{"id":63183,"date":"2025-08-12T05:11:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T05:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/63183\/"},"modified":"2025-08-12T05:11:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T05:11:06","slug":"the-apartment-with-a-lizard-is-a-bold-surrealist-home-in-kyiv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/63183\/","title":{"rendered":"The Apartment With a Lizard Is a Bold, Surrealist Home in Kyiv"},"content":{"rendered":"

Perched high above Kyiv\u2019s right bank of the Dnipro River, this 1,141-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment is anything but ordinary. Designed by Ukrainian studio metric bureau<\/a> for a creative couple and their cat, the Apartment with a Lizard<\/a> is a fearless exploration of bold design choices. \u201cOur clients were open to taking risks,\u201d says Svitlana Moskalenko, designer and founder of metric bureau. \u201cThey cared most about the emotional experience \u2013 dramatic imagery, contrasting colors, and original ideas.\u201d One partner, with a fashion background, envisioned something with the flair of a cosmic carnival \u2013 dramatic, unconventional, and dripping with personality. The other sought calm retreats for quiet reflection. The result is a dreamy home that balances color and calm, where theatrical moments meet functional ease.<\/p>\n

\"Modern<\/a><\/p>\n

From the moment you step inside, the apartment sets the tone. A monochrome red entryway \u2013 walls, ceiling, and even the light \u2013 feels like stepping into a room in a dollhouse. Sliding glass separates this punch of color from the rest of the home, where the living area is anchored in deep green. At its center, a massive circular opening lined in faux fur becomes both a focal point and a meditative escape. Instead of a lounge chair, the portal invites you to lean in, look out, and engage with the skyline from the 26th-floor balcony, tiled in a rippling, water-like pattern.<\/p>\n

\"Person<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Ukrainian-made pieces bring warmth and identity to the living room: a blue L-shaped sofa by SVOYA Studio, a sculptural Woo armchair, and a mushroom-like Pecherytsia coffee table. Alpi veneer, designed by postmodern master Ettore Sottsass<\/a>, backs the built-in metal shelving, adding a layer of artistry to the couple\u2019s curated collection of books and objects.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Recessed into the entryway\u2019s walls are metal shelves to hold the couple\u2019s shoes in an orderly fashion. Just above, hidden panels disguise easy access to the apartment\u2019s technical systems.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Modern<\/a><\/p>\n

The kitchen is just as distinctive, with cabinetry in the same green as the living area and a mirrored concrete pylon that lightens the room\u2019s architecture. A red Alpi veneer accents the upper cabinets, while a whimsical portrait of a lizard in formal attire \u2013 a work by Ukrainian artist Valery Kuznetsov \u2013 presides over the space. Around a circular dining table, mismatched red and white chairs keep the mood playful, lit from above by a felt pendant lamp from Danish brand Audo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Green<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Modern<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Modern<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Modern<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Modern<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

The bedroom, designed around an oversized custom bed (with over 75 square feet of sleeping space!), channels fantasy through Italian wallpaper by Wall&Deco and a glowing, eclipse-inspired mirror. A fringe-trimmed vanity and lamps add to the theatricality, while chain curtains reveal a sleek, all-black dressing room. Even the bathroom is dramatic featuring contrasting cobalt walls with a striking red sink and shelving \u2013 plus a discreet, cat-friendly cabinet entrance to the litter box.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Moskalenko calls the home one of the studio\u2019s most daring projects to date, a space where the clients\u2019 willingness to take risks allowed for an interior that is as emotionally charged as it is livable. It\u2019s an apartment where every detail \u2013 from a fur-lined portal to a dressed-up lizard \u2013 tells a story, blurring the line between everyday life and a stage set for the imagination.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

The balcony is clad in Seletti water-like floor tiles and black mosaic tile walls and stepped benches, all resulting in a swimming pool feel.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Person<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Woman<\/a><\/p>\n

Svitlana Moskalenko, founder of metric bureau<\/p>\n

\"Architectural<\/a><\/p>\n

To learn more about the Apartment with a Lizard and metric bureau, head to metricbureau.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Photography by Andriy Bezuglov<\/a> and Anastasiia Osypenko<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.<\/p>\n