In Kyiv, a much-loved neighbourhood coffee shop has been reconditioned, emerging with an interior that feels familiar yet cinematic. The venue, known to locals simply as Frank, had remained unchanged for nine years, and when the time came to refresh the space, the brief was clear: “nothing glossy-new, nothing overworked.” Instead, the owner wanted an interior with a lived-in sensibility, softened by a sense of Milanese barroom chic.
Designer Yana Molodykh proceeded with the pint-sized 19 square metre project where stainless steel became the defining material. During the works, filmed and shared remotely while Molodykh was abroad, the removal of the protective film revealed red-toned steel walls that caught the light. The effect was mesmerising, recalling the shimmer of the Northern Lights and setting the emotional tone for the space.
In the main hall, Mutina floor tiles shape the design, while original glass blocks were preserved as a nod to continuity. Their countertop was updated to marble, striking a quiet balance between old and new. Walls are finished in French Argile paint, with the red tones sealed in glossy lacquer to amplify depth. Stainless steel reappears overhead, forming the ceiling, cornices, and skirting boards; a move that subtly stretches the proportions of the compact room. One returning customer is widely known to have asked if the walls had been moved.
Material contrast plays a role throughout. Original brickwork is retained and highlighted in a smoky matte blue, while drywall surfaces adopt a glossy berry red. This distinction gently separates the barista workspace from the customer area, where lighting and colour are deliberately subdued.
For Molodykh, the project was driven by story. She imagined Italian modernist Gio Ponti wandering into Kyiv, drawn by the nearby circular covered market designed by Alla Anishchenko. The shared language of geometry between Ponti’s work and Kyiv’s modernist architecture became the conceptual thread.
When locals voiced fears of losing the Frank they loved, Molodykh chose preservation. Familiar elements stayed, visitors returned, and footfall increased. The result is an interior that is at once highly-polished and chic, friendly and inviting.
Frank Coffee Kyiv Photography, Yevhenii Avramenko.
