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    Renesa uses contrasting terracotta and terrazzo materials to create all-day cafe in New Delhi

    New Delhi-based architecture and interior design studio Renesa juxtaposed terracotta and terrazzo materials to design a space that acts as a cafe by day and a bar by night.

    The eatery, which is called Rosie and Tillie, was named by its owners – chefs Anukriti Anand and Vicky Mandal – who wanted to create a hybrid open-plan brunch and cocktail bar.
    Curved booths run down the middle of Renesa’s cafe in Delhi”The cafe expatiates on the dichotomy of a woman who goes by the name Rosie in the morning and Tillie in the evening,” Renesa head architect Sanchit Arora told Dezeen.
    “While chef Anukriti Anand, an expert in bakery, wanted a space that could be called a daytime cafe with cakes and coffees and beverages, they also wanted something that could serve yet another mood; one of night, exclusivity and sombreness,” he added.
    The studio implemented a contrasting rust and white colour paletteNestled in a former Indian restaurant in a shopping mall in New Delhi’s Saket neighbourhood, the cafe features terracotta, warm white terrazzo and curvilinear architectural motifs.

    Customers enter Rosie and Tillie through an outdoor seating section that is decorated in the same materials and colour palette as the cafe’s interior.
    Once inside, guests are welcomed by a row of rust-coloured and creamy white booths upholstered with plush white seats, which run through the centre of the 1,700 square-foot space. These add texture and warmth as well as privacy for diners.
    Booths and walls are clad in the same tilesRenesa, which recently completed a brick-clad showroom interior in Delhi, made the sculptural “spine” that divides the space into different zones the focal point for the mixed-use site.
    “We took an axis as the starting point for our project,” said Arora. “A curvilinear spine divides the space not just spatially, creating efficient zones, but also metaphorically, animating the personalities of Rosie and Tillie.”
    The studio threaded white terrazzo throughoutEach booth has a circular table in its middle where customers can dine on menu items such as french toast, buffalo chicken burgers and American-style pancakes.
    During the evening, they can sip cocktails while sitting on high stools at the main bar counter towards the back of the room.

    Renesa creates green granite interior for restaurant in Punjab

    One half of the room is lined in pale flooring and has an earthy red paint applied overhead, while the other half of the room is decorated in the opposite colours.
    Red brick tiles along the walls envelop the space while industrial looking metal lights hang overhead along the length of the plan, uniting the two sides of the space.
    The space has a mixture of traditional table seats and bar counter options”The perimeter of the floor plan is dotted by dining nooks that make way for communal dining in intimate groups illuminated by bespoke luminaires that are artistic installations in their own right,” explained Arora.
    “The hybrid of experiences ranging from the daytime bistro-esque identity morphs effortlessly into the moody lounge by evening via the vocabulary of materiality and lighting that render the venue in a binate mien void of physical demarcations,” he added.
    Other recent cafes featured on Dezeen include a serene eatery in Melbourne called Au79 cafe by Australian studio Mim Design and the Connie-Connie cafe at the Copenhagen Contemporary art gallery which Danish studio Tableau and designer Ari Prasetya filled with wooden chairs by designers.
    Photography is by Niveditaa Gupta.

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    Frederick Tang Architecture turns Brooklyn building into restaurant celebrating owners’ Lebanese roots

    Architecture and interior design studio Frederick Tang Architecture has transformed a 19th-century building into a Lebanese restaurant in Brooklyn with “an abundance of textures”.

    Named Nabila’s, the restaurant opened in May 2022 and was designed in collaboration with restaurant co-owner Mike Farah. The renovation transformed a formerly dark, segmented space into a restaurant that aims to reflect the heritage of its owners – a mother and her son.
    The renovation transformed the old building into a bright, colourful space”The client wanted to create an authentic food experience, one that reflected his Lebanese background and that evoked the spirit of his mother’s dinner parties.” Frederick Tang Architecture (FTA) director of interior design and branding Barbara Reyes told Dezeen.
    “The result is an abundance of textures, patterns, lush colours, and hints of Middle Eastern moments while celebrating his mother’s home cooking.”
    Accents of colour and patterns call upon Middle Eastern designNabila’s takes up the ground floor of an 1886 Queen Anne corner building in Cobble Hill, a Brooklyn neighbourhood where restaurant co-owner Farah grew up.

