Self designer: how to repair an apartment without resorting to the help of a professional

How can knowledge of physics help in apartment renovation?How to revive strict minimalism and breathe life into it? How to create an apartment interior where you can relax and work at the same time? Ekaterina's apartment - the answer to all questions Ekaterina graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, now she is working on her Ph.D. thesis. She can talk endlessly about her love for the exact sciences. Ekaterina put her knowledge into practice. The design of Katya's apartment is based on clear lines, maximum convenience and a pleasant combination of colors. Ekaterina Ponomareva - economist, researcher. In his free time he travels a lot. - - Ekaterina, how did your seemingly far from creativity professional activity help in arranging the apartment? - - For me, this is all closely related. My love for the exact sciences is reflected in the design of the kitchen - I love right angles, clear lines, good geometry! I calculated the kitchen to fit my needs: there is such a concept in physics as a "thought experiment", it helped me a lot when planning the filling of the kitchen and arranging objects, I went to the salon with a ready-made project with dimensions. - - By what principles did you choose colors and materials? - - Colors were chosen on the basis of associations, sensations. My husband and I try to relax in warm countries, we both love sea colors. The color of the Caribbean Sea, white sand doors on the beach, textile wallpaper appeared so easily and simply in the living room and kitchen. The ecru color in the office does not irritate, it helps to tune in to work, and the wall with zigzags resembles a "knitted scarf", which makes the house even more comfortable. The bedroom is a spring rain, hence the blurry wallpaper. - - What were the disagreements during the renovation within your family? - - There were a lot of disagreements, but we found an ideal scheme for ourselves: I choose several options, and my husband approves the final one. - - What is the budget for your renovation?Where did you buy most of the furniture? - - We boldly combined budget items with designer items. Budget laminate. I believe that spending significant sums on flooring in a new house is pointless - there will be shrinkage, and over time, the floor will have to be changed. There are furniture from IKEA and Hoff. A significant part of the furniture was made to order to fit the dimensions of the niches and walls. I am sure that built-in furniture creates a sense of a single space without breaks. - - What is your favorite place in the house? - - A sofa in the living room: you can work on it, watch a movie, and, if necessary, make a full bed from it. - - What inconveniences were noticed after the completion of the repair? - - Basically, these are light switches - some of the sconces are turned on and off with a switch on the lamp itself, although it would be correct to implement switching from different places in the room. And I really want to put motion sensors. It is very convenient and practical. - - How would you name your style in designapartments in general? - - Somewhere in my heart I love American classics, in some details of the apartment it is noticeable. Our joint style with my husband, on which we "agreed", is probably minimalism. And since this style is more accepting of black and white, we decided to revive it a little and add unusual details. There is a lot of air in such an interior and it is easy to think, this is especially important for us, because we often work from home. - - Have you made all your dreams come true in your apartment? - - In fact, there are still many things I would like to implement, but this apartment has too many load-bearing walls, which is a significant limitation. I really want a kitchen island where you can have breakfast, industrial-style lamps, a combination of natural materials stone-wood-metal, but this is probably a story of another renovation. - - What is your advice to those who decided to design and renovate without the help of a designer? - - First of all - to understand yourself, to clearly formulate your desires, then there will be no disappointments. You can start the renovation from the most pleasant thing - from the details. It is the details that sometimes set the mood for the entire repair. It is important to describe every corner of your apartment, first in thoughts, and then in practice. Ekaterina Ponomareva