In the latest installment of HD’s Meet the Minds series, the founders of Kiev-based practice Yudin Design, Vladimir and Aleksandr Yudin, discuss what it’s like being in business with your twin brother, design inspirations, and how they approach creating memorable, comprehensive experiences with each of their projects.
Where did you grow up? How did it influence your career path?
Vladimir Yudin: We grew up in Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine, during the Soviet era. Later, when we did our university studies, we were faced with deep ideological changes as Ukraine became independent from the Soviet Union. Our training as designers took place in a historical period when everyone was inspired by the Ukrainian culture and a feeling of freedom, which influenced our first works. From a stylistic point of view, Ukrainian interior design is close to Scandinavian style, and this, along with the influence of minimalism, is one of our main directions today.
What are some of your first memories of design?
Aleksandr Yudin: I think artists, in general, can take inspiration from everything, it’s just in their blood. It may sound strange, but we got our first impressions of design from our father, a professional driver who happened to collaborate with many famous artists and film directors. From a very young age, we saw sketches of cinematic locations and we observed how people developed incredible concepts and ideas. All of this gave us a strong imagination and showed how important a beautiful visual is to every story.
California, an American-style Asian restaurant, features a natural palette of stone, marble, and wood
Give us a bit of your background: college, first jobs, early lessons learned.
VY: At the time of our university studies in Ukraine, there was no such profession as interior or identity design so we chose a common course on graphics. We started to [do design] work during the first year, but it had to remain a job that could be done in our free time. These conditions and our first acquaintances steered us toward [restaurant design]. Our first job was impressive, and the restaurant management recommended our services to other shops, which eventually led us to start collaborating with the largest restaurant chain in Ukraine: Kozyrna Karta.
AY: With the interior design of restaurants, we found the exact field where we could show our skills: making beautiful graphics, creating special concepts, and organizing elegant places.
When and why did you decide to launch Yudin Design?
AY: We decided to launch Yudin Design while we were working on the first café for the chain ONE Love Coffee. The owner Vladimir Zadiraka gave us the chance to develop the whole identity and concept for the interior and our role immediately changed—from decorators to designers who were responsible for the conception and branding. At that moment, we decided to open our company, to further develop our ideas on identity and interior design.
What is it like being business partners with your twin?
VY: In Ukraine, the family businesses are not as popular as in Europe or the United States, but for us it was the best solution because we share the same passions and we grew up with the same dreams, and now we can work to make them come true together. We always have someone with whom we can freely speak about projects or doubts, even at unsuitable times or on weekends. This is the best support we can give—and have—in our business.
Yudin Design has designed four locations for the Takava Coffee Buffet chain
Tell us about a few of your recent projects.
We have gradually developed and created a chain of four coffee bars for Takava Coffee Buffet from scratch, with the fourth edition opening this year. The element that inspired this project was the cezve, the traditional Turkish coffee pot, which we expressed in the logo as well as in the shape of the lamps, tables, and other furniture.
At PRO Espresso, we opted for a Scandinavian, future-forward style with natural, eco-friendly interiors. We used oak, glass, metal, and concrete to demonstrate the brand’s ethos, and it was our intention to highlight the professionalism of the baristas, no more hidden under large machines thanks to a modern, progressive modbar.
The main element that inspired us for the Bull Butcher and Wine steakhouse interior was the bull. Thus, the logo of this restaurant has the letter U in the shape of a bull’s horn. Our priority was to include the maximum number of seats possible and still leave enough freedom of movement for the staff.
What architect or designer do you admire most?
AY: Interior designer Vicente Wolf—for his clean, simple, but at the same time refined and absolutely stimulating style.
VY: Architect and designer Philippe Starck—for his vision of forms and ability to modify them.
What is your dream project?
AY: We would like to participate in some projects dedicated to the whole community, such as a library for the university where we graduated. Moreover, many of Ukraine’s former government structures are very old and represent a Soviet style that should be renewed, so we would like to have the chance to help change that one day, too.
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? Where would you eat and what would you be having?
AY: Luke Bisson, because we were so inspired by cinema and directors as children. His works always represent attractive images, different stories and scenarios, and make him appear as an almost legendary personality. We would meet and host at one of the restaurants we designed and are especially fond of, Bull Butcher and Wine, to enjoy a fantastic typical Ukrainian dinner.
If you weren’t in your current career, what would you be doing?
VY: In any case we would work together and, due to our past experiences in hospitality, would perhaps be chefs or restaurant owners.
PRO Espresso is characterized by a Scandinavian-influenced design enlivened by futuristic details
