In search of the perfect solution, designer Natalia Abdurazakova built axes, cut off seventeen layout options and turned to the classics of design and art.
Canteen. Chairs from the 1940s designed by Magnus Stephensen in Pierre Frey fabric. On the wall is a painting by Vladimir Nemukhin “Day – Night”. Brass decor on the table from the bureau of Vladimir Babenkov.Photo: Mikhail Loskutov; stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk
It’s good when the designer and the customer instantly have mutual understanding: the client clearly says what he wants, the designer immediately draws the project. However, the easy way is not always the surest. “I am not engaged in re—education,” Natalia Abdurazakova warns. — I listen carefully to my customer, but I also understand that sometimes he may simply not know what else he might want. This is where the element of creativity appears, which ultimately leads to admiration, because the client gets even more than he expected””
Living room. On the floor, white American oak, Ebony and Co; plaster works, “Alpha Art”; chandelier, Stephen Antonson; Jean Royer chairs in Pierre Frey and Jean-Michel fabric Franks in the Lelièvre eco-wood; alabaster sconce, Pierre Chareau; floor lamp, Hervé van der Straeten Galerie; a table near the armchair, Faye Toogood; tables made of dichroic glass, Sebastian Scherer; organic carpet designed by Natalia Abdurazakova was made by Diurne bureau. Paint on the walls of Farrow&Ball, Manders.
Photo: Mikhail Loskutov; stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk
The new customer, Yulia, was already familiar with Natalia’s work — in the past, Abdurazakova designed the interior of her brother — and, it would seem, knew what to expect from the designer. But the spaces, according to Natalia, turned out to be completely different. Mainly because of the surprises the apartment brought. “I didn’t see anything terrible here, except for the initial repairs,” Natalia jokingly recalls. – Yes, there is a rounded wall and an entrance located at an angle, but you can work with this.” And when they began to get rid of all the decoration, it turned out that two windows were laid. “Both of us have opened: one now belongs to the kitchen, the second has become a beautiful floor-to-ceiling window in the master bedroom,” says the designer. “But, I must say, upon subsequent careful examination, it turned out that there were much more unpleasant surprises.” The largest of them is the absence of any axes: the remaining two supporting columns did not stand either on the axes of the piers or on the axes of the windows.
Hall. The bench of the Brooklyn bureau Vonnegut/Kraft; light, Pouenat Paris; on the wall is a painting by the Parisian artist Jane Pouillagard; in the background is a sculpture by Denis Patrakeev Soteria from the Anna Nova Gallery.
Photo: Mikhail Loskutov; stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk
Hall. The bench of the Brooklyn bureau Vonnegut/Kraft; light, Pouenat Paris; on the wall is a painting by the Parisian artist Jane Pouillagard.
Photo: Mikhail Loskutov; stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk
A fragment of the hall. Console and mirror, Hervé van der Straeten Galerie; vases from Asia.
Photo: Mikhail Loskutov; stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk
In an attempt to find logic, symmetry and ergonomics, Natalia made a total of eighteen variants of planning solutions. “Of course, they were not completely independent, but there were a lot of permutations inside the private and common areas,” the designer shares. Everything developed when the cruciform hall was formed, it also inspired Natalia to the radiant layout of marble: “From the very beginning we agreed on light walls, but in our gray Moscow we really want warmth. So I suggested introducing a yellow color, which smoothly flowed into golden onyx on the hall floor””
Kitchen, Poliform; light, Pierre Chareau; bar stools brought from Canada; Carrara marble on the floor.
Photo: Mikhail Loskutov; stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk
The full golden hue triumphs in the master bedroom. “This room is a jewel, so there is no accent wall here, the whole bedroom is covered with de Gournay wallpaper, similar to gilded paper. We applied layers of aging to it and completely “customized” the color”” says the designer.
The master bedroom. The bed in Pierre Frey fabric is complemented by bedside tables designed by Abdurazakova; bed linen, Christian Fischbacher; “customized” wallpaper on the walls, de Gournay; chandelier made of bronze and Murano glass, Cox London.
Photo: Mikhail Loskutov; stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk
A fragment of the master bedroom. A couch of the 1960s designed by Vladimir Kagan.
Photo: Mikhail Loskutov; stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk
In other spaces on the walls, a less catchy shade, which Natalia called “the color of yellowed paper”, can often be found in the works of avant-garde artists. In general, the whole apartment is a tribute to the artistic thought of the XX century, both in art and design: the rigor of the lines in the living room is destroyed by the soft Polar Bear chair from Jean Royer, the second bedroom is complemented by the Pierre Polen chair (to get it, Natalia negotiated with the heirs of the designer). The final touch was the work of Vladimir Nemukhin. “Those paintings that are hanging at Julia’s are made in the collage technique, referring to Georges Braque and Picasso, – says Natalia. “Plus, we found our perfect yellow color on one of Nemukhin’s paintings”” So all the lines converged at one intersection point.
Canteen. Chairs from the 1940s designed by Magnus Stephensen in Pierre Frey fabric. On the wall is a painting by Vladimir Nemukhin “Day – Night”. Brass decor on the table from the bureau of Vladimir Babenkov.
Photo: Mikhail Loskutov; stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk
Office. On the walls there is rice paper, which was hand-painted by de Gournay masters; an oak library made by Natalia Abdurazakova in the StoodWood workshop; a table and cabinet in the marquetry technique – a tribute to Jean-Michel Frank; a chair, Pierre Collection; a lamp from the 1940s found in a vintage store in Los Angeles; a chandelier from the Brooklyn bureau Allied Maker; a carpet, Diurne.
Photo: Mikhail Loskutov; stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk
A fragment of the cabinet. Fireplace armchairs with a wooden base designed by the author of the project; coffee table, Jean de Merry.
Photo: Mikhail Loskutov; stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk
The second bedroom. On the walls are Silk & Abaca panels from Phillip Jeffries, their edges are layered on top of each other, referring to the collage technique. The bed according to the author’s design is covered with four different fabrics. Bedside tables, India Mahdavi. Pierre Polen’s Elysée Armchair complements the room.
Photo: Mikhail Loskutov; stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk
The main bathroom. Plumbing and accessories, Agape Design; sconces, Apparatus Studio; on the walls and floor — Carrara marble.
Photo: Mikhail Loskutov; stylist: Natalia Onufreychuk
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