Wabi Sabi Apartment

Ukrainian architect Sergey Makhno brings together Japanese aesthetics with the tradition of his country in this stunning penthouse apartment he designed for his own family.

The interior for this two-storey flat was created for family of Ukrainian designer Sergey Makhno. It’s an unusual family of four people: two adults with extraordinary visions of things and two kids.

Vlada, Sergey’s wife and his main muse, is a professional decorator. That’s why the apartment is very detail oriented. They both like floristry, so greenery and flowers are the essential part of the house. Instead of pets, there are 7 bonsai to look after.

Sergey is a collector. His passions are ancient ceramics, contemporary art pieces and things with a history, the marks of time. In addition to this, the designer likes ikebana, and the apartment is filled with various compositions. One of them decorates the wall between staircases. It’s placed in the vase with the interesting history behind. The vase is made of the wreckage of an old house. Such a combination of art and recycling.

The two-storey apartment boasts a carefully designed interior that is in stark contrast with the concrete cityscape outside: all the walls have been finished with clay in a technique used for old Ukrainian houses, while the rough wooden beams that support the ceiling and doorways are another rustic reference. Despite its rural look and feel, the apartment is equipped with contemporary amenities that guarantee a comfortable living.

‘It seems that designing an interior for yourself is an easy matter. You know what you want and have certain images in your head. But no! It’s very complicated. You feel a big responsibility because you create the space for your closest ones’ – Sergey Makhno says.

As is often the case with architects building their own houses, the Wabi Sabi apartment has some experimental touches as well and features many of Makhno’s own lighting and furniture design. The main experiment here was to add a conceptual approach to the overall design, based on the theory of the four elements: the earth is represented by the clay on the walls, fire and water are symbolized by various artworks, while the space between objects and rooms stands for air.

Bonsai trees and a small roof garden à la japonaise add to the apartment’s oriental character, while traditional woven carpets point to Ukrainian craft and culture.

More like sculptures than functional objects, Makhno’s metal lampshades hang in the dining area and one of the bedrooms, as a way of incorporating a contemporary element to the overall earthy and natural interior; their own imperfections also demonstrate how the ancient philosophy of wabi-sabi can find new applications in contemporary design, making us appreciate the beauty of handmade objects through the use of natural materials.

Sergey Makhno Architects