Cozy “Jazz” studio in the center of Moscow

The “Jazz” studio is one of the fourteen studios of the Mama Ro Hotel, a 19th century mansion two minutes away from the “Chistiye Prudi” metro station. Mama Ro springs from the idea that the hotel industry should focus on design and functionality. A perfect example of this idea is the Jazz Studio, created by Anatoly Smirnov, one of Mama Ro’s three founders. We asked Anatoly to tell us about his work on the interior.

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“To describe the origin of the Jazz Studio, I need to begin with my own story. I poured my knowledge and life experiences into the interior of the Jazz Studio. I wanted to create an interior that felt like home. As a result, this apartment is a reflection of me. Roughly speaking, if there is an experienced psychologist in the the studio, he or she can easily tell a lot of nuances of my behavior, my fears and desires. For example, as a child I never had a desk. Thus, I transformed the Studio’s windowsill into a huge working desk. This is just one element that sprung from my subconscious when I created the Jazz studio. Other “tricks” are also easy to tell at a more attentive look.

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Another element springs from my experience in the theater. I studied to be an actor, and so theater is a sacred place for me. As a result, lighting is a major element of the Jazz Studio’s design. Professional lighting is mounted on footlights above the ceiling. With the help of the light, actor chooses a place for acting and director highlights what is more important in the show. The same is done in the Jazz studio: this lighting divides and highlights important areas in the Studio, creating a warm tone. In some ways, the lighting makes the inhabitants the stars of the studio.

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A second detail that springs from my theatrical background is the ash floor, which references the stage. To me, a stage is like a friend or family member: warm and kind. The stage is all walked over, rubbed sore with knees and covered with sweat after shows. A laminate would be a betrayal, a deceit.

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Lastly, I wanted to add an element to the interior that harkens to the film industry. The black ceiling and a metal footlight visually detract the studio, making space cozier and at the same time more technological In doing so, the Studio links the tradition of the theater to the progress of the film industry. Besides the footlights, I added copper tubes for cables, technologically advanced speakers hidden under the cieling, and of course an HD-projector which pairs with a motorized screen. The rays of the projector pass through the air and fill the space with the spirit of the movies. In other words, the air becomes enriched with cinematography. It’s very cool!

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There is one more important thing in the design – the textured walls serve as a perfect backdrop for a beautiful life. The textured walls show the traces of time of this place, which is why when you are here, you sort of take a part in the age-old history.

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The Jazz Studio’s interior offers guests the opportunity to play a variety of roles. Are you the man in the dapper suit, sipping whiskey, watching Italian movies? Funny enough, when I thought about this stock character, I wondered “how do I provide our guests with an opportunity to drink good whiskey for free?” And you know, I came up with a solution. My friends and I jokingly ended up calling the idea the “alco-torrent.” It’s a simple idea: we put a dozen bottles of good spirits on a shelf near the bar and introduced a simple rule: you can have these drinks absolutely free, but in return you must add a bottle of your favorite alcohol and leave a note telling Mama Ro who you are, where you are from, and why this bottle is your favorite drink. The result is a story of notes on bottles.

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This is the story of a genuine studio. I managed to create a space where I really feel “at ease”. Perhaps I will never know what exactly another person feels when he or she is this studio. Anyhow, I told them my own story”.