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    “True trends always answer a need”

    As TikTok and other platforms become increasingly flooded with home-styling ideas, Michelle Ogundehin shares advice on how to navigate changing trends in the era of ubiquitous social media.

    Newspaper journalists are often keen for a quote on “the latest trends”. What do I think of polka dots? What about red paint: hot right now, non? It depends. Or recently, what could I say about the TikTok trend “bookshelf wealth”? Hmmm, interesting.
    Obviously, just because images of a lot of spotty things have been cobbled together by someone on Instagram, or an influencer declares in breathless tones that poppy has surpassed magnolia in the paint stakes, does not make it universally true. But this is not to flagellate the notion of “trends” per se – the stylistic movements that visualise our cultural climate can be genuinely intriguing.
    Here-today-over-tomorrow fads can be noxious
    True trends always answer a need. Emerging from an alchemy of desire, available resources, and cultural resonance, they have the power to make visible unspoken truths. However, the here-today-over-tomorrow fads can be noxious. The thing is, true trends don’t occur in a vacuum; you can always trace their roots. In short, no roots = no relevance = fad. And I’ll come back to the bookshelves.

    Alternatively, it’s called marketing. Because someone, somewhere will make money from you feeling compelled to throw out your perfectly good cushion, frock, phone, or sofa to replace it with a newer, more “on-trend”, faster, smaller, prettier, or any other adjective you care to insert here, model.
    Social media platform-time is bought to advance the cause and propel the message. Whether it has staying power though, is entirely another matter. This is where the aforementioned relevance and roots come in.

    Eight interiors celebrating the curated clutter of “bookshelf wealth”

    Arguably there are moments when it seems as if one creative camp has agreed on a singular approach. The spring special April issues of the fashion magazines collectively trill that “it’s all about pastels!” But is it? Or did the picture desks just pull together all the sugary-coloured images from across the collections of 20 different designers and call it a moment?
    After all, it’s habitual for colours to lighten in the spring and darken as we approach winter. More of note would be if everyone went grey for April. But that probably wouldn’t make for an uplifting (ie sales-savvy) coverline.
    It’s the same in interiors. When I was editor-in-chief of ELLE Decoration, occasionally I’d receive a letter from a disgruntled reader bemoaning the season’s hot new look. Why had it changed from last month’s look, which they loved?
    As consumers and designers, we must self-interrogate
    My reply was always the same: my job is to show you what’s out there, your job is to decide what you like, and then stick to it. Or change if you want to. But the key is that it’s your choice. What I always wanted to add was: and don’t devolve the responsibility for your taste!
    It’s also true that there used to be a bit of a journalistic mantra that went along the lines of: one’s an oddity, two’s a coincidence, but three’s a trend! So, if three of a similar thing plopped into the inbox, then it was worth looking into.
    However, the follow-up question is always: why? Why is this happening? Is there anything behind it? Just because something is new doesn’t make it news. And, crucially, is it adding anything to the cultural conversation?

    “We must abandon the ordered, rational, learned good taste and comfort we’ve become used to”

    I think this latter point is ever more relevant today. It can no longer be justified to create for the sake of it (that is arguably the purpose of art). Instead, as consumers and designers, we must self-interrogate.
    Has this product genuinely improved the models that precede it by using less resources, demanding less energy, eradicating plastic, and thus being less likely to end up as waste? If not, then why make it?
    That aside, sometimes a “trend” reflects more of a mood than a whole “moment”. Take the unexpected red “trend”. We could post-rationalise this as being rooted simply in a feeling of dark times drawing us to colour. It makes us happier.
    Engaging your own inner critic becomes ever more vital
    On the other hand, red is a deeply emotive hue, one of the most visible of the spectrum, thus a colour that intrinsically demands our attention. This is why it’s used for both stop and sale signs. We’re literally hardwired to see it. So, is this a verifiable trend, or merely the power of colour theory? Maybe it doesn’t matter?
    However, when considering social-media trends, we generally only see more of what we think we already like. This is fine when we’re talking pops of colour, a lot less so regarding deep fakes deliberately designed to thwart opinions.
    Bottom line, engaging your own inner critic becomes ever more vital. The platforms will always deliver a constant stream of fodder, but to paraphrase the inimitable Coco Chanel: content is what’s out there – but it’s up to you to choose what to believe.

