The founders of Spanish studio Masquespacio have transformed a traditional Valencian farmhouse into their self-designed home and studio, with maximalist interiors that nod to the Memphis movement.

Creative and life partners Ana Milena Hernández Palacios and Christophe Penasse renovated the 1920s villa, which was once a farmhouse on the outskirts of Valencia, to create a hybrid home and studio that reflects their maximalist approach to interiors.

"Everything revolves around the concept of play," explained Hernández Palacios, who co-founded Masquespacio with Penasse in 2010.

"We've been influenced by many styles over the last decade, from New Memphis to art deco and futurism," Penasse added. "We can say that our private home is a mix of it all."

The duo maintained the building's original timber front door and white facade decorated with light-blue window frames and ornate grilles.

Inside, the ground floor was reserved for their studio, spread across several interconnected meeting rooms in the former farmstead, known locally as an alquería.

Here, Masquespacio restored the building's decoratively patterned hydraulic floor tiles alongside its traditional doors and windows.

Painted in bright hues, they help to colour-code the different office spaces, filled with the studio's characteristic chunky, lumpy and latticed furniture.

"As always, the project includes a mix of colours, textures and forms – one of the main aspects of all our designs, no matter what aesthetic we're working with," Penasse told Dezeen.

At the centre of the home is a double-height interior courtyard illuminated by skylights, with exposed-brick walls painted in lilac surrounded by wiggly flowerbeds with lush statement cheese plants.

From the courtyard, visitors can see up to an interior balcony on the first floor, which is accessed via a purple concrete staircase and contains the living spaces.

The balcony reveals two sculptural objects – a giant green dome that conceals the couple's bed and a curved hot-pink screen that hides a seating booth.

This immersive furniture – Penasse's favourite part of the project – creates a focal point that connects both levels of the house but also provides more private quarters for the couple despite the open nature of the overall plan.

"There are no wall partitions to hide our home [from downstairs] but it's kept private by the bed's form and a semi-transparent green curtain that allows us to take advantage of the natural light almost everywhere on the upper floor," explained Penasse.

The sleeping area is connected to the main living space via a tunnel-like corridor, which includes an all-yellow bathroom with triangular cabinets and walls clad with a mosaic of handmade ceramic tiles.

Opposite the bathroom is a colourful open-air terrace featuring circular windows and similar built-in seating to Bun Turin – an Italian burger joint designed by Masquespacio with boxy blue-tiled tables created to look like swimming pools.

"Geometry can be found all over our house," explained Hernández Palacios. "Everything is a game of circles and triangles."

The light blue kitchen includes large, triangular alcoves and cupboards finished in natural stone and aluminium, designed to conceal utilities.

There is also an island made from veiny marble and petite glazed tiles. Bespoke Masquespacio bar stools were wrapped in matching pale blue fabric.

Next to the open-plan kitchen, the living and dining spaces include more brightly coloured furniture from the studio's Mas Creations collection, which features the same twisted and angular shapes and soft upholstery as the pieces downstairs.

Floor-to-ceiling curtains form a backdrop for a snaking lime green sofa, while dark green dining chairs with pyramidal backrests were positioned around a jewel-like glass table.

"Ninety-five per cent of the furniture and objects in our house are part of our Mas Creations collection, locally designed and produced by our studio," said Penasse.

Similarly bold projects from Masquespacio include a restaurant in Milan, Italy, with interiors that take cues from futuristic spaceships and the first Mango Teen store in Barcelona featuring vivid graphic shapes.

The photography is courtesy of Masquespacio. 

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Architecture studio EBBA has completed a store for coffee brand WatchHouse that draws on modernist design to provide a calming environment in the heart of the City of London.

Situated in the 30 Fenchurch Street building of the Square Mile financial district, the store was designed by EBBA for coffee company WatchHouse, which has several cafes around London and also sells its own roasts.

Having previously completed several other stores for the brand, EBBA was tasked with transforming an empty unit in the landmark office development into an inviting space aimed at attracting visitors from the adjacent lobby.

"This store offered the opportunity to think carefully about how to make a high quality and calming retail environment that also caters to the flexible operation of the visitors and the building in which it sits," EBBA founder Benni Allan told Dezeen.

The project brief called for a space focused on retail that also integrates a bar for serving customers. The interior has a more open and relaxed feel than the brand's other locations, which operate more like typical coffee shops.

With ample comfortable seating available in the adjacent atrium, EBBA chose to incorporate different settings where customers can rest while waiting for their coffee.

Furniture including lounge chairs arranged around a coffee table and bar stools at the counter allow the space to be used in a variety of ways.

Elements of the shop's design are informed by European modernist architecture. In particular, Allan drew on the large lobbies of banks and civic buildings such as libraries, which he said seem to "carry a particular feeling of calmness".

Referencing the work of architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, EBBA used grid patterns and clean lines to bring order to the interior, while sculptural objects help to partition the space.

"The overall concept was to create the sense of a box within a box," Allan added. "The reference to Miesian buildings can be understood in wanting to establish a clear logic to the space through its grid and making objects that help to demarcate space."

EBBA designed and built all of the furniture for the store, including the eight-metre-long stainless steel counter that forms the centrepiece of the space. This monolithic element is used for coffeemaking as well as providing a communal workspace.

The large coffee table made from blocks of solid oak is intended to resemble stacked timber. Its construction echoes the grid of slatted timber panels cladding the ceiling.

EBBA chose a material palette that reflects WatchHouse's goal to create places people want to spend time in. Warm and natural tones and textures offer a respite from the busy urban setting.

"We opted for warm oak panelling, which gracefully cocoons the space, and a unique Ceppo stone floor, which enhances the store's gridded pattern whilst complementing the feeling of civic grandeur," said the architects.

The rear wall is lined with full-height cabinets that conceal the necessary utility spaces, adding to the store's sense of cohesion and simplicity.

Minimalist shelving used to display WatchHouse's simply packaged produce blend in with the relaxed setting.

EBBA has worked with WatchHouse on several of its venues, including another site within the 30 Fenchurch Street building that also looks to balance contemporary aesthetics with nods to the City of London's heritage.

The studio, founded in 2017 by Spanish architect Benni Allan, has completed a number of projects in London including a temporary education centre built using only reusable components and a residential extension that combines brutalist-style materials with details inspired by a Roman villa.

The photography is courtesy of EBBA. 

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Local architecture practice Dubrovska Studio has created a fitness studio lined with curtains and outfitted with custom furniture made from materials sourced from around Kyiv in the face of wartime shortages.

Located in Kyiv, Stan will host barre and yoga classes for up to 15 people in its main space and includes a reception area and locker area across 1,290 square feet (120 square metres).

"In our situation, when we initiated the project, there was virtually nothing available. We literally pieced the project together from leftovers we found around Kyiv,"  said Dubrovska Studio founder Natalie Dubrovska. 

Visitors first walk into a curtain-lined reception and welcome area, which contains a custom, semi-circle sofa, reception desk and "little tables" made of stone.

The curtains lining the space follow a curved track at the corners in order to soften the space and "smooth" out the interior.

Many furniture pieces were custom-made from locally sourced or reused materials, which the studio says was a "primary concept" for the studio's design – in part due to difficulties faced when ordering abroad during the ongoing Ukraine war.

The tables were crafted from scraps found at a warehouse, while the sofa was upholstered in a neutral, multicoloured fabric from the 1970s.

"The quest for the right fabric turned into a humorous journey, with many Gobelins featuring unappealing cat face illusions," said Dubrovska. "Almost giving up, we lucked out, discovering a fabric from the 1970s that closely mirrored our initial design."

A reception desk sits to one corner, and was made from cast concrete. Rough edges line the top to contrast with the softness of the surrounding curtains, while its smooth base runs into the concrete floor.

A standing mirror sits across from the desk, mounted into a stone to create "magic and special charm" and next to it, a sink and countertop are concealed behind a curtain.

The same white drapes cover large windows along the studio, which sits in front of the welcome area. Ballet barres and mirrors also line the space.

A locker and changing room sits to the other side of the welcome area, with wooden storage created by Dubrovska Studio "in the absence of a minimalistic and soft solution" in contrast to standard metal lockers. 

A bench made of the same light-coloured wood sits in the centre of the space, while a line of showers was clad in small white mosaic tiles as a nod to public restrooms.

According to the studio, there were frequent electricity black outs during construction, but despite the challenges, Stan is a "sanctuary".

"Stan encapsulates the spirit of feminine strength, elegance, and individuality, inviting to embark on a transformative journey within its carefully curated space," said the studio. "It is not just a studio; it is a sanctuary for self-expression and holistic well-being."

Stan studio was founded by professional dancer Mariia Dreihaupt. The word "stan" is the Latin translation of the Ukrainian word "ctah", meaning "physical posture". 

Dubrovska Studio is based in Kyiv and was founded in 2018 by designer Natalie Dubrovska. It focuses on bringing "calmness, harmony and self-connection" to projects. 

Another project recently completed in Ukraine includes a holiday cabin in the Carpathian mountains. Recently architecture and design studios shared how they are coping at the two-year mark of Russia's invasion.

The photography is by Yevhenii Avramenko.

Project credits:

Team:  Natalie Dubrovska, Katerina Bandura, Daria Shmyrko

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Toronto architecture studio Partisans has used parametric modelling to create an undulating stone storefront for luxury watch brand Rolex.

Partisans' latest application of its digital modelling and fabrication technique resulted in a sculptural facade that wraps the ground floor of a high-rise on Bloor Street in Downtown Toronto.

The studio worked with Italian architect Arturo Tedeschi on the project, which is intended to give the store presence and allow it to stand out from others in the busy shopping district, as well as reflect the high-precision of Rolex timepieces.

Limestone panels affixed to the building's exterior are shaped to echo the forms and textures of the brand's watches.

The material was chosen for its luxurious appearance and longevity, according to Partisans founder Josephson, who said: "Stone is future heritage, it's having a renaissance."

The panels continue the geometry of the existing building features, such as the rigid vertical mullions, but flow into softer shapes that curve around large windows and over the entrance awning.

"Each stone bay was cut according to measurements found through 3D scans of the existing building," said Partisans designer Ian Pica-Limbaseanu.

Niches are integrated into the stonework to house cove lighting that washes over the curvaceous forms at night, yet the junctions between the stone and the glass were trickiest to detail, according to Pica-Limbaseanu.

"The window detailing, specifically, had a tall order of requirements to satisfy," he said.

"Not only did it need to meet the exterior stonework at exact locations accurate to within a quarter of an inch, but it also needed to allow for easy maintenance and proper energy performance for what was otherwise an utterly unprecedented look to glazing on Bloor Street."

Tedeschi applied his computational design skills to create an algorithm for the parametric compositions etched into the limestone across the east facade.

These forms follow the geometries of engravings seen on watch-face dials while also responding to the unique qualities of the structure's elevation.

The store interiors feature plenty more stone, whose creamy tone is contrasted with dark walnut panelling and furniture.

Dark green seating matches a glass wall artwork that bears the Rolex logo, which separates the main shop floor with a more intimate lounge area tucked behind.

Partisans has previously used parametric design tools to create a rolling, pixellated brick facade for a single-family home, and a high-rise informed by architectural "revision clouds" – both in Toronto.

The firm was founded by Josephson in 2012, and has since completed a pool house in Ontario with an undulating timber roof and a lakeside sauna designed as a cavernous wooden grotto.

The photography is by Doublespace Photography, unless stated otherwise.

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In this lookbook, we have collected eight projects that use internal glazing and partitions to create brighter home interiors and increased connectivity between spaces.

While the primary use of windows is for daylight access and ventilation, they can also play a key role in visually connecting spaces within the home.

Adding internal windows enables more interaction between adjacent rooms, while allowing light to penetrate further into the home – creating bright and spacious interiors.

While similar, internal partitions offer a unique opportunity to simultaneously increase connectivity and enhance privacy through the demarcation of a home's internal spaces.

Below are eight examples that showcase the versatility of internal openings and partitions, ranging from a colourful home extension featuring playful, circular windows in London to an open-plan kitchen punctuated with brass-lined portals in Toronto.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring creative guest rooms that accommodate visitors in style, home interiors brightened with colourful window frames and hotel interiors characterised by eclectic designs.

Timbaud, France, by Isabelle Heilmann

Converted from a textile workshop, this open-plan apartment in Paris offers a bright, spacious interior equipped with a dedicated home office, mezzanines and a loft.

Designer Isabelle Heilmann used internal windows and glazing in order to retain visual connections between the rooms, as well as demarcate the living spaces and enable a flow of light through the interior.

Find out more about Timbaud ›

Curve Appeal, UK, by Nimtim Architects

Multifunctional partitions built from plywood joinery were used to define the interior of this 1920s house in Southwark, London, renovated by local studio Nimtim Architects.

Addressing a need for improved connectivity and daylight, the studio used curved, glazed openings within the partitions to encourage visual connection between the different spaces.

Find out more about Curve Appeal ›

Portal House, Canada, by Svima

Renovated by architecture and art studio Svima, this residence in Toronto features asymmetrical portals lined with brass ribbons.

Aptly named Portal House, the home's open-plan kitchen and dining area are connected via two portals – with one used as a doorway and the other as a pass-through for food, drinks and tableware.

Find out more about Portal House ›

Mediona 13, Spain, by Nua Arquitectures

Nua Arquitectures revamped this house in the historic centre of Tarragona, Spain, using pastel-coloured steel to reinforce its structure.

Internal windows overlook the home's large entrance, which features a staircase lined with pastel blue balustrades, to allow light to travel into the home.

Find out more about Mediona 13 ›

AR Residence, UK, by DeDraft

A kitchen extension clad in green aluminium panels was used by architecture studio DeDraft to update this home in east London.

Also overseeing the remodelling of the home's upper floors, the studio implemented large windows and skylights along with an internal window to allow light to permeate the interior.

Find out more about AR Residence ›

A House in East London, UK, by Charles Holland Architects

This colourful extension completed by Charles Holland Architects features a trio of aligned, circular windows that connect the ground-floor spaces.

Creating "unexpected views between rooms", these internal openings form a series of interconnected interior spaces, as opposed to a large open-plan layout.

Find out more about A House in East London ›

Fruit Box, UK, by Nimtim Architects

Also completed by Nimtim Architects is an extension added to a 1970s townhouse in Forest Hill, London, which is divided by adaptable partitions.

These plywood partitions are designed to be filled in for increased privacy between spaces, but are also non-structural to allow for easy removal to maximise interior space if needed.

Find out more about Fruit Box ›

House in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic, by Byró Architekti

Byró Architekti restored and renovated this 19th-century house in Kutná Hora using colourful joinery and playful openings.

Aiming to improve the connection between the home's spaces, internal windows and glass-block walls were added to each level of the centralised spiral staircase.

Find out more about House in Kutná Hora ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring creative guest rooms that accommodate visitors in style, home interiors brightened with colourful window frames and hotel interiors characterised by eclectic designs.

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Curved metallic surfaces influenced by early 20th century American industrial design form displays at this compact store in New York City, designed by London studio Tutto Bene for eyewear brand Cubitts.

Tutto Bene was briefed to create an elegant and meticulously crafted space for Cubitts' first store outside of the UK that evokes the past century of New York's history.

The store at 103 Mercer Street has a total floor area of just 25 square metres, which the designers claimed makes it possibly the smallest retail site in all of SoHo.

Felizia Berchtold and Oskar Kohnen of Tutto Bene told Dezeen that they set out to create an experiential and intriguing interior with "the ornate precision of a jewellery box".

"Within the retail landscape of SoHo there is a pop-up feeling and one sees a lot of set-design quality fit-outs," the designers said.

"We wanted to counterbalance this trend by creating a space made to last for a decade and to communicate the value that is put into the product inside it."

The functional and precisely detailed design of Cubitts' spectacles provided the main inspiration for the store, which also references the streamlined forms of Streamline Moderne – an aerodynamic offshoot of art deco that emerged in the 1930s.

"We took that engineering aspect of spectacle-making and interpreted it in kinetic elements throughout the store, like the rotary mirrors and the sculptural steel curve, reflecting hues of light like the sparkling towers we know New York for," the duo said.

An S-shaped metal display at the centre of the space helps to define the flow of movement whilst echoing the smooth silhouettes of the brand's eyewear.

Walls clad in black ebonised ash create a dark backdrop, against which soft lighting and pops of colour create a theatrical effect reminiscent of the paintings of American artist Edward Hopper.

"Areas of glamorous darkness are peppered with light," said Tutto Bene. "Shimmering reflections, reminiscent of city lights, emphasise the store's meticulous detailing and represent the care and attention put into the products it encloses."

The main colour used is a brick-red hue borrowed from the New York streetscape, which according to the studio adds "some playfulness and art deco glamour, contrasting the muted black with dramatic warmth and texture".

The geometric forms used throughout the store recall the works of artist Donald Judd, who once lived and worked across the street. The artistic tributes continue in the restroom, which is papered with aluminium foil as an homage to Andy Warhol's Silver Factory.

Carefully chosen vintage pieces including wall lights from Austrian brand Kalmar, Charlotte Perriand's LC8 stool and an Opalino vase by Tommaso Buzzi complement the store's colour and material palette.

Tutto Bene also created bespoke mirrors, which customers can use when trying out different frames. The marble objects were hand-crafted at a stone workshop in Florence, Italy.

"In the pared-back store, these hand-carved glove-like marble sculptures draw attention through their surrealist appearance," the designers added.

"When you pick them up, they lie heavy in the hand. The weight sharpens one's consciousness and gives the gesture of looking in the mirror a considered quality."

To celebrate the store's launch, Cubitts released a collection of seven frames inspired by New York landmarks including the Flatiron Building and Radio City Music Hall.

The opening follows a series of new Cubitts stores in the UK including one in a former jellied-eel restaurant and another in a 19th-century London townhouse.

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The colorful retro diners of Quebec influenced the interiors of this restaurant in Ottawa, designed by Montreal-based Ivy Studio.

Buvette Daphnée wine bar and fine dining restaurant sits in a 1,500-square-foot commercial space within an old industrial building in the city's historic ByWard Market district.

"The establishment, led by a head chef with deep roots in Quebec and years of experience in Ottawa, aims to showcase a blend of both cultures through the eyes of a nostalgic francophone residing in the country's capital," said Ivy Studio.

The studio therefore looked to Montreal's vibrant retro diners for design references, pairing a caramel, brown and cream palette with contrasting blue and burnt orange accents.

Highly visible from the street, the dining area at the front is divided into two main sections.

A lower, more intimate space with eight-foot ceilings is to the right of the entrance, while a loftier 15-foot-high space where the open kitchen, a 36-foot-long U-shaped bar and high-top counters can be found to the left.

In the taller portion, the ceilings are painted black to obscure the extra height and the walls are clad in cream-coloured, v-board panelling that continues overhead in the lower area.

