A remarkable discovery

We invite you to an apartment located in Kiev, in a typical Stalinka * building in the Lukjanovskaya district. This is the name used in the colloquial language of tenement houses built in the USSR from the late 1930s to the mid 1960s. During this renovation, one extraordinary discovery completely changed the concept of the designer and set the tone for the entire interior.

Author: JC

Published: 13.02.2022

Photos: Yevhenii Avramenko

https://dubrovska.studio

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Natalie Dubrovska, founder of Dubrovska studio, is responsible for the project. Interestingly, the final effect differs significantly from the original concept, because during the renovation works after the demolition of the suspended ceiling, the original stucco decorations were revealed to the eyes of the renovation team. The designer stated that they should become the main interior decoration.

Therefore, instead of dark colors, which were initially supposed to reign in the interior, light colors were chosen. During the renovation, one more thing also changed: the apartment initially intended for a single, was to become a home for a couple with a cat.

A very important point of the project was to create a place for the rich book collection of the owner, who loves to read in his spare time. As the couple living here like to organize parties and receive guests, they wanted as much space as possible in the living room. It was known that the living space was to occupy the largest part of the apartment, and all other rooms should be as small as possible.

It was decided to place the bed in a recess behind the kitchen, from the bedroom you can get directly to the glazed bathroom with an additional room for a toilet.

The rest of the apartment is open, making the interior appear very spacious. A very important point of the project was the kitchen with copper fronts, which was already included in the original concept of the project. Over time, the fronts will acquire a noble patina, thanks to which they will become even more interesting decorations. The designer chose subdued, warm colors that make the interior cozy.

The stucco medallion on the ceiling and the stucco elements that have remained from the original interior of the space have been preserved, renovated and stylistically fit into the new design.

The old piano ended up inside almost by accident. During the reconstruction, the owner rented a second apartment, which accidentally had a piano. There he started to learn to play and that fascinated him. While in Berlin, he came to the vintage market where he wanted to buy a beautiful vintage piano for his renovated apartment. He sent 20 photos of various instruments to the designer, and she chose a small-sized model manufactured in the mid-20th century. When the piano was brought to Kiev, it turned out to be in good condition and requires no repair, only stringing.