Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Magical Mansion in Ukraine
Eastern and Western European design combine in this colorful and eclectic home
A blend of Sleeping Beauty's castle and the cottage from Hansel and Gretel, this home in Ivankovychi, Ukraine, looks like it popped out of the pages of a fairy tale. A Tudor-inspired exterior holds expansive rooms filled with bold decor and natural light. "It's the first building you see when approaching the village," says designer Vladimir Lompier of Lompier & Co. "It's almost like a greeting card."
Lompier worked on this house twice: once for a young businessman who wanted a traditional structure with minimalistic interiors, and a second time for a couple with two children who found the minimal decor unacceptable. "We had to redesign almost every room in the house," says Lompier, "making each floor warmier, cozier, and more livable."
Lompier worked on this house twice: once for a young businessman who wanted a traditional structure with minimalistic interiors, and a second time for a couple with two children who found the minimal decor unacceptable. "We had to redesign almost every room in the house," says Lompier, "making each floor warmier, cozier, and more livable."
Simple colors were chosen for the exterior, since the natural surroundings of the Ukranian mountains provide plenty of color, particularly in the spring and summer. Bold red tones were infused into the pavement around the home to contrast with the environment's vibrant green.
Lompier designed the clean, contemporary interior as a stark contrast to the traditional exterior of the home. There are two main color schemes for the interior of the house. The more formal and public spaces — such as this main living room — use fresh, airy and cool tones. Lompier stuck to grays, blues, and whites for most of these rooms. But for the more private rooms — such as the bedrooms — he chose a warmer scheme that mainly plays with shades of brown.
Each of these main rooms have several lighting scenarios — including a more festive option for special occasions and parties. The firm found most of the pieces in the house from Fine Art Lamps and Circa Lighting, although several are from Italian and German manufacturers as well.
Each of these main rooms have several lighting scenarios — including a more festive option for special occasions and parties. The firm found most of the pieces in the house from Fine Art Lamps and Circa Lighting, although several are from Italian and German manufacturers as well.
The clients wanted chandeliers and pendants throughout most of the home, so these big and bold pieces became a huge part of the overall design. A sculptural metal chandelier was installed in the two-story entry hall. This fixture can be seen from the library and the rooms on the first floor.
The combined dining and kitchen space is Lompier's favorite room in the house. A smooth blend of classic and modern designs, a large window facing one of the surrounding pine forests provides plenty of natural light.
Much of the wood was stained, treated, and varnished by Lompier and his crew to achieve the same aged effect the exterior dictates.
The master bedroom is lofted on the home's top floor. Both this bedroom and the library have slanted ceilings from the angle of the roof.
The warmer color scheme of the bedrooms is clear in this room. The rich browns, yellows, and reds echo the natural tones on the exterior landscape, but stay grounded with the traditionally styled black-and-white furniture.
A pair of symmetrical guest bedrooms on the second floor were designed mainly for the owners' two older daughters — each in a very different style. This one has a more romantic and traditional look, meant to evoke the feeling of a safe haven. The idea was that this room would become a piece of childhood the girls could always return to.
The second guest bedroom was done in a more contemporary, mature style. Each of these rooms could provide something very different for each of the clients' daughters when they're living there.
The owner of the house had been a frequent hunter, so Lompier & Co gave this room an Indiana Jones-like style. Two large white curtains make it seem like you're peering out of a tent in a 19th-century African expedition. The firm incorporated a wide variety of finishes and materials, including wood, leather, copper, and brass.
This room and the lofted master bedroom are the only rooms where the building structure is revealed to the interior through exposed beams and trusses.
This room and the lofted master bedroom are the only rooms where the building structure is revealed to the interior through exposed beams and trusses.
A Victorian fireplace was installed into a custom wood mantle. Paneling in dark antic oak was made for the back wall to make the room feel more like a traditional library space. The industrial looking light fixtures are from Ralph Lauren.
While the main rooms in the household have a very unique mix of new and modern styles, all of the bathrooms are very sleek and streamlines models of glass and marble. "This home's style is rather difficult to define, but transitional seems to be the best word," Lompier says. "There's an eclectic mixture of styles, ranging from Tudor in the exterior to contemporary in the bathrooms."
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