How did engineered quartz Caesarstone works in Ekskluzywny Menel's home? Interview with Kamil Pawelski

We talked to Ekskluzywny Menel (Kamil Pawelski) - one of the most popular bloggers, which has been talking about men's fashion and lifestyle for years. It was not without the theme of stylish interiors. When renovating his home, Ekskluzywny Menel used the 5222 Adamina décor by Caesarstone from the Architype range. How does he assess the quality of the collaboration? 

— The history of your home is not ordinary.

— Our current house was a barn or cowshed many years ago. However, the original owners decided to convert it into a residential building. We rented a flat in Monki, but we knew that ultimately our goal was to live in Sojczynek, where we have our small business - a slow life agritourism. We were about to build a new house, but it turned out there was a building here. Not only that, but we bought it, lived in it, and after a year started renovating and extending it. Furthermore, we are now on the final straight to completing the building work. 

— So can we say that was kind of an escape from the city?

— Definitely. We considered various options, of course, wondering what to do with our lives after the birth of our first son, Abel. We were in a dilemma whether we should tie ourselves down to Warsaw for the long term, putting our savings into buying a flat, or perhaps live in Sojczynek (where my dad grew up, and I spent my summers and winter holidays) and invest in a small business - a slow life space. We chose the second option. In the meantime, there was also the idea of setting up this agritourism, but managing it from Warsaw. Fortunately, for various reasons this did not materialise. Now my wife and I are at such a stage in life that the place we have chosen is perfect for us. We have our small business, plus we both work in ‘freelance’ jobs - Wiktoria is a graphic designer, and I am an influencer, a blogger. So we only need Internet access for our work. A space to raise children is also important. In any case, for the moment it is the perfect place. What will happen in the future - that remains to be seen. 

— Do you notice a trend to escape the city among people surrounding you?

— It is certainly noticeable that people with savings are investing in properties in smaller towns, villages, away from anything. The trend for a place serving as a break from everyday life grew strongly during the pandemic period, when lands were eagerly bought when people lacked contact with nature or simply a place where they can spend time in their own way, without the restrictions imposed by lockdown.

There is also a large group of people who invest abroad - properties in Spain or Zanzibar are very popular at the moment. 

— How would you compare the costs incurred in remodelling your current home to the expenses you would face in buying a new flat?

— When deciding to renovate and rebuild an old house, we unfortunately have to take into account many factors that we are not able to foresee before the construction work starts. For example, we did not know that we would have to reinforce the foundations of the older part of the building. Any such renovation involves the risk of unexpected additional work. Furthermore, for many contractors and suppliers, the fact that I am a more or less well-known person is a reason to raise prices, making costs go up. We wondered whether it would have worked out cheaper if we had decided to build the house from scratch. However, I don't have that conviction, I think it would have been comparable to the costs we incurred.

— What do currently you miss in your location? Do you feel any deficiencies associated with the fact that you no longer live in Warsaw?

— The only thing we lack here would be good restaurants. Now we go to such to Bialystok, which is about an hour's drive. I might add that the route we take to take the children to kindergarten is quite long - 20 kilometres - but this is not a problem compared to the daily traffic jams in Warsaw, which used to take up to three hours a day.

— How did decorating the house look like? Were you and your wife responsible for everything, did you look for contractors or did you hire a designer?

— We used the services of a designer who designed the house and the services of an architect who was responsible for the finishing touches. In my opinion, it is a very worthwhile investment - our house is fully tailored to our needs and meets all our expectations. 

— Did you follow any particular architectural style when decorating your home?

— The house is finished in a japandi style and also has a soft, rustic ambience. We opted for moderate minimalism, muted colours and a way of organising the space in such a way as to avoid free-standing trinkets.

— During the construction work, material from the Architype range was used, among other things. How was it applied and in which rooms?

— Architype quartz surface was used on a very large area, including the kitchen island, kitchen countertop and bathroom. We chose decor 5222 Adamina from the Caesarstone palette, and I am very pleased with it. The pattern and colour of the slab does not dominate or define the whole interior, but blends in nicely. The surface is matt, which was something I really wanted. It was also crucial for me that, in addition to the aesthetics, the stone should also be functional - above all durable and moisture-resistant. I really appreciate the chosen material precisely because it does not absorb moisture, so even if something were to spill, such as wine, it would not be a problem. Even if the spilled liquid remains untouched for a long time, nothing happens to the surface, there is no swelling, no deformation. I appreciate this very much for kitchens and bathrooms, where it happens to leave spilled water after showering or brushing teeth in a hurry.

We chose the most durable material - quartz surface - and I think this is the option with the best value for money. I'm not a fan of natural stone, such as marble, so I'm even more pleased to have found everything I needed in quartz surface. 

— The aversion to marble is rarely observed.

— Marble just doesn't appeal to me. I think there is already too much of it in modern architecture. Tiles, gres tiles, countertops - everything is made of marble or materials similar to it. I feel that I have had enough of it, maybe I have seen it too often in interiors. This is why I appreciate other, more original and more interesting solutions when it comes to the decors available on the market.

— How was it working with Architype? Have you ever come into contact with the materials available there, or perhaps done research on the options present on the market?

— I knew about the existence of large ceramic slab, quartz surface or acrylic solid surface and the differences between them, as I had envisaged using large ceramic slab from the start. A factor that guided my choice was a visit to Architype's headquarters. Being able to see samples and whole sheets of the different materials, compare them, juxtapose them with the home design elements I already had or learn about their characteristics - this was invaluable support.

— Referring to your nickname, tell me, did the end result come out exclusive enough?

— Certainly! And there is no sloppiness there. There is not a hint of misery in the countertop - there is exclusivity itself.

— We can see on social media that some people are choosing to finish their entire home with stone - all rooms, walls, floors, furniture. What do you think about this? Would you be willing to apply stone in such a way?

— It wouldn't have been my style. I wanted our house to be synonymous with the place where it is located, which is the countryside. We have clay plaster, natural beige tones or unpainted ceiling beams. You can do many amazing things with stone. I was amazed at how varied realisations can come out of the hand of a good stonemason. But still, I believe it all has to be consistent with the atmosphere and finish of the house. I think we have succeeded well in combining natural materials with artificial ones. One hundred percent natural material is not as durable as we would like it to be. Wood is beautiful, but it has to be specially treated, varnished, so that it doesn't start to swell when exposed to water or mould. This is just one example. A house is built to last for years, and I can't imagine having to go through the construction work all over again in five years' time. We have opted for solutions and materials that will make our house last for years. I would like it to be in such a condition that my children can continue to use it. Fashions change, the outlook on certain styles changes, so I would like the only argument for the next renovation to be visual, i.e. we are changing the kitchen because my aesthetic preferences have changed, not because of a cracked countertop, swelling beams in the bathroom or damage to the floor. 

— If you had to choose again, would you opt for Architype and the same stone you chose?

— Definitely. A big plus is that their decors can be seen in person. The visuals we received perfectly reflected what we were looking for and needed. We knew right from the service stage that this was it. I would choose the same thing a second time and recommend it to others.

Thank you for the interview.