Home Tour: $257,000 Renovation for a Chinese couple’s 2-bedroom condo in Moscow, Russia
“In Moscow, not a lot of clients ask for a Japanese aesthetic, as they are Slavic. Sometimes they ask for certain spaces to be Japanese, but not the whole apartment.”
By Shannon Osztonits -
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Clean lines, organic materials, curved spaces where energy flow links up and a contrast of light woods paired against darker shades tie in a sense of warmth and cosiness against the city’s chilly year-round temperatures…The brief was clear and simple for this 2-bedroom condo reminiscent of Singapore’s HDB apartments: a Japanese-esque home in a modern part of the capital city of Russia: Moscow.
Interior designer Irina from Elamo Studio had never designed such a home before, nor had she ever travelled to Japan, yet she managed to nail the brief right on its head. It truly feels as if you’re stepping inside an apartment in the heart of Tokyo.
“The apartment is designed as a continuous flow. Rounded corners soften transitions. Window frames become architectural compositions. Lighting aligns with geometry instead of competing with it,” says the interior designer. “This is how we shape calmness, through movement, proportion and the balance of elements.”
The master bedroom.
Japanese Interior Design
It’s modern and sleek yet homely and cosy. Tons of natural woods were utilised, coupled with grey and black tones, where the setting feels very sophisticated. It’s a kind of urban industrial cool, yet you can’t help but feel zenned out, no matter which room you’re in.
While this theme is not a common one in Moscow, it’s certainly one that Singaporeans love!
For homeowners Xia Lei and Lisa Lei, their vision requested a cleanly designed home and one free from any sort of clutter. If you’re considering Feng Shui-ing your Singaporean home, take note of how this apartment is filled with balance and garmony through design.
“Japanese design is all about clear lines and clarity. We integrated elements, using wabi sabi curves to create fluidity and for the energy to flow,” Irina explains. “The curves around the house bring you back to the centre. Contrasting elements help enhance the apartment’s clean Japanese aesthetic. No open grains. The feeling should be soft.”
Who Lives Here: A Chinese husband and wife and their dog
Home: 2-bedroom Condo
Size: 833 sq ft
Interior designer: Elamo Studio
A custom minimalist workstation was built into the living room.
2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Condo
The Japanese-themed home features two bedrooms, two bathrooms (one en suite and one guest washroom) and an open-plan kitchen, dining area and living room.
All of the furniture is the homeowners, except for the feature lights.
The interior designer chose to stick to similar design finishings throughout the condo. For example, the same tiles were employed for the kitchen, dining, living room and bathroom. The textured warm grey-beige walls are seen everywhere, as well as the curved walls and spaces, and wood panels were added in many places.
The open concept design keeps things feeling intimate and enhances the cosiness of the home.
Living Room Design
Seamlessly integrated with the dining and kitchen areas, the living room is enhanced by plenty of gorgeous natural light streaming in through the massive windows. The interior design team built wooden oak panels all around the windows, creating a frame to add warmth.
If your home is overlooking another building block and without any views, as is common in Singaporean HDB flatblocks, this is a clever technique to intergrate the feelings of nature into your home. Yet it still exudes a modern minimalist vibe - a core design principle in Singapore.
Black window pane rims and radiators were purposefully selected and painted to contrast against the light wood.
A massive feature of the living room is the custom-built TV console, designed with true intention.
Maple Wood Television Console
The custom TV unit is constructed from veneer maple wood, which was painted black, as well as light oak. Irina chose contrasting woods as they both display varying textures. Inspecting the maple wood, you notice its vertical lines, whereas the oak projects more circular movements. Oak wood storage cabinets were added to both the upper and lower parts of the unit.
A light-coloured sofa and carpet pair perfectly against the home’s colour palette.
Next to the TV console is the custom-built workstation with an occasional chair. Also done up in black tones, it is constructed entirely from oak.
Looking inwards, the kitchen, dining and living room all share the same structural space yet each appears as its own zone.
Kitchen Design
Clean lines and a minimalist feel are echoed across the kitchen, where most appliances are disguised, and everything feels integrated. The refrigerator is concealed behind a grey cabinet. Similarly, this trend has become increasingly popular in Singapore. The built-in oven and stove sit next to the cabinet.
Travertine countertops run across the kitchen in an L-shape. Top cabinetry works were done in a grey beige tone, giving off a warm yet streamlined effect. The bottom cabinets are done in the same oak wood as you see throughout the home. The overall colour palette is very Japandi-like.
“For the top cabinets we used a painted PVU coating, and we matched it with the colour of the house tones,” says Irina. “To achieve this colour matching, we combined two colours to try to match the walls.”
