The apartment
is located in a new modern residential complex called
Fayna Town in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
The client dreamt
of having her own place with a cosy living room,
functional kitchen and a bedroom with a dressing room
and dressing table.
My name is Olga Bondar.
I'm an interior designer and founder of Olga Bondar
Design in Kyiv.
Fayna Town used to be
the Kyiv vegetable factory and some greenhouses.
It was recently transformed
into a modern and functional, vibrant community.
There are cafes, shops,
bike paths, schools and parks where you can meet your friends
or do your work.
The construction
of the residential complex began in 2017
and was completed in 2019.
This apartment is for a young professional who leads an active lifestyle.
She also chose
the color scheme that could include blue, pink and yellow.
The base colour had to be light gray, almost white,
which helps give a sense of space.
The apartment was completely empty
in the corner of the apartment was a loggia
which was a semi-outdoor area with large floor to ceiling windows.
I opened up the hallway
by shifting the walls towards the bedroom.
I extended the bathroom,
which allowed us to accommodate a fridge on the other side.
Finally, I removed the wall and entrance to the loggia
and converted it into a new bedroom.
Entering this apartment,
we found ourselves in the common space
of the combined entrance hall, living room
and kitchen.
To the left
is a wardrobe for outerwear, shoes, a pouffe and hooks.
A boiler and a washing machine
are located in the closet that allowed us to have more space
in the bathroom.
To the right,
there is a floor to ceiling mirror built into the wall.
I often use frameless mirrors that are fixed on the walls
to expand the look of the space.
The living room is located
opposite the entrance to the apartment,
a sofa with a lower height back allowed us to have a full size,
comfortable seating area without creating a visual block.
For the TV, we chose a picture frame model
that hangs on the wall and can appear like artwork.
The kitchen is compact, but has everything you need.
There is a sink, a hidden dishwasher, an induction hob
and an oven, which is white to match the cabinets
The kitchen counter is made of MDF.
The splashback is an artificial stone,
and the cabinet doors were made from chipboard.
I wanted to make
a beautiful shelf for glasses, a vase or for personal belongings
above the sink.
The fridge is hidden in a niche
within the walls of the kitchen.
The doors are the same color as the wall
so that you will not immediately notice it.
I decided to paint the area around the windows
yellow to create a portal that would add warm sunlight to the kitchen
even on a cloudy day.
There is a small dining area
that separates the kitchen and living room,
a small bar counter was chosen
to allow two people to comfortably eat
while looking out towards the living room.
It can also be used
as a work area.
The bedroom is located
through a door by the living room.
There is a floating dressing table
with a large floor to ceiling mirror
and a floating bedside table next to it.
The yellow color echoes the yellow window
by the kitchen.
there is a custom bed with a storage
space for bed linen and blankets.
The dressing room
is behind a curtain on the opposite side, the curtain allows the client
to let light in and to close it up to hide away clutter.
The built in closet blends in with the walls.
It has lots of storage for clothes
and personal belongings.
A floating shelving system
was built on both sides of the dressing room
for extra storage and to display the client's belongings.
The entrance to the bathroom
is located by the hallway.
The tapware is built into the wall
to allow more space for the wash basin.
The vanity and the toilet floats above the floor
to visually give the room extra space.
The shower tiles, as well as paint on the walls,
are moisture resistant and allows for quick drying.
The built in closet has shelves
for additional storage and laundry baskets.
My philosophy
when it comes to designing a small space is to maximize
the use of space in order to get the maximum functionality.
This can be achieved
through finding ways to hide appliances, use mirrors
to reflect the surrounding space and create
bespoke furniture.
Upgrading and repurposing
exciting inner city spaces like Fayna Town
allows more people the ability to access housing.
It has revitalised
the area and has been a great example of modern living.