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Alexander Tischler has reworked an 84-square-meter apartment for a couple and their two daughters, combining a warm, retro-inspired palette with contemporary storage, soundproofing and climate systems. The project, called “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” uses glass bricks and a Beatles reference to connect the family’s childhood memories with a modern home.
Alexander Tischler has redesigned an 84-square-meter apartment for a couple and their two daughters, using glass bricks, warm colors and retro references to reflect the owners’ memories while fitting modern family life. Livingetc’s report describes how architect Karen Karapetian reorganized the home around its structural limits, including a central load-bearing pillar and a dark, awkward hallway.
The apartment is in a new development, but its original three-room plan presented challenges: relatively low ceilings, the large pillar and a poorly lit corridor. The family wanted more light in the living areas, an 18-square-meter bedroom for their daughters, an en suite and workspace in the primary bedroom, and a separate office for the father, who is a poet. Karapetian said the team made minimal but consequential changes to the plan while working within those constraints.
The owners’ firm color preference was no gray. Instead, the home combines a pistachio kitchen with amber tiles, a terracotta guest bathroom, an olive-green sofa and a turquoise entryway. The kitchen’s two built-in refrigerators are concealed, and cabinets above the counter stop short of the ceiling. According to Karapetian, those choices help the kitchen read more like a decorative sideboard than a heavy work area.
Glass bricks were a specific request from the clients. In the primary en suite, they form part of a wall that runs along the ceiling and turns down to the floor; the architect said the material brings natural light and reflective texture into the bathroom. A fluted-glass partition sits beside it. Elsewhere, custom furniture and integrated storage help manage the compact footprint, while soundproofing, climate control and air purification supply contemporary functions.
Memory Meets Modern Family Living
The project illustrates a practical design challenge: how to make a compact home feel personal without letting nostalgia compromise its day-to-day use. The family’s references to Soviet-era interiors appear through glass blocks, small tiles, herringbone parquet and brass-finished bathroom fixtures, while built-in storage and concealed appliances keep the rooms usable for a household with two children.
That balance also gives the design its stated meaning. Karapetian described the work as an effort to layer personal history into a contemporary setting without turning the apartment into a pastiche. The result, as presented in Livingetc’s report, is a specific response to one family’s preferences—not evidence of a wider shift in residential design. Its relevance lies in the way the project treats materials associated with older buildings as part of a new, highly tailored interior.
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A Beatles Title, Recast at Home
The project is called “Back in the U.S.S.R.”, an ironic reference to the Beatles song released in 1968. In the designers’ account, the title links the owners’ childhood associations with the apartment’s retro details. The report says a display cabinet opposite the sofa reinterprets a traditional childhood sideboard, while rounded furniture, tactile fabrics and the parquet reinforce the nostalgic feel.
Karapetian said the clients arrived with a detailed vision, even though they were unsure whether the studio’s portfolio matched it. He accepted the brief and worked around the apartment’s existing structural conditions. The account emphasizes that the project involved more than surface decoration: the team addressed zoning, engineering, sound insulation and the need to preserve ceiling height.
““Absolutely.””
— Karen Karapetian, architect at Alexander Tischler, as quoted by Livingetc
Project Details Not Reported
Livingetc’s account does not identify the apartment’s city, give the project’s completion date or provide a construction budget. It also does not report the owners’ names or include their direct comments, so their preferences and the project’s intended meaning are conveyed through Karapetian and the publication.
The report describes the design and selected technical features but does not provide independent measurements of the apartment’s lighting, sound insulation, energy use or air quality. It is not clear how the family uses each space in practice or whether any performance claims were tested after completion.
No Further Milestone Listed
The source presents the apartment as a completed design feature and does not announce a future construction phase, launch or follow-up milestone. No additional project dates or updates are specified. Further details about the build, its location and the family’s experience would depend on information from the studio or the owners.
Key Questions
What is “Back in the U.S.S.R.”?
It is the name given to the 84-square-meter apartment project. The name is an ironic reference to the Beatles’ 1968 song and, according to architect Karen Karapetian, connects the design with the owners’ childhood memories.
Why were glass bricks used?
The clients specifically asked for them. In the primary en suite, the glass bricks form part of a wall that extends along the ceiling and down to the floor; Karapetian said they bring in natural light and reflective texture.
What did the family ask for in the redesign?
The family wanted brighter living areas, an 18-square-meter bedroom for their daughters, a primary bedroom with an en suite and workspace, and a separate office for the father. They also requested a colorful scheme and explicitly rejected gray.
What modern features are included?
The report cites integrated storage, concealed refrigerators, soundproofing, climate control and air purification. It does not provide technical specifications or independent testing results for those systems.
Source: livingetc.com
