Moscow Houzz Tour: Industrial Chic in a Russian Loft
Industrial style and brutalist influences share space with artwork and home comforts in this apartment in Russia
Евгения Назарова
23 December 2017
This two-storey loft in Moscow was a labour of love. Plagued by construction setbacks and the attendant budget difficulties, it took the help and input of the whole extended family, and the timely intervention of a design fairy godmother, to complete. The end result is an open and airy loft with industrial and brutalist influences, balanced by elegant touches and sumptuous materials.
Photos by Olga Shangina
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Artyom Churkin, a financier, his wife Anna Gorbatsevich, an editor, and their daughter, Eva
Location: Moscow, Russia
Size: 170 square metres with a ceiling height of 5.2 metres on the first floor, and about 2.6 metres on the second floor
Design: Annis Lender, Maxim Venzel and Kirill Fokin of GEMINI Guild
When he was looking for a new apartment, Artyom already had a clear idea of what kind of home he wanted to settle down in. “I have travelled a lot, lived in Spain and Budapest for a long time, and moved many times within Moscow as well. All of my apartments had certain zoning restrictions: I felt boxed in, and what I wanted could only be achieved with open space,” the owner says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Artyom Churkin, a financier, his wife Anna Gorbatsevich, an editor, and their daughter, Eva
Location: Moscow, Russia
Size: 170 square metres with a ceiling height of 5.2 metres on the first floor, and about 2.6 metres on the second floor
Design: Annis Lender, Maxim Venzel and Kirill Fokin of GEMINI Guild
When he was looking for a new apartment, Artyom already had a clear idea of what kind of home he wanted to settle down in. “I have travelled a lot, lived in Spain and Budapest for a long time, and moved many times within Moscow as well. All of my apartments had certain zoning restrictions: I felt boxed in, and what I wanted could only be achieved with open space,” the owner says.
At first, Artyom tried to manage the work himself: Anna was pregnant, so she stayed away from the physically demanding steps of selecting the finishes and installation. However, he was soon exhausted. “I’d done five or six renovation projects, so I thought I would be able to handle this one too. But I soon faced some practical problems,” he says. “We hired a designer, but after a while it became clear that he completely failed to meet deadlines, so we had to let him go.
“At one point, Anna saw I was feeling beaten and suggested we have a talk with a longtime friend of hers, an architect named Annis Lender. Annis turned out to be our fairy godmother. Just a week after our first meeting, she came back with a detailed apartment plan.”
“At one point, Anna saw I was feeling beaten and suggested we have a talk with a longtime friend of hers, an architect named Annis Lender. Annis turned out to be our fairy godmother. Just a week after our first meeting, she came back with a detailed apartment plan.”
It should be noted that after the first designer was let go, the whole family helped out. Artyom’s brother, the head of a construction company, came up with a smart solution – a mezzanine floor for the private spaces. His mum suggested plumbing fixtures and electrical accessories in the pre-war British style. Artyom bought gorgeous barn boards, ceramic tiles and a huge batch of clinker bricks too.
The budget for the project was running out, but the results were still far from apparent. Annis found herself in a rather tight spot. “It was risky to begin work on the apartment when a lot of decisions had already been made and money was running out,” she says. “But we agreed that we would propose a solution for how we might use the eclectic collection of items that had already been bought, and then decide how to move forward.”
The budget for the project was running out, but the results were still far from apparent. Annis found herself in a rather tight spot. “It was risky to begin work on the apartment when a lot of decisions had already been made and money was running out,” she says. “But we agreed that we would propose a solution for how we might use the eclectic collection of items that had already been bought, and then decide how to move forward.”
First and most importantly they had to agree on how to divide up the space so as to maintain a sense of volume and integrate complete storage systems.
They created a series of metal-encased structures reminiscent of elevator shafts. These connect the two levels of the apartment and contain closets, two bedrooms and the bathrooms. Thanks to the finish of the glass, it is impossible to look inside them from the living room. This solution maintains an airy feel in the overall space and fills it with a soft, diffused light in the evenings.
