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    Ten residential interiors that make the most of narrow spaces

    Including tight living areas, kitchens wedged into corridors and interiors in skinny Japanese houses, this lookbook features 10 homes that make clever use of narrow spaces.

    Projects on constricted urban sites or working within historical buildings often must contend with long-and-narrow interior layouts.
    Here are 10 examples of interiors where narrow spaces have been utilised to their full potential thanks to intelligent design.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring mezzanine bedrooms, creative built-in furniture and homes that make a highlight of their corridors.
    Photo by Sobajima, Toshihiro1.8m Width House, Japan, by YUUA Architects & Associates

    As its name suggests, the rooms in this house in central Tokyo are just 1.8 metres wide, so Japanese studio YUUA Architects & Associates had to plan the interior with meticulous care.
    They used split-level floors to create natural partitions between different spaces, with a kitchen and dining area lined up along a single wall, while a dark colour scheme is intended to provide “a sense of depth”.
    Find out more about 1.8m Width House ›
    Photo by by Mariela ApollonioHorta Nord townhouse, Spain, by DG Arquitecto Valencia
    DG Arquitecto Valencia sneaked a kitchen into a passageway in this Valencian townhouse as part of a renovation project for a young family.
    White floor tiles and downlighting hanging from the high ceiling help the space maintain a sense of generous scale despite the narrow proportions.
    Find out more about this Horta Nord townhouse ›
    Photo by Colin Miller196 Orchard apartment, USA, by Alex P White
    American designer Alex P White created a model unit for a high-end condominium building in Manhattan’s Lower East Side characterised by exposed calming concrete ceilings, grey plaster walls and neutral-toned decor.
    In the narrow living room, a mix of shapes and textures combine with built-in furniture to provide added visual depth, from a series of ivory wall hangings by Los Angeles artist Mary Little to a large walnut shelving unit designed by White and a cardboard chair by Frank Gehry.
    Find out more about this 196 Orchard apartment ›
    Photography is by Lorenzo ZandriNotting Hill maisonette, UK, by Francesco Pierazzi Architects
    A petite plywood study space was nestled into a hallway in this London maisonette overhauled by Francesco Pierazzi Architects.
    To emphasise the home’s sense of height, the studio placed floor-to-ceiling doorways in all of its narrower rooms and left the brick shell exposed, offset by dark flooring.
    Find out more about this Notting Hill maisonette ›
    Photo by Texture on TextureSeochon micro guesthouse, South Korea, by Z_Lab
    Z_Lab’s serene interiors for this tiny guesthouse tucked down an alleyway in northern Seoul occupy a former traditional Korean home, otherwise known as a hanok.
    In the main space, long and rectilinear, different functions are lined up from a cosy reading area on a timber bench to a lengthy walnut table for enjoying tea that sits directly beside a sunken water bath.
    Find out more about this Seochan micro guesthouse ›
    Photo by Eric PetschekWest Chelsea Apartment, USA, by BoND
    This long and narrow apartment in New York’s Chelsea neighbourhood was overhauled by architecture studio BoND, which replaced partition walls with glass doors to allow more light to reach the middle section while also “celebrating the apartment’s elongated proportions and maximising the illusion of depth”.
    All utilities, including kitchen and bathroom fixtures, were moved to one wall to leave the other free for displaying art, while the direction of the floorboards and linear lighting fixtures help to emphasise the length of the interior.
    Find out more about West Chelsea Apartment ›
    Photo by Itay BenitBauhaus Tel Aviv apartment, Israel, by Amir Navon and Maayan Zusman
    A “safe room” was turned into a snug spare bedroom as part of a refurbishment of this Tel Aviv apartment by architect Amir Navon and interior designer Maayan Zusman, who worked alongside graduates Dana Sagive and Naama Tison Vilotsky.
    To compensate for a lack of width a light-toned oak herringbone floor was paired with pale colours, while two wooden plates with holes pierced in them to support brass hooks are a space-saving storage solution.
    Find out more about this Bauhaus Tel Aviv apartment ›
    Photo by by Koji Fujii Nacasa and PartnersLove2 House, Japan, by Takeshi Hosaka
    This Tokyo micro home designed by architect Takeshi Hosaka for himself and his wife gathers household amenities into a linear floorplan spanning just 19 square metres.
    Borrowing principles from the architecture of villas in ancient Roman villas, Hosaka divided up spaces for sleeping, bathing, eating and study using seven partitions that extend out from the concrete walls.
    Find out more about Love2 House ›
    Photo by Ståle EriksenBirch and Clay Refugio, UK, by Rise Design Studio
    By cutting shelving into one wall, retaining a generous window sill and subtly overlapping the chunky sink and bathtub, Rise Design Studio was able to make the most of limited lateral space in this bathroom.
    The room’s proportions were chosen to match an adjacent lightwell in the remodelled London flat, while the dark blue tadelakt walls and floor contrast with a birch plywood ceiling to convey an impression of solidity.
    Find out more about Birch and Clay Refugio ›

