Weekend Apartment in St. Petersburg

Russian designer Yulia Babintseva (Yuhome Design Studio) has created a bright, cozy, yet elegant and deeply meaningful interior. The 75.5 m² apartment offers views of St. Petersburg, overlooking the lush greenery of Petrovsky Island. The space is designed to evoke a special atmosphere of relaxation and comfort — reflecting the fact that the clients, a married couple, plan to visit the apartment only occasionally, treating it as their own five-star hotel.

The initial request from the owners was a weekend home with ample storage space. Beyond that, the designer was given carte blanche. Unlike a primary residence, where practicality often takes precedence, this hotel-inspired concept embraced bold, unconventional, and artistic solutions. This is evident both in individual elements and in the overall concept.

The interior is eclectic, allowing the designer to fully express themselves without being confined to a particular style. This creative freedom gave Yulia the opportunity to tell a narrative — a story of a happy life.

The concept began with a single piece: a decorative panel featuring a stork. Like other aspects of the design, the stork was chosen deliberately — the bird symbolizes a happy family life, which resonates deeply with the clients. As a parallel to the bright stork image, black and white colors appear in the interior, while a calm, dusty beige background serves as the primary color in the overall palette of the home.

As you move through the apartment, the narrative continues to unfold through thoughtful details that complement the overall picture. The theme of nature develops gradually, with new meanings arising in different rooms. For instance, above the bathtub, an original composition of dried flowers echoes the natural habitat of storks, which live near water with similar vegetation. The bedroom features a dry-brush-painted fresco of soft, drifting clouds, while the living room showcases a wooden table with a relief leg, evoking the upward growth of reeds. Through these elements, Yulia has not only created a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing space but has also infused it with the essence of the owners’ philosophy and values.

Despite the artistic emphasis, Yulia remained mindful of practical considerations. The dried flower arrangement, for instance, was designed for easy removal, allowing for hassle-free cleaning and replacement — a crucial detail for a home used infrequently.

Since the apartment was a new build, the design team worked with a clean slate, thus avoiding the dirty work of possible demolition. With all windows facing the same direction and a balcony featuring panoramic glazing, the advantageous layout allowed the team to integrate a walk-in closet between the living room and the bedroom.

The public areas feature an open layout, with the living room and kitchen in full view from the entrance. A transparent sliding partition subtly separates these spaces, offering the flexibility to merge or divide them as needed. This thoughtful addition allows the owners to expand the area for entertaining or create a sense of intimacy when cooking.

Throughout the decoration process, Yulia navigated various challenges. For example, a final batch of discontinued Italian powder-toned tiles was ordered for the bathroom, but upon arrival, the color proved incorrect. Rather than compromising the design, the tiles were expertly painted on-site to match the intended shade. Similarly, the ceiling color was adjusted to ensure perfect harmony with the newly customized tiles.

Completed in just a year, the project exceeded the owners’ expectations. Upon seeing the finished space, the clients affirmed that it truly felt like a high-end hotel — a testament to the studio’s dedication to functionality, convenience, and beauty. Most importantly, every detail was carefully tailored to the owners' lifestyle, transforming their vision into a living reality.

Furniture and equipment:

Furniture: Wallpaper Wall&Deco (Italy) – Learn to fly collection, sofa Felis (Italy), coffee table Audio Copenhagen (Denmark), carpet Audo Copenhagen (Denmark), dining table ТОК (Russia), bar and dining chairs Miniforms (Italy), bed and custom wall panel Walls Studio (Russia), bedside tables Rooma design (Russia), chest of drawers Kulagio (Russia), pouf Unika moblar and Mononova (Russia), mirror Ifdecor (Russia).

Kitchen equipment: The kitchen, cabinet furniture and glass partitions were implemented according to the designer’s sketches, kitchen appliances Asko (Sweden), kitchen table top – natural marble

Lighting equipment: Nuura (Denmark), New Works (Denmark), Aromas Del Campo (Spain), Umage (Denmark)
Technical lighting equipment Aledo and Centersvet (Russia)

Bathroom equipment: bathtub Treesse (Italy), sink and shower tray Globo (Italy), sanitary engineering Noken (Spain), cabinet with sink Cielo (Italy), accessories Decor Walther (Germany), stool Normann Copenhagen (Denmark), the composition above the bathtub is made by designer’s individual project