    Frederick Tang Architecture transformed the existing structure into a bright space with curving architectural motifs.
    Through the use of rich materials and colour palettes, the studio sought to nod to the Lebanese roots of the owners whilst embracing aspects of the existing building that would work with the new design.
    The restaurant was renovated from an existing corner building in Cobble Hill”Our favourite projects are ones with some historic contexts when we can create something that’s both old and new,” said FTA director of design Frederick Tang. “We loved playing with some original details and inventing new ones that work with them.”
    “Before we started the project, the space was occupied by a popular gastropub style restaurant,” Tang told Dezeen.
    “It was a neighbourhood staple, so the client felt pressure to maintain some history while being true to the roots of this project,” Reyes added.
    FTA painted the timber-clad ground floor black and added green awnings”The interior was more like a moody library with lots of dark wood and it had a lot of character but we knew we wanted to make it feel much lighter,” Tang continued.
    The upper floors of the Cobble Hill building are made from brick, whilst the ground floor is clad in timber with ornamental mouldings. The facade has now been painted black, with curved forest green awnings referencing the interior.

    Pita bread shop interior by Studio Roslyn is based on bad food photography

    Upon entering, guests are met with a curving quartz counter that arcs away from the entryway.
    The counter is used to display dishes in a way that aims to reflect the abundant spreads of food at the owner’s dinner parties which inspired the design.
    A feast-like display of food acts as a visual menuThe wall behind the counter is covered in fish scale cement tiles. Pendant-style lights from Kelly Wearstler’s Tableau collection hang from the ceiling above.
    Beyond this, patterned finishes that the studio felt reflect Lebanese art, architecture and foliage become visible.
    The studio used plants and patterned wallpaper to bring in themes of foliage”We started with some source imagery of Middle Eastern themes, and we knew we did not want to imitate or create a pastiche, but we wanted to reference it with a lighter touch – it came in the rounded corners, the arches, the colours, and the patterns,” said Tang.
    A teal and cream tile floor by French architect India Mahdavi lines the long interior, stretching through a series of arches that organise the space.
    The seating booths next to the entrance are decorated with brightly coloured accentsNext to the storefront window, seating booths are formed by two recessed arches painted with purple accents whilst additional arches on either side of the counter contain shelving.
    The booths are covered in a floral pattern by Hella Jongerius, while a patterned wallpaper coats the ceiling in the back of the restaurant.
    The colour scheme is carried into the seating area at the back of the restaurantAs Nabila’s welcomes guests, the studio envisions this back section with warm light, rich colours will host many lively neighbourhood meals.
    Other Lebanese restaurants featured on Dezeen include Studio Roslyn’s restaurant based on bad food photography in Victoria, Canada and a Lebanese snack bar by architect David Dworkind featuring an array of ash-wood furniture.
    The photography is by Gieves Anderson.

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    Weathered rocks inform interior of Orijins coffee shop by VSHD Design

    Interiors studio VSHD Design has added a curved ceiling and boulder-like marble counters to this minimalist coffee shop in Dubai.

    Located on the street level of the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), the Orijins coffee shop is sparsely decorated using muted colours and natural materials.
    Slim metal furnishings fill the interior of VSHD Design’s Orijins coffee shop in DubaiVSHD Design, which was founded by local interior architect Rania Hamed in 2007, designed the cafe to mimic the “beautiful imperfections found in nature” and in particular a collection of water-smoothed stones picked up from the shores of the Red Sea.
    Orijins’ desaturated colour palette references sand, shells, stone and wood, while the dramatic curved ceiling and the seven uneven marble blocks that form the coffee bar lend a weathered quality to the 105-square-metre space.
    A curved ceiling and plastered walls mimic the surface of stonesThe marble blocks with their abstract shapes were drawn by hand but cut by automated CNC machines, creating a mixture of smooth and rough edges.

