Markus Andrews

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    Seven wooden kitchens that offer a different take on timber

    Wood has long been used to create kitchens, but architects and designers are finding subtle ways to reimagine the material in the cooking space. Interiors reporter Natasha Levy selects seven standout examples.

    The Rye Apartments, UK, by Tikari Works

    Spruce-wood cupboards inset with subtle grooves feature in the kitchens of these apartments in south London’s Peckham neighbourhood.
    The cabinets and the surrounding cross-laminated timber walls are meant to lend the homes a cosy, domestic atmosphere. Extra warmth is provided by brass door handles and amber-flecked terrazzo that runs across the floors.
    Find out more about The Rye Apartments ›

    Ti Clara, Portugal, by Atelier Espaço P2
    Atelier Espaço P2 felt that a natural material palette offered “the most honest and true solution” for the overhaul of Ti Clara, a historic home in the Portuguese municipality of Ansião.
    The kitchen has therefore been set within a wood-lined gabled niche. Pale plywood has been used to craft its cabinets, as well as the triangular extractor hood above the stove. Contrast is offered by the grey stone countertop, splashback and floor tiles.
    Find out more about Ti Clara ›

    Southgrove Road, UK, by From Works
    A photograph of a moss-covered stone inspired the earthy green hue of this stained plywood kitchen suite, which design studio From Works incorporated into a Sheffield family home.
    “[The photo] sparked conversation about trying to create a space and a material palette that referenced Sheffield’s special position as an earthy regenerating city uniquely connected to the beautiful surrounding Peak District.”
    Find out more about Southgrove Road ›

    Urban Cabin, Italy, by Francesca Perani
    Surfaces throughout the kitchen of this 25-square-metre apartment in Albino, Italy are covered in oriented strand board (OSB) – a type of engineered timber made by compressing strands of wood in different directions.
    Although architect Francesca Perani was more accustomed to seeing OSB used on building sites, she thought its continuous pattern helped make the micro-sized kitchen appear bigger.
    “I love its textural irregularity, random organic composure and recycled properties,” she added.
    Find out more about Urban Cabin ›

    Powerscroft Road, UK, by Daytrip
    Design studio Daytrip didn’t want the interiors of this London townhouse to seem “over-designed or mass-produced”, so applied a selection of textured and patterned materials.
    In the kitchen, grainy Douglas fir wood has been used to make the cabinetry and the base of the central breakfast island. Countertops are pale Evora marble, while walls have been limewashed to leave a “painterly” finish.
    Find out more about Powerscroft Road ›

    An Attic for David, Spain, by MH.AP Studio
    The kitchen and all the storage elements of this Barcelona apartment are made from matte-finish MDF.
    While this type of engineered wood is often appreciated for being cost-friendly, MH.AP Studio also thought it would create a warm, “enveloping” ambience inside the home – especially when combined with oak parquet flooring.
    Find out more about An Attic for David ›

    Hackney House, UK, by Applied Studio
    A jet-black timber kitchen suite forms a striking focal point inside this east London home.
    “[The clients] wanted vivid contrast between the background and feature elements,” explained Applied Studio.”We worked with them to introduce natural elements to soften this, hence the visible grain in the joinery.”
    Find out more about Hackney House ›

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    Thomas Juul-Hansen opts for earthy tones in Bangkok's Scope Langsuan apartments

    Dezeen promotion: the interiors of the Scope Langsuan residential building have been designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen, his first project in Thailand.Located in the heart of Bangkok’s city centre, the soon-to-be-completed development for Scope is situated on a piece of the most expensive freehold land in the city.

    Danish designer Thomas Juul-Hansen was behind the interior design for Scope Langsuan, which will feature a calming colour palette of warm, sandy hues and muted pastel tones.

    Juul-Hansen has selected fittings and furniture to complement this colour palette from brands such as Minotti, Walter Knoll and Poliform, as well as designing some bespoke furniture pieces for each unit in the development.
    The Copenhagen-born designer was previously responsible for the interior design of New York’s 75-story skyscraper One57, nicknamed The Billionaire Building, which reached completion in 2014.

