Art apartment of artist-architect family in Lviv, Ukraine during the reality of the current war

The apartment is located in the central part of the city on the second floor of a three-story historic building built-in 1879. It has specific planning, as in Soviet times authentic apartments 200-300m2 divided into smaller ones.

There are three main areas: living, kitchen, toilet, and art space in the heart of the apartment. Authentic doors and furniture have been restored. All new interior elements are modern and minimalist, but at the same time support the plasticity and graphics of the old ones. Kitchen and wardrobe units are formed by light planes and separated by graphic lines of hidden moulted handles. Contemporary still lifes of family antiques are the smooth connection between the antique and the new. The bar table is a warm element that greets visitors and visually separates the kitchen area. The figured parquet unites all zones, creating a feeling of holistic space.

The art space has very little daylight, so we decided to make it deep by using a complex dark colour. It is a beautiful background for paintings and ceramics and matches the shade of parquet.

We tried to make this gorgeous space of the living room as bright as possible: light walls and ceiling, light minimalist roller blinds, additional lighting by the track system. We decided to keep this space as holistic as it was centuries ago. The bed is made according to our design plastically close to restored furniture.

The bathroom is unexpectedly colourful, graphical, and emphasizes the authentic cast-iron bathtub.

Attack from russia has changed our vision of space. The sirens with a request to go to the basement shelter sounded quite often. The basement vaults rest on the rusty metal structures, and in case of explosion can fall on our heads. So we decided to stay in the apartment, hoping on the strength of load-bearing walls 600-800mm. Sometimes, we hid in the bathtub and covered ourselves with blankets.

The bed is now moved under the brick arch of the load-bearing wall and turned with a strong oak back to the windows, hoping that it would extinguish the explosion. The table is moved to make it easier to work and watch the news. On the left side of our bed are hanging icons that protect us. We pray every night and every morning. On the right, paintings "1","17","31". The idea is about time: past, present, future about important events in life. Undrawn planes of the calendar are the future which gives hope. The work took place during the beginning of the war in 2014. The crossed-out days coincided with the events on Independence Square in Kyiv. The painting now has a different meaning. It reminds me that this war has been going on for a long time. We all feel that the victory is near. The blue and yellow flag will rise soon in the separated parts of Ukraine, and we will celebrate with the whole world, which now supports us so much.