Visiting designers Irina Markidonova and Ilona Menshakova in Sochi

Early morning or a sunny day — in apartments on the sea, which were designed for themselves by Irina Markidonova and Ilona Menshakova (Sister's Design), it is equally good at any time of the day

The living room in Ilona's apartment. The screen designed by Alvar Aalto was bought in a vintage store in London. Wall sconces and a table by the sofa, Sollos. A painting from the series "Underwear" by Peter Shvetsov, Marina Gisich Gallery. There is a vintage linen carpet on the floor. Leather armchair, Angel Pazmino, 1961, Ecuador, Chairnuseum Gallery.

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Ivan Yerofeyev

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

You know perfectly well the handwriting of the sisters of decorators Irina Markidonova and Ilona Menshakova (Sister's Design): restrained colors and complex textures, enveloping atmosphere and art that makes you think. They create interiors where the main thing is not the details of decoration or furniture, but the mood created for customers. The sisters' country house (published in the October 2020 issue of ELLE DECORATION), which they designed together, is exactly the same — an enveloping space where every object breathes peace.

But when they bought neighboring apartments in Sochi with a sea view, each of them had their own interior idea. "It can't be said that it was a spontaneous purchase, but it was quite unexpected," Ilona says. — We came to visit the decorators Nadia and Givi Ananyev. And just a few hours later, all Moscow's affairs and worries turned out to be much further away than a two-hour flight by plane."

Returning a few days later, the sisters wondered if it was worth buying an apartment for short vacations at sea. They liked one of the options so much that they decided to buy it over the phone.

Ilona Menshakova. Shelving, Alexey Bereznyak, Heritage Gallery.

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

"The apartment building is located outside the city, away from the noisy embankments, and in front of the windows there are only trees and the sea," says Irina. — As soon as I entered the apartment, I immediately imagined how nice it would be here in the early morning. Freshness has not yet been replaced by scorching heat, you can go to an empty beach and take a dip, and then stop by the market or buy a morning catch from fishermen."

Vintage leather armchair, Angel Pazmino, next to the armchair, Sollos. Linen on the windows, Pierre Frey. Planters, Willie Gul.

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

This feeling completely conveys the interior — gray-green shades create a feeling of coolness, the panel above the sofa repeats the ripples on the surface of the sea, transparent fabrics sway in the breeze, like fishing nets.

Marble table, Knoll. Chairs, Zara Home. Above the table is the work of the French artist Sand Breton.

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

"And my nets are almost real," Ilona smiles, showing the lamp above the table. — Although my apartment is more of a daytime story. The warm shade of the plastered walls and the light, sun-bleached wooden panels, even in early spring, create the feeling that a hot July day is outside the window. But linen fabrics, woven carpet, dark wood accents give that light coolness that we feel when entering a shaded room from the street."

The kitchen and joinery are made in the workshop of Sergey Kartashov.

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

In her interior, Ilona conveyed the atmosphere of the hot July days

The concrete sink is made to order according to individual sketches of the designer, Petrobeton.

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

A fragment of the bathroom. Mirror, Muuto.

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

Apartment layouts (of the same area of 55 sq. m. m) also turned out to be different — Ilona has an open space, zoned with the help of a kitchen work surface. Irina has allocated a separate space for the bedroom — small, like a cabin, it is a full-fledged room due to two sliding doors and two glass partitions opposite each other. Thanks to this, the perspective from the window opens immediately from the hallway, which makes the apartment visually larger.

Irina Markidonova in the living room of her apartment. The buffet is made according to the sketches of the designer in the workshop of Vladimir Kubyshin. On the sideboard there are vintage Chinese bento boxes in black lacquer.

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

Irina's living room. Sofa, Milano Bedding, in Pierre Frey fabric. The chair, Sollos. A table by the window, a shelf made of burnt wood and a metal panel above the sofa are made according to the designer's sketches. Linen curtains, Pierre Frey.

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

Entering the apartment, Irina imagined how good it would be here in the early morning

Canteen. Table, Desalto. Chairs in white leather, Karl Hansen. Metal lampshade, Wasberg. Bra, Ann Demeulemeester.

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

Kitchen, workshop of Sergey Kartashov.

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

View from the hallway to the bedroom and living room

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

"Our apartments turned out to be very different, so now every day of rest can be planned in a special way," the sisters say. — Today is breakfast at Ira's, lunch at Ilona's, and for dinner we will go to our neighbors-decorators Tatiana Alyonina and Vladimir Krasilnikov. By the way, they chose these apartments for us, and you will soon see what kind of interior they have turned out!" www.sisters-design.ruBedroom.

The headboard of the bed, Volokno company. Bedspread-plaid, de La Couna. Lamps, Ann Demelmeister. The walls and ceiling are covered with wallpaper, Thibaut.

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

Marble tile on the bathroom wall, Black storm. The concrete sink is made by the Petrobeton company. Mirror, Muuto. The sconces are made from the remains of a marble slab by Alexander Pavlovsky.

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IVAN YEROFEYEV

Dorozhkin Alexey
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