    Global architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) was design consultant for the building itself, which will accommodate 158 residences across 34 floors.
    “We’re a disruptive developer, focusing exclusively on designing and building top, international standard premium homes,” said Scope CEO Yongyutt Chaipromprasith.
    “We cater to a new generation of homeowners who seek design and build quality that match the very best available in New York or London,” he added. “So, we’ve teamed up with the best partners in the world.”

    Scheduled for completion in early 2023, the block will have one-bedroom residences sized at around 83 square metres, while two-bedroom apartments are sized at 153 to 162 square metres. Penthouse residences will be between 419 to 443 square metres.
    All apartments will have floor-to-ceiling windows and ceiling heights of 3.5 metres, with four metres for the penthouses.

    A wine cellar, cloakroom, cigar storage, piano room and 25-seat auditorium will be found on the third floor of the complex, while a fitness centre, temperature-control pool, business lounge and kids room will be located on the fourth floor.
    Thirty levels up, on the 34th floor, is a sky lounge, private kitchen and dining area and a barbecue deck.

    In the living spaces, the kitchens feature furniture by German manufacturer Bulthaup, as well as kitchen appliances from Gaggenau and Sub-Zero.
    The bedrooms also include built-in closets by Italian furniture manufacturer Lema, and luxury bathrooms designed by TOTO.

    Scope Langsuan will also offer a range of lifestyle facilities and five-star services, including maid and cleaning services, receptionists, 24-hour comprehensive security, and valet parking.
    “Scope Langsuan will be one of Thailand’s highest quality condominium developments with its clean and open simplicity, functionality, international good taste, and searingly close attention to details,” Chaipromprasith added.

    Located at the centre of the city on Lang Suan road, Scope Langsuan is 140 metres – just a two-minute walk – from the city’s BTS Skytrain and rail transit system.
    The complex will be positioned within minutes’ walk of Bangkok’s most prestigious retail avenue, Ploenchit Road, as well as the Central Embassy, Siam Center and Central Chidlom.Bangkok’s popular central Lumpini Park is also “only a straight-line jog away” at the end of Langsuan Road.
    For more information about Scope Langsuan can be found on the company’s website.

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    Patagonia granite and wooden logs decorate Off-White's first store in Milan

    Fashion brand Off-White’s first store in Milan uses natural materials to add warmth to a paired-back store that has white walls broken by Patagonia granite cabinets.Located on Via Verri in Milan, the 400-square-metre Off-White store opened in September and will sell menswear, womenswear and homeware. According to the brand, which is led by fashion designer Virgil Abloh, the boutique “embraces earthy yet elegant minimalism”.

    Top: a wooden log adds an organic feel to the entrance. Above: wall niches are clad in Patagonia granite
    Organic materials were used across the store, with a “fallen” tree log placed near the store’s entrance and granite cabinets used to display products.

    The theme is carried through into the second ground floor room, where wooden plinths were used to create an installation to showcase Off-White accessories and shoes.

    Wooden plinths show Off-White accessories
    Throughout the ground floor womenswear section, travertine flooring is partly covered by rose-coloured rugs featuring the brand’s logo.
    Display cases were kept simple and modernist in polished steel and glass, but the brand chose wall niches clad in Patagonia granite to add interest to the clean walls and underline the organic feel of the space.

    The menswear floor features green hues
    The upstairs floor houses the menswear section, which has a different colour palette to differentiate it from the womenswear section.
    Floor rugs are evergreen instead of rose and a pale green hue is picked up in the wall niches.

    Wooden blocks are used for seating
    Wooden and marble blocks and granite plinths show off the brand’s accessories, while the men’s ready-to-wear is displayed on steel racks.

    Virgil Abloh and AMO design flexible flagship Off-White store in Miami that “can host a runway show”

    The final room in the store, which houses Off-White’s homeware collection, features silk wallpaper and travertine flooring as well as wooden display stands and wall niches.

    The homeware section has simple wood display cases and stands
    Though this is the brand’s first store in the city, Off-White’s design studio is already based in Milan.
    “With a design studio based in Milan, Italy, the label harnesses the history and craftsmanship within the country yet offers a global perspective in terms of design and trends,” said the brand.

