Architect: Rina Lovko
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Total area: 110 sq.m
Implementation: 2020
Photo by Yevhenii Avramenko
The new project of Rina Lovko Studio is an office for the creative team of the Ukrainian headwear Ruslan Baginskiy brand, about which international versions of Vogue, Forbes, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, Elle and W Magazine write. In his collections, the milliner Ruslan Baginskiy combines traditional production techniques and progressive views on fashion, and it was important for us to reflect this approach in the interior.
The office is located in the architectural monument of the 19th century, Kyiv’s House with lions, next to the brand’s showroom. Unfortunately, the original stucco was destroyed during the last reconstruction, however, following the adaptive minimalism principles – the author’s style of Rina Lovko – we did our best to introduce the preserved interior elements. Thus, part of the brick wall was left untouched with all its texture flaws as well as the Soviet cast-iron batteries, and the wardrobe of the previous owners was repainted to match the office palette.
To emphasize the high ceilings and thus preserve the spirit of the 200-year-old building, the electrical wiring was made open, the walls were rounded for the effect of a single streamlined space and all surfaces were painted in a common palette – a light gray industrial floor made of microcement only highlights the idea.
Having studied the needs of the Ruslan Baginskiy team, the interior was designed with a focus on functionality and aesthetics. For the design and content teams, a custom-made table for six workplaces with separate light sources was designed. In the same area, there is a wardrobe for samples of fabrics, new products and accessories, as well as a creative director’s workplace with shelves for sketches and inspirational decor elements that Ruslan adds to his collection during his travels.
Developing an office for the CEO of the company appeared to be one of the challenges since it was necessary to provide for the possibility of holding private meetings while maintaining the general atmosphere of the open space. To solve the task, the office was separated by a transparent soundproof glass partition to be used as a dry erase board as well.
The neighboring area houses the sales team and PR department of the Ruslan Baginskiy brand, as well as a kitchenette and a lavatory with pink ceramic tiles. In the co-owner of the company and the PR director’s workplace the emphasis is put on vintage furniture – a 1959 teak table and a chest of drawers found in a market in Denmark.
The Kyiv office is the second collaboration between Rina Lovko Studio and Ruslan Baginskiy. Previously, the architect worked on the renovation of the showroom in the adjacent office. To display the brand’s aesthetics in the interior, synergy of views is important, so the project can be safely called a collaboration. Ruslan often mixes flea market and luxury things in his personal style; he would rather choose the beauty of imperfection over unhealthy perfectionism. Therefore, the CEO’s children were allowed to decorate the walls in the office with drawings, the interior provided space for creative chaos, and mostly vintage furniture was used – the GDR times green table lamps, armchairs brought from Switzerland upholstered in sky-blue fabric and the 1960s accent lamps by the Dutch GEPO.
The same principles were followed during the shooting of the office a year after the project was completed. The footage shows how the brand’s team fills and adapts the space: the walls are decorated with Ruslan Baginskiy campaigns of different seasons, on every shelf and on every table there are fashion magazines, awards, mood boards and, of course, new hats of all possible shapes.