Homeowners Xia Lei and Lisa Lei really wanted an island in the kitchen. This is one common design feature you see a lot nowadays in Singaporean homes. Placed in the middle of the kitchen, the island is constructed from the same travertine stone as the countertops. Beneath the kitchen island is an exposed wine fridge — another request of the homeowners.
A textured matte tile was installed in the kitchen floors, as well as used throughout the rest of the home.
Fabric Texture Walls
A lot of thought went into not only the home’s overall appearance, but also small details like textures and how these not only appear, but also enhance the overall Japanese-style feeling of the condo.
The walls are made from a type of decorative plaster. Interior deisgner Irina was after a soft feel for the walls, almost like fabric. To achieve this, the interior design team hand-shaped the plaster as they added it. A lighter and darker shade of paint from the same grey colour spectrum were combined to get the desired look.
Rattan, wood and leather chairs with steel arms match the home’s amalgamation of natural tones and textures, and feel very Japanese-like.
Dining Area Design
For Singaporean apartments with a similar size to this two-bedroom condo in Russia, take note. An extension of an island, just like this one, is such a genius way of saving space, but still being able to have a dining table.
Constructed from the same oak as the lower kitchen cabinets, the four-seater dining table extends from the island and is surrounded by four rattan-back chairs.
Rattan, wood and leather chairs with steel arms match the home’s amalgamation of natural tones and textures, and feel very Japanese-like. c
Master Bedroom Design
This master bedroom’s size is alike to Singaporean houses, apartments, in particular. Its choice of colour palette and natural materials enhances the compact space.
The primary bedroom is reflective of a Japanese Roku bedroom, and out of all the rooms, feels the most Japanese-like. It’s tranquil and modern and is similar to the types of bedroom settings you’d spot in cities like Kyoto. Think light oak woods, a unique low bed and soft colours.
The walls have the same textured feel and colour as the kitchen, as well as the wooden panels and ledge around the window frame.
A 2x2-meter bed was custom-made for the room, reminiscent of a Japanese futon bed. Interestingly, homeowners Xia Lei and Lisa Lei wanted to forgo any sort of nightstands on either side of the bed. Instead, as part of the customised bedframe, the homeowners utilise the soft sofa-like edges of the bedframe platform as side tables.
The wooden oak headboard panel above the bed is also custom-built and installed by the design team. A lantern-shaped pendant light hangs next to the bed, adding the final touches.
In front of the bed is the closet. Next to this is a customised desk, manufactured from oak wood.
Next to the bed is a custom-built fluted wooden panel, leading to the primary en suite.
Open Wardrobe Design
The homeowners wanted to have an open wardrobe, so interior designers Irina chose to have the space open but keep it covered and separate from the rest of the bedroom by creating a vertical maple wood panel. It features a railing, two shelves and two drawers in an L-shape.
Just like Singaporean homes, this apartment is devoid of a bath tub in the primary en suite, and comprises a shower, toilet and vanity.
Master Bathroom Design
A grey sliding door separates the primary en suite from the rest of the master bedroom. Within, expect the same grey tones as the rest of the home, as well as a curved-edge design. Three sets of square-shaped display indents are seen in the en suite, adding geometry to the bathroom. These include next to the toilet, in the shower and the sink wall.
A vertically-textured light white/grey tile is used in the shower, designed against black finishes like tap mixes and the shower door frame.
The deep sink is stunning, made from porcelain that imitates travertine stone. A wooden shelf sits below.
“For the sink, we didn’t want to integrate any other element, like white marble or a metal sink,” explains the interior designer. “We wanted to have it as clean as possible.”
Tiles and walls are exactly the same as the rest of the home in this guest bathroom.
Guest Bathroom Design
We all need a moment for the freestanding sink within the guest washroom. It’s reminiscent of a vintage setup, yet it feels modern at the same time and matches the home’s core design. The black mixer is actually installed so that it comes down from the ceiling.
Again, its amenities and size are close to Singapore’s HDBs, constituing a toilet and sink only in the guest washroom. It’s another example of how this Moscow home shares similarities to Singapore.
A wood panel above the toilet is for storage purposes, keeping toilet rolls and the likes hidden inside.
The master bed platform and base boast soft finishes and is angled to create multidimensional layers.
2-Year Renovation
Unlike timelines in Singapore, this Moscow home took over two years to complete.
The interior design process was four to five months, and construction works, from hacking down walls to repainting ceilings, took two years to complete.
Can’t get enough of this home? We spoke with the homeowner to understand more about their design thinking and favourite home pieces here.