Houzz Tour: ‘Daring’ Apartment Celebrates St. Petersburg
Themed rooms pack the colors and culture of the Russian city under one roof for a fun place to host friends
This young couple recently moved to Moscow, leaving behind their shared apartment in the center of St. Petersburg, Russia. They still wanted to have a place in their hometown where they could host relatives and friends. So they bought out their roommates and asked designers Max Zhukov and Victor Shtefan to turn the apartment into a colorful getaway. They went for a design that celebrates St. Petersburg and Russian living with themed rooms modeled on some of the city’s most famous attractions.
There was only one load-bearing wall in the apartment — the one in the center. It helped separate the public areas from the quiet nighttime zones. The designers put in other partitions as needed. Since the designers kept the kitchen and bathrooms in their original locations, the permit process went smoothly.
The owners needed a large open common space and as many beds as possible without compromising comfort. What they got was a kitchen-bar-living room and five bedrooms. Sixteen people can now stay here comfortably overnight, and two additional guests can sleep on the sofa bed if need be.
The owners needed a large open common space and as many beds as possible without compromising comfort. What they got was a kitchen-bar-living room and five bedrooms. Sixteen people can now stay here comfortably overnight, and two additional guests can sleep on the sofa bed if need be.
“The owners themselves chose St. Petersburg as the main theme in order to show their guests the best their beloved city can offer, with a good dose of humor, kitsch and the industrial decor we love,” Zhukov says.
“The places [that inspired individual rooms] were chosen based on their significance and how we could play them up in the decor, to develop the theme in dramatic ways,” he says.
The themed rooms are named Isaac, after St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the surrounding square; Aurora, after the historic Russian cruiser docked in St. Petersburg; Vaganova, after the famous ballet academy; Amber Room, after the stunning room in the Catherine Palace; Circus on the Fontanka, referring to the Ciniselli Circus; and Petrovsky Gardens, referring to the Summer Garden surrounding Peter the Great’s Summer Palace.
“The places [that inspired individual rooms] were chosen based on their significance and how we could play them up in the decor, to develop the theme in dramatic ways,” he says.
The themed rooms are named Isaac, after St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the surrounding square; Aurora, after the historic Russian cruiser docked in St. Petersburg; Vaganova, after the famous ballet academy; Amber Room, after the stunning room in the Catherine Palace; Circus on the Fontanka, referring to the Ciniselli Circus; and Petrovsky Gardens, referring to the Summer Garden surrounding Peter the Great’s Summer Palace.
Issac Living Room
The living room was painted gray — a reference to St. Petersburg’s typical gray skies — but the bright accents and the generously proportioned red sofas give the room a joyful and plush feel. Modeled on St. Isaac’s Cathedral and its square, the room features dome-shaped lights that recall the cathedral’s architecture. There is plenty of room for a big group of friends around the dining table, on the sofas or in the armchairs, which are shaped liked Russian nesting dolls and look as if they’re floating in air.
The living room was painted gray — a reference to St. Petersburg’s typical gray skies — but the bright accents and the generously proportioned red sofas give the room a joyful and plush feel. Modeled on St. Isaac’s Cathedral and its square, the room features dome-shaped lights that recall the cathedral’s architecture. There is plenty of room for a big group of friends around the dining table, on the sofas or in the armchairs, which are shaped liked Russian nesting dolls and look as if they’re floating in air.
A themed interior calls for furniture, lighting and decor that matches the subject. That’s why much of the furniture was custom-made.
The chandelier, floor lamps, sofas, armchairs, bookcase, kitchen hutch and bar counter were made from the designers’ sketches. The Fedora lights over the table were designed by Dima Loginoff for Axolight.
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The chandelier, floor lamps, sofas, armchairs, bookcase, kitchen hutch and bar counter were made from the designers’ sketches. The Fedora lights over the table were designed by Dima Loginoff for Axolight.
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The interior is not only about St. Petersburg, but also about Russia more broadly. The designers wanted to showcase the Russian lifestyle, so they styled the kitchen to resemble a dacha (country house).
Somewhere in every dacha is an old hutch that had belonged to someone’s grandmother, so the designers re-created this ubiquitous symbol of summer living. The bright blue matches the overall design, while the rest of the cabinets were made deliberately simple to create contrast. The one-piece acrylic countertop ties the elements together.
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Somewhere in every dacha is an old hutch that had belonged to someone’s grandmother, so the designers re-created this ubiquitous symbol of summer living. The bright blue matches the overall design, while the rest of the cabinets were made deliberately simple to create contrast. The one-piece acrylic countertop ties the elements together.
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The red telephone booth in the corner is actually a refrigerator. Black film imitates glass, and the top of the booth was custom-made by a sign maker.
