Dragana’s hostel in Serbia

Posted on Sun, 16 Jun 2019 by KiM

Thank you to Dragana for sharing this special place she has created with us. Here is the story of her newly opened Mystic River Hostel.
After a decade of having worked in tourism, we wished to create something we thought our town was missing – a cheap and comfortable hostel, in the most beautiful part of Western Serbia, close to countless natural riches where the guests can hang out, relax and enjoy a great design, a vast garden and valuable green space. We owned a family house which had remained in poor condition for years, and it had had a great potential to become exactly what we imagined it could be.
Just before the start of renovation, I visited a local storage facility where furniture is sold from old, closed firms. I bought metal lockets, and a bunch of stuff I didn’t know what I would use it for, but the stuff that appealed to me at sight. Those were metal drawers, various wood storage chests, boxes, old chairs, armchairs etc. I brought even older furniture to an already very aged place, plus a couple of pieces of family furniture with which I did not know what to do at home, and it was sad for me to just throw it away. At first glance, everything seemed like an impossible task.
I employed local craftsmen, and began work on adapting the furniture, and renovating the entire place. The spacing was already very good, but we just had to add one bathroom and one toilet, as well as to open bigger windows and a door to the garden. Old wood floors were kept and renovated, and everything else was completely adapted. From the furniture we created numerous combinations, wood boxes, we cut it, added metal legs to it, we made benches, desks, a bar, a reception desk… We upholstered and painted. The lockets were scraped and painted, and the walls were peeled to the last brick. The space was additionally complemented with murals, yellow roses and a local monument – the house on Drina river.
Chandeliers and lighting as well as a new kitchen were also a work of local craftsmen. Not one piece of furniture or decorations was bought as literally every piece was either created or adapted. At the same time we also worked on the garden. We made pallet furniture set on the groundwork consisting of railway ground sill. The garden had already been full of greenery, flowers and fruits, but we also added stuff there for better lighting.
The end result was a space of four rooms and twenty three beds, two bathrooms, four toilets and a shared room connected to the garden which has a lot of room for sitting, hanging out, cooking and our guests absolutely adore it. 

Adiana says:

I’m most definitely digging the vibe!

Andrew says:

So gorgeous! What a deserving place to have some beautiful mural art work.

Наталья says:

Органичный дизайн. Все конструкции, лестница, окна объединяют и поддерживают архитектуру всего пространства. Красиво, воздушно, вкусно, функционально грамотно.

Ellen says:

That place is so beautiful !! Well done

Mary says:

Such a beautiful combination of colors and design!

Sheila says:

Stylish & Colorful

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