Houzz Tour: Industrial Style Gets Cozy in a Russian Apartment
Wood and brass warm up this space’s concrete walls and concrete-effect tile floors
Евгения Назарова
September 19, 2018
Photos by Mikhail Stepanov
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A young man
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia
Size: 1,722 square feet (160 square meters); two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Designers: Maria Makhonina and Alexandra Kazakovtseva of MK-Interio
When this apartment was delivered to its owner, it was an unfinished concrete box — the norm for new apartments in Russia. This inspired designers Maria Makhonina and Alexandra Kazakovtseva to go for a raw, industrial look that would echo the aesthetic of the building’s facade. They took the concrete as a starting point. “This was an interesting project for us because the style we picked is not so common. Together we’ve nicknamed this style ‘trendy loft,’” Makhonina says.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A young man
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia
Size: 1,722 square feet (160 square meters); two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Designers: Maria Makhonina and Alexandra Kazakovtseva of MK-Interio
When this apartment was delivered to its owner, it was an unfinished concrete box — the norm for new apartments in Russia. This inspired designers Maria Makhonina and Alexandra Kazakovtseva to go for a raw, industrial look that would echo the aesthetic of the building’s facade. They took the concrete as a starting point. “This was an interesting project for us because the style we picked is not so common. Together we’ve nicknamed this style ‘trendy loft,’” Makhonina says.
From top to bottom, left to right: living room-kitchen, guest room; office, walk-in closet, hallway, bathroom, laundry room; master bedroom, master bathroom, entrance
The Rooms Take Shape
At the outset, the apartment consisted of empty space occasionally broken up by load-bearing columns. Luckily, the latter didn’t get in the way of designing a cozy interior. In some areas, the team had to build a dropped ceiling to accommodate air-conditioning and ventilation systems.
The Rooms Take Shape
At the outset, the apartment consisted of empty space occasionally broken up by load-bearing columns. Luckily, the latter didn’t get in the way of designing a cozy interior. In some areas, the team had to build a dropped ceiling to accommodate air-conditioning and ventilation systems.
The designers left the walls in their original form and simply smoothed the concrete, dusted it off and finished it with a layer of matte varnish. They covered the newly built partitions in decorative beige plaster.
The designers were thus able to save on plasterboard since they didn’t cover the perimeter walls or the ceiling. “It is reasonable not only from the point of view of practicality but also aesthetics. It turned out to be an honest solution [that was true to the overall style of the building] and not just frivolous decor. We like it when the interior matches the facades,” Makhonina says.
The designers were thus able to save on plasterboard since they didn’t cover the perimeter walls or the ceiling. “It is reasonable not only from the point of view of practicality but also aesthetics. It turned out to be an honest solution [that was true to the overall style of the building] and not just frivolous decor. We like it when the interior matches the facades,” Makhonina says.
The entry hall has angled walls and sits between the apartment door and the living room-kitchen. The doors to other rooms are hidden in frames that are flush with the wall. The flooring is made up of 4-by-2-foot porcelain tiles that mimic concrete.
The console table and the black-and-white ink drawings above it are the hall’s focal points. The designers borrowed the idea from classic interiors but changed the look to meet modern trends. They chose a console with geometric-looking brass legs. And instead of a landscape or a mirror, as one might see in more traditional setups, they matched the console with drawings from Swiss artist Stephan Spicher’s Permeating the Skies series and purchased at the Inner Voice Gallery. The arrangement is framed by two iconic chairs: Zig Zag by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld for Cassina on the right, and Square by Frederik Roijé on the left.
Floor tiles: Coem; doors: Albed; console table: Rooma
Browse console tables that have a metal base
The console table and the black-and-white ink drawings above it are the hall’s focal points. The designers borrowed the idea from classic interiors but changed the look to meet modern trends. They chose a console with geometric-looking brass legs. And instead of a landscape or a mirror, as one might see in more traditional setups, they matched the console with drawings from Swiss artist Stephan Spicher’s Permeating the Skies series and purchased at the Inner Voice Gallery. The arrangement is framed by two iconic chairs: Zig Zag by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld for Cassina on the right, and Square by Frederik Roijé on the left.
