A Russian take on design for a home in New York, by Ananiev Interiors

Colour, bright and bold, rushes out to greet you. You catch the impression of texture too. There are gilded highlights and rounded edges as well. It all looks so good together in this New York home, designed by Nadezhda and George Ananyev of Russia-based Ananiev Interiors.

Their very first project in the US, Nadezhda and George were very clear about what they wanted to do with the brief they got from the homeowners. Widely published across the world, the designer duo was really excited when they first met their to-be clients, who they discovered were also from Russia, now settled in the US.

The design brief stated colour, clearly and succinctly. They had their visual goal chalked out and they followed this request to the T, to create a home filled with vintage references showcasing beautiful Mid-Century handmade furniture. Almost everything was built keeping in mind the main idea of visual impact. The owners wanted the first impression of their home to be spectacular. The designers worked on making a statement with expressive walls, gilded detailing, stunning pieces of furniture and outstanding, even provocative pieces of art. The overall scheme of the design is totally reminiscent of the late '80s in all their retro glory, with a relatable modern twist.

As far as the layout of the house goes, the first floor hosts all the living areas, including a music lounge, an ’art room‘ and a formal ’hall‘ and a living room. The entire space comes together as a suite of rooms closed off in a circle. On the second floor, the private areas come alive. There is also a room for each child and a separate outhouse for the guests. None of the walls were broken or removed, the doors were restored to their earlier glory because the designers found them “really beautiful” and they fell into place beautifully with the overall design concept of the house.

The ’music lounge‘ comes together as a visual smorgasbord of bold hues and a playful composition of vintage and  Mid-Century handmade furniture. One of the focal points of the design here is the mustard-yellow lounge chairs from Brabbu, which set the style and tone for the entire area. What looks like a conversation starter, is also an interesting piece of furniture around which the design seems to revolve for the time being.

In the hall, amidst a stunning array of artworks and designer furniture, we are delightfully surprised to find a lit up letter R. These luminous letters are placed strategically throughout the house — they are the initial letters of the names of the owners.

What the owners refer to as the ’art room‘ is the actual greeting area of the home, where you first step in. If there ever was a room comfortable in its dramatic skin, this would be it. The room is a true inspiration, as it seems to understand and connect the extraordinary colour spectrum and fantastic textures to provide a complete sensory experience for everyone who enters. And from what we have heard, friends and neighbours enter the house like they are walking into a museum. We don’t disagree!