Both the bar stools and the semi-circular seats tucked into tambour-lined booths are wrapped in blue velvet, while vintage dining chairs feature orange seats and banquettes are cognac and chocolate-toned.

Natural walnut was used for the majority of the millwork, and portions of the building's original brickwork were left exposed.

In front of the entrance, a lacquered server station with a pill-shaped plan and tiered shelves draws the eye to the restaurant's centre.

"To tie everything together, a vibrant custom-designed mosaic with the main colours covers the entire restaurant floor," Ivy Studio said.

"Various light fixtures in the space each tell their own story," added the team, which installed a 30-foot-long bespoke tubular piece by Montreal-based Hamster above the bar.

Meanwhile, frosted globe-shaped pendants that are recycled by Studio Botté from Montreal's 1960s street lamps hang from the black ceiling.

"Much like its celebrated menu based on locally grown ingredients, Buvette Daphnée's design offers Ottawa an authentic taste of Montreal's rich culinary culture," the studio concluded.

Ivy Studio has completed several restaurant interiors in its home city of Montreal, including the recently completed Middle Eastern eatery Hayat, which features a colour palette based on "the earthy tones of the Syrian deserts".

Earlier examples range from Piatti, an Italian spot that the studio renovated after fire damage, to the tropical-themed Jack Rose in a former auto body shop.

The photography is by Alex Lesage.

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Working on a kitchen as part of a construction or renovation project but not sure where to start? Here are 10 kitchen design ideas taken from Dezeen's archive of lookbooks, featuring tips for colour, materials and layout.

Since 2020, Dezeen has published more than 300 lookbooks providing visual inspiration for all kinds of interiors based on the stories we publish.

Below, we organise 10 recent lookbooks into a useful guide that captures several of the key contemporary trends in kitchen design.

Read on for 10 ideas and tips for designing a standout kitchen:

Clad it in wood

If you want to avoid the kitchen feeling sterile, wood is a reliable way to introduce a sense of cosiness and homeliness.

Our lookbook on kitchens with wooden panelling and cabinetry features examples that use birch plywood, pale oak, salvaged cypress and pine – each providing a different level of warmth.

Pictured is Curve Appeal, a 1920s house in London renovated by Nimtim Architects that combines wood with decorative arches.

See more wood-clad kitchens ›

Make it pink

While it's not to everyone's taste, pink always adds personality to functional spaces.

Dezeen's pink kitchens lookbook highlights various approaches to using the colour, from splashing rosy shades across all surfaces to more restrained pops on tiles and cupboards.

Pictured is House and the River in northern Lithuania, where Vilnius-based studio After Party punctuated the monochrome cooking area with a salmon-coloured kitchen island topped in complementary terrazzo.

See more pink kitchens ›

Build a breakfast nook

If you have space to play with, squeezing in a casual nook for eating breakfast in can give the kitchen some coffee-shop charm.

As our breakfast nooks lookbook demonstrates, they are usually tucked into a corner with banquette seating – though the concept can be adapted to work in a range of setups depending on room layout and size.

Pictured is Budge Over Dover in Sydney by interior design studio YSG.

See more kitchens with breakfast nooks ›

Use metal

If cosy isn't the desired look, metal is an alternative material choice that affords a chic industrial feel.

Gleaming stainless steel is tried-and-tested, but our collection of metal kitchens also features units made from black iron and weathered reclaimed sheets.

In the project pictured, Berlin architecture studio Baumhauer chose to juxtapose a Swiss farmhouse's vaulted ceiling with the clean, modern lines of a steel L-shaped kitchen with built-in appliances.

See more metal kitchens ›

Fit floor-to-ceiling cabinets

Often employed to complement a minimalist aesthetic, floor-to-ceiling cabinets can represent an effective way to maximise storage space and reduce clutter in the kitchen.

Our lookbook collects eight elegant examples in kitchens of various sizes.

Pictured is a residential extension in Dublin by Scullion Architects, where tall oak-panelled cupboards conceal appliances and a pantry.

See more kitchens with floor-to-ceiling cabinets ›

Include a waterfall-edged island

Kitchen islands have become a staple of contemporary interior architecture – but the most sophisticated examples tend to a feature a surface that flows seamlessly from the countertop to the floor.

Dezeen selected eight kitchen islands where waterfall edges create an impactful yet sleek focal point for the room.

The image above shows Botaniczna Apartment, where Agnieszka Owsiany Studio formed a kitchen island out of travertine draped over oak cupboards.

See more kitchens with waterfall-edged islands ›

Embrace constrast

Don't be afraid to combine clashing materials to create a kitchen that really makes a statement.

We collected eight rich-palette kitchens that juxtapose the rough with the smooth, the glossy with the grainy and the warm with the cool.

Pictured is the pistachio-green units and red marble surfaces of the kitchen in a Melbourne apartment designed by architect Murray Barker and artist Esther Stewart.

See more kitchens with colour and texture contrasts ›

Combine wood and stone

For a less ambitious but no less effective material combination, the natural textures of wood and stone are a practical and pleasing partnership.

Dezeen put together a lookbook showing various ways to pair wooden units with stone surfaces, from demure limestone to dramatic marble.

Shown above is Architecture for London's kitchen extension to an Edwardian house in Muswell Hill.

See more kitchens that combine wood and stone ›

Tile the worktops

Tiles are a staple of many kitchens – particularly for splashbacks and flooring – but some designers go further and use them to add personality to surfaces.

Our lookbook of kitchens with tiled worktops explores how the technique can create an eye-catching focal point or be more utilitarian.

Pictured is a kitchen island covered in glossy oxblood-coloured tiles in an East Village apartment designed by GRT Architects.

See more kitchens with tiled worktops ›

Add a touch of terracotta

Rusty-shaded terracotta can be a handy tool for making the kitchen a more welcoming environment with a touch of Mediterranean warmth.

In our lookbook on kitchens with terracotta tiling, we collect projects that use the earthenware material to create pleasingly textured floors and walls.

At Hygge Studio in São Paulo, designed by Melina Romano, terracotta flooring teams up with tan brick walls to soften monochrome kitchen units.

See more kitchens with terracotta tiling ›

Dezeen's lookbooks series provides visual inspiration from our archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring light-filled kitchens, kitchens with minimalist storage solutions and Scandinavian-style kitchens.

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A select few materials appear throughout this apartment in Edinburgh, which architect Luke McClelland has revamped to let its historic features take centre stage.

The two-floor apartment is located in Edinburgh's New Town, set within a Grade I-listed building that dates back to the 19th century.

Successive years of modifications meant that the home's grand Georgian proportions and historic details had all but disappeared.

Local architect Luke McClelland was tasked with sensitively stripping back the interior to reveal its original charm.

"The muted interior is intended to compliment, rather than detract from, the existing building," he explained. "A simple material palette was agreed with the client: Ceppo Di Gre stone and oak."

He started by incorporating the kitchen into the apartment's generously sized dining room. A bespoke oak wood counter crafted by local joinery studio Archispek now centres the space.

One end of the counter serves as a dining table, while the other end has a stove that's set into a slab of Ceppo Di Gre stone.

The same stone was used to build the work surface that runs above a series of low-lying oak cupboards at the rear of the room.

The former kitchen has been transformed into a utility room where appliances and other household items can be stored, a move that McClelland says will allow the new kitchen to "maintain its clean, sculptural lines".

More storage is provided by arched nooks punctuating either side of the opening that looks through to the living area.

Plump blue Togo sofas by French brand Ligne Roset and expansive abstract paintings by Edinburgh-based artist Arran Rahimian were added to the space to soften the appearance of its stark white walls.

The home used to have carpet and vinyl flooring. But this was peeled back to reveal the original pinewood boards, which were carefully sanded and oiled to bring back the brilliance of their grain.

One exception is the hallway, where porcelain tiles were uplifted to expose flagstones underneath, while the original staircase was repaired and restored.

The project also saw McClelland merge two small storerooms to form a bathroom, complete with Ceppo Di Gre wall panelling.

A new doorway was created between the kitchen and the utility area. Any other major structural changes were avoided so that the building could uphold its listed status.

This isn't the first home that Luke McClelland has completed in Edinburgh. In 2022, he updated a Georgian apartment in the city's port district of Leith, reconfiguring its convoluted layout to allow in more natural light.

A few years earlier, he also revamped his own home in the Comely Bank neighbourhood to feature a series of modern, airy living spaces.

The photography is by ZAC and ZAC.

Project credits:

Designer: Luke McClelland Design
Construction: Pawlowski Constructions
Kitchen fabrication: Archispek
Living room artwork: Arran Rahimian

The post Luke McClelland uses stone and oak to overhaul Georgian apartment in Edinburgh appeared first on Dezeen.

Rental platform Airbnb has announced the addition of its Icons program, a category that provides a range of experiences including a stay in the house from Pixar's Up and an overnight stay in the Musee D'Orsay in Paris.

The first 11 Icons experiences include recreations of houses from popular culture, such as the floating house from Pixar's film Up, and visits with celebrities, such as a night out with comic Kevin Hart.

The 11 Icons include a full-scale model of the house from Pixar's Up, which will be suspended by a crane – though not when guests are inside it – to a stay in the clock tower of Paris's Musee D' Orsay.

This was transformed into a bedroom by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and will be available for the opening of the upcoming summer Olympics.

The experiences will be awarded to guests through a selection process, with approximately eight additional Icon experiences being rolled out throughout the year to join the first batch. Each Icon is free or under $100 (£80).

"Icons take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination – until now," said Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky. "As life becomes increasingly digital, we're focused on bringing more magic into the real world. With Icons, we've created the most extraordinary experiences on Earth."

The launch follows the platform's release of recreations of Barbie's Malibu Dreamhouse and Shrek's swampland cottage, as well as previous overnight experiences in an Ikea showroom and the last remaining Blockbuster.

"These experiences captured people's imagination and they allowed people to step into someone else's world," said Chesky. "And at its best, this is what Airbnb does. And what it's always been about."

To create the spaces, the brand employed a variety of strategies. In the case of the Up house, it was built from scratch, while other properties were renovated or outfitted with a particular theme such as the X-Mansion from the X-Men movie series or Prince's Purple Rain house.

"The Up house is one of the most iconic homes in any film ever," said Chesky. "You're gonna be able to stay in Carl and Ellie's home and it will feel like you're stepping inside the movie."

"This is a real house we built from scratch. We had to literally paint every detail in the home to match the exact Pantone colours used in the film, from the roof tiles to the siding," he continued.

For the X-Mansion, the team searched for a home in Upstate New York that looked like an approximation of the house from the movie series and then covered the interior in comic-strip style illustrations by artist Joshua Vides.

According to Airbnb VP of design Teo Connor, it took approximately two weeks for Vides and his team to hand-paint each room.

"Each Icon has a different timeline because they're all so unique, so different," Connor told Dezeen. "[There was] a huge amount of effort to bring these things to life and I think it really shows."

"With these types of things, we're really wanting to immerse you in a world and for it to feel authentic," she continued.

Other Icons include a stay at the Ferrari museum in a custom-made circular bed that is surrounded by various Ferrari models and a visit to Bollywood star Janhvi Kapoor's "childhood oasis" in India.

To visit the various experiences, travellers must submit a written entry through Airbnb during a timed submission period. 4,000 guests will be selected and awarded a "golden ticket" to attend the experiences over the coming year.

The brand also released several updates in order to make booking and organizing group trips easier for travellers, including multiple users being able to message the host and a ranking system when selecting a rental together.

Last year, Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky warned against designers failing to embrace AI and announced a program that called to designers and creatives to rent out their spaces for supplemental income.

The photography is courtesy of Airbnb.

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Romanian practice Bogdan Ciocodeica Studio played with the idea of "blurry vision" in this eyewear store in Bucharest, where pixelated furnishings sit against translucent latex curtains.

This is the third space that Bogdan Ciocodeica Studio has designed for Lunet, having worked on the eyewear brand's inaugural Bucharest store and another branch in the city of Cluj-Napoca.

The interiors of the two other locations play with colour and metallics, but the firm wanted this store to look like "a playful and pixelated environment".

"All the shapes and volumes are stylised and synthesised to their essence, stripped of unnecessary information so that they become almost low-resolution images, containing only the vital information," Bogdan Ciocodeica Studio explained.

Glasses are displayed on tall wooden shelving units that were installed at intervals around the store's periphery, with square cutouts designed to mimic the blocky form of pixels.

Translucent latex curtains were hung between the shelves. "[They] give depth and texture to the otherwise straight walls, granting it almost a blurry vision-like effect," added the studio.

More glasses are showcased on freestanding L-shaped partitions, each incorporating a full-length mirror and set on wheels so they can be easily moved around.

A seating area at the heart of the store is furnished with two wide-set wooden chairs, their armrests featuring the same pixelated edging as the shelves.

Underneath the chairs is a large burnt-orange rug with pixel-shaped openings that offer fun peeks at the store's gridded tile flooring.

Pixel-style cutouts were also made in the wooden service desk, which sits directly beneath a lightbox displaying Lunet's logo.

Eye tests are carried out in a secondary room towards the rear of the store. All the walls here were painted brick-red except one, which features a brightly-hued surrealist graphic of a woman wearing sunglasses.

A number of other architects and designers have incorporated pixels into their projects. Canadian studio Partisans used pale yellow bricks to create an undulating pixelated facade for a home in Toronto.

And ODA also staggered apartment blocks to form a pixelated residential block in New York.

The photography is by Vlad Patru.

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Interior design studio Holloway Li has reimagined the office of advertising agency Mother London using bespoke furniture that nods to the 1970s to enhance its industrial setting in Shoreditch, London.

Aiming to create a flexible multi-purpose space, Holloway Li reconfigured the ground floor and mezzanine of the office – located in a former tea factory – to host an open-plan kitchen, dining area and seating space, along with an updated reception area.

Bright red tables line the dining area to provide a flexible space for hosting office lunches as well as meetings, events and exhibitions.

Designed by Holloway Li and manufactured by collaborator UMA, these bespoke tables nod to 1970s furniture design and feature a structural foam core encased by a thin layer of fibreglass, chosen for its lightweight materiality.

"Whilst celebrating the brand's distinct and eclectic character, we wanted to reinvigorate the space with a new material palette, in keeping with the furniture's precursors so there was a retained sense of familiarity for the pre-existing environment," project designer Ivy Aris told Dezeen.

"Our approach sought to not only elevate the multi-purpose functionality of the building as both an office and a hospitality setting, but also to develop methods of production with our close collaborators UMA and CraftWorks."

Adjacent to the dining area, an industrial-style kitchen is organised around two sleek stainless steel islands.

Deep green cabinets topped with stainless steel and red-coloured shelving feature in the kitchen and display the agency's extensive vintage tableware collection.

"In the kitchen, more muted shades of green and burgundy offset the clinical brushed steel counters, creating an adaptable space suited to shapeshifting from day to night," studio co-founder Alex Holloway told Dezeen.

"Much of our scheme was shaped by materials with reflective qualities, capitalising on the natural light from the original tea factory's windows which worked to accentuate the raw charm of the industrial setting," he added.

This material palette extends into the renewed 63-square-metre mezzanine area, which is furnished with playful pink sofas from Holloway Li's T4 collection and complemented by red coffee tables made from salvaged wood.

Meanwhile, at the office's reception, the studio preserved an existing stainless steel desk and encased its structure with a translucent, glowing fascia. This is set against a backdrop of red curtains and hanging light bulbs, adding a sense of drama and theatricality to the reception area.

Holloway Li is an interior design studio founded by Alex Holloway and Na Li in 2018.

Other recently completed office interiors include the conversion of a Victorian mission church into a flexible studio in London and a Minecraft-inspired office in Prague.

The photography is by Felix Speller.

Project credits:

Interior design: Holloway Li
Design team: Alex Holloway, Ivy Aris, Jazzlyn Jansen
Project manager/ QS: Holloway Li
Contractor: Craftworks Productions
Metalwork: Steel & Form
Joinery: Craftworks Productions
Furniture procurement agent: Holloway Li
Bespoke furniture (T4, Big Red, Reception Desk): Uma Objects

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The first and only skyscraper designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in New York City has undergone a renovation by Vocon Architects and MdeAS Architects to help it "meet the expectations of today".

At the behest of developer HGI, local architecture studios Vocon Architects and MdeAS Architects renovated and restored the 51W52 skyscraper, also known as Black Rock, which was completed as a headquarters for American media giant CBS in 1964.

CBS moved all of its facilities out in late 2023 and Black Rock now contains offices for a variety of companies, including HGI itself.

Designed by modernist architect Saarinen as his first and only skyscraper, 51W52's original symmetrical facade of granite, bronze and travertine has survived, with the bronze fins updated by the renovation team.

At the time, Saarinen called it the "simplest skyscraper statement in New York".

The original design was mostly maintained, and the developer, which purchased the landmarked building in 2021, said that the relatively column-less floor plans made it a perfect candidate for a contemporary office, though the interiors needed an update.

"From the beginning, we understood the immense potential of 51W52 given its architectural significance, desirable floor plans, and central location in Midtown," said HGI president T Richard Litton Jr.

"The structure of the building was optimal, we just needed to make subtle enhancements to reflect and appreciate its original design."

Most of the structural elements in the building were left intact. The architectural team completely renovated two lobbies on the ground floor, including a revamp of the finishes and the elevators. They also redid the building's rooftop garden.

The project also included the renovation of key amenities spaces including a lounge, fitness centre and a private cafe.

The studios said that instead of completely rethinking the aesthetics of the 900,000-square-foot (83,600 square-metre) building, they aimed to "let the significant architecture speak for itself".

The wide, long walls of the lobby were finished in detailing that echoes those used for the original facade. Some of the walls were covered in brass-tipped wooden slats, while others feature monolithic granite slabs.

Back-lit stone clads the reception desk, above which was placed a modernist fresco that incorporates the CBS logo to call attention to the history of the building.

This artwork, by artist Vincent Ashbahian, was originally displayed in the building in the 1970s and willed back to the building after his death.

Toronto outfit Viso created a massive lighting fixture made of dangling lights on strands to cover a large swath of the lobby.

"By conceptualizing the experience from the outside in, we were able to restore the fundamental beauty of his design and apply the principles of form, light, and even water to new elements such as the feature stair and water feature that meet the preferences of contemporary office users," said MdeAS Architects managing partner Dan Shannon.

From the lobby, a glass-lined stairwell leads down to lounge areas. The stairwell shaft is clad in stainless steel rendered in an undulating pattern.

Models of furniture originally designed by Saarinen and architect Florence Knoll were placed throughout the renovated spaces.

As it leads to lounge areas below, it passes over a small, still water feature: a small pool of water retained by black-painted metal.

"The creation of private lounges, a conference center, and fitness studios help the building meet the expectations of today's best corporate talent, while their designs maintain the integrity of Saarinen’s original architecture," said Vocon Architects principal Tom Vecchione.