    These heavy forms are contrasted with slender metal furnishings and tactile textiles such as fur, boucle and heavy weaves, which were selected to complement the interior’s raw finishes.

    Ras Al Khaimah’s minimalist Hoof cafe is designed to recall horse stalls

    Plaster walls and polished concrete floors provide a neutral backdrop for the scheme.
    The cafe is lit by a slim LED strip that runs along the length of the space, highlighting the gentle curve of Orijins’ ceiling. Spotlights are positioned over the bar area and a brushed-aluminium sconce custom designed by VSHD decorates one of the walls.
    Seven uneven marble blocks form the coffee bar”Orijins represents the design firm’s interpretation of what it means to be calm, to sit still and to observe the beauty that can be found even in our flawed, everyday reality,” said VSHD Design.
    “It’s the feeling of calm and serenity one gets when sitting on a rock by the sea.”
    All of the furnishings are held in neutral tonesOther cavernous coffee bars include the Blue Bottle Coffee shop at the Shiroiya Hotel in Maebashi, Japan, where Keiji Ashizawa paired brick floors with a warm colour palette.
    The photography is by Oculis Project.

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    Emil Eve Architects retrofits own office in brutalist building in Hackney

    London studio Emil Eve has retrofitted its Hackney office to include a striking green-painted floor and modular birch plywood furniture designed to be “reconfigured or adapted as the needs of the users change”.

    The architecture firm created the studio space, which it shares with design practices OEB Architects and Material Works, in an existing brutalist building with an exposed concrete structure in Hackney, east London.
    The studio was renovated so that no alterations were made to the buildingCalled Regent Studios, the office was carefully designed so that no changes had to be made to the fabric of the building, according to Emil Eve.
    Instead, the firm created a “family” of modular, CNC-cut birch plywood furniture that fits into the space without having to be fixed to the existing structure.
    A vivid green-painted floor defines the space”The furniture is freestanding so that it can be reconfigured or adapted as the needs of the users change,” Emil Eve co-founder Emma Perkin told Dezeen.

    As well as linoleum-lined desks and small shelving units, this group of furniture includes a standout floor-to-ceiling “sample library” where the architects display and interact with a range of material samples.
    Emil Eve created a floor-to-ceiling “material library”Shallow upper display shelves are combined with deeper, lower storage compartments to create a unit that takes cues from the design of kitchen cabinets.
    “We knew we wanted the material library to be the main focus of the space, with everything visible to hand,” said Perkin, who designed the system to replace “inefficient” stacked boxes.
    Desktops are lined with linoleumThe architect also explained why the firm used the CNC process to create the furniture, which was fabricated by Natural Buildings Systems.
    “The process enables complex shapes to be cut from sheet materials,” she said. “Here, we used slits cut into the shelves to create an interlocking design that creates a hierarchy between framing, horizontal and vertical elements, which brings a rhythm to the whole.”

    Urselmann Interior renovates own office using recycled and biodegradable materials

    Emil Eve chose bold green paint for the flooring, which was used for its cost-effectiveness and ability to transform the mood of a space, according to the firm.
    This colour was also decided upon to complement the windowsill herbs and various potted plants scattered around the studio, as well as to contrast with a cluster of bright yellow chairs positioned around a communal work table.
    Yellow chairs contrast with the green floorAs a small design agency, Emil Eve explained the benefits of sharing a co-working space with other design companies in the interest of sharing collective resources – a decision the architects called “economical as well as sustainable”.
    “It’s always more fun to make things rather than buying furniture off the shelf if you can!” added Perkin.
    Visitors are invited to touch the materials on displayEmil Eve Architects was founded in 2009 by Emma and Ross Perkin. The firm has completed a number of architecture projects, including many in London.
    Recent projects range from a monochromatic pale pink loft extension and a timber-framed residential extension filled with light.
    The photography is by Mariell Lind Hansen.

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    Hitzig Militello sets restaurant within historic Buenos Aires home

    Repurposed materials and decadent accents come together in this Buenos Aires restaurant and bar that fits within a historic house overhauled by local studio Hitzig Militello Architects.

