„I
wanted to create a place in which you could forget your stressful working day and have the opportunity to leave behind the hustle and bustle of the city in a bright, gentle and somewhat heady home...“. With this sentence, the young Russian architect Dmitry Reutov describes his design for a tiny apartment in Manhattan in sugar pink and mint green, decorated with large cactuses. “I was inspired by a Mexican theme, the natural colours of the landscape as well as the vibrancy of its traditional architecture”.
Dmitry Reutov was appointed by a young couple who works in an internet business. He stood out for his unconventional aesthetic and so, they gave him free reins to refurbish their precious 55 sqm at the top floor of an early twentieth century building in Lower Manhattan. The apartment is surrounded on two sides by tall arched windows, a rare roundness in New York that Dmitry elected as the home’s main geometric theme. Curved lines and rounded shapes are present in every detail of the décor, beginning from the absolute key player: an extremely soft marshmallow-like green sofa and pink ottoman.
The living room, dining area and kitchen form a sole space. Nearer the kitchen, several tubes in polyurethane (they are painted green here) create a plant-like screen with a strong visual impact. Extending from the floor to the ceiling, they appear to push towards the top, enhancing the verticality of the apartment. Contrasting the soft, full furniture of the living room, the dining area opposite the window has a simple, filigree table and chairs (in green).
The inspiration for the kitchen is somewhat “metaphysical”. Practically unrecognisable as such, it elegantly combines different volumes and materials. The wall-mounted unit that includes a countertop and cabinets resembles a sideboard with a rounded silhouette. The pink sink and mixer tap blend with the Terrazzo tile-like finish of the countertop. A spectacular copper-clad sheet of corrugated metal reproduces, in a small scale, the visual effect of the tubes and equally serves as a splashback. To complete the picture (as it resembles a painting in fact), a see-through cabinet in the same colour as the wall as well as several refined details: sophisticated pendant lamps (C_Ball by B.lux), round light switches in the same shade of pink as the walls and a twin group of three vases displayed symmetrically, in the centre of an entirely asymmetrical composition.
The bedroom area is decorated to resemble a sunrise. On the walls, the bright pink of the living room is replaced by softer nuances that from the green of the floor transform to blue, turquoise and lilac (the wallpaper is handmade). It almost feels as if you were sleeping outside, in a Mexican courtyard, surrounded by cactuses, thanks to constructing an additional wall and a staircase that references the ancient, traditional Mexican plaster.
Dmitry Reutov's project is a vision, a dreamlike journey that transports you to a distant land, far from the frenzy of the New York business world that engulfs our young home owners every day. Let's forget the greyness that relates to stress, monotony and normality and dive into a fantastic, sunny, sweet and heady world. Perhaps you require a little more conviction to leave this fairy tale every morning, but certainly it’s wonderful to return home in the evening, perhaps with the tacos bought from your local Mexican store…
Design project
The interior design of a city apartment
Location: New York City, U.S.A.
Interior design:
Reutov Design
Architect Dmitry Reutov
reutovdesign@mail.ru
www.reutovdesign.ru/en/
Photos:
Courtesy Reutov Design
