The apartment is located in the Novaya Borovaya residential complex, in a neighborhood bordering the district's central park. It has an area of 96.9 m². Despite being on the second floor, the space is filled with light thanks to floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows that face two directions: a closed inner courtyard and the park.
Working with the Original Space
We were tasked with working on an apartment in a panel building, which meant taking a number of structural limitations into account. The original layout did not meet the family's needs, yet the geometry of the rooms could not be drastically altered. We decided to take a delicate approach: using zoning, well-planned furniture configuration, and visual techniques to turn the shortcomings of panel architecture into features of the interior.
About the Clients and Their Wishes
Our clients are a family with two children. The main request was to create a unified kitchen-living room space for spending time together, while the children's area and the master bedroom were to remain private. Great importance was placed on spacious storage systems for each family member.
In the kitchen, they dreamed of having an additional workspace — an island with counter-height stools. Another goal was to design two bathrooms: one for the children and one for the adults. In terms of color, the clients wanted to see a calm base, complemented by deep, complex, and at times vibrant accents that reflect each family member's tastes.
Reconfiguration and Zoning
The reconfiguration was minimal but targeted: we expanded one of the bathrooms by incorporating part of the hallway area, allowing us to create a full-fledged shower. The master bedroom "took over" the volume adjacent to the living room, while the children's rooms were combined into a separate block with a common hallway and their own bathroom. Because part of the hallway was given over to the bathroom, the kitchen wall was extended, making it possible to place the desired peninsula. On the other side, a cozy zone with a pouf, a console, and a mirror-door appeared in the entryway.
Project Concept
Our main goal was to create a space where each family member has their own place and their own "visual code," yet all the elements come together to form a harmonious and cohesive whole.
Finishing Materials and Successful Solutions
The finishing base is high-quality paint, setting a calm backdrop. The accents are designer furniture pieces and hand-painted wallpaper panels by Belarusian designers.
Of particular interest is the selection of porcelain in the bathrooms: combining tiles from different manufacturers, collections, formats, and color schemes allowed us to create a unique rhythm and pattern that became the highlight of the apartment.
The French windows were framed with veneered panels extending to the ceiling, visually emphasizing the room's height. Glass blocks helped fill the main bathroom with light. In one of the children's rooms, the study area was highlighted with a podium, featuring a comfortable desk on one side and a mini-library with a cozy armchair on the other.
Color Palette
The palette was inspired by observations of the surrounding environment: the autumn landscape outside the window and the overall color scheme of the neighborhood inspired us to use shades of terracotta, complex green tones, wine red, sky blue, mustard, and dusty pink.
Furniture and Storage
To visually "dissolve" the abundance of storage systems, we designed concealed units, making use of every square meter. Behind the minimalist facades lies extensive functionality. We created custom designs not only for the built-in furniture but also for freestanding pieces: this resulted in a dining table on light, asymmetrical legs and a coffee table with graceful curves in oak veneer. Part of the wall seamlessly transitions into the TV unit, where only the central section is highlighted in color, while the rest of the volume blends into the overall space.
In the children's room podium, we incorporated pull-out drawers for toys.
Technological Solutions
One interesting technological solution was the furniture unit in the children's bathroom, which combined a concealed toilet cistern, a laundry unit, a water heater, and additional storage for cleaning supplies.
Project Pride and Success
In this project, we achieved a balance between minimalism and expressive accents. We managed to incorporate a vast amount of storage without a separate walk-in closet or pantry. Thanks to the thoughtful layout and furniture arrangement, the children feel comfortable in their private rooms, and the adults in their own space. We are proud to have fulfilled all the set goals and created not just a beautiful image, but a space that truly reflects the clients' character.
Episode
We encountered an unusual phenomenon for the first time during the installation of the glass blocks. When the finishing work was nearing completion, the site foreman noticed a small crack in the corner of one of the glass blocks. The wall they were integrated into was non-load-bearing, the joints were done strictly according to technology, and we simply couldn't figure out the cause. We concluded that possible building settlement combined with vibrations from renovations in neighboring apartments had caused this effect. At the final stage, we had to extract the glass blocks from the opening using literally surgical methods and lay new ones, hoping the situation wouldn't repeat. And this time, everything worked out.
