The interior of a young couple’s rock-adorned apartment

An interior designer participating in the project encouraged our team to participate in the layout of a 90-square-meter apartment for a young couple. The residence consists of a kitchen-living area, a bedroom, an office and two bathrooms. Upon request of the clients, a contemporary look that verges on simplicity was selected. The apartment is thought of as a single, harmonious unit because it is constructed as a single concept.

The color scheme employed by the designer was all shades of gray. Color is more complex than it appears at first look. Its versatility enables you to design a serene, airy area in common spaces and provide some depth and tenderness in private spaces. For instance, there is a cozy nook in the kitchen-living room’s relaxing space, where gray wall panels are used along with a graphite sofa.

In addition to laconicism, the owners envisioned introducing a live, natural environment to enter their house. As a result, the composition is constructed using a mix of stone and wood – we all know that a person gains power and energy from mountains and forests in the natural world, beyond the city’s borders. The warm tones of the natural wood contrast with the gray: cozy dining area’s round table, hardwood seats, and oak floors stand out against the kitchen with an island in a sleek, monochrome design.

Because the owners work from home most of the time, the flat features a separate room that is used as an office for work. Two work areas and a cozy sofa are situated across from each other. Here, we replicated the appearance of real rocks on the walls. It is not feasible to execute such a concept with natural stone. We did, after all, create the impact of a substantial stone mass that has actual chips and fractures.

A fine mesh was utilized to construct the base’s rocks after applying architectural concrete, and as a result, a required number of stone outcrops were formed. After that, by meticulously carving each detail by hand, sculptors produced the stone’s texture. The rock is being painted a natural graphite hue at this point.

We prearranged the location of the tabletops and niche dividers at the relief creation step. The rocks were created based on sketches, specifically for the measurements of the furniture. Sockets are also important in the workplace. There can never be too many of these, as you know. Sockets are situated above the work tables and built into the stone pile. The workplace needs sufficient illumination, so there is extra illumination in the niches, which very well highlights the relief and color of the rocks.

Despite their outward similarities, the walls turned out to have distinct patterns. Firstly, it is nearly impossible to create identical rocks because this is an artistic process. Second, if we make items “as in nature,” there is no need for absolute similarity. In nature, no two rocks are alike.

The rock narrative continued into the bathroom and shower. Stone masses adorned the walls directly in wet areas. This is a completely justified decision. If we discuss the concept of nature’s presence in the residence, then a tropical shower against the backdrop of a rock inspires a clear connection to waterfalls.

The confined gray rock fills the entire wall area in the shower. Here the texture is brighter: multiple chips make the monochrome environment more vibrant. The above lighting emphasizes the relief, and the directional light highlights its diversity and accentuates the effect.

The decoration in the bathroom is made in light shades, with a calmer and smoother texture that sets the mood for relaxation. The lines of the texture repeat the contrasting pattern of black porcelain stoneware with white veins. Artificial concrete rock in such premises is a good solution from a practical point of view. Architectural concrete is not afraid of moisture, it does not require special care, and the composition of the material prevents the formation of mold. The finish will last for many years and create the impression of a real stone massif.

The play of gray stone and warm wood continues in the bedroom. To make the space cozy, the authors of the project placed an accent wooden wall at the head of the bed, adding dark stone panels opposite for equal value. On the one hand, the apartment turned out to be comfortable, functional, without unnecessary visual noise. On the other hand, it is quite warm, harmonious and allows additions in the form of favorite interior items, if the owners wish. We believe this is an amazing design option for a modern city residence designed to give the sense of a real stone massif.