28 square meters for the editor of ELLE Decoration
admin
Author
17 Feb 2023
The Volkov Design Studio has created a design project for a small apartment for Nina Anisimova, the editor of ELLE Decoration. About working with a space less than 30 sq. m. m and a limited budget — from the first person
Yana and Yuri Volkov, Volkov Design Studio
The first apartment bought with honestly earned money (not without a mortgage, of course!) is both an achievement and a lot of problems. The main ones are the small studio area and the same small budget. Moreover, almost a third of the room according to the plan is given over to a loggia, separated from the main room by a load-bearing wall. To admit, I deliberately chose an apartment of this layout — in my mind, a large, almost 7-meter loggia is strongly associated with luxury and spaciousness: morning coffee with a view of the forest, reading on a cot and other urban relaxation. And only after paying the first mortgage payments, I wondered: how to live on the remaining area? In addition to coffee drinking, there are also such "vulgar" and "mundane" things as sleeping or cooking. For whom — unexpectedly! — specific areas in the apartment are required, and there seems to be no room left for either a bed or a dining table. Fortunately, a way out was found: to take advantage of the official position and offer to solve a difficult task to professionals — Yana and Yuri Volkov from Volkov Design Studios.
LAYOUT
The standard layout of a small studio in a new building is what the designers of the Volkov Studio had to work with
The first and most difficult stage of the work is the layout. I dreamed of a separate bedroom, a spacious living room where you can receive 3-5 guests at the same time, and a small kitchen — I was ready to sacrifice self-realization in cooking. The designers proposed 5 planning solutions, each of which had its own advantages. Three of them were allocated space for an isolated mini-bedroom with a full bed, the other two assumed only a sofa. The kitchen area was also solved in different ways: with an island, and with a classic location provided for by the standard plan, and ... in the hallway!
A variant of the layout with the kitchen remaining in place, provided for by the original standard plan
Layout option with a bedroom separated from the living-dining room
Almost immediately it became clear that the bed should be abandoned: otherwise, you have to be small, sacrificing comfort. The priority at this stage was the feeling of spaciousness and convenience for life. And the favorite was the option with a kitchen placed in the hallway. And for a sense of security and personal space for sleeping, the designers suggested making an alcove and placing a sofa in it.
"Every designer who loves to work out the architecture of space will notice how great it turned out to break the geometry. I would like to deliberately emphasize the "detachment" of the kitchen and accentuate the alcove. So we will deceive the perception, it will not be standard, which means that visually the studio will seem more spacious." Yana and Yuri Volkov
The final version: with a kitchen, taken out to the front door, and a sofa in an alcove
DESIGN PROJECT
When the plan was chosen, Yana and Yuri moved on to the next stage: design. They took as a basis my favorite colors — blue and red — and styles: modern Japanese and Scandinavian minimalism. The only important wish on my part was the absence of beige shades, which I strongly associate with boredom.
Design project of a small apartment created by Yana and Yuri Volkov
Yana Volkova: "About style: the customer likes laconic but bright interiors, she is pleased with the color and contrast. Our pinterest folders have a theme dedicated to Japan and a long-preserved work by artist Koitsu Tsuchiya. It is made just in the right color scheme — red and blue (it is very important to live surrounded by your favorite colors — it creates a feeling of comfort). The work is beautiful, there is a diversity and a real Japanese mood. So this landscape became the starting point in creating the interior.
Mudboard of the future interior
The alcove should be the center of attention. Let's highlight it with Japanese-style wallpaper. This floral ornament is very similar to Koitsu snow flakes — the same effect and dynamics. A sofa will become a bright accent. Refresh the gray tile with turquoise grout. Let's support this deliberate cage with glass blocks on the apron, which will also let light into our kitchen. We leave the ceiling in the hallway and living area without finishing, with it our palette will look calmer, and the interior as a whole will be more artistic.
"In the painting by the Japanese artist Koitsu Tsuchiya, there is a blue-green gamma that flows over the canvas with a gradient, there is also a red accent. Related tones in the interior look spectacular: we turn the kitchenette into a dark blue cube. We paint the wall with the window and the loggia in bright blue. So a single space acquires three visually separated zones." Yana and Yuri Volkov
Bathroom Mudboard
The round sconce is a tribute to the Japanese style, as is the red mirror in the bathroom. Here we also paint the walls and ceiling in dark blue. The floor tile leading from the hallway is complemented with a beige boar. A pedestal for a washbasin and a washing machine in blue with leather handles," the designers tell about their project.
Mudboard loggias
There was not a single question about the design project - and once again during my work I became convinced that even the smallest space can be not only stylish, but also comfortable for life. Already at the stage of choosing the layout, the designers seem to have felt exactly what I expect from my first apartment: individuality, brightness, comfort and coziness. And while the house is being completed, I scrupulously collect a mudboard: paints of a complex blue shade, wallpaper with an unusual print and — for inspiration! — works by Japanese artists.
Volkov Design Studio: volkov-d.com , volkov-ds@inbox.ruNina Anisimova
