Concrete, Wood & Light: Cozy Design at SR 26
16 hours ago
2 min read
Raw concrete. Walnut laid diagonally. Daylight moving across both. In Tallinn, Estonia, SR26 is a private residence over three levels. Lots of glazing brings daylight into the concrete and timber. In the main bedroom, a window looks out onto trees and water. Viacheslav Deev of Deev Architects designed the interior.
SR 26. Living-Dining. Photography by Vladimir Vasilchikov
The thesis is straightforward. A house of hard, textured surfaces can feel very domestic without covering them up, as long as the contrast between the materials and the movement of light provides comfort.
The clients wanted a modern house with exposed concrete, pale stone, and wood, but still wanted it to feel warm to live in.
The ground floor has the entrance and a shared kitchen/living area. Adjacent to that is the spa lounge, sauna and hammam (all finished in Irish Green natural stone). The upper floor has three bedrooms, each with dressing and bathing facilities. The basement includes the garage, an additional lounge, and service spaces.
SR 26. Basement. Drawing by Deev Architects SR 26. Main Level. Drawing by Deev Architects SR 26. Upper Level. Drawing by Deev Architects
In the shared room, we have concrete meeting timber and pale finishes. The kitchen has work areas that close away. That's the answer to a very specific request: to link the ground-floor spaces through common materials and to hide the kitchen's working areas.
Beside the seating area, pale stone cladding forms the fireplace surround, with a recessed log store adjacent to it. The timber slat ceiling and translucent drapes complete the same composition—stone, timber, and fabric.
SR 26. Fireplace. Photography by Vladimir Vasilchikov SR 26. Kitchen. Photography by Vladimir Vasilchikov
The bedrooms share the same palette across different walls.
In the main bedroom, the walnut panels run at 45 degrees behind the upholstered bed. A large window looks out over the trees and water, framing the bed and the timber panelling.
SR 26. Bedroom. Photography by Vladimir Vasilchikov SR 26. Bedroom. Photography by Vladimir Vasilchikov
Another bedroom has a ribbed timber headboard wall opposite exposed concrete, with a low cabinet beneath. Upholstery and curtains soften both rooms. Neither room disguises the visible concrete.
The specification includes dark oak flooring in a French herringbone pattern, porcelain surfaces, and pale large-format finishes. Built-in furniture and separate dressing areas provide storage in the principal rooms.
Large glazed openings bring the daylight onto the concrete and timber, and the grain and surface texture of the materials read very differently as the day progresses. The palette is static. The light is not.
SR 26. Sauna. Photography by Vladimir Vasilchikov SR 26. Bathroom. Photography by Vladimir Vasilchikov SR 26. Upper Gallery. Photography by Vladimir Vasilchikov SR 26. Stair. Photography by Vladimir Vasilchikov SR 26. Spa/Lounge. Photography by Vladimir Vasilchikov
