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    El Fant Café and Bar celebrates both traditional and contemporary Finnish design

    Finnish design studio Yatofu collaborated with young and local craftspeople to create El Fant Café and Bar in Helsinki, Finland.

    The cafe and bar comprises three front of house spaces across 70 square metres, including a central bar with two adjoining dining spaces either side.
    El Fant Café and Bar features furniture by Helsinki-based workshop PuutamoYatofu intended to inject the energy of Helsinki’s contemporary design community into Torikorttelit, in Helsinki’s old town, where El Fant is located.
    “Our approach was rooted in celebrating the timeless qualities of Finnish design while infusing it with a contemporary twist,” Yatofu’s founders Angela Lindahl and Yihan Xiang told Dezeen.
    Paja&Bureau created curved galvanised steel shelving for this projectGuests enter into the central bar area featuring a custom galvanised steel bar designed by Yatofu in collaboration with local custom metal workshop Paja&Bureau.

    They designed the bar counter and matching shelving units to “add a touch of industrial modernity to the space”. The steel units bend and curve optimising the flow of the three connected interior spaces.
    Guests enter El Fant into a central bar areaYatofu also closely collaborated with Helsinki-based carpentry workshop Puutamo, led by young female carpenter Eveliina Ylöne, to create solid pine furniture.
    Yatofu purposefully worked with young and local craftspeople on the project, allowing them “to inject the space with fresh perspectives and a genuine connection to the community,” the studio told Dezeen.
    “By working with local craftspeople, we were able to explore new possibilities for local production and celebrate the creativity and innovation that defines the current generation of Finnish craftsmen,” they added.
    The cafe and bar features a pair of Howard Wall lamps by GubiEveliina Ylönen and Yatofu opted for four-centimetre-thick pine boards from northern Finland to create all the custom furniture pieces in the space.
    “Pine was selected for its historical significance in Finnish craftsmanship and its natural characteristics, durability and warmth,” said the studio.
    The interior includes dining chairs from the Finnish brand VaarniiThe result of the collaboration includes a set of stools, benches and tables with both natural and stained finishes.
    “Together, we explored how to maintain the wood’s natural beauty while introducing bold, contemporary design elements such as the saturated tomato-red dye, which added a modern twist to the traditional material,” Yatofu explained.
    The bar table features tomato-red stained finishThe stained finish was applied on a table and chairs set in the bar area, as well as benches in the dining areas.
    Paired with dining chairs from the Finnish brand Vaarnii, the solid pine pieces counterbalance the cool-toned steel.
    The earth-toned plaster walls are hand-finishedThis balance was also formed through the choice of earth-toned plaster walls and polished concrete flooring. As well as a series of warm-hued spotlights and wall lights, including a pair of Howard Wall lamps by Gubi.
    “The juxtaposition of warm natural materials like pine with cooler, industrial elements like galvanised steel was designed to evoke a sense of balance and harmony,” Yatofu explained.
    This balance of materials across the design scheme aims to create an “atmosphere that feels both relaxed and invigorating”.
    The interior balances contemporary and traditional design elementsOther projects featured on Dezeen by Yatofu include a furniture showroom in Hangzhou, China and a refined teahouse interior in Helsinki, Finland.
    The photography is by Aleksi Tikkala.

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    HawkinsBrown converts former Vitra showroom into own street-front office

    Architecture studio HawkinsBrown has taken over a former furniture showroom, giving its staff a workspace with a shop window, a social kitchen and a Richard Woods-designed cabin.

    The former Vitra showroom on Clerkenwell Road is now a three-level office for 250 of HawkinsBrown’s 350 staff. The new street-front address was designed to give the architects a workspace that facilitates more diverse ways of working and offers greater opportunities for social activities and events.
    The street-front office is located on Clerkenwell Road in London”Our vast shopfront means we are on display, presenting us with a new and exciting opportunity to show the world who we are and what we do,” said HawkinsBrown managing partner Hazel York.
    “It’s a place to connect with our clients, collaborators and the wider Clerkenwell community through a programme of talks and events, temporary exhibitions and art installations.”
    The ground floor can be used for different activities and eventsCentral to this approach was turning the ground-floor space into a flexible “canteen” featuring a stainless-steel counter where staff meet for coffee and cafe-style furniture that can be easily moved around.

