ZVENIGOROD by VSA Studio: Modern Take on a 1990s Cottage

Modern minimalist living room with large glass doors leading to abundant greenery, elegant black accents and contemporary furniture highlighting the stylish interior design and architectural comfort

Located on a picturesque slope outside the city of Zvenigorod, a two-story house from the 1990s was radically transformed by VSA Studio to become a modern, bright home that maximally utilizes the stunning natural landscapes. The original structure, despite its charm, had issues: low ceilings, inconvenient stairs and poor spatial planning—challenges that the VSA team chose to reimagine rather than ignore.

Reimagining the Old: Design Philosophy Based on Light and Flow

The original house had many structural limitations typical of its time: low ceilings—only 2.2–2.4 meters, narrow stairs and disconnected spaces. However, the owner was enchanted by one unique feature: an open, uninterrupted view of vast fields and forests to the horizon—a rarity in Moscow region.

Instead of full reconstruction, the client, inspired by VSA Studio's work on the TV show 'Dachny Otvet', chose a complete renovation with emphasis on increasing natural lighting, visual openness and flow between rooms.

Strategic Improvements: From Structure to Spatial Experience

VSA Studio approached the ZVENIGOROD project not just as a renovation, but as a reimagining of how space can breathe:

Expanding panoramic windows, opening the house to natural landscapes.
Introducing a two-level living space, providing vertical space and a sense of grandeur without raising the roof.
Redefining stairs, ensuring better access, transparency and aesthetics by replacing narrow and steep connections with open double constructions.
Creating a new gallery and summer terrace space, extending living outdoors with textile shades for comfortable seasonality.
Relocating the veranda, integrated into the landscape, connecting garden views with a cozy entrance.

What started as simple window improvements became a full-scale renovation—redefining the character of the house.

Timeless Interiors with International Style

The modern interior speaks the language of contemporary Italian and European design, blending elegance with comfort. Key brands used in interiors:

Sofa: Flexform
Dining and bar chairs: Lema
Dining table: Ditre Italia
Kitchen: Modulnova
Lighting: DeCastelli (dining), Panzerri (kitchen), Kreon (floor), Vesoi (bedroom)
Plumbing: Cea, Cielo, Falper
Tiles: Salvatori marble

Each element was chosen to harmonize with the updated architectural rhythm of the house, creating a unified aesthetic from room to room.

Model of Modern Renovation in Russia

ZVENIGOROD by VSA Studio demonstrates how thoughtful design can revitalize outdated structures and make them not only viable but exceptional. It's an example of how architecture can respect the environment, maximize views and blend old structures with new ideas for comfort and luxury.

Modern interior design with transparent glass doors between rooms.

Modern interior design featuring translucent glass doors for smooth transitions between rooms. Photo © Olga Melikesheva

Elegant minimalist corridor with dark accents and glass elements.

Elegant minimalist corridor with glass elements and soft dark details. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern kitchen and dining room with large windows and contemporary furniture.

Modern kitchen and dining room with large windows and contemporary furniture.

Elegant kitchen-dining room with abundant natural light and modern style. Photo © Olga Melikesheva

Modern dining room with minimalist furniture and stylish pendant lighting.

Well-designed modern dining room with minimalist design and pendant lighting. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Luxurious dining room with designer pendant lighting.

Luxurious dining room with designer pendant lighting.

Luxurious dining room with modern pendant lighting and stylish furniture. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Elegant stone table for kitchen in modern design.

Elegant stone table for kitchen in modern design.

Modern kitchen featuring an elegant stone table as a central element. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern kitchen design with dark cabinets and built-in appliances.

Modern kitchen design with dark cabinets and built-in appliances.

Modern kitchen with elegant dark cabinetry and minimalist design. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Details of luxurious stone countertop in modern kitchen.

Details of luxurious stone countertop in modern kitchen.

Close-up of an exquisite stone countertop in the kitchen. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Minimalist kitchen design with soft backlighting.

Elegant minimalist kitchen with integrated backlighting. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Elegant black kitchen with stone table and modern finishes.

Elegant black kitchen featuring a stone table and contemporary elements. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Minimalist corridor with natural light leading to a garden view.

Minimalist corridor with natural light leading to a garden view.

Elegant corridor with smooth transition into the living garden. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern living room with black vertical divider and large windows.

Modern living room with black vertical divider and large windows.

Contemporary living space featuring a vertical divider and windows overlooking the garden. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Gray sofa in a cozy room with a rectangular stone coffee table.

Gray sofa in a cozy room with a rectangular stone coffee table.

Comfortable gray sofa with a vibrant stone coffee table. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Indoor space harmoniously blending with green nature through large glass doors.

Indoor space harmoniously blending with green nature through large glass doors.

Interior seamlessly combining indoor and outdoor spaces via glass doors. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Wall shelves with soft backlighting in a cozy living room.

Wall shelves with soft backlighting in a cozy living room.

Warm wall shelves adding style and functionality. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern TV console with shelves and elegant finish.

Stylish modern living room featuring elegant shelves and a stone TV console. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Soft lighting on walls in a cozy living room.

Warm atmosphere created by soft lighting and neutral furniture. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Living room with neutral tones, floating shelves and decorative art figure.

Living room with neutral tones, floating shelves and decorative art figure.

Modern elegance emphasizing shelves and textured gray furniture. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Contemporary storage system with soft lighting in a minimalist living room.

Contemporary storage system with soft lighting in a minimalist living room.

Modern storage solution with soft lighting in a minimalist living room. Photo © Olga Melikesheva

Gray stone table and floating sofa in a modern living room. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Open layout with stone table and minimalist design.

Open plan featuring a stone table and minimalist décor. Photo © Olga Melikesheva

Textured stone walls with modern vases in minimalist design.

