- Interior
With their style of 'soft and rational minimalism' the Ukrainian design agency Dezest creates timeless interiors and homes. Designer Elena Kisenko does not like flashy spaces but fills them with warmth and makes them both functional and comfortable.
With over a dozen projects not only in Ukraine, but also in Russia, Germany, Denmark, the United States and the United Arab Emirates, this interior design and architecture agency has already put together a beautiful portfolio over the past four years. It was founded in 2016 by two like-minded souls, Daniil Taraskin as CEO and project manager and Elena Kisenko as chief architect and creative director. ‘I still feel that we are only at the beginning of our journey,’ Taraskin tells us. 
With each project, they learn, develop their skills and vision and their philosophy becomes clearer. Yet they already have a series of impressive achievements to their name and dare to set ambitious goals. It all started when they decided the name of their agency. ‘We didn't want to have a bureau with our names in the name, initially aiming at building a brand. We needed a name that was clear enough and memorable that would contain a certain message,’ says Taraskin. ‘Dezest’ is a combination of the agency's two main focuses: 'design', the rational and precise aspect, and 'aesthetics', the more subjective and artistic component.
Spaces filled with warmth that are also functional and comfortable.
Dezest is not known for ostentatios and gaudy projects, although they do very much stand out and will grab your attention in their stylish simplicity. ‘I like it when architecture speaks to me in a whisper, I get tired of flashy buildings and interiors,’ explains designer Elena Kisenko. Over the years, her design philosophy has evolved along with her personality, she tells us. Dezest’s projects are now mainly an expression of timelessness, characterised by what they call a ‘soft and rational minimalism’. 
In addition to their minimalist aesthetics and timeless solutions, a high level of functionality is invariably at the basis of a project. Comfort for the user is, of course, an important aspect that is taken into account in all areas. This means that there is also plenty of room for personality: ‘We try to make interiors with character,’ says the designer. So, every project has a different outcome and this is one of the things that appeal the most to her in her profession. ‘I like to feel the diversity and depth of my profession, living each of my projects like a small episode of another life,’ Kisenko tells us. 
From the projects we see here, we can already see that this approach and vision pays off. The rooms radiate warmth and comfort, but also a special individuality that we find enormously inspiring. Moreover, they appeal to an international level, which is why we hope to see even more of this Ukrainian design agency in the coming years. They themselves certainly have the ambition to grow further in this direction. ‘I like the principle expressed by Patrick Geddes: Think globally, act locally. This is precisely the basis of our vision. We see us as a global bureau with projects and offices around the world while keeping our base and headquarter in Kyiv,’ says Daniil Taraskin, who as CEO shares with us his dreams for the future of Dezest. We hope those dream can come true soon and we will keep an eye out for the many more inspiring projects they will undoubtedly realise! 
You can find the whole article on Dezest in Imagicasa Autumn 2020. You can still order this issue through our webshop.
Photography by Dezest