This Apartment in Kazakhstan Has Handmade Ceramic Mirror Details and Vintage Finds

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This Apartment in Kazakhstan Has Handmade Ceramic Mirror Details and Vintage Finds

published now

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Zhanna Zdorova purchased this 1087-square-foot apartment two years ago in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan (also the second-coldest capital city in the world) and hired interior designer Diana Karimova.

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Credit: Roman Yakunin/Sofiya Klyonova

"The kitchen has structural walls, so there was no possibility of making the room larger," explains designer Diana Karimova. "At the same time, the brief called for a large dining table, as it is important for the owners to gather with large groups of friends. I divided the room into a working kitchen area and a dining area along the window. The kitchen island is separated by colour, and we moved the cooktop onto the island — it is convenient for serving freshly cooked food straight from the stove."

“As Astana has a long and particularly cold winter, creating a comfortable and thoughtfully designed home has become increasingly popular among residents in recent years,” explains the designer. “Apartments are usually handed over by developers in an unfinished state, so when people purchase these empty shells, they often turn to interior designers to create a home tailored to their needs from the very beginning.”

Credit: Roman Yakunin/Sofiya Klyonova

"The living room has tall but narrow windows, which we dressed with curtains and pelmets, giving the room an English character," Diana writes. "The colourful accents here are paintings by Adil Aubekerov, which were already part of the owners’ collection. We extended the walls slightly so that the radiators beneath the windows wouldn’t protrude, and created a small niche for vases. It was painted blue, echoing the paintings. Above the shelving, we attached plaster shapes to the wall — an inexpensive but effective way to add variety to the wall."

Diana and Zhanna actually first discussed the apartment’s project on a cold winter day. “There was snow outside the windows, and we were all wrapped up against the cold, talking about how we wanted the apartment to always feel warm and cozy,” Diana begins. “Looking at the neighboring buildings, I noticed the warm palette they created against the winter landscape. I decided to bring those colours inside, using a creamy yellow as the main backdrop throughout the apartment.”

Credit: Roman Yakunin/Sofiya Klyonova

"The study has a sense of creative disorder — art books sit alongside detective novels and fashion magazines. A pacifist painting, created in a mischievous style, tells us something about the owners of the apartment — warm-hearted people with a good sense of humour," Diana writes. The bench was reupholstered in a new fabric.

“We already had a number of meaningful pieces that we wanted to incorporate into the interior, including paintings, a chair upholstered in an Uzbek fabric, a Moroccan tray table, and various wooden objects collected from southern countries,” Diana the designer continues.

Credit: Roman Yakunin/Sofiya Klyonova

“These pieces are all special to us, but they are quite colourful and don’t naturally belong to the same palette. Looking at this collection, I realised that an eclectic interior would be the right approach — one where we could continue bringing home discoveries from different countries, change the décor according to our mood, and never feel restricted by strict rules.”

Credit: Roman Yakunin/Sofiya Klyonova

The wallpaper in the dressing area is Cole & Son Nuvolette." I have always loved this airy, cloud-like pattern, so I carried it onto the curtains covering the open wardrobe as well. I had long wanted to try this approach, using the same pattern on both the walls and ceiling, but on different textures," Diana writes.

Diana says the total project took around nine months, and that she drew inspiration from “English, Scandinavian, and Spanish interiors, with a subtle touch of Gothic influence. I love contrasts and a slightly eclectic mix of different objects and styles. The owner enjoys social events and, at the same time, loves baking bread and spending time at home, and I wanted to reflect this contrast in the apartment.”

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Credit: Roman Yakunin/Sofiya Klyonova

"The frames around the bathroom mirrors were handmade from ceramic. I ordered the individual ceramic shapes from a local workshop and attached them myself. This cost about half as much as buying ready-made mirrors with interesting frames," explains designer Diana Karimova.

PAINT & COLORS

Living room, entrance hall and hallway, bedroom, kitchen — Caparol “Curry 60”
Bedroom ceiling, kitchen work area ceiling, guest bathroom ceiling — Caparol “RAL 1014”
Bathroom ceiling — Caparol “Tundra 40”
Dressing room — Cole & Son “Fornasetti Nuvolette” wallpaper
Bathroom tiles (yellow and white) — Kerama Marazzi “Monparnasse”
Glossy pink tiles in the guest bathroom — Equipe La RIVIERA ROSE tiles
Ceramic borders in the bathrooms — Kerama Marazzi

Credit: Roman Yakunin/Sofiya Klyonova

ENTRY

Wall mirror in a wooden frame — Zara Home
Rattan bench — Zara Home
Wall hooks — H&M Home

Credit: Roman Yakunin/Sofiya Klyonova

LIVING ROOM

Armchair — Imola Chair, BoConcept
Bookcase — Calgary, BoConcept
Rug — Carpetti
TV cabinet — Lagom Wood
Art — Adil Aubekerov
Floor lamp — Lampe Gras 215 Floor Lamp, Yellow, DCW
Side table — Zara Home
Table lamp — Zara Home
Pendant light — Maytoni
Throw on the sofa — Zara Home
Metal side table — vintage, from Morocco
Lamp inside the bookcase — Zara Home
Sofa — custom-made, Demal Design
Curtains — custom-made, Sofiart
Chair — vintage

Credit: Roman Yakunin/Sofiya Klyonova

"The portrait of a man above the dining table (a reproduction) echoes the woman and girl in the painting opposite, playfully touching on the theme of patriarchy in the family. I deliberately paired the dark table with pink chairs and dark paintings to create a slightly Gothic atmosphere here," Diana writes.

DINING ROOM

Dining table — BoConcept Kingston
Chairs — ELEMENTS
Fritz Hansen Drop Plastic Chair
Pendant light — La Redoute Henrio Satin Nickel Pendant Lamp

Credit: Roman Yakunin/Sofiya Klyonova

KITCHEN AND HOME OFFICE

Appliances — Smeg
Bowls / glasses — Estrenar
Custom cabinetry — @aswood.kz
Desk — ACTIU
Chair — ACTIU
Rug — Carpetti, Nord 224 × 91
Table lamp — Zara Home, MONOCOLOR INALÁMBRICA
Ceiling light — Lamper, Varmay D01423-ZM
Wall light — GRAS, Lampe Gras 303 Wall Light, Red, DCW

Credit: Roman Yakunin/Sofiya Klyonova

BATHROOM

Vintage pendant light — @hei.vintage
Mirror with handmade ceramic details
Custom vanity with sink — @aswood.kz

Credit: Roman Yakunin/Sofiya Klyonova

"The bedroom is designed for relaxing and reading before bed," Diana writes. "The red circular painting does not distract from the feeling of relaxation, as it is positioned behind the bed, while at the same time bringing an Asian atmosphere to the room."

BEDROOM

Ceiling pendant — La Redoute, Rattan Hanging Lamp Ø120cm
Wall lights — La Redoute, Dolkie Raffia
Custom-made bed
Rug — Carpetti
Artwork — Adil Aubekerov
Bedside cabinets — HAY, Facet Cabinet Low
Curtains — custom-made, Sofiart

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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