Saarinen is known for his modernist architecture, with built work across the United States and Europe. Recently, a number of his buildings have been undergoing renovation, including his TWA terminal at JFK, which was repurposed into a hotel.

Other modernist skyscrapers that have undergone restorations and renovations in New York City include the famous Lever House skyscraper, which was restored by SOM, its original architects.

The photography is by Colin Miller.

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Local studio Hemingway Design collaborated with designer James Shaw to transform a London store interior for charity retailer Traid, which features colourful furniture created from leftover second-hand clothes.

Hemingway Design renovated Traid's Shepherd's Bush branch as part of a wider rebrand for the retailer to mark its 25th anniversary, including its visual identity.

Traid sells donated clothing and accessories in 12 stores across London to fund global projects that tackle the issues caused by producing, consuming and wasting textiles.

As part of the Shepherd's Bush store refurbishment, Hemingway Design worked with Shaw to create furniture out of poor-quality clothes salvaged from the Traid sorting warehouse that the retailer deemed unsellable.

Shaw, whose practice centres on repurposing waste materials, created curved pendant lighting from the leftover clothes, which were shredded back to fibres and combined with a plant-based binder.

The designer applied this method to make the rest of the furniture. One piece is a low-slung bench for trying on shoes, upholstered with a yellow, green and blue patchwork of old denim jeans and corduroy trousers.

Shaw designed the bench's lumpy legs in his trademark extruded HDPE plastic, finished in the same colours as the patchwork seat.

Elsewhere in the store, boxy pinewood changing room doors feature multicoloured handles created from the leftover clothes, defined by a speckled appearance thanks to the combination of shredded fibres.

Silver scaffolding previously used for a different purpose in the original shop layout was used to create a "staff picks" clothes rail positioned at the front of the store.

"To align with Traid's manifesto of reducing waste and prolonging the lifespan of items, a fundamental objective of the refurb was to reuse and repurpose existing fixtures and fittings within the store where possible," explained Hemingway Design.

British designer Charlie Boyden created chunky pastel-hued plinths from other offcuts and materials salvaged from the strip-out. They display merchandise in the shop window illuminated by more of Shaw's clothing-based pendant lighting.

Swirly linseed-based oil-stained pine also characterises the geometric cash desk, fitted with an accessible counter and positioned in front of an existing timber stud wall painted in bold pink.

Next to the counter, bespoke bright green Unistrut shelving creates additional space for hanging clothes and displaying shoes.

According to Hemingway Design, Traid has put 228 million garments back into use to date, saving 622,059 tonnes of carbon dioxide and 105.3 million cubic metres of water.

"The charity retailer maximises the potential of the clothes you no longer wear, demanding change from a throwaway, fast fashion culture that continues to destroy this planet," said the studio.

Shaw recently applied his extruded plastic designs to another store renovation in central London for shoe brand Camper, which includes a jumbo foot sculpture.

Hemingway Design previously created a minimalist but colourful logo to celebrate 100 years of the Dreamland amusement park in Margate, Kent.

The photography is by French & Tye unless stated otherwise. 

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AIME Studio's interiors for the latest outpost of The Hoxton hotels, in a renovated marble-clad 1950s office building in Vienna, celebrate arts and crafts and post-war modernism.

Creative studio AIME Studio has converted the former administration building of the Chamber of Commerce in Vienna, which was originally designed by architect Carl Appel, into The Hoxton Vienna.

The building now features 196 rooms, a rooftop bar and swimming pool, a restaurant, cocktail bar, a private apartment and an auditorium for events and programming.

By focussing on mid-century Austrian design, the hotel aims to show guests a less classical side of what is often considered a traditional European city.

Appel was known for shaping the "Second Ringstrasse" style of the post-war reconstruction period, which the studio referenced in its design.

"Our aim was to create a design that respected the building's history and to preserve the architectural style of the 1950s," AIME Studios' Aaron Gibson told Dezeen.

"We visited buildings in Vienna designed by Carl Appel and renowned Austrian architects of the early 20th-century – like Adolph Loos and Otto Wagner – which inspired the interiors for The Hoxton Vienna," Gibson added.

The double-height lobby of The Hoxton Vienna preserves key features and details from Appel's original 1950s design.

The mid-century finishes of stones and metals in the original office building set a neutral and semi-industrial context for the renovation.

"We deliberately used the key features and details from Carl Appel's original design for the architecture and the interior as a basis for our decision-making throughout the ground floor," the studio said.

AIME Studios also worked with The Federal Monuments Authority Austria, which enforces the Monument Protection Act in order to explore, protect and maintain Austria's cultural heritage.

Together they selected furniture items for the hotel which reflect the 1950s, including light fittings, armchairs, sofas, and even the fabrics and textiles used in the space.

"We inherited amazing existing features like the large format terrazzo flooring, travertine walls and corrugated aluminium columns, which are all great examples of 1950s architecture," AIME told Dezeen.

The interior scheme complements the existing restrained colour palette of the natural stones' soft hues of green-grey, beige and blue tones.

The studio also took inspiration from the Wiener Werkstätte (Viennese workshops), one of the longest-lived design movements of the 20th century and a key organisation for the development of modernism.

Centred in the Austrian capital, it bridged traditional methods of manufacture and avant-garde aesthetics.

In the bedrooms, geographic patterned curtains are influenced by iconic Werkstätte fabrics and ruched headboards are inspired by Loos' style.

"We selected Viennese fabrics with restrained colours and quiet and small-scale patterns, demonstrating a contemporary take on the Wiener Werstätte arts and craft movement," Gibson explained.

Besides the usual hotel program of rooms and restaurants, The Hoxton Vienna features a large auditorium designed in a 1950s palette of pale yellow and blue with mid-century wood panelling, furniture and fittings.

The auditorium will host events like stand-up comedy, gigs and conferences, as part of the wider cultural programming of The Hoxton Vienna.

The hotel also has a private "apartment," which is an open-plan series of rooms across different levels, including kitchen, dining, sitting and meeting spaces.

The interiors of the apartment distil the essence of AIME Studios' interior design at The Hoxton, with Wiener Werstätte patterns and colours, mid-century modernist furniture and light fittings, and artwork referencing the period.

Other hotels from The Hoxton that have recently featured on Dezeen include their first opening in Germany with The Hoxton Charlottenburg in Berlin and the Ricardo Bofill-inspired The Hoxton Poblenou in Barcelona.

Photography is by Julius Hirtzberger.

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In this lookbook, we've collected eight guest rooms from China to Spain that provide visiting friends and family a space to call their own.

Guest accommodations come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Ranging from a sofa during our younger years to full-blown guesthouses later on, putting up friends and family is made better when we have a place to put them – no matter how small.

The houses and apartments below showcase the myriad ways an extra bedroom can be integrated into an interior, often doubling as an office, storage space or – in the case of a Beijing apartment – a place to enjoy some tea.

Read on below for fresh ideas on how to provide space for visitors.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring brightly-framed windows, tactile and organic living rooms and mezzanines that maximise usable space.

Weeties Factory home, Australia, by Spaceagency

A deep red carpet defines this guest room in a single-family Australian home, which consists of three consolidated apartments that once were part of a heritage-listed cereal factory.

The same red was carried into a curtain – which provides privacy from the living room below – and a corner chair, while built-in shelving sits at the entrance.

Find out more about Weeties Factory home ›

Barcelona apartment, Spain, by Eva Cotman

Guests sleep atop a platform in this Barcelona apartment, which also doubles as a storage area.

Croatian architect Eva Cotman sought to renovate the apartment to provide more open space. To optimize its functionality, she placed a bookshelf staircase in front of the guest bed.

Find out more about Barcelona apartment ›

Canal house, The Netherlands, by i29

To accommodate guests in this renovation of a canal house in Amsterdam, architecture studio i29 inserted a forest-green volume off the kitchen.

The guest suite also contains its own bathroom and access door to a garden, while a built-in bed and shelving provide rest and storage.

Find out more about Canal house ›

Beijing apartment, China, by Rooi

Plywood units were inserted into this 1950s Beijing apartment to organize and provide more space in its tight interior, which was created during an influx of people moving to urban areas when apartments were often compact.

A linear volume inserted along the kitchen and dining room can be used for storage, as a tea-drinking room, or as guest accommodations with a mattress placed on the floor. A bubble in the ceiling also provides a relaxing space for feline roommates.

Find out more about Beijing apartment ›

Rounded Loft, Czech Republic, by AI Architects

An attic in Prague was converted into a two-storey apartment, with living spaces, a kitchen and primary bedrooms located on the first floor and a guest suite located in a mezzanine.

In the mezzanine, a bed sits at the end of a long hall, while a bathroom sits adjacent to the stairs. A terrace in between the two spaces and skylights lining the roof provide a connection to the outdoors.

Find out more about Rounded Loft ›

False Bay Writer's Cabin, USA, by Olson Kundig

This cabin in Washington doubles as a study for its owners, as well as a bedroom for visiting guests when a bed is folded out of the wall.

The space is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass, which is protected by doors that fold up and enclose the entire cabin and fold down to create multiple porches.

Find out more about False Bay Writer's Cabin ›

Workhome-Playhome, The Netherlands, by Lagado Architects

The founders of Lagado Architects revamped their own Rotterdam apartment by inserting a bright blue staircase and colourful storage units.

An open loft-style room sits on the second floor. This has minimal furniture so that it can be quickly turned into an exercise room or used as guest accommodations for visitors.

Find out more about Workhome-Playhome ›

Madrid apartment, Spain, by Leticia Saá

A wash area sits outside a guest bedroom in this Madrid apartment to physically and visually separate the space from the remaining house.

The guest area, which sits directly in front of the primary bed, also faces an interior courtyard which separates both sleeping areas from the living room and kitchen.

Find out more about Madrid apartment ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring brightly-framed windows, tactile and organic living rooms and mezzanines that maximise usable space. 

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Studio Gameiro has designed the interior of the Arriba apartment in the coastal town of Caparica, Portugal, using local stone and drawing on wooden fishing huts for inspiration.

The fit-out of the two-bedroom apartment, located inside a building from the 1980s, was designed to reference the coastal area of Caparica.

"The interior colour palette and texture was inspired by the beautiful coastline of Caparica, a unique fossil-rock formation along the coast with sandy and terracotta hues," studio founder Joāo Gameiro told Dezeen.

"This natural and protected area south of Lisbon has a particular and playful way of changing with light, and it is also almost poetically embedded in our childhood memories of long summer holidays, as it was the first seaside area close to the big city."

The sandy hues of the Caparica cliffs influenced the colour palette of the apartment, which is filled with beige and tan hues and named Arriba for the Portuguese word for cliff.

Studio Gameiro also referenced the 70-square-metre apartment's surroundings through its choice of materials, designing wooden kitchen cabinets in a nod to local fishing boats.

"The use of wood for the low kitchen cabinets relates to the [area's] fishing huts, which are characterised by vertical or horizontal lines of wooden planks," Gameiro said.

"The texture found in the upper cabinets also finds inspiration in the same source, resembling the straw utilized in the construction of these huts."

As with its interior scheme for the Austa restaurant in Almancil, the practice designed much of the furniture for the apartment, which it made from wood.

"Following the same input as in other Studio Gameiro projects, we always tend to design bespoke furniture as an extension of the ability to manipulate textures and materials and celebrate the craftsmanship we are very fortunate to work with," Gameiro explained.

"The use of Kambala wood was important, as a reference to the durable wood used at the fabrication of the fishing boats, for example."

In the kitchen, the studio added an L-shaped kitchen counter made from marble.

"We used Lioz marble, a type of stone extracted locally that has been used in kitchen counters for centuries due to its hard and extremely resistant surface," Gameiro said. "We also loved how it resonated with the sandy and terracotta hues of the hills nearby."

The apartment features an unusual bathroom, organised around a shower base that was designed to have an organic shape reminiscent of "shapes found on the beach", the studio said.

It was made from Moleanos stone – a type of Portuguese limestone set with the remains of sea shells – and was inspired by the coastal erosion that has affected the area.

"As in most of these coastal formations, it has previously suffered from erosion, which in this case was eventually stopped by the pro-active planting of the Caparica pine forest," Gameiro said.

"This is now considered a natural protected area and what is left is a coastal outline of ins and outs to and from the beach, which inspired the organic shape of the shower wall."

In the study, the studio added a bespoke desk and wooden shelving, while the bedroom has a custom-made make-up desk and a bespoke wooden bed.

Other recent Portuguese interior design projects featured on Dezeen include a Lisbon home by Fala Atelier and a boutique hotel by designer Christian Louboutin.

The photography is by Tiago Casanova.

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Brooklyn practice Almost Studio has completed an apartment renovation inside a former chocolate factory, retaining an open layout while adding level changes to demarcate functional spaces.

The Loft for a Chocolatier occupies part of a 1947 industrial building along Myrtle Avenue, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.

The apartment boasts many features typical of loft-style living, including high ceilings, large windows, and exposed pipes and ductwork.

In one sense, Almost Studio founders Anthony Gagliardi and Dorian Booth aimed to retain this character through an open floor plan, adding powder-coated white mesh boxes and metallic accents.

In another, the pair chose to denote or separate some of the functional areas using changes in angle or elevation.

They looked to artists like Kazimir Malevich and Josef Albers for ways to honour the original spatial composition while organising the various spaces.

"It became a way for us to distinguish different areas – such as entry, kitchen, living room, dining room, and office - through these subtle rotational moves in a space that was otherwise entirely open," said Gagliardi and Booth.

"In many lofts, every space is equally capable of hosting any activity, and is therefore equally inadequate to host any activity," the duo continued. "If a dining room can also be an office, gym, and workshop – is it the best place to have dinner?"

The apartment's dining room is therefore located on a raised platform at the end of the space, where the ceiling is also lowered using the mesh boxes.

This set-up aims to create "a closer relationship with the high loft windows, and light, as well as a smaller, more intimate space for conversations", Gagliardi and Booth said.

The raised area is accessed via a short staircase that's covered in green carpet and flanked by sculptural pale pink screens.

These elements – covered in Shirasu Kabe plaster – are indicative of the studio's approach to softening the industrial architecture, along with cork flooring and wainscoting, and upholstered seating.

Pale millwork fronts the pill-shaped kitchen island and curved cabinets behind, while other niches are left open and lined in chartreuse.

The kitchen counter integrates an area for a desk, used as a home office, where the shelving also continues overhead.

Meanwhile, corrugated metal surrounds a structural column that anchors the island, and the dining chairs have tubular steel frames.

At the opposite end from the dining room, another elevated portion of the space houses a bedroom, which is closed off from the rest of the apartment.

This space is more intimate, and features cream walls, built-in storage, and an arched niche beside the bed that’s lined with more green carpet for the owner's cats to nap in.

A fritted glass door slides across for privacy, and a series of shutters that offer views between the bedroom and the main living area can be closed when desired.

Brooklyn has many former industrial buildings that have been converted for residential use over the past decade.

Others include a 19th-century hat factory in Williamsburg that is now home to an apartment that doubles as a performance space and a warehouse in Dumbo where one loft features a book-filled mezzanine.

The photography is by Jonathan Hokklo.

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Architecture studio Concrete has designed a hotel block for Dutch chain CitizenM in Downtown Austin, which is the brand's first Texas location and features artwork created in partnership with locals.

CitizenM worked with long-time collaborator architecture studio Concrete to purpose-build a 16-storey structure at the top of a slope in the city's downtown.

Working with US architecture studio Baskervill to create the symmetric facade, which features wide spans of black steel interspersed with wide windows, with a stretch of aluminium panelling above the entrance.

The brand said that the modern form was meant to stand out from the surrounding buildings – a mix of historical stone buildings and contemporary glass-clad skyscrapers.

"Downtown Austin is quite a dynamic urban environment with many new constructions gradually changing the character of this part of the city," CitizenM told Dezeen.

"We are surrounded by lower, older buildings as well as some of the new office towers. While CitizenM is standing out as one of the new additions to the neighborhood we try to add character and interest to our buildings by creating differentiation through massing, materials and facade design."

The double-height entrance space features a floor-to-ceiling glass wall that wraps the corner of the block. It has been set back from the street with an overhang created by a cantilever on the lobby level.

CitizenM placed its signature red staircase at the entrance. It leads up to the lobby floor past built-in shelving cluttered with Pop Art pieces, many of which were gathered from local artists and sources.

The eclectic collection of art continues in the lobby and the 344 guest rooms, which have works selected with the help of Austin Contemporary Museum.

The lobby was divided into a variety of spaces separated by built-in shelving and furnished with brightly coloured editions of modern furniture, most of which was supplied by Vitra.

The bar and social area feature banquette seating placed under the glass walls.

In the hallways of the upper floors, the mix of standardisation and localisation continues. Red carpets have been printed with the black outline of an aerial view of the Austin city grid.

Each room has a large king bed wedged under a window with blinds remote-controlled from a bedside iPad, which also controls the lights. A wrapped polycarbonate pane separates the shower from the rest of the room and a small sink sits opposite.

Amenities include a workout room that includes an AI fitness instructor that operates through video feedback and a rooftop pool adorned with a mural by Mexican artist Hilda Palafox.

CitizenM was founded to give contemporary travellers a sense of "affordable luxury", according to the brand, and has recently opened in Miami.

The photography is courtesy of CitizenM.

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Six interweaving "petals" encase the facade of Dior's store in Geneva, Switzerland, which has been designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winner Christian de Portzamparc.

The Dior store's expressive facade elements echo those of its Seoul flagship store – also designed by French architect De Portzamparc – that similarly draws on fabrics used for Dior's creations.

"The voids between the petal-shaped shells let in natural light and sculpt the space," De Portzamparc told Dezeen.

"This circulation of light creates a dialogue between inside and outside," he added. "At night, the flagship becomes a great urban lantern, with interior lighting filtered through the petals."

The facade elements rise up from the building's base widening at their centres before tapering towards the building's roof.

Behind them, floor to ceiling openings wrap around the building – revealing the building's six floors and providing views into the interiors. Additionally, a series of display cases decorate the facade at street level.

Inside, the spaces were finished with neutral-toned surfaces and wood panelling, which is set off by the colours and patterns of Dior's spring-summer 2024 collection.

Built in display cases fitted with sleek shelves and glass cabinets line the interior spaces and are illuminated by gallery-style lighting fixtures.

Plush seating decorates the boutique's interior and is coupled with consoles made by Berlin-based Stefan Leo Atelier and tables by Anglo-Brazilian designer Hamrei.

"The boutique offers a contrast worthy of European Baroque, with a pure, rounded exterior and an interior of quasi-artistic profusion," De Portzamparc said.

"The aim was to bring as much natural light as possible to the interior of the boutique, but also a certain light to the city of Geneva."

De Portzamparc was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1994 and became the first French architect to receive the prestigious architecture award.

Other recently completed flagship stores include a marble "immersive experience" for APL's flagship store in New York City and Huawei's store in Shanghai with a "petal-like" facade.

