Too much white paint can be overwhelming for any interior, unless there is something to offset the otherwise blank and boring surfaces. From floor to ceiling and wall to wall, this apartment has a lot of white-covered area. Fortunately, its designers thought to add some cool cut-out effects in the white-painted cabinets and large areas of natural-finish, tongue-and-groove pine wood.

i29 architects managed to create a sense of balance and harmony in the midst of what could easily be seen as an overly-cold, high-modernist interior redesign. Highly-precise cuts in the built-in wall cabinets double as door handles and serve to add some architectural interest to areas that might have turned out too bland otherwise.

White is used primarily to transition from place to place, between staircases, rooms, built-ins and other points of greater interest – rather than in place of primary decor. Kitchen and other ‘active-use’ spaces for standing, walking and working on one’s feet are made more cozy by a more copious use of pine.

Wood veneers can make a modern space seem cheap, so using solid wood planks rather than plywood panels was a critical design decision in this case. Real board lumber – whether hardwood or otherwise – makes it all feel more stable and homey. No significant staining was employed, though these light-wood areas could have stood to be a bit darker perhaps.

Having sections of pine wall serves to accent spaces and connect floors visually, but also provides an opportunity on the furniture front: subsequent pine desk, dresser, nightstand and bunk bed pieces would be great to make office and bedroom spaces both relate to the overall interior while also feeling warm and resident-friendly.