Lubov & Ludy: A Warm, Textured Restaurant Interior in Rivne
Lubov & Ludy is a restaurant in Rivne, Ukraine, designed by YOD Group near Lake Basiv Kut in the city’s historic district. Conceived around sincerity, hospitality, and easy conversation, the interior uses wood, concrete, and glass to create a bright, open setting shaped by daylight. Custom elements stay closely tied to daily use, from the bar and communal table to a flexible children’s room.
About Lubov & Ludy
Lubov & Ludy is a bright, open restaurant near Lake Basiv Kut in Rivne’s historic district. Its concept centers on sincerity, hospitality, lightness, and the pleasure of relaxed, unhurried conversation.
Three materials give the interior its character, supported by abundant natural light and a series of bespoke solutions. Light wood wraps the walls and ceiling, bringing warmth to the room and setting a calm, welcoming tone. That same material continues onto the façade, tying inside and outside into one clear architectural idea.
Concrete introduces an urban note, but never tips into coldness. Here, the designers use mass-colored concrete with a soft gradient that moves from muted pink to deep marsala. Pigment is added directly into custom pieces, creating layers of color with different intensities. The material appears on the fronts of the bar counters, in large planters, on a communal table, and at the hand-washing island in the restroom.
The floor picks up that same color story. Its terrazzo-like surface sets asymmetrical pink and cherry accents against a gray base, giving the room a grounded but lively undercurrent.
Glass forms the third key material. Above the bar, an elongated lamp made of glass discs in different diameters glows in a rich honey tone, nodding to the region’s amber deposits. Smaller rectangular pendants above the tables come from the same handmade approach, as do the glass blocks behind the bar, all produced by a workshop in Lviv.
Those glass blocks carry a restrained relief pattern and return again in the bathrooms. There, they run from wall to ceiling, creating a monolithic effect that changes the atmosphere through texture, reflection, and filtered light.
Light plays a central role throughout the restaurant. Panoramic windows and ceiling openings conceived as light lanterns bring in soft daylight, helping shape the mood and reinforcing the sense of openness. The result is not just brightness, but an ease that supports the social life of the room.
A children’s room extends that approach in a more restrained register. Inspired by Scandinavian ideas of childhood, it relies on tactile materials, minimal decoration, and the absence of visual noise. In keeping with the broader concept, the room is also flexible enough to host different activities and events.
One of the clearest examples of the project’s custom approach is the communal table, where an induction hob is built directly into the tabletop. Guests can watch dishes being prepared right there at the table. The gesture is safe and theatrical, turning a practical act into a shared experience.
As YOD Group describes it, the interior is meant to work like vitamin D: full of sunshine and able to lift the mood. Even with many custom interventions, the room never strains for attention. The focus stays where the restaurant intends it to stay—on people, their comfort, and the emotions that gather around a table.
Photography by Mykhailo Lukashuk
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