    Named Moshu Treehouse, the restaurant was built within a two-storey home in the Palermo neighbourhood, near the architecture studio’s main office.
    Moshu features raw materials and playful accentsThe neighbourhood is one of the older areas of the city and has a wealth of existing structures such as this one.
    According to the architecture studio, traditionally, these Argentinian houses are built around a courtyard, which becomes the main gathering area for socialising.
    Hitzig Militello designed the restaurant in Buenos AiresHitzig Militello Architects wanted to replicate this experience by creating a new courtyard area at the entrance that preserves the original facade of the home.

    In addition to marking the arrival into the restaurant, this feature is intended to facilitate carry-out orders and outdoor dining.
    A local Moshu tree planted in the courtyard gave the project its name.
    It features both indoor and outdoor dining”Our first major design strategy was to create an access courtyard immediately adjacent to the facade as both a symbol and shock effect,” said Hitzig Militello Architects.
    This new access courtyard allows visitors to enter the restaurant in two different ways: into the primary courtyard or up a set up stairs to access the second floor.
    “This allowed for a new facade with a language of its own, the core idea behind it being the preservation of the old style of the main facade,” it added.
    The facade is made up of a grid of windows with wooden shuttersPart of the courtyards facade is made up of a grid of windows with wooden shutters, which also cover the entrance to the indoor aspect of the restaurant. These are operable and can be opened up to capture the breeze, or closed in bad weather.
    They are slightly angled and offset from one another, creating a dynamic and irregular composition.

    Hitzig Militello Arquitectos combines two homes in one building in Buenos Aires

    The restaurant itself is laid out on two levels, with a cocktail bar upstairs and a terrace at the back of the building. The interiors preserve many of the raw finishes from the existing home.
    “The interior architecture language is one of vernacular composition of the typical demolished industrial style,” they explained. “Surrounding them is a run-down, abandoned house where the dry vegetation has taken over,” they added.
    Accent walls made of different sizes of tubes that form an archwayHitzig Militello Architects also added some playful features to the interiors, such as accent walls made of different sizes of tubes that form an archway.
    The ground floor contains a bar, and a variety of dining rooms set up inside or within small courtyards exposed to the sky.
    Upstairs is a large, decadent barIn total, the restaurant offers 240 square metres of interior space and 90 square metres uncovered.
    Upstairs is a larger bar, which spills out onto a terrace overlooking the front of the building.
    It spills out onto a terraceAn exterior stair leads from this upper patio directly to the street-facing entrance. Depending on the restaurant’s hours of operation, the upper floor can be reserved privately for events.
    Hitzig Militello Architects was founded in 2006 and also has offices in Miami.
    Buenos Aires has seen a number of renovations and additions to its existing building stock. Other examples include a home from the 1930s that underwent a “subtle” renovation by Torrado Arquitectos, and a self-designed office by Studio Nu that is set within a former auto mechanic’s shop.
    The photography is by Federico Kulekdjian.
    Project credits:Concept design: Arch. Vanik Margossian, Arch. Dolores GayosoConstruction documents: Arch. Vanik MargossianManagement: Arch. Marcela Bernat, Arch. Vanik Margossian

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    Ten tranquil bathrooms with timber-clad interiors

    Our latest lookbook features ten bathrooms where timber cladding has been used to create interiors with a luxurious, warm feel.

    While bathrooms with ceramic and stone interiors can feel sterile and spartan, using timber creates a cosy and enveloping atmosphere, as demonstrated by these ten projects.
    Ranging from cypress to spruce and cork, the materials used here illustrate how using wooden cladding can elevate even the most basic bathroom into a peaceful sauna-like refuge.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing statement windows, cork-covered walls and board-formed concrete.
    Photo is by Stephen Kent JohnsonAce Hotel Kyoto, Japan, by Kengo Kuma and Commune

