An attractive view of the Botanical Park and the city distinguishes this flat in the residential complex ‘House on Botanicheskiy’. There is no such panorama in any house in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. The clients have lived in their own large house for a long time, so they are used to the spaciousness and proximity of the natural landscape.
‘When creating interior design, we always take into account the external surrounding space. The image of Astana is changing at the speed of light: the first building near the botanical garden was done in oriental style, then experiments with glass began. And the changes continue: the young city has not yet realised what kind of ‘costume’ it likes. And as long as there is no single architectural style, it will not be possible to continue it in the interior,’ — say Rustam Minnehanov and Sergey Bekmukhanbetov, designers and heads of the Kvadrat Architects studio.
Having abandoned the ‘architecture-interior’ nexus, they focused on unique planning routes and timeless materials. Thanks to a sensitive rethinking of the space, it feels much larger, with 300-400 square metres instead of the actual 160.
Ethnic motifs and shimmers of light
Silver River marble in a modern reading looks special, its texture and pattern resembling the flow of a river whose surface shimmers in the light. The atmosphere is created by the expensive deep shades of eucalyptus in the walls, some of which are also covered with powdery clay paint. The main colours in the interior refer to ethnic colours. Wet earth after rain, all shades of grey, autumn forest colours, warm white — these natural motifs can be traced in the design of walls, textiles and furniture.
Modern form in non-modern decoration is another principle chosen to halt the frantic sprint of architectural development. For example, the ultra-modern Westside Poliform modular island sofa is upholstered in the classic feel of Loro Piana cashmere fabric.
Bedroom: 5 minutes to zen
In the bedroom, the original texture of the parquet flooring, as if with traces of the past, creates the feeling that it was brought from a picturesque estate in France or Italy. In general, the interior turned out to be soothing, meditative and is characterised by interesting zoning. The table and bed are arranged so that two panoramic windows and the always inspiring landscape of the botanical garden with a pond and a fountain are in front of your eyes.
Work area in a bedroom-cabinet
There are two bedrooms in the flat, and the owners always have a choice of which one to spend time in. Everything depends solely on their mood. While the first one is like a retreat space, the other is more like a functional bedroom-cabinet. Light colours, a full working area. This small room is part of a larger project and is subordinate to the design code of the whole flat. It would seem that the components are the same: shades of wooden panels on the walls, parquet, but the interior turned out quite different in feeling.
Cloakroom: a separate room overlooking the park
Kvadrat architects have created a separate large room for the cloakroom with a magnetising panoramic view, as every room in the flat has windows overlooking the Botanical Gardens. The Poliform cloakroom system is impeccable: elegant shapes, individual image. The designers combined glass facades with closed facades and added an interesting detail — the doors are upholstered in natural linen of a deep wine colour.
Exhibition of one painting in the shower room
The best traditions of designing the interiors of luxury villas can be read in the master bathroom: spaciousness, convenience and aesthetics. The bathroom consists of two zones: the first — sanitary, and the second — with a built-in bath and shower, which were given a separate room. This allowed to place on the floor, where there is no direct contact with water, very pleasant to the touch parquet. Imagine how nice it is to walk barefoot on it in the morning and feel the warmth of bare feet touching the surface of the wood.
The spacious 6 square metre shower room has a bathtub and a hammam shower. The wall is lined with rare granite — it is like an exhibition of a single painting. Exclusive granite in a very interesting treatment ‘jagged stone’. The naturalness is read in the materials and in the external image of the environment. The energy of the stone feels like a part of nature, the parquet gives incredible emotions. But the main thing in this interior is the vast volume, the spaciousness of the bathroom. After all, this is where the day begins and almost ends — with pleasant moments before going to bed.
The size determines the interaction of a person with the space: there is no need, for example, to round corners, to adjust. A luxurious environment where one can be with wings spread. Remember Churchill's words? First we build houses and then they build us. It's as if he was talking about this interior.
