Elena Ponomarenko
Founder & Creative Director
Elena Ponomarenko is an architect and interior designer with more than 20 years of experience in hotels, restaurants, spas and private residences. Ellen Maison Design brings her established design practice to an international audience, with a personal approach to every project.
Elena Ponomarenko
Founder & Creative Director
Elena Ponomarenko is an architect and interior designer with more than 20 years of experience in hotels, restaurants, spas and private residences. Ellen Maison Design brings her established design practice to an international audience, with a personal approach to every project.
An established design practice
  • Elena’s studio has been developing residential and commercial interiors since 2007.
  • The team’s portfolio includes more than 1,000 designs and over 400 completed projects.
  • Our experience spans hotels, restaurants, spas, workplaces and private homes.
  • Architects and designers work under Elena’s creative direction, from the initial idea to the details needed for implementation.
  • Each project responds to its setting, the client’s brief and the people who will use the space.
Selected Projects
SIMFERO Restaurant
GAGARIN Sports Centre
Zvezdnoe Nebo Spa Hotel
Green Theatre Boutique Hotel
Amelia Spa Hotel
Rybackaya Derevnya Restaurant
GORsad Restaurant
RIBIZA Club
Fish & Meat PREMIUM Restaurant
SOTA Restaurant
Black Sea Restaurant
Coffe Way Café
Carleone Bar
Bespaloff Restaurant
Rabbit Barrow Café
SunDAY Café
DODO Pizza
PESTO Pizzeria
MTC Retail Stores
SASSAFONE Boutique
GIZIA Boutique
KATYSHA SKY Boutique
INKERMAN Stores
Vladimir Ignatov Beauty Salon
Monakhinya Beauty Salon
Moy Lvenok Stores
Korean Cosmetics Stores
Awards & Recognition
  • 2007 — Soros Prize laureate.
  • 2007 — Grand Prix, Best Bathrooms competition, Kyiv.
  • 2008 — Second place, Stylish Interior installation category, Style of the Modern Home competition, Kyiv.
  • 2008 — Memberships in professional design unions in Russia, Ukraine and Crimea.
  • 2010 — Grand Prix, Future Interior Light Stream competition, Kyiv.
  • 2012 — Audience Choice Award for Eco Future, Comfort Home exhibition, Kyiv.
  • 2013 — SBID International Design Awards finalist, Grange restaurant project, Contract Visualisation.
  • 2014 — SBID International Design Awards finalist, Dream house project, Visualisation.
  • 2014 — Third place, Beautiful Apartments architecture and design competition, Moscow.
  • 2015 — Best Project of the Year, AD Architecture and Design magazine, Moscow.
  • 2016 — Award from the Council of Ministers of Crimea for contributions to architecture.
  • 2018 — First place for the completed Gagarin sports complex, MOSBUILD.
  • 2020 — Designer of the Year nomination, GID magazine.
  • 2021 — Best Restaurant Design in Crimea, Association of Restaurateurs of Russia.
  • 2022 — Best Designer of Public Interiors in Russia, DC Award, Saint Petersburg.
  • 2023 — Gold Diploma for the completed Gagarin sports complex, Association of Architects of Crimea.
  • 2025 — Best Designer of Crimea, Public Interior category.