    For hotel chain Ace’s first Japanese edition, it recruited Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and Los Angeles design studio Commune to convert a 1920s building into a modern hotel.
    Inside, Commune added wooden panelling and furniture designed by local Kyoto-based craftsmen. In the bathroom, a wooden sink with a stone top and wooden storage spaces give the room a harmonious, organic feel.
    Find out more about Ace Hotel Kyoto ›
    Photo is by Mariell Lind HansenLondon townhouse, UK, by Studio Hagen Hall
    A north London townhouse was given a 1970s-style makeover by Studio Hagen Hall, which added a bathroom with decorative cork tiles – a natural material sustainably harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree.
    Here, it was used for the floor as well as part of the walls and to clad the bathtub itself. Soft pastel-coloured peach and pink hues create a peaceful environment for the bathroom.
    Find out more about London townhouse ›
    Photo is by Fionn McCannPortobello House, Ireland, by Scullion Architects
    The bathroom at Portobello House in Dublin, Ireland, has views of an enclosed plant-filled courtyard, lending the space a feeling of zen.
    The ground and first-floor extensions to the house feature large glazed areas and wooden cladding, including in the bathroom, which was designed to offer a “sense of retreat and withdrawal”.
    Its dark-timber detailing contrasts with a rough-hewn wall and minimalist bathroom furniture.
    Find out more about Portobello House ›
    Photo is by Joe FletcherSurf House, US, by Feldman Architecture
    American studio Feldman Architecture clad Surf House in Santa Cruz in salvaged cypress wood to evoke a “casual Californian aesthetic.”
    The interior of the weekend house follows the same theme, with an interior by Commune that uses wood throughout.
    In the bathroom, a large white tub sits in front of windows that overlook the Pacific Ocean, and wooden sculptures and furniture add to the laid-back bohemian atmosphere.
    Find out more about Surf House ›
    Photo is by Marc Goodwin, ArchmospheresNiliaitta, Finland, by Studio Puisto
    Studio Puisto’s Niliaitta cabin has a black exterior and a dramatic design – it balances on a single slender column. Inside, the studio kept the interior simple to focus on the views of the surrounding forest.
    In the bathroom, a spacious shower is surrounded by light wooden panels. These were used for the floor, the walls and the slanted ceiling, creating a simple design that feels thoroughly Scandinavian.
    Find out more about Niliaitta ›
    Photo is by Spyros Hound PhotographyWooden Cave, Greece, by Tenon Architecture
    Over 1,000 pieces of hand-cut spruce were used to create the Wooden Cave hotel suite in Greece. The space lives up to its name, featuring sinuous spruce-wood walls in the entire space.
    Interior designer Tenon Architecture also used wood in the bathroom, which features a tub next to a window that gives guests views of the nearby mountain peaks.
    Find out more about Wooden Cave ›
    Photo is by Alan TanseyHouse 23, US, by Vondalwig Architecture
    Vondalwig Architecture’s design for House 23 features a blackened-wood exterior and an interior that has white brick walls and pale wood floors.
    One of the house’s bathrooms has been completely clad in timber, making it resemble a sauna. Even the large built-in tub, which sits beneath a window overlooking a nearby forest, is made from wood.
    Find out more about House 23 ›

    Mountain Refuge, Italy, by Massimo Gnocchi and Paolo Danesi
    Mountain Refuge is a prefabricated cabin-style micro-home built from plywood. The material has been left bare inside, creating a minimalist yet cosy interior.
    In the small bathroom, a shower is tucked away in a corner and a built-in shelf holds a deep sink as well as bathroom accessories. Hooks have been added to the wooden walls for practical storage.
    Find out more about Mountain Refuge ›
    Photo is by Rory GardinerBilgola Beach House, Australia, by Olson Kundig
    US studio Olson Kundig’s first project in Australia, a seaside home in Sydney, is raised above sand dunes where it sits among palm trees and Norfolk pines.
    The natural surroundings informed the interior, which features plenty of pale timber. In the bathroom, which is next to an airy terrace, the timber walls have been hung with paintings to create a room that feels like a combination of a bathroom and a living room.
    Find out more about Bilgola Beach House ›
    Photo is by Andrew PogueHood Cliff Retreat, US, by Wittman Estes
    Tucked into a coastal forest in Washington, Hood Cliff Retreat has exterior walls clad in rough-sawn cedar and large expanses of glass that bring in natural light.
    Wood was used throughout, with white oak floors paired with walls and ceilings wrapped in pine plywood. In the main bathroom, a cast-iron vintage tub contrasts against the wooden walls.
    Find out more about Hood Cliff Retreat ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing statement windows, cork-covered walls and board-formed concrete.

