Airy and Luminous: Semerey Apartment in Historical Kyiv
Step inside Semerey, a stunning vintage-style apartment located on the 4th floor of a historical building in Kyiv, Ukraine. Designed by Rina Lovko Studio in 2022, this luminous space boasts a long, functional hallway, a bright living area with natural textures and determined details, and a beautiful bathroom with a view. Discover the apartment’s meticulous renovation process, vintage furniture pieces, solid wooden doors, and unique bathroom design.
About Semerey
Renovating a 1905 Apartment in a Historical Area of Kyiv
When a fashion insider with a strong vision required a massive renovation of her Kyiv flat, our task was to recreate a vintage Parisian atmosphere. To do this, we focused on natural textures and nuanced sophistication, instead of obvious ornamental plaster and other elements of “Parisian Chic.”
Structural Renovations
Given the state of the building, we needed to enhance the slabs and walls, remove the old wooden inner walls, and replace the floor with a welded structure and concrete. We also improved the balcony and strengthened the walls with special ties to hold the frame together.
Designing a Roomy and Bright Space
We chose the traditional enfilade scheme for the space arrangement. This plan included an entrance wardrobe, a guest restroom, a laundry area, and a kitchen with stand-alone elements near the living room entrance. The bedroom and bathroom were divided by a glass partition.
Vintage Details
We sourced vintage furniture such as marble tables and chairs, armchairs, wall scones, and mirrors from Spain, Germany, France, and Denmark. The walls were painted on plaster, leaving the deep texture untouched. We also used 100-year-old oak parquet for the floor and applied toning to highlight its natural imperfections.
Finishing Touches
The doors were produced from solid wood and according to an original Austrian door drawing. The bathroom featured marble for the shower walls and sink, and a wall niche above the kitchen sink was given a streamlined angle to add softness to the room. We also added an elongated window in the wardrobe and a plaster ceiling above the bed for a touch of modern minimalism.
Photography by Yevhenii Avramenko
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- by Matt Watts