    “Our ground floor canteen is our working experiment, our laboratory,” said HawkinsBrown’s creative director David Bickle.
    A stainless-steel counter is the place where staff meet for coffee”It’s a place where we can host talks and seminars, workshops, supper clubs and sunset yoga, and invite takeovers by like-minded organisations,” he told Dezeen.
    “We’ve purposely kept it unprogrammed, loose fit and unfinished, preferring to ‘show not tell’ what we do to the world outside.”

    HawkinsBrown and RPP Architects create “beacon for university life” in Belfast

    A shed covered in the colourful cartoon-style prints of artist Richard Woods can be found on this floor, surrounded by plants.
    Known as Hut, it offers staff a place to find isolation.
    The Richard Woods-designed Hut sits among plantsThe idea was to create the feel of a building within a building, an approach that HawkinsBrown previously explored on projects including the Gantry at Here East and the Here + Now offices.
    “We recognised that many of us worked from sheds, home offices, lofts and kitchen tables during the Covid lockdown and that this form of isolation was important for certain concentrated creative tasks,” stated Bickle.
    This colourful cabin offers staff a place to find isolation”We talked through our ideas with Richard; he was immediately taken with our thinking and open to creating something new,” Bickle said.
    “The closed form of Hut creates a talking point. Paradoxically we placed the most private space in the most public location but, through its design, we created a sanctuary from the rest of the studio and the world outside.”
    The newly painted red staircase encourages staff to stop and chatMore art can be found on the glazed facade in the form of graphics designed by architect June Tong, the winning entry in an in-house competition.
    Power-assisted acoustic curtains allow the space to be subdivided if necessary, while a newly painted red staircase encourages staff to stop and chat while moving between floors.
    The design includes both formal meeting rooms and collaborative spacesMeeting rooms can be found on all three levels. These include a pair of adjoining basement rooms affectionately known as Ray and Charles, which can be combined into one larger room called Eames.
    These were named in tribute to former occupant Vitra, which produces furniture by the famed American architects.
    A modelmaking workshop is located in the basementA modelmaking workshop is located in the basement but visible from above, while pin-up boards were integrated into sliding doors as well as mobile partitions.
    York said the new office has shaped a more collaborative culture among staff. Amid the wider shift to hybrid working, she believes it has strengthened the firm’s sense of community and collective identity.
    “We knew having a shop window on a bustling street would be great but it has surpassed our expectations,” she said.
    The windows feature graphics designed by in-house architect June Tong”Watching the world go by is a constant reminder of how our work shapes and is shaped by the city and communities we serve.”
    “Equally, we are very open about the work we do; everyone can see in. We draw on the windows, stick up work in progress and regularly wave at people at the bus stop!”
    The photography is by Ruth Ward.

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    Akin Atelier designs JAM Record Bar to feel like being “inside a giant speaker”

    Pink plywood and exposed insulation combine in this monochrome bar in Sydney, designed by local architecture office Akin Atelier to evoke the cosy feel of Tokyo’s mid-century listening bars.

    Akin Atelier founder Kelvin Ho designed JAM Record Bar for Justin Hemmes, the CEO of the Merivale hospitality group, who also ran the music label JAM Recordings.
    A passion project for Hemmes and his sister Bettina, the bar is named after their parents John and Merivale, who used the JAM label for various ventures alongside their successful hospitality business.
    Akin Atelier has designed a monochrome bar in SydneyThe idea for the bar came from a trip to Japan taken by Hemmes and Ho, where the pair enjoyed sampling the atmosphere of Tokyo’s iconic listening bars.
    “We wanted to create an immersive and fun environment,” said Ho, who has collaborated with Merivale for over 15 years on roughly 20 projects.

