This Eclectic Apartment by Antwe Celebrates Storage

In Sadovye, a 130-square-meter home designed for a woman and her daughter, St. Petersburg interior design firm Antwe began with one decisive gesture: to create “an object within a space.” At the center of the pristine, open environment, the studio placed a high-gloss oval volume in deep red Merbau veneer. Kept deliberately lower than the ceiling so it reads as a freestanding insertion rather than a conventional partition, the sculptural form conceals a main wardrobe, outerwear storage, technical systems, and essential household equipment within.

The volume also divides the apartment into clear functional zones, separating the entrance area from the kitchen–living space while establishing a natural circular flow around its curved perimeter. Its polished surface, positioned opposite the windows, reflects and amplifies the apartment’s abundant natural light and expansive city views. At sunset, the space is flooded with a soft pink glow that moves across the interior’s textured surfaces, from microcement flooring to custom satin stainless steel elements.

From the kitchen–living side, the oval structure becomes part of the kitchen system itself. Behind folding facades, the necessary functions of a modern kitchen are concealed, allowing the volume to remain a clean, articulated mass when closed. A Patagonia quartzite island anchors the composition, accompanied by Roquebrune chairs by Eileen Gray. The same logic of precise zoning extends into the children’s room, where a centrally positioned wardrobe with a portal divides the sleeping area from a dedicated play zone that can later evolve into a study space. This threshold helps the child transition between active play and rest.

The master bathroom is similarly organized through spatial sequencing. Accessed from both the hallway and the bedroom, it is divided into two zones: a sink area and a more private bathing space with a freestanding tub, connected by a walk-through shower. In the bathtub area, warm, low lighting creates a calm, immersive atmosphere, while rounded doorway reveals frame one of the apartment’s most expressive visual perspectives.

Art plays a significant role in shaping the interior, with contemporary works by emerging artists integrated as focal points along the home’s key visual axes. In the kitchen, an epoxy resin artwork by Alisa Spots, created in collaboration with Antwe and based on the studio’s sketch, appears at the vanishing point of a long, one-point perspective formed by the cabinetry, island, and rhythm of the windows. Its glossy surface reflects the surrounding space, deepening the sense of perspective. In the bedroom, a painting by Varvara Cheltsova brings graphic presence and tonal balance to the otherwise restrained composition.

Beyond the central architectural volume, red reappears as a carefully calibrated accent. In the master bedroom, a vivid red shoe cabinet contrasts with monochrome finishes and the cool stainless steel wardrobe system, while a pink travertine partition softly echoes the palette between the sleeping area and storage zone. In the guest bathroom, a translucent red epoxy resin sink becomes the only bold element. Lit from above by a directional light integrated into the mirror, it transmits a crimson glow onto the floor, extending the idea of “an object within a space” down to the scale of a single fixture.

To see this and other works but the studio, visit antwedesign.com.

Photography by Mikhail Loskutov.

Bianca Weeko Martin is a writer and researcher weaving together architectural practice with theory and personal narrative. She is the author of the sold out Architectural Guide Manila.