    La Odette, Spain, by CRÜ
    Architecture studio CRÜ was tasked with transforming this Barcelona apartment from a cramped three-bedroom home into a spacious two-bed while optimising the use of space.
    In the kitchen-living area, it removed the partition walls to create an open-plan space, with large terracotta floor tiles and white-painted brick walls.
    Find out more about La Odette ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring mezzanine bedrooms, creative built-in furniture and homes that make a highlight of their corridors.

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    Tria Arquitetura renovates São Paulo penthouse with sculptural staircase

    A large variety of art and collectible design pieces populate this penthouse apartment in São Paulo, designed by local studio Tria Arquitetura, which also includes a sculptural staircase.

    The renovation of the 960-square-metre Frederic Chopin Apartment was led by architect Marina Cardoso de Almeida of Tria Arquitetura, who reconfigured the layout to make the most of the high ceilings and views.
    A sculptural staircase snakes between the levels of the duplex apartmentThe apartment is split over two floors and is home to an art-loving couple.
    Previously the owners of a large house, the clients chose to move to an apartment for convenience and security, but still wanted their space to feel open and expansive.
    Green furniture and rugs are highlighted against mostly neutral-toned materialsThe primary suite was moved to the upper floor, where the bed could be aligned with a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks the cityscape.

    An intimate library was also created on this level, so that the whole floor is dedicated entirely to private space, apart from the patio and pool terrace, where the clients entertain guests.
    The couple’s contemporary art collection draws attention throughout the apartmentTwo employees’ suites were shifted to the lower floor, and a guest suite and home theatre were added in place of the closet.
    Connecting the two levels is a staircase with travertine treads and solid white bannisters, which snakes up a double-height space to appear like a piece of sculpture.
    Slatted wooden panels wrap the elevator block, the fireplace and the wall dividing the main living room from the guest areaThis sets the tone for the rest of the contemporary artworks and materials used throughout the penthouse.
    “The main concept in the choice of finishes and architectural solutions was to bring comfort but still leave a big void so that the works could dress the house,” said Tria Arquitetura.
    Stainless steel in the kitchen matches a wrapped column in the living areaIn the open living and dining area, colourful paintings adorn the walls, and furniture and rugs in shades of green and orange stand out against the otherwise neutral palette.
    “In the living room there were three large main volumes that should be highlighted to bring texture and more cosiness,” Tria Arquitetura said.
    The staircase features solid white bannisters and travertine treadsThese include the elevator block, the fireplace and the wall dividing the main room from the guest area, which are covered in thin vertical slats of veneered natural wood.
    Another column is wrapped in stainless steel to offer a cool, sharp-edged contrast to the wood and other warm tones in the living room.
    The primary bedroom was moved upstairs to face the best viewUpstairs in the library, wide-planked wood flooring is continued up the walls to make the room feel cosy, and provide a backdrop for a series of framed vintage maps.
    “It was only in the library that the architect chose to cover all the walls with the same wood as the floor to give more seriousness and highlight the environment from the others,” the studio said.

