Almost like in the movies: an apartment of 55 m2 for rent on Prechistenka Design 26.11.2022 Berloga Bureau has issued an apartment for rent. On 55 square meters and with a small budget, the architects created a bright interior that playfully combines the interior fashions of the 1950s – from Soviet to Mediterranean Such a non-trivial solution, as if it came from the cinema classics, was not originally conceived, it developed gradually, in the process of creating the project. The apartment itself is wonderful, in a “Stalinka” house, hiding in the heart of Moscow. It is separated from a quiet lane by a small front garden with old trees — all the windows of the apartment look just there. View from the living room to the kitchen. The “big-eared” Siena armchair, the Superb sofa, everything is Bellus. Carpet based on sketches by Russian designer Elena Lushkina, Art de Vivre. Hanging lamp in the kitchen, Globo Lightstar. Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin architects Elena Tambieva (left) and Natalia Vodopyanova. Berloga architectural bureau Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin This is not the main housing of the customer, so he decided to turn this apartment into a rental option with a little blood. However, even with a modest budget, the architects insisted on spectacular and unusual solutions for an essentially utilitarian project. The owner has a long—standing and trusting relationship with the Berloga bureau, and most importantly – a positive work experience. So Natalia Vodpyanova and Elena Tambieva were given carte blanche, which they took full advantage of. The project began with the modification of the apartment plan — the previous owners arranged such a redevelopment that it was impossible to legalize it. Therefore, first of all it was necessary to bring the apartment to a view that does not cause questions in the Moscow Housing Inspectorate. OBJECT PARAMETERSProperty type: apartment in “stalinka” Where is it: Moscow, Prechistenka Street Square footage: 55.6 m2 Style: modern eclecticism with details from the middle of the last century The authors of the project: architects Elena Tambieva and Natalia Vodopyanova, Berloga Architectural Bureau, vol.: +7 (495) 761-78-50, +7 (916) 833-60-55, www.arch-berloga.com “The former owners increased the bathroom at the expense of the kitchen, and the kitchen itself, equipped with a gas stove, was combined with the living room,” says architect Elena Tambieva, “so our main task was to bring the project into compliance with the standards. In addition, when developing the layout, we decided to organize a dressing room in the bedroom.” Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin With a small budget, it was necessary to think about the convenience and versatility of solutions that would suit future residents. As a result, they decided to make the common areas simple and rather concise, softening them with neoclassical elements referring to the era of the Soviet 1950s – for example, sliding doors with glazing separating the living room from the kitchen and hallway. This solution made it possible to preserve the privacy between the rooms and visually expand the space of the apartment, without hiding square meters with swing doors. View from the living room towards the hallway. Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin Since it was possible to allocate space for a separate wardrobe, the living room was limited to only a few open cabinets for books and small things. A TV is built in between the shelves, placed against a background of black marble with spectacular veins — this solution reconciled the light gray interior with a dark spot of the TV screen. There is a minimum of upholstered furniture — a sofa with a pouf, which works both as a coffee table or an ottoman, and a terracotta “eared” reading chair. Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin The kitchen behind the sliding doors is spacious, and a dining area has been organized in it, where at least four people can sit at a round table. The apron is decorated with Nero Donato marble, the same as in the living room. A rather “elegant” and large kitchen cost quite inexpensive — the secret is that the architects did not dismantle the high-quality, but obsolete kitchen set left over from the previous owners, but simply replaced the appliances and facades. In addition, several more hanging cabinets were added above the sink, a new countertop was also ordered — from a practical quartz agglomerate. Dining table and chairs, Imperial line. The facades and part of the cabinets are new, but behind them are hidden the structures and mechanisms of the Scavolini kitchen, left over from the previous owners of the apartment, which have been preserved in excellent condition. The new facades are made of veneered MDF in the carpentry workshop of Alexander Matveev. Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin In contrast to the soft colors of the common areas, the private part — the bedroom and dressing room — are painted in a juicy shade of purple, which is called “Byzantium”, part of the walls are finished with lamellas and walnut veneer, and additionally the space is visually expanded due to a round mirror shifted from the axis of symmetry of the headboard. Bed Continental Strömma, Bellus. Lamps and a lamp on the bedside table on the left, ST Luce. Veneered panels with a mirror are made according to the sketches of the bureau in the carpentry workshop of Oleg Torba. Bed linen, Not Saint Gregory Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin The architects are proud of the wooden shutters with blinds in the bedroom, which breathed into the interior the feeling of an old apartment in Rome. “We did not hang curtains, blocking the view of the balcony, but used shutters,” recalls Natalia Vodopyanova, “when the blinds are down, the sun’s rays penetrate a little through the cracks, forming a beautiful pattern on the dark floor and walls.” Wooden shutters give a “Roman” sound to the bedroom interior. Pouf Round, Continental Strömma bed, all — Bellus. Blinds, veneered panels with a mirror are made according to the sketches of the bureau in the carpentry workshop of Oleg Torba. Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin An additional “cinematic” mood and memories of films of the 1950s with a slight nostalgia arise from the portraits of Brigitte Bardot, Marlon Brando, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe that decorate the rooms. If everything is decorous in the living room, then in the bedroom there is a rather candid photo where the actress smokes on a yacht — a frame from the movie “Private Life”. The architects admit that the black-and—white posters were a response to the small budget of the project, but at the same time – and an occasion to arrange a “beauty contest” with a discussion of star contenders worthy of decorating the walls. Brigitte Bardot eventually became the winner — taking the main, most “spacious” wall with flutes in the living room. The suspended console is made according to the sketches of the bureau in the carpentry workshop of Oleg Torba. Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin Passion for bright colors and witty, and at the same time economical decorative techniques (only marble is expensive here) gave a synergistic effect. The interior of this cozy apartment looks an order of magnitude more expensive than it actually is. And it certainly doesn’t look like an option for change. Therefore, the client at some point had doubts about who would remove such beauty. A large portrait of Brigitte Bardot decorated the wall with flutes in the living room. Three-dimensional plaster panel on the wall, Artpole. Siena chair, Bellus. Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin But the apartment immediately got a tenant, right on the day of the shooting. When the architects handed over the keys, the door was opened by a girl with whom came only a small pink suitcase, a bottle of red wine and huge bags of food for dogs and cats, which, as it turned out, she helps as a volunteer. What can I say — an unusual apartment, I instantly found clearly my unusual person. The bathroom is decorated with marble Palissandro Semiclassico. The poster collage on the wall was created by architect Natalia Vodopyanova specifically for this project. Plumbing, Jacob Delafon. Photo Nick Rudenko. style: Vadim Kostyrin Vadim Kostyrin Original content from the site