Olga Akulova installs glass walls and monolithic fireplace within Kyiv penthouse
Ukrainian designer Olga Akulova added glazed partitions, metal-topped counters and a wooden bath to this apartment on the 30th level of a condominium in Kyiv.
![Novopecherskie Lipki by Olga Akulova](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/10/Penthouse_Novopecherskie-Lipki_Kiev_Olga-Akulova_dezeen_936_3.jpg)
Akulova was asked to create a space using natural materials that would be suitable for her young client to entertain friends, and was influenced by "the new English style of design".
![Novopecherskie Lipki by Olga Akulova](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/10/Penthouse_Novopecherskie-Lipki_Kiev_Olga-Akulova_dezeen_936_12.jpg)
"I am inspired by the colours that [British] stylist Hanna Franklin uses," Akulova told Dezeen.
"The framework of the flat was amazing, but it was without any particular design."
![Novopecherskie Lipki by Olga Akulova](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/10/Penthouse_Novopecherskie-Lipki_Kiev_Olga-Akulova_dezeen_936_0.jpg)
As the client was keen to have natural materials throughout the Novopecherskie Lipki apartment, Akulova installed structural oak storage systems, with elm wood for the cabinet doors.
![Novopecherskie Lipki by Olga Akulova](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/10/Penthouse_Novopecherskie-Lipki_Kiev_Olga-Akulova_dezeen_936_6.jpg)
In the kitchen, an island was topped with sheet metal that matches the grey colour of the concrete ceiling and structural columns.
Copper-coloured chairs match a pendant light that hangs above the wooden table.
![Novopecherskie Lipki by Olga Akulova](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/10/Penthouse_Novopecherskie-Lipki_Kiev_Olga-Akulova_dezeen_936_1.jpg)
A large sliding glass door connects the master bedroom to the bathroom, where the designer has installed a white metal structure fronted by plants, a black ceramic sink and a wooden bath.
![Novopecherskie Lipki by Olga Akulova](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/10/Penthouse_Novopecherskie-Lipki_Kiev_Olga-Akulova_dezeen_936_8.jpg)
Offset from the bedroom is a reading space, which can again be accessed via sliding glass doors. Floor-to-ceiling windows in this space offer panoramic views of the city and Dnieper River.
![Novopecherskie Lipki by Olga Akulova](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/10/Penthouse_Novopecherskie-Lipki_Kiev_Olga-Akulova_dezeen_936_11.jpg)
In the communal space, a monolithic white rectangle separates the living room and wardrobe area, and contains an open wooden fireplace and a hidden television.
![Novopecherskie Lipki by Olga Akulova](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/10/Penthouse_Novopecherskie-Lipki_Kiev_Olga-Akulova_dezeen_936_25.jpg)
The brief also included the installation of a "clever house" system that would automatically control the temperature, security, lighting and electrical equipment.
![Novopecherskie Lipki by Olga Akulova](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/10/Penthouse_Novopecherskie-Lipki_Kiev_Olga-Akulova_dezeen_936_20.jpg)
Recently, Belgian studio De Meester Vliegen Architecten installed a monolithic marble partition on top of a steel fireplace in an Antwerp penthouse, while Israeli studio Pitsou Kedem Architects has knocked four apartments into one to create a two-storey Tel Aviv property with a rooftop pool.
Photography is by Andrey Avdeenko.
![Novopecherskie Lipki by Olga Akulova](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/10/Penthouse_Novopecherskie-Lipki_Kiev_Olga-Akulova_dezeen_1.gif)