Houzz Tours
Moscow Houzz Tour: A Tidy Townhouse With a Colourful Personality
In this unconventional interior, even a sheet of corrugated iron can be a piece of art
The staircase, which is covered in pink fitted carpet, serves as a bright accent and vertical axis in the home.
In Russia, carpeting is rarely used in high-traffic areas, since many consider it to be difficult to maintain. The Dvekati designers were sure of the opposite. It’s no coincidence that fitted carpets are often used in hotels, where deep cleaning is frequently required. This decision was also practical in other ways. There are young children in the house, and the soft carpet reduces the possibility of injuries from falls.
The indigo banisters are a good match for both the fuchsia of the carpet and the yellow entrance. “Despite the abundance of rich shades, we tried to create a sense of lightness,” says Lyubarskaya.
In Russia, carpeting is rarely used in high-traffic areas, since many consider it to be difficult to maintain. The Dvekati designers were sure of the opposite. It’s no coincidence that fitted carpets are often used in hotels, where deep cleaning is frequently required. This decision was also practical in other ways. There are young children in the house, and the soft carpet reduces the possibility of injuries from falls.
The indigo banisters are a good match for both the fuchsia of the carpet and the yellow entrance. “Despite the abundance of rich shades, we tried to create a sense of lightness,” says Lyubarskaya.
Part of the ceiling has been left raw, only varnished to underscore the texture of the concrete. A patterned porcelain stoneware was chosen for the floor and laid in different directions.
“Porcelain stoneware in the living room – it’s not a material we’re very used to, possibly because it seems cold. Here, though, there is underfloor heating, which solves this problem,” says Svanidze.
A light-coloured fluted partition hides the bathroom and a small storage room. Since the doors are hidden, it gives off the impression of one monolithic structure.
“Porcelain stoneware in the living room – it’s not a material we’re very used to, possibly because it seems cold. Here, though, there is underfloor heating, which solves this problem,” says Svanidze.
A light-coloured fluted partition hides the bathroom and a small storage room. Since the doors are hidden, it gives off the impression of one monolithic structure.
The pink of the kitchen cabinets helps define the dimensions of the kitchen. Multi-coloured pulls add visual interest. The dining table and chairs echo colours used elsewhere in the home. Above the table is a pendant light made using an origami-style technique out of metallised plastic.
The cat poster is a unique touch. “We brought this cat in for the photo shoot, but it was such a natural match to the rest of the interior that, in the end, we kept him here. It is a limited-edition print of a painting by the artist Alexander Mityaev,” says Lyubarskaya.
Coquina is another unusual finish. It covers one of the walls in the living room. “Soviet architects were very fond of this simple and inexpensive material and often used it in interior decor. Today coquina has been undeservedly forgotten, and you usually only see it on facades.”
“We chose to bring back natural materials for this interior. This is an interesting solution: real shells in the tiles,” says Svanidze.
“We chose to bring back natural materials for this interior. This is an interesting solution: real shells in the tiles,” says Svanidze.
The vintage mirror frame is made of flat pieces of wood with brass buttons. It was found on Avito, a Russian classifieds site.
On the console opposite the sofa stands a wooden robot that the owners’ younger son made with his own hands.
The large panoramic windows are one of the advantages of this townhouse, but living in constant contact with the outside world takes some getting used to.
The railing in the second-floor hallway is made of steel rods welded together and painted in the same yellow as the wall. A dark palette dominates the upper storey, creating an intimate atmosphere.
Black paint makes the walk-in closet stand out, while the grey wall is almost raw. It was plastered without a finish, to give it a rough look.
Black paint makes the walk-in closet stand out, while the grey wall is almost raw. It was plastered without a finish, to give it a rough look.
The master bedroom features a shade of blue that does not appear elsewhere in the house. It looks fresh and calm against the contrasting grey and black background. The wall of the bedhead features a plaster finish that was applied with a spatula to create a light relief.
Differing bedside tables bring an asymmetric touch to the eclectic interior. A woven tapestry from a secondhand market in Tbilisi, Georgia, and a poster of a Raphael painting over the bedhead round off the design.
Differing bedside tables bring an asymmetric touch to the eclectic interior. A woven tapestry from a secondhand market in Tbilisi, Georgia, and a poster of a Raphael painting over the bedhead round off the design.
A black partition divides the room into two zones: one for relaxation, and the second for the owner’s office. The artwork on the wall consists of a painting by the owner’s son, a clock by the Spanish company Nomon and a piece of corrugated metal – a kind of manifesto against the dominance of this material within Russia.
“Corrugated metal is a building material used for roofing and temporary fences. They build hideous fences out of it throughout Russia. We thought to ourselves, ‘Since corrugated iron is mostly used for things other than its true purpose, why not turn it into a piece of art?’” says Svanidze.
“Corrugated metal is a building material used for roofing and temporary fences. They build hideous fences out of it throughout Russia. We thought to ourselves, ‘Since corrugated iron is mostly used for things other than its true purpose, why not turn it into a piece of art?’” says Svanidze.
The yellow of the children’s room was chosen in consultation with the room’s little inhabitants. There are two zones: the play area is yellow and features a large toy-storage system from Ikea. By separating part of the play area both from the floor and the ceiling, the designers made the geometry of the room more complex and interesting.
The windowsill is deep enough to be used as a seat.
The windowsill is deep enough to be used as a seat.
The second zone features a laminate floor and colourful wallpaper. This space is for sleeping and creative activities. The wallpaper inspires the kids’ imaginations and teaches them English at the same time, as it is inscribed with the English name for each animal.
The finish in the shower area is coquina and blue porcelain stoneware. The coquina has been laid in such a way as to take full advantage of its voluminous texture. This, combined with the outdoor-style light fixture, makes this wall look like an exterior facade.
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Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join in the conversation.
More
Want more? Check out last week’s Room of the Week: A Minimalist Kitchen Made Good
Houzz at a Glance
Location: A suburb of Moscow, Russia
Size: About 120 square metres
Who lives here: A young family with two children
Designers: Ekaterina Svanidze and Ekaterina Lyubarskaya of Dvekati
This townhouse is in the New Moscow district, a village where apartment buildings sit adjacent to dachas. There are no fences on the property – an unusual arrangement for Russia – and the architecture encourages neighbours to meet and socialise.
To divide the space, designers Ekaterina Svanidze and Ekaterina Lyubarskaya of Dvekati added vivid colours and unusual finishing materials, from fuchsia fitted carpet to coquina, a kind of limestone made up mostly of shell and marine life deposits.