FROM THE CAPITAL WITH LOVE

THE CLIENT’S BRIEF HAD ORGANICALLY MERGED WITH THE CREATIVE VISION OF THE ARCHITECT AND THE RESULT OF THIS SYNTHESIS IS A STRONG, BEAUTIFUL, AND ARCHITECTURALLY EXPRESSIVE SPACE, DESIGNED FOR MODERN DAY LIVING. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE INTERIOR IS AN ADMIRABLE EXAMPLE OF A STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN.

Perhaps the story of the creation of this interior is best illustrated by the first line of the song titled ‘Sun Circle’. The author of this project is a Moscow-based architect. He redesigned this apartment (in Novosibirsk) for his mother and was largely able to oversee the works remotely, from Moscow. The client’s brief had organically merged with the creative vision of the architect and the result of this synthesis is a strong, beautiful, and architecturally expressive space, designed for modern day living. More importantly, the interior is an admirable example of a strong relationship between parents and their children.

The transformation of the standard one bedroom flat into a modern studio had started from its redesign, lead by the slogan ‘down with all the unnecessary!’. It was important to magnify the space visually, to open it up, but at the same time to split it up into functional zones. Consequently, the key move was to eliminate the large corridor and to redistribute it proportionally amongst the main open studio space and the private area of the flat. This way, the new entry hall became part of the studio, along with the multifunctional, open plan kitchen, dining and living area. From the entry hall, on the right hand side, there is also access to a walk in wardrobe, and a small guest bathroom/utility room. As you enter into the flat, the first in view are the ‘French style’, tall, floor-to-ceiling windows, with white fabric screen curtains. Brilliant white, open and filled with light, this space is such a pleasant surprise to walk into. It completely annihilates the expectation of the standard, dark, enclosed, almost claustrophobic spaces that all these typical flats consist of. The experience is really quite striking, it fuels the imagination. In terms of furniture, there are only the bare essentials – a modern, light coloured sofa, floating glass shelves, a glass table top and transparent polycarbonate chairs that don’t encroach on the space.

The reflections in the glossy surface of the floor (extra large glazed porcelain stoneware tiles) create an intriguing play between multiple viewpoints, as they visually break up the three dimensional space, by reflecting new fragments at different angles. Paradoxically, the main idea lies in the following contradiction – this well defined and highly aesthetic, self-sufficient space begins to almost dematerialise, as pure light dominates and becomes the main component of this design. The wall paint used is a neutral and very light grey (Tikkurila G-155). This colour enables the walls and the ceiling to facilitate the perception and enjoyment of all the different shades of natural sunlight, as they change throughout the day - yellow in the morning, orange in the afternoon and purple in the evening. All the light fittings are custom designed by the architect and made from glass and metal; they illustrate the magic of light. In addition, they help to zone the space and contribute to the overall feeling of weightlessness that the interior evokes.

Central to the composition is the partition wall between the bedroom and the open plan studio space. On both sides, this wall is clad in cork tiles. The chamfer on their edges helps to bring out the pattern of their layout, thereby adding an extra layer of detail that prevents the whole golden-brown surface from appearing too brutal. This cladding adds a natural warmth, it serves as a colour highlight used to soften and brighten the silent whiteness. The brown wall organically draws attention to the home cinema set up at its centre. The theme of colour highlights continues with kitchen units and book shelves built into a white niche. Within the key partition are two openings – a door and a window. They frame the wall and also provide a visual and physical link to the private part of the apartment - the bedroom and study area.

In this private space, the colour scheme is slightly different, but it’s still in harmony with the rest of the design. The living area is more emotionally open, it has the feel of a celebration, a special occasion. By contrast, the warm bedroom and study with its beige and brownish tones, as well as red highlights feels like a slightly more traditional, enclosed space. The cork-clad wall makes the room appear very unique. The ‘rusticated’ tiles break up the mass of the wall and make it appear lighter. Despite the hard appearance of the light beige, bamboo parquet, it feels soft under bare feet makes the room feel more cosy. Once again, stylish, custom lighting breaks the room up into two zones – the study area and the sleeping area. Finally, an en suite bathroom and a walk in wardrobe create an additional level of modern comfort. Gorgeous, stylish and laconic but also highly functional, this interior designed by the architect for the life and work of his beloved parent leaves a pleasant sensation of lightness and freedom.

TEXT: MARINA OSHEPKOVA
PHOTOGRAPHY: VITALII IVANOV

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