August 18, 2025 | DESIGN & INTERIORS
the TIMBER MANIFESTO
words Elena Grabar
photos Mikhail Loskutov
style Natalya Yagofarova
Designed by interior architect Olga Ryukina for her own family, this timber-clad country home sits quietly among old spruces on a secluded woodland plot. At once architectural and intimate, it serves both as a retreat and as a personal design manifesto.
LIVING WITH THE TREES
When choosing the site, preserving the forest was the first principle. “We didn’t remove a single tree,” says Ryukina. “The house had to be part of the landscape, not imposed on it.” She oriented the building so that the main rooms face the forest, with floor-to-ceiling glazing opening the interiors to the view. The trees, she says, are the home’s true decoration—and its greatest luxury.
Though her husband had long dreamed of a wooden house, Ryukina opted to add interior plasterboard walls to create more functional zoning. This brought technical challenges—wood moves, plaster does not—but with the help of engineers, the structural dynamics were resolved. The result is a space where the warmth of timber meets the precision of thoughtful planning.
CIRCULARITY AND CALM
The ground floor is fluid and intuitive. A double-height living room anchors the layout, which flows into a smaller lounge, dining area, kitchen, and pantry, with a guest bathroom and entrance hall completing the loop. “I love circular plans,” the designer explains. “They make daily life easier and offer multiple paths through the house—there’s always more than one way to move from A to B.”
Upstairs, the mood shifts. The private wing includes the master bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe and study, a guest room, a child’s bedroom, and a family bathroom. In the central hall, open bookshelves frame a quiet reading nook with a view into the treetops.
NATURAL TEXTURES, LAYERED TONES
Every surface was considered with care. Porcelain stoneware defines the entry axis, while natural wood flooring adds warmth elsewhere. Marble—used for kitchen and bathroom counters—brings a tactile richness that Ryukina finds irresistible. “It’s not the most practical, but I love how it looks and feels. That matters more to me.”
Timber remains the leading actor, yet it shares the stage with steel, tinted wall finishes, and custom joinery. Niches for logs are clad in brushed metal; a book alcove in the living room is tiled; door portals and a reading niche are finished in fine veneer. Vertical rhythms recur throughout—from panelled doors and wardrobes to ribbed glass and wooden handles.
Even the art aligns with this geometry. In the upstairs hallway, a papier-mâché panel by Ulyana Khokhlova echoes the forest’s silent lines.
A LOVE OF VINTAGE AND DETAIL
The home’s atmosphere emerged piece by piece—guided by instinct and emotion. It began with a set of vintage Italian dining chairs and an armchair for the lounge. Slowly, the rest followed: a bespoke steel table, a curving sofa, a custom bed, stair sconces designed by Ryukina herself. “I always mix vintage with contemporary and made-to-order items. It softens the space and makes it feel lived-in, less defined by time.”
This is a house born of attention—quiet, layered, and deeply personal. A retreat not only into nature, but into a world shaped by light, material, and the subtle discipline of beauty.
