HOUSE WITH SVITLYTSIA | Mariana Boryslavska

Rethinking classics and traditions in the new house.  The owners admire classical things and Ukrainian décor.  My work on the interior of this house started when the walls and inter-floor covering were already erected. Each floor has a small area and a narrow hall.  Due to this peculiarity of architectural planning and the lack of space on the first floor, we furnished a living room on the third floor and called it svitlytsia. 

Historically, svitlytsia was an upper room, the main room in the Ukrainian house, a chamber, a living room. We combined old and new elements, like ceramics, authentic Ukrainian woven textiles, classic furniture and my original contemporary paintings. We gathered a collection of pottery from Lviv, Kyiv and Ivano-Frankivsk authors, including works by ceramist Olga Bezpalkiv (Lviv) and potter Volodymyr Dovgan (Kyiv region). A century-old chest from Ivano-Frankivsk region was purchased specifically for this house. Decorative pillows were sewn from traditional sackcloth and handmade Ukrainian wool fabric once worn by the owner of this house. This way, we gave a new life to a thing that holds cherished memories for the owner. This wonderful Ukrainian woven fabric has added a special touch to pillows on the red living room couch.

The house will be gathering the entire family for traditional holidays and family celebrations -owners’ children and grandchildren. There are bedrooms for them on the second and third floors, making up the total of three bedrooms in the house.

The stairs with wrought iron railings and cast decorative elements are central to the house. They added a chiselled touch and rhythm to the small narrow hall.

I was the one to paint portraits of Ukrainian poets in sepia for this design. The portraits were inspired by memories of grandparents’ house. 

I believe that modern interior design may include things that have history and can pass this history on to future generations. I managed to create a warm and cozy atmosphere in the house and combined old and new things.