Delicate lighting, rounded types and impartial colors create a welcoming ambiance inside this intercourse store in Kyiv by Ukrainian designers Sofiia Hupalovska and Nataliya Stukonog, with playful particulars together with a phallic pouf.
Hupalovska and Stukonog, who labored collectively at structure and interiors studio Balbek Bureau earlier than Hupalovska arrange her personal agency in 2021, needed to create an inclusive and engaging inside that stands other than the gaudy fashion of most grownup shops.
“The idea behind Inside was to create a intercourse store expertise that defies the everyday, cliche aesthetics related to such areas,” Hupalovska defined.
“As a substitute of the standard neon lights and stereotypical symbols like strawberries, Inside was designed to supply a refined, subtle atmosphere.”
To attain this goal, the designers used a muted palette comprising shades of cream and gray that enable the merchandise to face out.
Metallic finishes assist to brighten the house by reflecting mild whereas contributing to the fashionable aesthetic. These surfaces, primarily used for wall panelling and accents, additionally distinction with softer particulars comparable to curtains and upholstered furnishings.
The store is ready in a basement with none pure mild, so the designers determined to include a backlit ceiling panel that gives a tender, even glow much like daylight.
Guests are welcomed by a reception desk, positioned in entrance of a metallic backdrop to create a vibrant and welcoming house with a semi-private really feel.
Within the reception space, a curvaceous couch is embellished with the stylised define of a feminine physique. Right here, prospects can chill out whereas shopping merchandise or awaiting help.
The primary retail house offers a easy and impartial setting for presenting merchandise on built-in cabinets. A central counter with rounded edges offers a floor for employees to help prospects with product enquiries.
“The tender edges of the counter scale back visible harshness, selling a sense of approachability,” mentioned Hupalovska.
“Its central location may encourage a circulation of motion across the house, guiding guests naturally towards numerous sections and product shows.”
The cabinets had been designed to fight one other problem arising from the shop’s basement setting. The present partitions lacked straight surfaces, making it difficult to put in standalone shelving items, so built-in storage supplied a sensible and extra streamlined resolution.
The built-in cabinets contribute to the clean-lined look of the inside, with curved edges on the higher niches mirroring the contours used all through the house.
The store’s furnishings and fixtures had been largely custom-made by Ukrainian contractors, with many items designed utilizing rounded, natural shapes. Examples embrace a playful pouf within the becoming room that resembles a penis.
The becoming room additionally options curtains that may be drawn for privateness and a curving mild wall that gives uniform lighting for patrons making an attempt on gadgets.
A sink in the primary show space was designed as a monolithic ingredient with a concrete end that enhances the store’s uncooked, industrial theme, alongside the uncovered pipes and ducting.
Total, the store’s inside seeks to steadiness performance and a minimalist aesthetic with softer touches to contribute to a discreet and fulfilling purchasing expertise.
“The house strikes a steadiness between sophistication and playfulness, achieved via rigorously chosen supplies, colors and shapes that really feel luxurious but accessible,” Hupalovska mentioned.
Throughout her time at Kyiv-based Balbek Bureau, Hupalovska labored on tasks together with an inside for a gender-neutral salon and cocktail bar with concrete surfaces and gold accents.
Different tasks from the studio embrace a contemporary restaurant that comes with basic Ukrainian types and a home that reinterprets the normal log cabin utilizing stainless-steel and concrete.
The pictures is by Yevhenii Avramenko.
