Living between Slovakia and Moscow, interior designer Olga Dunn has crafted a space where her professional vision and personal preferences seamlessly intertwine. Her 68 m² apartment in Moscow is a bold reflection of long-held dreams and bold design decisions.
From the start, Olga envisioned an open-plan apartment, merging work and living areas. However, the design was always intended to accommodate a residential setup. A custom partition installed beneath a reinforced beam allowed for a functional two-room space, with carefully positioned outlets, switches, and lighting fixtures.
The apartment is divided into two main areas: an open living room with a kitchen and an en-suite bedroom. These zones are separated by a glass partition, concealable behind heavy curtains for privacy. From the entryway, two doors lead to a bathroom with a shower and a walk-in closet.
The living room is elegantly zoned — a soft area with a sofa, armchairs, and a coffee table flows seamlessly into a kitchen-library space, where the dining table becomes the heart of the home. Notably, Olga managed to design two bathrooms — one with a bathtub and the other with a shower and laundry zone — despite the original plan only allowing for one. She also cleverly added a mezzanine above the laundry area for extra storage, maintaining the apartment light and uncluttered.
“I initially imagined a dark interior with black ceilings, but during the design process, I gravitated towards a softer approach,” Olga shares. Eventually, the black gave way to a rich cinnamon-toned palette, while the ceilings were painted in a warm, "paper white" — subtly sectioned according to each space’s function.
A key highlight of the interior is a Venini chandelier by Tony Zuccheri, carefully chosen for its perfect hue. Later came a vintage chandelier for the bathroom, and gradually, the color palette came together like pieces of a puzzle. Each element — antique, custom-made, and contemporary — formed a harmonious whole. Inspired by the architecture of Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan, Olga adorned the hallway with marble stripes intersecting along the axes of the doorways. A vintage Murano glass chandelier hangs at the central crossing point. Throughout the space, ceilings are decorated with plaster moldings, while beams add volume and subtly divide the open areas.
The walls are painted with Benjamin Moore paint, a brand Olga appreciates for its wide palette and reliable pigment quality. Oak parquet flooring adds warmth, while porcelain stoneware and marble tiles define the bathrooms. The shower entrance is framed by a marble portal, emphasizing the apartment's architectural precision. Every piece of furniture is a carefully chosen detail in the design narrative. Vintage items from galleries in Brussels and Moscow coexist with custom-made pieces designed by Olga herself. The only new additions are an Italian Ditre Italia sofa and a hallway bench.
In the hallway, aligned with the entrance axis, stands a custom-made console inspired by the iconic aesthetic of Ettore Sottsass, along with a vintage Italian mirror, an antique chandelier, and rare Gaetano Sciolari wall sconces. The living room showcases statement pieces: a Willy Rizzo dining table, vintage Italian chairs upholstered in DEDAR fabric, Poliarte collectible sconces, and small Italian side tables. Art Deco glass from A.M. Vintage Gallery and bronze Japanese vases from Balchug Gallery complete the setting.
The kitchen, painted the same shade as the walls, appears to blend seamlessly into the interior, while accent lighting highlights the walnut library cabinet. The bedroom features a silk-screen print by Katya Rozhkova above the bed and vintage French wall sconces. Both the bed and the corner bookshelf are Olga’s custom designs.
One of the most striking elements is the Venini chandelier by Tony Zuccheri, hanging in the bathroom — visible even from the bedroom. German vintage sconces and a painting by Alexey Lantsev add an artistic depth to the space. As Olga Dann explains, “For me, each project is like lace — delicately woven from a deep love for home, life, objects, and my profession. Ideas accumulate over the years, waiting for their moment. When the right project arises, they emerge from my treasure box and come to life — creating a kind of magic.”