    Studio MK27 combines different textures in São Paulo apartment interior

    Updates were also made to the outdoor area, where the pool was reduced in size and re-edged to better integrate it with the landscaping.
    A pair of imitation classical pillars were also demolished, and a wood and glass pergola was added to cover the patio.
    Walls of an intimate library are panelled with the same wood as the floorThroughout the apartment, fully automated systems controlling the air conditioning, lighting, landscaping irrigation, and curtains and blinds were added during the renovation.
    The project took over two years to complete due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
    The project also involved adding a pergola and reducing the pool size on the terraceApartment living is commonplace in densely populated São Paulo, where architects and designers have used their creativity to add character to previously uninspiring spaces.
    Other recently completed examples include a residence by Studio MK27 that features furry upholstery, lace curtains and tactile rugs, and a renovation by Memola Estudio that exposed the building’s concrete structure.
    The photography is by Fran Parente.
    Project credits:
    Lead architect: Marina Cardoso de AlmeidaCreative team: Marina Cardoso de Almeida, Sarah Bonanno, Barbara Castro, Barbara Silva, Virginia CaldasEngineering: Steel ConstruçõesLandscaping: Alex HanazakiLight technician: Carlos FortesAutomation: TaagAir conditioning: Dealtec

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    Ten cabins with cosy interiors that frame views of nature

    From Norway to New Zealand, this lookbook explores rural cabins with cosy living areas that are animated by natural materials and views out over wild landscapes.

    Cabins are a popular building typology with architects all around the world. Typically built from wood, the little shelters are ideally suited as peaceful retreats in remote locations.
    Their small size and the use of organic materials such as wood helps these structures to blend in with natural surroundings, while also creating warm and calming living spaces for inhabitants.
    As demonstrated by this roundup, little else is needed to make a cabin cosy, and keeping their interiors pared-back retains focus on the main event – the views out to nature.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with statement carpets, earthy bedrooms with natural colours and hotel interiors enriched by jewel tones.

    Photo is by James BrittainEnough House, Canada, by Brian MacKay-Lyons
    Dark-stained floorboards complement the light and exposed timber beams and columns of this cabin on a farmstead in Nova Scotia.
    Its living room has large windows for looking out over the rustic landscape but retains a sheltered feel with low ceilings, a soft rug and comfy leather furniture such as the 2 Fauteuil Grand Confort armchair by Le Corbusier.
    Find out more about Enough House ›
    Photo is by Tom BirdLooking Glass Lodge, UK, by Michael Kendrick Architects
    A black fireplace is suspended from the ceiling of this sitting area, located in the Looking Glass Lodge in East Sussex.
    The room has a pared-back design filled with woven furnishings and wooden surfaces, helping to ensure the focus stays on the floor-to-ceiling glazing.
    According to its designer Michael Kendrick Architects, the studio’s aim was to give the cabin “a sense of transparency and belonging within its setting”.
    Find out more about Looking Glass Lodge ›
    Photo is by Jim StephensonThe Hat House, Sweden, by Tina Bergman
    Despite its tall ceilings, The Hat House’s living-dining space has been made to feel snug with its warm material palette dominated by different woods.
    These include spruce panels on the walls and end-grain spruce blocks for the floor. A cushioned window seat allows the owner to immerse themself in the view.
    Find out more about The Hat House ›
    Photo is by Rob MaverBruny Island Cabin, Australia, by Maguire + Devin
    Baltic pine lines almost every surface of this off-grid cabin in Tasmania, designed by Maguire + Devin with references to traditional Japanese houses.
    Nearly every piece of furniture forms a part of the building’s frame, creating a minimalist and uncluttered interior. This includes a raised seating area, positioned beside a pane of glass and finished with a low-lying table and rugs for sitting.
    Find out more about Bruny Island Cabin ›
    Photo is by Stephen GoodenoughBiv Punakaiki, New Zealand, by Fabric Architecture
    Hidden within the rainforest in the coastal village of Punakaiki, this holiday cabin has large spans of glazing that aim to immerse occupants in the landscape.
    Furnishings are few and far between to prevent distracting from the view, but a homely feel is created through the warm and exposed timber structure and mid-20th-century furnishings including a leather butterfly chair.
    Find out more about Biv Punakaiki ›
    Photo is by Jordi HuismanForest Cabin, Netherlands, by The Way We Build
    Arches made of poplar give a chapel-like character to this tiny mobile cabin, located on a campsite in the Robbenoordbos forest in the Netherlands.
    Its compact living area is deliberately simple, furnished with just a writing desk and a wood burner for warmth and offering visitors a meditative space to “rejuvenate close to nature”.
    Find out more about Forest Cabin ›
    Photo is by Marcos ZegersHouse by the Cautín River, Chile, by Iragüen Viñuela Arquitecto
    Iragüen Viñuela Arquitectos opted for dark-stained wood for the interior lining of this ski cabin in Chile, creating a moody yet cosy living area where the outside views take centre stage.
    “The interior of the house, completely covered in black wood, allows a great contrast with the white winter and green summer landscape, and offers an atmosphere of introspection and calm according to the vocation of shelter,” said the studio.
    Find out more about House by the Cautín River ›
    Photo is by Tom AugerCabin Nordmarka, Norway, Rever & Drage
    An angular corner window animates the unadorned living room of Cabin Nordmarka that Rever & Drage recently completed in Norway.
    The green and blue tones of the forested surroundings form a colourful backdrop to the elevated space, which is characterised by light timber planks and matching furniture.
    Find out more about Cabin Nordmarka ›
    Photo is by Rasmus Hjortshøj, CoastThe Author’s House, Denmark, by Sleth
    Landscape studio Sleth designed this writer’s cabin to blend in with its natural setting on the outskirts of Aarhus.
    Douglas fir planks line the living room, creating a cosy retreat for the owner while echoing the surrounding trees. Bookshelves at the base of its gabled profile help reduce the height of the room, making it feel even more snug.
    Find out more about The Author’s House ›

