
Men Bureau Draws on Global Sensibilities for a Kiev Home
A couple tired of apartment living in Kiev, longed for a house of their own. When they found one—1,400 square feet, fully detached, and full of natural light—they approached Men Bureau founder Oleksandr Maruzhenko with a particularly global directive. They wished, he says, for interiors “fusing an international design sense with Japan’s unique aesthetic.”
The result is a cozy abode that features neutral tones and organic shapes. An entry hallway empties into an open-plan zone enclosed by ample glazing. To the left, a kitchen in Boticcino marble and steel is lined in cherry wood storage, which expands into open shelving for ceramics and mementos in the dining area. To the right, automated shades conceal a wood and glass box of a bedroom adjacent to a library outfitted with custom shelves made from marble planes slotted into wood poles. Nearby, large windows surround the home office tucked behind a pocket door.


The bathroom’s gray terrazzo cladding is a touch deeper than the otherwise pale palette, but its bespoke marble tub and sink float luxuriously beneath curved fixtures and mirrors. “We used a big number of circles and arcs to evoke a sense of smoothness,” says Maruzhenko, “and added rounded corners to various areas of the internal space for visual comfort.” The ease is palpable.
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