In Kyiv’s historical center, there is an old furniture store that has been revamped recently based on the joint vision of the store owner and Ukrainian interior design studio Modektura. From India through Paris to traditional Ukrainian objects, they hunted down the treasures to decorate the place with from all across the world.
Modektura’s mission is to create spectacular and comfortable interiors where one does not have to choose between aesthetics and functionality. They recently handed over Apartment 13, a conceptual space where in addition to purchasing designer clothes, accessories, perfumes and items of decoration, guests can also take a break from the daily rush next to a cup of coffee.
“The idea of the store is to create an almost homely atmosphere as if you came to visit your friends who like to collect art,” explained Maksym Dietkovskyi, Modektura’s founder and designer.
In the course of the renovation, first they increased the store’s height and placed the emphasis on combining industrial style with old relics. “The biggest challenge was the timing of the implementation—we had to finish the project in three months. It was also difficult to get rid of the image of the previous furniture store, which had been in this space for many years—it was cosy in its own way, but we had to surpass it,” Maksym told us.
Each object has its own story here: the old Ukrainian dish cabinet is an emblematic furnishing object originating from the Soviet era, which, according to Maksym, still forms part of every Ukrainian dining room to this day. The designers found the workbenches in an abandoned Ukrainian factory, where they had been standing since 1881: they have been refurbished and are now serving as tables displaying accessories. They got the chandeliers and carpets from a flea market in Paris, while the iconic element of the store, the mesmerizing carved door was bought by the owner in India. The old pommel horse also forms part of his collection. The end result is a memorably eclectic space: a unique fusion of respect for traditions and contemporary tendencies in a cafe and a design boutique.
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