Other fashion brand stores that have recently opened include a "sensual" boutique in Milan designed by Vincent Van Duysen for fashion house Ferragamo and a boutique decorated with hand-painted murals by Cúpla for fashion brand Rixo in central London.

The photography is by Jonathan Taylor unless otherwise stated.

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Kelly Wearstler is often hailed as contemporary interior design's most recognisable name. In this interview, she tells Dezeen about crafting her textured and eclectic style.

American interior designer Wearstler has been dressing rooms since her mid-twenties, rising to become one of the discipline's most significant names.

"I'm obsessed with nuance," she told Dezeen. "I view design as boundless and undefined, but if I had to choose a single word to describe my approach it would be 'mixology'."

High-end interior design has been dominated by minimalism and sleekness in recent years, but Wearstler's projects are known for their eclectic grandeur.

Her studio is responsible for the interiors at a slew of luxury hotels, including four locations across North America for the Proper Hotel Group.

For example, she created an Austin branch with a sculptural oak staircase that doubles as a ziggurat of plinths for individual ceramic pots. Meanwhile, The Downtown LA Proper features 136 unique types of vintage or custom-made tile.

"Luxury is more of a feeling than a specific quality"

"To me, luxury is more of a feeling than a specific, tangible quality," Wearstler said. "It's all about texture and sensation, but also storytelling and considered curation."

"The most luxurious spaces bring together unique objects that each have their own history, essence and character, and encourage an elegant conversation between them," she added.

"A technique I always like to use when pursuing a sense of luxury is mixing vintage and antique items with more contemporary pieces. The history and character that come with vintage furniture help to create a 'luxurious' experience."

This approach is also reflected in Wearstler's residential and retail projects, which she tends to fill with unlikely combinations of pieces – a habit she traces back to visiting antique shows and auctions with her mother, who was an antique dealer, as a young girl.

Among these projects is the designer's own 1950s beachfront cottage in Malibu, California, furnished with objects chosen to be "hand-crafted, rustic and raw".

Wearstler also replaced the home's existing shag carpet with seagrass as a nod to the surrounding coastal setting.

"My design philosophy is rooted in a firm commitment to juxtaposition and contrast, whether this be in relation to textures and colourways, materials or even eras in time," said Wearstler.

"For me, contrast is what brings a sense of soul to a space. It creates interest, lets the space take on a life of its own and imbues it with a feeling of genuine authenticity."

"AI has exponentially enriched our creative process"

Wearstler says her design philosophy was partly shaped by working in the film industry early on in her career.

Before forming her eponymous studio in California in 1995, she worked in various roles including set decoration and art direction – an experience she claims shaped her appreciation of the "emotion and atmosphere" of a space.

"My time working as a set designer definitely impacted my approach to interior design," Wearstler told Dezeen.

"Working on film sets taught me the importance of dramatic intent, and that's remained a key element of my work throughout my career."

Despite her penchant for vintage pieces, Wearstler stressed the importance of rising to contemporary challenges – not least artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on design.

Wearstler's studio has been using generative AI – which she calls an "ally" – since 2021, citing image-generating platforms including DALL-E and Midjourney as tools to generate ideas.

The same year, the designer created a virtual garage, playfully imagined as a home for basketball player LeBron James's electric Hummer, decked out with renderings of Wearstler-designed furniture including the studio's Echo bench and Monolith side table.

"Many people see the introduction of AI as a challenge, but I think of it as one of the greatest tools for growth," said Wearstler. "AI has exponentially enriched our creative process."

"As designers, it's our responsibility to push the boundaries of our craft and to create spaces that elegantly and artistically reflect the world around us," she added. "AI is a vital tool in allowing us to do this in new and extraordinary ways."

Wearstler has published six books and with 2.2 million Instagram followers, she is often considered interior design's most recognisable name.

"I think my work stands out because I follow my gut," she reflected. "Whether I'm designing a hotel, a private residence or a product, I give its emotional and physical attributes equal consideration."

"Most importantly, I strive to bring my clients and customers joy through my designs. I'm not sure if that's what makes me the 'most recognisable name', but if you design with the person who will be living in a space, or with a light fixture or chair, in mind, your work will resonate."

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Dim lighting and dark tones define the interiors of the second Smith & Mills restaurant in New York, recently completed by architecture studio Woods Bagot.

Situated in New York's Rockefeller Center, the restaurant's interiors were designed by Woods Bagot in collaboration with New York City-based hospitality management consultancy Neighborhood Projects.

To enter the space, guests walk through a snug hallway covered with vintage elevator-cab panels.

"It was very important to us that we created a transition zone off the concourse before you enter the main dining room," explained Wood Bagot's Krista Ninivaggi.

"This would act as a buffer to feel the buzz of the heart of Rock Center diminish, and then be enveloped in our warm amber glow."

"We achieved this by using old wrought iron elevator cab screens to partition off the entry and lowering the ceiling for a classic design move of compression before being 'released' into the carefully crafted atmosphere of the restaurant," she continued.

Columns clad in zellige tiles and mirrors divide the space, while antique-style mirrors on the walls and reclaimed wood panelling were used to create a vintage feel in the restaurant, which is the second Smith & Mills to open in the city.

"We used the reclaimed panelling and zellige tile to 'paint' all of the wall surfaces," Ninivaggi explained. "We alternated them in key locations by deciding what should feel 'warm' with the wood or 'hard' with the tile."

An oval bar made of zinc and walnut, which sits on a tiled black stone floor, functions as the restaurant's focal point.

In the dining area, the studio chose banquette seating dressed in oxblood velvet in a nod to the restaurant's original location in New York's Tribeca neighbourhood. Marble tables with brass accents and bistro chairs complement the design.

The interior of the restaurant's private dining room features a transition from handmade red zellige tiles sourced from Morocco on one wall to a botanical print wall covering above.

Lighting fixtures, such as pendants and sconces, cast ambient lighting throughout the space. Artwork by Ukrainian artist Yelena Yemchuk hangs on the walls.

"The lighting was very carefully considered both in its design and light quality, to give the appropriate hue to the space," Neighborhood Projects' Matt Abramcyk told Dezeen.

"We went so far as to undertake tests to find the right vinyl to veil the light from the concourse to give a warm backdrop," he continued.

The location of the new restaurant also had a big influence on the design.

"At both locations, Smith & Mills strives for simple, rustic design, with materials that nod to the past," Abramcyk concluded. "Because of the new location's iconic surroundings, the Rockefeller Center design also nods to art deco, in particular."

Other restaurant interiors recently featured on Dezeeen include a Korean fried chicken restaurant in New York designed by Rockwell Group and a cocktail lounge in Las Vegas created by musician Bruno Mars in collaboration with design studio Yabu Pushelberg.

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Shades of green, red and yellow run throughout this lookbook, which collects nine home interiors enlivened by colourful window frames.

Whether painted wood, plastic or metal, opting for colourful window frames is an easy way to brighten a residential interior.

The examples in this lookbook demonstrate how they can be used to create a focal point in a pared-back space, draw attention to a view or simply help establish a colour theme.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring organic modern interiors, eclectic hotels and flooring that enhances the connection between indoors and outdoors.

Camberwell Cork House, UK, by Delve Architects

A bright forest green paint lines the window frames at Camberwell Cork House, helping to draw focus to the lush planting outside.

The paint juxtaposes the deliberately simple, white-walled interiors of the house extension, while outside it pops from against walls of tactile cork cladding.

Find out more about Camberwell Cork House ›

House 669, Sweden, by HelgessonGonzaga Arkitekter

HelgessonGonzaga Arkitekter incorporated sunny yellow frames throughout House 669, a prefabricated home it created in Stockholm.

The irregularly placed windows help enliven the otherwise neutral finishes to the home while adding a sense of "individuality" to its uniform structure, the studio said.

Find out more about House 669 ›

Cork House, UK, by Nimtim Architects

Another studio to have married bright window frames with cork cladding is Nimtim Architects. At this extension in London, the studio punctured the cork-lined walls with Barbie pink timber frames, offering a contemporary counterpoint to the Victorian house to which it is attached.

The windows are complemented by more subtle pops of pink inside, including the kitchen splashback and metal legs of the dining chairs.

Find out more about Cork House ›

Bouça Family House, Portugal, by Fahr 021.3

Turquoise accents feature throughout this family home by Fahr 021.3 in Porto, including its window frames and doors.

The colour was intended to help liven up the interiors, which are finished with white walls, wooden floorboards and wall panelling, while also giving the home "an element of distinction", the studio said.

Find out more about Bouça Family House ›

Valetta House, UK, by Office S&M

Among the distinguishing features of the Valetta House loft extension in London are its yellow-framed arch windows, three of which feature in one of the bedrooms.

Office S&M modelled these on the arched sash windows found in neighbouring Victorian residences but gave them a vivid yellow finish to appeal to the client's children. The colour was based on a light fitting the client had picked for the kitchen.

Find out more about Valetta House ›

Dailly, Belgium, by Mamout

Slender sage-green frames trim the window openings in Dailly, a courtyard house nestled between two buildings in Belgium.

It is among the pastel tones that its architect Mamout has used to bring character to the home, in addition to an array of reclaimed materials sourced from a warehouse that previously occupied the site.

Find out more about Dailly ›

Ugly House, UK, by Lipton Plant Architects

Ugly House is a 1970s house in Berkshire that Lipton Plant Architects expanded with a contrasting two-storey extension.

A bright orange finish was chosen for the windows, including the large garden-facing opening in the kitchen that juxtaposes pastel-blue cabinetry and wooden floorboards.

Find out more about Ugly House ›

House in Ancede, Portugal, by Atelier Local

Large rectangular and circular windows bring light inside House in Ancede, which Atelier Local completed on a sloped site in a nature reserve near Porto.

The openings are outlined with bright red aluminium, brightening the cool-toned interiors that are defined by exposed blockwork and concrete to evoke brutalist architecture.

Find out more about House in Ancede ›

Yellow House, UK, by Nimtim Architects

Another project on the list by Nimtim Architects is Yellow House, named after the spectrum of yellow-green hues that run throughout its interior.

This includes the buttercup-coloured wooden frames of the rear picture window and three skylights in the living room, which stand out against a backdrop of white walls and neutral furnishings.

Find out more about Yellow House ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring tactile organic modern interiors, eclectic hotels and flooring that enhances the connection between indoors and outdoors. 

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Mexico City studio MYT+GLVDK has designed a fast-casual restaurant where exposed concrete walls are covered in wavy green metal mesh.

The office led by Andrés Mier y Terán and Regina Galvanduque completed both the architectural and graphic identities for Órale Milanga, located in the city's upscale Polanco neighbourhood.

The restaurant celebrates the "comforting and beloved" dish, the Milanese – which many countries claim to have birthed – in a new concept by Venezuelan chef Jorge Udelman.

"Órale Milanga proposes a fast casual concept that invites you on a journey through Milanese, the main character of a single-item menu that honours different culinary traditions with a variety of ingredients and preparations," said MYT+GLVDK.

For the interiors, the multidisciplinary studio overlaid the original exposed concrete walls with panels of wavy, olive-green mesh within metal frames in the same hue.

Mirrors also fill a row of the wall-mounted frames, creating the impression of more space for the narrow footprint.

Similar framework forms a tall, open shelving unit on the other side of the restaurant, partially concealing a green staircase that leads up to additional seating on a mezzanine level.

"The presence of the green tones, as well as the wood and ironwork accents, evoke the classic neighbourhood cafes and bars in Milan," the studio said.

Pale wood shelves display Órale Milanga's branded products that include take-out boxes, mugs, canned goods and glass water bottles.

Diners are encouraged to eat at either formica-topped tables or a pale wood bar counter, both of which keep the atmosphere in the space light and bright.

Modernist-style tubular steel chairs have seats and cylindrical backs wrapped in beige and olive leather, matching the built-in seating.

Warm LED lighting is emitted from glass diffusers, linked in pairs on curved brass rods that attach to the metal frames.

The restaurant's laid-back spirit is reflected in its graphic identity, which features yellow and green tones "that communicate the naturalness and joy of the atmosphere... as well as the ingredients used in the kitchen" according to MYT+GLVDK.

Along with bold colours and chunky typography, the branding also features an illustrated group of characters and expressive lines.

"The branding proposal confirms Órale Milanga as a democratic, open and unpretentious space, where enjoying and sharing are the only premises," the studio said.

Mier y Terán and Galvanduque founded their studio in the Mexican capital in 2015, offering architecture, industrial design and branding concepts and execution.

The team has previously completed a food court inside a Mexico City shopping mall with elements that take cues from Japanese and Mexican design traditions.

The photography is courtesy of MYT+GLVDK and Órale Milanga.

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In this lookbook, we collect eight kitchens that contrast rough and smooth textures, glossy and grainy surfaces, and a variety of colours for an overall eye-catching interior.

The kitchens in this roundup exemplify how a combination of seemingly clashing materials can create a rich and interesting palette.

Some opted for contrasting a number of cool-toned colours with warmer hues, while others made a striking impact by setting colours on opposite sides of the colour wheel side-by-side, like greens with pink or red.

Here are eight kitchens with eye-catching material palettes made up of contrasting colours and textures.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring eclectic hotel interiors, organic modern living rooms and homes where continuous flooring creates a connection between indoors and outdoors.

Brunswick apartment, Australia, by Murray Barker and Esther Stewart

Architect Murray Barker and artist Esther Stewart opted for colours and materials in keeping with mid-century interiors when updating this 1960s apartment in Melbourne's Brunswick neighbourhood.

The duo reconfigured the apartment layout, creating an L-shaped kitchen with pistachio green units set against red Rosa Alicante marble on the tabletop, worktops and backsplash.

Find out more about the Brunswick apartment ›

St John Street, UK, by Emil Eve Architects

In its renovation of a London warehouse apartment, local studio Emil Eve Architects aimed to add warmth and colour to the interior without losing its industrial character.

In the kitchen, the glossy and colourful surfaces of the dark green wall tiles and bright yellow pendant lights contrast with the rough textures of the exposed concrete structure and brick walls.

Find out more about the St John Street ›

Lovers Walk, Ireland, by Kingston Lafferty Design

Dublin studio Kingston Lafferty Design also used a red-toned stone in this family home in Cork, Ireland.

The kitchen was overhauled with red tones in various mix-matched materials, including ruby-hued timber cabinets with bright red trims and veiny red quartzite used in the island, splashback and countertops.

This was contrasted with cool tones in the polished floor and steel-blue-painted ceiling.

Find out more about Lovers Walk ›

Locke am Platz, Switzerland, by Sella Concept

Smooth, red cabinets are set against a blue-green marble back and worktop in this kitchenette, which is located in a studio apartment in the Locke am Platz hotel in Zurich.

London design studio Sella Concept used vibrant colours and an assortment of different materials throughout the hotel interior, with the aim of "juxtaposing modernism with a classic theatrical flair".

Find out more about Locke am Platz ›

Paris apartment, France, by Hauvette & Madani

Green and pink tiles create a contrasting wall pattern in the kitchen of this Haussman-era Parisian apartment, which was revamped by local design studio Hauvette & Madani.

Light pink wall cabinets and a bright green stove complement the wall pattern behind them, while a sculptural wooden table adds to the eclectic selection of mixed and matched furniture throughout the home.

Find out more about the Paris apartment ›

Dumbo Loft, USA, by Crystal Sinclair Designs

This loft apartment in Brooklyn's Dumbo neighbourhood was renovated by interiors studio Crystal Sinclair Designs, which aimed to add European flair to the industrial space.

The studio offset the cool tones of the steely appliances and grey-veined arabascato marble with a wooden farmhouse-style island and deep-red qashqai rug.

Find out more about Dumbo Loft ›

Budge Over Dover, Australia, YSG

Paired-back hues in the terracotta brick flooring and Marmorino plaster walls provide the backdrop to a rich material palette in the Budge Over Dover house in Sydney, which was revamped by interior design studio YSG.

The studio used a combination of raw and polished finishes in the open-plan kitchen and living room, with black-stained timber cabinetry and a kitchen island composed of a Black Panther marble worktop set atop an aged brass base.

Find out more about Budge Over Dover ›

Jewellery Box, UK, by Michael Collins Architects

Jewellery Box is a two-storey extension to a terraced house in London by Michael Collins Architects, which is characterised by vibrant interiors concealed by a subdued exterior.

The kitchen features bright blue units that contrast with shiny gold backsplashes and slender handles on the tall cabinets.

Find out more about Jewellery Box ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring eclectic hotel interiors, organic modern living rooms and homes where continuous flooring creates a connection between indoors and outdoors.

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Jumbo poppies synonymous with Marimekko cover the floor of Bar Unikko, a pink-hued pop-up cafe created as a Milan design week pit stop to mark the print's 60th anniversary.

Named after Unikko, the recognisable poppy pattern designed by Maija Isola in 1964, the cafe is a pop-up project at Bar Stoppani in Milan.

Marimekko purposefully left the interior layout of the cafe, which is a collaboration with interior design magazine Apartamento, largely untouched to create a contrast between the Finnish brand's design language and traditional Italian eateries.

"The idea was to really acknowledge where we are and find a real Milanese institution," creative director Rebekka Bay told Dezeen at the cafe. "If that hadn't been our intent, then we could have just taken on an empty space."

Bar Unikko is positioned on a corner site with a large pink and orange awning emblazoned with oversized poppies, which also feature on table umbrellas that create a striking landmark when approaching the cafe.

"We've really taken the pattern out of its normal context and let it come to life in a whole new way," added Bay, who described the contrast between Marimekko motifs and the existing bar interior as "refreshing".

"In the Nordics, we're obsessed with cleanliness, systems and functionality," she continued. "Whereas here, it's dramatic and complex."

Spread across a single room, the interior kept its existing dark blue accents, burl wood panels, circular tables and a large bar positioned in front of mirrors.

A neon poppy was placed above one of the tables, which were topped with gold Verner Panton Flowerpot lamps.

The brand also added its signature pattern to the floor, characterised by poppies finished in two shades of pink, and a blue and yellow curtain at the back of the space.

Other than these bold features, Bay explained that the Marimekko touches are found in the "little things".

Floral crockery, coasters, napkins and matches appear throughout Bar Unniko, which also includes Oiva – a collection of petite patterned espresso cups designed specifically for the takeover.

"At first glance, you're walking into a Milanese bar, and it doesn't actually look like we've done much – but then the more you immerse yourself you start noticing these things," said Bay.

Framed black and white photographs of the late Marimekko founder Armi Ratia were mounted to the walls as a nod to the brand's history.

Throughout the day, the changing light alters the pink glow that illuminates the interior while a shifting soundtrack signals the transition from morning to afternoon to evening.

Bay explained that communal gathering is at the heart of Marimekko, which is why the brand chose to create a day-to-night cafe to celebrate 60 years of its well-known print.

