Red Poppy

Tucked away on a small street in the shadow of Stefan Kuryłowicz’s Focus Building, Red Poppy launched their new shop in January of this year. Being the first hand-printing design studio in Poland, they focus primarily on making one-of-a-kind wallpapers as well as curtains, lampshades, and cushions. Justyna Medoń is the artist behind Red Poppy: schooled at the London School of Communications, upon graduating she teamed up with brother Robert and his wife Magda to go into business together. The job split is simple – Justyna does the design, while Rob and Magda take care of the numbers. And while some would consider it a risky family affair, Justyna is adamant it’s a healthy relationship that ensures she’s able to concentrate fully on making a good product. And a good product it is: a series of her patterns won the 2012 Must Have prize at the Łódź Design Festival. 

Personally, I love the stenciled hand-made quality of her work – its leagues ahead of the craft fair creations of the amateur artisans you see around the city. Even more so, I love Justyna’s sophisticated aesthetic and keen eye for color. And while I’d usually suggest decorating a room around her wallpapers, I learned that they’re all totally customizable and are made to individual order. That’s not just good news for interior designers looking to please a tricky client, but also those who want work around what they already have in their home. And the price of this? You’re looking at zł. 80 per meter for a one color pattern, and zł. 140 for a three color one.  

An insider secret about Red Poppy’s location is that it occupies the parlour of a townhouse owned by Hanna Rechowicz – a lesser known artist who masterminded the murals of Dom Chłopa and the demolished SuperSam – Rechowicz’s mother worked in tandem with Irena Sendler, hiding Jewish children at this address during the war. (KD)