Floor tiles: Coem; doors: Albed; console table: Rooma
Browse console tables that have a metal base
In the living room, the tile flooring gives way to oak. The place where the two finishes meet is embellished with cork. The designers were able to save on the flooring and put the money toward furniture and lighting instead.
A Wall That Wows
The wall opposite the living room door is decorated with a carved MDF panel featuring shelves, a stone countertop and backlighting. It was custom-made according to the designers’ sketches. The shelves display books and accessories.
Find an interior designer for your project
The wall opposite the living room door is decorated with a carved MDF panel featuring shelves, a stone countertop and backlighting. It was custom-made according to the designers’ sketches. The shelves display books and accessories.
Find an interior designer for your project
In some places, grooves in the walls and ceiling hold track lighting. These lights are complemented with fixtures over the bar that appear to float on threads, and others over the dining table that are reminiscent of birds.
Sofa: Meridiani; coffee tables: Rooma and Meridiani; dining table: Desalto; chairs: Cassina; rug: CC-Tapis; X-shaped shelves: Bukan, Mox; lamps: Vesoi and Delightfull
Sofa: Meridiani; coffee tables: Rooma and Meridiani; dining table: Desalto; chairs: Cassina; rug: CC-Tapis; X-shaped shelves: Bukan, Mox; lamps: Vesoi and Delightfull
The kitchen is laid out along two lines demarcated by a graphite-colored wall unit and an island. The latter is covered with panels that mimic a rusty surface. It flows into a custom-made bar counter.
The countertops are artificial stone. Their edges are cut at a 45-degree angle to make them look thinner.
The countertops are artificial stone. Their edges are cut at a 45-degree angle to make them look thinner.
The mirrored wall to the left of the cabinets makes the most of the light coming into the living room-kitchen through its three large windows. This makes the space look bigger and brighter.
Kitchen cabinetry: MK Cucine
Kitchen cabinetry: MK Cucine
All of a Piece
The warm wood in the master bedroom echoes the design of the kitchen island. Even though the rooms are set apart from one another, the interior decor carries the same throughlines. The floor-to-ceiling doors in the bedroom are made of knotty oak.
On the wall opposite the bed hangs an arrangement of three more works by Spicher, the artist whose drawings adorn the entryway. These are from his Eternal Line series. They are made of aluminum and are a good fit with both the materials and the mood of the interior.
Bed: Meridiani; armchair: Saba; bedside lamps: Bosa and La Chance; pendant light: Luna, Davide Groppi
The warm wood in the master bedroom echoes the design of the kitchen island. Even though the rooms are set apart from one another, the interior decor carries the same throughlines. The floor-to-ceiling doors in the bedroom are made of knotty oak.
On the wall opposite the bed hangs an arrangement of three more works by Spicher, the artist whose drawings adorn the entryway. These are from his Eternal Line series. They are made of aluminum and are a good fit with both the materials and the mood of the interior.
Bed: Meridiani; armchair: Saba; bedside lamps: Bosa and La Chance; pendant light: Luna, Davide Groppi
A glass partition with a small door separates this bathroom from the master bedroom. The smoked glass provides privacy while giving the space a moody feel. Only the double vanity and the freestanding tub are visible; the toilet and shower are hidden behind another partition. The walls and floor are covered in porcelain tiles with a concrete look. Above the bathtub is a black towel rack with built-in faucets.
Vanity: Casabath; bathtub: Knief; towel rack with faucets: Agape
Vanity: Casabath; bathtub: Knief; towel rack with faucets: Agape
The walk-through office can be reached from both the living room and the walk-in closet. Its decor, including the knotty oak panels, ties in with the rest of the interior. The shelves and table were made to measure.
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More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
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Very sexy
This apartment is a complete WOW to me because of the way the designers utilized the raw building materials, and because the layout is a good use of the space. Kudos to the designers.