"Our founder famously said, I think at the beginning of Marimekko, that the brand could've been anything," reflected the creative director. "Our mission is not only to bring joy to people's lives but to bring people together."

Other highlights from this year's edition of Milan design week include Faye Toogood's Rude Arts Club exhibition, furniture made from reused skyscraper formwork and an inflatable gaming chair from IKEA.

The photography is by Sean Davidson.

Bar Unikko is open from 15 to 21 April 2024 at Bar Stoppani, Via Antonio Stoppani 15, 20129, Milan. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

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Swiss home appliances brand V-Zug has opened its inaugural Milan showroom, combining soft hues and natural materials with high-tech appliances, as captured in this video produced by Dezeen.

Called V-Zug Studio Milan, the showroom was designed by Italian architect and interior designer Elisa Ossino to encapsulate a "poetic simplicity" through blending objects crafted from natural materials with appliances featuring reflective surfaces.

V-Zug Studio Milan has opened its doors during Milan design week

The studio showcases V-Zug's home appliances, such as ovens, cooktops and steamers, which are contrasted by furniture pieces created by Ossino in collaboration with artist Henry Timi.

According to V-Zug's global interior art director Gabriel Castelló Pinyon, the open-plan interiors are designed to evoke a "sense of hospitality" for its visitors.

The space is characterised by a neutral colour palette of soft hues, which create a subtle contrast with the materials incorporated throughout the space, such as sculpted stone and mirrored surfaces.

The showroom is flooded with ample natural light emanating from large glazings, while an off-white monolithic staircase with large circular openings cuts through the space.

Overlooking the Piazza San Marco, the studio marks the company's flagship showroom located in Italy, following the recent openings of its studios across Germany, Austria and Australia.

V-Zug Studio Milan is open to visitors from Monday to Friday during this year's Milan design week.

In addition to hosting a series of talks throughout the week, Ossino in collaboration with Timi also created a sculptural installation titled Time and Matter for V-Zug at Pinacoteca di Brera, which further explores the relationship between human experiences, design and technology.

See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for V-Zug as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Designer Maria Vittoria Paggini has used colourful wallpaper and murals depicting nude bodies concealed behind peepholes to transform her home for Milan design week.

Located in the 5vie design district in the heart of the city, Casa Ornella is annually redesigned by Vittoria Paggini who presents the project during Milan design week.

This year, the property – which is also partly an art gallery, is themed "porno-chic".

"Casa Ornella is a maximalist house" said the designer, who is opening up her home to the public during the week.

"Porno-chic stems from a strong need for rediscovery and self-awareness. To achieve this, I felt the need to bare myself and decided to use the metaphor of the naked body, pushing it to the extreme to make it invisible to the eyes," she told Dezeen.

"Going beyond that, porno-chic aims to be a style of 'rebirth,' a recognition of oneself through the home or any place to inhabit."

The interiors feature a living space characterised by artist Tatiana Brodatch's striking wallpaper. Oversized spots and stripes in pink and purple hues form the backdrop for images of faceless, nude male sculptures touching themselves.

Finished in Brodatch's signature lumpy plasticine, the figures look like they are flying through space.

Two boothlike, art deco armchairs with burl wood casing were positioned next to this feature wall, as well as a translucent table designed by Vittoria Paggini and topped with twisting, marble and Murano glass candelabras by Aina Kari.

Visitors can see Brodatch's wallpaper through a circular peephole on one of the corridors, which adds to the "sensual" atmosphere of the home, according to the designer.

Elsewhere, brown curtains illustrated with naked female bodies and a small but suggestive figurative sculpture sitting on a silver tray are reflected in a swollen gold mirror.

One corridor is characterised by a large-scale floor mural of a nude woman, created as a set of abstract brown and pink shapes.

The only room not open to the public is the bedroom, which is decorated with a graphic, floor-to-ceiling mural of naked men surrounded by decadent architecture, influenced by 13th-century paintings.

Visitors can view the bedroom mural, created by Milanese illustrator Damiano Groppi, through another peephole.

Sugary pink walls, striped and chequerboard accents and multiple mirrored surfaces throughout the home add to its maximalist design.

Casa Ornella also includes two more Vittoria Paggini-designed products, which are being debuted for the design week and take cues from "the world of jewellery".

These are bulbous gold taps created for Milanese brand Manoli – positioned above veiny Gio Ponti basins in the bathroom – and slender light switches designed for Officine Morelli.

According to Vittoria Paggini, these pieces are "what is most characteristic of the porno-chic style".

"They serve two different functions but have the same language that aims to communicate sensuality and timeless elegance."

The annual Milan design week has kicked off in the Italian city, with projects on display ranging from a collection of everyday objects designed using algae and sculptural lights by Leo Maher that reference "a hot-pot of queer culture".

The photography is courtesy of Maria Vittoria Paggini.

Casa Ornella is on display at Via Conca di Naviglio 10, Milan, during Milan Design Week from 15 to 21 April 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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For our latest lookbook, we've collected eight living rooms from Denmark to Japan that have been decorated in an organic modern style, featuring natural wood and stone details.

The deceptively simple organic modern style combines modernist interior designs with natural materials and earthy colours.

Plenty of wood, in the form of flooring, panelling and furniture give these interiors an organic feel. Designers have also chosen stone to create the same effect, with stone floors, tables and sofa bases adding an elegant and natural touch.

All of these living rooms also have discrete and neutral colour palettes, with hues of brown, beige, tan and various white and cream shades creating restful environments.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring floors that connect the indoors and outdoors and interiors with mezzanines.

Heatherhill Beach House, Denmark, by Norm Architects

Danish studio Norm Architects designed the cedar-clad Heatherhill Beach House to resemble a traditional barn, with a material palette that leans heavily on wood and brick.

In the ocean-facing living room, the studio combined a brick floor and wooden wall with modernist furniture, including the slender graphic Valerie Objects Hanging Lamp by design studio Muller Van Severen.

Find out more about Heatherhill Beach House ›

The Maker's Barn, UK, by Hutch Design

Originally a concrete pig shed, Hutch Design transformed The Maker's Barn into a holiday rental using "natural and honest" materials.

Its living, dining and kitchen area features a concrete fireplace, bulbous soft furniture and a shaggy beige rug in front of floor-to-ceiling windows that underline the house's connection to the landscape.

Find out more about The Maker's Barn ›

Tribeca loft, US, by Timothy Godbold

This Tribeca loft inside a former textile factory has a dramatic double-height living room surrounded by large windows. To make the room feel more intimate, interior designer Timothy Godbold added sheer curtains and softly rounded furniture.

A discrete colour palette of cream and beige hues is offset with plenty of green plants, while a central stone table and stone sofa base add a rustic touch.

Find out more about Tribeca loft ›

Palm Springs, UK, by Will Gamble Architects

Named for the California desert town, the Palm Springs extension in London draws on the area's specific type of modernism. This is exemplified by the use of natural materials and floor-to-ceiling glazing.

The sandy hues in the living room also nod to the arid Palm Springs surroundings, with a sage green sofa adding more colour to the interior.

Find out more about Palm Springs ›

835 High Street, Australia, by Carr

The interiors of this flat in Melbourne form a softer contrast to its gridded concrete facade. A rounded sofa with undulating shapes is juxtaposed against branch-like side tables and designer Hans J Wegner's classic Flag Halyard chair.

Textile accents in the form of a patterned rug and a fur throw also help make the room feel cosier.

Find out more about 835 High Street ›

Amity Street Residence, US, by Selma Akkari and Rawan Muqaddas

The living room of Amity Street Residence in Brooklyn, New York, houses a collection of sculptural furniture pieces that give it an art-gallery feel.

Here, designer Isamu Noguchi's Akari rice lamp with its bamboo stem matches a wooden chair and plinth and contrasts with a green marble table.

"A warm colour palette was deployed to unify the spaces by way of gentle oak floors, cream-hued walls that contrasted with dark stone, and stained-wood inset bookshelves," said designer Selma Akkari.

Find out more about Amity Street Residence ›

Azabu Hills Residence, Japan, by Karimoku Case

Azabu Hills Residence (above and main image) sits on a hilltop in Tokyo and was designed to have a "calm and serene atmosphere". Local zelkova wood was used for its custom-made furniture, including an ovoid coffee table.

A clever use of materials enhances the organic modern interior, with a glossy, lacquered brown vase standing out against the textured rug and sofa.

Find out more about Azabu Hills Residence ›

Can Santacilia, Spain, by OHLAB

New and old meet inside the Can Santacilia apartment building in Palma de Mallorca's old town, parts of which are from the 12th or 13th century.

In the living room of one of the flats, architecture studio OHLAB used geometric-shaped rattan furniture and a rug to bring a natural colour palette into the all-white room.

Find out more about Can Santacilia ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring floors that connect the indoors and outdoors and interiors with mezzanine.

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Brooklyn-based designer Sergio Mannino has chosen a palette of purple and silver for a Philadelphia pharmacy that helps patients affected by the opioid crisis.

Located in the Philadelphia suburb of Cheltenham, the Angel Care Pharmacy is owned by Olivia Tchanque, who wanted the design of her space to reflect the care and sensitivity offered to her patients.

Tchanque looked to Sergio Mannino Studio to create an environment that feels distinctive, clean and contemporary.

The pharmacy was born in part to help deal with the ongoing opioid crisis in the US, and those with addictions to OxyContin and deadly substitute Fentanyl.

Its mission revolves around "providing the community with the best medical supplies and care they need", said Tchanque.

Mannino was responsible for the interior design and branding for the space, including its angel-wing logo used for signage and across marketing materials.

Once two separate units, the 1,800-square-foot (167-square-metre) pharmacy is divided into retail operations and prescription areas now connected by an open doorway.

In the retail area, the designer intentionally chose colours that are bold but would not be overbearing.

"Mauve is the colour of balance: it represents tenderness and it's frequently associated with femininity and motherhood," said Mannino.

"White brings a feeling of safety and purity. It represents the absence of things and a sense of relaxation and clarity. Silver has always been associated with the moon, inspiring a feeling of joy and peace."

Two chairs designed by Mannino with soft purple-upholstered bases, minimal chrome backrests and oak armrests provide a waiting area for patients along with a built-in window seat.

These are accompanied by two side tables designed by Ettore Sottsass for Kartell, in violet and pink finishes.

The room is decorated with silver-toned wallpaper on two sides and purple grid pattern on the others.

Shelving displays along the walls came from Blu Dot, while freestanding units in the centre of the room are by Hem – both crafted from oak.

The colour palette extends to the minimalist branding, which features mauve hues, grid patterns and contemporary typography.

At Tchanque's request, Mannino also introduced compostable vials and bags instead of plastic packaging, since "every year, each local pharmacy in the US fills 60,000 prescriptions on average," according to the pharmacist.

Sergio Mannino Studio was established in 2008, and the firm's early projects included a showroom for footwear brand Kensiegirl and another shoe shop where the walls were covered in interchangeable panels.

More recently, Mannino completed a pharmacy waiting room in Brooklyn featuring graphic floor tiles, a pigmented cement desk and curved leather chairs.

The photography is by Sergio Mannino Studio.

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From guest rooms filled with fashion designer Christian Louboutin's personal antique collection to Ibiza's oldest hotel where handmade masks are mounted on the walls, our latest lookbook features eight eclectic hotel interiors.

Eclectic design brings together objects and styles from a range of sources – often mixing contemporary and vintage pieces.

While many hotels are characterised by uniform luxury, others celebrate unlikely combinations of furniture, colours and patterns.

Here are eight eclectic hotel interiors from around the world defined by contrasts and clashes.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring residential mezzanines, Mexican holiday homes and minimalist bathrooms.

Downtown LA Proper, USA, by Kelly Wearstler

American designer Kelly Wearstler has created the interiors for all four of the Proper Hotel Group's branches across North America.

The Downtown LA Proper is anchored by "bold and eclectic choices", including a chunky graphite reception desk and a hand-painted archway flanked by leaning column-like cacti in rustic pots.

Find out more about Downtown LA Proper ›

Montesol Experimental, Ibiza, by Dorothée Meilichzon

Dorothée Meilichzon of French interior design studio Chzon renovated Montesol – the oldest hotel in Ibiza, originally built in the 1930s.

Meilichzon transformed the renamed Montesol Experimental with "a bohemian overtone" that draws on the hotel's rich history. Among its interior elements are lumpy Playdough Stools by artist Diego Faivre, hand-crafted masks and an abundance of tassels.

Find out more about Montesol Experimental ›

Vermelho, Portugal, by Christian Louboutin and Madalena Caiado

Louboutin filled his first hospitality project with furniture and materials from his personal antique collection.

The fashion designer worked with architect Madalena Caiado to create the Vermelho boutique hotel in the Portuguese village of Melides. The guest rooms feature unexpected elements such as a rattan monkey-shaped side table and striking hand-painted frescoes.

Find out more about Vermelho ›

Palm Heights, Grand Cayman, by Gabriella Khalil

Collectible design pieces characterise Palm Heights in Grand Cayman, the island's first boutique hotel.

Creative director Gabriella Khalil sought to style the project like a 1970s Caribbean mansion, selecting sandy yellows and bold blue hues to complement the many original artworks that adorn the walls.

Find out more about Palm Heights ›

Austin Proper Hotel and Residences, USA, by Kelly Wearstler

Among the Proper Hotel Group's other locations is an Austin branch. Wearstler inserted a sculptural oak staircase into the lobby that doubles as a plinth for a varied collection of glazed earthenware pots and vases.

Locally sourced art and textiles characterise the hotel, which has cypress wood walls that were charred using the traditional Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban to create a tiger-striped effect.

Find out more about Austin Proper Hotel ›

Hôtel de la Boétie, France, by Beata Heuman

Swedish designer Beata Heuman created the Hôtel de la Boétie in Paris to be "a bit like a stage set".

Heuman chose contrasting elements for the colour-drenched interiors. Bedrooms feature a mixture of dark-hued woven headboards and pale pink sheets, while downstairs, the reception area's jumbo flower lamps balance the steely silver of the lounge walls.

Find out more about Hôtel de la Boétie ›

Château Royal, Germany, by Irina Kromayer

A series of eclectic spaces make up the Château Royal in Berlin, which references the heyday of the German capital at the turn of the 20th century.

Interior architect Irina Kromayer designed the hotel to be "authentic" rather than retro, choosing art noveau tiles and brass and nickel hardware in a nod to the finishes commonly found in Berlin's historic buildings.

Find out more about Château Royal ›

Esme Hotel, USA, by Jessica Schuster Design

Plush velvet flooring, textural tassels and plants in wicker pots come together at the Esme Hotel in Miami, renovated by New York studio Jessica Schuster Design.

The interiors draw on the "bohemian grandeur" of the hotel's 1920s history, with decadent alcoves clad with contrasting patterns.

Find out more about Esme Hotel ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring residential mezzanines, Mexican holiday homes and minimalist bathrooms.

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This wooden pavilion set among lush gardens forms a retail space in Mexico City for fragrance brand Xinú, designed by its founders Esrawe + Cadena.

The Xinú Marsella space occupies a former car mechanic's workshop in the city's Juarez neighborhood that has been transformed into an oasis of greenery.

It was built to provide a multi-sensory experience for customers of perfume and home scent brand Xinú, which designers Héctor Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena founded in 2016.

Both had a hand in creating the retail space, which is intended to reinvigorate the leftover industrial space and provide an enjoyable spot to visit.

"The design approach started with the idea of gifting a garden to the neighbourhood, ingeniously giving life to a vacant space by harmoniously blending a holistic experience that integrates the seductive power of nature, with design and architecture," said the design team.

Visitors approach the space via an unassuming metal gateway on the street, passing through a tunnel with many potted plants on either side before emerging into the courtyard.

A flagstone path guides this journey to and around a circular single-storey pavilion built almost entirely from laminated tornillo wood.

Its radial construction revolves around a large central pillar, from which structural beams emanate to support tongue-and-groove ceiling panels.

The pavilion sits on a steel frame atop a system of red grandis wood beams, while a pine lattice above the ceiling supports a plywood board roof.

Around the perimeter are a series of vertical louvres that provide anchors for shelves and vitrines displaying a variety of items.

Glass panels fill most of the gaps between the louvres, except the two that are left for the wooden doors.

At night, a ring of track lighting illuminates the displays that range from Xinú perfumes and candles, to olfactory-stimulating natural items, small plants and botanical drawings.

"This thoughtful arrangement allows the periphery to fully embrace the botanical realm, correlating scents, candles, incense and home products with the vivid tapestry of the landscape," the team said.

"Supported by a powerful authentic brand narrative, the pavilion unfolds as a contemplative journey, a multi-sensory approach inviting guests to explore a universe crafted by simplicity and the fragrant symphony of nature as well as Xinú's unique products and scents."

Xinú launched during Design Week Mexico in 2016, when the brand's stacked-hemisphere reusable bottles – also designed by Esrawe Studio and Cadena & Asociados – were unveiled.

Esrawe is one of Mexico's most prolific contemporary designers, and in a recent interview with Dezeen, said that Mexican design and architecture is undergoing a "renaissance".

His studio's recent projects include the Albor Hotel in San Miguel de Allende where planes of green tile are suspended from the lobby ceiling and an apartment in Mexico City anchored by a cruciform cabinet.

Cadena frequently collaborates on projects with Esrawe, offering art direction, concept design and brand identity.

Other projects the two studios have completed together include Grupo Arca's showroom and cultural centre in Guadalajara and the Tierra Garat cafe in Polanco, Mexico City.

The photography is by Alejandro Ramírez.

Project credits:

Concept and experience: Esrawe + Cadena
Architecture, interior design, furniture: Esrawe Studio
Display and artwork design: Cadena Concepts
Design team: Heisei Carmona, Nuria Martin, Laura Vela, Ángel Durán, Raúl Araiza, Rodrigo Romero, Pablo Ávila
Visualisations: Yair Ugarte
Scale models: Alejandro Uribe, David Díaz
Wood: Micmac
Structure: Sergio López
Installations: JLC Remodelaciones
Landscaping: Arturo Flores
Lighting: Lighteam

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Promotion: Swiss furniture brand Vitra is expanding its European presence through a programme of showroom openings in renovated, distinctive historic buildings.

The brand, which is known for high-end office and home furniture by leading designers, has embarked on a programme of showroom expansion and renovation to add to its global presence.

"All Vitra showrooms reflect an agile and flexible platform to showcase our office and home concepts, including both Vitra and Artek," said the brand.

"We are keen to present the collaboration and synergies with our partners in spaces designed for communal work, activities and events."

It has recently opened or renovated showrooms in Amsterdam, London, Madrid, Oslo and Stockholm.

Vitra's latest showroom opened last month in Oslo. Set within a 1930s metal factory in the resurgent Skøyen district, the understated interior was designed to contrast the industrial structure and set the base for the brand's curated furniture collections.

