Before and after: a stylish 1933 Stalinist apartment for a young family

Customers and tasks

The owners of this apartment in the center of Moscow are a young married couple. Designer Kristina Lichik describes her clients as «theater-goers and aesthetes». They wanted to preserve the layout, ceiling heights and historicism inherent in apartments in old houses, but at the same time modernize the interior.

layout

The apartment has already been redevelopment, which met the requirements of the owners: two separate living rooms, a shared kitchen-living room (an electric stove is installed in the small kitchen, so such a combination does not contradict the redevelopment rules), a bathroom. The designer only had to take into account the existing partitions for furniture arrangement and storage planning.

Finishing

The concept of the interior — light theatricality — was reflected in the decoration. Paint was chosen for the walls in the living room, kitchen, hallway and bedroom. In the living room — deep blue, in the bedroom — berry red, in the kitchen and in the hallway — light shades. For the office, they chose wallpaper with a pattern of a classic cage — a slight reference to the English style (by the way, in continuation of this and in support of some theatricality and irony, a picture with a portrait of Elizabeth II is placed in the bathroom).

Parquet was laid on the floor in the Christmas tree layout. They left the stucco molding that was in this apartment. All this is a reference to the classical style, which helps to preserve the very spirit of the Stalinist era, as the owners wanted.

The kitchen floor is tiled with a pattern. In the bathroom, they combined tiles and paint on the walls — glossy light squares and green paint. The floor is tiled with a geometric pattern.

Furniture and storage systems

Storage systems built along the walls. In the hallway there are tall cabinets with green facades that look good against the background of light walls. A hanger for outerwear was organized in a niche at the entrance. She was effectively highlighted with wallpaper. Opposite the niche is a shoe rack.

In the living room there are low cupboards for dishes and decor, as well as a cabinet opposite the sofa. In the bedroom, wardrobes are placed on the wall opposite the window, and a chest of drawers for linen is provided opposite the bed.

In the bathroom, we designed a cabinet for the sink and, in addition to it, a hanging rack with open and closed shelves. The built-in closet with a washing machine and storage space for household items is closed with louvered doors.

In a small kitchen — the same compact kitchen set. A free-standing red Smeg refrigerator is an accent solution. The upper cabinets were made on only one wall, and the second was supplemented with open shelves for storing cereals and decor (now the shelf is decorated with a portrait of three master’s cats), so as not to burden the space.

“Upholstered furniture is selected at the intersection of modern functionality and classical motifs, in the office there is a Chester sofa for receiving important guests, and in the bedroom there is a bed with a velvet carriage headboard. We used furniture from the French brand La Redoute and turned to Russian manufacturers. Chests of drawers, bedside tables — vintage, ”comments Christina.

Lighting

The high ceilings made it possible to use pendant chandeliers as ceiling lighting. Additional scenarios — table lamps, sconces — add atmospheric lighting and intimacy in the dark.

What did the apartment look like before the renovation?

The editors warn that, in accordance with the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, the coordination of ongoing reconstructions and redevelopments is required.