When Olga entered this apartment after the customer, she was surprised by the wonderful blue color that radiated from the lake outside the window. It was in St. Petersburg, in a big metropolis, where fogs and classical architecture are everywhere, and the lake in the city is a miracle! Probably at that moment Olga realized what this apartment would be like – monochrome, with an emphasis on blue, in the best traditions of restrained luxury of the RalphLauren style. And the customer supported me! And not just supported in these ideas, but in the process of repair began to collect blue accessories: Murano glass and crystal, ceramics and candlesticks, brought from travel all shades from cobalt to turquoise. And for a stylish serving in the final of the project, we had at our disposal a full palette of amazingly blue nuances. But the first collage of the style turned out quite differently…
Most days in St. Petersburg are cloudy, with a rare sun, the task was to fill the interior with bright light, but not white, add dynamics and rhythm, but at the same time not to overdo it with contrasts and dark details. Therefore, Olga decided to work on nuances and details, following the modern interpretation of the classics. Monochrome is an ideal solution, in my opinion, to make the interior both relevant and show traditions, to make it so that it is associated with both the city and the family, and can continue to develop and change together with the owners.
Guest rooms – living room/hall/kitchen /guest bathroom – laconic spaces have absorbed expressive monochrome solutions. The so-called style of “restrained luxury”, chosen for this interior, became for me a debut in the classics. Before that, there was only one interior in Olga portfolio – minimalistic. (Olga recently received a British diploma in design at the International School of Design).
Together with the customers, Olga built classics, which intertwined their life experience, love of the classic city, travel and true comfort. And the comfort turned out to be very personal and very classic. But for this Olga had to redevelop and create 4 separate rooms from a three-room apartment. The family’s wish was very specific – each child had their own room. They even sacrificed the idea of a dressing room to make full-fledged rooms for girls. And to have storage systems in every room – cabinets with classic door opening – no compartment wardrobe!
Now the daughters have their own spaces, different in style – personal hobbies and such different characters are guessed in each. There is a place for playing and studying in them, they have been provided all the functions. Olga and the customer chose an English style with a classic palette and elements of London decor. According to the young customer, the English style is very bold and more avant-garde than classical.
A completely different classic – colonial style, built on luxurious materials, verified proportions, rich decors – decorates the master bedroom. The customer asked to make this room for her husband. He prefers dark wood, gold and warm tones of textiles more. Everything was perfectly assembled here, and even the constructive projection of the column made it possible to organize a library and a workplace with a table 3 meters long. They bought a vintage armchair from an antique dealer, which was restored by Repeatstore specialists, and the Etro fabric with the famous Paisley pattern perfectly matched the ornament and color of the carpet in the office. Paisley is a symbol of fertility and wealth – an important element for any home.
Olga said that choosing a personal symbol of this house and family, the customer and Olga decided to show it in the interior itself. So the image of the Tree was born. The symbol “Tree of Life” occupies a special place in Slavic culture. It feeds the whole family of its owner with positive energy. And now in the interior there were photo works with trees and even DesignersGuild pillows with embroidery on the same theme.
Iconic objects, symbols – they are in every house. And here are more symbols of Family and comfort – a fireplace in the recreation area and my author’s lamp Amphora. After seeing him on my Instagram, the customer said, “I want to go to the apartment.” The amphora, as a vessel storing valuable energy at home, radiates it to the whole family – already like a lamp. They installed it on a mirrored console, against the background of the classic RalphLauren wallpaper strip. Contrasting monochrome graphics emphasized the expressiveness of the forms of the entire composition of the hall. There is no overhead light in a large enough corridor – only sconces that give very correct lighting, and thanks to light wallpaper and mirrored doors, there is no sense of gloom and darkness.
Mirrored consoles are a completely unique and universal element in the furnishing of this apartment – we put them in the living room as an element of the collage illusion. In the living room space, Olga used the decorator’s trick “deception”: they wanted to make the library as open as possible, but the supporting column on the right prevented it, which was hidden behind closed false doors of cabinets, and for symmetry they repeated the technique in the cabinets on the left. I did the same “design trick” in the kitchen – I hid it in a niche to visually close the cooking place from the living room. The unifying theme was the monochrome palette with which it all began – with clear expressive graphics, expressive luxury and incredibly sensual details of the color of the St. Petersburg lake. Today, looking at these photos, Olga is proud that she managed to “live” this project in close connection with the customers, put it together piece by piece and as a result remove not just the interior, but an absolutely residential, family space.
Living room
Wallpaper – Ralph Lauren Signature Papers Collection
Chandelier   Ralph Lauren
Table – CattelanIlataly
Crystal decanter and glasses – William Howard
(Gallery 46)
Vases Villeroy Boch GlassesVilleroyBoch
Textiles – curtains and decorative pillows, KADO
Ковёр –RugCompany
coffee table in the living room, Kartell
Decorative pillows with trees–Â DesignerGuilds
Hall
Chair, Kartell
Table lamp – Amphora, design Petrova-Podolskaya
Wallpaper – Ralph Lauren Signature Papers Collection
Bedroom
Table lamp,Gallery 46
Antique armchair is re-upholstered with fabric Etro, Repeatstore