They created a series of metal-encased structures reminiscent of elevator shafts. These connect the two levels of the apartment and contain closets, two bedrooms and the bathrooms. Thanks to the finish of the glass, it is impossible to look inside them from the living room. This solution maintains an airy feel in the overall space and fills it with a soft, diffused light in the evenings.
The tactility of the materials was a key factor in the selection of finishes – that’s why there is plenty of wood. The floor is textured oak, while the furniture is made mostly from elm. Functional metal equipment with riveted copper details creates the balance.
The fireplace with its massive chimney, which is reminiscent of steam ship’s funnel, is not only the central design element of the two-storey apartment but also the heart of the home. They get regular wood deliveries, though Artyom was ready to go to the countryside to get it on his own if need be. The fireplace is finished with copper plates that have been oxidised and given a pleasant turquoise patina.
The ceiling was only lightly polished and covered with primer. Electrical lines were laid onto it. The lighting system resembles that of a movie theatre, and can be rearranged into a variety of lighting schemes thanks to track systems and adjustable spotlights, pendant lights and sconces in Mad Max style.
Bold industrial pendant lights, which were created specially for this apartment, are the main focus of attention here, however. “We wanted to create one large chandelier that would move on an electrically driven beam crane from the multi-media zone to the dining room, but we had to give up on this idea. Instead, we designed two pendant lights made from metal and glass insulators, each weighing 90 kilograms,” Annis says. “To say that hanging them was not easy is an understatement. We had to develop special fastening systems. Interestingly, these fasteners only embellished the lamps, bringing them to the next level.”
Bold industrial pendant lights, which were created specially for this apartment, are the main focus of attention here, however. “We wanted to create one large chandelier that would move on an electrically driven beam crane from the multi-media zone to the dining room, but we had to give up on this idea. Instead, we designed two pendant lights made from metal and glass insulators, each weighing 90 kilograms,” Annis says. “To say that hanging them was not easy is an understatement. We had to develop special fastening systems. Interestingly, these fasteners only embellished the lamps, bringing them to the next level.”
Almost all of the wooden furniture in the kitchen-living room was custom-made from Russian wood at the WoodMass factory. The only exception is a large table at the back of the living room next to the sofa area. The table top is made of burnt Indonesian acacia.
All the furniture was made in Russian factories. The roughness of details like the textured wooden facades and the unpolished welding allowed it to be made for 2.5 times less than it would have cost otherwise.
All the furniture was made in Russian factories. The roughness of details like the textured wooden facades and the unpolished welding allowed it to be made for 2.5 times less than it would have cost otherwise.
The huge couch with leather-and-cloth cushions is a reinterpretation of the Auto-Reverse sofa by Arketipo. Additional pillows lie flat on the floor, serving as comfortable seats for the couple’s numerous guests. In future they plan to add a large projection screen and a remote-controlled lifting platform for the projector in the living room.
The previous designer drafted the basis for the kitchen design, but it was Annis’ team who fine-tuned its functionality and look. “We inherited a decent idea, but we improved it in the process. In particular, we stretched the kitchen hood to the ceiling by analogy to the fireplace,” the architect says. “We treated the copper facades [with a patina, worked over with a bristled disk] to make them more suited to a living space, and we made part of the concrete benchtop into a splashback in order to protect the textured bricks.”
The owner’s main passions – contemporary art and music – are the key decorative accents in the space.
“Whenever I move into a new place, the first thing I do is put my drum set together,” Artyom says. It fits seamlessly into the living space, and the sound-absorbing properties of the materials in the apartment keep him from disturbing the neighbours.
“Whenever I move into a new place, the first thing I do is put my drum set together,” Artyom says. It fits seamlessly into the living space, and the sound-absorbing properties of the materials in the apartment keep him from disturbing the neighbours.
