The home as a backdrop to everyday life

In Romania’s capital Bucharest, Zestful Apartment is an intimate, cheerful residence designed to interact with natural light and provide a backdrop to everyday life. Designed by MiSo Architects, the practice founded by Mihaela Tampiza and Sorana Leru, the apartment has a functional layout focused on lightness and attention to detail. At its heart is the large living area, a bright, open-plan space where kitchen and living room flow together without visual interruptions. “We wanted the kitchen not only to be functional but also to serve as the focal point of the home, a space that would be both welcoming and clearly recognisable,” explains the architect.

The interior is defined by a play of horizontal and vertical lines, with reflective and textured surfaces set against clean, essential furnishings. Generous windows accentuate the sense of continuity and emphasise the colour contrasts that run through the whole apartment. An orange sofa takes pride of place in the living room, while the kitchen features the cool, light coloured surfaces of 5×15 cm Verdemare tiles from Tonalite’s Senren collection. Subtle ceramic textures add rhythm and depth without overwhelming the space. The sleeping area opens onto two complementary bathrooms, both renovated in a way that respects the existing structure. The elements that were in a good state of repair were preserved and finished, while walls and floors were clad in microcement to combine sustainability with simplicity. “We aimed to enhance rather than demolish. Some of our choices reflect our preference for a measured intervention, using materials as narrative layers.”

In the first bathroom, small decorative details contrast with the larger slabs, subtly defining different functions through the combination of 10×30 cm Ficus finger tiles from Tonalite’s Hashi collection with the large porcelain stoneware slabs of Eccentric Luxe collection by Florim featuring marble veins in the same color tones (Mint). The textured surfaces interact with the light to create a contemporary feel.

The second bathroom adopts a different mood and proportions. The shower area is tiled with deeper-toned surfaces from Tonalite’s Foliage collection, chosen in the Blu 6×24.6 cm version to evoke a warm, almost nocturnal landscape. Zestful Apartment stands out for its bold colours, carefully designed details and consistent use of materials that support the functional layout. The lighting, often integrated or indirect, creates atmospheres that shift during the day. The project avoids superficial effects in favour of a genuine dialogue between spaces, people and materials.