    “Justin and I have had some super fun trips to Tokyo exploring lots of bars and clubs,” he told Dezeen. “The commitment to design and concept was what we loved in Japan and JAM was an opportunity to do our own spin on this idea.”
    The interior scheme was influenced by Tokyo’s midcentury listening barsLocated on a corner of George Street in the city’s central business district, the compact 80-square-metre space seats 45 and houses a collection of 15,000 vinyl records along with a DJ booth.
    The unit was previously occupied by a retail store and has large windows looking onto the adjacent streets. Together with outdoor seating, the corner windows help to create a strong connection with the surroundings.
    Despite the small size of the space, Ho and his team created distinct zones organised around a central bar.
    Fibreglass insulation panels are left exposed within the ceiling structureTowards the rear, an area with low seating has an intimate lounge-like feel, while the main bar area features tall stools and space for standing.
    Ho described the decor as “simple and analogue but also refined”, explaining that this was achieved using a basic material palette including cork, plywood and off-the-shelf insulation.
    “These are all familiar and accessible materials but we used them in a way that was more elevated through detailing and composition.”
    The central bar is surrounded by tall stools with space for standingJAM Record Bar’s distinctive colour was driven by a specific material choice taken by Akin Atelier to enhance the acoustic properties of the space.
    Pink fibreglass insulation panels from New Zealand firm Pink Batts are left exposed within the ceiling structure rather than being concealed behind plasterboard.

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    “We loved the pink colour of the insulation, which then inspired the pink plywood and a full commitment to the colour throughout the project,” said Ho.
    “JAM is designed to feel like you are drinking a cocktail inside a giant speaker box – but pink.”
    The pink hue is applied across the ceiling, walls and all of the bespoke plywood joinery including the bar, the record library and the geometric stools that are used both indoors and outdoors.
    The bar’s distinctive pink colour also extends to the built-in record libraryThe space is given a retro feel through the selection of vintage light fittings and objects curated by Merivale’s styling director Bettina Hemmes and design director Nasim Koerting.
    Neon signage in the windows nods to the bar’s Japanese inspiration, while midcentury-style details such as the entrance with its grid of circular windows evoke the golden age of vinyl in the 1950s and 60s.
    JAM Record Bar offers a menu of Japanese-inspired snacks developed by chef Michael Fox of Merivale’s Sushi E restaurant and drinks crafted by the company’s creative cocktail lead James Irvine.
    Neon signage in the windows nods to JAM Record Bar’s Japanese inspirationKelvin Ho founded Akin Atelier in 2005 after studying at the University of Sydney.
    The studio’s multidisciplinary output combines architecture and interior design, with previous projects including a retail space in Sydney with curved resin walls and a womenswear store in Melbourne featuring a tactile material palette.
    The photography is by Tim Salisbury.

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    Locus uses recycled materials for Mexico City restaurant interior

    Mexican design studio Locus has utilised 50 per cent recycled materials for the interiors of a Singaporean restaurant in Mexico City.

    Combining the varied flavours of Southeast Asia typical of Singapore’s cuisine, Makan serves customers within an industrial-style space in the Centro district of the Mexican capital.
    Makan occupies an industrial-style space in Mexico City’s Centro neighbourhoodDesigners Jachen Schleich and Sana Frini of Locus aimed to prioritise environmental responsibility with the project, and so used recycled materials for half of the total fit-out.
    “From the conception stage, the use of sustainable materials was prioritised, particularly the use of national white oak wood in much of the interior design,” said the studio.
    The restaurant’s open kitchen is framed by the exposed concrete structure”This choice not only highlights the natural beauty of the surroundings but also ensures proper management of natural resources, promoting environmental conservation and supporting the local industry sustainably,” the team added.

    The white oak forms counters, shelving and built-in seating throughout the space, contrasting the exposed concrete floors, columns and ceiling.
    Wooden bench seating is built around the perimeter and a circular banquette is tucked into a cornerThe restaurant has street frontage on two sides, allowing the dining area to be flooded with natural light from tall operable windows.
    This minimises the need for artificial light and air conditioning during the day, reducing electricity usage.
    Private dining rooms are concealed behind sliding paper screensFreestanding tables and chairs supplement the booth seating around the perimeter, which includes a curved unit for large parties tucked into a corner.
    Shelves above the banquettes are filled with wine bottles, glassware and other accessories, while open storage units are suspended above the two service counters.
    The private rooms feature sunken floors and bench seats, and can be opened up to one anotherAlong one side is a series of private dining spaces behind paper screens, with sunken floors and wooden bench seating.
    These rooms, which more closely reflect Asian dining traditions, can be opened up to one another via more screens,