    Bergaliv Landscape Hotel, Sweden, by Hanna Michelson
    This compact wooden cabin nestled in the treetops of a Swedish mountain is one of four designed for the Bergaliv Landscape Hotel.
    Like many other cabins on the list, the interior is simply finished. This draws attention to a wooden L-shaped bench and window seat, designed for visitors to get lost in the views out over the landscape.
    Find out more about Bergaliv Landscape Hotel ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with statement carpets, earthy bedrooms with natural colours and hotel interiors enriched by jewel tones.

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    Isern Serra creates pared-back office “with seemingly surreal details” for Andrés Reisinger

    Spanish architecture and interior design studio Isern Serra kept to a material palette of concrete, quartz and stainless steel to create this pared-back office for Reisinger Studio

    Located in the Poblenou neighbourhood in Barcelona, digital artist Andrés Reisinger’s studio is surrounded by several other creative’s offices and is designed to reflect the artist’s minimalist, dreamlike style.
    The Studio Reisinger office is designed to reflect the artist’s minimalist aesthetic”The concept behind the interiors of my studio was to create a space that complements and doesn’t compete with the uplifting spirit of my work,” Reisinger told Dezeen.
    “I wanted the studio to be like a canvas, with a kind of identity that I could play with,” he added. “The space is inspired by my work’s aesthetic, with seemingly surreal details amidst the light and bright studio.”
    Isern Serra left its raw concrete pillars intactPurchased as an empty shell, the Barcelona-based team decided to leave parts of the original space intact such as the concrete pillars while the ceiling was left exposed.

    Natural tones and textures were introduced through paint and flooring to create an airy and monochromatic yet soothing feel.
    A stainless steel kitchen is on the ground floor”First the colour and texture of the walls were chosen,” Isern Serra told Dezeen. “They are finished with a quartz-based paint in the form of a paste,” he added.
    “A natural finishing of micro-cement for the flooring was chosen to have the same tone and textured effect,” Serra said.
    A concrete table can be used for dining and workingThe team then went about filling the space with office equipment and furnishings, paying close attention to sourcing locally made items that reflect the sculptural work of Reisinger Studio.
    A large concrete table, which functions as a workspace and dining table was made on-site and stands in the middle of the studio.
    It was produced in a hue that sits between millennial pink and beige – a colour that has become synonymous with Reisinger’s work. A similar shade can be seen throughtout Reisinger and architect Alba de la Fuente’s virtual residence Winter House.

