In Poland, a small area is dark blue like the night.

Michał Pacułt has a knack for making the most of a bad deal. When the Polish businessman bought his first apartment (a tiny 32-square-meter space on the third floor of a Krakow tower), he didn’t mind that it was a bit low for his taste. He figured it was only a matter of time before he could move up (and happier). Which is why, when he found a tiny space on the top floor of the same building a short while later, he ignored its flaws and bought it anyway.

The young man soon discovered surprises, including a kitchen that lacked lighting, unsuitable rooms, and bathrooms that had seen better days. Many flaws that he was not prepared to address on his own. “I was at a bar one night and decided to ask the owner, a dear friend, if he knew of a decent interior designer. He laughed before pointing to the person sitting next to me.”Michel remembers. It was Anna Juras, founder and director. Stellar StudioBased in Krakow. After observing the condition of the property in the photos, he ruled: “Terrible, but not insurmountable.”

“I was expecting someone to help me plan the space, choose furniture, and advise me on the color of the curtains.”But Anna had other plans, Michel says. “When I received his very realistic drawings and technical sketches, I realized that it was not just about the chairs and the curtains. Looking back, I can see how I would have handled many of the decisions differently, and how wrong those decisions were.”meets the new owner.