Tells the architect Sergey Erofeev: “If you have a house, say, of the XIX century, then you are lucky. Then you can recreate everything here as it was.

IT IS POSSIBLE TO RECREATE AN ABSOLUTELY RELIABLE ATMOSPHERE - with the creaking of old floorboards, with a slight click of the door ... When we made an apartment in the house of Princes Baryatinsky in St. Petersburg (which was built in 1776), I came up with a legend: this house was closed 100 years ago, wars and revolutions did not touch him, flew like a bad dream; and recently it was opened - and everything was as it was.

It is important not to make an explicit replica, but on the other hand - to avoid deliberate "aging", so as not to go into the aesthetics of a cafe or restaurant. I advise you to use old-time building and finishing techniques - lime plaster, levkas, paints and gilding. In our case, for example, it was not a restoration, but construction in the old manner. So, we crushed the old plaster, added a little lime and got a plaster mixture, which looked very authentic.

Fine, if preserved antique parquet. In the house of princes Baryatinsky he just preserved. We put it in order this way: the veneer was cleaned, steamed in boiling water, varnished and ironed. If I lived 100 years ago, I would use the same technology. And today I can advise this method with a reservation: it does not suit everyone, but to great lovers of antiquity.

Stucco may be new, but made in an unusual way: we made copies of the preserved old stucco with all the flaws, fixed it to the ceiling, then gilded; and also created artificial cracks and scratches on a perfectly flat ceiling. Again, I will say that it is very time consuming, but as a result of the stucco is completely authentic.

DOESN'T NEED A FURNITURE WHICH SCREAMS: “I AM OLD!” And at the same time, the one that shines with novelty is not needed. Imagine we could not find such a long time. And finally, they found a sofa and an armchair in one salon, which had been exhibited for a long time, and they had knocked down corners, worn fabric, and this is exactly what is needed. ”