It’s not often that the concept of minimalism is associated with warm conviviality. Yet that’s how one might describe this house in Moscow’s Fili district. This masterpiece by Kerimov Architects, located between Filevsky Park and the Moskova River, is a dream come true.
In Moscow today, history and modernity stand side by side. The home designed by Kerimov Architects is set in the context of the latter. The day’s program features a luminous space on two levels, with an emphasis on transparency. The French windows on the first floor are complemented by angled openings for maximum natural light. Inside, the notion of a fixed surface is supplanted by a living architecture whose elements reflect, contrast and reproduce each other without resembling each other. One need only contemplate the two sculptural bookcases, so different yet strangely paired, to appreciate the meticulous attention to detail that characterizes the residence. Natural materials, ethereal textures, everything here contributes to the oxymoron of Scandinavian minimalism with Russian accents, where the private spaces are warm and welcoming. The atmosphere is also imbued with Italian style, such as the Arte Veneziana score or the Falper furniture in one of the bathrooms. The whole is sprinkled with unexpected elements, such as the travertine floor in the master bedroom and the hidden kitchen on the second level. And as with any well-thought-out composition, art plays its part: subtle art, carefully selected to enhance the setting without dominating it.
