Art. 2

Each order for us is discovering an individual style that on one hand would correspond to the client's task and on the other hand would be filled with our vision, knowledge and experience.

We were inspired by a mystery when we took up this apartment project in Podil district for a Lviv resident. This theme united all the elements of the task and determined the key to its implementation, the box with a secret became our main idea

Textiles and flowing shapes emphasized the femininity of the interior. Vividness and simplicity as well as elements of "Lviv secession" and Ukrainian modernity helped to recreate the atmosphere and the mood of Lviv city.

Ukrainian style became noticable in the buildings of secession and romanticism periods of the early twentieth century. We found the most striking examples in Lviv and Poltava, most of all we were influenced by the building of the provincial council. The wealth of nature-inspired ethnic elements and its integrity inspired us to get the main idea we were looking for.

The design of the mid-twentieth century became another key element of the apartment's style. We found Ukrainian features in Kyiv public buildings of the 1960s and 1970s, those features were clearly seen in the universal modernism.

We have analyzed all our discoveries and combined them into the complete project design.

We formed the atmosphere of the interior in advance - starting from the stage of selecting the apartment at the client's request. Kyiv's Podil is a diverse “lower city”, rich in time layers and often great window views. The final argument for selecting this apartment was the picturesque view of the rooftops. At that moment we felt that ththat was the place where Kiev was most similar to Lviv, and we could create something special.

We found an apartment with windows facing to the east, west and north. No other apartments on the floor. Spacious functional planning: large living room with a built-in-kitchen, two rooms and two bathrooms with windows. We removed inter-room partitions in the western part and divided it with wardrobes into an entrance hall, a living room and a small kitchen. We have increased bedroom space and its depth located in the eastern part by using glass windows and mirrors. The bathrooms became lighter and wider and this made the space more comfortable.

While proposing the drafts we have selected materials and their combinations that match the idea of the project. We borrowed the key greeny color from the modernist style, we selected textiles with individual patterns for each room and kept the wood undecorated.  We chose rich matte brass for decor emphasizing.

We implemented the secret box theme on the walls. We designed the wall panels, doors and wardrobes in the same style, size and shape. And as is the case with every mysterious box we have prepared a hint - door handles are emphasized on the moderate background.

We developed the idea even further and made all the panels soft and woven like a jewelry box inside. The textiles of the windows and the carpets complemented the atmosphere of comfort, though they were left simple and restrained. We replaced the brick wall partitions with wooden panels thus making the wardrobes two-sided and invisible - now they could be accessed from different rooms and could have variable depth depending on the requirements.

The main secret of the design is the wall panel module. It was made in a different way depending on the purpose: as a wall panel, as a wardrobe door or as a door between the rooms. To keep the secret box mysterious forever, we used different methods of fixing, different thickness of components, fillers, handles and other details. We combined sophisticated and essentially different materials in one element: a module of wood and fabric was decorated with majolica and brass.

Every detail in this project has become a unique experience and a successful experiment for us. And all the secrets of this box with a secret are known only to its owner.