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    Brick-wrapped lobby by Merge Architects wins Gold in Brick in Architecture Awards

    Promotion: more than 9,000 red bricks form a curved volume within the interior of this mixed-use building’s lobby, which has been awarded Gold in the Commercial category at the Brick in Architecture Awards.

    The lobby, which forms the entrance to an office building at Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, has a brick curtain wall that was hand-laid.
    It was designed to create a visually striking yet functional circulatory zone, helping visitors and employees navigate the building’s wider offices, dining areas, wellness centres and community spaces.
    The lobby is lined with a curved structure made from 9000 individually-laid bricksWrapping around the perimeter of the interior, the brick-built surface incorporates a front desk, bench seating, lighting, an entry kiosk and a staircase. The project features brick manufactured by Interstate Brick and distributed by Consolidated Brick.
    Local studio Merge Architects designed the space and was implemented by mason company, JAJ Co Inc The designers said they chose to work with bricks as a building material with the goal of referencing New England’s local vernacular architecture.

    Digital signs are installed at evenly-spaced points in one areaThe project integrates interactive signage within hand-laid masonry, “overlaying the physical world with the digital”, according to the Brick Industry Association.
    A brick double-wythe screen paired with rectangular digital signs serves various functions: from conveying news and information about public events to displaying digital artwork.
    “This fusion of strength and transparency creates mesmerising patterns and textures as light filters through the brick, inviting admiration for the timeless elegance and contemporary allure that brick brings to architectural design,” said Trish Mauer of the Brick Industry Association.
    Balance is created by using opaque red bricks in tandem with translucent glass bricksThe structures are made by laying bricks in two different directions, creating a stimulating textural surface that encourages the interplay of light and shadow.
    “Course one moves tangent to the wall orientation, and course two moves along the north/south axis, allowing for a complex interplay of transparency and opacity as the curtain-like wall wraps the space,” the company continued.
    The curved form contains various furnishings and lighting systemsAt a certain junction, a gradient is created when the wall transitions between solid red bricks to translucent glass blocks of the same dimensions.
    The frosted bricks continue until they arrive at a glass-clad staircase. This element of transparency creates a light interface between the public space and the company’s office.
    Bricks were laid in two directions to create a layered effect”Combining transparency with solidity and low-tech materials with high-tech digital art, this lobby reinforces the company’s brand of integrating high tech with human-centric sensibilities,” the Brick Industry Association concluded.
    For more information about the project, please click here.
    All photography by Chuck Choi
    Partnership content
    This article was written by Dezeen for Brick Industry Association as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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    My Inexpensive Clothes Closet Organizing Ideas

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    What’s behind your clothes closet door? Are there neat piles of folded sweaters and orderly rows of shoes? Or do you have a single, straining closet rod filled with smashed together clothing and one long shelf filled with toppling stacks of sweaters and t-shirts?

    Most of us like the sound of the first scenario, but live with the second.

    I love the above quote and try to keep the contents of my closet in tune with it by seasonally editing what is in my closet and keeping it organized. Doing this not only keeps the space uncluttered, but also lets me find what I want right away.

    I did one of these “clothes closet editing sessions” recently when waiting for the paint to dry when making over my primary bathroom.

    I had gotten lazy and was just leaving my shoes on the floor when there are shelves for them and not keeping my clothes organized by the season.

    I like my walk-in closet. It isn’t huge or fancy with wallpapered walls, a chandelier and center island like you see closets have on Instagram, but it is all mine. It was one of the selling features of the house that I liked.

    When Ed and I were touring the house with the real estate agent 9 years ago, after seeing the view of the lake from the house and then walking into the bedroom and saw the two “his and hers” walk-in closets, I turned to the agent and said, “Where do we sign?” 🙂

    Before having a closet to myself, I have always shared my clothes closet with my sisters growing up and then Ed. In college I had a tiny little space with a folding door to hide it.

    Cleaning Out My Clothes Closet

    I did a thorough clean-out of every item in the closet – contents of the drawers, what was hanging on the rods and stored in boxes on the shelves. I found I didn’t need the pink boxes and their contents anymore so out they went with a big pile of clothes that I no longer wear, like or that don’t fit anymore.

    The leopard print shoes were hard to let go, but I can’t wear flats anymore. I have high arches on my feet and need to wear shoes that support them so I don’t get a flare up of plantar fasciitis.

