This story originally appeared in Habitus Magazine – find out more and subscribe here.
Landscape Alley in Kyiv is one of those areas of sublime geographic beauty, with sweeping vistas of the Dnieper River and Podil district, plus a fairy-tale parkland of mosaicked folkloric sculptures. Designed by Abraham Miletsky in 1980, Landscape Alley Park is also in the heart of the oldest part of the city and was chiefly designed to stop an urban development. Once the area where the princes of the Kyivan Rus lived, what remains is an area of grand apartments known as ‘the golden triangle’.
Yana Molodykh’s design for the 1911 apartment takes both its history and the contemporary lifestyle of her client into account. In doing so, she has brought to life the traditional aspects of the apartment, such as the four-metre-high ceilings, elegant mouldings and details. It is however, not restricted to any one specific era. Rather, Molodykh has borrowed from classical architecture, Art Deco, the Belle Époque and modernism to create a unique home that is as eclectic as the art collection it houses.
The art is in fact extraordinary, with museum-quality works from many of Ukraine’s contemporary artists curated with exceeding finesse. These include works by Nazar Bilyk, Andriy Lypovka, Anatoly Kryvolap and Marfa Tymchenko, considered a master of Petrykivka painting (a traditional Ukrainian style of painting).
Each room incorporates styles from across the century with classic and contemporary pieces fused together by the most luxurious of finishes. The living room is a good case in point, with new walnut parquetry floors below windows dressed with extravagant drops of embroidered Lizzo fabric curtains. A large vintage Murano glass chandelier by Venini takes centre stage while a wall-mounted and iconic Sammode G1 light sits above the Edra Standard sofa. Above the Calligaris dining table and Norr11 chairs is the simple purity of a Donna Line pendant light from Pholc.
Mixing eras further, the coffee table is by &Tradition, the side table is Glas Italia and the armchair is the wonderful Fried Egg by Hans Olsen. A cream Muuto rug adds texture, as do fluffy cream cushions from Misia Paris and the woven pieces from La Maison Pierre Frey fabrics. It is however the large painting Still Life. Flowers. (2016), by Oleksandr Babak, that sits within the walnut arch and holds the attention. It is a fabulous piece, as are the works by Anatoly Kryvolap placed above the sofa.
At 73 square metres, the apartment is not huge, but Molodykh has worked every centimetre. The kitchen, for example, is completely concealed behind bi-fold panels that blend seamlessly with the whole space. Once revealed, it is a fully functional, beautiful gem of walnut carpentry and quartzite. Arched full height wall panels to either side of the walnut arch are similarly revelatory with an abundance of shelves and drawers used to store vintage dishes and accessories, selected from antique markets and local auction houses on the Côte d’Azur.
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The bedrooms are incredibly tuned to the occupants. The primary is soft and feminine with a walk-in robe of windowed cabinetry inset with Élitis embroidered curtains. Handcrafted brass frog-shaped handles from Bronzetto and wallpaper from PaperMint, Paris, add further layers. The ensuite is also hidden behind these walls and it is here that the apartment’s mechanics are concealed, with the control unit for the air-conditioning system hidden in the ceiling, while a cabinet houses the water purification system, washing machine and boiler.
The smaller bedroom, designed for the boy, is astounding. Realised as a delightful fusion of art and design, the need for space has been answered by a sofa bed that leaves the room open enough for a 1960’s wardrobe sourced from Repulse Star. “Only after seeing the restored wardrobe next to the sofa, did I realize that its wavy façade and lacquered finish were reflected in the form and material of the sofa, with its bent cherry veneer backrest under lacquer,” says Molodykh of the Misia Paris velvet-covered sofa.
The curtains, throw and decorative pillows are also made from Misia Paris and La Maison Pierre Frey fabrics. The wall light is by Valerie Objects, the hanging light is Hartô, the side table is Moooi, and the armchair is Elephant from Norr11. In short, the perfect design cocoon for a formative mind.
Adventurous and highly attuned to her client’s needs, the apartment is uplifting, joyous and packs an enormous punch for its size. Molodykh is in fact an outstanding designer with no fear, just a really good eye for mixing things up. Granted, everything she pulls into the mix is of a highly cultivated quality, but even so, her results are astoundingly good.
