Commissioned by a young couple to renovate a drab, worn-down Stalin-era apartment in the centre of Kyiv, local interior designer Maya Baklan transformed the property into an airy, light-filled home of understated elegance mixing Scandinavian minimalism and French neoclassicism with a loft-like sensibility. Radically reconfigured to create more open and interconnected spaces, the one-bedroom apartment reflects the owners’ easy-going lifestyle facilitating socialization as well as allowing for intimacy. Featuring two compact balconies that have been transformed into cosy corners, the apartment also offers a taste of the outdoors, just as the owners requested.

Entering through a bright hallway, you step into a spacious living room featuring seating and dining areas plus a kitchen discretely separated by Crittall-style glass doors. Folding patio doors allow the room to extend onto a narrow balcony which Baklan has cleverly lined with a custom-designed seating bench in order to make the most of the limited space. The adjacent guest room, which is mostly used for cello practice and yoga, can also be combined with the living room, courtesy of a double door, allowing for flexibility when entertaining. As bright and airy, the bedroom contains a study area, walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom, while a second bathroom, complete with a walk-in shower and free-standing bathtub, comes in handy when guests stay over.

Baklan has kept materials to a minimum to enhance the feeling of lightness and spaciousness, as well as imprint a sense of cohesion. White-painted walls and oak parquet flooring constitute a soothing backdrop while wall sections where the building’s original brickwork is exposed add texture without disturbing the muted colour palette, swathed as they are with chalk and matte lacquer. Decorative floor tiles and terrazzo flooring add playful touches in the hallway and bathrooms, while the mint-painted bedroom echoes the verdant views out of the two large windows. A mix of vintage and contemporary furniture, including bespoke pieces, subtly imbues the apartment with mid-century elegance and underlines Baklan’s aim for timelessness and authenticity.