A shared affinity for all things vintage brought together designer Irakli Zaria and his client, a young Moscow-based writer with a degree in art history. Zaria describes their first meeting as “love at first sight.” It is no surprise, then, that his new client, who once worked at the famed Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, should become his inspiration for the design of her Moscow nest.

Situated in a pre-revolution building in the city’s historic heart, the 1,100-square-foot apartment set the ideal stage for the pair to let their mutual passion for antiquity reign. “It’s a calm neighborhood and she’s a very calm person, so it’s really perfect for her,” says Zaria. Replete with neoclassical details, from intricate molding to curvilinear corners, that recall a bygone era, the apartment also boasts huge windows (“quite rare” for the neighborhood, according to Zaria) and generous proportions that contribute to the feeling of old-world grandeur.

In the dining area, midcentury Italian chairs surround a custom lacquer-and-onyx table by Zaria. The chandelier is vintage.

When it came to the decor, Zaria says “[my client] wanted something neutral, feminine and colorless, which is why there are almost no colors in the apartment.” He began with neutral pieces from the client’s existing collection—a pair of sandstone sculptures by Valerie Lebrun, a minimalist painting by Gulnur Mukazhanova, and a sculptural Paul Evans chair—and used them as a springboard for his vision.

To make the muted palette feel dynamic, Zaria layered multiple shades of off-white and used a plethora of textures. “You can’t do a proper off-white interior if you don’t use many textures,” he notes. “Otherwise it’s too boring and plain.” At the request of his client, Zaria only worked with natural materials—wool, cashmere, silk, sisal, ceramic—undercutting the air of serene elegance that pervades the space with a more down-to-earth feel.

In the master bedroom, for example, the luxury of a hand-painted and embroidered raw silk wall covering by De Gournay is balanced by a simple sisal rug on the floor. And in the bath, Zaria deploys Volakas marble, a stone derived from Greece, with abandon. “It’s similar to Italian Calacatta marble, but I prefer this stone because the shade of the veins is warmer,” says the designer. Patinated mirrors enhance the sense of rich texture in the bath.

A Kirill Basalaev painting and a vintage 1970s sconce hang in the guest bedroom. The Masonic wood bed and the desk are both custom designs.

For the furnishings, Zaria sought to balance the many feminine silhouettes with a few starker pieces, to “combine curved and fluid lines with some strong Brutalist details.” The Paul Evans chair, for example, and a 1950s French table lamp in the walk-in closet provide dark contrast to the otherwise light airiness of the space.

Throughout the apartment, the client’s existing pieces mix with new acquisitions, which Zaria mostly found in the flea markets and galleries of Paris, from a vintage cocktail table and an André Arbus lamp in the living room to 1970s sconces and a tiered glass chandelier in the breakfast room.

Living harmoniously alongside the vintage finds are Zaria’s own custom designs, pieces each with their own subtle drama—a pair of sinuous white sofas and an overmantel mirror, gilded and silvered by hand, in the sitting room; a blue-lacquer-and-white-onyx dining table; a pair of parchment bedside tables and an acrylic-and-brass bench in the master bedroom, among others. Zaria also designed the silk carpets in both the sitting and guest rooms. “I consider carpets to be the largest artwork in the house,” he says.

But even with these thrilling gestures, the overall vibe in the finished apartment is ultimately cool and collected—just like Zaria’s client. “She spends most of her free time now with a book in her hand, by the fireplace on the sofa,” he says. “It’s really cozy, with just enough drama, but not too much.”

Styled by Natalia Onufreichuk