EAST-WEST
type: apartment
location: Kyiv, Ukraine
area: 188 m2
area: 188 m2
team: Oleg Volosovskiy, Kateryna Oleksienko, Elena Logvynets
photo credits: Andrey Avdeenko
description: Vira Zinchenko
The power of family traditions combined with the creative power of architects is the lifeblood of an atmospheric home.
We have created an apartment with a panoramic view of the right bank of Kyiv with a recognizable, bright color in the colonial loft style - a mix of classic European architectural traditions with hot ethnic and vintage elements from the cultures of the East.
Plan of the first and second floors
The living room unites the flowing rooms of the first level - the auditorium is surrounded by a panorama of the big city. The open space associatively refers to spacious bungalows on the ocean, full of relaxation. The room is decorated and furnished according to the principles of restraint and closeness to nature.
The entrance group is made in green and blue tones, symbolizing the activity inherent in the owners of the house in Eastern cultures. The vigor of the color is further emphasized by the wall relief, which has long been our trademark.
The entrance area holds the corners of the living room, an enlarged loggia with a bathroom open to it, a kitchen, and a sculptural fireplace.
The firebox was chosen to be transparent to see the live fire from all sides. The chimney is decorated with unique hand-molded ceramic tiles. The particular firing is done by Ukrainian craftsmen based on Asian floral motifs. The base of the fireplace is a small black metal woodpile, combined with podiums-sill plates into a single plane.
Podiums add oriental features to the living room. Located along the planes of stained-glass windows, they have become a transitional link from the external environment to the living space. They form a long multifunctional observation deck, make the living room space a relief terrace, and hide heating appliances.
The exotic mood is created by details - vintage furniture and decor. All finishes are restrained, and as natural as possible. Materials are used in their unprocessed, natural form.
The corner of the kitchen is dark, with a shining accent - it's a wall covered with brass sheeting that reveals the work area.
The bathroom opens to the patio with panoramic glazing, and from the living room, it is skillfully hidden behind a wall covered with wooden panels. The wall panels are an echo of classical interior decoration techniques, minimalistic in shape, and demonstrate the natural beauty of wood. Warm wooden planes balance the glass front of the windows, flirt with the stained-glass breakdown, and fill the living room with warmth and comfort day and night.
A massive staircase connects the two levels of the house. The staircase starts with a large, rough stone block. The old wooden beams have been given a second life by being turned into steps. In the past, they were part of a house in Mykolaiv that belonged to the first head of the city's port, Oleksandr Bestuzhev, more than 200 years ago.
The second level of the apartment has a clear division into private rooms: bedrooms, a wardrobe, and a large bathroom. The sharpness of the straight lines formed by the staircase is diluted by metal mesh bag lamps.
In the bedroom, the panorama of the huge window is held by vintage columns brought from Asia, softening the cityscape and creating a transition to comfort. The interior is completed by two completely different walls - one decorated with panels turns into a soft headboard of a spacious bed, and the opposite one with relief decor is the background for a ceramic panel made by Spanish masters.
The bathroom is a private spa area for daily physical and moral renewal.
The feeling of being on the edge of the earth is created by the panorama of the city outside the window; the bathtub was turned into a natural font - it was installed on a stone slab and surrounded by plants.
Coziness is skillfully woven into the armchair, carpet, and handmade lamp.
The silent presence of the Buddha completes the atmosphere of the room, awakens and enlightens, and charges thoughts and moods with positive every day.
