5 Ukrainian traditions that will make your home luxurious and cozy

On the example of the Shkrub House built by Serhii Makhno for his family, we are telling about forgotten Ukrainian traditions that are back in trend.

The house is built in contemporary Ukrainian style under the influence of the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi which finds beauty and harmony in imperfections. Being almost completely enclosed by a minimalist concrete fence, its character can be seen with half an eye — a proud thatched roof hangs over the wooden rails on the walls.

The first tradition. Garden by the house. A Ukrainian-Japanese one

We pass the stone path to the house and find ourselves in a garden gallery with scents of conifer and freshly mown herbs. Here, Japanese maples and cherry trees met traditional Ukrainian zoomorphic pottery and contemporary art. Here, there are 250 tons of stones and several perspectives, as common for Japanese gardens. The Japanese believe that the stone itself must choose where to lie. And so it happened here — in a few months, the garden grew on the site of a wasteland by itself, without human intervention. Now squirrels and nightingales live here, and the morning tastes good.

The second tradition. Clay walls as in houses-mazanka

Take a step into the house and get absorbed by the cool of 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 modelling. 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.

The third tradition. Ceramics

Serhii Makhno is an enthusiastic collector. He started collecting Ukrainian ceramics as a kid playing around his grandparents’ house in the village. He found the very first ceramic jugs in the yard, cleaned them and started to search for more. Now, the most significant part of Serhii’s collections is represented on this wall — there are clay products from Trypillia, 5–2nd Millenium BC.

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 also be found in the Paris gallery. Sinks and children’s baths are also created in the ceramic workshop of Serhii Makhno.

The fourth tradition. Giving new life to the old things

The wall and ceiling are decorated with wood — we just dismantled 11 old abandoned houses.

Giving a second life to things is the best we can do for our planet.

The fifth tradition. Art

This house is also home to an impressive collection of contemporary Ukrainian art. These are the works by Oleg Tistol, Serhii Radko, Nazar Bilyk, Roman Mykhailov, Pavlo Makov, Oleksiy Zolotariov, and Tiberiy Silvashy. Besides, there are famous Kaws and designer art-toys by Serhii Makhno — Dido, made in the ancient Ukrainian tradition of zoomorphic plastics.

Full case you will find here .