Moscow Houzz Tour: Apartment Sticks to the Plan, Literally
The homeowners were so thrilled with these architects' drawings, they insisted on recreating every detail in real life
These clients liked architecture firm DesignRocks’ rendering so much that they wanted to recreate it perfectly in their apartment in Moscow, Russia. They even went so far as to have the exact accessories custom-cast in plastic in a Moscow workshop, and they waited four months for the perfect wallpaper. “This is one of the few experiences I’ve had in which the owners were ready to make any sacrifice so that the result would corresponded to the original design concept completely. This was not even as important to us as it was to them,” says Evgenia Shilova, one of the architects on the project.
The first order of business was dismantling the few structures that were already in place. Replanning the layout opened up 110 square feet (10 square metres) of liveable space. The second-floor hallway was widened to make room for a wider passageway and built-in closets, while the bedroom was extended to take up the full available width.
First-floor layout
The new layout incorporates plenty of open spaces: The clients had asked for a huge kitchen-living room where they could spend time with friends, and the second-floor bedroom doesn’t even have a door. The idea was to allow all the spaces to flow into one another organically.
The new layout incorporates plenty of open spaces: The clients had asked for a huge kitchen-living room where they could spend time with friends, and the second-floor bedroom doesn’t even have a door. The idea was to allow all the spaces to flow into one another organically.
The owners like interesting textures, so materials were chosen as much for their tactile qualities as their appearance. Pouring a transparent levelling compound on the concrete floor and using textured engineered wood was their idea.
The entryway’s walls and ceiling are finished in wood, turning this area into a kind of box within the open living room. The closets are designed to make use of every available inch. The white glossy closet on the left makes the most of the space under the stairs.
The entryway’s walls and ceiling are finished in wood, turning this area into a kind of box within the open living room. The closets are designed to make use of every available inch. The white glossy closet on the left makes the most of the space under the stairs.
The closet’s side is decorated with a lion’s head bust, which was moulded straight from the render. “We drew a 3D model [of the bust] as a way to mark a place for some sort of decor [on the plan]. However, the clients insisted on having the exact same sculpture. We had to give the drawings to a local workshop and have it cast in plastic,” Shilova says.
Levelling compound on the concrete floor: Pandomo
Levelling compound on the concrete floor: Pandomo
They had originally planned to install exposed metal C-beams on the walls and ceiling. However, this idea was abandoned because these kinds of beams tend to get very cold in winter. In the end, they got a similar look by painting plasterboard boxing black.
The fibre-reinforced concrete panels on the accent wall were custom made to order in Belarus. The panels are quite heavy, so they used both glue and fasteners to fix them in place and then added decorative washers.
To the right of the fireplace are felt pillows that look like rocks. These were invented by a group of Polish architects, but the owners found a similar design made by Russian craftsmen. They did not regret the purchase: The quality is just as good, but these were less expensive.
To the right of the fireplace are felt pillows that look like rocks. These were invented by a group of Polish architects, but the owners found a similar design made by Russian craftsmen. They did not regret the purchase: The quality is just as good, but these were less expensive.
As early as the initial technical briefing, one of the clients insisted on having this model of fireplace in the living room. The apartment already had a chimney, but the team still had some problems during the installation, as the short chimney wasn’t able to draw the smoke out efficiently enough. They called on specialists to extend it.
Fireplace: Paxfocus by Focus; couch: Pixel by Saba
Fireplace: Paxfocus by Focus; couch: Pixel by Saba
The built-in wall unit was custom-made of coloured MDF and veneered panels based on the designers’ drawings. Its insides are finished with black sheet metal, which is almost impossible to scratch. The couple use the right side as a rack for firewood.
“The carpentry workshop jokingly nicknamed this project ‘Three Millimetres.’ We were worried about the size and we kept checking the dimensions using a sheet of MDF in the correct thickness. If the gaps were bigger or smaller than three millimetres, we had the carpenters redo the work,” Eroshevich says.