Textured stone walls with modern vases in minimalist décor. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern stone TV console with artistic stone decor.

Modern stone TV console featuring artistic stone decor. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Details of luxurious textured gray stone furniture.

Luxurious textured gray stone details on furniture. Photo © Olga Melikesheva

Geometric black metal shelf with contemporary sculptures and books.

Geometric black metal shelf with modern sculptures and books. Photo © Olga Melikesheva

Elegant stone sink in a minimalist bathroom. Photo © Olga Melikesheva

Modern black metal staircase with thin vertical railings.

Modern black metal staircase with sleek vertical railings. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern bedroom with TV on the wall and corridor to a window.

Modern bedroom featuring a wall-mounted TV and corridor leading to a window. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Minimalist bedroom design with dark wooden finish and soft lighting.

Minimalist bedroom design with dark wooden finish and soft lighting.

Minimalist bedroom design featuring a dark wood finish and soft lighting. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern bedroom with built-in wardrobe and soft sofa.

Modern bedroom with built-in wardrobe and soft sofa.

Modern bedroom featuring a built-in wardrobe and comfortable sofa. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Details of gray bed with textured wall and ceramic vase.

Details of gray bed with textured wall and ceramic vase.

Gray bed details with a textured wall and ceramic vase. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Dark wooden bedroom wall with gold pendant lighting.

Dark wood bedroom wall featuring gold pendant lighting. Photo © Olga Melikesheva

Bedroom with neutral tones, luxurious bedding and dark wooden wall.

Bedroom with neutral tones, luxury bedding and a dark wooden wall. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Decorative vase and books beside the bed in a modern bedroom.

Decorative vase and books beside the bed in a modern bedroom.

Decorative vase and books by the bed in a modern bedroom. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Curved dark wooden finish in a cozy bedroom corner.

Curved dark wood finish in a cozy bedroom corner. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Oval stone nightstand complementing a dark wooden wall.

Oval stone nightstand enhancing a dark wood wall. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern bedroom interior with dark wooden finish and soft textiles.

Modern bedroom interior featuring a dark wood finish and cozy textiles. Photo © Olga Melikesheva

Minimalist bedroom with soft lighting and elegant textures. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Artistic sculpture below TV in a modern space.

Artistic sculpture beneath the television in a modern setting. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern walls with shelves displaying minimalist vases and books.

Modern walls with shelves displaying minimalist vases and books.

Modern walls with shelves showcasing minimalist vases and books. Photo © Olga Melikesheva

Minimalist corridor leading to a modern bathroom.

Minimalist corridor leading to a contemporary bathroom. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Home office with shelf on a sloped roof and modern desk.

Home office featuring a shelf on a slanted ceiling and modern desk. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Office space with large windows and natural light.

Office space featuring large windows and abundant natural light. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Stylish workstation with shelf on a sloped roof and dark tones.

Stylish workstation with shelf on a sloped roof and dark tones.

Stylish workstation with a shelf on a slanted ceiling and dark tones. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern work station by the window with elegant black furniture.

Modern work station by the window with elegant black furniture.

Modern workstation near a window featuring elegant black furniture. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern bathroom with transparent glass supports.

Modern bathroom featuring clear glass supports. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Minimalist bathroom with floating sink and round basin.

Clean modern toilet with matte surfaces and hidden cabinets.

Clean modern toilet with matte finishes and concealed storage. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Elegant dark shower with minimalist finish.

Elegant dark shower featuring a sleek minimalist design. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Warm modern living room with built-in seating and accent lighting.

Warm modern living room with built-in seating and accent lighting.

Black geometric coffee tables with concrete decor objects.

Black geometric coffee tables adorned with concrete decorative items. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Shower with backlighting and frameless glass door.

Shower with backlighting and frameless glass door.

Shower featuring backlighting and a frameless glass door. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern living room with textured stone wall and minimalist vases.

Modern living room with textured stone wall and minimalist vases.

Modern living room featuring a textured stone wall and minimalist vases. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Close-up of textured stone wall with horizontal lines.

Close-up of textured stone wall with horizontal lines.

Modern black floating staircase with vertical metal railings and natural light.

Modern black floating staircase featuring vertical metal railings and natural lighting. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Top view of modern staircase with dark metal steps and railings.

Top view of modern staircase with dark metal steps and railings.

Top-down view of a modern staircase with dark metal treads and railings. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Minimalist black walls with ceramic vases and decor.

Minimalist black walls with ceramic vases and decor.

Minimalist black walls adorned with ceramic vases and decorations. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Dark bathroom wall with backlighting on black shelves and toiletries.

Dark bathroom wall with backlighting on black shelves and toiletries.

Dark bathroom wall featuring backlit black shelves and amenities. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern bathroom with stone walls, mirror backlighting and integrated sink.

Modern bathroom with stone walls, mirror backlighting and integrated sink.

Modern bathroom featuring stone walls, mirror lighting and an integrated sink. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Minimalist bathroom design with dark stone tiles and elegant toilet.

Minimalist bathroom design with dark stone tiles and elegant toilet.

Minimalist bathroom featuring dark stone tiles and an elegant toilet. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Entrance with terrace, Hungarian chairs and minimalist entrance design.

Entrance with terrace, Hungarian chairs and minimalist entrance design.

Entrance featuring a terrace, Hungarian chairs and minimalist décor. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Outdoor area with fire pit and pond surrounded by greenery.

Outdoor area with fire pit and pond surrounded by greenery.

Outdoor space featuring a fire pit and pond, enclosed in lush greenery. Photo © Olga Melikesheva Modern outdoor kitchen with Hungarian chairs and built-in tap under terrace.