This apartment’s design began with its owner, a young, charismatic public figure, who wanted a home that felt distinctly his own. The brief was to turn a developer’s showroom apartment into a place where he could stay for a few days, spend time with family, display art and awards, and arrive without feeling that anything was missing.
The apartment comprises a kitchen and living room, two master bedrooms, two walk-in closets, four bathrooms, and a laundry room. Designer Liubov Pivovarova approached the interiors as an opportunity to give the existing architecture a stronger identity.
A Personalized Space
A generous dining table was central to the brief, creating a place for the client to gather with family and friends. The starting point was music, specifically the client’s favourite band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, which became an influential reference for the scheme.
Pivovarova drew from the band’s energy, graphic quality, contrast, and intensity, resulting in an interior defined by a restrained palette of black, white, and graphite, softened by natural veneer and layered with glass, ceramics, and marble.
The limited colour palette allows the materials to do the talking. Across the apartment, variation comes through texture, scale, and proportion rather than an abundance of colour, giving the home a strong contemporary edge.
An Entrance that Doubles as a Gallery
The entrance hall sets the tone for what follows, with a Henge console, an Inalco finish, and a Minotti ottoman. The hallway serves a purpose beyond welcoming guests, as the client regularly receives artworks as gifts, and the designer created space for these pieces to live within the apartment.
Over time, this area has become something of a personal gallery, allowing art to be experienced as part of everyday life. The entrance sets the tone with tactile Inalco surfaces and sculptural furniture, introducing the apartment’s palette.
The project began with the kitchen and living area, and it was some time before the client saw the result in person. Having approved the work remotely, he subsequently decided to continue with the rest of the apartment.
A Living Room Made for Gathering
In the living room, bringing people together was central to the brief. A large dining table became an important anchor, a beautiful space for family and friends to gather. A Baxter sofa and armchair, Poliform coffee table, and sculptural lighting give the lounge a relaxed yet graphic quality.
The monochrome scheme was Pivovarova’s proposal, helping the kitchen and living areas flow naturally into one another. Pendant lights by Panzeri and Vibia add a sculptural, graphic quality overhead.
The television area was treated with equal consideration, with a bespoke Molteni & C 505 System shelving unit combining veneer and glass, becoming part of the architecture rather than reading as a freestanding storage piece.
A Master Bedroom Tailored to its Owner
Since the apartment‘s architecture had already been established by the developer, the master bedroom was not reconfigured. Instead, Pivovarova concentrated on making the existing space work better for its owner.
One of the most personal additions is a beauty zone, a mirrored, backlit niche with display cases for perfume and other everyday possessions. It brings a practical element of the owner’s routine into the design without compromising the room’s clean aesthetic.
Behind the bed, a Molteni & C boiserie panel system is finished in the same surface as the built-in wardrobe. The two elements align in height, allowing the wall and storage to read as one continuous architectural feature.
The master bathroom was similarly refined, with updated cabinetry, mirrors, and a new bath to bring the space in line with the apartment’s contemporary aesthetic.
In the context of similar design projects, this apartment’s focus on the owner’s personality and lifestyle is reminiscent of other successful designs that have prioritized the client’s needs and preferences. By doing so, the designer has created a space that not only reflects the owner’s character but also provides a functional and comfortable living environment.
A marble-clad guest room, originally intended for the client’s parents, features a dramatic Italian marble headboard wall. The installation demanded considerable technical planning, with engineered bending radii and structural reinforcement to accommodate the weight and form of the marble.
The result is an apartment that feels personal without being too literal. Its identity comes through the music that inspired the original direction, the restrained palette, expressive materials, integrated storage, and artwork that has found its place over time.
Most importantly, it is an interior shaped around a person as opposed to a prescribed style – contemporary, highly considered, and, despite its polished finish, unmistakably a home.
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