    The pink boxes fold flat so I will keep them to use somewhere else in my house. I took the clothes to my local thrift shop.

    Here are all all the empty hangers that were holding the clothes I took to the thrift shop. I moved them into Ed’s closet where he has an empty closet rod on one side.

    See the mirror leaning on the wall? That is one of the two that were above the sink vanity in the bathroom that I no longer needed.

    Once I had cleaned out the closet and reorganized everything, I put the mirrors to use again by hanging them on the back wall of the closet.

    Having mirrors on the walls makes the space look bigger and brighter. My closet also has a floor to ceiling wall of mirror tiles which make it easy to see if I like an outfit or not when getting dressed.

    Now I have all my clothes organized once again by the season. Winter to the left and summer to the right.

    I need to wear hats with wide brims whenever I am outside to protect the white vitiligo patches on my face. Since it is a must, I have tried to embrace it and have collected a few hats that look nice and have wide brims. I can easily grab one now right off the closet shelf.

    I spray painted the hatbox navy blue for a new look. It had a black and white pattern on it before.

    I made new labels for the baskets that I made lids for. I add lids so I can easily stack the baskets. To find out how to make the lids, check out this post: How to Make Lids for Storage Baskets.

    To learn how I make the storage basket labels, see this post: Decorative Free Printable Labels for Organizing

    My shoes are all where they should be now.

    As are my totes…

    …jeans, and folded clothes on the shelves and in the drawers.

    Picking out what to wear and getting dressed is once again easy to do now that I have cleaned out and organized my clothes closet.

    If you haven’t cleaned out and reorganized your closet recently, I highly recommend it. It feels so good to now like everything I see in my closet just as the quote at the beginning of the post stated.

    Inexpensive Closet Organizing Ideas

    Here are a few inexpensive closet organizing ideas that may help you create a clothes closet you enjoy going into every day.

    With so many affordable closet organizing solutions and options nowadays, it is easier than you think to upgrade your closet no matter the closet size or your budget.

    Install a Closet System

    Inexpensive closet organizing systems are made for every size closet from small to a large walk-in closet.

    I refitted my closet in my previous house with a DIY closet system called Easy Track. It was affordable and easy to install in an afternoon. If this doesn’t fit your needs, look into Easy Closets or closet and shelving units from IKEA that will allow you to design just what you need while keeping the cost down.

    Add A Double Rod

    I have a double rod system in this closet, but you don’t need a closet organizing system to have a double rod or any DIY skills.

    Home stores sell affordable hanging rods like these that fit over existing rods so you can create a double rod… literally in an instant. They are ingenious.

    Use Better Hangers

    There is a reason wire hangers are free… they are not made to hang clothes for a long time. If you want to prolong the life of your clothes, don’t keep your clothes on wire hangers. Use more substantial hangers that will maintain the shape of your garments.

    I use the clear style hangers that retail stores use to hang clothes on the racks. When I buy clothes I always ask to keep the hanger.

    Label Storage Boxes and Baskets

    As I mentioned above, I add labels to storage boxes for smaller items like scarves, handbags, and other items I don’t use frequently.

    These boxes are from IKEA

    Labeling each box helps me know what I have at a glance.

    Adding labels also keeps me organized for the long run since I know exactly where to find or place everything after I wear it.

    My motto….  “If I have to hunt for it, I will probably never wear it.“

    Stacking shoe racks can be bought at stores like Target and Walmart. The stacking shelves fit nicely under clothes hanging from the rod above. The plastic shoe containers are from the dollar store.

    I like using see-through storage containers for my shoes so that I can see what I have at a glance. I label each with a description of the shoes that are inside. This keeps them organized so I will be a “shoe-placer” not a “shoe-tosser-to-the-floor” kind of girl 🙂

    More Clothes Closet Organizing Ideas:

    Replace the light bulb in the closet light fixture. See how a simple light bulb switch can remove the color cast it gives clothes hanging in the closet in this clothes closet lighting post.

    Use matching hangers so the rod looks visually appealing – just like your favorite clothing boutique.

    Treat your closet like your favorite clothes shop. Keep items categorized on rods – shirts, pants, skirts, jackets, and by the season.

    Keep items visible. If you don’t see it, you won’t wear it.

    If your closet is small, make more room by storing out-of-season clothes in boxes, under the bed or in another room and make sure to label each.

