MEMORIES BEHOLDER

This country house is located in an old dacha village. The task seemed relatively easy. The interior design had to be contemporary and presentable but not too extravagant. At the same time, we had to maintain the vibe of the place where numerous writers and intellectuals came to work in the summer. We are very proud of this project. Despite all the challenges, it definitely worked out – especially if you compare the before and after pictures.

The house was originally built in a ravine full of age-old pine trees. As a result, it was almost always poorly lit. We revamped the facades using a special stone polishing technology which gave it a velvety feel, an opulent texture and added some deliberately ‘burnt’ wood planks. We also updated the geometry of the entire house and the roof. The interior layout of the house was revised too. We moved the elevator and enlarged the total area of the living room, at the same time reducing its height. As a result, we got more area on the second floor, which we allocated for a big dressing room. We also moved a wall in the basement area, which let us enlarge the pool and lighten up the basement.

We decided to keep part of the existing furniture which is familiar and clear to the customers. The contemporary ribbed kitchen complemented the antique Finnish furniture in the dining room. Designer armchairs were placed in front of the Florentine fireplace of the 15th century. We removed the patina from its forged decor and restored it to its former beauty. The idea was to retain the vibes of the house by keeping all the functional elements of its original design.

We went for a light primary colour scheme dotted with darker contrasting accents. For instance, we painted the vaulted ceiling of the third-floor black and made ornamental silk wall panels in black mouldings focal points in the master bedroom. The emphasized value contrast further accents the natural light in the interior.