    Off-White Milan is on Via Verri
    Off-White also recently unveiled its first Miami store, a flexible flagship that “can host a runway show”.  In addition, Off-White opened the doors to its first stand-alone store in London in September.
    Abloh, who was a judge for the 2019 Dezeen Awards, works on numerous projects outside Off-White and recently teamed up with Mercedes Benz to create a conceptual version of the Mercedes‑Benz G‑Class car.

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    Ortraum Architects builds timber music studio beside house in Helsinki

    Ortraum Architects has built an asymmetric studio called 12 in the garden of a house in Helsinki, Finland, to provide its owners with space to compose music and make ceramics.The structure was commissioned by a couple who wanted an external space to work from home, beside their existing 1960s home in the Jollas neighbourhood.
    It features two contrasting storeys that Ortraum Architects has set askew, giving rise to a sculptural form and two individual workspaces inside for the couple.

    Ortraum Architects’ 12 studio has two storeys set askew
    The 12 studio, which has been shortlisted in the Dezeen Awards in the small workspace interior category, measures 72-square-metres and is complete with a kitchen and bathroom.

    While providing individual studio space for the couple, it is designed to be easily adapted into a guest house or even become a home for the client’s children in the future.

    The studio is in the garden of a house in Helsinki
    “The client couple needed two main spaces, a ceramics workshop and a music-composing studio,” said the studio. “The massing is visually divided into two levels, reflecting the two different building functions,” it continued.
    “The plan also needed to be flexible enough to function additionally as a guest house and future home for one of the two children in the family, so bathroom and kitchen spaces were included.”

    A ceramic studio is on the ground floor
    The material palette of 12 is deliberately pared-back, with its cross-laminated-timber (CLT) structure left exposed internally and externally. On the exterior, this will turn grey with time to help the structure blend in with its surroundings.
    Its entrance is marked by large glass doors that face the existing home, sheltered by a small cantilevered corner of the second floor.

    A hidden black staircase has storage in its treads
    This entrance opens into the ceramics studio on the ground floor, which is complete with a small bathroom.
    A black wooden staircase that leads to the first floor is concealed behind a wall and features treads that double as storage units.

    The building contains a music studio upstairs
    Above, the first floor contains the music studio. Its angular form was developed to help enhance the acoustics of the space and make it suitable for recording music.
    This space is complete with two large windows that open towards a neighbouring forest, alongside a small balcony and gallery level for use as an extra lounge area.

    The music studio has an angular form to enhance its acoustics
    Ortraum Studio’s goal for 12 was for it to “be a best practice example for environmentally friendly construction and infill projects in a suburban context”.

    Saez Pedraja adds small studio to a fashion designer’s Santa Monica residence

    For this reason, its size was dictated by an existing concrete foundation from an old garage, avoiding the need for new and obtrusive groundwork, while its structure was prefabricated using CLT to avoid waste and speed up construction time.
    It has also been developed to facilitate natural ventilation and is powered by solar panels and heated using a ground source heat pump of the main home.

    A small balcony looks out to the neighbouring houses
    As part of the project, Ortraum Architects also built a small playhouse for the client’s children, which is also made of CLT and is tied to a pine tree in the garden.
    Named the Birdhouse, it features heart-shaped windows and is modelled on pictures that the children drew of their “dream house”.

    A playhouse sits next to the studio
    Ortraum architects is a small Finnish design studio headed up by architect Martin Lukasczyk. In 2017, it completed a family home in Finland that has a number of child-friendly features including a trapeze, a climbing wall and a hammock.
    Photography is by Marc Goodwin.

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    Grey shades permeate interiors of Austria's Clemens Strobl winery

    Design studio Destilat drew focus to the art of winemaking by applying a “reduced colour language” inside Clemens Strobl winery in northeast Austria.Clemens Strobl is located in the Kirchberg am Wagram municipality of Lower Austria, a region recognised for producing a rich variety of wine cultures.
    The winery, which is shortlisted in the large workspace category of this year’s Dezeen Awards, is composed of two gabled barns that are connected by a ribbon of gridded glass.

    Top image: The winery occupies two former barns. Above: The barns are connected by gridded glass.
    One of the barns has been restored, and still boasts its original brick facade. The other had fallen into a state beyond repair and has been replaced by a contemporary white-painted structure.

    The greyscale spaces that design studio Destilat has created within the winery come in response to the brief of the owner, who wanted the interiors to have an understated design so that the craft of winemaking could be the focal point.

