The world through the eyes of the house

apartment with a total area of ​​190 m2

Passing the gallery

Stylist: Alexey Onishchenko

Interview prepared: Karina Chumakova

A photo: Gianni Frankellucci

Project author: Karlo Peis

Magazine: N11 (111) 2006

Empire style, one of the most beloved and recognized in Russia, owes its appearance to the imperial aesthetics of Napoleonic France. But do not forget that the ideologue of this style was a Corsican, that is, rather, an Italian than a Frenchman. Therefore, it is not surprising that an Italian and a citizen of the world architect Karlo Peis (Carlo Peis) offered such a virtuoso interpretation of the Empire style in this Moscow apartment

Italian architect Karlo Peis not the first year working in Moscow.

SALON: Mr. Peise, please tell us how it happened that you started working in Russia.

- For me, the geography of Russia is still limited to Moscow. I have been working here since 1995. That year I won a competition for the design of a representative office of a large company in Ordynka, and since then I have made many friends in this city who, in turn, began to recommend me to their friends ... So it happened with this apartment: my An acquaintance recommended me to his friend - a collector of 19th century art.

S: What was the main idea you wanted to embody in this project?

- The owner of the apartment wanted me to create an interior in which his beautiful collection of Russian painting, French bronze and Empire style furniture could organically fit. And I formulated the task for myself like this: you need to create an atmosphere in which these objects were located when they were first born. In order to select a worthy company for them, I developed the design of many pieces of furniture and accessories, which were later made according to my sketches in Italian workshops.

The house where this apartment is located is located in the very center of Moscow. After the reconstruction there were not even walls in the apartment. Because of the not very large area, we had to think over the layout and proportions of the rooms especially seriously. The customer had simple wishes, related mainly to the number and function of the rooms. As for the decor, I drew inspiration from the beautiful things that were already in the owner's collection, and wanted to create a bright and warm neoclassical atmosphere with a touch of antiquity. The dining room was literally made under an antique table with chairs, and the bedroom - under a luxurious antique set of Karelian birch.

S: How did you manage to recreate in this apartment the style of a luxurious mansion of the XIX century, while retaining in it a feeling of comfort and intimacy?

- The secret to creating an interior that combines comfort and luxury lies in the right choice of proportions, the ratio of things, the combination of colors and shapes. When designing a house, I try not to make unnecessary rooms, I very carefully approach their purpose. For example, in this apartment the living room performs representative functions, and when you are in it, it seems that the apartment is very large. Those who have been here do not believe that all these premises fit into an area of ​​190 sq. M. meters In developing the layout, I try to achieve symmetry, to divide the day and night zones, as a result everything turns out beautifully and at the same time intimate.

S: When working on a project, you combine the functions of an architect and a decorator. What advantages do you see in this?

- In my opinion, a house in which different people were engaged in architecture and interior is like a child who has two mothers. It seems unnatural to me. My project is born as if from the end. You need to understand what happens, to know where to start. First of all, I make watercolor drawings of the interiors of the rooms, and then I take up the development of the layout and design schemes. In addition, you need to understand the taste of the client, because it is very important that in his house he would literally feel at home.

S: For so many years of work, you must have known Moscow quite well. Do you have your favorite places here? What is your ideal free day in Moscow?

- If such an ideal day is issued and I am left to myself, visit Moscow museums. When I walk along the Old Arbat on clear warm days, I sometimes get the feeling that I am in Paris. I also like to present myself as an old Moscow house, in front of which the story unfolds. You know, it is very interesting - to look at the world through the eyes of the house.

Project author Karlo Peis: “Times change, people change. Fashion quickly passes and disappears without a trace. And the samples of harmony and taste, which left their mark on history, like rivers, flow into the sea called“ Classics. ”I work in different styles, and for me, classics is more than a set of decorating techniques, for me it is primarily the rules of design and construction. "

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