Balcony window to the floor, upholstered furniture in the spirit of Louis XV, high stucco cornices, refined muted shades — this interior reminds a lot of France. The landlady travels a lot, has seen a lot of things. And for her own interior she chose a soft classic style with a French “accent”. Low-key, calm, because when you get a vivid impression on trips, then at some point you need to pause, take a break from them. The apartment is located in the Stalin-era building. High ceilings and a balcony window became another reason to beat the French theme: stucco molding (rosettes and cornices in a classic style) naturally lay down on high ceilings, and the balcony window with an elegant balcony initially looked like French. It remains only to order a window frame with bindings characteristic of France (with a breakdown of the plane into squares). Similar bindings adorn the other two windows, as well as a sliding partition between the living room and bedroom and kitchen cabinets.

In general, refrain is an important principle of this interior. It is read, for example, in how mirrors, chandeliers, shades of color, shapes of furniture, wood and fabrics are used. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors, resembling a French window in style, significantly push the boundaries of this space. The prospect is breaking, and it is already incomprehensible: is the second chandelier — is this also a reflection? (It turns out, no.) Muffled complex shades — dusty – gray, lilac, deep purple, hue of natural flax — echo each other, repeating in upholstery, pillows, bedspreads, porcelain, and flower bouquets. “Thanks to this color palette, an atmosphere of calm, measured, unhurried rest is created in the interior,” says project author Katerina Lashmanova.

Painted furniture, bleached oak parquet, thin, fluttering draperies on the windows and velvety textures of upholstery reinforce this impression. Symmetry plays a special role here: it is not only a tribute to the classics as a leading style, but also a way to create a feeling of comfort. (As is known, a person feels calm and confident in an interior constructed according to the principle of symmetry, which is why architects and decorators today use it in interiors designed in a modern style.) It is surprising that such an interior that is so comfortable and verified in artistic terms originated the prosaic task of placing in one small space all the necessary rooms — from the living room to the bedroom (as the author acknowledges). However, from the point of view of Katerina Lashmanova, there is nothing strange in this, for Le Corbusier also derived the universal law of the modern world: form follows function.

Read the full text in paper or electronic version of the journal.