Proving that a space needn’t have electrical wires or ducts hanging from the ceiling to be an expose on exposed industrial style, a 250 square meter apartment in Kiev (known as the “16th” Apartment) maintains a clean, contemporary style while inserting plenty of personality and a bit of industrial rawness around the edges.Let’s take a closer look.
An apartment on the larger side, the 16th Apartment has plenty of space to roam. But still, the color palette and textural draws are kept light and neutral-natural.
Blonde wood floors run the length of the entire apartment, providing continuity and a solid, albeit gentle, foundation for the whole space.
Straightforward horizontal lines are the default choice for furnishings. Upper walls remain unadorned, which provides an energizing sense of “white space” to the apartment and also places greater emphasis on the pieces that are there.
Keeping the colors muted and the apartment’s visual weight below eye-level helps to amplify the feeling of spaciousness that permeates throughout the apartment.
Maintaining a minimalist approach to decorating helps with this as well. The sky’s the limit as to what this room can be used for, with nothing dictating a pre-determined function. Such an organic mindset.
“Minimalist design” is a far cry from “boring old nothingness,” of course. This apartment’s contemporary charm is a result of its well-edited décor and displays.
The frames of furniture pieces are embraced in this apartment’s décor – note the exposed design of the living room coffee table and the complete naturalness of the work desk.
Even in the bedrooms, the presence of light and air is celebrated with open and exposed bed framing. This one is kept neutral and includes a built-in nightstand of sorts.
Another bedroom plays off the serenity of blue highlights that is found throughout the apartment, in small doses. Although a bed is a large piece of furniture, its overwhelming presence can be minimized with an exposed frame such as this. And the blue serves to highlight that gorgeous sky view.
Touches of blue, from shades of aqua to indigo, provide a water-and-sky inspired complement to all the whites and earthy blonde wood tones that make up the bulk of the apartment.
Even the TV itself, projected onto the strategically bare living room wall, emanates soothing blues. (Of course, it doesn’t hurt that what’s being viewed is blue oceanic waves…)
And, really, can you ever go wrong with a design scheme inspired by nature? I think not. A rich royal blue backsplash, like this one in the kitchen, is a refreshing counterpoint to flat wood-grained kitchen cupboards.
What seems like a sky-full of stars in the kitchen is, in actuality, a bunch of small recessed lights. What with the wooden elements abounding in the kitchen, and the soothing blue details, one almost feels as though he’s picnicking outside at twilight.
This kitchen island is a perfect example of the 16th Apartment’s masterful hybridization of the natural and industrial. What appear to be raw wood planks, with ends entirely exposed, comprise the food prep area.
The dining table lighting further resonates with industrial edginess, as a group of exposed bulbs dangles from the ceiling at various lengths. Windows are kept unadorned so as to facilitate enjoyment of the views at any time of day and to enjoy the reflection of internal light at night.
A casual vignette of leaning abstract artwork and various forms of lighting provides an inspiring setting.
True to form, the 16th Apartment’s bathroom is a model of contemporary chic minimalism. Long, straight lines are found throughout the space, from the sink to the tub to the shower. This is no bathroom, this is a spa!
And here’s that touch of blue that has become a trademark of the entire apartment. A deep, rich shade of blue that’s neither too yellow nor too red.
A frame on the bathroom’s vanity mirror mimics the modern frame design of the gorgeous glass shower. (Or maybe it’s the other way around?)
If you love clean lines, straightforward materials, and a design that is comfortably spacious with plenty of patience and opportunities to pause from a hectic life, you must love the 16th Apartment.