The “Jazz” studio has become a discovery for ourselves. Having finished the work there, we were surprised to find that we had unconsciously applied principles similar to the cinema and theater – namely, the interior contained one scenic component: here a visitor turns from an outside observer into a participant of given circumstances and, passing through a sequence of actions, discovers the interior. So, this “scenic” component of the “Jazz” studio will be described further.

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Hi. My name is Anatoly Smirnov. I am the author of this studio and would like to tell you about the «Jazz» studio so you can understand it a bit more than if you were just looking at the photos. Given my theatre and film background, I realized that I built the interior on the experience that I got from my profession. Furthermore, I believe that by following a particular order of actions in the studio, like a musician playing from a score, you can better understand and appreciate this studio. To make it clear I will start with myself and tell you everything in order.

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Drawing of
the Ash Tree

What does your eye catch first when you are in the studio? The “Jazz” studio has several key components. The first one is the floor and what it’s made of. As an actor by profession, I unconsciously tried to get away from pretending by prioritizing interaction with the noble tree instead of an artificial imitation (laminate) and, thus, selected an ash tree for a base – a parquet with a beautiful pattern. I would say, this floor is a direct reference to the stage.

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In the Spotlight

The second equally important component is lighting. The professional stage lighting is used in the studio not by accident. In theater, much of the drama in several productions is done with the help of lighting only. This similar principle is applied to the “Jazz” studio: this lighting highlights important areas, suggesting what to pay attention to, and divides the space into different zones. But the most important point is the feeling of being under the beam of light. It’s an exciting moment when you are bracing yourself: rehearsals have passed, the play is taking place here and now, and you are concentrated on your work. I felt a need to share this feeling.

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The Finest Art

Cinematography for me is a symbiosis of high technology and the finest art. To explain the last aspect of the “Jazz” studio, I suggest going in reverse from the first aspect – high technology: the classic approach for theater work is to go from external action to the inner one. There is a rig under the studio ceiling on which, apart from lighting, a motorized projection screen, Edifier R2700 audio monitors and HD-projector are rigged. They look all together as if they were inviting a guest to dream on which good movie to fill the studio with this evening.

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The Wall
of Leonardo

And, finally, the studio walls. Leonardo Da Vinci wrote that if you contemplate the cracks and patterns on the old plaster, there you can find the entire universe for inspiration. I found it important that the walls, just like the ash floor, carried the information and gave the interior a feeling that you are participating in a story – the “scene-arity” of space which is already mentioned in the introduction here. To be precise, the walls in the “Jazz” studio are designed to carry a time.

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A Hero
from
an Italian Movie

Combining all these elements together creates an image which I unconsciously put in the interior of the “Jazz” studio. Who, in my opinion, is the main character in this image? Of course, everyone chooses his or her own story. What I see in the “Jazz” studio is the image of a gentleman in a suit, who has just returned from the streets of the city at night and made himself comfortable on a leather sofa watching a good Italian film.

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A Jazz Quartet

He also spends time by turning on the music of Ray Charles or Frank Sinatra or maybe Louis Armstrong and Billie Holliday on a monoblock through audio monitors. The Moscow lights from outside the window along with the interior design dispose to such a pastime – the studio looks onto the cozy bustle of Chistoprudny Boulevard: the trams turning around on the square, people hurrying home and street musicians out to play music in the alleys. And it all makes sense: after all, the word “jazz” came to us from Haiti and it means “bustle”.

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Glass of Whiskey

I wanted to treat this gentleman to a glass of fine whiskey. I realized that if my plan worked, and “Jazz” brought together people with certain tastes, we could simply put in a “Jazz” bar with our favorite drinks and offer guests the use of a bar at their own expense with one condition: if one of the drinks is finished, gentleman, who used the bar, treats the following gentlemen his favorite drink at his own expense. These are good manners and an interesting game, which my friends called in jest “Alcotorrent”, in which you must accompany your favorite drink with a note with where it comes from or why it’s your favorite one and write it on the chalkboard in the bar and a set of stickers.

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Gestalt Interior

In the early 20th century, the founders of Gestalt psychology were convinced that the environment we built is a direct projection of our inner world. And, in my opinion, this concept works perfectly in design: do what you’re doing sincerely thus projecting your best experience in the business. In conclusion, I want to say how glad I am to have transferred my best experiences in the interior, and I hope that these lines will help you feel better and live the “Jazz“ studio.

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