Residential Design Project of Geometrium design studio. Location — Moscow. Floor space — 113m2. Project orderer — young family with a child. Interior style — contemporary. http://geometrium.com/en/portfolio/nasledie/
The interior of this apartment we designed for a family with a small child. New parents are planning to give birth to one more child in the nearest future.
Functional requirements for this apartment
We were asked to:
• combine kitchen, dining room and living room and create one big space;
• foresee two sanitary facilities: one main and another for guests, where, in one for the guests there should be a shower cabin, while in main – bath;
• create a separate dressing-room zone in a bedroom for the owners’ clothes;
• divide children’s room into two zones: one for working, and another one actually for children’s room;
• detach zone for washing room, where clients will wash, dry and iron the laundry.
Replanning
This apartment had free layout. We almost didn’t deviate from the Technical Inventory Bureau plan. So we didn’t need to approve replanning. It was decided to combine living room with kitchen-dining room in a one big area. Also, we took away partition in a hall and combined it with a living room. We separated entrance zone from the kitchen with a guest sanitary facilities, for the guests, when entering the apartment, didn’t see the whole floor space. As the result, we received open big space, which is divided visually with guest sanitary conveniences.
This planning is really convenient, because it enabled us to create big space for common zones such as: living room, hall, dining room, guest sanitary facilities. And private zones such as: bedroom, children’s room, bathroom, dressing-room, washing room, which are remoted from the entrance. These zones will be used only by owners. And when the guests come, they won’t be able to enter in a private zone, as they are situated in a separate part of the apartment. This is a big advantage.
From the global replanning we combined zones of enclosed balcony and children’s room. In ex-balcony zone we placed children’s working area. We agreed this replanning with clients and the only requirement from their side was to place glass partition there.
Finishing materials
As you could possibly have mentioned, in all our project we often repeat finishing materials in different zones and add defined tones. This interior is not an exclusion.
On the floor in the whole interior we used parquet planks Barlinek. This is the best option in the ratio of price-quality. And we often use it in our projects.
Apart from it, we also used ceramic granite tile imitating white marble. We used it in a guest bathroom, at the kitchen’s floor and in the hall. This technique creates effect of the united space. For example, when you open the doors of the guest sanitary conveniences, you will see that their, kitchen’s and living room’s floor is of the same material. This creates visual combining and increase of space.
The walls are made for further painting, we will use mostly grey and white colors. For the accents we used mossy color in the bedroom, in form of sage green tone accent over the bed-head. In the children’s room we used more bright colors, i.e. blue and navy colors for the walls. Herewith the part of the jamb was used for a small house, which we painted in different colors. Also for children’s room finishing we used panels over the wardrobe, as some kind of an accent.
In private zones for an accents we also used ceramic granite imitating concrete. It appears in bathroom and in children’s room working area. Again, all materials are repeated in the whole interior and also in separate elements.
Storage systems
In this interior we used storage systems at a maximum. For example, at the entrance in the hall we placed a big two-meter wardrobe. It will perform two functions: clothes storage and technical one (there will be placed electric power meter).
In the living room zone we used almost the whole wall for Pax systems from IKEA and made to order mezzanine cabinets. It resulted in a big spacious storage system, where you can hide all odd things. For example, scattered child’s toys, books or other personal things of our clients. This wardrobe is absolutely built in, it looks like a smooth wall with doors, which is limited by the partitions. Herewith, one cabinet is of nonstandard size, so to place there Pax system from IKEA we fully laid it out. As the result we received a gap, where we couldn’t place additional wardrobe. We found the way out and left a niche there, to place a made to order shelf. In this open shelf clients will store things, that are regularly used. Also we placed Wifi router there. It might be the best place for internet distribution for both bedroom and children’s room. The router will be placed almost in the middle of the apartment, and open shelf won’t block the signal with the doors.
When you look to the kitchen, from the left side you will see a refrigerator and vertical cabinetry together with a vertical placement of appliances. We foresee two refrigerators; it was the request of our clients. They needed them to store more food, as the family spends a lot of time at the kitchen and often cooks. Also, we placed vertical cabinetry exactly from the left side to free the space for cooking zone and place horizontal cabinetry over it. Opposite the cooking zone we placed island, where you can also cook food and communicate with family members, who are sitting in the living room or over the bar counter and waiting for a supper. In that island there are also storage systems, where a lot of dishes and flatware could be stored.
In the corner of the living room we placed fireplace imitation up built from the supporting wall edge, and placed additional cabinets over it. They are small, but you can place books and small things there.
Regarding storage systems in the children’s room we placed IKEA wardrobe there, which frames the sofa and made to order mezzanine cabinets, where the children could place their things. We foresee two wardrobes, as when the second child will be born, each of them could have one wardrobe. Also there is a shelf for books in the form of open storage system, to have open access to the books and other needed things.
The bedroom had an extended form. So we separated it’s part for a dressing room. As the result, we received comfortable space of a regular shape with a separate storage system, where a lot of clothes could be placed. We received two of two and a half-meters wardrobes – it is five meters of wardrobes from the floor to the ceiling.
In the bathroom the storage system is placed over the lavatory bowl and also over the sink in mirror cabinet. Over the bathroom there is niche for shampoos. The same niches we placed in a guest sanitary facilities. Over the lavatory bowl there is a long niche for storage of toilet paper and household chemicals. At the same time, it is a decorative element, where you can put greenery or plants.
