In an an old abandoned house in Kyiv, Ukrainian multidisciplinary studio Yakusha Design has created a temporary installation that highlights both the raw beauty of the space and contemporary design objects of their product line FAINA. The faded limestone finished walls, concrete flooring and a dilapidated wooden roof creates a perfect stage for the Live Design collection of minimalist furniture and decorative pieces inspired by Ukrainian culture and traditions.
Located in an historical part of Kyiv, the abandoned house has not been lived in for decades, yet Yakusha Design could see that it clearly held memories and hopes for a better future. Wanting to reignite this sense of hidden life, the studio revived the house with FAINA’s sustainable, contemporary design pieces born from historical roots and crafts.
Victoria Yakusha, founder and chief designer at Yakusha Design shares her thoughts —“The world is coming through dramatic changes – completely new things are emerging every day, some old concepts come to an end. However, I believe that in this renewal process, we must not lose our roots, the memory of ancestors, sewn into objects of daily use."
Live design appreciates the passage of time; birth, growth, blossom and decay, and is born in the hands of local masters through an approach that both respects and rediscovers traditional craftsmanship. Made of natural materials — wood, clay, wool, willow vine — the pieces nourish the senses and are designed to create an emotional connection. Becoming new “tenants”, breathing life into the old house, the collection pieces include the Felted Domna armchair, the hand knitted giant Strikha pendant lamp, the Ztista dining table and terracotta Toptun chairs. A visual silence of the space is interrupted with the melody of Bandura vase, whose name was taken from an ancient Ukrainian musical instrument. Two paintings by young Ukrainian artist Ihor Tverdokhlib add pure sensuality to the installation.
To see the full range of FAINA design pieces, take a look here.
Images courtesy of Yakusha Design