How can the apartment look when the owners come only for the weekend? Designer Katerina Karavaeva is sure that nothing relaxes like the island of Bali, so she tried to transfer the feeling of a tropical island to the atmosphere of an apartment.
Project description
Property type: Apartment
Location: Balashikha, LCD “Watercolors”
Area: 42 square meters
The main idea of the project: is to create the atmosphere of a Balinese villa in a small guest apartment
Colors: Warm white, grey, and wood
Project author: Designer Katerina Karavaeva
Initially, the apartment was open-plan, rectangular in shape with two wide windows on the southwest side. But we got it with already erected partitions and illiterate space planning.
At the entrance to the apartment, not a single window was visible, but only a dark, long, and narrow corridor in which it was impossible to fully spread your arms. At the same time, a niche was built under the wardrobe. A narrow toilet in which you rest your head against the door, a narrow and cramped bathroom, a bedroom without a window, located behind a niche for a wardrobe. I thought that I could no longer be surprised by “strange” layouts. But it turned out it was possible. It was necessary to let “air” and light into the apartment and create a functional layout.
In order to feel spacious in a small apartment, I created the most open layout. The windows are visible right from the entrance, the walls are painted in a warm white shade that reflects light well and enlarges the space.
The living room and dining room are combined. Proper zoning and successful arrangement of furniture create a spacious and cozy area for dining and socializing. The sofa offers a view of Lisya Mountain, the forest, and the river, and sitting in vintage armchairs, you can admire the sunsets. The bathroom and dressing room are located opposite – the hallway area.
The wooden larch ceiling is my pride. Each board is a work of art, and the grain pattern is unique. I created each board with my own hands in stages: first brushed to reveal hard fibers, then stained in the author’s technique, and finally sanded and covered with a protective varnish.
The end result is incredibly beautiful. Such a ceiling can be admired endlessly. This is just a meditation that immerses you in the atmosphere of Bali, allowing you to slow down and feel the value of being “here and now”. This is the essence of the philosophy of slow living (Slow Living) and the philosophy of the value of the moment of wabi-sabi.
I could not find a kitchen that was suitable in style and mood, so I designed and built it myself from blocks and concrete. The kitchen has an open storage system and no upper cabinets, which adds “air” and increases space.
Daylight enters the kitchen from the bedroom window. This was made possible with the help of a wooden partition with glazing, which was made to order according to my sketch. At the same time, the bedroom can become secluded and hidden from view, you just need to draw the curtains, and hang the doors.
I don’t like closets and junk. I love a lot of light, space, conciseness, and simplicity. That is why I am very close to the Japanese philosophy of minimalism wabi-sabi and the philosophy of leisurely life (Slow Living). And combining these two styles was the best solution. A nice addition was vintage items.
The apartment has a lot of vintage furniture, lighting, and decor. They are perfectly combined with modern furniture, thanks to a mixture of interior styles. The decoration used only natural materials: wood, concrete, marble, metal, and glass.
In the bathroom – concrete walls and floor, tiles were laid only in the bath area made of cast marble. But thanks to the oak console, wooden doors, decor, and lighting, there is a feeling of warmth and comfort here. The lampshade of the lamp was brought from the island of Bali and assembled from small shells by the hands of Balinese craftsmen. Doors for the bathroom and dressing room are made to order according to my sketches and painted using the author’s technique.
The most important thing about our X that it is for
those who are in a hurry
