Nestled among lush greenery and conceived as a natural extension of the surrounding landscape, the home of interior designer Natasa Pećanac, founder of the MORPHO studio, was born from the desire to create a house whose architecture would become an integral part of both nature and everyday life. For her, the idea of home meant creating an environment that supports the rhythm of family life, gatherings, time spent outdoors, and the rituals that give meaning to each day. “Today, luxury in an interior is not about square footage, expensive materials, or exclusive furniture. Luxury is rejoicing at the first bud on a plant coming back to life after winter. It is waking up to the scent of the forest, mint, and birdsong. Fresh farm eggs and goat’s milk. Dogs running freely across the property, proud of their role as guardians. A table with room for everyone you love and everyone yet to come. A home that makes all of that possible is the home I wanted to create. That is my inspiration.”
As we sit in her home, bathed in sunlight streaming through the large windows, I ask Natasa what it was like designing a space for herself after years of shaping homes according to other people’s wishes and needs. She tells me it was an opportunity to remain true to herself and her instincts. “I often say that I didn’t choose this profession, it chose me. Even as a child, my favorite game was inventing imaginary families and spending hours drawing their homes, without realizing I was actually creating design briefs, drawing floor plans, perspectives, and elevations. Even then, I dreamed of living in the woods, in a world of my own. So while designing this house, I felt as though I was returning to something I had always known. That childlike energy of play came back, and I simply let it guide me.” Unlike the projects she creates for clients, every decision here was driven by the desire to create a place where her family could feel peace, belonging, and freedom. “My guiding principle was exactly that: to create a home, a sanctuary, a refuge. A safe place for my family, my friends, and everyone I love.”
Monika Pavlović
My gaze naturally drifts toward the kitchen and its large island, which immediately reminds me of the old hearth, the point around which everything in a home revolves. “I remember the moment the island was finally installed. The construction work still wasn’t finished, but I picked a few roses from the neighborhood, placed them in a vase on the island, and at that moment I knew: this was it. Home had arrived.” Alongside the kitchen, a three-meter-long dining table holds a special place. “When I think about the years ahead, I picture a large family gathered around that table, children, their friends, grandchildren, long lunches, a house full of life. That table is a projection of everything I hope for.” It didn’t take me long to notice that every detail had been created with the intention of allowing the house to embrace real life and everything it brings. “The atmosphere I wanted to recreate was the one I remember from my parents’ home, or even more so from my grandparents’ house in the countryside,” Natasa tells me as we talk about her decision to leave behind a period apartment in Novi Sad for a life surrounded by nature. “Our profession carries tremendous responsibility, constant pressure, and stress. Over time, we felt the need to return to something elemental, something that grounds us and reconnects us with ourselves. Something honest and traditional.” As she says, it is often only in the silence of nature that we realize how deeply we have missed it.
Expansive glass walls dissolve the boundary between indoors and outdoors, allowing the landscape to become a living artwork that changes with the seasons. Morning mist, the first snowfall, spring buds, and autumn colors all enter the interior as its most important decorative elements. “I never wanted a house that stood in opposition to nature, but one that worked together with it,” Natasa says. “Nature is an equal participant in this space. When it came to the landscape design, I had a clear initial vision, but I also wanted to leave enough room for nature to follow its own course. I believe the most beautiful gardens are created at the intersection of human intention and nature’s spontaneity.”
The house is defined by solid oak and ash, natural stone, marble, and ceramic, while both the walls and façade are finished with a special paint made from finely ground natural limestone. The joinery is crafted from wood, while the outdoor spaces alternate between stone paving and poured terrazzo. “I’m drawn to materials that have character, texture, and the ability to become even more beautiful over time. They give a space depth and authenticity. I believe that not even the world’s greatest designers can compose texture the way nature does.” Within this balance between play and work, Natasa emphasizes that her greatest priority was creating a home that allows complete freedom.
Monika Pavlović
“This is my definition of luxury: a life without restrictions. An interior that supports that means I want to walk into the house wearing rubber boots straight from the garden, set a bucket of freshly picked roses on the floor, leave a burned-down candle in its holder, and still have the space remain beautiful, functional, and entirely itself.” Animals are an essential part of that life as well. “They are equal members of the family. I’ve never believed that love for animals should be limited by rules that exist solely for the sake of aesthetics or appearances. It’s important to me that they have freedom, that they feel safe, and that they truly live their lives in the space they share with us. I love watching them freely explore their surroundings while, despite being small breeds, carrying out their role as protectors of the home with complete seriousness and pride,” Natasa says with a laugh. “Their freedom is just as important a part of this place as the architecture itself.”
Earlier that morning, I had come across an article about the unexpected red theory, which suggests that a touch of red can make any interior visually more compelling, even when it isn’t part of the existing palette. As a result, I couldn’t help noticing that here, too, among the natural tones and textures, striking red accents stood out beautifully. “To me, red is the color of love, courage, and passion, but also of defiance. It carries an incredibly powerful life force. The most beautiful wildflower meadows are created from self-seeded blooms. A red poppy gives them character.”
Monika Pavlović
Among the objects holding special emotional value are handcrafted pieces of furniture made by the carpenter with whom she has completed countless projects. Created from her sketches through conversations, meetings, and countless shared solutions to intricate details, each piece preserves not only a story but also a friendship. There is also the Eames Lounge Chair, an armchair she dreamed of owning ever since seeing it during her university years, along with the painting above the master bed by Novi Sad artist Duško Stojanović. Between objects filled with memories, the large table designed for gathering, and nature that flows in through the windows every day, lies a home shaped by personal values, cherished memories, and the desire for a slower life, one lived closer to what truly matters.