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April 9, 2020
Text: Jennifer Baum Lagdameo
Maya Baklan of Neevroremont Studio Designs an Eclectic and Colorful Home For Her Family
The sofa is by Roche Bobois, the dining table by Norr 11, paired with chairs from Hay, the kitchen is by Nobilia, the lighting by Menu, and the drawing on the wall is based on Matisse’s Dance and executed by a local artist. Photography by Andrey Bezuglov.
Many designers cite personal projects as the most challenging to complete, andKiev-based designer Maya Baklan of Neevroremont Studio awards her own family apartment as the “most complex and longest project” she’s ever worked on. The apartment, which took the designer over a year to complete—for multiple reasons, including shipment delays and the need for extensive soundproofing—is located in the award-winning, multicolored Comfort Town apartment complex inKiev.
One reason the unit took so long to complete is that large-scale soundproofing was needed—noise is a problem in many new buildings inKiev according to the designer—therefore all of the walls needed to be demolished and rebuilt. Photography by Andrey Bezuglov.
When Baklan was unable to find a unit large enough to comfortably accommodate her family of four, the designer decided to combine two units: a three-bedroom and a one-bedroom, to create one large 1,345-square-foot home. Balkan refers to her signature style as “absolute eclecticism” and the designer takes influences as far-ranging as Russian Constructivism, midcentury modernism, Scandinavian minimalism, as well as classical French touches—masterfully layering seemingly incongruous pieces together to create a vibrant, welcoming space full of energy and color that somehow all perfectly works.
“We like reading and have many books at home. I wanted to create a quiet place at home for a small library, which is why I decided to cut this zone from guest bedroom,” explains Baklan. The chair is from BoConcept. Photography by Andrey Bezuglov.Baklan wanted a hotel room-like feel for her own bedroom. The bed and bench are from Bolzan Letti, bedside tables by Novamobili, and the wallpaper is by Arte. Photography by Andrey Bezuglov.One major decision Baklan made with the redesign was to put her two small girls in the same room, leaving the third bedroom as a guest/nanny bedroom, with the intention of moving the girls into their own separate rooms when they are older. Photography by Andrey Bezuglov.A cozy reading corner has a carpet purchased in a Moroccan market. Photography by Andrey Bezuglov.Baklan put bunk beds and a display shelf for books in the girls’ bedroom. Photography by Andrey Bezuglov.The children’s bathroom has Equipe Ceramicas floor tiles from the Art Nouveau collection and a fun custom print on the wall tile. Photography by Andrey Bezuglov.The entry hall references the Soviet era with the choice of blue and orange “taken from the box of children’s plasticine from the Soviet era” and a gray door reminiscent of Soviet communal apartment buildings. Photography by Andrey Bezuglov.The colorful guest bathroom features wallpaper from Cole & Sons. Photography by Andrey Bezuglov.