“The carpentry workshop jokingly nicknamed this project ‘Three Millimetres.’ We were worried about the size and we kept checking the dimensions using a sheet of MDF in the correct thickness. If the gaps were bigger or smaller than three millimetres, we had the carpenters redo the work,” Eroshevich says.
The kitchen occupies an oddly shaped space. The architects originally came up with a linear cabinet design that would have looked more relaxed and uniform. However, the owners wanted to save every inch of space and rejected this idea. The kitchen unit now lines a niche, continues along the adjoining wall and then transforms into a bar counter. The clients chose the rust-coloured and -textured metal for the fronts.
Black slats frame the kitchen from wall to ceiling. In between are built-in dimmable light strips. The same lighting was used on the staircase.
Kitchen: Giulia Novars; bar stools: Filly Too by Bonaldo
Kitchen: Giulia Novars; bar stools: Filly Too by Bonaldo
You couldn’t tell by looking at it, but this interior was an example of careful budget management. For example, all of the furniture was ordered directly from the manufacturers. “This was the clients’ doing. They found a way to get around the middlemen,” Shilvoa says. “In the end, the furniture was almost half the price of Moscow showrooms. For example, there’s no way we could have stayed within the budget with a couch like the one in the living room.”
Dining table and chairs: Bonaldo; technical lights by Centrsvet; light fixtures above the dining table by Restoration Hardware
Part of the lower level was turned into a winter garden, separated from the living room by a transparent partition with a metal frame. This room can be turned into a nursery or office in future – the outlets are already in place.
Part of the lower level was turned into a winter garden, separated from the living room by a transparent partition with a metal frame. This room can be turned into a nursery or office in future – the outlets are already in place.
There are two bathrooms in the apartment: One is next to the master bedroom, and the other, which has a bathtub and usually serves as a guest bathroom, is on the first floor.
The owners went for an inexpensive Russian-manufactured stone-look porcelain stoneware. Nor are the fixtures from luxury brands. However, the calm colour palette leaves this interior looking refined.
The owners went for an inexpensive Russian-manufactured stone-look porcelain stoneware. Nor are the fixtures from luxury brands. However, the calm colour palette leaves this interior looking refined.
Porcelain stoneware: Atlas Concorde; vanity: Rifra; sink: ArtCeram
They saved on the mirror: They bought it from an online store and added a backlight. The round shelves from Rifra echo its shape.
They saved on the mirror: They bought it from an online store and added a backlight. The round shelves from Rifra echo its shape.
Second-floor layout
The upstairs hallway is lined with shallow floor-to-ceiling closets, used mainly for shoes. Towards the end of the hall is a U-shaped group of units that functions as a walk-in closet. The closets use all the space from floor to ceiling: They don’t even have skirting.
In the master bedroom, horse-themed wallpaper instantly draws attention. The owners liked it so much that, again, they insisted on an exact replica of the rendering. They weren’t even discouraged by the fact that they had to wait four months for the wallpaper to arrive.
Wall paper: from the Crazy Paper series by Momenti Casa
Wall paper: from the Crazy Paper series by Momenti Casa
All the wooden finishes in the bedroom feature similar shades and textures, for a tone-on-tone look. The TV partition and the headboard are covered with the same veneer panels. The headboard helps conceal a ventilation shaft.
Bed: by Bonaldo; coffee table: by BoConcept; light fixtures: by Latitude
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple with a dog
Location: Moscow, Russia
Size: About 1,150 square feet (107 square metres)
Architects: Evgenia Shilova and Ilya Eroshevich of DesignRocks
The apartment is on the top floor of a renovated building. The developer sold it with a screed in place on the floor and plasterboard on the walls, but the owners decided on a large-scale renovation that extended to the apartment’s infrastructure.
They went for the industrial style, reflected in their new concrete, wood and metal finishes. Not only do they like this style, but it’s a good fit with the building’s facade.