When interior designer Assel Baimakhan first visited what would become her clients' dream home in Almaty, Kazakhstan, she expected to find an empty concrete shell ready for transformation. Instead, the Chicago-based founder of Casa Azzurra encountered something far more challenging in the two-story penthouse that spans 5,016 square feet with breathtaking views of the Tien Shan Mountains.
Built in 2012, the luxury apartment was filled with an extensive network of scaffolding that had been welded together and bolted directly into the walls throughout every room. "When I first visited the apartment, I was shocked," Baimakhan recalls. "The previous owner had started construction and installed heavy metal structures in every room. It turned out he was afraid of earthquakes and tried to turn the entire apartment into a bunker."
While Almaty is indeed located in a seismically active region, the crude metal reinforcement system seemed like an extreme overreaction, especially considering that the building's recent construction had already incorporated modern earthquake-resistant design principles. For Baimakhan, this unexpected obstacle added significant time and complexity to the project. "It took one month just to cut them out," she explains.
Once the penthouse was finally stripped back to its original state, Baimakhan began designing custom interiors for a young local family with three school-age children. The homeowner had been following Baimakhan's work for years before they even purchased the property. "The wife says she discovered Assel long before we bought the apartment through her work on Instagram. I always knew that if we ever started a renovation from scratch, it would be with her," the client explains.
The family's confidence in Baimakhan's abilities was reinforced by their previous living experience. Years before buying their current home, they had unknowingly lived in an apartment that Baimakhan had designed. "We lived there for three years, and it was incredibly comfortable," the wife says. "That experience confirmed it for us. Assel was the one to bring our dream home to life."
Baimakhan, who is originally from Kazakhstan and maintains a design team in Almaty, built the entire project on a foundation of mutual trust with her clients. Beyond a few initial requests regarding room count and basic layout, the couple gave her complete creative control over the aesthetic direction. "We gave her the creative lead," says the client. "The result was beyond our expectations."
The finished home, which Baimakhan describes as a "modern chalet," successfully balances old-world sophistication with contemporary functionality. Filled with custom furnishings and cabinetry, rare marble installations, and handcrafted moldings, the space achieves what the designer calls an "elegant, cozy, and timeless" atmosphere that's "perfect for a home in the mountains."
The design process began with a single piece of art: a painting by renowned Kazakh artist Malik Mukanov. The artwork's soft palette of pale pink and cream tones resonated strongly with the clients and established the color scheme for the entire first floor, where it now hangs prominently above a custom 11-foot dining table that can be extended to accommodate up to 16 guests. "A must-have feature in Kazakhstan," Baimakhan notes, "where large gatherings are a cherished part of the culture."
The dining area showcases Baimakhan's attention to detail with a bespoke cabinet featuring brass handles from her own hardware collection, while three Eichholtz chandeliers echo the organic, leaf-like shapes found in the Mukanov painting. The adjacent living room maintains design continuity with brass-accented tables and chairs, a sofa upholstered in soothing dove-gray fabric, and a two-tone rug from Italian brand Meridiani.
"I wanted the space to feel peaceful and relaxing," Baimakhan explains. The living room features natural-gypsum ceiling moldings handcrafted by local artisans and a custom wall finished with Italian Pietra Viva marble, demonstrating the designer's commitment to both local craftsmanship and international luxury materials.
Marble plays a starring role throughout the residence, appearing in multiple bathrooms and taking center stage in the kitchen, where countertops, backsplash, and flooring are all crafted from Italian Panda marble. The dramatic black-and-white veining creates a striking contrast against the American walnut veneer cabinetry. Despite measuring just 215 square feet, the kitchen maximizes efficiency with a yacht galley-inspired layout.
The home's bedroom configuration places two children's rooms on the first floor, with a third child's room and the primary suite located upstairs. Baimakhan designed the kids' spaces to evolve with the children as they grow, incorporating modern furniture and colors that reflect each child's personality. Playful touches include Lego-inspired wall art in one of the boys' rooms, while built-in storage solutions are painted two tones darker than the walls to add visual depth.
The primary suite features another Malik Mukanov piece – a tapestry with earthy tones that influenced the room's color palette, including a custom-made bed with a dusty pink velvet headboard. The master bedroom's his-and-hers walk-in closets feature hand-built glass-fronted cabinetry that creates the impression of a high-end department store boutique.
Two private family spaces were specifically designed for intimate gatherings: a small breakfast room on the first floor and a secondary living room upstairs. The upper-level lounge, which has become the family's favorite gathering spot, offers spectacular mountain views and features curved Eichholtz sofas paired with a sideboard of Baimakhan's own design, all rendered in cream and white tones to allow the natural surroundings to take center stage.
"The detail on the front of the sideboard was done using a very delicate carving technique, and the final result turned out just stunning," Baimakhan says. The space has clearly achieved its intended purpose, as the client explains: "Its spacious and filled with natural light, with a breathtaking panoramic view of the mountains. There's a special warmth in that room. Once you're there, you don't want to leave. It's our quiet family center."
The completed project transforms what could have been a challenging renovation into a sophisticated family home that honors both international design standards and local cultural traditions, creating a modern mountain retreat that perfectly captures the spirit of luxury living in Kazakhstan's dramatic landscape.
