Oksana Levchenya turns a 1960s village house near Kyiv into a guesthouse

In the village of Derev'yana, near Kyiv, one ordinary 1960s house now stands out for the mural on its facade, painted by its owner, the Ukrainian artist Oksana Levchenya, and inspired by Ukrainian modernism and Suprematism. Hata Yarova is the first of three neighbouring Soviet-era homes she is remodelling as guesthouses. The idea began in the pandemic, but since the 2022 invasion it has become, she tells Wallpaper*, a kind of defiance, and a place of rest for people who have stayed in Ukraine.

She calls her method "intuitive additive architecture", letting the house take shape through slow additions rather than a fixed plan. A new roof brought an attic of guest rooms; the old porch's planks became the staircase; an extension holds the kitchen and bathroom. Salvage is everywhere: big arched windows cut down and reassembled, decking from a timber platform at the former Kosmos factory, and a bathroom mixing 1960s and 70s tiles with hand-painted pieces from Kharkiv and Spanish ceramics.

Inside are a restaurant stove, a 1930s wooden chest with deep family meaning, and Levchenya's own textile work, including a white totem and rugs from her brand OLK Manufactory.

The article gives no booking details, so it's one to follow for now, especially if you care about craft, reuse and rebuilding.

Our summary of a story from Wallpaper*, published 7 November 2026. Read the original