MARIA MELIKYAN
photographed by grisha petrosyan
How did you find this place?
Actually, we found this place because we were renting another apartment also in the same district and the flat owner was getting back so we were not able to continue renting. We needed to quickly find a new place and at that moment we were thinking that renting was more comfortable than buying. Also, I was pregnant at that time, it was one and a half years ago. It’s always tricky to find a good flat in Yerevan, because newly renovated apartments are tasteful and of inferior quality. And the ones which are old might be too much. I think Vahan found this flat on List.am. When we came to see it, we absolutely loved it despite there was nothing here, no furniture at all. We loved that there was a good parquet and white doors.
Were the walls also white?
No, there were wallpapers, we painted on top of them. We only left wallpapers in the hall. Also, the location is comfortable for us because we were used to it already. And it’s near our moms’ flats which is comfortable as we have a baby. We started to imagine immediately how we will change the flat, that we will paint the ceiling blue and there will be a black table. And because we are such people who should live in our aura, we already knew that we were going to change the interior, paint the walls, get the kitchen done, etc. And if before we would do it in a much more modest and quick way, now, when we have Astrid, we wanted every corner, every part of the flat to be beautiful for her to explore. We want her to always see pleasant and interesting things, so her taste will form from a young age.
What is your relationship with architecture and interior design?
I knew that I was going to study architecture from a young age, because my dad is an architect constructure. It was not like I was forced to become an architect, but there was a lot of interesting talking going around and the aesthetic of this particular profession attracted me. And I liked the idea that I knew that after school I would go to university to study architecture. I don't work as an architect now. I’ve been working for three years in a bureau. Then my first interior design project was done for the HOUL shop and bar. It was the first time I made the floor plan, interior details, different tables, table legs. And from that project I realized how much I love furniture and working with particular details inside the interior. So, I decided to continue to practice on my own and then I was contacted by a new bureau Electric architects opened in Yerevan to come and meet them. Their office was located on Isahakyan 44 and they had a red door which has always attracted me and I was wondering what is located inside. When I entered their office, I immediately fell in love with it, with what they have done to that space and their concept. So, I worked with them for two years, during that time we got married with Vahan and two years later we decided to have Astrid, ha-ha.
Do you have any furniture designed by yourself at home?
Yes, that red chair. It was actually designed for a café near the bureau. The goal was to make such chairs which would be nice but not too comfortable, because there was not enough space and people should come and go and not sit a long time. And so, we designed the most uncomfortable chair in the world. It is very heavy. But some people like sitting on it, because you sit straight on it. And when we moved to our previous flat, the guys from the bureau gave us two of these chairs as a gift.
Do you have a favorite material to work with?
Oh, you know, it always changes, there is always a new wave, new inspirations with different materials. I liked working with metal and metal sheets. Now I am more interested in reflective materials. Also, wood which you paint in black or gray.
What’s your favorite spot at home? Where do you usually spend most of the time?
I really like that by the end of the day I can go to that small space in the kitchen and when we have guests, they always gather in the kitchen. So, by the end of the day I sit there in the armchair and maybe have a drink. I like the bathroom, it’s very comfortable there. I think I have a special relationship with every room and during the day I find myself in different spots I enjoy.
You have a lot of vintage and unique items, where are they from?
It’s an interesting question because I and Vahan, separately from each other, have always had a passion for beautiful things, it doesn’t matter if it’s vintage or not. That connected us, because we were going a lot to some flea markets and hunting for cool stuff. We didn’t have a goal to become collectors but it just happened. Vahan has a great collection of photographs of old Armenians. We would go to a flea market for some new photos and find beautiful glasses, crystal vases, etc. We find this stuff on Vernissage, Hrazdan bazar, also in the markets in Georgia, like the Dry bridge market.
Did you find something which you are proud of?
Yes, these red glasses from Georgia. When we got married, we went to Georgia for three days and found the glasses there. They were ideally red, it was an important purchase for me. We, me and Vahan, we work together really well and we are good at making beautiful things together. We understand each other from the first sight, what to focus on and what not to focus on. If you noticed, the whole ceiling at home, we didn’t touch it. It’s not ideal, it has cracks on it, but we decided to leave it as it is. We only changed the ceiling in the hallway. So, such things do not distract us because we pay attention to other things, like having a good sofa. We also well designed our first flat. Our friends laugh that we should open a business to help people to design their space in rental flats with minimal budget in order to get a nice atmosphere.
