This Colorful Apartment in Warsaw Reflects the Eccentric Style of Its Owner

In 2004, Monika Brodka, owner of this colorful apartment, won the third season of Polish Pop Idol, the show that launched her fame as a teenager. Now 35 years old, the pop star’s eccentric personality captures the attention of her many fans on Instagram with decidedly extravagant selfies that highlight her iconic braids. Her interior design aesthetic is also out of the box and far from conventional style norms. Case in point: her home in the heart of Warsaw.

“My place in the world is in Warsaw,” Monika tells home decor brand Westwing and AD of her home in the Polish capital. “It’s an oasis of happiness and peace,” the singer says, “a place to relax and meet with friends. But it is also where I love to hole up and spend long hours enjoying the serenity here.”

The layout of the rooms combines functionality and aesthetic needs. When she was asked, “How would you describe your home using just three words?” Monika started with, first and foremost, “eclectic,” followed by “open” and then “comfortable.” It’s a concert of different styles and—to stay with the musical metaphor—pop elements coexist in a perfect harmony with sophisticated interior design. Among her favorite pieces are a selection of lamps, each based on a play of different geometric shapes, “so that, together, they form a kind of completely original and unique collection.” The colorful apartment is also filled with travel-related mementos, among them, a number of items that evoke Japan, like the oversized fan above the bed.

Monika insists that her apartment is not a finished work. “This apartment changes and evolves with me,” she says. In its initial layout, the unit was broken up into several rooms. She then decided to create an environment that instead resembled, as much as possible, “a train carriage”—that is, a long, narrow, and uninterrupted space. “What I love most is undoubtedly the kitchen,” the artist adds. “I love experimenting and combining ingredients in surprising ways, and then sharing my dishes and recipes with my followers.” Not surprisingly, one of the largest spaces in her home is the dining area, which, connects directly to the kitchen. While many homeowners ask for a big kitchen because they want to explore a long-standing interest, the order was flipped for Monika. “First came the big kitchen,” she says. “That’s where my passion started to develop.”