    Barcelona’s Orvay bar takes design cues from winemaking

    Around the table is a set of chrome metal stools custom-made by designer Julia Esque that complement the stainless steel staircase which curls up the floor above.
    Also in the area below the mezzanine, is a kitchen made entirely of stainless steel that features an integrated hydraulic push-to-open storage system.
    A millennial pink colour palette was used throughoutOn the upper floor, which is fronted by glass, Andrés Reisinger has a private office with a wooden desk for meetings. Plush pink seating here adds a touch of warmth. A separate shower and toilet are also situated on this floor.
    “The goal was to create a space that would inspire, rather than distract, from the work being produced,” explained Reisinger.
    “I imagined the studio as a blank canvas, a place where my team and I could come to experiment, evolve and grow our ideas and projects.”
    The office has a separate meeting roomArgentinian designer Andrés Reisinger founded Reisinger Studio in 2018. The artist is best known for the Hortensia chair, a bulbous pink armchair made with CGI that went viral on Instagram.
    He also made headlines for his collection of “impossible” virtual furniture, which sold for $450,000 at auction.
    The photos are courtesy of Reisinger Studio.

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    Luca Nichetto transforms Swedish villa into his own studio and showroom

    Luca Nichetto has converted a 1940s villa in Stockholm into a studio to display his designs in a domestic setting and provide a comfortable working environment for his team.

    The Italian designer’s studio was previously based out of an apartment in the city’s Midsommarkransen neighbourhood. But when the landlord wanted to raise the rent, Nichetto decided to relocate to a larger property in a nearby suburb.
    Luca Nichetto has turned a 1940s villa into his own studio”I didn’t really need to look for another space in the city centre because it’s not that important for us as we work globally,” Nichetto explained.
    “A week after beginning to search, I saw on the real estate market what is now the Pink Villa. It was simply perfect and I made the offer.”
    A blush-pink staircase leads up to the first floorThe Pink Villa is a typical 1940s wooden house with a gabled roof and a large garden. Nichetto bought the property in 2021 and began adapting the interior to make it suitable for use as a studio.

    “I didn’t want a conventional studio space but rather a space that could be a studio, a showroom and a domestic property to be used on the weekends by my family and during the week by my team,” the designer told Dezeen.
    Nichetto’s Banah sofa for Arflex sits in the living areaThe villa takes its name from its distinctive pink exterior, which was given a fresh coat of bubblegum-pink paint to maintain its characterful presence on the street.
    The property’s existing three bedrooms were transformed into a private office for Nichetto on the first floor and a meeting room and tailor’s workshop on the ground floor, which his wife uses on the weekends.
    La Manufacture’s Soufflé mirror helps to bring character to the spaceA corridor leads from the entrance to a bright living room that looks onto the garden. An opening beyond the stairs up to the first floor connects with the simple custom-built kitchen.
    Along with Nichetto’s office, the upper floor contains a second bathroom and a large open workspace that facilitates flexible use rather than incorporating dedicated workstations.
    Bright and bold colours were used throughout the interiorThe interior features a pared-back palette of materials and colours that provide a neutral backdrop for a selection of products and furniture designed by Nichetto for brands including Offecct, Cassina, Arflex and Bernhardt Design.
    “I wanted to give a touch of warmth and I did that using colour and volumes,” the designer said. “I particularly chose materials culturally connected with the south of Europe and very deliberately mixed them with Scandinavian features.”

    Watch our talk with Ginori 1735 and Luca Nichetto about their new collection of home fragrances

