Inside Zhidkovsky's 60M Ruble Hotel-Style Apartment

Alexei Zhidkovsky has long been synonymous with the word «shock value.» The blogger never hid his love of luxury, most often expressed in flashy looks with glittering jackets and leopard-print fur coats. But, as it turned out, the author of the catchphrase «You get what you pay for,» when coming home, wants simplicity and convenience. In his home, he tried to avoid anything flashy, though he didn«t fully succeed.

For a long time, Zhidkovsky lived in a rented apartment of 200 square meters, but by age 30 he wanted his own. It is smaller, at 90 square meters, but here he could furnish everything to his own taste.

As the blogger admits, when the designer asked him what he envisioned for his apartment, he sent photos of hotels as examples.

— The whole apartment is in a contemporary English classic style. In Moscow, I get enough burlesque and bright colors at events. I want to come home and sink into my best psychological state. My references are the Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental hotels in Paris, — the blogger said on the channel «Olga Manukyan on Real Estate.»

The craftsmen took all wishes into account and truly made the home minimalist and visually neutral. The only thing Alexei decorated the white monochrome walls with was stucco. But even that is very sparse in the interior: a small decor in the guest toilet, on the kitchen cabinet doors, and under the ceiling in the bathroom.

— I«ve always lived with stucco. It»s customary for us St. Petersburg people to have stucco, old building stock. It«s so native to me that I incorporated it all. Here I have a little St. Petersburg in big Moscow, — Zhidkovsky showed the decorations with a smile.

When designing his apartment, Alexei cared about two things: light and mirrors. He wanted to be able to see himself and take a good photo from any part of the apartment.

— I have mirrors everywhere. I think any psychologist who sees this would understand that I have a narcissistic trait, — Alexei admits.

As soon as you step over the threshold, there is a huge mirror in the hallway, and in the guest toilet there are two directly opposite each other. According to Zhidkovsky, many advised him against creating such a «mirror maze,» as, according to superstitions, negative energy can penetrate through it. The blogger listened, nodded, thought for a moment, but left everything as is. After all, it is a toilet, where he himself hardly ever goes.

The most expensive part of the home is the kitchen. It is in the same space as the living room. To the right is a huge plasma TV, which the blogger received for free by paying with bonus points, and to the left is a huge white kitchen unit. Alexei had it custom-made and waited three months. Each cabinet is made of oak coated with enamel. The doors have no buttons or handles, only soft-close mechanisms.

— It cost about $70,000–80,000. About the same as a Li Auto L8 SUV. It«s expensive, but it»s built to last, — Alexei explains.

The kitchen and living room are separated by a small stone island where the blogger cooks. While Zhidkovsky is chopping salad or marinating meat, he likes to watch something simultaneously, so this small table is essential. To save space, the oven and microwave are combined into one. And to save space in the refrigerator, he has a separate one for drinks.

Alexei doesn«t hide that he had impulses to make the home »over-the-top luxury,« but he stopped himself and added only accents of brass and gold to the interior. For example, on floor lamps, candlesticks, and dishes. And also in the kitchen sink.

— I want to wash in gold. So that I wash, and there«s a celebration in my head. The sink is Japanese. It cannot be washed with any cleaning agents, — the blogger boasted about the sink.

From all rooms, the blogger has access to a small terrace. Initially, he needed it to walk his dogs without leaving the house. But over time, Zhidkovsky realized how pleasant it is to sit in the evenings, sipping his favorite drink, and watch the Moscow River with its rushing boats.

— I wanted a house with its own street within Moscow. When I moved, I didn«t leave here for five days at all. I sat here, and I can»t say I felt separate from the world and life, — the blogger said, admiring the views.

The sanctum sanctorum of Zhidkovsky«s apartment is the walk-in closet. Around the perimeter, clothes are hung, handbags and shoes are displayed. It all looks like an expensive boutique: pleasant lighting, uniform hangers, each item in its designated place — jackets in one area, sweaters in another.

To achieve complete harmony, Alexei hired a special person, an «order manager,» during the move. He paid about 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,000) for organization of the space.

Another room in the home is the bedroom. It also has several wardrobes with home clothes, a table with a large mirror, and a double bed. The only decoration is a small vintage brass lamp.

Besides the guest toilet, Zhidkovsky has his own bathroom, which no one else enters. It fully follows the home«s style, with no visual noise or clutter. The blogger opted out of curtains in the bathroom in favor of a transparent partition, again as is commonly done in hotels.

Zhidkovsky also revealed how to achieve a Pinterest-perfect apartment with minimal visual noise: there are almost no beauty bottles, kitchen utensils, excess clothing, shoes, or accessories. It turns out that everything the blogger is not currently using is hidden in a storage room on the basement level.

— I go there like to a store, — the blogger jokes.

According to Zhidkovsky, the apartment cost him about 60 million rubles (approximately $600,000). Another 30 million ($300,000) went to renovations.

— I always say, somehow very strangely, renovations always end up being 50% of the apartment«s value, — the blogger stated.