Project name: Apartment with Calligraphy
Interior design: Nataliia Lymar, VN Studio
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Photo: Yevhenii Avramenko
Area: 45 m2 / 484 ft2
Year: 2025
Project description from design firms VN Studio
Located on the third floor of a new residential complex on the outskirts of Kyiv, this light-filled apartment balances thoughtful spatial solutions with personalized design. The complex offers a well-developed infrastructure, bringing everyday conveniences close to home. From the windows, a modern cityscape unfolds.
“I wanted to keep the space minimal but not cold,” says Nataliia Lymar. “Simple forms, a mix of textures and colors, and emotional accents helped achieve that.”
The designer made several structural adjustments to enhance the apartment’s functionality. She extended the living room by integrating a loggia, which now serves as a home office. The entrance to the bedroom was also reconfigured – originally accessed from the hallway, it’s now entered through the open-plan kitchen–living area. The former doorway was repurposed to house a built-in refrigerator, partially concealed within a large wardrobe in the bedroom, contributing to a cleaner, more streamlined space.
Lymar’s own home draws from the Japandi style – a fusion of Japanese and Scandinavian aesthetics. The palette features earthy tones, sand, grey, and soft warm whites. Materials include wood, concrete, linen, and glass – chosen for their tactility and natural presence. “For me, functionality is the foundation, especially in a small apartment. There’s nothing unnecessary – every element has a purpose,” she explains.
To visually expand the space, Lymar used several key techniques. A striking 2.7-meter-tall mirror in the kitchen amplifies light and volume. Another ceiling-height mirror in the bedroom reflects greenery and extends the visual boundaries. A corridor clad in dark wood and a glass-fronted wardrobe adds a sense of depth and dimension.
“I’m drawn to the wabi-sabi philosophy – beauty in imperfection and authenticity,” says the designer. Natural cracks, rough textiles, and unprocessed wood surfaces express this approach. Her favorite object is the solid walnut dining table, custom-made from a tree that grew in her family’s yard in Uman. When the tree aged and began to wither, her father salvaged the wood, embedding family history into the heart of the home.
Another piece, a low wooden bench, was crafted by an artisan in western Ukraine from reclaimed timber. Art also plays a key role in the apartment’s emotional landscape. On the walls hang subtle yet powerful works by Ukrainian calligrapher Yevgenii Berd, created in ancient Ukrainian script. The living room features a diptych titled Wings, with a poem by Lina Kostenko about the inner strength of the human spirit. In the hallway hangs Love Ukraine by Volodymyr Sosiura – a tribute to cultural identity and connection to the land.
“Every time I return home, I feel peace,” says Lymar. “This apartment is my oasis – a space that reflects my values and restores me after life in the metropolis.”