    Organize in a way that works for you and your budget. The dollar store has many budget-friendly closet organizers.

    If you have the room, consider adding a chest of drawers to the closet. so that all your clothes are in one place.

    Hang a mirror on a nearby door or wall.

    And lastly, if you enjoy your clothes and want to maximize the ways you can coordinate and accessorize them to come up with new outfits consider hanging a Fashion Coordinating Idea Board in your closet.

    Having one will help you save ideas you find in magazines or catalogs to coordinate your clothes into many different looks.

    By tacking a piece of paper and hanging a pencil from ribbon using a push pin or thumbtack will help you take note to write down outfit combinations you created and liked. Doing this will end the standing in front of your clothes and thinking you have nothing to wear syndrome.

    Ultimately when your closet is well organized and your clothes are in sync with your personal style, you should be able to walk into your closet blindfolded and pull out any shirt, pant, jacket, and shoes and walk out looking and feeling great!

    And remember….

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    Modektura adds sand terrazzo flooring to Kyiv apartment

    A balcony-turned-conservatory features in an apartment renovated by architecture and interior studio Modektura in Kyiv, Ukraine.

    Kyiv-based Modektura designed the interior to reflect the history of the apartment block, which was initially constructed in 1900.
    The one-bedroom apartment was renovated by Modektura”We wanted to tie it back to the house itself,” Modektura founder Maksym Dietkovskyi told Dezeen.
    “Colours and textures were chosen to create an interior that feels like it has a history – one that has been waiting for its owner for a long time.”
    The studio added sand to the terrazzo flooringThe studio refurbished the flooring of the apartment incorporating sand into the terrazzo as part of several material experiments undertaken by the studio during this project.

    Additionally, marble chips were embedded within the mineral plaster on the walls.

    Monolithic green marble forms “majestic wall” in Milan apartment

    “The idea to experiment with materials was inspired by old decorative techniques, blending them with a modern approach” Dietkovskyi explained.
    “Using sand and marble chips not only combined their decorative properties but also created a unique, aesthetically pleasing effect.”
    The open archways feature an inner wooden frameToned-oak, marble, stainless-steel and brass was used throughout the rest of the apartment.
    The material palette was chosen to “cultivate a sense of stability and tranquility”.
    Doors were swapped for open archways that feature a decorative moulding with an inner wooden frame.
    A balcony was turned into a conservatoryA corridor, described by the architect as a “central artery”, extends through the entire length of the flat leading from the kitchen to the bedroom and living area.
    A balcony attached to the kitchen was turned into a conservatory. The studio added underfloor heating to ensure a comfortable temperature for the plants.
    Paintings and sculptures are displayed throughout the apartmentTo accommodate the client’s art collection, the space includes a library and pedestals for displaying art pieces.
    Artworks on display include sculptures by Ukrainian artist Dmytro Hrek, paintings by Kristina Otchych-Cherniak and a diptych by Rostyslav Zavhorodniy.
    A pair of Cassina tilting back chairs are placed in the living roomThe studio, working with the owners, decided to keep the building’s classical elements, notably the decorative cornices.
    Mid-century design pieces such as Cassina tilting back chairs, Louis Poulsen glass pendants and Snoopy table lamps from Flos were selected to “collectively evoke a nostalgic retro atmosphere.”
    The living room includes a small library areaModektura completed the project during the ongoing war in Ukraine. The team described having to deal with unforeseen circumstances due to the wartime context.
    The reduced number of workers necessitated more extensive supervision and power supply issues and obstacles related to the conflict “significantly complicated the project implementation process,” the studio told Dezeen.
    Other projects in Kyiv recently featured on Dezeen include a fitness studio lined with curtains, a laser clinic with futuristic interiors and a holistic healing centre by Ukranian designer Olga Fradina.
    The photography is by Yevhenii Avramenko.

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    Alarquitectos lines Lisbon apartment with colour-blocked walls and pine wood

    Portuguese studio Alarquitectos has used walls of pink and blue to brighten São Sebastião 123, an apartment converted from a 20th-century office in Lisbon.

