April 2022
HITTING HOME
The majority of the month of February, there was sabre rattling and discussion of how the impending war in Ukraine was all a show of strength and would be a tool for negotiations; that it would be a bunch of gusto, and then it would end. But then the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine in the largest war the European continent has seen since World War II.
I felt helpless. My family emigrated from Odessa when the Bolshevik Revolution took place and the Holodomor was occurring. My great grandparents landed in New York, and my grandparents then migrated from New York to the Boston area. We donated money to Ukrainian charities, shared articles on social media, talked to friends, family, etc., but in the end, none of it quelled the sadness and unrest I felt watching a large country declare a scorched earth policy on a much smaller country and threatening other countries with nuclear weapons if any of them interfere.
In most things, I lead with optimism, and I think that when this war finally ends, the cities of Ukraine will have the opportunity to be redesigned and rebuilt in an amazing way that couldn’t have happened otherwise. The city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands has served as an amazing example of this; a city that was bombed into almost nonexistence during World War II and then was rebuilt into a much more contemporary city.
Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, so it was a major target during the Nazi Invasion. When it was devastated and burned to the ground, there was little hope that it could ever be rebuilt. However, Rotterdam rose from the ashes and became the largest example of modern architecture in Europe. Hopefully, this city can provide some sense of hope to the decimated Ukrainian city of Mariupol and other territories during this excruciating and barbaric destruction.
We look forward to when this war ends and peace can return to the people of Ukraine and throughout the world. In the interim, at SKA we will continue to try to build for the future with the optimism that is so desperately needed in Ukraine and other countries, as these acts of aggression see no immediate end.
- Sam, Principal
WRAP UP
As spring comes into focus, we are wrapping up several projects that have been moving steadily throughout the winter. While we are still running into supply chain delays, things are definitely moving in the right direction, and our team will be busy with photo shoots throughout the spring and early summer to capture these finished spaces. For now, here’s a sneak peak at some of the rooms we look forward to completing in the next month or so.
Best of Houzz Design and Service 2022
We were thrilled to be recognized by Houzz for the fifth year in a row in the category of best client service and for the second year in a row in design. Thank you to our clients and partners for your support this past year. It is a privilege to work with you all.