The space contains offices for Vitra local staff and also functions as a place for the brand to host architects and designers.

Earlier this year in Madrid's bustling Salamanca district, Vitra opened a showroom within a 1920s art nouveau building originally designed by Spanish architect Antonio Palacios as a power supply facility for the city's metro system.

The space was renovated by Spanish studio Carlos Manzano Arquitectos to create a bright and open space that showcases many of the building's original features.

Topped by a distinctive steel and glass roof, the space combines office space for Vitra's Madrid staff along with a showroom space, Vitra Colour & Material Library and a Task Chair Lab.

"One of our main goals was to peel off added elements to reveal the beauty of the spacious interior," said Till Weber, creative director interiors and scenography.

In Amsterdam, Vitra recently opened another showroom on the dockside in the city's Houthavens district within an old industrial munitions complex.

Vitra's Amsterdam home was shortlisted for interior designer of the year at Dezeen Awards 2019.

The pared-back space features several showrooms, a shop, offices, canteen, a workshop and warehouse spaces.

In London, Vitra recently opened a showroom in another heritage building – the Grade II-listed Tramshed in Shoreditch.

Originally built as a power station for the East London Tramway in 1905, the building was renovated to draw attention to its original features including the central roof light.

"We also tried to maintain as much as possible of the original structure. For example, we tore out an entire kitchen installed by the former tenant to reveal wonderfully preserved brick walls."

Along with the showroom openings, Vitra also recently renovated its Stockholm showroom. The brand also has European showrooms in Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Prague and Paris as well as outside Europe in Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo.

The target audience for Vitra's showrooms are B2B professionals, dealers, artists and designers. For its private clients, Vitra caters via its authorised dealer network and its own online shops.

Additionally, there is the Vitra Campus in Weil Am Rhein in Germany, which contains the Herzog & de Meuron-designed VitraHaus flagship store.

"The VitraHaus is a unique building that we have been working on for more than a decade," said Nora Fehlbaum, CEO of Vitra.

"During this time, we have learned more about the building and about interiors in general: what does the building want? What suits it? What are the recipes for a good room? What is missing from our collection to make an interior even more meaningful or appealing? The interior we have now created reflects our answers to these questions and it is an ongoing project."

Vitra creative director interiors and scenography Till Weber said: "In addition to the Vitra Campus, the Vitra brand should also be tangible and visible at a local level."

"Depending on the location and surroundings there is a tailored concept, different colour scheme, a different product selection – but the Vitra DNA can always be experienced."

Find out more about Vitra's showrooms on its website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Vitra as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Designer Gary Card has given London's LN-CC boutique a redesign that includes a sci-fi-looking wooden tunnel and a room "shaped like the inside of a foot".

Card, who designed the original interior of the east London store in 2011, said the challenge for him was using the knowledge he has accumulated since then to create something new.

"The question for myself this time was – can I use everything I've learned over the last decade to reimagine one of my most recognized projects," he told Dezeen.

"Each room has a very different concept," he added. "It's become part of the tradition now to change the temperature and colour palette with each room and encourage a journey of identity and discovery."

The store is the only physical shop for LN-CC, which is mainly an online business, and is spread across the ground and lower-ground floor of a former tie factory.

Visitors enter via an orange wooden tunnel with an octagonal shape reminiscent of the architecture in director Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

It is the third tunnel that Card has designed for the store, following its original orange tunnel and a later white version.

"The tunnel is LN-CC's icon," Card explained. "It's been with us for over a decade now, so it had to be a significant feature."

"We decided early on to bring it to street level and make the entrance something that had never been seen before as part of the store space," he added.

"It's a brand-new design and construction. We've brought back the orange from the first tunnel; the white is a nod to the second version from 2014."

Each of the six rooms in the store has a different feel and different colours, which Card chose together with LN-CC's buying and creative director Reece Crisp.

"The colours we settled on really amplify what we're showcasing, the brand's unique edit," the designer said.

Among them is the Callisto room, which has a cave-like feel and a design that was influenced by the building's existing structures.

"In the Callisto room, there was a circular part of a helter-skelter that used to be in the building – this used to be a tie factory and it was in the corner," Crisp told Dezeen. "When we stripped the space back, we saw this sort of circle and that fed into how we wanted that space to be."

In the Atrium, Card used tile adhesive to create the structures and patterns on the room's wide lime-green pillars, which provide shelving for the store's accessories.

For LN-CC's shoe room, known as the Midtarsal, Card drew on the anatomy of the human body to create an undulating, flesh-coloured interior.

"The shoe space, the Midtarsal room, that's engineering to an incredible degree," Crisp said. "We love the shape – like the inside of the foot – and how that warps the room."

Throughout LN-CC, Card used a variety of different materials to bring the rooms to life.

"The space is a juxtaposition of lots of different materials," he said. "So MDF, perspex, wood and concrete – I sought to take small cues from the original while innovating with a refreshed lens exploring the interplay between texture, colour and materials within the newly imagined rooms."

The last room of the store is a club space, which features LED walls that can be used to turn the room into different colours or display messages.

"The club has always been a huge part of LN-CC's identity, " Card said. "It was never about selling clothes – the brand was an online business after all – it was about delivering experiences. So we wanted to do something really special with the new club."

"It was a bit dark and gritty before, which was cool, but we knew we needed to raise the stakes for the latest store design without it losing its edge," Card added.

"My right-hand man, Richard Wilkins, was the tech wizard for the space who created the lighting and amazing LED wall. The lighting totally transforms the space."

Other recent London store interiors include a boutique sprayed with recycled newspaper pulp and a colourful Marylebone store with handpainted murals.

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As TikTok and other platforms become increasingly flooded with home-styling ideas, Michelle Ogundehin shares advice on how to navigate changing trends in the era of ubiquitous social media.

Newspaper journalists are often keen for a quote on "the latest trends". What do I think of polka dots? What about red paint: hot right now, non? It depends. Or recently, what could I say about the TikTok trend "bookshelf wealth"? Hmmm, interesting.

Obviously, just because images of a lot of spotty things have been cobbled together by someone on Instagram, or an influencer declares in breathless tones that poppy has surpassed magnolia in the paint stakes, does not make it universally true. But this is not to flagellate the notion of "trends" per se – the stylistic movements that visualise our cultural climate can be genuinely intriguing.

Here-today-over-tomorrow fads can be noxious

True trends always answer a need. Emerging from an alchemy of desire, available resources, and cultural resonance, they have the power to make visible unspoken truths. However, the here-today-over-tomorrow fads can be noxious. The thing is, true trends don't occur in a vacuum; you can always trace their roots. In short, no roots = no relevance = fad. And I'll come back to the bookshelves.

Alternatively, it's called marketing. Because someone, somewhere will make money from you feeling compelled to throw out your perfectly good cushion, frock, phone, or sofa to replace it with a newer, more "on-trend", faster, smaller, prettier, or any other adjective you care to insert here, model.

Social media platform-time is bought to advance the cause and propel the message. Whether it has staying power though, is entirely another matter. This is where the aforementioned relevance and roots come in.

Arguably there are moments when it seems as if one creative camp has agreed on a singular approach. The spring special April issues of the fashion magazines collectively trill that "it's all about pastels!" But is it? Or did the picture desks just pull together all the sugary-coloured images from across the collections of 20 different designers and call it a moment?

After all, it's habitual for colours to lighten in the spring and darken as we approach winter. More of note would be if everyone went grey for April. But that probably wouldn't make for an uplifting (ie sales-savvy) coverline.

It's the same in interiors. When I was editor-in-chief of ELLE Decoration, occasionally I'd receive a letter from a disgruntled reader bemoaning the season's hot new look. Why had it changed from last month's look, which they loved?

As consumers and designers, we must self-interrogate

My reply was always the same: my job is to show you what's out there, your job is to decide what you like, and then stick to it. Or change if you want to. But the key is that it's your choice. What I always wanted to add was: and don't devolve the responsibility for your taste!

It's also true that there used to be a bit of a journalistic mantra that went along the lines of: one's an oddity, two's a coincidence, but three's a trend! So, if three of a similar thing plopped into the inbox, then it was worth looking into.

However, the follow-up question is always: why? Why is this happening? Is there anything behind it? Just because something is new doesn't make it news. And, crucially, is it adding anything to the cultural conversation?

I think this latter point is ever more relevant today. It can no longer be justified to create for the sake of it (that is arguably the purpose of art). Instead, as consumers and designers, we must self-interrogate.

Has this product genuinely improved the models that precede it by using less resources, demanding less energy, eradicating plastic, and thus being less likely to end up as waste? If not, then why make it?

That aside, sometimes a "trend" reflects more of a mood than a whole "moment". Take the unexpected red "trend". We could post-rationalise this as being rooted simply in a feeling of dark times drawing us to colour. It makes us happier.

Engaging your own inner critic becomes ever more vital

On the other hand, red is a deeply emotive hue, one of the most visible of the spectrum, thus a colour that intrinsically demands our attention. This is why it's used for both stop and sale signs. We're literally hardwired to see it. So, is this a verifiable trend, or merely the power of colour theory? Maybe it doesn't matter?

However, when considering social-media trends, we generally only see more of what we think we already like. This is fine when we're talking pops of colour, a lot less so regarding deep fakes deliberately designed to thwart opinions.

Bottom line, engaging your own inner critic becomes ever more vital. The platforms will always deliver a constant stream of fodder, but to paraphrase the inimitable Coco Chanel: content is what's out there – but it's up to you to choose what to believe.

Now back to those bookshelves. The images themselves are irrelevant. If someone was to go out and buy books by the metre to "get the look" then they've missed the point entirely; let's not reduce the notion of home to a mere backdrop – it should be your personalised space from which to thrive.

Thus, to me, "bookshelf wealth" is the visual expression of the authenticity that we're currently craving in a world that appears to have gone right royally tits up. Homes with shelves bursting with well-read tomes, curiosities and the talismans of life, however quirky, are an antidote to the virtual.

It dwells firmly in the tactile and tangible world of the analogue as so beautifully depicted recently in Wim Wenders' latest film, Perfect Days, wherein the main protagonist lives contentedly in his chosen world of flip phones, cassette tapes and simple routine.

Stop the press! A trend that reflects the rejection of the maelstrom of modern life

It's about honouring yourself, your journey, your interests, and proudly displaying it all. It stands on the shoulders of the movements we've seen already towards fermenting, knitting, and baking sourdough. It's about truth-telling and slowing-down; renovating not relocating; ditching the work/spend cycle and stepping off the consumer conveyor belt.

It's not so much a look as a potent signifier of a shifting of priorities. It's back-to-basics and living on a human-needs-first scale, as an antidote to the prevalent norm of life being voraciously consumed at technological pace to maximise productivity for someone else.

Stop the press! A trend that reflects the rejection of the maelstrom of modern life, indicating long-term thinking and emotional evolution to be the way forward. That may not make for a super snappy soundbite, but it certainly bodes better for our future than crimson walls, or polka dots.

Michelle Ogundehin is a thought leader on interiors, trends, style and wellbeing. Originally trained as an architect and the former editor-in-chief of ELLE Decoration UK, she is the head judge on the BBC's Interior Design Masters, and the author of Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness, a guide to living well. She is also a regular contributor to publications including Vogue Living, FT How to Spend It magazine and Dezeen.

The photo, showing House M by Studio Vaaro, is by Scott Norsworthy.

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The post "True trends always answer a need" appeared first on Dezeen.

British architecture studio Al-Jawad Pike has used colourful marble for the interiors of trainer brand Athletic Propulsion Labs' second flagship store in Soho, New York City.

The interior of the 3,900-square-foot space (1,188 square metre) was laid out in a curving amphitheatre design, which the studio designed to be "simple yet severe" while creating a "completely immersive experience," Al-Jawad Pike studio co-founder Jessam Al-Jawad told Dezeen.

The centrepiece of the Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL) store is five "vanity rooms" in a radial design, each clad in different-coloured onyx or marble stone with matching stone stools and back-lit mirrors.

The rainbow-colour array of stone, chosen by the client from different quarries, was "intended to represent the five boroughs of New York," Al-Jawad said.

A teardrop-shaped column is located in the centre of the store, while boulder-like plinths positioned around the space are used for product displays.

The textured display plinths were developed with a bespoke fabricator based in New York, who CNC-carved the forms.

The studio incorporated various other materials into the scheme such as textured sprayed plaster on the walls, Romano travertine for the floor, and champagne-coloured anodised aluminium for the display boxes.

The aim of the store layout was to allow customers to see all the products from all parts of the store.

"We approached this by creating an architectural form that displays the product in a pan-optical array to provide visibility in completeness from almost any part of the store; whilst maintaining a seamless link between staff back-of-house functions at the basement level with the main retail space," the studio explained.

The shoes are displayed in simple box frames, which are raised and lit up like artwork in a gallery. Ensuring that the trainers on display were the focal point was a main objective for the architects.

"The goal was to make sure the products were the main attraction in the store, while also making everything work smoothly for both customers and staff," Al-Jawad Pike said.

The store's semi-circular layout has street-facing windows that let in the light, and the studio also added adjustable warm lighting from the back-lit, semi-circular ceiling to provide additional illumination.

"We wanted to create a wash of light from above to bath the space in a warm and comfortable ambience," said Al-Jawad.

"At its top, the perimeter wall banks into a semi-circular, back-lit stretch ceiling with adjustable warmth to dramatically alter the atmosphere in the space."

Al-Jawad Pike was founded in 2014 by Al-Jawad and Dean Pike and aims to create spaces that "engender a sense of well-being and intrigue, as well as fun".

Other retail interiors recently featured on Dezeen include Bottega Veneta's Avenue Montaigne flagship store in Paris and Cúpla's design for a boutique in central London.

The photography is by Ståle Eriksen.

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Our latest lookbook explores homes where flooring details and materials help to create the impression that a living space extends out beyond a house's exterior walls.

A range of different techniques can be used to create the sense of a continuous floor surface.

The most obvious is to use the same flooring material, or one that looks very similar, for both interior and exterior spaces.

However, this isn't always necessary. By combining level thresholds with floor-to-ceiling glazing, it's also possible to create that sense of continuation by simply maintaining a consistent surface.

Here, we look at 10 examples that use one or more of these methods to create different effects, ranging from a forest home in Mexico's Valle de Bravo to a waterside villa in Denmark.

Many of these examples use continuous floor surfaces to connect a living room with a garden or patio, but some explore other rooms where the effect can be applied.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring chocolate-brown interiors and minimalist bathrooms.

Casa Mola, Mexico, by Estudio Atemporal

Mexico City-based Estudio Atemporal designed this house in a densely forested area of Valle de Bravo with the aim of allowing residents to live "more organically".

The large-format flooring tiles inside the house give way to brickwork paving outside, but sliding glass doors with level thresholds create a clean junction that allows the two spaces to feel connected.

Find out more about Casa Mola ›

The Saddlery, UK, by Studio Octopi

Terrazzo flooring features both inside and outside this extension to a Georgian house in southeast London, designed by architecture office Studio Octopi.

Sourced from British manufacturer Diespeker, this material is speckled with colours that complement the mint-green tone of the building's metal walls.

Find out more about The Saddlery ›

Dulwich House, UK, by Proctor & Shaw

Kitchen and terrace become a single space divided only by levels in this extension to a home in Dulwich, London, designed by architecture studio Proctor & Shaw.

Glass doors slide open on two sides – with one disappearing into a wall – to completely open up the building's corner. The sliding mechanism is set into a continuous porcelain tile floor surface, resulting in a flush threshold.

Find out more about Dulwich House ›

Maison Hercourt, France, Studio Guma

Minimal glazing plays a key role in connecting the kitchen of this renovated stone farmhouse in Normandy with an adjoining patio.

Designed by Paris-based Studio Guma, the renovation involved installing the kitchen in a space that previously functioned as a cart shed. Although the floor surface changes from concrete to stone from inside to outside, the slender-framed glass doors help the two surfaces to be read as one.

Find out more about Maison Hercourt ›

Fjord Boat House, Denmark, by Norm Architects

Copenhagen-based Norm Architects chose handmade ceramic bricks for the flooring of this vacation house, built on the edge of a fjord just outside the city.

They form stairs that lead down from the main house to a terrace, then continue inside to give the interior living spaces a casual, rustic feel. At the main entrance, the linearity of the brickwork pattern acts to draw the eye.

Find out more about Fjord Boat House ›

Ederlezi, Mexico, Práctica Arquitectura

Using the same flooring surface for both indoors and outdoors can become costly, but this low-cost infill house in Monterrey offers a clever solution.

Designed by locally based Práctica Arquitectura, the house features a stepped living space with an adjoining courtyard.

Most of the courtyard is landscaped, but the edges are lined with the same square saltillo tiles that provide interior flooring. This helps to extend the living space outdoors without requiring quite as many tiles.

Find out more about Ederlezi ›

The Maker's Barn, UK, by Hutch Design

Full-height glazing features in many of the rooms of this rural holiday rental on the outskirts of London, a former pig shed renovated by Hutch Design. This results in a strong connection with the surrounding patio.

The effect is particularly effective in the primary bedroom, which features a bath set into the floor. Here, it's possible to observe the clean line running between the end-grain timber flooring inside and the paving tiles outside.

Find out more about The Maker's Barn ›

Mossy Point, Australia, by Edition Office

Melbourne-based Edition Office selected very different surfaces for the shower room of this house in Mossy Point, New South Wales, but they appear to merge thanks to the use of frameless glazing.

A similar effect can be found throughout the house, but the contrast between the wooden decking and the blue tiles of this room is the most striking.

Find out more about Mossy Point ›

Shift House, Spain, by Nomo Studio

Roughly polished white concrete flooring unites both the interior and exterior of this house on the island of Menorca, designed by Barcelona-based Nomo Studio.

This creates a feeling of continuity from the building's entrance, located on the uppermost storey, all the way across to a balcony terrace on the opposite side of the main living room.

Find out more about Shift House ›

A Modern Oasis, UK, by Richard Parr Associates

The level thresholds of this house in Oxfordshire, England, create a visual connection between the polished concrete flooring inside and the paving tiles outside.

Architecture office Richard Parr Associates carefully matched the colours of these two surfaces so that they appear to be made of the same material.

Find out more about A Modern Oasis ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring chocolate-brown interiors and minimalist bathrooms.

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Canadian studio Reflect Architecture has renovated a home in Toronto for a new generation of the same family, while incorporating an extensive art collection.

North Drive House was the childhood home of one of the owners. After stints living abroad and in Downtown Toronto, the couple were lured back to the two-acre property for the space to raise their young family.

However, the residence's traditional interiors were not to their taste, so Reflect Architecture principal Trevor Wallace was called in to undertake an extensive renovation.

His approach was to create a deliberate "tension" between the need to display an extensive contemporary art collection – which includes pieces by Robert Mapplethorpe and Erik Madigan Heck – and fulfilling the needs of a family home.