    In the living area, pale-pink walls and white-painted floors contribute to the light and airy feel. Nichetto’s Banah sofa for Arflex and Soufflé mirror for La Manufacture are among the playful designs that bring character to this space.
    Upstairs, the main office spaces feature furniture such as Nichetto’s Torei low table for Cassina and Nico armchair for Bernhardt Design. His office contains the Railway table for De Padova and Robo chairs by Offecct.
    Walls in the living area were painted a light pinkOne of the key qualities that attracted Nichetto to the property is the spacious garden, which includes a terrace furnished with his Esedra table and Pluvia chairs for Ethimo.
    The basement garage was converted into a self-contained guest suite called the Chalet, which includes a living room, bedroom and bathroom with a Swedish sauna.
    The house also has a self-contained guest suiteSince the renovation was completed in April 2022, the Chalet has hosted international visitors including art directors, photographers and designers.
    The property’s location close to a park and to the water was another reason it appealed to Nichetto, who said he enjoys the proximity to nature and the good relationship he has established with his neighbours.
    Ceramic tiles provide a pop of colourA housekeeper was hired to look after the studio and to prepare meals for the team, adding to the sense of it hybrid space that is both domestic and designed for work.
    “It’s like being in a family: we all have lunch together and there are no fixed workstations to work,” he explained. “Moreover, whoever comes to visit us, if he wants, can stay and sleep. The idea is to create a sense of community.”
    Ethimo’s Esedra table and Pluvia chairs decorate the terraceLuca Nichetto established his multidisciplinary practice in Venice, Italy, in 2006 and continues to run a studio there alongside his main office in Stockholm. Nichetto Studio specialises in industrial and product design as well as art direction for design brands.
    Nichetto’s recent work includes a series of home fragrances for Ginori 1735 and his first foray into fashion accessories in the form of the apple-leather Malala handbag.
    The photography is by Max Rommel.

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    Halleroed combines futuristic and primitive for Acne Studios store in Chengdu

    Fashion brand Acne Studios has opened its latest store in China, which was designed by Stockholm studio Halleroed and is located in the submerged SKP department store designed by Sybarite in Chengdu, China.

    The 338-square-metre store has a discrete sandstone exterior marked by a red LED sign displaying the brand’s logo.
    Inside, grey sandstone walls contrast against sculptural tie-dye furniture in earthy tan hues by British designer Max Lamb.
    The store is located inside Chengdu’s SKP department store”Our inspiration was aesthetically playing with design from the 1980s and 90s, and how that period looked at the future,” Halleroed founder Christian Halleroed told Dezeen.
    “The inclined stone clad walls, the futuristic lighting together with the Daniel Silver mannequins – we thought of a futuristic space/computer age feel, but in a contemporary way of putting it together,” he added.

    “We clashed this with the Max Lamb sculpture-like furniture that has a more primitive, earthy feeling.”
    It features tactile, soft seating by Max LambAs well as the furniture, Lamb designed four fabric-clad touchscreens that are mounted on slim poles throughout the store and provide an overview of the brand’s current collection and stock availability.
    Expressive mannequins by artist Daniel Silver and a light installation by designer Benoit Lalloz help to add a futuristic feel to the space.
    Lighting was designed to feel “like a spaceship”Halleored, which has designed a number of Acne Studios’ stores, normally works with Lalloz on the lighting but said the Chengdu store lights have a different feel to those in other stores.
    “These were done a bit differently than previous since they are recessed in the ceiling, but still has the typical look of Benoit Lalloz,” Halleroed said.

    Concrete infrastructure informs Acne Studios’ limestone-clad Rue Saint Honoré store

    “We wanted the lighting to feel like a spaceship,” he added.
    A large mirrored column in the middle of the store reflects its pared-down interior, which features a colour palette informed by the grey hues used for early computer designs.
    A large mirrored column sits in the centre of the sandstone room”We used a very restrained palette with the grey, monochrome sandstone on the floor and angled walls, high gloss white walls and ceiling, the black coves in the ceiling, and for the fixtures brushed stainless steel,” Halleroed said.
    “The Max Lamb and Daniel Silver pieces contrast this, with their brown batik fabric and the white with patina and silver mannequins.”
    Previous Acne Studios store designs featured on Dezeen include a “monolithic” store in Paris and a pink-ceiling flagship store in Milan’s Brera district.
    The photography is courtesy of Acne Studios.

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    Tiny Glasgow apartment transformed into playful pied-à-terre

    Architect Lee Ivett, designer Simon Harlow and developer Duncan Blackmore have turned a 25-square-metre apartment in Glasgow into a brightly coloured space that doesn’t contain any freestanding furniture.

