A two-story house is in a picturesque Kyiv suburb overlooking Dnipro Bay. That is a home for
a married couple that has three adult children who live separately and often come to visit
their parents. The big family gathers there on family and religious holidays to share the joy
of important events and spend time together.
Photos: Andriy Bezuglov.
The owners are originally from Lviv. For the past twenty years, they lived in a house with a
classic interior. Moving into a new home with modern architecture, the couple wanted to
create a contemporary space that reflects their character.
The designer was recommended by the clients' eldest daughter, who is into design herself
and graduated from an interior design course at the London School of Arts. She had
previously collaborated with Aisel, particularly when arranging her company's office. The
critical criteria in the choice were an individual approach, and the ability to feel the clients to
create interiors in different styles.
The house owners do not like cold grey shades, black, and 'rectangular German minimalism'. They prefer a warm sandy palette and a combination of expressive marble and brass textures against a neutral, light background. The couple is art lovers and have a collection of paintings and sculptures by contemporary Ukrainian authors. It was essential to fit these works into the interior.
'The owner of the house is a bright and charismatic person. I wanted to show her energy and
character in the space through accent details and bold combinations. As a result, we came up with a classic palette of materials that fit into the modern geometry of the house. The compromise between tradition and modernity was the interior with Art Deco elements,' shares the designer.
On the house's ground floor, there are public areas and a guest bedroom for the grandmother. The rest of the living quarters, such as the master bedroom and guest rooms with their wardrobes and bathrooms, are on the first floor.
The space on the ground floor can be united or zoned by sliding doors. When a large family
gets together, the hall and dining room can be joined by an entrance hall, kitchen, and indoor
and outdoor terraces.
The roomy hall, combined with the dining room, has a ceiling height of about 7 metres. The
main accent of this space is a large fireplace with a marble portal and brass chimney
decoration to the full height of the room. That is a custom solution made of sheet brass by
the designer's drawings. The shelves on both sides of the fireplace are also made of brass.
The massive wardrobe in the dining area has a brass facade, which visually supports the
tone of the space.
The through element is a thin brass line. It passes through the wall's surface in the hall, emphasizes the modern geometry of the space, and continues as an inlay on the facade of the sliding doors and kitchen facades. Another detail characteristic of Art Deco is a narrow
insert of black marble on the parquet.
The primary palette of the project includes natural materials. These are different types of
marble with active textures, noble brass, and wood shades. The rounded lines of upholstered
furniture and the delicate interspersing of patterns in textiles balance massive elements. The
combination of glossy marble and brass shine with matte plaster makes the surfaces
visually more complex.
'Our cooperation resulted in the interior itself and a certain transformation of the clients'
aesthetic outlook. We moved away from the classics they are used to living towards modern
forms and found new solutions that the clients embraced and loved,' says the designer Aisel
Kononenko.
More information:
Aisel Kononenko
@asya.aisel