Houzz Tour: A Tiny Flat With Ingenious Small Space Solutions
With its clever compact kitchen and teeny utility cupboard, this one-bed flat is bigger than the sum of its parts
This flat is in what was known as a house-commune. This was a Soviet design that sought to transform utopian visions of communist life into bricks and mortar. The buildings consisted of small, separate ‘cell apartments’, with most functional areas, such as kitchens, shared between all tenants.
The house-commune on Gogol Boulevard in Moscow is a legendary piece of constructivist architecture, designed and built between 1929 and 1931 by a group of architects under the leadership of Moisei Ginzburg.
This home is in fact an adapted cell apartment. Its owner is well-versed in art and modern design and moved here because of his interest in the building’s history. Therefore, when planning the renovation, architect Alireza Nemati respected the ideas of the original builders, but adapted the space to meet modern needs.
The house-commune on Gogol Boulevard in Moscow is a legendary piece of constructivist architecture, designed and built between 1929 and 1931 by a group of architects under the leadership of Moisei Ginzburg.
This home is in fact an adapted cell apartment. Its owner is well-versed in art and modern design and moved here because of his interest in the building’s history. Therefore, when planning the renovation, architect Alireza Nemati respected the ideas of the original builders, but adapted the space to meet modern needs.
The owner had already been living in the flat before the renovation, but everything – from the walls to the electrical and water systems – had to be completely dismantled.
The renovation started from scratch, though Nemati did, whenever possible, select finishes appropriate to the period when the home was built, which made it more like a restoration project.
The renovation started from scratch, though Nemati did, whenever possible, select finishes appropriate to the period when the home was built, which made it more like a restoration project.
The highlights of the interior are its built-in features: a hidden kitchen, a laundry area and wardrobes. Most of the furniture had to be designed in non-standard shapes and dimensions.
The flat’s layout
The renovation maintained the traditional layout for commune cell apartments: a bathroom and a small hallway are located on the top floor, while the living area is downstairs.
The owner wanted to use natural materials and neutral shades. So there’s oak flooring throughout the flat, including on the stair treads.
The staircase structure is made of wood in accordance with Ginzburg’s original drawings. The walls are painted white to give a sense of space and openness.
Walls painted in White, Tikkurila.
The staircase structure is made of wood in accordance with Ginzburg’s original drawings. The walls are painted white to give a sense of space and openness.
Walls painted in White, Tikkurila.
With such a modest footprint, it was important not only to visually expand the flat, but to keep it from getting cluttered. So the owner asked that Nemati allocate a place for every item.
In the hallway, there’s only room for a small coat rack, while the main storage is hidden under the staircase in the form of pull-out sections, which the architect considers to be the best solution for a small area.
In the hallway, there’s only room for a small coat rack, while the main storage is hidden under the staircase in the form of pull-out sections, which the architect considers to be the best solution for a small area.
The home’s weak old walls posed the biggest challenge for this project. All the items and furniture that would normally be attached to a wall had to be fitted with their own supports.
The bookcase, for example, had to be supported by a stainless-steel frame, because the walls would not have been able to withstand the load.
Nemati was also faced with having to totally redo the water and heating systems.
“The biggest challenge was handling all the nuances associated with the sewage pipes. These issues had to be resolved with the local housing and communal authorities and with the neighbours, which took a lot of time,” he says.
The bookcase, for example, had to be supported by a stainless-steel frame, because the walls would not have been able to withstand the load.
Nemati was also faced with having to totally redo the water and heating systems.
“The biggest challenge was handling all the nuances associated with the sewage pipes. These issues had to be resolved with the local housing and communal authorities and with the neighbours, which took a lot of time,” he says.
The bookcase includes a niche for folding chairs. This was a great solution for two reasons.
Firstly, the extra seats are great to have when there are guests, and this keeps them out of the way.
Secondly, the bookcase is wider than the space between the window and the wall, so it would otherwise have partially covered the glass.
Browse folding chairs and other compact seats in the Houzz Shop
Firstly, the extra seats are great to have when there are guests, and this keeps them out of the way.
Secondly, the bookcase is wider than the space between the window and the wall, so it would otherwise have partially covered the glass.
Browse folding chairs and other compact seats in the Houzz Shop
Architect Alireza Nemati using the ingenious kitchen.
The constructivist architects who designed this building would probably never have guessed that future tenants would be preparing meals inside their own flats – originally, all residents were expected to use communal facilities. As a result, the kitchen setup was another challenge for Nemati.
The kitchen he came up with is designed like a spaceship cabin: every inch was thought out and measured. Hidden behind folding doors, it includes dedicated storage for every need, from a ventilated box for vegetables to a narrow drawer to hold household chemicals. A refrigerator and pull-out table are hidden under the worktop.
The constructivist architects who designed this building would probably never have guessed that future tenants would be preparing meals inside their own flats – originally, all residents were expected to use communal facilities. As a result, the kitchen setup was another challenge for Nemati.
The kitchen he came up with is designed like a spaceship cabin: every inch was thought out and measured. Hidden behind folding doors, it includes dedicated storage for every need, from a ventilated box for vegetables to a narrow drawer to hold household chemicals. A refrigerator and pull-out table are hidden under the worktop.
The worktop in the kitchen is oak veneer covered with a waterproof varnish, and the splashback features a waterproof paint. The wet zone is covered with marble. Nemati designed the oak drying rack himself: the water flows directly back into the sink.
Finding an extractor hood of the right size wasn’t easy, so the architect designed that himself, too. It was made through a 3D-printing technology and metal forming. He fitted it with a powerful but compact and silent motor.
Lamp, Fritz Hansen.
Finding an extractor hood of the right size wasn’t easy, so the architect designed that himself, too. It was made through a 3D-printing technology and metal forming. He fitted it with a powerful but compact and silent motor.
Lamp, Fritz Hansen.
Next to the kitchen is a unit that houses a washing machine, laundry basket and cleaning materials.
There’s also a cupboard here with a hidden sliding rail, which can be used to put up a curtain to separate the bedroom and shower room from the living room, for cosiness and privacy.
There’s also a cupboard here with a hidden sliding rail, which can be used to put up a curtain to separate the bedroom and shower room from the living room, for cosiness and privacy.
The extremely simple bedroom, which is used exclusively for sleeping, was decorated in shades of white. It’s joined to an en suite shower area.
The large amount of glass in the shower area gives it an open feel. The entrance is a glass door, and the round window inside frames a view of the city.
Tell us…
What do you think of this space-smart flat? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What do you think of this space-smart flat? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here A man with a passion for constructivist architecture
Location Gogol Boulevard, Moscow, Russia
Size About 355 sq ft (33 sq m)
Architect Alireza Nemati of Studio Bazi
Photos by Polina Poludkina