    Blackmore worked closely with Ivett and Harlow to plan the interior of the ground-floor tenement flat, which he uses as a base while visiting his other projects in the city’s Govanhill area.
    The micro-apartment was designed in GlasgowWhen Blackmore purchased the property it comprised a cramped hallway, a compact shower room, a kitchen and a sleeping area, which were separated by partition walls.
    The main idea for the redesigned space was to enable circulation throughout and to utilise its verticality in addition to the square-shaped floor area.
    It includes a tiny kitchen space”I wanted to be able to walk around in the flat, even though it’s tiny,” said Blackmore. “I also wanted the majority of the space to be flexible in terms of use, rather than defining areas for certain activities.”

    Work began with the removal of internal walls and the raising of existing structural openings closer to the 3.4-metre ceilings. A series of volumes designed in three dimensions were then inserted to fulfil various functional needs.
    An open space contains a fixed, multi-purpose benchThe apartment’s entrance area leads into an open space containing a fixed bench for sitting, lounging or sleeping. A shelf that functions as a desk is inserted next to one of two large, south-facing windows that flood the interior with natural light.
    Key functions, including washing, sleeping, cooking and the entrance, are pushed to the edges of the plan, freeing up the rest of the space so it can be used in a variety of different ways.
    The main space was left intentionally uncluttered”I was keen to avoid having a typical living space with a sofa, a coffee table and a television,” Blackmore told Dezeen.
    “The main space is entirely unprogrammed and uncluttered and has almost nothing in it. You can use it for a meeting or a party or just as somewhere to sit and think. I like how versatile and unfussy it is.”
    A compact shower room was createdA mezzanine sleeping platform is slotted in above a compact shower room, taking advantage of the vertical space and preventing the room from feeling disproportionately high.
    The bed is reached via a set of wooden steps, with a small circular hole seen from the living area providing somewhere to place a hand while manoeuvring into position.
    The mezzanine is reached via small wooden stepsThe new interventions are built around the retained structure and feature forms that playfully disguise which walls, columns or beams retain their original functionality.
    “Lee came up with the shapes based on the connection between existing openings and the geometry we imposed on the space,” Blackmore pointed out.
    A small circular hole provides a view to the living area”Where we needed to bridge differences in height or gaps between certain elements, the surfaces meet each other with a curve or a step,” he added, “so the decoration is derived from the resolution of these structural glitches.”
    The project takes its name, Ferguson, from the found nameplate of a previous occupier and the design borrows from the architectural heritage of its surroundings.
    The kitchen features an oversized red cast-concrete sinkThe remnants of a nearby building that burned down informed the arched shape above the stairs up to the sleeping area, as well as an opening that allows daylight to filter through to the shower room.
    Coloured cushions on the bench reference the doorway of a nearby building, while the bright-yellow datum that extends around the space is a reversal of the painted walls in the tenement’s shared stairwell.
    The remnants of a nearby building that burned down informed the arched shape above the stairsThe kitchen contains the minimum amenities needed to obtain a building warrant. Its oversized red cast-concrete sink is accessible for hand washing on arrival from the entrance hall – a legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic during which the project was built.
    Behind the apartment’s only internal door, the shower room is fully lined in two colourways of a decorative solid surface material made by Simon Harlow’s company Mirrl. A custom-made sink extends the use of bright yellow seen elsewhere in the interior.

    Proctor and Shaw designs London micro-apartment with translucent “sleeping cocoon”

    The entire project was fabricated by Harlow and artist’s technician Simon Richardson, resulting in a level of craftsmanship and intuitive creative detailing that lends it a strong sense of personality.
    Blackmore is keen to emphasise that the apartment should not be viewed as an example of tiny living, as he only ever spends brief spells of time there.
    A custom-made sink extends the use of bright yellow seen elsewhere”I’m absolutely not suggesting that people should live like this,” he said. “The space is really personal and tailored to my needs, which are a nice bed, a hot shower with good water pressure and decent WiFi.”
    “If you were living there permanently you would design it very differently, but as a place for me to stay and work or relax it’s perfect.”
    Blackmore is the co-founder of developer Arrant Land, which creates projects led by an interest in architecture, built heritage and the social dynamics of the UK’s towns and cities.
    Previous projects backed by Arrant Land include a red-brick house with playful tiled detailing in south London and an apartment building in the seaside town of Whitstable featuring black brick walls that evoke the nearby wooden fishing huts.
    The photography is by Pierce Scourfield.

