If there is one establishment that can compete with the 330-boutique, 8-story shimmering extravaganza that is London's Harrods, it is the recently unveiled YDF Interiors' "Living Concept" flagship opposite. The three-story showroom might well go unnoticed against Harrods' monumental terracotta façade, but step inside, and the full scope of this new innovative décor destination is revealed.
With more than 100 of the world's most coveted interior brands presented in an immersive, cutting-edge living space setting, YDF Interiors isn't just one of London's best furniture shops. Past its brutalist cement doorstep, a captivating, design-led journey awaits, punctuated by sleek surfaces, mesmerizing visual installations, and exquisite materials.
A synergetic encounter between the Ukrainian architecture and design studio Yodezeen, and the Warsaw and Kyiv-based high-end global interior design company Domio, with their respective CEOs and co-founders, Artem Zverev and Julia Danilova, at its helm, "YDF Interiors celebrates modern interior design at its finest," Danilova tells me of the brand's London showroom as she sits on a finely crafted, olive-green shearling oversized sofa, one of the many Poltrona Frau creations in sight. "If this is what you're excited about, if it's your passion, then you're in the right place."
Rising all around her, as if in a flamboyant art collector's home, is a series of bronze and brass-cast suggestive sculptures, including Italian artist Lorenzo Quinn's Love Levitates — a colossal statue of two lovers floating mid-air, wrapped in nothing but a marble sheet — and an equally impressive edit of lighting, organically shaped upholstered seating, artisanal wall and kitchen fixtures, as well as precious collectibles, like Taschen's design coffee table books or Cire Trudon's best candles.
"Everything you see, from our bespoke YDF kitchen, bathroom, fireplace, and wooden paneling solutions to the numerous artworks, has been curated by us and our design team in partnership with today's foremost furniture manufacturers," explains the co-founder, who counts leading Italian houses such as Baxter, Maxalto, EXTETA, Molteni&C, Henge, Poliform, Giorgetti, and Loro Piana among her spotlighted collaborators.
Primarily conceived to "serve architects, designers, top-tier brand suppliers, developers, and their discerning clients with an unparalleled standard of excellence", YDF Interiors doesn't shy away from its trade-first business model. Still, at its core, "our London flagship is a space for people to feel and confront themselves with the biggest interior design trends, exploring anything from decorative accents and furniture to full-scale architectural solutions," says Danilova. Because "once the foundation of your project is perfect, it's time to find new ways to make it truly unique."
Opened some six months ago, YDF Interiors' British outpost (the company's back office is based in Kyiv) isn't simply focused on sourcing state-of-the-art homeware and appliances from premium industry leaders, but strives to contribute first-hand to the advancement of contemporary design. How? Through the YDF Club and the YDF Academy.
The idea is simple: "Paying a yearly subscription, interior designers can come through and rely on us for the procurement of furniture as well as for artistic and sales support," James Morgan, Business Development at YDF Interiors, and the eye behind the space's striking art collection, tells me as we walk around the showroom.
Creatives who have joined the brand's members' club are given the opportunity to "book spaces for the day and use the flagship to lay their plans out, brainstorm ideas, and liaise with their teams, before wrapping the day up with a launch at the YDF Interiors' Italian restaurant, Alba," adds Morgan. Inspired by the vibrancy of the Mediterranean, this forthcoming culinary destination — set to be inaugurated within a matter of weeks and complete with a private dining room area — offers yet another manifestation of its founders' flair for high-end, worldly décor, elevating an industrial interior design environment through glamorous chrome accents, retro-inspired table lights, and a meticulously curated, exclusive ambiance.
Launched in October with a special night featuring British illumination trailblazer Lee Broom, the YDF Club transforms this "one-stop shop for design insiders", as Morgan describes it, into a pioneering creative think tank, platforming the next generation of design and architecture innovators. Through providing mentoring and support tailored to the needs of each member, and topic-specific modules that can enhance their knowledge and practical handling of themes as varied as "contract law, planning applications, environmental and social governance, biodiversity, carbon offset project management, we want to help small and big interior design houses in their journey to success, showing them how they can do their business better," explains Danilova.
Beyond some truly spectacular walk-in closets on the lower floor of YDF Interiors' London flagship lies a comprehensive sample library, showcasing anything from "a plethora of stone options for bathrooms and kitchens" to fully customizable bedding, monogram dressing gowns, slippers, and fabric: "Treca, Rubelli, Dedar, Élitis, Holland & Sherry, you name it — it's all here," smiles Morgan.
Putting the brand's globe-spanning connections at the disposal of its members, YDF Interiors aims to elevate these designers' projects by granting them access to nothing but the most researched furniture and raw materials, while also making the process that leads to their completion stress-free.
Asked to describe the style of the showroom in just a few words, Danilova and Morgan land on "modern timeless", or "an aesthetic that transcends fleeting trends to stay true to its authenticity."
At YDF Interiors, though, the hottest trends of the moment are out in full force, from the rise of chrome metallic statement pieces and surfaces to exaggeratedly voluminous sofas. In many ways, the space "reflects what is happening within the wider design world while also working within the constraints of what is possible in this city," they add. "We have a unique way to conceive the 'London look': ours is not classic. It's modern glamour."
As for the evolution of YDF Interiors itself, the two agree when they say the platform is only getting started. "We hope the YDF Club and the Academy will drive a lot of awareness," Danilova and Morgan say. But more than anything else, "we want designers, architects, and other design aficionados to feel that we're a safe haven; that they can come in, bring their collaborators along in a great location, and find a way to turn their dream into a reality."