    Tasked with revitalising the old workspace’s dark and poorly ventilated interiors, Alarquitectos opened it up by removing the existing partitions and adding a courtyard.
    Along with an existing outdoor space that has been reorganised, this courtyard doubles as a lightwell for the 167-metre-square apartment.
    Walls of pink and blue decorate the São Sebastião 123 apartmentSão Sebastião 123 is organised with a series of “fluid” living spaces at its front and more private spaces, including the bedrooms, at the rear.
    Narrow corridors brightened by the colour-blocked walls lead into the airy, open-plan living area that is illuminated by a window and full-height opening connected to a slim balcony.

    In the living area, a shelving unit runs the length of the room and is paired with pine flooring and grey-toned furnishings.
    A sliding door connects the living space to the kitchenA sliding door leads from the living space into a kitchen “box”, which is enclosed on both sides by deep-blue cabinets topped with metal counters, and complemented by terrazzo flooring.
    Bronze detailing is used for lighting fixtures, mirrors and door knobs throughout the home.
    The kitchen features deep-blue cabinets and terrazzo flooring”We envisioned the kitchen as a vibrant focal point, hence the striking colour of the kitchen box,” studio co-founder Mafalda Ambrósio told Dezeen.
    “We sought cool colours that contrast with the warm tones of the pine wood,” she continued.
    “This colour palette was inspired by the aggregates in the kitchen terrazzo, resulting in a deep blue with green pigments and a light pink.”
    There is a dining room with an oak table and three pendant lightsAdjacent to the kitchen is a dining area with an oak dining table and three pendant lights. Further counter space and shelving are provided along one side.
    To the back of the dining area, a full-height door opens up to the new enclosed courtyard, which is lined with ceramic-tiled walls and terrazzo flooring and decorated with black-steel furniture and leafy plants.

    H3O creates “unpredictable” zigzagging interiors for lightning-struck home

    A glazed opening onto the courtyard draws light into a bedroom, while a smaller circular opening illuminates the adjacent corridor – operating as a “physical bridge between the interior and exterior”.
    “We extended our focus to the exterior space, not merely as a source of natural light and ventilation but also as an extension of the living experience,” Ambrósio said. “The materials for the patios were meticulously chosen to create a sense of refinement and tranquillity.”
    Ceramic-tiled walls and terrazzo flooring features in the courtyardSão Sebastião 123 is complete with two small workspaces beside the living area and a shared bathroom lined with ceramic tiles and terrazzo flooring matching the external courtyard.
    Other recent projects defined by colourful interiors include a playful seaside hotel that uses colour blocking to distinguish different areas and a residential conversion with jagged walls that reference a lightning bolt.
    The photography is by Do mal o menos.

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    The #1 Fashion Tip That Will Help You Dress Better

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    Do you have a clothes closet filled with beautiful clothes that you never wear only because you’re not sure how to coordinate and style the clothes to come up with new outfits or ways to wear each item so that you look your best?

    If so, I have the best how to dress better fashion coordination tip for you that will help you get better at styling your clothes. It is so simple, yet will eliminate “the getting dressed struggle” of putting separate items and accessories together into stylish outfits.

    If you want to get better at styling your clothes, consider adding a fashion coordination idea board right in your closet. It is the best place, better than in notebook or on an online app.

    By placing it in your closet right where you need it every day when you are getting dressed you won’t forget an idea as they will all be right there front and center in your view. Seeing them will not only inspire you, but also help you remember the looks and outfit combinations you liked.

    How to Organize Your Fashion Coordinating Ideas Board

    You can make your fashion idea board any size and organize it the best way for you. When you like the way an outfit is coordinated in photos in magazines, online and on social media, clip or print the ideas and start creating a fashion coordinating ideas or inspiration board.

    I have had the scarf tying book since college. It has many ideas that I always seem to forget. Having it handy makes it easy to come up with a new way to tie a scarf as I am getting dressed.

    Where to Put a Fashion Coordination Idea Board In Your Clothes Closet

    A fashion coordination idea board can be hung on the wall in a walk-in closet or on the back of the door in a small closet.

    Once Your Board is in Place Add a Valet Hook

    To help me coordinate my favorite pieces when creating new outfit combinations, I have a “Valet Hook” on the outside of my closet door.

    The hook comes in handy to simply hang clothes I plan to wear.

    I also have what I call my “fashion coordinating hanger.”

    When I worked in retail display I oftentimes had to coordinate separate items of clothing into stylish outfits to display on the end caps of the clothes racks to help shoppers see the coordinating potential of the clothes on the rack.