    MYT+GLVDK creates industrial-style restaurant in Mexico City

    Behind the bar and open kitchen and across the bathroom walls, vertical timber boards are charred to a black finish.
    “This technique not only adds a visually appealing element but also ensures durability and resistance, eliminating the need for harmful chemical treatments to the environment and health,” said Locus.
    Open shelving is suspended above the bar counter as well as the open kitchen service areaPlanters large and small are peppered throughout the restaurant, adding greenery to the interior.
    Overall, the tall ceilings, large windows and open kitchen create a light and airy atmosphere, while the material add an industrial edge.
    Charred wood lines the walls in the bathroomsAs Mexico City’s food scene continues to grow, several gastro options with interesting interiors have opened over the past few months.
    These range from a boba tea shop by Worc Studio to an industrial-style restaurant by MYT+GLVDK and a tiny taqueria by RA!.
    The photography is by Rafael Gamo.
    Project credits:
    Locus team: Jachen Schleich, Sana FriniDesign team: Santiago Sitten, Ruy Berumen, Eduardo SilvaLighting: Locus x Estudio NuumbraSinks: Locus x Muebles de ConcretoChairs: Locus x Taller NacionalArt: It’s A Living, Sindrome de ClerambaultGraphic design: Foreign Policy Design

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    Ten bold statement rugs that liven up the living room

    Boldly patterned and colourful rugs characterise the living rooms of these apartments and houses around the world that we have collected for our most recent lookbook.

    From historic French apartments that have been filled with eccentric art to a New York Long Island house that was revamped in a neutral palette, these statement rugs complement and contrast the furniture under which they sit.
    The ten rugs found below directly reflect the colour shades around them with a colourful pattern, or, in the case of a black and white rug below found in a small California living space, contrast them completely.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring living rooms dominated by giant sofas, rooms divided by storage units and wooden kitchens.
    The photo is by Matthieu SalvaingVersailles townhouse, France, by RMGB

    RMGB refreshed this apartment across from the Chateau de Versailles, preserving the original parquet flooring and mouldings before outfitting the space with bespoke and vintage furniture, including a star-burst patterned rug in a living space.
    “The idea was to integrate colours and materials in small touches, such as the pinkish-orange of the sofa or the blue shade of the rug,” the studio said.
    Find out more about Versailles townhouse ›
    The photo is by François CoquerelParis apartment, France, by Hauvette & Madani
    Local design studio Hauvette & Madani restored this Paris apartment to its former Haussmannian state, recreating intricate mouldings and cornices on largely white walls.
    The neutral backdrop offset the resident’s considered and colourful selection of artwork and furniture, including an assortment of boldly patterned rugs throughout the space.
    Find out more about Paris apartment ›
    The photo is by Maira AcayabaKarine Vilas Boas Apartment, Brazil, by Studio Juliana Camargo
    In this Brazil apartment for a fashion editor, a large, geometric living rug by Brazilian brand Punto e Filo takes centre stage.
    Its pink and green shapes are reflected in two bright green armchairs and a light pink sofa that sit on top.
    Find out more about Karine Vilas Boas Apartment
    The photo is by Joe FletcherGenesee Residence, USA, by Síol Studios
    This Spanish colonial revival-style house in Los Angeles received a colourful interior revamp by San Francisco-based Síol Studios in contrast to its white walls and original arched windows.
    In the living room, the studio layered a dark green floor pillow over a black rug, which offset a range of colours found in the boulders encased in a translucent coffee table.
    Find out more about Genesee Residence ›
    The photo is by Madeline TolleCumberland Hideaway, USA, by Nwankpa Design
    A bold, black and white striped rug by fashion designer Ralph Lauren contrasts the light orange, blue and pinks of the surrounding furniture in this studio space in California.
    Designed by studio Nwankpa Design, the space was broken into blocks of colour to create variety within its small footprint.
    Find out more about Cumberland Hideaway ›
    The photo is by Fran ParenteFrederic Chopin Apartment, Brazil, by Tria Arquitetura
    A number of area rugs complement the green, orange and white furniture found in the large living room of this renovated São Paulo apartment.
    “In the living room there were three large main volumes that should be highlighted to bring texture and more cosiness,” Tria Arquitetura said.
    Find out more about Frederic Chopin Apartment ›
    The photo is by Nicole FranzenAmagansett house, USA, by Athena Calderone
    The den of this Long Island home features a sconce by Calderone with Simone Bodmer-Turner, a 1960s French walnut table and a wooden block by Milo Baughman set atop a rug that New York designer Tali Roth created with Empire Collection Rugs.
    Owner Athena Calderone recently revamped the interiors of the mid-century house in a pale palette after purchasing it and renovating it ten years ago.
    Find out more about Amagansett house ›

