Bright Colors Meet Bold Patterns in This Compact Oslo Abode

Through careful zoning and thoughtful selection of shades and shapes, a Ukrainian designer creates a vibrantly cozy Norwegian apartment.

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Michele Koh Morollo

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Ukrainian industrial and interior designer Daria Zinovatnaya has never been one to be afraid of experimenting with color and geometry. Her products, hotels, restaurants, and apartment interiors are often dynamic compositions that bring to mind the paintings of Piet Mondrian or Wassily Kandinsky, with a good of measure of Memphis-style quirkiness.

Naturally, the 807-square-foot apartment she recently designed for a client in Oslo, Norway, is no exception. Due to the home's compact size and unusual layout, Zinovatnaya decided to split the space into three zones.

A Cosmorelax Essex sofa sits in the living area, along with Maxalto Fulgens armchairs.

Now, the living, dining, and kitchen areas are located in the first zone, a master bedroom and bathroom occupy the second zone, and a guest bedroom and bathroom are contained within the third.

A bespoke kitchen counter effortlessly blends into the living room, where a Diciotto x2 chandelier hangs to provide warm, cozy lighting.

The aesthetics for the apartment were inspired by French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier, and the home has been dubbed CORB as a tribute.

"The inspiration came to me when I studied the work of Le Corbusier," Zinovatnaya explains, as she had studied works of the acclaimed designer during the year she worked on the apartment. "Playing with colors and shapes resulted in a very unique and graphic space," she adds.

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In the dining area sits Finn Juhl 109 chairs, a bespoke table, as well as a chandelier from Flos. There is also a Le Corbusier painting on the wall.

She used Benjamin Moore paint for the color-blocked surfaces, terra-cotta colored tiles for the kitchen backsplash, and a wine-colored "tile-carpet" under the dining table.

A look at the second zone of the home, which contains a custom-designed bed.

The apartment’s original windows were restored and painted during the redesign, and self-leveling concrete was integrated for the floors. Many of the large furniture items—such as the dining table, which was fashioned after the clean shapes and lines seen in Le Corbusier’s Villa La Roche in Paris—were also custom-designed.

A Brodware console sink has been integrated on the opposite side of the bed.

"My clients, in one way or another, are connected with creativity. They are ready for experiments. Before I begin designing, I play with colors and shapes to find balance. The goal of CORB was to use color and a variety of shapes to create interesting compositional decisions," notes Zinovatnaya.