    I tied one end of a 12″- long piece of ribbon to the hook part of the hanger with a loop to fall at the end of the ribbon. This loop was to hang a second hanger for a skirt of pair of pants. This way a skirt/pants could be seen just as they would when worn.

    Doing this helps me have outfits for parties, vacations or my workday ready to go.

    How to Make a Fashion Idea Board for Your Closet

    The easiest way to add a fashion coordination idea board is to simply purchase a large memo board at an office supply store, hang it up and start pinning clippings and ideas to it.

    If you are like me and would like to make the board look more like a piece of wall art, you can add a bit of decorative style to a memo board with a large frame, a piece of foam board and fabric following the step-by-step instructions below.

    supplies needed:

    fabric

    frame

    (2) dollar store foam boards

    scissors

    straight edge ruler

    spray adhesive

    clear duct tape

    1. Measure opening on the back of the frame and cut two pieces of foam board to this size. Leave a 1/8″ short all around so when you add fabric, the foam will still fit snugly into the frame.  You need two pieces of foam for thickness and stability.

    2. Use spray glue to attach the two foam boards together to create one thick board.

    3. Lay fabric face down on work surface. If there is a pattern on your fabric, make sure it is centered before cutting. Center foam board on top. Cut fabric so you have enough to wrap around to the back of the board on all sides.

    4. Wrap fabric around board and secure with duct tape to the back of the board. Repeat on all sides making sure to pull the fabric taut as you tape it to the back.

    5. Use no-damage picture hanging strips to hang your style inspiration board to the inside of a closet door or wall.

    By making and hanging a fashion coordination outfit idea board in your closet will make coordinating your clothes much easier. Expect to start hearing…. “Ooooh…la…la you are looking stylish today”.

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    Klymax nightclub by OMA was designed as a “sonic sweet spot”

    Architecture studio OMA has collaborated with DJ Harvey on a nightclub at the Potato Head resort in Seminyak, Bali, where optimised acoustics and a sprung dance floor elevate the experience for partygoers.

    After completing the resort itself in 2020, OMA returned to work with the Potato Head Design Studio on the interiors for Klymax, which are acoustically treated to turn the entire dance floor into a “sonic sweet spot”.
    OMA has completed the Klymax nightclub in Bali’s Potato Head resortEnglish DJ Harvey Bassett, known as DJ Harvey, also contributed his knowledge gained from four decades of experience working in nightclubs.
    He aimed to distil “the most unique and significant elements of the world’s foremost parties and venues — past and present — into what he considers the most rewarding nightclub experience imaginable”, the design team explained.
    “At Klymax, the sound comes first,” the team continued. “It just so happens that when constructing a room to present the music in the best possible way, the design is visually appealing.”

    Built-in leather seats on one side of the dance floor match the warm brown tones of the wood panellingThe walls and ceilings of the club are panelled in teak veneer, perforated with over 2.6 million holes that help to “tame errant frequencies” by preventing the sound waves from reflecting and altering the audio.
    The panels are fitted on top of equally perforated plywood sheets and a layer of Rockwool insulation, creating a buffer in front of the 20-centimetre-thick concrete exterior walls.
    A disco ball measuring one metre in diameter hangs over the sprung dance floorA 208-square-metre sprung dance floor, similar to the one at London’s Ministry of Sound, is designed to reduce fatigue and stress on dancers’ joints.
    Also found in ballrooms and basketball courts, the technology comprises four layers of a wooden lattice structure with 50 millimetres of foam between each intersection.
    The speakers are mounted on concrete pads that absorb vibrationsKlymax’s audio engineer George Stavro worked with fellow engineer Richard Long, who was responsible for the sound at legendary Manhattan venues Studio 54 and Paradise Garage.
    “It’s a classic disco nightclub system based on a blueprint established in 1970s New York clubs,” the team said.

