Russian Houzz: Lofty Dreams for the Young at Heart
A minimalist loft apartment with a multi-level children's room is full to the brim with adventures
Situated in the top-floor apartment of a tower block in the Russian city of Korolev, this family home was just a shell when it was bought by its current owners. During extensive construction and repair work, they discovered an uninhabitable attic right above the apartment, and managed to buy that as well, and so created the perfect space for their growing family. Architects from Ruetemple studio met the challenge to design this loft apartment, complete with a multi-level children’s room for two young boys. The basis of the design was giving full scope to imagination – both the owners’ and the architects’: a 150 square-metre apartment with a freely laid-out interior, and ceilings ranging from half a metre to five-and-a-half metres in height. The clients’ first requirement was to keep the feeling of light and space in the apartment, and to design a home with maximum functionality and comfort around that.
Thankfully for the designers, their clients were very open to suggestion when it came to their slightly left-of-centre ideas. For instance, the idea of placing a children’s hammock above the stairs, at a height of three metres, didn’t faze the couple.
And despite their vivid personalities and a shared passion for bright colours, the clients weren’t afraid to embrace a monochrome palette and an occasionally austere interior.
And despite their vivid personalities and a shared passion for bright colours, the clients weren’t afraid to embrace a monochrome palette and an occasionally austere interior.
Aside from retaining the airiness of the apartment, the other requirements were creating interesting design solutions for the children’s room, for functional pieces of furniture that fit in with the minimalist aesthetic and providing ample storage throughout the property.
As a result, the family got a loft apartment full of natural light, with sophisticated yet functional interior design. Natural materials, a clean palette and crisp, neat forms give the impression of infinite space and light.
The architects at Ruetemple encountered some difficulties and had to make several adjustments to their ideas for the project, but their design didn’t change dramatically. Most changes applied to the interior details and furniture, and some ideas weren’t fully realised because of budget constraints. Yet the key elements such as the high-strung hammocks and unique furniture pieces in the children’s room were thankfully turned into reality.
As a result, the family got a loft apartment full of natural light, with sophisticated yet functional interior design. Natural materials, a clean palette and crisp, neat forms give the impression of infinite space and light.
The architects at Ruetemple encountered some difficulties and had to make several adjustments to their ideas for the project, but their design didn’t change dramatically. Most changes applied to the interior details and furniture, and some ideas weren’t fully realised because of budget constraints. Yet the key elements such as the high-strung hammocks and unique furniture pieces in the children’s room were thankfully turned into reality.
Functional built-in LED lighting blends perfectly with the interior, and is in keeping with the pared-back aesthetic found throughout. Most of the furniture was made to order specifically for the project, but the neutral-toned living room furniture, including a long leather sofa in a sandy tone and a matching ottoman, was bought from Ikea.
Lamps: Flos
Lamps: Flos
Simple shades and warm tones of timber were used to unite the two floors, and to make the austere interior look spacious yet welcoming. In the hallway and in the kitchen, the floors were tiled in porcelain stoneware in a soft shade of grey, while in the other zones Scheucher parquet flooring in a honey tone was used, adding extra warmth to these spaces.
Kitchen joinery: Stilnye Kuhni; pendant lights: Artemide; dining table and chairs: BoConcept; porcelain stoneware tiles: Arch-Skin
Kitchen joinery: Stilnye Kuhni; pendant lights: Artemide; dining table and chairs: BoConcept; porcelain stoneware tiles: Arch-Skin
The hallway, kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, storage locker and bathroom are all located on the first floor of the apartment. The second floor, where the attic space used to be, is now dedicated to play.
Thanks to high ceilings with steep slopes, the most spacious and comfortable place for the family to spend time together is on the second floor. During the day, this area – referred to as the playroom – is suffused with light coming from the attic windows. The space gives all members of the family plenty of inspiration and ideas, so the architects decided to coat one of the walls with dry erase paint to encourage the creative flow.
Two staircases, one in the children’s room and another off the living room, lead to the upper level. This space is the most attractive for children, a real secret place, inspiring adventures and creativity.
The bold decision was to place hammocks made of construction netting at a three-metre height, above the stairs. To get there, the children climb up a steel ladder, made by professional welders.
The bold decision was to place hammocks made of construction netting at a three-metre height, above the stairs. To get there, the children climb up a steel ladder, made by professional welders.
The most intriguing space, with the highest ceiling right under the roof, was transformed into the children’s room. It features a spacious playroom and built-in steel-framed timber cubby spaces that hold the boys’ beds.
A small but inspiring room with impressive ceiling and attic windows was made into a study. It features a large table, and bookshelves with wide benches under them.
Desk chair: BoConcept
Desk chair: BoConcept
In order to highlight the architectural lines of the ceilings, the designers decided to use fewer ceiling lights. Instead, several lamps in the form of white balls were placed on the bookshelves to provide more unique illumination.
Want a similar design for your interiors? Here are some tips from Ruetemple’s architects:
- Write down the key requirements, and pay attention to them at all stages of work with architects and designers
- Focus on functionality and logic
- Opt for 3-4 basic colours, for those who love ‘nothing in excess’ solutions
Who lives here: A young family with two boys, aged five and three.
Location: Korolev, Moscow, Russia
Size: 150 square metres (5 rooms)
Budget: 4 million rubles (AUD$87,068)
Year: 2014
Architects: Alexander Kudimov, Daria Butakhina and Natalia Gubareva of Ruetemple
That’s interesting: The home’s multi-level children’s room received two prizes in the Interior Design category of Russia’s ARCHIWOOD 2015 Award
Photos by Alexander Kudimov