Architecture in St. Petersburg follows the city’s political and cultural history, with Czarist palaces next to Art Nouveau shopping centers and austere Soviet-era office buildings. In the newly capitalist 1990s and 2000s, investors and landlords began converting attic spaces into apartments—a practice the government initially encouraged but tenants often fought as infringing on communal property. One strategy to win approval was to add a French-style mansard roof, which was considered an architectural improvement and allowed for a brighter, more open interior space.

Such conversions are rare now, so when Vladimir Samsonov, a software developer, and Alya Shipilova, a designer, moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg in 2017, they felt lucky to find a mansard apartment for sale in a 19th-century building. The fifth-floor walk-up had great views and a partial loft.

There was one problem, however. “The upstairs was barely usable. You had to crawl or bend over just to get onto it,” says Alexey Koptev, one half of the design team behind a new renovation. He and his partner, Polina Kopteva, did a total overhaul, moving the staircase and placing the bedroom and a second bathroom on the loft level. Even with these additions, the apartment measures a compact 613 square feet.

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The styling was just as important as the rearranging of elements. Polina sourced several vintage upholstered pieces and painted the walls in calming shades of blue. Recessed LED lighting in the kitchen keeps fixtures from cluttering the small space.

Today, Alya and Vladimir mostly live and work in Stockholm, but once a month they return to St. Petersburg. Eventually, they hope to turn their pied-à-terre into their full-time residence. “It’s not a classic home, but it’s our dream to come back here and call it ours one day,” says Vladimir.

Project Credits:

Architecture: Polina and Alexey Koptev / @koptev.architect

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An Efficient Renovation Makes the Most of a Compact Russian Garret