Off the Wall

For my first inspiration post I will have to borrow Margot Austin's (of House & Home magazine) recent post topic - Kilims.  A kilim is a flat-woven rug...and there are few things more definitive of a Russian interior than a big rug displayed on a wall!

This decorating move was popularized in Soviet Russia as an efficient way to add warmth to often cold apartments.  This staple of interior decoration has become synonymous with ex Soviet homes, and an element that would definitely help russ-o-fy a modern interior.

To bring this look up-to-date I would in most cases, definitely, take the rug off the wall!  Lee Jofa's new fabric collections allows you to reimagine traditional rug patterns as upholstery, drapes or pillows.

A sofa or armchair upholstered in a bold kilim pattern makes a strong statement- it is also very forgiving to stains.

And for those who aren't as committed or adventurous, there are always toss cushions.  Even one of these pillows is enough to make an impact on a neutral sofa or chair.  The more cushions - the more impact!

etsy.com/shop/sukan

Motivation

With each visit back to Russia I get more and more disheartened by the dissipation of a Russian aesthetic (be it traditional, or Soviet) from today's interiors.

Most (if not all) renovations and new purchases try to achieve what is considered to be a modern "European" look, but the renovations are executed in a way that doesn't look as stylish as intended,  and doesn't seem to suit the Russian lifestyle and its history.

There isn't a huge interior decor market in the slavic countries, and unfortunately the furniture industry in Russia hasn't progressed much since the "Euro Reno" craze of the 1990's- leading to cheap versions of European-style furniture and bulky styleless seating.

When I was faced with the aforementioned style faux pas again this summer, I started seriously thinking about what it is that makes a Russian interior "Russian"; 

the wallpaper, the glass chandeliers, a table tucked into the corner of the living room that's pulled in front of the sofa for parties?... 

Maybe these and other essential elements - that have become so familiar to the everyday lives of regular Russians - can be reinterpreted to create beautiful and current interiors that still have a slavic and nostalgic essence.  In this blog I will share my inspirations and ideas on how to help a contemporary home nod to slavic and soviet tradition.

Olya Thompson's House. Vogue Magazine.

The post to start all posts

  My story begins in June 2006.  Though I was studying psychology at university, I always had a keen interest in design.  One summer morning, I woke up and found the new House & Home edition had been delivered.  On the front page was the makeover done by one of the style editors which I instantly zoned in on.  That headboard!  That colour!  It reminded me of Russian khokhloma - bright red, feminine curvilinear strokes; I automatically started dreaming up a room based off of the headboard as inspiration, and khokhloma as the concept.  I thought, and I sketched, and I got very excited.  

I needed to have those headboards.  

I got in contact with the designer and explained to her that I had to have at least one of her headboards.  She was very willing to sell them to me...but for an unreasonable (for my budget) amount.  I considered it at first, but recovered from my frenzy and decided to put my design on hold.  

Another sleepless night brought on by a design idea led me to an epiphany - this is what I should be doing with my life.  I had been sketching rooms and kept awake by thoughts of painting and remodelling for years, how didn't I come to realize interior design is my path sooner?  It didn't take me long to decide that I should withdraw from next semester's psych courses and apply to Design school, and I haven't looked back.

Though it took several years (5 to be exact) to find a similar headboard, and an opportunity to implement my design, I finally got that dream room that led me here.  Traditional and slightly contemporary, it's more than I hoped for that summer break from Psychology.

  If it wasn't for that image in that magazine that morning, I might be blogging about my current Psych patients (only I would't because that's not ethical.  I would be reading a psych book, or filing, or something)-- thank you, House & Home Magazine, for nudging me into the creative world of Interior Design!