    Courtyard House, USA, by No Architecture
    Located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley wine country, this house was organised around a central “fully-glazed courtyard” planted with native trees.
    Patterned rugs of various sizes were placed throughout the home, the largest of which is a warm-toned area rug in a sitting area, which was paired with a navy blue couch and wooden coffee table.
    Find out more about Courtyard House ›
    The photo is by Prue RuscoeDream Weaver penthouse, Australia, by YSG 
    Quirky fixtures and furnishings were added to this Sydney penthouse for an empty-nester couple, which was informed in part by Spanish tapas bars and the colour palette of surrealist artworks.
    As frequent entertainers, the living room received a number of unique pieces, including fluffy pink and patchwork armchairs which are offset by geometric rugs in similar hues.
    Find out more about Sydney penthouse ›
    Photo is by Adam ScottTsubo House, UK, by Fraher & Findlay
    A shaggy rug sits at the centre of the living home in this London home, surrounded by velvet furnishings and an assortment of planters and vintage pieces.
    The surrounding walls were stripped of decades-long paintwork, revealing original detailing around the ornate moulding, ceiling roses and skirting boards.
    Find out more about Tsubo House ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring living rooms dominated by giant sofas, rooms divided by storage units and wooden kitchens.

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    Studio Est adds “brutalist elements” to Battersea Power Station apartment

    London interiors firm Studio Est referenced the industrial heritage of Battersea Power Station when creating the interiors for this apartment set within the redeveloped landmark.

    The apartment’s owner wanted to transform the empty shell into a space that would reflect both his personal tastes and the home’s setting within the former art deco power station.
    Studio Est has transformed the interiors of a Battersea Power Station apartmentKnown for its quiet luxury interiors, Studio Est applied a palette of subtle neutral shades to unify the apartment’s open-plan spaces and provide a consistent backdrop for various characterful furnishings and artworks.
    “We wanted to keep it simple but introduce subtle brutalist elements that evoke the building’s history,” founder Louise East told Dezeen. “These are complemented by softer textures that add a more feminine touch.”
    Mario Bellini and Charles Rennie Mackintosh chairs feature in the dining roomAlthough some areas of the redeveloped power station feature steel beams and other industrial details, East found the apartment entirely devoid of original elements.

    So the studio turned to furniture, artwork and accessories to introduce character and visual interest to the living spaces.
    A dramatic painting is set against the neutral wallsDramatic pieces, including a large painting in the dining room and a bespoke geometric sofa in the lounge area, were chosen to ground these spaces and introduce a masculine feel.
    East then layered these with textural details including cushions, lampshades and linen-wool blend curtains, all of which were custom-made for the project.
    The room also houses a metal reinterpretation of Gerrit Rietveld’s Zigzag chairAlongside the bespoke items, Studio Est sourced various vintage pieces including leather chairs by Italian designer Mario Bellini, which surround the dark wooden dining table.
    A Hill House Chair by Scottish art deco architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and a metal reinterpretation of Gerrit Rietveld’s seminal Zigzag chair also feature in the dining room.

