My flat

We have a nice flat in the centre of Saint-Petersburg within easy reach of shops and metro stations. It is in an old four-storey building in Baskov Lane. As there are not so many storeys in it we don’t need an elevator. There is a big park within a five-minute walk from our block of flats and it is very pleasant to walk there with a big company of friends.

Our flat is on the ground floor. It is very comfortable and well planned. There are all modern conveniences such as central heating, gas, electricity, cold and hot running water and a chute to carry rubbish down.

Our flat is very cosy. There are three rooms in our flat: a parlour and two bedrooms. Besides there is a kitchen, a toilet, a bathroom and a hall. We don’t have a balcony because our flat is situated on the ground floor.

The living-room is the largest and most comfortable room in the flat. It is a large square room with a broad window looking on to the Street of Rebellion. There are beautiful brown curtains on it and our living-room is usually full of sunshine. The walls of the room are papered with pink wall-paper and there are a few prints and water-colours on them. The curtains on the window match the colour of the wallpaper. The floor is covered with wall-to-wall carpeting so I can watch TV or do my homework sitting on the floor. Opposite the window there is a wall unit with lots of books, a TV-set and a video cassette recorder. To the right of the door there is a big round table with five chairs. Opposite the table there is a sofa and two comfortable armchairs. We like to sit there and watch TV in the evening. In the middle of the room there is a coffee table with a hanging lamp above it. In the right-hand corner there is a sideboard with plates, dishes, cups and saucers. The room looks rather cosy. We like it best of all, because in the evenings we gather there to have tea or coffee, watch TV, read a newspaper, talk to each other and rest.

My parents’ room is smaller than the living-room and not so light as the window is not so broad. To the left of the door there is a big bed. At the foot of the bed there is a bedside cabinet with bedroom lamp on it. Opposite the bed there is a chest of drawers, where my mother keeps bedclothes. The walls are green, so are the curtains. Green is my mother’s favourite colour that is why she prefers green to other colours.

Our kitchen is small. So I wish it were a little bit larger. My mother decorated it to her own taste. However it is planned in such a way as to make good housekeeping easy. Everything is spick and span in it. Our kitchen is very well equipped. We have a great variety of electric

appliances of any kind: a gas-stove with an electric oven, a microwave oven, a dish-washing machine, cooker hood and a refrigerator. We also have a special fridge to keep food cool in hot weather. To the left of the door there is a square table where we usually have meals. When we have a party we lay the big table in the living-room. Opposite the table there is a cupboard, where we keep spoons, forks, knives, saucepans, frying pans and plates. In the right-hand corner there is a drink cupboard. The floor of the kitchen is covered with linoleum because it is the most convenient variant for the kitchen. My father is very fond of sitting in the kitchen with a bottle of fresh beer and watching a small TV-set that stands near the gas-stove. Sometimes I invite my friends and we sit in the kitchen drinking tea and talking for hours.

The bathroom is next to the kitchen. We have hot and cold water in the tap, a shower and a bath. There is also a washing-machine opposite the bath. Near the washing-machine we have a hamper and bathroom scales. The walls of the bathroom are faced with green Dutch tiles.

Next to the bathroom is a toilet.

It is a pity our hall is very small. There is only place for a chest of drawers for shoes and a coat rack and for a built-in wardrobe with coat-hangers to hang clothes on.

My room is the smallest one but I like it very much. First of all because it is my own room and secondly because it is very cosy and light. I furnished it myself. There is a writing table at the window, where I would do my homework every day. To the left of the door there is wardrobe for my clothes and shoes. In the left-hand corner there is my bed with a bedside table at its head. Near the writing table there is a computer table with my computer on it. But the thing I really enjoy is a big mirror near my bed. There are actually some chairs in my room. The walls are pink and they match the colour of the curtains on the window. There is a thick carpet on the floor and I like to read books sitting on it. On the walls there are some posters of my favourite musicians, photos and water-colours. I like my room as it is but from time to time I change it round. Quite often I move the bed and the table and change some posters on the walls. Sometimes I like to stay alone in my room, especially when I’m in a bad mood. Generally I’m pleased with my room but I wish I had a small TV-set, because I’m tired of soap operas that my parents use to watch.

In conclusion I’d like to say that we try our best to make our flat cosy and comfortable. Frankly speaking I wish our flat were a bit larger, but generally I like it as it is.