Moscow apartment with a total area of ​​176 m2 Elena Chitkareva

Passing the gallery

A photo: Dmitry Livshits

Text: Anna Vergasova

Project author: Elena Chitkarova

Lepnina: Vyacheslav Kotov

The painting: Sergey Pimenov

Magazine: N5 (83) 2004

Эту квартиру, спроектированную для московской семьи в новом многоэтажном доме, архитектор Elena Chitkarova называет "осенней". Из-за сочетания оттенков золота и охры, которые в ней преобладают, и из-за того, что в любое время года она наполнена нежным золотистым светом Elena Chitkarova’s portfolio has an empire apartment, an Art Deco apartment, and a twelve-meter penthouse styled as an eighteenth-century sailing vessel interior ... A set that perfectly illustrates her understanding of the profession, according to which the work of a residential interior designer is akin to a translator. The architect translates the desires, dreams, ambitions of the customer into the language of spatial, plastic and style decisions. The main qualities that he must possess - flair, positivity and taste. Since the first and most significant step in designing is a step towards mutual understanding. And the last and most important (as in literary translation) is stylistic editing, mixing all the elements into a single composition. “I don’t understand architects and designers who, when designing a residential interior, strive to subordinate the customer to their ambitions. A house or apartment is made for a person who will live here, this is his space in which he should be comfortable. I don’t know what dictates the customer, ”says Elena.“ I usually just listen carefully, then I think and suggest several options, one of which I always like. " This is how the interior of this apartment was created. The hostess, for whom this was the first experience of cooperation with the architect, formulated her wishes rather at the level of sensations. Illustrations from books and albums on art, photographs from interior magazines ... The process of choosing the picture you like is already a reflection on what should be the housing. The result of this reflection was the "autumn" apartment - a light interior, filled with air and light. Classic, but without the ponderous stylistics of modern "palaces", with the active use of ar nouveau techniques, but without a claim to historicism and seriousness. The measure of everything here is the comfort and harmonious feeling of the environment. The “open” public zone, a lot of lacquered and mirror surfaces work on the main effect of this apartment - an even “autumn” light that equalizes and harmonizes the most diverse stylistic decisions.Elena Chitkarova: “I love this apartment because it turned out so light and airy. A large glass area gives a feeling of transparency, and the owners can admire the magnificent scenery outside the window. This is a feminine interior: the owner was the customer and I made an apartment for her. with elements of European modernity. "