Birdsnest Apartment in Kiev, Ukraine by Emil Dervish.

Located on the fifth floor of a twentieth-century apartment building in Reytarska, Kiev, architect Emil Dervish transforms friend and film director Marc Raymond Wilkins’ home into a celebration of his unique personality. The 62sqm Birdsnest apartment, which gains its name from its lofty location, is modest in size but feels both generous and inviting.

Deverish successfully weaves contemporary and nostalgic elements into the design of the space, giving a sense that the interior has evolved organically over time. The open plan layout features a cozy, comfortable living area, with key furniture pieces transported by Wilkins from his previous home in Berlin.

Warm wooden textures and a muted colour palette provide a perfect backdrop to the owner’s large art collection of prints and photographs – including a portrait painted by his father located in the bedroom. Personal touches take centre stage in the interior, including a beautiful upright piano inherited from Wilkin’s mother and a large cobalt kitchen sink, which belonged to his great-grandfather.

Bespoke brass details, featured on door and bathroom handles, create an element of luxury in addition to splashes of cobalt blue most prominently on the arch-shaped entrance door. The kitchen area also elegantly plays with the contrast between clean contemporary lines and nostalgic material – black and white cupboard doors matched with brushed brass.

[Images courtesy of Emil Dervish. Photography by Mikhail Loskutov.]