SALTANAT SULEIMENOVA AND FOUR GENERATIONS OF HER FAMILY SHARE A SOCIABLE HOME WHERE VERSATILITY IS KEY
Living room
‘We placed two chairs in front of the sofa and added a lot of small tables to create a flexible and sociable living space.’
HOME NOTES
Saltanat Suleimenova, who works for a transportation company, lives here with her daughter Arailym, 15, her sister Madina, her mother Sagadat, and her grandmother Shaiken.
A 250sq m, newly built, detached two-storey, five-bed house in the southern part of the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan.
THE LAYOUT
The ground floor starts with a large hallway that leads into the sociable open-plan area with living room, dining room and kitchen, while the reading nook by the window provides a welcome space to retreat. There is also a utility room, a large wardrobe shared by all family members, and granny’s bedroom. The upper floor has two wings, with two bedrooms and one bathroom on each side. The focal point of this floor is the upstairs landing that works as an extra living room.
After her father passed away, Saltanat Suleimenova decided it was time to create a spacious new home where the female members of her family could be comfortably reunited under the same roof.
WHAT PROMPTED THE MOVE?
‘When my father passed away, we decided (my daughter, sister, mother and grandmother) to all live together in one house - creating a space that felt like our childhood home. We sold our respective apartments and found a vacant piece of land in the perfect spot on the outskirts of Almaty, just a 15-minute drive from the city centre. It’s really secluded and quiet, with all the perks of urban life, and this balance really appealed to us all.’
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT THE NEW HOUSE?
‘My last apartment didn’t have a bath, only a shower, while now I can create a spa-worthy space at home – I’ve realised how important self-care is. We all read a lot in our family so I love having a designated reading space on both levels. The nook in the living area might be my favourite spot in the whole house. Besides this, we all enjoy our terrace. Maybe it’s a lasting effect of lockdown during Covid times, but we feel like we don’t have to go out. When dinner is served on the terrace, we all share the feeling that we own the world’s best restaurant with an amazing sunset view!’
WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION?
‘We asked interior designer Elina Musakulova from Sdelaemremont.kz to help bring the house to life – the studio is known for add
