If you’re in a cinema, the screen doesn’t sit on the floor,’ notes Olga Alexeeva, who owns the interior design firm Black and Milk (blackandmilk.co.uk). She suggests hanging televisions around 70cm from the floor. If you do place your screen on a base, remember a TV set that is wider than the unit on which it stands tends to look odd.

“It’s such a cliché, what Russians want,” Anatoly says. “A lot of working-class people got very wealthy, and they wanted their interiors to show that off. That’s not the case any more; people appreciate good design. We call it understated luxury.”

Natural materials, earthy color pallet, textile and home plants turn the modern home into cosy and warm home

I come from a family of technically minded people but I always had a creative streak; my childhood dream was to be an architect, like my grandfather! Despite my creative interests I went on to study computer science at University but it wasn’t long before I was drawn to interior design. I started freelancing for clients in Russia and knew immediately it was what I wanted to do. Having grown up in post-soviet Russia, I’m constantly inspired by European design and architecture, even more so now that I live in London.

What distinguishes contemporary architecture above all else is clear, linear shape and large windows. Cold materials such as concrete are often used as a styling element. The difficulty is, therefore, to “warm up” environment. We explain which materials and design strategies are suitable for this. Interior design studio Black & Milk created a very successful scheme in modern space in a London apartment…

An improved layout, clever ideas and a fresh take on the midcentury look give this neat urban flat style and space

Plan with imagination and small homes can be beautiful

London-based studio Black & Milk has used a neutral colour scheme with rich textures to upgrade the interior of a property completed last year in London's Hampstead.

We are proud to announce that our recent project in Hampstead is participating in Prestigious London Open House 2016

Every centimetre of space and every piece of furniture works to turn this small studio into a big lesson in design.