The designer was faced with the task of turning a two-room apartment into an open space, which would have more light and air than partitions.
The basis of redevelopment project is based on the principle of rationality and conciseness. The result is a discreet, “clean” interior without frills in decor and details.
A young married couple, engaged in business and leading an active lifestyle, purchased a spacious two-room apartment in a new monolith-brick house. The owners invited the designer to create a light and bright modern interior with a spacious public area to host parties for friends and spend quiet family evenings.
Redevelopment
The area of the apartment is about 85 m². Most of it (about 51 m²) was turned into a unified space, in which several functional areas were entered (kitchen, dining room with a large dining table, a resting place with a TV and a stereo system, an office-guest room). Private spaces – a small bedroom and an adjoining bathroom with a shower cabin – were arranged as functionally as possible, but concisely at the same time. In the hallway, on the site of the former pantry, a utility room appeared with elements of a laundry room (washing machine, clothes dryer) and a dressing room.
Since there were practically no load-bearing walls and columns in the apartment, the redevelopment began with the demolition of partitions, primarily between the kitchen and the living room. It was also decided to increase the volume of the public area by adding a balcony to the living room, for which the window and window sill blocks were dismantled. At the request of customers, an office-guest room with a small workplace and a full-fledged folding sofa was moved to the attached territory. Elegant storage systems were provided in the corridor, bedroom, and bathroom, which, on the one hand, are very spacious, and on the other, they practically merge with the walls.
Repair
The screed was raised throughout the apartment by 3 cm so that the floor on the balcony and in the adjoining living room was on the same level. The glazing on the balcony was changed; ceilings, floors, and walls were insulated. Electric floor heating was laid under the screed on the balcony and in the bathroom. All radiators were replaced with designer ones. The height of the ceilings is only 2.6 m, so they were simply leveled, puttied, and painted, categorically abandoning suspended structures and stucco moldings. In all areas, with the exception of the dining room (it was accentuated by a number of low-lying lamps), medium-sized, but effective spotlights were installed.
The walls and ceiling were painted white, which makes the space visually wider, taller, lighter, and brighter. One wall of the living room and the wall continuing it on the balcony were laid out with decorative tiles imitating old bricks. The wall in the TV area was decorated with veneer panels. Active textures enlivened the studio space. When choosing interior doors, we settled on white glossy invisible models without platbands (a fashionable trend in interior design), the installation of which turned out to be quite painstaking. But on the other hand, they practically merge with the wall, creating the illusion of a solid plane.
To emphasize the absence of borders and enhance the integrity of the interior, a parquet board of different widths, ash-colored, with a pronounced oak texture, was chosen as a floor covering. Thanks to its durable top layer, it is suitable for use in the kitchen and hallway. In the bathroom, the walls were tiled with large-format light tiles imitating marble, and the floor was covered with porcelain stoneware.
Design
The interior, close to minimalism in style, is strictly verified, logical, and functional. Long horizontal surfaces, an orthogonal layout without rounded smooth lines, white walls, dark furniture with regular geometric shapes, wood elements with a pronounced texture, large details, and a neutral color palette create a calm atmosphere. Many pieces of cabinet furniture are made according to the sketches of the author of the project in carpentry workshops. The owner did the illumination of the mirror in the corridor and the bathroom: he soldered the lamps from the usual inexpensive profile and assembled them on his own.
Almost everything we planned came true. Basically, there were no problems, for 6 months of repair the work went smoothly, in full understanding with the owners. Then, when the young couple had already moved into the apartment, it took another 3 months for the final decoration (paintings, figurines, etc.). I think that in the future, decor elements, souvenirs and trophies will appear in the interior, which the owners will bring from travels to different countries. Many items were made to order in carpentry workshops according to our sketches, including a wooden dining table and a bed. We bought two comfortable stylish sofas from Hoff, elegant chairs from Kare, and furniture for paintings from IKEA. I made some items with my own hands. For example, the massive clock hands in the kitchen are hand-made.
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