Cedarwood Apartment by Dubróvska, an Ukrainian Studio
Cedarwood,
the apartment in Kyiv
—
Hi,
There is no way to address such disrespect for the Ukrainian people and the much-prized peace in Europe. Yet as the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine escalates, we are reminded of the devastation on a global scale and the businesses that have been decimated.
We will not allow the dictatorial Russian regime, to make us forget this flat. The action of remembrance and hope remains at the forefront of all business and it is up to all people to talk about it and remember a living Ukraine.
Throughout the tumult of the news cycle over these past few weeks, we have seen mass destruction, with the axis between the sadness and strength of the Ukrainian people never being so clear.
The Design Hunger Team decided to publish this article which had already been written. We want to reinforce that we don’t know the state of the apartment now but that in the memory it will always remain as the flat of the cat and the couple.
The Ukrainian Dubróvska Studio had made a dream flat for a couple and a cat.
Photographer: Yevhenii Avramenko
Initially, a client requested the design of calm and minimalistic space. The concept changed dramatically since after dismantling the false ceiling, an original stunning stucco decoration was unexpectedly found. Without much consideration the design was adjusted to a raw and natural looking space. In addition, another thing that changed was the marital status of the client. Thus, the flat for a single man turned into a place for a couple with their cat.
To unite the space into one large area, all the interior walls were removed. The owners liked to have people around, and the large living room was important to them. So it was decided to keep all the other rooms as small as possible.
The stucco medallion on the ceiling and the molding around the perimeter, which had remained from the original decoration of the space, were retained, renovated, and stylistically adapted to a new design.
The owner of the former site has a significant and impressive collection of books. Thus, the library was as necessary as the comfortable armchair with the coffee table next to it. The color palette of the interior is warm, the dominant color is the copper façade of the kitchen. The main surfaces are the original red brick on the walls, the oak herringbone parquet, the walnut veneer on the dining table, the black granite on the kitchen tabletop. Paintings by Anna Scherbyna and Alina Yakubenko that were bought at The Naked Room gallery in Kyiv have become an emotional accent of the space.
An old piano had then become a part of the interior almost by accident. During the refurbishment period, the owner rented another flat with a piano. There he started to learn to play, and it fascinated him. While in Berlin, he went to the vintage market and was eager to buy a beautiful piano for his once renovated flat.
Photographer: Yevhenii Avramenko
- My aim was to create a flat where it doesn't feel like it was newly designed, perfectly thought out, or artificial. I want the client, from day one, to feel that the space is their lovely home. The place with a hidden personal history. The place where you choose to return from the office or a long journey.
- Said architect Natalie Dubrovska.
The world needs peace and when it is broken we need will and unity, so we gathered organizations that can help people in need.
UNICEF; Raising money; Lifesaving aid; Ukraine Crisis Fund; Wehelpukraine.org.
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