Art steeped in personal meaning can also be found throughout the home. The portrait of the red-haired woman was created by painter Alexander Klimtsov, winner of the Kandinsky Prize, which is given to the best contemporary Russian artists. He gave it to Artyom as a gift.
“It’s nice when you are surrounded by such gifts at home. Works of art are not only valuable but also remind you of the people who gave them to you,” Anna says.
“It’s nice when you are surrounded by such gifts at home. Works of art are not only valuable but also remind you of the people who gave them to you,” Anna says.
This sculpture by Vladimir Anzelma, called Krylo or ‘Wing’, is made of anthracite and quartz crystals. It was a wonderful spontaneous purchase.
“I was working with deliveries of fruit from Spain,” Artyom says. “One day I received an order from the Tagansky district, which happens to be where I went to school. Propelled by nostalgia, I decided to drive the order over myself. It turned out that the destination was a gallery. That was how I got to know the owner and see the exhibition. I just went in for five minutes and came out with the black wing.”
“I was working with deliveries of fruit from Spain,” Artyom says. “One day I received an order from the Tagansky district, which happens to be where I went to school. Propelled by nostalgia, I decided to drive the order over myself. It turned out that the destination was a gallery. That was how I got to know the owner and see the exhibition. I just went in for five minutes and came out with the black wing.”
Silk-screen prints by Elena Kudinova decorate the wall in the hallway and a space on the second floor. The Olympia typewriter was a gift from Annis.
The second floor hosts the private areas, complete with a bedroom, a spacious bathroom and a dressing room. The lighter and calmer colour scheme here is a contrast to the brutalist tendencies of the living room.
The second floor hosts the private areas, complete with a bedroom, a spacious bathroom and a dressing room. The lighter and calmer colour scheme here is a contrast to the brutalist tendencies of the living room.
The bedroom furniture was ordered from the Belarusian manufacturer Belfast. It fits well with the rest of the interior, and its price was a pleasant surprise given the quality. The inner window is childproof, as only the upper windows can be opened.
There are no bright colours or unexpected textures in the bedroom, but a sense of intrigue is maintained by surprising elements such as floating terrariums with live plants or the light fixtures at the head of the bed, which consist of miniature chandeliers inside glass bulbs.
There is no copper in this part of the house, but the industrial theme is maintained by steel.
The design of the second-floor bathroom represents an unexpected cocktail of Mediterranean and brutalist motifs, like the floor tiles and brickwork, respectively.
“Before Eva’s birth, I knew very little about children and thought that the baby could stay on the first floor, while we could have our bedroom on the second,” Anna says. Reality forced them to make adjustments. For now, Eva sleeps with her parents upstairs, and the nursery is being prepared for when she gets older.
On the wall is a cartoon-inspired mural with fun monsters drawn by artist Maxim Hikma. “Eva will spoil the walls by drawing on them anyway, so we decided to just make it a canvas for her to work on,” the owners say, laughing.
Retro-style light switches and an outlet serve as a monster’s eyes
On the wall is a cartoon-inspired mural with fun monsters drawn by artist Maxim Hikma. “Eva will spoil the walls by drawing on them anyway, so we decided to just make it a canvas for her to work on,” the owners say, laughing.
Retro-style light switches and an outlet serve as a monster’s eyes
The owners, Artyom and Anna, with their daughter Eva and Annis
Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
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attention to details, so nice!!)))
GREAT PLACE love the dark colors and that FIREPLACE! I hope they built a traditional Russian (convoluted burn/smoke path) mass heater so that massive brick chimney face radiantly warms the whole place, otherwise they will go through an unconscionable amount of wood. I appreciate their having to design based on previous purchases of materials.
I love the earthy and soft color palette woven so carefully with good solid natural materials. As an Architect AND a Drummer I appreciate the sensitivity to integrate the drum set into the design and decor. Great job and howdy from Houston, Texas.