In Moscow’s historic center, a 280-square-meter apartment tells a rich, multilayered story of personal heritage, expressive design, and effortless function. Conceived as both a stylish family residence and an elegant social salon, the home is a testament to interior designer Ani Manukian’s instinct for storytelling through space.
Designed for a close-knit family of five - young, active parents and three children aged seventeen, fourteen, and two - the project was unusually personal. “The owners are close friends,” says Manukian. “We’ve known each other for many years, so I had a deep understanding of their lifestyle, rhythms, and preferences. They gave me complete creative freedom.”
From the start, Manukian envisioned a home that would balance livability with a sense of theatrical glamour - a place that left a lasting impression without ever feeling impersonal. Merging two neighboring apartments, she created a layout with a circular flow, clearly divided into private and public zones.
Visitors are welcomed by a patinated mirror-clad entrance hall that conceals a walk-in wardrobe and guest bathroom behind mirrored panels.
A hallway with straw marquetry niches leads deeper into the home, where the heart of the apartment unfolds: an expansive lounge that merges living, dining, and kitchen spaces into one harmonious whole. “The family loves to cook and entertain,” Manukian explains. “So everything was designed to encourage conversation and comfort.”
The kitchen, dressed in richly stained oak cabinetry and veined quartzite, opens into a dining area and relaxed seating space where bold colours and custom-designed furniture create an atmosphere of warmth and sophistication. Metallic finishes on the main seating group balance the natural textures, while a structural column - impossible to remove - becomes a sculptural centerpiece anchoring the room.
From here, a matte wine-coloured home office acts as a stylish buffer between the social spaces and the private quarters.
The master suite includes two walk-in wardrobes, a luxurious en-suite, and a bedroom wrapped in chocolate-toned silk wallpaper, crowned by a custom triptych artwork inspired by Armenian-American painter Arshile Gorky.
“I wanted to find a visual language that reflected the family’s Armenian heritage,” says Manukian. “That fragment of Gorky’s painting became the emotional starting point for the entire interior.”
Throughout the home, art and custom craftsmanship go hand in hand. Manukian approached each room as an abstract canvas - layering colour, form, texture, and material with a curator’s eye. Approximately 70% of the furnishings were custom-made based on her sketches, including the living room sofa, coffee table, dining table, beds, nightstands, and rugs.
The children’s rooms are tailored to each child’s age and personality. The daughter has a dressing area, the teenage son his own bathroom and closet, and even the youngest has a dedicated workspace. A shared bathroom and thoughtful spatial divisions ensure privacy for everyone.
Functionality, however, never takes a backseat. A generous pantry sits just off the kitchen. The laundry and ironing areas are tucked away yet fully equipped. Every square meter serves a purpose - without compromising on beauty.
Visually, the apartment weaves together influences from Art Deco and the bold exuberance of the 1980s - think sculptural silhouettes, saturated colours, geometric patterns, and reflective surfaces. Yet it all feels cohesive, timeless, and refined.
“I strive for conceptual coherence in every project,” says Manukian. “Here, that meant finding a harmony between glamour and intimacy, boldness and subtlety. Every object, every detail, contributes to the bigger story.”
And the story is one of trust, vision, and transformation. With its bold palette, tailored layout, and curated mix of bespoke and vintage elements, this Moscow apartment is more than a home - it’s a living portrait of a family and the designer who knows them best.
