Ukrainian architect Rina Lovko was commissioned to work on the project, and quickly realized that the building’s structure was in a very poor state. “The slabs were rotten, the walls cracked and the flooring had to be replaced. The wooden partitions, meanwhile, had suffered from damp and the presence of parasites.” The original partitions and parquet flooring were therefore dismantled, the balcony and walls reinforced, and the floor consolidated with a poured concrete structure. Completely stripped bare, the apartment can now be dressed… but not just any old way! Parisian style: for the owner, nothing is more “chic” than a Parisian interior. “Entirely focused on aesthetics, this project was designed to meet the beauty criteria of our client, who is fascinated by the City of Light. Our aim was to recreate the ambience of a Haussmann apartment, while avoiding copying the style too obviously.” Rina Lovko’s aim was to recreate Parisian sophistication by combining neutral tones, natural materials and meticulous detailing. The only reference to traditional plaster moldings is a gypsum rose over the bed. For the layout, the architect arranged the rooms in a row. A way of asserting the project’s affiliation with the interiors of past centuries. “As the apartment isn’t dual-aspect, we decided to design a long, functional corridor containing a wardrobe, a guests’ bathroom and a laundry room in the blind part of the apartment.” Once we pass the entrance, the space opens up, vast and luminous. While the reference to Paris is there, Rina Lovko also knows how to free herself from it to propose innovative layout solutions. In the kitchen, for example, refrigerator and oven are integrated into a large, modular wooden cabinet. “We wanted to avoid using standardized elements,” she says. True highlight of any Parisian-Ukrainian apartment, a new wooden floor replaces the original. “To give the whole an authentic feel, we decided to install a hundred-year-old reclaimed oak parquet floor. We carried out the restoration on our premises and assembled the herringbone pattern directly on site.” As Parisian as this apartment is, it doesn’t forget to showcase the work of local artisans! Covering both the living room and bedroom floors, the new flooring visually links the different spaces, like an invitation to discover what lies at the other end of the apartment: “Laying out the rooms of the apartment in a row allowed us to create a sense of gradation between them. At the end of the line, there’s always a space that’s more private than the others, and that’s where the bathroom sits.” The latter benefits from a special treatment: made out of marble and concrete and exalted by a huge mirror, it seems to mark the beginning of the tour rather than its end. It’s a real invitation to look into the distance!
Balcony Closet Glass partition Marble Mirror Vintage Wood
Photos : Yevhenii Avramenko
Text : Coline Jacquet
Architect : Rina Lovko Studio
