A Ukranian Designer Brought an 'Old Soul' to This Small but Perfectly Formed Apartment in Kyiv — Take the Tour

Despite its recent construction date, this charming Ukrainian home filled with vintage and custom-made furniture and objects has an old soul.

In Kyiv, Ukraine, the area of Pechersk is characterized by the presence of Stalinka houses (built during Stalin’s regime) and modern homes in prestigious residential complexes.

While located in this interesting part of the city, this apartment, however, didn’t really stand out. But along came Yana Molodykh. The homeowner, Dasha — a young woman who works in finance — discovered Yana on Instagram and immediately fell in love with her aesthetic.

'The fact that Dasha chose me among many other designers and without following someone’s recommendation convinced me to take this fun yet challenging project (due to a limited budget combined with lockdown restrictions),' remembers the interior designer who is at the helm of her studio Yana Molodykh Interiors. 'She really liked my style and saw my value, and it’s an absolute delight to work with a client who completely trusts you.'

Finding the flow

Spread over 800 square feet, the apartment, which comprises a living room, kitchen, one bedroom and two bathrooms, lacked openness. Molodykh strived to create a smooth flow between the different spaces, something she achieved by combining the loggia and the living room into a beautiful lounge area.

Decorating an apartment that was only 5 years old has its own challenges, the space didn’t have much character, so one of the other challenges consisted of infusing some personality and spirit to fit the homeowner’s brief and taste. “Dasha liked the enfilade layout, which pre-revolutionary houses have, and the swing doors, and she was fond of the retro mood, which is typical for European interiors, when you inherit apartments with old furniture”, Molodykh explains.

Visions of vintage

The concept naturally took shape in Yana’s mind. The interior designer decided to create the feeling of an old house filled with objects that Dasha would have inherited from her grandmother when she was young. Vintage items were purchased online and at flea markets; some objects were restored and others were made to order, always with an aesthetic from a bygone era in mind. 'Throughout the project, things happened very easily between Dasha and me,' Yana says. 'For example, I texted her what to buy and she immediately grabbed that stuff. We were real retro treasures hunters!'

Cultural combinations

With its classic atmosphere, the apartment features a look that could be found in Paris or in Copenhagen, thanks to the classic parquet, cornices, high skirting boards, marble, granite on the tabletops and some furniture, lighting fixtures and accessories by Scandinavian brands such as HAY and Muuto.

At the same time, it also reflects the local culture through several details such as artworks by contemporary Ukrainian artists (including a painting by Darina Mikityuk in the living room and a graphic piece by Liza Zhdanova in the dining room). In the main living room, chairs covered in Dedar bouclé woollen fabric combine with the Koza coffee table made by Buro 150 for Pansky, among other pieces. The bedroom features the first purchase for the apartment: a vintage Czechoslovak crystal chandelier. “This is how we came up with the idea of making a frieze and a rosette in this room”, says Molodykh.

Although this home has a mostly light palette and airy feeling, it also provides a “wow” moment with the theatrical entryway painted in vivid colors (by Little Greene) where a Ferm Living pendant, Aromas del Campo wall light fixtures, a custom-made mirror and a House Doctor stool create the perfect atmosphere.

Both surprising and harmonious, this project mixes and matches different influences from several periods and countries in an audacious way.

'When Dasha’s friends first discovered her apartment, they told her that it reminded them of a Soviet intellectual’s home,' confesses Yana. 'It was the best compliment ever.'