    The interior of the winery has been completed in shades of grey
    “The clients asked for ‘as little design as possible’ for their premises, and we reacted to this request with a very reduced colour language and design vocabulary as well as an equally puristic material selection,” said the studio, which works between offices in Vienna and Linz.
    “Grey in all of its nuances puts the winemaking process front and centre.”

    A tasting room slots beneath the vaulted roof of the wine cellar
    Off-white Heraklith tiles – which are crafted from a mixture of wood and wool – have been applied across the winery’s ceiling, while the floor is polished concrete.
    To one side of the ground floor lies a garage and toilet facilities, while on the other is a huge cellar where metal tanks and barrels of wine are stored.
    This space is topped by a lofty vaulted ceiling, underneath which a glass-fronted volume has been slotted to accommodate a tasting room.

    Grey-stained spruce wood clads the winery’s kitchen area
    A two-level module clad in grey-stained spruce wood sits at the centre of the winery’s ground floor. At the bottom of the module lies a kitchen that features wine bottle-lined shelves.
    A flight of black metal stairs can then be used to reach the casual meeting area that sits up top.

    Lahofer Winery by Chybik + Kristof features undulating roof with amphitheatre

    Grey-tinged spruce extends to cover the lengthy walkway that extends across the first floor, leading up to an open-plan office area for winery staff.

    Black metal stairs lead up to a casual meeting area
    Other than a couple of sofas and armchairs that have been dotted along the periphery of the winery, Destilat has otherwise left a majority of spaces empty so that they can act as a “stage” for the natural light streaming in from the windows. The extra room can also be put to use for different events hosted at Clemens Strobl.
    Decor is offered by a vintage water well that the studio sourced in Upper Austria.

    A long walkway leads to offices for winery staff
    Destilat is led by creative trio Harald Hatschenberger, Thomas Neuber and Henning Weimer. Previous projects by the studio include a house that cantilevers to create a shelter above its entrance, and a wood-clad residence that staggers down a hillside.
    Its Clemens Strobl winery will compete head-to-head in the Dezeen Awards against projects such as The Audo by Norm Architects – a boutique hotel in Copenhagen that doubles up as a showroom and offices for furniture brand Menu.

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    New York clothing store Nanamica is designed like a Japanese house

    Woodwork form the frame of a gabled house inside this clothing store in New York designed by Japanese architect Taichi Kuma.

    Tokyo-based Kuma designed the store cn the city’s Soho neighbourhood for Japanese clothing brand Nanamica.

    Large mirrors reflect the gabled structure
    Marking its second outpost following another in Tokyo, the store was designed to draw on the brand’s Nanamica, which means house of seven seas. Working with the brand founder, Eiichiro Hommam, Kuma developed the interior design to take cues from a Japanese beach house.

    Shelving is made from matching wood
    The aim is to express “the free and relaxed feeling of the seaside, but with a distinctly Japanese aesthetic sensibility meaning the true highlight is the nanamica products”, according to the brand.

    Shelving and clothing rails tucked outside the wood frame
    A key part of this is a series of gabled structures made from light oak that are intended to outline a house. The frame is slightly smaller that the store to leave space on the outside for shelving for handbags and plants, and clothing rails built on the walls made out of matching wood.
    Wooden shelving for clothing and benches for customers to relax are also arranged inside the house-like structure. The free-standing shelving is backed by a translucent, recycled corrugated plastic matching the wall of the material at the front of the store and the rear, where it shields changing rooms placed behind.

    Corrugated plastic shields changing rooms at the rear
    Two large mirrors are placed on columns that protrude into the space creating the illusion of more room. White spotlighting is arranged along the top of the gable running down the middle of the space.
    Kuma and Hommam stripped back the initial space to create Nanamica New York, creating a bare backdrop for the simple intervention. Walls and ceiling beams are painted white, while the floor is polished concrete.

    Nanamica is located on Wooster Street
    Other recently completed stores in New York City include ONS Clothing store, which features a stage with a green curtain for hosting events, and Los Angeles clothing brand Lunya’s space in Nolita, which takes cues from “upscale New York” apartments.

