Calming Tranquil Interior Uses White Space, Plants and Art

When faced with the brief of designing a decor scheme for a young couple who just love to travel, the Marra Group came up with a light, clean space where the couple could feel free and inspired. Based in Kyiv, Ukraine, the apartment uses lots of tranquil white space as a key element to maintain a feeling of lightness and clarity. The group wanted the interior to have a calming effect derived from its simplicity, so colourful accents and objects were omitted. Live plants and art pieces were curated to breathe positive energy into the modern space and prevent it from appearing noisy and plastic.

The living room in this home is not of a hugely grand scale yet the large example of contemporary artwork gives it an element of grandeur. Marble wall cladding adds a touch of sophistication and picks up on the pale grey of the modern sofa. A bespoke towering wine storage rack keeps the evenings beverages close at hand, and also works as a see-through room divider behind the seating area. Large white throw pillows soften and extend the low back of the sofa, offering extra comfort when movie night comes around. A large grey area rug pulls the layout together.

A black Flos Mod 265 Wall Lamp stretches out from the marble feature wall, providing task lighting over the L-shaped sofa. An Atollo lamp adds a cosy glow over on the entertainment unit beneath the TV and the retracted projector screen. Various large house plants are dotted throughout the room.

A smoked glass interior door slides back to reveal the next room. The office space situated here has bespoke wooden book shelving fitted into the alcove to house reference volumes and work files.

Fruit bowls always make a functional table centrepiece, and this one suits the simplicity of the scheme. The set of six modern dining chairs and rectangular table here are black, creating contrast with the predominantly white surroundings. An angular dining room pendant light ties in with the monochrome palette.

A large indoor plant forms another type of airy room divider. The one in this white modern planter situated by the kitchen island is a Giant White Bird Of Paradise. Another large plant flanks a comfy bean bag chair in the corner, making it a cosy little place to curl up with a book or maybe snuggle with a furry friend.

The style of a kitchen bar stool can have great impact on the overall look of a kitchen. This strong wooden legged and white seated design is the modern Flow stool. The colourway blends in seamlessly with the decor.

A simple chrome chimney extractor is installed over the cooking hob in the kitchen island. The kitchen countertop continues the marble theme right through. It is reflective of the natural light from the large windows. A stunning cityscape provides the view whilst cooking and eating at the central island. A bar of light runs above the length of the casual eating area.

A bank of black cabinets anchor the light kitchen scheme. The black cabinet fronts are teamed with white wall units, and stand opposite a set of wooden pan drawers set beneath the hob in the island.

Beside the television, two black bucket chairs nestle beside a small table holding wine glasses and a bottle from the huge selection opposite. A tall white modern radiator blends in with the pale room and is mostly hidden behind a bushy potted plant on the entertainment console. Beyond the little drinking area we can see the home office space that is partially concealed by a tinted glass partition.

The stylish ergonomic chair we find here in the home office space is the Herman Miller Aeron. A long desk provides plenty of space to spread out and work, and faces out to the view of the bustling city. Another long bar light, similar to the example we found over the kitchen island, lights the full desktop from above. The work space is uncluttered, devoid of desk lamps, paper trays and pen pots.

Behind another wall of smoked-glass we find the master suite. The bedroom is an uncluttered, relaxing space. A circular floor rug peeps out from beneath a low-level grey upholstered bed.

Two small wall sconces provide nighttime reading light beneath a run of shallow wall cupboards overhead. The additional bedside lamp that adorns the nightstand is the same Atollo lamp as we saw out on the living room TV unit.

Other than the lamp there are no other knick-knacks on the bedside units to keep the space tranquil, promoting restful sleep.

A casually propped piece of art provides the only splash of colour in the bedroom, other than from the greenery of a large potted plant.

The home has a generously sized walk-in closet to keep clothing collections in check and the bedroom clear.

In the bathroom an unexpected pop of colour comes in the form of a wall mounted towel heater. The red rail is the only colour-block item in the room–and the entire home.

The rest of the bathroom follows the colour story that is characteristic of the rest of the home. Slate grey tiles contrast against a bank of crisp white cupboards and a wooden vanity unit.