Designer Julia Kononenko (seated) was inspired by lunar curves and celestial stillness to create the Moon Chair.

There is a quiet power in how Julia Kononenko approaches design: one that balances artistry with precision, infusing furniture with an innate sense of sculptural presence and functional poetry.

Julia is a Ukraine-born product designer and founder of Kononenko ID, a studio dedicated to creating furniture that merges high design with accessibility. Over the past two years, she has emerged as one of the most influential voices in contemporary design, winning some of the industry’s most prestigious accolades.

Her award-winning collections have garnered global recognition, including the DNA Paris Design Award, Muse Design Awards, NY Product Design Awards, and the revered Good Design Award.

“Furniture is no longer just functional. It is an extension of us,” says Julia. “Each piece I create is designed to be felt, to be lived with, to transform the way we interact with space.”

Her latest work, created in collaboration with leading Ukrainian brands, exemplifies this philosophy. Four distinct designs push the boundaries of contemporary seating, each a meditation on form, tactility, and human experience. In collaboration with Tivoli and Wowin, she reimagines seating as an experience—an invitation to engage with furniture on a deeper, almost instinctual level.

Striha Collection

If architecture is frozen music, Striha is its most lyrical note. Conceived as a symphony of textures,

it draws inspiration from traditional thatched roofs, reinterpreted in a refined, sculptural language.

From the precisely pleated base of the table to the embrace of the upholstered chairs, every element is designed to create a cohesive, immersive spatial experience.

Striha doesn’t simply furnish a space, it anchors it, creating a dialogue between past and future, material and memory.

Calm chair

At its core, Calm is a meditation on balance. With its organic curves, sculpted wooden frame, and soft, tactile upholstery, it channels the restraint of Scandinavian minimalism with an unmistakable Ukrainian craftsmanship sensibility.

A chair that vanishes into its surroundings yet quietly demands attention, Calm is about more than aesthetics: it is a state of mind. Perfect for domestic and hospitality settings, its collapsible form ensures effortless adaptability, making it an emblem of intelligent, conscious design.

The Striha Collection is a symphony of textures, drawing inspiration from traditional thatched roofs, reinterpreted in a sculptural language.

Moon chair

Inspired by lunar curves and celestial stillness, the Moon Chair plays with proportions to create a striking yet deeply comfortable silhouette. Featuring a gracefully arched backrest that appears to float, the Moon is both an object of desire and a tactile retreat.

Offered in a palette of muted neutrals and bold hues, it challenges the conventions of contemporary seating by redefining softness – not just in terms of upholstery, but in form and presence. A chair that both supports and embraces.

Biscuit collection

In the Biscuit Collection, Kononenko fuses mid-century modernist clarity with a distinctly human touch. Structured yet inviting, its geometric precision is offset by the richness of its materials: hand-finished wood, tactile bouclé fabric, and a backrest that curves with subtle elegance.

Designed for those who understand the power of form, the Biscuit Collection is more than a chair – it is a manifesto on craftsmanship and proportion. One that seamlessly transitions between residential and commercial interiors, making a statement without uttering a word.

The Ukrainian design narrative at ‘Maison et Objet 2025’ was a convergence of tradition, resilience and avant-garde craftsmanship, redefining modern interiors through a lens of cultural continuity and bold innovation.

At the helm of this remarkable showcase was the Ukrainian Export Alliance, a collective of visionary designers and manufacturers committed to propelling Ukraine’s furniture industry onto the world stage.

With more than 9,000 manufacturers exporting to 119 countries, Ukraine has become a cornerstone of European design excellence, merging sustainability, craftsmanship and conceptual artistry.

In an era where furniture is increasingly a manifesto of identity, Ukrainian designers demonstrated that resilience is more than survival—it is an artistic force, shaping interiors with the precision of a craftsman and the vision of an innovator.

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