The large blue shipping container houses bathrooms. “Initially, there was only one bathroom, and it was just a room with a toilet — though it did have a window,” designer Victor Shtefan says. “We added a blue container to it. This allowed us to add a bright, iconic, industrial element that also serves to conceal the bathrooms.” Moreover, they put in two additional bathrooms and added showers to all three.
The barrels on top contribute to the St. Petersburg theme: Each is labeled with the name of a local river or canal, and legend has it that each barrel contains water from the respective river.
The barrels on top contribute to the St. Petersburg theme: Each is labeled with the name of a local river or canal, and legend has it that each barrel contains water from the respective river.
Each bathroom is painted in a different color. Mirrors make these tiny rooms look bigger.
Petrovsky Gardens Bedroom
Just off the living room is the Petrovsky Gardens bedroom. This room occupies what was once a sunroom. The small, narrow space caused the designers a lot of grief.
“At first we thought about turning the room into an office, but we managed to make it into an additional bedroom with the help of a bunk bed,” Shtefan says. “The Petrovsky Gardens theme was inspired by the shape of the space: Two huge windows in such a room clearly recalled a greenhouse. So we added botanical patterns to the walls and floor.”
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Just off the living room is the Petrovsky Gardens bedroom. This room occupies what was once a sunroom. The small, narrow space caused the designers a lot of grief.
“At first we thought about turning the room into an office, but we managed to make it into an additional bedroom with the help of a bunk bed,” Shtefan says. “The Petrovsky Gardens theme was inspired by the shape of the space: Two huge windows in such a room clearly recalled a greenhouse. So we added botanical patterns to the walls and floor.”
Find nature-inspired wallpaper in the Houzz Shop
Hallway-Library
The barrels hanging from the ceiling in the hallway are actually pendant lights. They echo the barrels on the shipping container and are in keeping with the apartment’s overall style.
The barrels hanging from the ceiling in the hallway are actually pendant lights. They echo the barrels on the shipping container and are in keeping with the apartment’s overall style.
The hallway doubles as a library. The bedrooms opposite are separated by frosted-glass partitions that let natural light into the reading space. The doors are flush and match the rest of the glass wall so as not to draw attention.
As was common in Russian communal apartments, an old, out-of-tune upright piano once stood here. It had to be dismantled, and all that remains is its heavy cast-iron frame, which no one wanted to lug down the stairs — the building has no elevator. So the designers left it in place to serve as a piece of decor.
Aurora Bedroom
Modeled after a museum ship, this bedroom was designed to have two “decks.”
Modeled after a museum ship, this bedroom was designed to have two “decks.”
The room is a favorite with kids — and with adults who, as children, longed for bunk beds. The ropes, lifesaver rings and blue floor reinforce the nautical theme.
Vaganova Bedroom
In this ballet-inspired bedroom, translucent tutus hang from the ceiling and a real ballet barre graces the wall behind the bed.
The huge mirror seems to double the size of the space.
In this ballet-inspired bedroom, translucent tutus hang from the ceiling and a real ballet barre graces the wall behind the bed.
The huge mirror seems to double the size of the space.
“We made the barre ourselves,” Shtefan says. “The tutu chandeliers were custom-made.”
Ciniselli Circus Room
It feels as if this room is under the big top thanks to its striped ceiling, velvet curtains and red carpet.
Browse velvet curtains in the Houzz Shop
It feels as if this room is under the big top thanks to its striped ceiling, velvet curtains and red carpet.
Browse velvet curtains in the Houzz Shop
The room’s real-life inspiration is not far from the apartment.
Amber Room
“Our task was to create an Amber Room without using amber,” Zhukov says. “So we used copper paneling and fixed copper boards with the word ‘amber’ written in different languages to the wall. Copper reflects light perfectly, just like amber.”
The lampshades in this bedroom are made of denim.
“Our task was to create an Amber Room without using amber,” Zhukov says. “So we used copper paneling and fixed copper boards with the word ‘amber’ written in different languages to the wall. Copper reflects light perfectly, just like amber.”
The lampshades in this bedroom are made of denim.
Each room has an information plaque like the one next to the this window. The plaque gives a brief history of the attraction that inspired the room’s decor.
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Apartment at a Glance
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia
Size: About 1,830 square feet (170 square meters); five bedrooms, three bathrooms
Designers: Max Zhukov and Victor Shtefan of ToTaste.studio
“This is not our first project with these clients, so all they gave us were some words to work by: ‘Let’s be completely daring,’” Max Zhukov says. “The home was a rundown komunalka [a Soviet-era communal apartment shared by several people or families] that could have been a set for a horror movie: It was made up of a bunch of little rooms, some of which were pass-throughs. After tearing the walls down, we got a huge open space with 11 windows and an [11-foot-high] ceiling. This is what we started working on.”