Dubbed the Apartment with Deer, this 1335 sq.ft. home is located in Kiev, Ukraine and was designed by Alena Yudina to embrace a white backdrop trimmed out with black and fitted with numerous wood textures to warm up the various spaces. Layered into this white, black and wood scheme, the apartment is jazzed up with lots and lots of plants for air purification, the plants also help to soften up the simple, clean lines used throughout.
Aside from the contrasting elements of black with white, minimalist furnishings with decorative linens, industrial lighting with natural woods and living plants, the apartment also acts as a backdrop to numerous renditions of deer.
Upon entering the apartment a beautiful coat tree and wardrobe is positioned on the right while a Marta Servetnik bench is on the left and while there is no potted plant in this location, the bench makes up for it with its hand stitched flower seat.
Directly ahead of the main entrance is a pair of glass French doors that lead directly to the kitchen and dining area.
The kitchen is a white on white scheme that includes everything except the carcasses to the upper cabinets and just to break up the pattern, the doors on the far right cabinet as well.
The dining set, positioned directly in front of the white kitchen, layers in wood and black leather via the Borge Mogensen table and chair set.
A large wood planter jazzes up the kitchen with a large Boston fern. Did you know that according to NASA Boston ferns are the 5th best plant at purifying the air?
Tucked in behind the fern is a pair of doors that lead to a small terrace, these doors. Like the rest of the windows and exterior doors in the apartment are painted black to contrast with the white walls and linens and to compliment the black leathers used throughout.
The opening between the kitchen/dining area and the living room has been fitted with a ceiling shelf that holds two cascading Ivys and according to NASA, English Ivy is the 4th best air purifying plant.
In the dining area additional plants are tucked above the china cabinets, creating a visual balance with the tree in between the living room’s seating.
The softness of the plants and window linens are the perfect foil for the subway tiles and flat paneled cabinetry.
A beautiful owl mosaic plate by LoveMosaic has been given a wooden perch next to a glass vial with additional fern fronds.
The multiple use of indoor plants add a 70s vibe as do the Arbonia home radiators.
Behind the living room is another terrace that is also accessed by the office, which is next door to the living room.
The office is separated from the living room by a pair of glass and wood French doors in the same style as the doors that lead from the foyer to the kitchen/dining area.
The living room and office are both outfitted with Gubi furniture.
Above the office desk is one of the deer drawings by local artist Katya Berlova and it is her series of deer featured in the apartment that has given it it’s name The Deer Apartment.
As with the rest of the rooms, plants are a main feature in the office with no less than 5 positioned around the room.
The office has a pair of black and glass French doors that open right into the tub area of the master suite’s ensuite. The French doors are separated top and bottom so that they can just be opened like windows or completely opened like doors.
The ensuite features the same Cerim and Bardelli tiles used in the kitchen and also feature ZucchetiéKOS bathroom fixtures.
A clerestory window over the vanity mirror was inset into the wall to let additional natural light to pass from the office into the ensuite.
Even in the ensuite plants are used but as there is minimal daylight, the plants are cut branches inserted into a large glass bottle.
The vanity station is centrally located between the office doors and a door that leads to a small vestibule accessed from the office and the bedroom.
The vestibule is also tiled in white subway tiles.
The bedroom has more of the Mooship linens used on the living room and office windows.
The bedroom leads to a walk in closet that also has a clerestory window to allow natural light to pass from the bedroom’s window into the dressing area.
The walk in closet is as big as the large ensuite.
A 3 piece guest bathroom is located off of the entry hall with its sink back to back with the ensuite tub.
With the exception of the shower, the guest bathroom forgoes the subway tiles and uses 12″x12″ marble tiles for the floor and walls instead.
Love the composition of vanity, wall faucet, mirror and light.
Alena Yudina
Photography by Andrey Avdeenko
While The Deer Apartment features lots and lots of potted indoor plants, many apartments, lofts and houses are also introducing plants for air purification via living walls such as this warehouse style loft, which is also located in Kiev, Ukraine.