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    Studio Noju renovates curvy apartment in brutalist Torres Blancas tower

    Local firm Studio Noju has updated a two-storey Madrid apartment within the Torres Blancas high-rise with a renovation that remains “in constant dialogue” with the original apartment design.

    Designed in 1961 by architect Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oíz, Torres Blancas is a 71-metre-high exposed concrete tower featuring cylindrical shapes that create bulbous balconies on its facade and curved rooms inside.
    Studio Noju renovated the largest apartment in Torres BlancasStudio Noju overhauled the 1040 unit – the brutalist building’s biggest apartment – to balance its history with contemporary design details, according to the firm.
    “Our interior design proposal for the apartment takes inspiration from the original ideas that the architect came up with for the building,” studio co-founder Antonio Mora told Dezeen.
    Recovered terrace space is characterised by green tilesA key part of the project involved expanding the apartment’s exterior area on the first floor from 15 to almost 80 square metres to create the amount of outdoor space that existed before multiple past renovations of the tower.

    This expansion added terraces that are characterised by curved floor-to-ceiling glazing and slatted crimson shutters. These open onto gleaming green ceramic tiles that take cues from 1960s interiors and form built-in benches, fountains and planters that follow the terraces’ meandering contours.
    Visitors enter at a semi-circular foyer”The outdoor spaces have been once again consolidated into a continuous terrace that follows the outline of the original plan,” explained Mora, who set up Studio Noju with Eduardo Tazón in 2020.
    “There is a constant dialogue between many of the solutions we have proposed in the interior design of the apartment with those proposed more than 50 years ago by Sáenz de Oiza.”
    White walls and ceilings create an airy open-plan first floorVisitors enter the apartment at a semi-circular foyer featuring Segovia black slate and wine-red panelling – the same materials used in the building’s communal areas.
    The open-plan ground floor is interrupted by snaking white structural walls, such as a partition in the living room that features repetitive circular openings.
    The kitchen was formed from a continuous countertopA continuous custom-made countertop with a subtle green hue forms the kitchen area, which includes a statement bulbous sink that echoes Torres Blancas’ cylindrical facade.
    Light reflects from the original glass-brick tinted windows and illuminates the smooth resin floor and metallic wall accents.
    Studio Noju salvaged an original brass banister for the staircaseWhite geometric treads create a floating staircase with an original polished brass banister that leads to the first floor. Upstairs, a sequence of bedrooms is characterised by oak ceilings that contrast with the bright white ceilings on the ground floor.
    Each bathroom is playfully colour-coded with individual mosaics of bright tiles, complete with sconce lights, mirrors and cabinetry that follow the rounded shapes found throughout the apartment.
    Each bathroom has colour-coded tiles”The [mosaic] material allowed us to solve all the elements of the bathroom such as shower areas, vanities, walls and floors, referencing a similar material strategy used in the original design,” said Mora.
    Adjacent to the main bedroom, the first-floor terrace includes a large green tile-clad outdoor bathtub cloaked in a sheer curtain, which is flanked by plants that were positioned to absorb the water produced by bathing.

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    “The element that we are most proud of is the feeling of a house-patio that has been recovered in the apartment,” reflected Mora.
    “The unit once again revolves around the exterior spaces, and these seem to blend with the interior through the curved traces of green tiles that enter and exit the living room and dining area,” added the architect.
    “Our biggest challenge was striking a balance between honouring the building, but at the same time imbuing the interior design with our language.”
    The first floor terrace features an outdoor bathtubStudio Noju showcased a similar colourful style in its debut project, which involved the renovation of an open-plan Seville apartment.
    Torres Blancas was among the buildings captured by photographer Roberto Conte in his series of brutalist buildings in Madrid.
    The photography is by José Hevia. 

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