Moscow Houzz Tour: A Small Studio That Sleeps Four
These two Russian designers put their creativity to the test when fitting two double beds in this tiny studio
Designers Pavel Gerasimov and Aleksey Ivanov managed to fit two double beds – one full-sized double and one sofa bed – into a 19-square-metre room, all without overcrowding the space. On top of that, they even managed to pull off the Scandinavian look the owners loved so much. Read on to see how they did it and where the double bed hides during the day.
“The clients said from the very beginning that this apartment was to be a temporary residence only,” says Gerasimov. The owners planned to live here until the renovation of their home had been completed, then use this apartment for work, rest and as a place for guests.
“They really wanted the place to feel spacious and to be zoned as functionally as possible despite its small size,” says Ivanov. The owners had no doubts about their preferred style: it had to be Scandinavian, with light-coloured walls, natural finishes, black features and some colourful accents.
Find an interior designer near you on Houzz to make the most of your home’s space
“They really wanted the place to feel spacious and to be zoned as functionally as possible despite its small size,” says Ivanov. The owners had no doubts about their preferred style: it had to be Scandinavian, with light-coloured walls, natural finishes, black features and some colourful accents.
Find an interior designer near you on Houzz to make the most of your home’s space
The apartment floor plan
As all the walls are load-bearing, the structural elements defined the apartment’s layout. The kitchen is located just to the right of the entrance. To the left of the front door is a small bathroom. Straight ahead is a wide rectangular room with a huge window leading to an enclosed balcony.
As all the walls are load-bearing, the structural elements defined the apartment’s layout. The kitchen is located just to the right of the entrance. To the left of the front door is a small bathroom. Straight ahead is a wide rectangular room with a huge window leading to an enclosed balcony.
Because the entrance is so small – about 3.5 square metres – the designers thought it was important to bring natural light into this space. It is separated from the bedroom/living room by a wide, black-framed sliding glass door, and from the kitchen by an openwork timber-batten partition, pictured here.
The designers borrowed some space from the bathroom for a built-in wardrobe, which stands just in front of the shower. The timber door conceals the electrical panel, router, fire and security alarm systems and video monitoring equipment.
“During the renovation, the clients decided to install a smart home system comprising a variety of cameras, gadgets and leak sensors that can be controlled with a smartphone,” says Gerasimov. “For example, you can turn the faucets on or off with your phone. The intercom also has mobile-phone call forwarding, so you can always answer someone who’s ringing at the door even if you’re not at home. These are very interesting solutions for so little floor space.”
“During the renovation, the clients decided to install a smart home system comprising a variety of cameras, gadgets and leak sensors that can be controlled with a smartphone,” says Gerasimov. “For example, you can turn the faucets on or off with your phone. The intercom also has mobile-phone call forwarding, so you can always answer someone who’s ringing at the door even if you’re not at home. These are very interesting solutions for so little floor space.”
The bathroom only has an area of about 2.9 square metres. The raised floor of the shower was built to be wider at one end, opposite the door. Because of this, the shower doors are at an angle to the rest of the room, but this also allows for a larger shower tray.
At the back of the bathroom is a custom-made, built-in cupboard with open shelves.
At the back of the bathroom is a custom-made, built-in cupboard with open shelves.
The bathroom walls are covered with a grey waterproof paint, while the shower is decorated with small geometric tiles, which feature all of the colours used in the apartment’s palette.
The stone sink on the teak bathroom vanity top was custom-made by a manufacturer that the client found himself.
The kitchen is dominated by pure lines and colours: only white, graphite and natural timber. The flooring is the same as in the entrance and bathroom. The sightline that the partition creates helps visually enlarge the small space.
The bathroom is small, so the washing machine was placed in the kitchen, to the far-left corner. An integrated fridge is concealed behind the next cabinetry unit. Between the sink and the stove is a dishwasher, which takes up about 45 centimetres. An extractor range hood is hidden in the cabinet over the stove.
The backsplash consists of Italian-made tiles embellished with reliefs. Their colours echo the apartment’s timber finishes.
Under the window is a built-in storage unit that also serves to conceal the radiator heater. There is a vent in the window sill.
The dining area
In the living room, the designers used the classic Swedish blue-and-yellow colour combination. A raised floor divides the room into zones. On it, a grey sofa stands against a dark-grey accent wall. Bean bag chairs provide additional seating when needed.
The floor is composite wood, while the windowsill is marble.
A white built-in storage unit takes up one wall of the space, and has a bioethanol fireplace built into it. “It produces a real flame out of biofuel,” says Gerasimov. “This creates the cosy atmosphere of a Scandinavian country house.”
The client found the screen and high-quality ceiling speakers for the home theatre himself. A protruding cornice above the joinery houses the screen. “When we lowered the ceiling, we had to calculate it down to the centimetre to make sure everything would come together properly,” says Ivanov.
The raised platform in the living room hides a surprise: a full-sized, roll-out double bed.
The combined living room/bedroom
Creating this flexible feature was painstaking work. “Several contractors worked on it. One built the frame and finished it with engineered wood, and another – a furniture maker – made retractable steps out of the same wood. The difficulty was in joining the two components. They had to redo everything several times to get it right.”
Engineered timber floor: Coswick; coffee tables: Kare; wall clock: Story Store
Engineered timber floor: Coswick; coffee tables: Kare; wall clock: Story Store
The long enclosed balcony was transformed into an office. On the left is a compact workspace, and on the right is a relaxation area with a small built-in window seat.
Storage has been worked in under and in the back of the seat.
Tell us
What’s your favourite feature of this apartment? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
What’s your favourite feature of this apartment? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with a child, who use the studio apartment for short stays and as an office
Location: Moscow, Russia
Size: The studio is about 43 square metres and has a separate kitchen
Designers: Pavel Gerasimov and Aleksey Ivanov of Geometrium design studio