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    The two bedrooms display distinctly different approaches to colour and materiality. The principal bedroom is painted in a rich terracotta hue that lends the space a warm, enveloping atmosphere, while the second bedroom incorporates textures chosen to complement the adjacent gardens.
    “Although it’s an open-plan apartment, we didn’t want all the rooms to look the same,” said East, who established her studio in 2020 after 15 years of working for other architects and interior designers including Russell Sage and Martin Brudnizki.
    A bespoke geometric sofa centres the lounge area”It’s good to be able to move from one space to another and have a different look and feel,” she added. “The main bedroom is intentionally different to the living areas because we wanted to make this a space where the client can come after a day’s work and feel comfortable reading a book.”
    Throughout the apartment, the owner’s ceramics collection is displayed on characterful plinths, carefully positioned to emphasise specific views within the spaces and of the landscaped gardens outside.
    Cushions and curtains were made custom for the projectBattersea Power Station was designed by British architect Giles Gilbert Scott and built by the London Power Company in several phases between 1929 and 1955. It was decommissioned in 1975 and subsequently given Grade II listed status.
    A lengthy redevelopment of the site on the south bank of the River Thames introduced accommodation, hospitality, offices and retail space while preserving the building’s iconic chimney stacks and facades.
    The principal bedroom is painted in a rich terracotta hueLondon architecture firm WilkinsonEyre oversaw the restoration and conversion of the former power station, which now features a glass lift within one of its chimneys.
    UK studio Foster + Partners designed an office for technology brand Apple inside the building as well as a store for the company that retains four original brick pillars.
    The photography is courtesy of Studio Est.

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    Ceremony of Roses offices by 22RE feature 1970s-influenced meeting spaces

    Los Angeles studio 22RE has included a “huddle room” that resembles a sunken living room at the offices for a creative music agency.

    The offices within a 1950s factory in Culver City were designed for Ceremony of Roses, an artist merchandising and brand services company for top music creatives.
    A minimalist white oak counter welcomes visitors to the Ceremony of Roses officesWorking with creative director Madeline Denley of creative consultancy Never Far Studios, 22RE completely overhauled the 7,000 square feet (650 square metres) of space to create four executive offices, six communal desks, a showroom, a conference room, a huddle room and a listening room.
    “The project was a full-scale, wall-to-wall customisation where we got to dig into functional priorities while maximising visual appeal and comfort,” said 22RE principal Dean Levin.
    The main communal workspace features aluminium desks atop a raw concrete floorThe main communal workspace occupies a large, lofted central room illuminated by skylights between the exposed wooden ceiling rafters.

    Reaching past a minimalist white oak reception desk, the open area features custom aluminium desks and cabinets accompanied by Eames Management chairs atop a raw concrete floor.
    Executive offices are visible through glass panelsOn either side, open and closed storage is provided by millwork cabinets and titanium travertine shelves.
    A row of executive offices, visible through tall glass panels, are furnished with a mix of French and Italian modernist pieces.
    A maple-panelled conference room is furnished with a burl wood table and Pierre Jeanneret chairsA freestanding structure built from dark-stained white oak houses a conference room, which holds a burl wood table and six Pierre Jeanneret floating-back chairs.
    Maple wall panels complement the brown carpet, and a spherical Akari lamp is suspended overhead to give the space a warm glow.
    White oak and titanium travertine, which appear throughout the project, were used to craft the kitchenOn the other side of the communal work area is a kitchen, where the same material palette of white oak and titanium travertine continues.
    A matte aluminium dining table with matching curved-back chairs – another set of 22RE custom designs – provides a space for employees to eat and congregate.
    22RE custom-designed the matte aluminium dining table and matching curved-back chairsThe listening room is decorated entirely in a chocolate brown hue, with walnut panelling, carpet and upholstery on the built-in, U-shaped sofa all carefully chosen for a monochrome effect and optimum acoustics.
    “The ceilings maximize sound quality, with angles implemented to reverberate music as top creatives gather to experience albums – which also accessorize the shelved wall – on vinyl,” said 22RE.

    And And And Studio brings 1970s elements to Century City Law Office

    The “huddle room” is modelled on a 1970s sunken lounge, evidenced by its low wraparound sofa modules upholstered in pale green mohair.
    A custom aluminium table referencing designs by Oscar Niemeyer was placed in the center and a vintage Akari light by Isamu Noguchi hangs above.
    An acoustically optimised listening room is decorated entirely in chocolate brown”The space’s soft and hard, warm and cold elements amplify the contrast of the warm wood and industrial materials that are apparent across the office interiors,” said the studio.
    In stark contrast to the rest of the office, bathrooms are enveloped floor-to-ceiling in vibrant blue, including three-inch Japanese ceramic tiles.
    In contrast, the bathrooms are enveloped floor to ceiling in vibrant blue22RE’s previous projects include a golf clothing boutique in Miami with pale-green stucco surfaces informed by the sport and the city.
    Other offices in LA with unexpected interiors include the Century City offices of an entertainment law firm, which also have a 1970s vibe.
    The photography is by Yoshihiro Makino.

