Yellow wall tiles by Iris Ceramica define the kitchen, with a Blue Water faucet and cabinetry by Manka Studio.
More than a century ago, the Ukrainian artist Kazimir Malevich helped found the Suprematism movement, which populated abstracted white fields with geometric shapes in bold colors. Yevheniia Syntik, founder of the Kyiv-based firm Dihome, wanted to honor this Ukrainian avant-garde legacy in the design of a 452-square-foot apartment in the capitol. “In the world, he is mistakenly considered a Russian artist because Russia appropriated his legacy,” Syntik says. This move had particular resonance last year, when the project began. “We’re talking about Kyiv in 2023. Yes, the state of who needs design during war? was over. We design, plan, create, live. But what about art?”
First, they needed a blank canvas. The team removed walls from the two-room apartment, leaving a sole, separate volume for the bathroom. A concrete pillar became an axis; a bedroom curtain conceals a wardrobe cabinet. “The interior is built on numerous technically complex joints, material intersections, and engineering communications,” Syntik says. A wall of glass blocks, for example, required the builders to grind them three times to ensure they perfectly achieved the room height. “Glass bricks have often been associated with ‘Soviet kitsch,’” she says, “but primarily, glass blocks conserved electricity by providing insulation.” Here, they both define space and direct the flow of natural light throughout the apartment.
While Syntik was still measuring everything for the renovation, she happened upon the Instagram page of artist Tasha Oro. “She considers herself a direct heir to the Ukrainian avant-garde,” Syntik says, “in her experiments with sculpture and monumental reliefs.” A series of panels Oro called Monumental stood out. “The themes and motifs seemed to somehow mirror the urban landscape outside the apartment windows,” Syntik said. The clients agreed, and installed a number of panels around their home. “Art has a way of adding depth and dimension to an interior,” she says. Not to mention a sense of history—and of a brighter future.
Marvel at the Geometric Brilliance of This Kyiv Home by Dihome
Yellow wall tiles by Iris Ceramica define the kitchen, with a Blue Water faucet and cabinetry by Manka Studio.
In the living area, a Luceplan fixture illuminates a DLS couch and orange table by Kononenko.
Custom chairs set up a dining area, beneath a pendant by Imperium Light and ceiling lights by Ideal Lux.
Seves Glass Block glass bricks serve as a room divider between the living and bedroom zones.
Iris Ceramica tile clads a corner of the bathroom with a toilet by Devit.
In the bathroom, a pair of BF Studio sinks and Maier facuets, beneath Imperium Light pendants, line up beside a shower with a Maier fixture and clad in Refin Ceramica tile.
An Ikea task chair pulls up to a custom desk with custom blinds to form a work area in the bedroom.
Lighting by Imperium and One Light warm up the bedroom, with a bed by Manka Studio.