With sleek lines and neutral color palettes, modern design can sometimes stand in stark contrast to surrounding nature. However, when a designer like Anton Biytsev is able to take the most important tenets of modern beauty and bring in natural elements as well, it can really bring a space to life. The five Kiev apartments here were each designed by Biytsev. They include a lot of grey, white, and natural wood but each also features an interior vertical garden. Some are subtle while others are more bold and blossoming but each brings a special atmosphere to the entire home.
The first apartment nestles a small wall garden in the living room, amongst industrial-style concrete slabs.
The living room features a slick, modern fireplace that uses natural wood paneling and brings some warmth to the otherwise angular design.
The small kitchen features dark wood cabinetry and caged light bulbs, which are also a hallmark design element of the warm industrial style.
Texture is also important in this design, from the cushy sofa and armchair to the varied texture of the wall planting and of course the smooth wood floors and concrete walls.
In the second apartment, we see many of the same cool gray colors, including an expansive and cozy sofa in the living room that could easily double as a bed.
The luxurious bedroom keeps with the dark colors, creating a separate space for the massive four poster bed and a welcoming area for watching the mounted television.
This time it's the dining room that features the living wall, and does so quite dramatically.
A creative gold ribbon light fixture contrasts beautifully with the plants growing from the wall in a marriage of manmade and natural elements.
The bedroom also brings in its own nod to nature with a beautiful oversized bonsai tree.
A simple kitchen area with wooden bar stools is very open and modern.
The kitchen and dining area are separated from one another by the creative use of a fireplace, allowing the fire to provide modern ambience to both rooms at once.
In the third apartment, while gray is still widely utilized, a lighter nearly white version on the walls opens up the space.
Reflective kitchen cabinetry makes light bounce around the room playfully but looks super slick.
With a creatively tufted bed, large area rug and slatted walls, the bedroom makes interesting use of texture, creating a sense of being enveloped and safe.
On the other hand, the living room is made up largely of right angles and straight lines, from a marble-style accent wall to an angular modern sofa and chrome coffee table.
A second bedroom, with an even more textured bed in a chocolaty brown velour, would be a dreamy place for guests to spend a night.
The entryway to this apartment gives the distinct impression of entering a sophisticated lair.
The fourth apartment is a bit smaller, but sticks to many of the same aesthetics, including a creative living wall.
Wire light fixtures in the living room are large, but because the design is so open they don't cut off any space.
A small modern loveseat pulls double duty as a breakfast bench.
The final apartment brings a bit more color into the equation. And that color is a bold and stylish mustard yellow.
The space also makes use of levels, with an elevated dining room that gives the apartment a distinct sense of elegance.
Other elements, however, such as a patterned backsplash in the kitchen and colorful wall art, keep the overall feeling light and livable.
This is also the only apartment that does not feature a living wall, instead allowing the greenery from outside to shine in, and pulling in its vibrant colors with small potted plants and branches.
