Stillness by Design: Inside Japandi House, A Quiet Masterpiece in the Russian Countryside

Some homes are built for shelter. Others for show. And then there are those that feel almost like a whisper from the soul — quiet, calm, deeply personal. Japandi House, a modest yet meditative retreat outside Moscow, is very much the latter.

Set amidst the unspoiled landscape once painted by Russian artist Vasily Polenov, this 135-square-metre L-shaped home is more than just a stylish country getaway. It is, quite deliberately, a portrait of its owners: designer Yulia Barshevskaya and her husband, the actor Dmitry Ulyanov. Together, they’ve created a space that invites stillness without silence, depth without drama, and beauty without noise.

The Unplanned Masterpiece

“We never intended to build a house,” Yulia confesses. But when the couple stumbled upon the untouched hills and birch-laced clearings of this painterly region, the decision was made almost intuitively. No grand plan. No vision board. Just a feeling — of presence, of peace, of possibility.

That feeling became the cornerstone of what is now Japandi House — an architectural embodiment of intentional living. Flat-roofed and wrapped around two terraces, the home is contemporary in silhouette, yet ancient in spirit. Its panoramic windows do more than frame the landscape; they make nature an active participant in the design. Every sunrise, snowfall, or rustling leaf is theatre. The house simply provides the stage.

A Language of Restraint

There is a discipline to the interior, a studied restraint that reflects the wabi-sabi ethos — the Japanese aesthetic of imperfect beauty. Walls are finished in unpainted, tinted plaster left deliberately uneven. Light pools onto surfaces of stone and amber-hued wood, shifting throughout the day like an ever-changing composition. It's not about opulence. It’s about reverence.

Yulia’s design vocabulary avoids punctuation. There are no showpieces for the sake of spectacle. Instead, tactile warmth comes from the materials themselves — the grain of the wood, the cool weight of ceramics, the subtle texture of fabrics that invite touch over admiration.

The layout, too, resists complication. The open-plan living area flows into a kitchen-dining space anchored by a masterful centrepiece: a bespoke Dantone Home kitchen unit that doubles as a spatial partition. It doesn’t dominate the room — it orchestrates it. Clad in ribbed veneer and crowned with ceramic countertops, it’s both sculptural and understated, and cleverly conceals a wardrobe and fridge within its seamless form.

Where Every Room Breathes

In the living room, tranquillity takes form in the curved Clive modular sofa and the aptly named Pebble table — a stone-like monolith that grounds the space without overpowering it. Natural light dances across a Berbere rug, while JP Line shelving quietly frames books and objects without demanding attention.

The lounge zone — a gentle retreat within a retreat — offers a softer palette still. Cream tones, a Lagom loveseat, and wicker-detailed accents create a space that asks nothing more than your presence. Whether you're reading, meditating or letting your thoughts drift, this is where pause becomes a pleasure.

The bedroom is no less poetic. Amber-toned wall panelling catches morning light like firewood beginning to burn. A low stone nightstand and a wood-carved console evoke nature’s hand more than the designer’s. The space is hushed, serene — a room that feels like an exhale.

Beyond the Walls

Step outside, and Japandi House offers two terraces — each with its own pace. One is an open dining space with high-backed Capri chairs and curated displays of local produce or handmade wabi-sabi ceramics. The other sits tucked among birches, furnished with curved chaises that encourage stillness and solitude. Here, you’re reminded that the best views are often the quietest.

A Home as Honest as Its Creators

“I am very pleased with how cohesive the interior has become,” Yulia says. “It harmonises with our inner state.” And you believe her. Japandi House does not feel like a designed space — it feels like a lived truth. It is precise without being precious, intentional without being rigid. A home not just of now, but of always.

In an era of over-designed everything, Japandi House is a gentle rebellion. A reminder that less is not just more — it’s enough.

Project: Japandi House

Designer: Yulia Barshevskaya | jbarsh-design.ru

Furniture: Dantone Home | dantonehome.com | @dantonehome_world

Styling: Daria Vedritskayte

Photography: Mikhail Chekalov