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    Horticus creates modular indoor living wall

    Horticus is showcasing its indoor living wall system as part of the Dezeen x Planted collaboration during this year’s London Design Festival.

    Designed by Horticus to bring plants into small indoor spaces, the system combines a hexagonal metal trellis frame that is screwed to a wall with hexagonal terracotta plant pots.
    “By focusing on our desire to nurture our carefully grown houseplants, Horticus rethought the living wall; made it more flexible, added lifestyle features and kept the practice of cultivation,” said the brand.

    Horticus’s modular system can create indoor living walls
    The system of tessellating hexagons means that small or large green walls can be created, with additional units added when required. As the units are modular, plants can be rearranged and replaced according to the owner’s requirements.

    “The Horticus terracotta plant pots can be lifted in and out of the frame for easy repotting or rearranging. The planters can also be watered in situ through a grid of watering holes,” said the brand.

    The small kit contains one frame and three terracotta planters
    For those wanting to add a little plant life into a room the Small Kit contains one powder-coated steel frame and three terracotta planters. For more ambitious indoor gardens the Medium Kit contains six planters and three frames, the Large Kit contains 12 planters and six frames and the Extra Kit has 24 planters and 12 frames.
    Dezeen x Planted
    Exhibitor: HorticusWebsite: www.horticusliving.comContact: info@horticusliving.com
    Planted is a contemporary design event that aims to reconnect cities with nature, which will make its physical debut as part of London Design Festival alongside an online trailer for next year’s main event.
    The Planted x Dezeen collaboration presents a series of projects by international designers that align with the ideals of the Planted design event.

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    Linehouse uses typically urban materials inside Xiamen's JNBY store

    Concrete, steel and fluted glass merge inside this shop that design studio Linehouse has created for fashion brand JNBY in Xiamen, China.Chinese cities were a key point of reference for Linehouse, which has decked out JNBY’s Xiamen store with materials often seen in dense urban settings – concrete, glass and steel.
    The interior aesthetic of this JNBY store will be rolled out across all of the brand’s future locations in China – one branch has already opened in Chengdu, and another is set to open in Changsha.

    The JNBY store features a coffered concrete ceiling
    The ceiling of the 100-square-metre store is entirely covered with concrete coffers. Each one is bordered by bright-white LED strip lights.

    A curved, steel-frame screen inset with panels of fluted glass runs around the periphery of the space, set back from the structural walls. The partition balances on chunky cylindrical blocks made from recycled concrete pavement.

    Panels of fluted glass form a screen around the edge of the store
    The urban materiality of the store is interrupted by a couple of ceramic display stands, which Linehouse formed by wrapping convex tiles around steel poles that extend from the floor to the ceiling.
    Some of the stands have been fitted with a metal ring where garments can be hung, while others have small shelves where accessories can be put on show.

    The screen’s glass panels are held within a steel framework
    Convex tiles also clad the front of JNBY’s service counter. When viewed up close, customers will be able to see a myriad of cracks, which Linehouse made visible by adding Chinese ink into the tiles’ glaze.

    John Anthony restaurant by Linehouse is “British tea hall turned Chinese canteen”

    The sculptural bases of the store’s low-lying display tables are made from grainy wood or concrete that the studio has cast against pieces of fabric.

    Convex tiles with subtle cracks clad the store’s service counter
    “The brand sought a modern approach to capture its core values, focusing on material exploration while guiding urban dwellers in appreciating the surprise and poetry of everyday life,” explained Linehouse.
    “So we wanted to contrast the urban represented by the concrete, steel and textured glass with the notion of crafted imperfection represented in the ceramic and timber detailing… they have the qualities of the handmade; variation and contrast.”

    The same tiles form a couple of vertical display stands
    Linehouse was established in 2013 by Alex Mok and Briar Hickling, and works between offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
    The austere material palette of the JNBY store in Xiamen is a far cry from the studio’s recently completed project, Basehall – an upscale food court in Hong Kong. Inside, the venue features walls lined with pink-metal rods, brass light fittings and a blue metalwork ceiling.
    Photography is by Dirk Weiblen.
    Project credits:
    Architect: LinehouseDesign lead: Alex Mok, Briar HicklingDesign team: Cherngyu Chen, Jingru Tong, Celine Chung

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