlled through precision and individuality is expressed without excess. The house is not conceived as a display of scale, but as a carefully layered environment shaped by courage, trust, and the quiet complexity of family life.

The residence appears to grow from its forest-edge setting. Large glazed openings bring views of trees and open fields deep into the interior, allowing the surrounding landscape to remain present throughout the day. Instead of relying on literal natural references, the design interprets the atmosphere of the Polish countryside through color and material. Autumnal tones, muted dark surfaces, warm neutrals, and earthy accents establish a calm architectural base, while the use of nearly black wood adds depth through texture rather than ornament.

Precision is central to the project’s spatial identity. Ceiling lines flow into wall and floor geometries with careful alignment, creating a sense of continuity across the home. This disciplined language is most clearly expressed in the staircase, which appears light and almost suspended. Resting on vertical slats and paired with a handrail that seems to barely touch them, the stair becomes both an architectural connector and a sculptural object. It leads toward a glazed passage that links the adult spaces with the children’s realm, turning circulation into a meaningful transition.

The house also reflects the challenge of realizing ideas that initially seemed difficult to build. Many contractors said, “This can’t be done.” Through the determination of Maja Uzarowicz and the openness of the homeowners, those doubts became part of the project’s creative momentum. The completed residence includes a double-height library visible through a glass wall in the upstairs bathroom, hidden routes between children’s rooms, unexpected material pairings, and a lighting strategy that gives the interior a changing emotional tone.

A recurring language of verticals and horizontals strengthens the coherence of the design. These rhythms appear in balustrades, lighting compositions, hand-printed linen curtains, chair legs, and selected furniture, including the striped B&B Italia armchair. Rather than functioning as isolated details, these graphic elements form a consistent visual structure that ties together the different areas of the house. The main bedroom introduces a softer counterpoint to the home’s raw geometry. Thick textiles, upholstered surfaces, curtains, and layered colors create a tactile atmosphere. Pink, burgundy, and orange are grounded by black accents and dark wood, giving the room warmth without diminishing its compositional clarity. The freestanding bed is placed on the axis of a large glazed opening, positioning the landscape as the room’s primary focus. During the day, the view expands outward; after dark, the glass reflects the room’s light and the silhouettes of trees, creating a more enclosed and contemplative mood.

The main bathroom is conceived as a private bathing room rather than a conventional service space. Warm wood, linen curtains, gentle lighting, and framed views create a spa-like environment. Its most unexpected feature is the visual relationship with the library behind glass, an unusual connection that brings together books, water, privacy, and display in a restrained but memorable way. Light plays an essential role in defining the atmosphere of Rey House. Concealed LED lines emphasize edges and planes, while accent lighting highlights texture, depth, and geometry. After dark, the house shifts into a sequence of warm half-tones, where illumination becomes part of the architecture rather than an added layer. By day, natural light moves across glass, fabric, and wood, softening the precision of the interior and giving each room a changing character.

The children’s zones are designed as distinct micro-worlds. One room is organized around strong primary colors, creating an energetic and confident environment. Another uses pink and orange in a softer, more fluid composition. Between them, a hidden passage functions as a playful connection, offering a private route from one world to another. The children’s bathroom continues this expressive approach through bold red and grey contrasts and a specially designed basin-bath that transforms a daily function into an object of play and ritual.

Throughout the house, personal interests are integrated into the design. Books, games, LEGO, ceramics, and small collected objects give the interior a lived-in specificity. Italian lamps, taps, and tables appear alongside pieces by emerging designers, creating a curated but personal atmosphere. Maja Uzarowicz also selected the glassware and ceramics, drawing on the sensibility of her sister brand, Porcelana U. These details reinforce the project as a complete domestic narrative, where architecture, objects, light, and everyday routines remain closely connected.