Illumination scenarios
There are several illumination scenarios in this apartment: general, functional and some decorative.
Decorative illumination
Decorative illumination is used at a maximum only in a guests and common zones.
We lightened the wooden lathes, which are separating the guest zone over the sofa. Between lathes on the ceiling we placed LED profiles, which provide interesting enough luminescence. Whet the light will be turned off, they will create a decorative effect.
Also as decorative illumination we used spots – directed lamps in white niche in the living room, they create original relief of the light on the walls. Also you can direct them on a specific things and put an accent on them with the help of the light. It also creates decorative effect.
The role of decorative illumination in the bedroom is performed by table lamps. They create an intimate atmosphere and provide soft lighting over the drawers. You can turn off the rest of the illumination, leaving them turned on, to create decorative illumination.
General illumination
For the general illumination we used built-in spot lamps in the whole apartment, combined in such a way, that they can provide dosed illumination or illuminate the whole interior. Their main function is to provide general illumination, especially in the children’s room. It is necessary to have more light there, as there are many activities in this room, and good lightening is really important for children.
Also the role of general illumination is performed by surface-mounted luminaire in a children’s working zone. This scenario works in such a way, that you can turn on the light over the working zone and turn off the rest of illumination.
General illumination in the bedroom is represented by profile lamps and hanging chandelier, called nimbus, that creates light circles and provides with LED illumination.
Functional illumination
Functional illumination in a guest zone is represented by hanging chandeliers over the dining table and bar counter. In the kitchen we used LED strip light under the hanging cabinetry and surface-mounted luminaire, that provides spot light on a working area.
We used wall lamps in a children’s room for a comfortable reading before the sleep. For example, sitting on the sofa, parents will be able to read a fairytale to a smaller child, while wall lamp will illuminate this reading and create needed level of illumination. Also we placed wall lamps in the bedroom. They also could be spotted. This also could be suitable while reading.
Color layout
We had a request to create a bright space, and we fulfilled this by using white color of the walls and light grey tones of the walls. For the accents we used navy, blue and wood colors. We often use wood in our projects, and it is the main outstanding element in the whole interior. You can notice wooden doors, tile imitating wood in the bathroom, wooden counter under the sink, wooden floor almost in the whole flat. Also wooden lathes in the living room, that create some kind of an accent. These are main colors that we used in the interior.
Also there is green color in a small amount, which appears in the plants and partly in the children’s room. The main task is to create general background in neutral tones, emphasize wood, as natural material and put color accents for interior to look lively and interestingly. As the result we used several colors: white, grey, wooden, navy accent in the children’s room, complex sage green in the bedroom and white marble effect.
Interior design items
From the interior design items, the only requirement from the client’s side was bathroom fitment Villeroy&Boch. Also, we were asked to use lamps CentrSvet and put high-quality cabinetry. We allocated budget in such a way, that we could focus on important things, while the hided elements we tried to make cheaper. For example, in the living room the wall of storage systems was done from the wardrobes PAX IKEA, also we used IKEA items in the whole interior.
For the finishing we used parquet Barlinek and tile Porcelanosa. The finishing of the tabletop of cabinetry, bar counter and island is made of ceramic granite OnTop of Laminam company. Lamps and designer furniture, such as armchair and coffee table, were bought in Cosmorelax shop. The part of the furniture we ordered according to our sketches, for example rack in the living room, TV drawer and furring.
Decoration and textile
For decor we used plants at the whole apartment and paintings in a black frame with abstraction. The black color, which is used in interior, creates the rhythm of the space. In single decor elements we used latten. It was used just a little to add dynamics and materials to the interior.
One more decorative element is a wall in the children’s room, which we stylized as a house. We picked up decor in the form of garlands and painted windows with a chalk paint inside. Also for decor we used veneer mountings, they are painted and stuck to the walls.
Regarding textile, we used curtains of beige-grey tones made of natural materials, in such way we involved minimum color in them. The curtains in the whole interior are the same. Also in textile we used grey color, for example sofa in the living room. The carpets in the children’s room combine color range of this room on a compositional level. On the carpets of the living room we used tones that are present on the curtains and sofa.
Complexities
Complexities could appear with a wall between kitchen and bathroom, the construction should be worked out thoroughly, you should be accurate with dimensions. That space is really small and we decided to reduce this partition to put installation there. We worked its node point out and visualized it in construction documents, for workers not to get into a fuddle.
Also complexities could appear on the stage of bathroom storage system placement. At the place of niche for shampoos there is complex technical solution. It is essential to organize access to filters, meters, also there is a need to place a lot of bathroom fitment and try to combine everything correctly. There could be complexity for plumbers to tap the elements such as tubes, filters and plugs in one place. They should be in a free access. It could create some complexities, but with intelligent approach together with designer we will be able to find the right solution.
Complexities could also appear while hanging the drawer in the bedroom. This is elongated drawer of a small height, when it will be placed it is needed to put special embedded details on the wall. This is not easy solution to implement, so it could be hard for furniture-maker to choose the furniture and work through this solution.
It would be challenging to built-in lathes over the sofa in the living room. The best solution will be to make them from MDF and invisibly combine them with each other. It will be hard to attach them to the ceiling, it should be done in a nicely and practical way.
- Interior Designer: Geometrium