Shkrub House丨乌克兰丨Makhno Studio

Architects:Makhno Studio

Area:370m²

Year:2019

City:Kozyn

Country:Ukraine

Text description provided by the architects. The house, like a construction set, is made of Serhii Makhno’s favorite materials: linen, wood, clay, and metal — the best things nature has given us.

Clay. There are several types of Ukrainian clay used here. The walls are decorated in 9 different techniques. One of them, for instance, is commonly used in ceramic sculpture modeling. To get a texture with rhythmical dints, the walls were covered with clay and knocked with a wooden spoon until they got dry. Also, according to ancient Ukrainian traditions, the clay was mixed with flax seeds, rye, and wheat — this technique was used in the times of Trypillia.

Ceramics. All the lighting in the house is designed by MAKHNO Studio. Made by hand, in limited editions, by one person for another. In the main living room, there are our KHMARA lamps that never rain and can be also found in the Paris gallery. Sinks and children’s baths are also created in the ceramic workshop of Serhii Makhno.

About passion. The Shkrub House has two entrances — from the facade and the courtyard. The residents immediately fell in love with the second one. Right next to it, there is a terrace illuminated by the stars and the designer lamps by MAKHNO Studio. Make a step into the house and the cool of clay will absorb not only the telephone but also all the worries, “urgent-s” and “necessary-s”. The stairs to the second floor run to the right, and the main area of ​​the house is located to the left.

The walls are decorated in the technique used by our great-grandparents for their huts. The space is divided into three parts: an open kitchen, a dining area, and a living room. This part underwent major changes during the redevelopment of the original house that was here before the architect became its owner. Uniting two floors was the only right solution for this object. All the architects understand that space and light are the best things you can give to any place. A panoramic view of the garden is offered by a huge window. All the family stories are protected by a silent guest — the sculpture “Rain” by Nazar Bilyk.

About Shkrub. You may be wondering what the word “Shkrub” means. Shkrub is love. It is respect and patience. It is home. It is sons. It is 10 years together. Shkrub is a fictitious word the spouses call each other — Serhii and his wife Vlada, who is also engaged in interior design. That’s how they are named in each other’s phone books.

About Tea. The dining area is the family’s favorite one. It sings an ode to a tree — warm, simple, perfect. Every place at the table offers a great view — to the living room, garden, or terrace. If you ask Serhii what Japan means to him, a tea ceremony will be the first mentioned. Teacups are more commonly used in this home than wine glasses. The house has two kitchens. The minimalism of the open one is emphasized by a wooden table from a flea market, that replaced the kitchen tabletop. This table was born in 1935, and several generations of the Hutsul family have dined at it. The closed kitchen was designed according to Ukrainian traditions. Above the table, there is a “mysnyk” — special authentic shelves for dishes. The apron of the kitchen is protected by Serhii Makhno’s designer ceramic tile ROCK. You can exit the kitchen through the window — everything in this house is made for ease of decision-making.

About the point of view. The stairs to the second floor hold glass handrails and ginger TETRAPODS — the designer tile by MAKHNO Studio inspired by actual multi-tone tetrapods that protect coasts from destructive waves. Second-floor planning is simple and ergonomic. There are gallery halls and bedrooms for the residents. The hall ends with a balcony overlooking the living room and garden — the first thing owners see when they leave their rooms in the morning.

The decor here is represented by the 16-century ceramic tile and the guardian angels above the doors to the children’s bedrooms. The window overlooks the second level of the stone garden and a rooftop terrace. This is analogous to one of the most famous Japanese gardens — the stone garden of Ryōan-ji in Kyoto. The rocks and sand in Ryōan-ji are like the sea and land, two inseparable entities. 15 large stones in the garden are laid out in such a way that no matter how hard you try, no more than 14 stones can be seen together. It is believed that only the person who has attained true enlightenment can see all the 15 ones.

Serhii’s parents are frequent guests in this house. It is believed that grandparents love grandchildren more than children — in Ukraine, the connection between these two generations is very strong. Therefore, in the evenings, when Serhii and his wife are downtown, the kids are being watched by their grandparents. Their room is very simple and restrained. The traditional for Japan low mattress is no longer surprising to Serhii’s parents — they are used to the creative experiments with their son.

And for the first time our FLAPJACK, which received the Red Dot Design Award 2017, is made in this color. Looks unusual, but great. The guest bathroom is a gallery of designer tiles by Serhii Makhno. Here are the GRASS and EARTHQUAKE in two versions: glazed and metal-reduced.

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