Design of a Two-Story Apartment in Kharkiv

The clients - a young family - set an ambitious task for the architects: the interior design should not only be comfortable and inviting for relaxation but also encourage active lifestyle, while maintaining a peaceful and serene atmosphere in the apartment.

The apartment was originally two-storied. However, previous owners barely used the second level due to the inconvenient staircase layout. Therefore, designers first focused on a complete redesign of the space.

After the layout changes, the design of the first floor became an open space uniting the living room with a real fireplace, the kitchen, dining area, and two isolated rooms intended for children in the future. Although the kitchen is part of the open space, it is a cozy enclosed zone due to the staircase leading to the second floor. The space under the staircase was utilized for storage.

Given that the apartment is on the top floor of a building, it features numerous mansard windows. These windows fill the rooms with abundant natural light. The living room windows were also modified - enlarged and made panoramic. This added volume and airiness to the room, even with low ceilings.

The second floor is divided into zones. The owners' bedroom and adjacent large walk-in closet and bathroom are located here. Additionally, there is a guest bedroom, a bathroom, and a working office on the second level.

The apartment features a well-thought-out system for managing engineering networks. There is even a server room housing the equipment for the smart home system. Furthermore, space was dedicated to technical rooms - a boiler room with heating and purification equipment, and a laundry room with all necessary household appliances and an ironing board.

One of the most striking elements of the two-story apartment design is a vertical garden with 155 planters that bloom year-round. A green zone with ferns is also present in the bathroom.

The color palette of the apartment features soft tones - warm white, light gray, graphite. Abundance of wooden furniture and decor adds warmth and comfort. The turquoise color is chosen as a color accent in the interior - it appears in both the upholstery of furniture and textiles.

However, the standout feature of the two-story apartment design, which makes one exclaim 'Wow!', is a real slide for descending from the second floor. Significant time and effort were invested in designing and constructing this element.

Photo: Sergey Savchenko