Renovations to the Lumbeho Villa, chosen as the residence of President Petr Pavel, just as his predecessors Miloš Zeman and Václav Klaus did, are projected to cost up to 2.2 million Czech koruna. President Pavel and his wife Eva are selecting furniture, even from the furniture retail giant IKEA. The villa’s transformation will include a sofa from the Slovak company Phase and textiles from Plzeň-based interior designer.
As the Lumbeho Villa undergoes maintenance following a decade of occupancy, the Hrad (Prague Castle) spokesperson Jana Vohralíková shared, “The Lumbeho Villa is undergoing general property maintenance after its ten years of use. The scope of work does not involve garden or surrounding area reconstruction. Craftsmen are repainting and refurbishing windows and doors, painting walls, and addressing moisture in some of the building.”
She continued, “We are acquiring new furniture mainly from IKEA. Where this furniture wasn’t suitable, we are having it custom-made. Repairs are discussed with heritage experts, but since these are standard repairs, they may not significantly interfere with the process. The budget is planned up to 2.2 million CZK.”
Upon his appointment, Pavel had already hinted at changes in the villa. “Unfortunately, Mrs. Zemanova, who lived there before us, had a slightly different taste; the environment appears somewhat gloomy. So, we would like to brighten it up a bit,” he said.
The registry of contracts reveals a deal with IKEA for a kitchen unit amounting to 173,000 CZK and minor furniture for 63,000 CZK. Castle Management purchased a sofa and transportation for 87,000 CZK from the Slovak company Phase Retail CZ Four, s.r.o.
New carpets, including installation by Limex ČR, accounted for 159,000 CZK. The textiles for individual rooms, including transportation, cost 224,000 CZK. These textiles were supplied by interior designer Světlana Adltová from Plzeň. However, she couldn’t reveal more about the project due to a confidentiality agreement.
“I got to this through hard work; that’s probably the only thing I can say about it,” she shared. While she has been involved in interior design for 13 years, this was her first project at the Castle.
Most of the renovations were carried out by Emtandem, a company that states on its website that it handles comprehensive maintenance of Prague Castle premises and cultural monuments. “Since the company’s inception, its employees have been committed to high-quality and clean work to meet the demands of exceptionally discerning clients during project execution,” the firm explains.
According to publicly available contracts, door repairs and repainting cost 384,000 CZK, correcting external windows totaled 333,000 CZK, and plaster and paint repairs came to 171,000 CZK.
The Castle will not reveal the outcome of the renovations. “For security reasons, we do not publish photographs,” stated Maria Pfeiferová from the Castle’s media department.
Láne Castle is also changing. Lumbeho Villa was first chosen as a residence by Václav Klaus in 2004, who resided there with his wife, Livia. The deteriorating property underwent essential construction and security improvements, costing the Czech state 52 million CZK. Since 2013, the villa has been utilized by Miloš Zeman, mainly by his wife Ivana, as Zeman spent most of his time at Láne Castle.
Vohralíková expects Láne Castle to require mostly standard repairs. “This includes refurbishing historical furniture, wallpaper replacement, and upholstery work. It also encompasses painting and floor sanding. We’re proceeding just as any responsible property owner must. The final sum for repairs will be known upon completion,” she concluded.