"The idea of living in a gallery was always important to the owners, but the critical distinction is that they didn't want to live in a museum," said Wallace.

"This is a family home above all. The owners have always imagined that their kids would one day look back on living here and think it was pretty cool that they were playing soccer or running around inside what felt like an art gallery."

The team retained the existing layout and circulation while updating the spaces with fresh materials, colours and forms.

Most in line with the gallery-like aesthetic, the living spaces, hallways and corridors feature stark white walls and minimalist detailing such as flush doors and entryways.

At the centre of the home is a staircase designed as if a piece of sculpture itself, comprising layered bannisters, stepped profiles and curvaceous forms.

A similarly playful tactic was applied in the living room, which features a rippling, ribbon-like fireplace designed by Brooklyn-based designer Leyden Lewis.

"We had a lot of fun exploring and playing with the staircase's shapes and orientations," Wallace said. "We wanted it to feel organic and fluid, and that required being playful. That was true for the entire house from start to finish, it was important that we didn't take the whole thing too seriously."

The spareness of these spaces is swapped in the cooking and eating areas, which feature darker, richer colours like the teal dining room.

A knotted light fixture by Lindsey Adelman hangs over the large stone dining table, accompanied by chairs with ochre velvet upholstery.

In the kitchen, tone-on-tone travertine cabinetry and surfaces include a new 15-foot-long (4.5-metre) kitchen island.

An existing gabled skylight overhead was maintained, but its beams were updated with a copper hue to "complement the travertine".

The room is oriented towards a glass wall facing a Japanese maple tree in the garden, under which sits a large dining table by local furniture designer Mary Ratcliffe.

Wallace founded Reflect Architecture in 2016, and the studio's previous work includes a Toronto home renovation with a blue slide as its centrepiece.

Other recently completed residential overhauls in the city include a residence connected by asymmetric brass-lined portals and a house where built-in storage volumes were added.

The photography is by Doublespace Photography.

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New York design studio Post Company has revived a historic hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, drawing on the building's illustrious past and recent acclaim to inform its interiors.

The 75-key La Playa Hotel is situated a few blocks from the beach in the town, located on California's Pacific Coast Highway and renowned for its bohemian spirit.

It was taken over in 2012 by Marc & Rose Hospitality – which also operates the recently overhauled High Country Motor Lodge in Flagstaff, Arizona – and reopened in October 2023 following a long renovation process.

"As the fifth owners in its more than 115-year history, we focused on letting the building lead us to a design that supports the stories of the past, while infusing thoughtful amenities to meet the expectations of the modern traveller," said Marc & Rose president John Grossman.

The team worked with Post Company to uncover historical details about the property, which was originally built in 1905 by landscape painter Chris Jorgensen for his wife, chocolate heiress Angela Ghirardelli.

After the death of her niece at Carmel Beach, the couple sold the mansion and it was converted into a hotel by adding 20 rooms, then further expanded to its current size in 1940.

In 1983, it was the site of an Apple company retreat, during which founder Steve Jobs unveiled the first working prototype of the Macintosh computer.

With all this history, as well as ties to key figures of the bohemian movement, Post Company restored the Spanish Colonial-style building in a respectful manner while introducing new elements to enhance its character.

"Our design honours the hotel's history and vernacular while ushering in the works and objects of contemporary artists and muses," said Post Company.

"Each space is a singular and inviting design – much like the diverse cast of patrons and local characters engrained in its extensive past – resulting in an eclecticism that is a deeper reflection of what has always been and paves the way for a new generation to gather, create, and explore."

The moody and atmospheric lobby features terracotta floors, a dark coffered wood ceiling and textured plaster walls, and is furnished with a variety of vintage pieces.

A sweeping staircase leading upstairs to the guest rooms is adorned with patterned tiles on its risers and thin iron railings.

The hotel's bar, Bud's, is named after Howard E "Bud" Allen – a Carmel local who took over the hotel in the 1960s and introduced a full-time bar and 10-minute happy hour.

The space is dark and intimate, with plenty of wood panelling, leather-upholstered booths and banquettes, and decorative unlacquered brass and carved details.

In the guest rooms, Post Company took a lighter approach to the decor by choosing cream for the walls and the linen curtains.

Curvaceous furniture is complemented by modern sconces and original plaster shell pendants by Frances Adler Elkins.

Each room has a curated bar, while the bathrooms have been updated with colourful tiles and blackened nickel fixtures.

One of the ground-floor rooms boasts a star-shaped stained glass window, which is surrounded by foliage on the exterior.

The hotel's grounds are landscaped with flowerbeds and lawns, criss-crossed by brick pathways that connect arched colonnades with patios and the outdoor swimming pool.

Several guest rooms open directly onto the gardens, and a handful are in the pavilion that faces the pool terrace.

La Playa has multiple spaces for meetings and events, including a game room and the 2,160-square-foot (200-square-metre) Pacific Room that is typically used to host weddings.

Breakfast is served in an indoor-outdoor dining room, whose covered terrace extends towards the ocean and provides a spot for evening cocktails while watching the sunset.

Post Company, formerly known as Studio Tack, is renowned for its hospitality projects and also recently completed the warm, wood-filled interiors for the Mollie Aspen hotel.

The studio's earlier work includes The Lake House on Canandaigua in New York's Finger Lakes region, the Sound View hotel on the North Fork of Long Island and The Sandman converted motel in northern California.

The photography is by Chris Mottalini.

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For our latest lookbook, we've rounded up eight home interiors that make clever use of mezzanines to optimise floorspace.

Mezzanines, which are used as an intermediate level between the lower floor and a ceiling, have the ability to increase gross internal floor area by capitalising on extra ceiling height.

These raised floors offer additional room to host a variety of spaces – including bedrooms, home offices and reading spaces, to name a few.

Ranging from compact apartment renovations to newly-built, split-level holiday homes, this diverse collection of home interiors showcases how mezzanines can be used as a creative solution to maximise floorspace and create dynamic home layouts.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring minimalist bathrooms with peaceful interiors, compact garden studios with neat storage solutions and homes lit by central courtyards.

Hickson Residence, Canada, by Ménard Dworkind

Located on the south shore of Montreal, this 1980s house was renovated by local studio Ménard Dworkind and features rounded plaster details and a terracotta fireplace.

The studio added a sculptural mezzanine to the 520-square-meter home, which hosts the bedrooms, bathrooms and an office overlooking the double-height living room below.

Find out more about Hickson Residence ›

Dumbo Loft, USA, by Crystal Sinclair Designs 

Crystal Sinclair Designs renovated this loft apartment in Brooklyn to include a mezzanine hosting a book collection, as well as a bedroom accessed via a ladder.

The studio retained the space's existing industrial look but complemented it by adding wooden furniture and white and grey marble.

Find out more about Dumbo Loft ›

105JON, Spain, by Vallribera Arquitectes

This renovation of a narrow terraced house in Spain by Vallribera Arquitectes saw the studio add a mezzanine level to increase the home's limited floor area.

Defined by its blue-painted steel and chipwood construction, the mezzanine level offers space for two children's bedrooms, along with a bathroom and a small study.

Find out more about 105JON ›

Kerr, Australia, by SSdH

Housed in a former chocolate factory, Kerr is a warehouse apartment in Melbourne designed by local studio SSdH to include a split-level layout.

A mezzanine-style level wrapped by a white steel-mesh balustrade occupies the upper floor and contains an open-plan living space and kitchen.

Find out more about Kerr ›

Horno de Pan, Ecuador, by ERDC Arquitectos

ERDC Arquitectos and Taller General used brick and glass to construct this arched roof home in Quito that features an open mezzanine level.

Split across three levels, the lowest level offers living and kitchen areas, while an entry, bathroom, bedrooms and studio are provided on the upper floors.

Find out more about Horno de Pan ›

Ferguson, Scotland, by Duncan Blackmore, Lee Ivett and Simon Harlow

Brightly coloured walls decorate this tiny apartment in Glasgow designed by Duncan Blackmore, Lee Ivett and Simon Harlow, which contains no freestanding furniture.

To maximise floor and height space within the 25-square-metre home, a small mezzanine level hosts a sleeping space that is accessed via built-in wooden steps.

Find out more about Ferguson ›

House in Rua Direita de Francos, Portugal, by WeStudio and Made

Mezzanine levels feature throughout the living and bedroom spaces within this gabled, stone house in Porto designed by We Studio and Made.

A staircase in the kitchen space leads up to a study on a mezzanine level, while ladders in the bedrooms lead up to mezzanines situated above en-suite bathrooms or storage cupboards.

Find out more about House in Rua Direita de Francos ›

Casa Alférez, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy

Situated in a Mexican pine forest, this brutalist holiday home by Ludwig Godefroy is defined by concrete walls, built-in furniture and wooden floors.

Composed of five half-levels organised around double-height spaces, the home's compact arrangement was strategically designed to prioritise height over width.

Find out more about Casa Alférez ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring minimalist bathrooms with peaceful interiors, compact garden studios with neat storage solutions and homes lit by central courtyards.

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Glossy walls, ruched curtains and oversized flower-shaped cushions characterise this eclectic 1970s-style Paris apartment, designed and owned by Uchronia founder Julien Sebban.

Called Univers Uchronia, the apartment is in the city's 18th arrondissement, close to the Uchronia office – a Parisian architecture and interiors studio known for its bold application of shape, colour and reflective surfaces.

Sebban designed the dwelling as his home, which he shares with his husband and Maison Royère artistic director Jonathan Wray.

The Uchronia founder created the apartment as an extension of his studio – "it's truly a manifesto of our universe," he told Dezeen.

Sebban worked with local studio Atelier Roma to create all the walls and ceilings, which are either lacquered and glossy or made of matte pigmented concrete, respectively reflecting or absorbing light throughout the day.

Finished in hues ranging from cloud-like pale blue to lemony yellow, the walls and ceilings complement the poured-in-place resin floor that spans the apartment and features a bold motif that "waves and moves in relation to the architecture".

The home is anchored by a predominantly pink living space, which includes Uchronia-designed pieces such as low-slung interlocking coffee tables made from walnut burl and orange resin.

Translucent and gathered pink curtains were paired with a geometric vintage bookshelf and a blocky but soft sofa finished in purple and orange.

"The apartment is very colourful with '60s and '70s inspirations and a mix of our contemporary pieces and vintage objects," said Sebban.

In the open-plan kitchen and dining room, a veiny Van Gogh onyx table was positioned next to a metallic kitchen island, illuminated by a blobby seaweed-shaped table lamp.

A portion of the otherwise orange wall was clad with tiny, mirrored tiles. Reflected in the gleaming ceiling, the tiles have the same effect as a shimmering disco ball.

Opposite the dining area is Sebban and Wray's home office, characterised by a bright orange, built-in day bed topped with silk flower-like cushions and a wave-shaped backrest.

Above the bed, ornamental jellyfish were suspended like planets against a constellation of gold stars, which decorate the ombre orange and yellow wall that nods to the colour-drenched interior of the city's Cafe Nuances – also designed by Uchronia.

The dwelling's bathrooms follow a similar design. Accents include dusty pink alcoves and ceramic tiles depicting underwater scenes, as well as a lily pad-shaped rug and a mirror resembling a cluster of clouds.

"The apartment defines the codes we have tried to develop at Uchronia over the last four years," concluded Sebban.

"It's a play on colours, textures and materials, and a love letter to French craft."

Uchronia was named emerging interior designer of the year at the Dezeen Awards 2023. The studio previously renovated a Haussmann-era apartment for a pair of jewellery designers with multifaceted furniture pieces created to mirror the appearance of precious stones.

Various architects have designed their own homes, such as John Pawson, who created this minimalist second home in the Cotswolds in the UK.

The photography is by Félix Dol Maillot. 

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Architecture office Destudio has remodelled an apartment in Valencia for a couple of empty nesters, swapping the positions of the living and sleeping areas so they perform better for the owners' lifestyles.

The clients, who recently worked with Destudio to design their pharmacy in the Spanish city, invited the studio to oversee the renovation of the 150-square-metre apartment that had been their home for two decades.

The couple's grown-up children no longer live with them and Destudio saw this change in circumstances as an opportunity to create an entirely new and more appropriate layout.

"We worked with the owners to convince them to make a 'tabula rasa' of how they lived in this house for the last 20 years and find a better distribution for their actual needs," Destudio creative director Gabi Ladaria told Dezeen.

"It was tough for the family to recognise that every wall had to be demolished," he added, "but when they saw the first plans and 3Ds they realised there were better ways to live in their house, being more honest with their needs in the coming years."

An initial survey of how the existing spaces were used informed the decision to switch the position of the private and communal areas so the main living space receives the best of the available sunlight. This act gave the project its name, Casa Inversa.

Conversations with the clients revealed that they wanted the kitchen to be the heart of the house as this is where they spend a lot of time preparing and eating meals throughout the day.

This informed the decision to reduce the size of the dedicated dining area by incorporating it into a corner of the living room.

A cantilevered bench minimises the floor area used so the adjacent lounge feels more generous.

"We use this strategy in our restaurant projects to maximise the number of diners," Ladaria pointed out, "but here it is used to maximise the space in the other part of the corner bench where the living room is located."

The studio added that the table is likely to be used infrequently, mostly when friends or family come to visit, so it was designed like a restaurant booth to make the dining experience feel like eating out.

The kitchen opens onto a terrace with outdoor seating, while on the opposite wall a wine display backed with semi-opaque glass provides a visual connection with the adjoining utility space. Sliding glass doors can be closed to separate the kitchen and the adjacent sitting room if required.

The apartment's three bedrooms were relocated to the opposite end of the floor plan, where they overlook the building's internal courtyards.

The principal bedroom and one of the guest rooms are accommodated in an angular corner that previously housed the living room. The main bedroom's dressing area features cupboards that extend along one wall, making the most of the space.

A material palette consisting of clay-rendered walls, oak joinery and porcelain tiles acts as a warm backdrop for the clients' art collection.

Where possible, Destudio specified furniture from local brands, including the sofa, armchairs and the living room's library shelving.

Destudio was founded in 2014 by architects Gabi Ladaria and Nacho Díaz, who studied together at Valencia's Polytechnic University.

Other recent residential projects in Valencia include the renovation of a former fisherman's house using geometric blue-and-white tiling and a copper-toned home in an olive grove.

The photography is courtesy of Destudio.

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Brass ribbons line the asymmetric portals that connect the kitchen and dining room of this Toronto residence, renovated by local architecture and art studio Svima.

The Portal House was designed for a couple who had wanted to refresh their home for 10 years, but have very different aesthetic tastes.

Toronto-based studio Svima found a compromise by combining his desire for "tenebrous minimalism" and her love of "bright French country kitchens" into the design.

The resulting "denlike cosiness" pairs dark oak across the lower half of the ground-floor spaces and clean white surfaces on the upper half.

The snaked kitchen layout is tight, so Svima curved the corners of cabinetry and counter surfaces to steal extra space for circulation.

This theme continues to the living room millwork: a bookcase is filleted at the corner and meets the wall at an angle, while a built-in sofa beneath the window also softly angles inward.

"The design hinges on 'ribbons' flowing through the space, guiding the motion through the rooms," said Svima.

"The ribbons curve in areas where sharp corners would not fit, or would stop the flow of movement."

In the kitchen, the curved oak doors were handmade by a cabinetmaker who created a special jig to kerf-bend the oak into a radius.

Tiles that offer a contemporary take on Dutch Delft porcelain form the backsplash, adding small touches of blue to the otherwise neutral space.

Two portals provide connections between the kitchen and adjacent dining room, both with a mirrored asymmetric shape and edged in brass.

One acts as a doorway, while the other over the deep counter is used as a pass-through for food, drinks and tableware.

"It was an artful process for the contractor to lay the brass into the wall, as it had to fit into the curved drywall perfectly with no tolerance for error," the architects said.

The living room, located at the front of the house, was furnished with mid-century pieces such as a chair, a coffee table and a media console.

The closed and open shelving unit organises the family's books and possessions, and its shape allows more light to enter from a side window.

Opposite, the built-in sofa helps to resolve an awkward space under a bay window and orients the sitter towards the TV to one side.

"The custom sofa sweeps into the space to provide seating at precisely the right sideways angle for viewing the media unit, for lounge reading, and for gathering," Svima said.

The floors throughout the home match the other millwork, grounding the spaces with a rich dark hue.

Svima, founded by architects Anamarija Korolj and Leon Lai, is not the only studio that's had to get creative with a tight Toronto floor plan.

When Studio Vaaro overhauled a house in the city, the firm created a series of volumes with minimally detailed millwork to form kitchen cabinetry, the staircase and a feature bookcase in the living room.

The photography is by Scott Norsworthy.

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In memoriam of the many chocolate eggs that will be consumed this Easter, our latest lookbook rounds up eight homes with tasteful cocoa-coloured interiors.

Chocolatey brown might be the unofficial colour of Easter as the biggest driver of chocolate sales – second only to Christmas.

But the rich, earthy hue is also proving increasingly popular among interior designers for its unique function as both a colour and a natural, able to bring a sense of warmth to otherwise minimalist spaces.

Below are eight mouth-watering examples to feast your eyes on, including a rammed-earth house in Brazil and the renovation of a Shigeru Ban loft conversion in New York.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring minimalist bathrooms, breakfast nooks and compact garden studios with neat storage solutions.

Shadow House, Australia, by Grotto Studio

Almost all of the surfaces in this Perth cottage extension by Grotto Studio are lined in sumptuous brown timber, from the walls and floors in the bedroom to the entire bathroom counter.

"The choice of dark timber for the interior was motivated by a desire to create a rich, intimate and immersive atmosphere," studio founder Craig Nener told Dezeen.

"The dark tones add depth and character to the spaces, creating a warm and inviting ambience."

Find out more about Shadow House ›

Chuzhi house, India, by Wallmakers

Soil, waste and debris were used to form the spiralling walls of Chuzhi house in Shoolagiri, India, giving the interiors a rustic, earthy feeling.

To keep the focus on the architecture, the rooms themselves are finished in matching colours with reclaimed timber floors complemented by woven and wooden furniture.

Find out more about Chuzhi house ›

Colonia Condesa house, Mexico, by Chloé Mason Gray

Interior designer Chloé Mason Gray sought to embrace the lack of natural light in this bachelor pad in Mexico City's Condesa neighbourhood, shaded by large trees from the avenue outside.

Embracing the dark and moody atmosphere, the designer chose colours and textures that would make the spaces feel "masculine, rich, and interesting" including leather, linen and textured chocolate-brown plaster.

Find out more about Colonia Condesa house ›

Mayfair pied-à-terre, UK, by Child Studio

Adolf Loos's modernist Villa Muller informed the dining area in this London mews house, where mahogany joinery is backed by veiny dark red marble.

Soft light filters into the space from a glass-brick partition, blocking out the kitchen and rounding off the intimate atmosphere created by Child Studio.