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    Styles and eras mingle inside “unfinished” diplomat's home in Rome by 02A

    Antique and mid-century furnishings are combined with sleek contemporary cabinetry in this intentionally unfinished apartment in Rome, designed by local architecture and interiors studio 02A.

    The one-bedroom flat belongs to a stateless diplomat, who asked 02A to turn his home into a sanctuary that he could return to at the end of his frequent work trips.
    02A has overhauled the whole apartment of a diplomat in Rome from the bedroom (top) to the dining room (above)The owner also wanted a place to display the extensive collection of furniture and craft objects he has accumulated during his travels.
    “The client has given us a wider opportunity to reflect on the concept of home as a place of belonging, even more so when it is not lived in on a daily basis,” said architect Marco Rulli, who co-founded 02A together with Thomas Grossi.
    “The project was a journey into his memory and aspirations through a constant and free dialogue.”

    An archway with an integrated bookcase leads from the lounge to the dining areaThe apartment takes up 130 square metres on the ground floor of an early twentieth-century building in Rome’s Flaminio district, a few steps from the National Gallery of Modern Art and the MAXXI Museum.
    It has a generous garden and is surrounded by nature, nestled between the eastern bank of the Tiber river and the urban vegetation of the Monti Parioli hills.
    The kitchen’s barrel-vaulted ceiling was painted terracotta redThe apartment’s entrance opens onto the living area, where a glass wall cuts through the decorative barrel-vaulted ceiling.
    In the adjacent kitchen, this ceiling is painted terracotta red and paired with brushed granite worktops alongside white and yellow wall units that complement the building’s original flooring.
    An Esperanto phrase is engraved above the granite worktop in the kitchenEngraved on the backsplash of the scullery is a phrase written in Esperanto, a universal language developed for international communication in the late 19th century.
    Translated to English, it reads: “he who is firm in his ideas is noble, but he who is able to change them is even nobler”.
    The ground-floor apartment opens onto a generous gardenNext to the kitchen, the lounge features restored parquet flooring made of solid oak, which serves as a backdrop for a couple of leather sofas, French art deco armchairs from the 1940s and an antique Venetian lantern, alongside a selection of photographs and sculptures.
    A set of French doors opens out onto the home’s private garden, which is shaded by a huge palm tree and surrounded by shielding vines and Swiss cheese plants.

    Arched travertine wall carves up Greetings From Rome apartment by 2XJ

    An arched passage with a custom integrated bookcase leads from the lounge to a more intimate dining area, where an Illan birch pendant lamp by Luceplan hangs above a glass-surface table set with 1950s chairs.
    This space also displays a number of the owner’s antique furniture and artworks, including pieces by South African textile artist Igshaan Adams and a chalk work called Classroom by Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou.
    Elements from different eras are brought together in the apartment’s bedroomThe apartment’s bedroom, study and two bathrooms are separated from the rest of the plan by a small doorway.
    This sleeping area was the main focus of the project, according to 02A. The bedroom was conceived as a suite with a small open bathroom, which is screened off from the rest of the space by smoked mirrored screens.
    Mirrored screens enclose the en suite bathroomThe bathroom’s reflective walls create what 02A describes as an “immaterial cubic volume”, camouflaging the ensuite while diffusing the light streaming in from the three large windows that run along the apartment’s southwest side.
    One side of the bedroom is lined with made-to-measure wardrobes covered in Ukiyo wallpaper by French design brand Nobilis, which was informed by traditional Japanese woodblock prints.
    Palm Jungle wallpaper by Cole & Son decorates the main bathroomThe second bathroom is bigger and houses a suspended ceramic tub, paired with black marble surfaces and Palm Jungle wallpaper by British brand Cole & Son.
    Next to the bathroom is a study furnished with upholstered vintage theatre chairs and a projector mounted on the ceiling. The room is completed with a writing desk by Italian brand Desalto and a Serbelloni armchair, created by the late industrial designer Vico Magistretti for De Padova.
    Dark decor and a projector build the theatrical character of the study”We tried to play with the concept of time,” said 02A. “We didn’t want a finished house. We were interested in giving space to the unfinished, to the imperfection that would contain the vital force of curiosity.”
    The idea of creating an intentionally imperfect or unfinished interior is popular among designers. Peeling plaster, raw concrete and dangling wires give character to these spaces, which look as though they’ve been abandoned halfway through decorating.
    The photography is by Serena Eller.

