Russia Houzz Tour: Nature-Inspired Colours for a Studio Apartment
The design of this tiny apartment reflects the surrounding natural landscape while making the most of the attic space
Black and white contrasts resemble the active chiaroscuro of the mountains, grey accents echo cool water, and wooden surfaces bring the forest to mind.
It was also important to make this bedroom feel roomy, so it was expanded into the attic.
Thinking of renovating your own apartment or house? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz
It was also important to make this bedroom feel roomy, so it was expanded into the attic.
Thinking of renovating your own apartment or house? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz
The project began with some construction work: the designers changed the entrance area slightly and merged the attic with the bedroom, so the room is now several square metres larger and 2.2 metres taller at its highest point.
Such a space needs light, so the next step was to change the windows. The one window in the bedroom was extended to a height of three metres, and a second smaller window was added next to it. The shape of the windows follows the slope of the roof. Instead of curtains, specially designed MDF shutters provide privacy.
A glass barrier was installed outside the windows to create a Juliet balcony. There are two young children in the house, so safety is a priority for the owners. Convection heating was built into the floor.
Such a space needs light, so the next step was to change the windows. The one window in the bedroom was extended to a height of three metres, and a second smaller window was added next to it. The shape of the windows follows the slope of the roof. Instead of curtains, specially designed MDF shutters provide privacy.
A glass barrier was installed outside the windows to create a Juliet balcony. There are two young children in the house, so safety is a priority for the owners. Convection heating was built into the floor.
The room is divided into three areas: a bedroom directly under the sloping roof, a mini living room with a TV, and an office.
The calm palette revolves around key contrasts between the dominant white and the graphite accents. They are joined by wood on the floor and in the pine-veneer cabinet facades.
The calm palette revolves around key contrasts between the dominant white and the graphite accents. They are joined by wood on the floor and in the pine-veneer cabinet facades.
Pine veneer was chosen for its striking pattern, which emphasises the contrasts in the room. The cabinet doors are push-to-open. There is more storage under the bed: a silent pneumatic lifting mechanism provides access to a 0.8-cubic-metre compartment for storing linen.
Soft furnishings in a palette of white and pale grey make the bed and sofa complement one another
A panel of white hexagons on the headboard is an interesting accent. It might look like a honeycomb at first glance, but the designers deliberately created an irregular composition, avoiding symmetry and repetition. The panel was first designed on a computer and then cut from an enamelled MDF board.
The designers hid a wardrobe beneath the stairs
They had to think carefully about the design of the stairs to the loft, since there was little space left. Samba stairs were a natural space-saving solution. The dark steps were finished with wenge (a dark African wood) veneer, and the light-coloured parts with pine veneer. A large wardrobe was placed underneath.
In the loft office area is a five-metre-long, custom-made tabletop over an eight-millimetre-thick tempered glass barrier. A skylight was cut into the roof to bring natural light into the work area.
Your turn
What do you like best about this studio apartment? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Missed our last Houzz Tour? Catch up here with Houzz Tour: From Worst to Best-Dressed House on the Street
Your turn
What do you like best about this studio apartment? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Missed our last Houzz Tour? Catch up here with Houzz Tour: From Worst to Best-Dressed House on the Street
Bedroom at a Glance
Who lives here: a family with two children
Location: Moscow region, Russia
Size: 25 square metres
Designers: Aleksey Shibaev and Natalya Rybakova of Ze Workroom Studio
This project was undertaken as part of a home renovation TV show. The owners of this apartment hail from Altai Krai in the Siberian Federal District, and it was the local landscape that inspired the designers to choose a restrained colour scheme for the home.