    OMA completes Potato Head Studios resort in Bali

    To absorb vibrations, the speakers sit on 11-centimetre-thick concrete padding that is also engineered to be separated from the sprung floor to avoid rattling.
    “Rich, finely poised and immaculately detailed, the system creates a vast sonic sweet spot, presenting the music exactly as it was intended to be heard with every nuance intact – perfectly pitched to optimise the audio experience,” said the team.
    Lighting was devised in collaboration with Tokyo’s Real Rock DesignA floating DJ booth is sound-isolated from the dance floor so that the music doesn’t bleed in, while a reflective pond on the Klymax roof also prevents noise from leaking through the roof.
    Lighting was devised in collaboration with Tokyo’s Real Rock Design, the same studio behind Japan’s Rainbow Disco Club festival.
    Staircases illuminated in red lead down to the dance floorA raised lounge area with leather seating is located on one side of the room, while a disco ball measuring one metre in diameter hangs from the ceiling in the centre.
    The club also has a “muted bar”, at which cocktails are served on tap to avoid the noise of shakers and bottles.
    The building has 20-centimetre-thick concrete exterior wallsThroughout May 2024, DJ Harvey will partake in a month-long artist residency at Potato Head, which will encompass several all-night sets at Klymax as well as a curated programme of movie screenings, surfing and mindfulness sessions.
    A line-up of international residents and DJs including HAAi, Dave Clarke, Sophie McAlister and Jonathan Kusuma is also planned for the nightclub.
    The club is accessed via a bunker-like entranceOMA completed the Potato Head Studios resort in 2020 as part of the Desa Potato Head village in Balinese beach town Seminyak.
    The firm has previously lent its expertise in nightclub design to a pop-up venue for fashion brand Miu Miu via its research arm AMO.  And in 2017, the studio revealed its design for a shapeshifting new venue for Ministry Of Sound, which won a competition in 2015 but was scrapped shortly after.
    The photography is by Tommaso Riva.

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    Lanterns dangle through hole between floors in “UK’s most expensive steak” restaurant

    Interiors studio Rosendale Design used paper pendants to illuminate hand-painted red-and-gold walls in the first overseas outpost of Japanese steakhouse Aragawa in London.

    Set across two floors in a Mayfair townhouse, the restaurant is widely credited as serving the “UK’s most expensive steak” – a £900 cut of wagyu beef from Shiga prefecture.
    Rosendale Design created the interiors for a Japanese steakhouse in MayfairCharacterised by a rich palette of deep reds, golds and dark woods, the interior of the steakhouse was “heavily influenced by traditional Japanese architecture and design”, Rosendale Design founder Dale Atkinson told Dezeen.
    “We gave it a contemporary twist in a subtle way so it didn’t become kitsch,” he said.
    Pendant lights dangle through a void between the ground floor and basementUpon entering Aragawa, visitors pass through an archway that frames a wood-panelled reception area painted in pale green.

    From here, a corridor leads past a wine display cabinet that wraps around the back wall with skylights providing natural illumination.
    A private dining room with seats for 12 guests is accessed through glass and wood doors, with a slatted wooden screen partially obstructing the view into the space.
    A Japanese kiln is surrounded by blue tiles in the kitchenPendant lamps that take cues from traditional Japanese paper lanterns hang through a mirror-lined void between the ground floor and the basement, providing views of the main restaurant below.
    “The lanterns are one of the key features that are first experienced at ground level but drop down through the opening in the floor and are then a prevalent feature in the main dining room,” said Atkinson.
    “We looked at traditional Japanese lanterns and gave it a bit of a contemporary twist.”
    More lanterns hang from the latticed ceiling in the dining roomStairs lead down to the restaurant past an open kitchen, divided from the seating area via an uplit rough-textured counter.
    Cornflower-blue tiles clad the walls in the kitchen, where Rosendale Design installed a Japanese kiln.

    Child Studio transforms 60s London post office into Maido sushi restaurant

    Used to prepare Aragawa’s speciality, Japanese Kobe beef, the kiln was modelled on the model found in the original Aragawa restaurant in Tokyo, which opened in 1967 and became known as one of the priciest steak houses in the world.
    “The feature kiln is the main connection between the restaurants in Tokyo and London,” said Atkinson.
    “We worked with a local manufacturer to copy as best we could the kiln in Tokyo but dress it in a way that matches the London design ethos.”
    Hand-painted red-and-gold panels line the walls of the dining spaceMore lanterns are suspended from the dark wood lattice ceiling in the primary dining space.
    “The feature ceiling is referencing traditional Japanese castles,” explained Atkinson.
    Soft lighting illuminates the red-and-gold panels that line the walls of the dining area, hand-painted with patterns derived from Nishijin silk kimonos.
    Rosendale Design opted for crimson-red velvet-lined seatingThe red colour palette is continued in the red velvet-lined seating, contrasting against white tablecloths.
    “We made sure to play with the saturation of colours to make it more dramatic and romantic,” said Atkinson.
    Other Japanese restaurants recently featured on Dezeen include a noodle restaurant in a century-old townhouse in Kyoto and a restaurant in Alberta that combines Japanese psychedelia and cabins.
    The photography is by Justin De Souza.