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    Eight elegant bathrooms where eye-catching bathtubs take centre stage

    For our latest lookbook, we’ve collected eight homes featuring bathrooms where statement bathtubs form stylish centrepieces and add a sculptural feel.

    Whether they’re made from concrete, terrazzo or marble, built into a wall or sunk into the floor, the bathtubs in these projects all enhance the design of the bathrooms they’re in.
    By using the bath as a statement piece, designers can create wet rooms that aren’t just functional but also beautiful.
    Matching the tub with the wall can create a hotel-like feel, while contrasting materials and colours can make the bathtub stand out.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more, see previous lookbooks featuring living rooms with giant sofas, clever storage solutions and wooden kitchens.

    Photo by Ricardo LabougleArt House, Greece, by Kallos Turin
    Veiny green marble clads the walls and bath in this home in Greece, designed by architecture studio Kallos Turin to show off the owners’ art collection.
    “When creating the interiors, we viewed the house’s concrete shell as a ‘neutral’ base – the equivalent of white walls in an art gallery,” concluded the architects.
    Find out more about Art House ›
    Photo by Matthieu SalvaingVersailles townhouse, France, by RMGB
    Located across from the Chateau de Versailles, this French townhouse also has a bathroom with a marble bathtub. A splashback and floor in the same colour combine to make a decorative contrast to the room’s white walls.
    Designer RMBG added a black-and-white photo with a similar pattern to that of the tub to create an interesting detail in the otherwise pared-back bathroom.
    Find out more about this Versailles townhouse ›
    Photo by Sara MagniMilan apartment, Italy, by David/Nicolas
    French-Lebanese design studio David/Nicolas’ refurbishment of this 1920s Milan apartment pays homage to iconic architect Gio Ponti, who created some of its interior in the 1950s.
    In the bathroom, the studio kept Ponti’s pink bathtub and shower unit and covered the walls with micro concrete that forms a tactile contrast against the glossy tub.
    Find out more about this Milan apartment ›
    Photo by Helen CathcartThe Marker’s Barn, UK, by Hutch Design
    A former concrete pig shed, The Maker’s Barn outside London was given a glamorous makeover by architecture studio Hutch Design, using “natural and honest” materials.
    Though the bathtub is located in the bedroom rather than the bathroom, it has an attention-grabbing sunken design that gives users an uninterrupted view of the fields outside through floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
    Find out more about The Maker’s Barn ›
    Photo by Nicholas WorleyUntitled House, UK, by Szczepaniak Astridge
    This house in London is centred around a “concrete sculpture” – a walled void that travels from the kitchen to the bathroom. Here, it has been enclosed behind a glass wall.
    Next to it, a deep concrete bath adds another sculptural detail. Green plants soften the brutalist feel of the bathroom, which was designed by architecture studio Szczepaniak Astridge.
    Find out more about Untitled House ›
    Photo by William Jess LairdUpper West Side apartment, US, by General Assembly
    US studio General Assembly chose terrazzo for the bath, floor and sink in one of the bathrooms in this Upper West Side apartment. Moss-green tiles add a symmetrical contrast to the playful terrazzo pattern.
    The studio used a wide variety of materials throughout the flat, with another bathroom clad in swirly marble.
    Find out more about this Upper West Side apartment ›
    Photo by Imagen SubliminalG House, Spain, by Gon Architects
    Small white tiles cover this large bathtub, which completely fills the space between a wall and the window.
    The Spanish home has an unusual design in that the bathroom and dressing room can only be accessed via the bath, which has steps leading up to it.
    According to the architect, the hidden bathroom was meant to add an element of play and surprise to the interior.
    Find out more about G House ›
    Photo by Megan TaylorSunderland Road house, UK, by 2LG
    Playful pastel colours abound in this UK home designed for a family with three young children. Local firm 2LG Studio matched the pale-purple floor with the statement bathtub in the bathroom, which also has decorative marble wall details.
    Amorphous mirrors and blue tiles give the room even more character, while plants on small wall shelves add an organic feel.
    Find out more about Sunderland Road house ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more, see previous lookbooks featuring living rooms with giant sofas, clever storage solutions and wooden kitchens.

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