After renovation, the apartment acquired a modern look, but retained the atmosphere of old Moscow times.
At the beginning of the renovation, the apartment was in a “destroyed” state, but the designer managed to turn the old Stalin-era building into comfortable and stylish housing. Paint, parquet and cement tiles were used. And the furniture set was assembled from vintage items, custom-made items, and IKEA assortment.
For the customers – a married couple with two sons – this is not their main home, but an additional one. The apartment is close to the school where the children go, away from noisy streets. The customers were looking for an apartment in an old building, with a beautiful entrance, high ceilings, and preserved historical details. Therefore, designer Elena Zufarova was asked to preserve the image of an old Moscow apartment in the interior.
The location of the windows and load-bearing walls did not allow increasing the number of rooms; the customers had a choice – to abandon the living room or a full-fledged bedroom. The choice was made in favor of a living room with a folding sofa: the owners preferred to leave space for family communication, watching movies, and talking together over dinner.
“The customer asked us to pay special attention to the layout and equipment of the kitchen,” says Elena Zufarova. — He loves to cook and has completed several courses at a renowned international gastronomic school. We placed the set along two walls, lifted and moved the gas pipe – initially it was at a height of 195 cm. We also installed a sliding door with glass in the kitchen and provided two hoods.”
In the rooms they used piece oak parquet with a classic herringbone laying, in other areas they used Topcer cement tiles: these materials are associated with both old Moscow apartments and Parisian interiors. The surviving plaster cornices were restored and added where there were none – in the hallway and corridor, where the mezzanines were dismantled, increasing the height of the ceiling. The window sills were made of oak everywhere.
“During the renovation process, we managed to make a second toilet in the large bathroom, and place a washbasin in the small one. It seems like little things, but important for the lives of four people,” says the designer. — The guest bathroom is decorated in a brighter and bolder manner, with a vintage poster of the movie “Pulp Fiction” – it is in such a room that you can afford more daring decisions. Light, glossy tiles in the master bathroom visually expand the space, and the paint freshens up the interior.”
The hallway originally had a niche that was used to store outerwear and shoes. It was in it that the Elfa system was placed, covering the niche with velvet curtains. They close the wide opening of the front door, visually raising its height, which could not be increased.
The large room also had a niche; the designer suggested covering it with a wall with an invisible door – the result was a spacious dressing room.
The project budget was not very large, so among the furniture you can find vintage, custom items, and things from IKEA. For example, in the children’s room between the IKEA cabinets there is a custom-made 60s-style shelving unit, and in the living room there is a place for a vintage chest of drawers found in St. Petersburg. “Items were chosen without haste, one at a time, creating a harmonious picture,” says the designer.
