Scandinavian Simplicity Meets Color in Tiny Apartment Design

The Apartment: A Unique Blend of Design and Culture

Encircled by the snow-topped mountains of the Tian Shan mountain range, and the fairy-tale forests that once bore the first species of apples, this petite apartment explores cultural influences that stretch far beyond its awe-inspiring surroundings. Located in a small, three-story elite residential complex in a very quiet area of Almaty, Kazakhstan, the apartment is literally at the foothills, on the border of one of the largest forest parks in the city, with its own exit to the heart of the park. The area offers a very quiet atmosphere, fresh air, and a stunning view from the windows of the snow-capped mountains and the cleanest golf courses of private courts.

As the former capital of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, the city's architecture and design are often characterized by the imposing structures of surviving Soviet-era constructions. However, in this apartment, Fariz Mamedov of FM Interiors effortlessly fuses a far-reaching blend of design influences and styles, creating a distinctive design style.

"I wanted to create an interior on the verge of Parisian chic, Scandinavian restraint, and Kazakh hospitality, with the continuity of generations," says Fariz, and that's precisely what he did when decorating this apartment.

The Property: A Modern Classic in a Natural Setting

While the center of Almaty may look similar to any other buzzy metropolitan city, as you venture towards the outskirts, the surrounding landscapes are anything but ordinary. The residential complex in which this apartment is located was built and commissioned in 2021. Positioned at the exit for First President Park, which was first opened to the public ten years prior, in 2011, this complex is surrounded by stunning views of the natural landscape, as well as the perfectly manicured gardens of the 73-hectare park.

"This is a small complex in terms of area and number of apartments with its own guarded territory, modern landscape design — the house is surrounded, in addition to natural beauty, by cascading fountains, modern sculptures, children's areas and has access to common terraces on the roof — just like a real natural park," the designer continues. As the largest park in the city, the surroundings are almost like a miniature city within itself, a celebration of the inspiring natural landscape of Almaty.

"The facade itself is made in a modern classical style, gilded elements in the decoration, wrought iron railings of open balconies, flower pots, brass and marble in the lobby, streamlined shapes, natural wood and stone in elevators and common areas," he explains. There is a clear and intentional balance between functionality and beauty in the construction of this building.

As Fariz says, "Everything here speaks of durability, nobility, and naturalness, and, of course, we took this into account when designing the interior of this apartment so that the inside and outside harmonize with each other. The ceiling height here is medium, and big, high windows make the view from the outside kind of part of our interior."

When the clients first viewed this apartment, it was entirely without walls, offering up the opportunity for complete control over the layout of their new home. During his first visit to the site, Fariz stood in this empty concrete box and realized that it would be great to look out this window at the morning fog during breakfast at the kitchen island, and here you can install a fireplace and comfortably sit on a cloudy autumn evening with your favorite book or a glass of wine.

The Brief: A Space for Quiet Moments

"I designed this apartment for a couple whose adult children have already grown up and started their own families living abroad. And so, they decided to create a new home for themselves that would allow them to spend quiet evenings together, read by the fireplace, listen to music, and enjoy the silence of the foothills," explains Fariz. Entering this new stage of life, Fariz's clients desired a space to help facilitate this shift, a space designed for them as a couple, as opposed to a home built with an entire family in mind.

"We met them in September 2022 and after the first, rather short meeting, we immediately went to see the apartment, which the developer was renting out in concrete form — only windows and a gorgeous view behind them," he recalls. From the clients, he had only one photo example of what they liked in style, and a couple of wishes, the main one of which was to create a feeling of lightness and novelty that they experience during their travels around the world.

Though what the clients lacked in a distinct interior vision, they made up for with a wider cultural language, ripe for plucking inspiration from. The family has its own art collection — works by local and world artists, a library of collectible books and albums about history and fashion. They are involved in sports and psychology, often travel around the world, and, in addition, are big fans of alpine skiing and snowboarding, conquering the main world slopes. And of course, all these interests and hobbies became the fundamental factors in choosing this particular interior style.

The Inspiration: A Blend of Parisian Elegance and Personal Touches

Just one glance at the relaxed elegance of these interiors would be enough to predict that the French capital likely played a role in the design influence behind this project. And this prediction would be correct. As Fariz explains, "When I started developing the concept for this interior, I had just returned from my first trip to Paris, and still very impressed by the weeks spent in this wonderful city, I suggested referring to this mood and style."

But the city presented inspiration far beyond gorgeous Parisian design hotels and stunning concept stores; just strolling through the streets of Paris provides ample design inspiration. Getting to know the architecture of Paris and walking along the streets among the houses where they stayed during their stay there, Fariz took many photos of facades, moldings, doors, and windows of entrances in order to remember every detail. And it was these street doors: deep blue, emerald-gold, bright red, that became the first starting point for the entire interior.

The Process: Overcoming Challenges with Creativity

"It took me a little over 3 months to develop the project. During this period, we prepared several layout options, collected all the technical drawings and sketches with mood boards for the entire project according to the already approved layout," Fariz explains. "Of course, during the renovation process we changed and adjusted a lot, but each update was beneficial to the final result."

One of the difficulties with working with a blank canvas space, like this, is that there can be almost too much space to question and explore, which can lead to lengthy, drawn-out decision processes. One of the difficulties was the placement of a fireplace with live fire in a house without the possibility of installing a chimney, as well as its size and appearance.

"We used a biofuel fireplace from a local manufacturer. Still, most of their models of such devices are quite ascetic and minimalistic. I did not want to go into this style in such a fundamental element of the living room. Therefore, I redrew and reassembled the fireplace area several times before the result satisfied both me and the customers," he says. Eventually, they landed on a marble fronted design. The low, wide build and beautiful, veined marble portal create a simple yet impactful design.

The Materials: A Focus on Natural and Sustainable Choices

Throughout the project, a clear preference for soft, neutral tones and a tendency towards natural materials is evident, echoing the apartments' surrounding landscape. "Giving preference to natural colors in the decoration of this space, it is obvious that when selecting materials, we adhered to the desire to make the room more cozy, homey, and at the same time eco-friendly, to preserve the feeling of a certain apartment in a quiet, cozy area of the city, so to speak," says Fariz.

Prioritizing sustainable materials not only allows for a more eco-friendly build but can also result in a more visually interesting project, as seen in this apartment. "We used natural wood on the floor — oak parquet from Canada. Natural marble and quartz for finishing the fireplace, kitchen area, and bathrooms. Spanish tiles on the floor in the toilets and laundry room. And, of course, French fabrics for sewing curtains — natural linen and silk, wool and boucle, plush and tweed — everything that will give the interior even more depth and nobility, and at the same time, will be very pleasant and interesting for tactile sensations."

Thinking not just about how the fabrics and materials will look, but also about how they'll feel, is what makes for a rich, multi-dimensional finish.