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    BAAO extends Carroll Gardens Townhouse around a magnolia tree

    A family home in Brooklyn has been extended and renovated by local studio Barker Associates Architecture Office, to expand the kitchen and create larger rooms for the daughters.

    The Carroll Gardens Townhouse, located a block away from the Gowanus Canal, was the family of four’s home for a decade before they decided they needed more space.
    BAAO extended the home in Brooklyn to create more living space on all three floorsWorking around a magnolia tree in the back yard, Barker Associates Architecture Office (BAAO) designed an extension to all three storeys that provides additional living areas both inside and out.
    At parlour level, the floor plan was opened up and storage was created through built-ins.
    A dining roon occupies the extension at parlour levelIn the lounge area, colourful decor includes a custom Bower Studios mirror that hangs above the existing marble wood-burning fireplace.

    “The finishes feature lots of vibrant colour, pattern, texture, and cozy nooks,” said the architecture studio.
    The kitchen features white lacquer and fir cabinetryThe kitchen has white lacquer and fir cabinetry to complement the pine floors, which run through the majority of the home.
    The dining table is placed in the extension, where it enjoys views of the back yard through a large window that also accommodates a built-in bench.
    At garden level, a grey felt curtain can be drawn to partition the space for guestsLinking the multiple levels, the staircase was restored and modified to fit widened openings that make the most of the skylight above the hallway on the upper floor.
    Reorganised bedrooms upstairs are now more spacious, with bright colours and patterned wallpaper used to personalise each room.
    A seating area looks onto the back yardThe parents’ suite is at the front of the building, while the daughters’ twin rooms occupy the extended volume at the back.
    At garden level, a small kitchen for entertaining joins a sunken blue-tiled living space, a home office and a pegboard wall that allows the family to organise their outdoor gear.
    The architects created a giant pegboard wall for the family to store their outdoor gearA grey felt curtain can be drawn across to separate an area for guests.
    Outdoors, a new steel staircase with wooden treads leads down from the parlor-level deck to the garden.

    Home Studios renovates Fort Greene Townhouse designed for entertaining

    A bluestone terrace curves around the magnolia tree and is sheltered by the deck above.
    Pavers lead past planting to another seating nook, built into the cedar fencing at the back of the property.
    The extension is designed around a magnolia tree”An arborist was consulted to determine the sizing and placement of the extension, deck, and garden terrace, and a plant consultant was employed to help choose appropriate native species for the garden,” the team said.
    BAAO was founded by Alexandra Barker in 2006, and the Brooklyn studio has worked extensively in the New York borough and beyond.
    A bluestone terrace is sheltered by a deck aboveLast year, the team’s completed projects included two daycare centres: one featuring curved apertures and blue tones, and another with house-shaped openings and cheerful hues.
    The photography is by Francis Dzikowski/OTTO.
    Project credits:
    Flooring: Hudson FlooringLighting: Allied Maker, Cedar and Moss, Dutton Brown, Hand and Eye Studio, Hollis and Morris, ApparatusWallpaper: Farrow and Ball, Hygge and West, SpoonflowerTile: Cle, Complete TilePlumbing fixtures and fittings: Vola, Watermark, California Faucets, KastRugs: Aelfie, Studio Proba

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