Find out more about this Mayfair pied-à-terre ›

Highbury House, UK, by Daytrip

A more pared-back take on the theme comes in the form of this vintage 1970s Gilda sofa by Michel Ducaroy, composed of multiple segments reminiscent of a Chocolate Orange.

It serves as a focal point in the otherwise muted living room of London's Highbury House, paired with a blackened oak armchair by EBBA Architects founder Benni Allan and one of David Horan's delicate Paper lights.

Find out more about Highbury House ›

Casa em Cunha, Brazil, by Arquipélago Arquitetos

The rammed-earth construction of this house in Brazil's mountainous Cunha region is left exposed on the interior, creating an organic striped finish across the walls.

Matching brown finishes feature heavily throughout the rest of the home, where ceilings are covered in wooden slats while the bathroom is defined by coppery hardware and tiles the colour of bitter chocolate.

Find out more about Casa em Cunha ›

Casa Los Tigres, Mexico, by César Béjar Studio and Fernando Sánchez Zepeda

Dark wood panelling helps to hide doors and storage inside the Casa Los Tigres beach house on Mexico's Pacific Coast, designed by César Béjar Studio and Fernando Sánchez Zepeda.

It encircles the lower portion of the living spaces and develops the bedrooms almost entirely, paired with pale stone flooring and pared-back accessories to create a calm refuge.

Find out more about Casa Los Tigres ›

Tribeca loft renovation, USA, by Timothy Godbold

New York interior designer Timothy Godbold was responsible for renovating this loft in a historic Tribeca textile factory, originally converted by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban in 2019.

The former TV room now functions as a home office and bar, with a low-slung chestnut-brown sofa helping to warm up the otherwise neutral colour palette while wall reliefs informed by 1970s sci-fi spice up the walls.

Find out more about this Tribeca loft renovation ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring minimalist bathrooms, breakfast nooks and compact garden studios with neat storage solutions.

The post Eight chocolate-brown interiors that look good enough to eat appeared first on Dezeen.

Hospitality company Wildland and Swiss designer Ruth Kramer have converted a former manse in the Scottish Highlands into a holiday cottage featuring a mix of classic Scandinavian furniture and traditional Caledonian details.

Tigh Na Coille, which is Gaelic for "house in the forest", is a four-bedroom property on a wooded hill overlooking Loch Ness in the Cairngorms National Park.

The 19th-century stone building was carefully restored and refurbished with help from Kramer, who has worked with Wildland on several of its historic properties.

Kramer coined the term "Scandi-Scot" to describe the way these buildings seek to combine Scandinavian simplicity with a playful take on Scottish heritage.

"Scandi-Scot is about creating a clean and modern aesthetic that weaves in elements of Scottish craftsmanship," she told Dezeen. "Everything is calm and natural, the colours don't scream at you and the furniture is comfortable like you're at home."

Tigh Na Coille was once a manse – a dwelling created for the Christian minister of a now-ruined church that stands on the grounds. The heritage-listed building was modernised by a previous owner and had lost much of its original character.

Kramer and Wildland development assistant Arthur Kirkwood preserved the layout of the rooms but the interiors were stripped back and redecorated, with original features reintroduced to bring an authentic feeling to the spaces.

The house is located on the Aldourie Castle estate, which Wildland renovated at the same time.

The refurbishment merges the Scandi-Scot aesthetic with nods to the castle's more traditional decor. Modern carpets and softwood flooring were replaced with oak floorboards salvaged from the castle, which add warmth and tactility to the spaces.

Several of the beds were also sourced from the castle and were refurbished by local joiners, who created new parts for the four-poster frames.

All of the bathrooms were completely remodelled and the kitchen was brought up to modern standards, with a new island unit providing an additional worktop in the centre of the room.

Fireplaces uncovered during the renovation were carefully restored along with the property's existing doors and windows, which were redressed to preserve their original appearance.

Over the years, various sections of the cornicing and architraves around the rooms had been replaced, so new parts were produced using mouldings taken from the original plasterwork.

According to Kramer, roughly half of the furniture was sourced second-hand and given a new life through bespoke joinery or reupholstery. The majority of the remaining pieces are vintage designs that add to the timeless feel.

"The ambition is that people walking into the house shouldn't be able to tell what is new versus what is original," she added. "We're going for an ageless look that will also become better over time rather than being fashion-led."

The centrepiece of the dining room is a vintage wooden table surrounded by midcentury chairs that were sourced at an auction and reupholstered using linen fabric and leather for the armrests.

Every Wildland property features one of Kramer's favourite furniture designs, the Papa Bear armchair created in 1951 by Hans J. Wegner and produced by PP Møbler.

At Tigh Na Coille, the chair sits in a corner of the living room where it has a view of the fireplace. A wall-mounted lamp provides gentle illumination for reading.

Kramer and Kirkwood collaborated closely on the project with Wildland co-owner Anne Holch Povlsen, the wife of Danish businessman Anders Holch Povlsen who made his fortune in the fashion industry with brands such as Bestseller.

Wildland owns three large estates in Scotland on which it operates hotels and self-catering accommodation as part of its 200-year vision to preserve the landscape and contribute to local communities.

The group's other properties include a formerly derelict cottage that was transformed into a pared-back holiday home by Edinburgh-based GRAS architects, and another converted manse that was converted into an art-filled guesthouse.

The photography is by Fran Mart.

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Arches of light warmly illuminate this Korean fried chicken restaurant in New York's Flatiron district, designed by Rockwell Group.

Coqodaq is the brainchild of restauranteur Simon Kim's Gracious Hospitality Management, the group behind the Michelin-starred and James Beard-nominated COTE Korean Steakhouse.

The new restaurant offers an elevated take on traditional Korean-style fried chicken, encouraging diners to indulge in nuggets topped with caviar and to pair its "bucket" dishes with champagne.

"Designed by Rockwell Group as 'the cathedral of fried chicken', the restaurant design delivers a daring, yet refined dining experience that skillfully integrates Korean and American influences, placing them at the forefront of this enticing culinary adventure," said the restaurant team.

To create the right atmosphere for this experience, Rockwell Group opted for a dark and moody interior of rich materials and low, warm lighting.

"Our goal was to capture the essence of this unique concept and innovative approach to fried chicken and translate it into a memorable dining experience," said founder David Rockwell.

Upon entry, guests are invited to wash their hands in leathered soapstone basins, above which a row of pill-shaped light bands glow within a bronzed mirror that also wraps onto the side walls.

Past the host stand, an area with four high-top tables offers a space reserved for walk-ins in front of garage-style windows.

The main dining area is formed by a series of green leather and dark walnut booths on either side of a central walkway.

A series of illuminated arches soar overhead, formed from rippled glass and bronze modules that resemble bubbling oil in a deep-fat fryer.

At the end of this procession, a mirrored wall reflects glowing arches and creates the illusion of doubled space. Meanwhile, plaster wall panels feature a crackled effect, nodding to the crispy skin of the fried chicken.

"The material palette was driven by a desire to surround diners in an envelope of warmth, creating a joyful place to be at any time," Rockwell said.

Rockwell Group creates atmospheric interiors for Perelman Center in New York

Additional booth seating to one side is followed by the long bar, topped with black soapstone, fronted by tambour wood and backed by a luminous black liquor shelf.

The restaurant's extensive champagne collection – which it claims is the largest in America – is displayed inside glass cabinets installed with globe-shaped lights that look like giant bubbles.

"Simon and I share the belief that the most important thing about restaurants is how they ritualise coming together for a shared, celebratory experience and Coqodaq provides the perfect template for that," said Rockwell.

Since Tony Award-winning designer founded his eponymous firm in New York 40 years ago, the studio has grown to a 250-person operation with additional offices in Los Angeles and Madrid.

Among Rockwell Group's recent hospitality projects are the Metropolis restaurant and lobby spaces at the Perelman Arts Center (PAC NYC) and Zaytina inside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

We've featured a few fried chicken restaurants recently, including a 1960s-influenced spot in Los Angeles and a neon-illuminated eatery in Calgary.

The photography is by Jason Varney.

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Architecture studio Linehouse has wrapped a food market in a Shanghai laneway neighbourhood around a central atrium informed by Victorian greenhouses.

Named Foodie Social, the 2,000-square-metre food market is located within the Hong Shou Fang community – a residential area in Shanghai's Putuo district known for its classic "longtang" laneway architecture.

The entrance to the two-storey market was framed by a double-height arrangement of stacked recycled red bricks, with a corten steel canopy added to provide shelter.

The same recycled red bricks sourced from demolished houses in China can also be found on the interior walls, stacked to create three dimensional patterns.

A large glass door can be pulled open on warm days, with patterned paving from the laneway outside extending to the interior of the market, fully connecting the interior and exterior.

The interior of the market was designed to resemble a greenhouse, with shops and cafe's arrranged around a central, double-height atrium.

The glass pitched roof above the atrium was lined with gently curved metal truss, in reference to Victorian greenhouses, with three large fans hanging from the metal truss to improve the air circulation.

A cafe in the atrium, which contains an olive tree planted into the ground, integrates a metal staircase that leads to the upper floor.

A area describes as a "stage" is located by the staircase with a series of undulating balconies wrapped around the atrium on the upper floor.

Various typologies of food vendors are arranged in the open atrium on the ground floor, some of which are designed to be retractable, allowing flexibility for different types of vendors as well as a large open event space to be formed at the centre.

"This new typology brings together the local with more curated food offerings in a contemporary yet humble and sustainable way," explained Linehouse's Shanghai team who are responsible for the design.

Smaller snack shops were positioned on the ground floor, while larger restaurants occupy the upper floor.

Each stall was assembled from a kit of parts, so that the vendors are able to create their own signage and layout, but maintain a consistent material and lighting palette.

Linehouse is a Hong Kong and Shanghai-based architecture and interior design studio established in 2013 by Alex Mok and Briar Hickling. The duo won the emerging interior designer of the year category at the 2019 Dezeen Awards.

The studio has also recently designed the facade of a shopping centre in Bangkok and the interiors for a Hong Kong residence that respond to coastal views.

The photography is by Wen Studio.

Project credits:

Design principal: Alex Mok
Associate-in-charge: Cherngyu Chen
Design team: Yeling Guo, Fei Wang, Wang Jue, Norman Wang, Aiwen Shao, Mia Zhou, Yunbin Lou, Xiaoxi Chen, Tom Grannells

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Architecture office Mooradian Studio used spray-on paper pulp to create a bumpy texture across the walls and ceilings of north London menswear store Natalino.

Taking over a former art gallery in Fitzrovia, Natalino's first physical store was designed by Mooradian Studio to reflect the properties of the brand's garments.

"Nathan's clothes use a lot of natural textures and you can often see how they're constructed, so we wanted to capture those qualities in the interior," studio founder Aram Mooradian told Dezeen.

Mooradian, who had recently travelled to Italy with a group of his students from the Architectural Association, was influenced by the contrast of rough and smooth stone surfaces at Carlo Scarpa's famous Olivetti showroom in Venice.

After initially looking at using a sprayed plaster finish to achieve the desired effect, he came across a spray-on acoustic material from Dutch firm Acosorb that is made from recycled newspaper.

The material is more commonly used for sound absorption in music studios and restaurants as it helps to reduce reverberation and improves acoustics.

Mooradian used the paper pulp to cover the store's walls and ceilings alongside utilities such as pipes and ducting. This lends the space a feeling of cohesion in addition to providing the desired tactility.

"I think retail spaces are often about creating a sensory experience," the architect said. "Spraying the entire store meant that we could create this atmosphere that wraps around and immerses you."

The textured finish is created by blowing the compressed flaked-paper material onto the surfaces together with a non-toxic binding agent.

When the interior eventually needs to be refurbished, the material can be easily removed by soaking it with water so it can once again be recycled.

The use of recyclable materials also extends to the shop fittings developed by Mooradian Studio in collaboration with design studio Mitre & Mondays, which custom-made the pieces in their Islington workshop from standard aluminium strips.

"We used a range of techniques including bending, folding, clamping and notching to create various metal display structures that can be adapted to fit differently-sized garments," said Mitre & Mondays co-founder Finn Thomson.

The components are attached using simple mechanical bolts, allowing them to be easily taken apart and reconfigured or recycled at the end of their lifespan.

The display structures incorporate hanging rails and table surfaces, while angled aluminium shelves recessed into the wall are used to display shirts, knitwear and jeans.

A fitting area in one corner of the space features a curtain made from UK-sourced waxed cotton that is suspended from a curved track.

The graphic identity for Natalino was created by design agency Polytechnic, which also owns Bodney Road Studios in east London where Mooradian has his office.

Aram Mooradian established his studio in 2018 after completing his studies at the Architectural Association. The studio focuses on reusing materials as part of a "gentle building philosophy" that also engages with contemporary craft practices.

Other reversible shop interiors that have recently been featured on Dezeen include On-Off in Milan, which features a flexible gridded shelving system, and London's Present & Correct store with its demountable wooden joinery.

The photography is by Thomas Adank.

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A bedroom incorporating a bathtub and a window bench is one of several versatile spaces architect Ulli Heckmann created when renovating this compact apartment in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Heckmann and his partner, the designer Nienke Bongers, bought the apartment in the Delfshaven neighbourhood in 2020 with the aim of refurbishing it to suit their personal tastes.

The 100-square-metre property is spread across the ground floor and basement of a brick apartment building dating from 1935 that stretches along a dike on the river Schie.

Previous renovations in the 1980s had stripped away all of the interior's original features, so the couple decided to completely gut the spaces and rebuild them using a modern and affordable material palette.

The existing layout did not make the best use of the garden access, so Heckmann moved the bedrooms upstairs and created a large living space below with direct access to the outdoors.

"The original downstairs plan showed one room facing the garden and one towards the street, which was quite gloomy and dark," the architect told Dezeen.

"Since the new downstairs is basically mono-orientated, an open layout with the kitchen cupboard as a room divider seemed the best solution in terms of space with an option for privacy."

The largely open-plan configuration creates a space for cooking, eating and socialising that receives plenty of daylight from the large windows at one end.

Freestanding cupboards screen a small private space that Heckmann explained can be used for "reading a book, inviting friends to stay over or simply drying the laundry without putting it in the middle of the living room."

Throughout the property, built-in storage helps to optimise and organise space, allowing the interior to be used in different ways at different times. Examples include a hidden desk in the children's bedroom and a window bench in the main bedroom.

"Most of the rooms are not limited to only one purpose throughout the day and night," said Heckmann, "which helps tremendously for the use of the space – especially as a family."

The layout of the upper floor is more compartmentalised than the basement level; however, a full-height mirrored door at the end of the hall can be left open to ensure the spaces feel connected.

The two bedrooms at either end of the plan are separated by a walk-in wardrobe and a shower room hidden behind cupboard-like doors.

In addition to the bed and window bench, the main bedroom contains a bathtub set on wooden blocks that can be screened off using a curtain.

"The need to create multifunctional spaces is one of the reasons why we decided to have the bathtub in the bedroom," Heckmann explained. "Also, we quite like that it becomes an object in our daily life instead of hiding it away."

The couple had wanted to use natural materials where possible to completely revamp the interior, but the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic caused prices to soar and subsequent lockdowns made commissioning specialist trades much more difficult.

Heckmann and Bongers therefore designed and built most of the furniture themselves, using plywood or MDF that they stained or dyed to give the materials a more unique finish.

The bedroom shelf and the hall cupboards are made from eucalyptus plywood tinted with an earl-grey mixture, while the bedhead is MDF with a hardwax finish.

Lime plaster was used on the walls throughout the apartment. The downstairs spaces were left raw and natural, while the bedroom has green pigment added to give it a subtle hint of colour.

For the kitchen, Heckmann used MDF boards with oak veneer and a countertop with a dark Forbo linoleum surface. The cupboard under the stairs features an oak frame surrounding polycarbonate panels, while the staircase podium is made from painted MDF.

Ulli Heckmann completed his Diploma studies at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, in 2006 and worked for several years for agencies in Germany and France, including Maison Edouard François.

He founded his architecture and design studio in Paris in 2013 and now works on projects across Europe, ranging from object and interior design to private housing and architectural competitions.

Other recent Rotterdam projects featured on Dezeen include a floating cross-laminated timber office and a multi-faceted auditorium designed using computer modelling.

The photography is by Ulli Heckmann unless otherwise stated.

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New York-based studio Apparatus has redesigned its Hollywood showroom with multiple material schemas and a range of its lighting and furniture products to evoke a feeling of "discovery" for visitors.

The 5,000-square-foot (464 square metres) Hollywood showroom first opened in 2018 in a former warehouse. Apparatus redesigned the interiors – which previously consisted of bold geometric and neoclassical elements – opting for an experience featuring a progression of materials that create distinct experiences for each room.

Its three adjoining rooms were transformed with distinct finishes and reconfigured displays.

The first room's walls and adjoining archways were covered in a coarse rock aggregate. Beds of similar stones fill small recessed gaps between the floor and the walls and a large circular mirror sits behind an installation of the Trapeze light configured as a mobile.

"Upon entering, you find yourself in our version of a modernist grotto," said Apparatus.

"Here lights are relatively low, allowing you to experience our collections with slightly subterranean undertones."

The pre-existing archways were left intact and lead into the next space, which was finished in a silver-toned plaster custom produced by New York outift Kamp Studios. This surface treatment has a reflective quality meant to contrast the first space.

It has an installation featuring multiple of Appratatus' iconic Cloud chandeliers that give the space an airiness when contrasted with the earthy textures of the first.

"Silvered walls reflect without revealing, giving the impression of being inside a Renaissance coffer," said the studio. "After the grounding of the first space, this functions as a release."

A third room is lined with cork wall panels with intricate grain patterning and includes an unattributed bird-themed tapestry.

Natural light comes in from overhead windows casting shadows on the double-height room, and includes several products arranged sparsely across the room.

"It's about feeling discovery and moving through layers," said Apparatus founder Gabriel Hendifar.

Throughout, light fixtures are hung low to emphasize a dream-like characteristic of the reimagined space.

As in Apparatus's other showrooms in New York and London, the gallery's interior design resembles the composition of famous paintings and historical architectural styles. Italian artist Giorgio De Chirico's Surrealist works were referenced for this room.

According to the company, the space was also redesigned based on a creative narrative of a hypothetical person: a woman living in New York City during the 1960s.

The hypothetical person in this case experiences the cultural tensions of the time, between old world conventions and big changes in society, such as the moon landing, embodying the "tension between modernity and the arcane".

"What would happen if this woman moved to Los Angeles a decade later to find herself? Our Los Angeles gallery is the answer," said the studio.

Apparatus has displayed its full suite of products in this immersive setting. Collections on view include the Cloud pendant lamp and the Episode Settee sofa.

Other recent showroom designs include the London Camper store by James Shaw and Malbon Golf Coconut Grove store by 22RE.

The photography is by Matthew Placek.

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