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    Gubi opens first UK showroom in London townhouse takeover

    A Georgian townhouse filled with period details is now Gubi House London, the first dedicated showroom that the furniture brand has opened outside Denmark.

    Gubi partnered with Danish surface design studio File Under Pop to reimagine the listed building as a showspace for its collection, which includes furniture by designers such as GamFratesi and Space Copenhagen.
    Gubi House London occupies a listed Georgian townhouseA curated colour palette combines with material finishes including Spanish clay tiles and Italian lava stone to create four floors of rooms with a contemporary feel.
    “To be in a townhouse is a unique opportunity,” explained Marie Kristine Schmidt, chief brand officer for Gubi.
    Furniture is on display across four different floors”We could create something very domestic in feel. We have smaller rooms where we can create different experiences and we can tell different stories on each floor,” she told Dezeen.

    The showroom is located on Charterhouse Square, a garden square framed by cobbled streets, and will be open by appointment.
    Danish surface design studio File Under Pop oversaw the colour and material paletteGubi was founded in 1967 by furniture designers Lisbeth and Gubi Olsen, who later handed it down to their sons, Jacob and Sebastian Gubi Olsen. Jacob is still a shareholder and a member of the board.
    The London expansion was first mooted in 2020, not long after the once family-owned company was acquired by Nordic private equity group Axcel and the Augustinus Foundation.
    Furniture on show includes the Croissant Sofa designed by Ilum Wikkelsø in 1962Schmidt said the UK is a key market for the brand as it looks to expand its intentional profile.
    “London is a melting pot right now, particularly in the hotel and restaurant scene, so for us, it is a really important city to be in,” she said during a tour of the building.
    “I think there is a lot of untapped potential for us here.”
    A ground-floor dining room features hand-painted forest-green wallpaperEach floor of Gubi House London has its own character, drawing on different influences reflected in the materials and fabrics that feature in across the product collection.
    The ground floor, described as “boutique chic”, features a trio of spaces designed to emulate the sense of comfort and luxury of a boutique hotel.
    Also on the ground floor, a blue fireplace sits behind the Moon dining tableKey details include a fireplace colour-blocked in a deep inky shade of blue, which serves as a backdrop to the brand’s Moon dining table and Bat dining chairs.
    Also on display here are several reissued 20th-century lamps, including designs by Finnish designer Paavo Tynell, Danish architect Louis Weisdorf and Swedish designer Greta M Grossman.
    The first-floor rooms take cues from the 1970sTowards the rear, a room with hand-painted forest-green wallpaper serves as a dining space.
    The first floor takes cues from the 1970s, with an earthy colour palette.

    &Tradition designs entire apartment in takeover of Copenhagen townhouse

    Key pieces here include the Pacha lounge chair, a 1975 design by the late French designer Pierre Paulin, upholstered in a striped fabric and a cascading arrangement of the Semi Pendant lamps, designed in 1968 by Danish design duo Claus Bonderup and Torsten Thorup.
    This floor also includes a bar, which serves as a centrepiece in the smaller of the two rooms.
    The second floor was envisioned as a co-working environmentThe second floor was envisioned as a co-working environment, with furniture that emulates a contemporary bistro, while the uppermost level offers a more bohemian feel.
    “We wanted to create a space that is inspiring,” said Schmidt. “It wouldn’t be right for our brand to go into a commercial space.”
    Gubi House London is located at 12 Charterhouse SquareThe experience is different from the warehouse feel of Gubi’s Copenhagen headquarters, which occupies a former tobacco factory in the waterside Nordhavn area.
    “This is how we see Gubi in the context of the UK,” added Schmidt.
    “It was fun to play with a building that is so pleasant and give it a very fresh, modern, contemporary look.”
    In Copenhagen, Danish brand &Tradition took over a townhouse during design festival 3 Days of Design, while fellow Danish brand Hay unveiled its renovated Copenhagen townhouse in 2021.
    The photography is by Michael Sinclair.

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