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September 18, 2016

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Home » Sunday » Home and Design

Family creates ‘country cottage’ in Moscow apartment

Source: Shanghai Daily | September 18, 2016, Sunday | Print Edition

DIMITRI and Elena Tursunova’s glamorous apartment is situated within the Vodniy Stadium complex, on the banks of a large reservoir in the northern section of Moscow. It’s a weekend family home for relaxation — a little oasis of calm amid the great metropolis.

“People say there are three things to consider when buying an apartment: location, location, and location. So on that basis, our apartment is perfect — right on the banks of the Moskva River, and just 15 minutes to the city center,” Dimitri said.

“We never get tired of looking at the water at any time of year — whether during the summer sailing regattas, or when the surface is crisp-frozen in the winter. Not to mention the spectacular sunsets — a slight seldom enjoyed by residents of the metropolis.”

The apartment was the second project Dimitri did with Oleg Klodt Architecture & Design, and soon they will be starting on a third project, this one aimed at expansion.

“My trust in the architect grew immediately, beginning from the first time we met eight years ago. My biggest concern was that the apartment had a lively atmosphere. We didn’t try to fence off the furniture, and the kids were allowed to play everywhere. We wanted a family home, not a showroom.”

The address had previously been used as office space, so architect Anna Agapova, who was in charge of this project, completely remade the floor layout. They raised the ceilings, exposing the metal girders so that they featured within the interiors, and expanded the available space.

“In addition to the ceilings, we had the pleasure of changing the apartment’s striking two-story tower into a children’s zone, including a compact and cosy bedroom below connected to a playroom upstairs by a bronze staircase,” Agapova said.

Regarding the layout, the architects tried to exploit all possibilities the apartment offered. For example, the sun can be seen reflecting in the water outside from the master bedroom in the morning.

“We created an interpretation of contemporary Parisian style which differs from the subdued, almost Nordic finishes of the space, such as the simply painted walls and honey-toned flooring. Also, the apartment has panoramic windows looking out on the reservoir, so we used those as inspiration for our design,” Agapova said.

“The spacious open-plan living and dining room was conceived as a continuation of the exterior landscape for the homeowners to feel a sense of lightness. For this area we chose a sophisticated color palette of red and golden hues that offset the turquoise accents alluding to the expansive body of water nearby,” she said.

The master bedroom was meant to draw the eye to an expanse of sky and water, which was achieved by its full width glass windows. This idea coupled with the turquoise upholstered wall panel that were designed to convey serenity and tranquillity.

Agapova said the highlights of the home would have to be the master bedroom and the children’s area. The master bedroom allows the homeowners to wake in the morning and see the sun reflected in the water. In the children’s zone, they inserted a glass partition between the floors, so that natural light would penetrate to the lower of the two floors.

All the furniture was selected personally by Agapova based on the family’s needs. “This project fell into place simply and easily, without any major difficulties arising at any stage of our work. We completed our work, as we say, in ‘a single breath’ and you can really feel it in the holistic appeal of the interior,” Agapova said.

The home, with its wooden floors and simple painted walls, is complemented by a combination of unusual objects, colors and textures.

The apartment is light, airy and uncluttered — although there are quite a few unusual designer items, like the brass dresser, multi-colored chairs, round Hobbit-style doors.

“It fulfills the role of a country cottage for us — we spend our weekends here, and we don’t even have a TV here. We do have a projector, for movies, though,” Dimitri said.

“We love Moscow. It’s becoming more and more beautiful, right before our eyes, and is teeming with amazing energy, just like New York.”

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