LIFE BEYOND FIRST CLASS
DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE
COLOR QUEEN
The buzzworthy, bold interiors created by young designer Daria Zinovatnaya give the word Instagrammable new meaning.
JESSICA HALL
A few years ago, at the young age of twenty-five, Ukrainian designer Daria Zinovatnaya opened her own studio. Since then, her creations have been going viral on the Internet. Rightly so as her unusual color combinations and graphic compositions, bring something fresh to the design world, while staying on-trend and innovative at the same time.
Zinovatnaya’s design process begins with color. Her painter’s palette mainly consists of saturated colors: rust-brown, moss green, ocher yellow, and night blue; and occasionally a bit of purple, brick brown, golden yellow and ultramarine. “It is thanks to the colors that my work really comes to life. In my ideal world, people are not afraid to use a lot of color,” Zinovatnaya says. “I always start each new assignment with the color scheme. If that’s right, the shapes are added.”
An alluring design of this contemporary residence is just as captivating as its surroundings. Chevalier Morales integrated the site’s natural elements with modern convenience, creating a masterpiece at the core of hazardous terrain. A west-facing pool is ensconced by walls of natural sand limestone, a material that is further capturing the attention of architects as the decade begins. The need for sustainability within the realms of real estate will not quash the desire for style, but instead will be integrated in the coming years. Hemlock textured polished concrete add additional soft tones to its palatable designs.
Her signature graphic interiors are a sure standout. Striking wall arrangements feature extreme color blocking that extends from the walls to the ceiling. Basic geometric shapes create her bespoke furniture line. The Suprematist Movement, an abstract Russian art movement that became world-famous around 1915, and of Kazimir Malevich, one of the movement’s best-known promoters, heavily influences her work. “Like the Suprematists, I like to experiment with colors and shapes. Two seemingly simple ingredients with which you can do very exciting things,” says Zinovatnaya. “When designing, I also draw much of my inspiration from Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand Jean Prouvé, and Johannes Itten (whom I named my second furniture line after).”
Zinovatnaya has received several design accolades and has been commissioned to design interiors for private residences, corporate offices, fashion boutiques, and even trade show booths. So, what’s next? “I would like to further develop my furniture line.”