    Explore all 17 Tokyo Toilet projects featured in Wim Wenders’ film Perfect Days

    Now back to those bookshelves. The images themselves are irrelevant. If someone was to go out and buy books by the metre to “get the look” then they’ve missed the point entirely; let’s not reduce the notion of home to a mere backdrop – it should be your personalised space from which to thrive.
    Thus, to me, “bookshelf wealth” is the visual expression of the authenticity that we’re currently craving in a world that appears to have gone right royally tits up. Homes with shelves bursting with well-read tomes, curiosities and the talismans of life, however quirky, are an antidote to the virtual.
    It dwells firmly in the tactile and tangible world of the analogue as so beautifully depicted recently in Wim Wenders’ latest film, Perfect Days, wherein the main protagonist lives contentedly in his chosen world of flip phones, cassette tapes and simple routine.
    Stop the press! A trend that reflects the rejection of the maelstrom of modern life
    It’s about honouring yourself, your journey, your interests, and proudly displaying it all. It stands on the shoulders of the movements we’ve seen already towards fermenting, knitting, and baking sourdough. It’s about truth-telling and slowing-down; renovating not relocating; ditching the work/spend cycle and stepping off the consumer conveyor belt.
    It’s not so much a look as a potent signifier of a shifting of priorities. It’s back-to-basics and living on a human-needs-first scale, as an antidote to the prevalent norm of life being voraciously consumed at technological pace to maximise productivity for someone else.
    Stop the press! A trend that reflects the rejection of the maelstrom of modern life, indicating long-term thinking and emotional evolution to be the way forward. That may not make for a super snappy soundbite, but it certainly bodes better for our future than crimson walls, or polka dots.
    Michelle Ogundehin is a thought leader on interiors, trends, style and wellbeing. Originally trained as an architect and the former editor-in-chief of ELLE Decoration UK, she is the head judge on the BBC’s Interior Design Masters, and the author of Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness, a guide to living well. She is also a regular contributor to publications including Vogue Living, FT How to Spend It magazine and Dezeen.
    The photo, showing House M by Studio Vaaro, is by Scott Norsworthy.
    Dezeen In DepthIf you enjoy reading Dezeen’s interviews, opinions and features, subscribe to Dezeen In Depth. Sent on the last Friday of each month, this newsletter provides a single place to read about the design and architecture stories behind the headlines.

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    Al-Jawad Pike creates marble “immersive experience” for APL’s Soho flagship store

    British architecture studio Al-Jawad Pike has used colourful marble for the interiors of trainer brand Athletic Propulsion Labs’ second flagship store in Soho, New York City.

    The interior of the 3,900-square-foot space (1,188 square metre) was laid out in a curving amphitheatre design, which the studio designed to be “simple yet severe” while creating a “completely immersive experience,” Al-Jawad Pike studio co-founder Jessam Al-Jawad told Dezeen.
    The centrepiece of the Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL) store is five “vanity rooms” in a radial design, each clad in different-coloured onyx or marble stone with matching stone stools and back-lit mirrors.
    The rainbow-colour array of stone, chosen by the client from different quarries, was “intended to represent the five boroughs of New York,” Al-Jawad said.
    Five vanity rooms are each clad in distinctive coloured onyx or marbleA teardrop-shaped column is located in the centre of the store, while boulder-like plinths positioned around the space are used for product displays.

    The textured display plinths were developed with a bespoke fabricator based in New York, who CNC-carved the forms.
    The studio incorporated various other materials into the scheme such as textured sprayed plaster on the walls, Romano travertine for the floor, and champagne-coloured anodised aluminium for the display boxes.
    Al Jawad Pike completed the interiors for Athletic Propulsion Lab’s flagship store in New YorkThe aim of the store layout was to allow customers to see all the products from all parts of the store.
    “We approached this by creating an architectural form that displays the product in a pan-optical array to provide visibility in completeness from almost any part of the store; whilst maintaining a seamless link between staff back-of-house functions at the basement level with the main retail space,” the studio explained.
    The space features a layout designed in a curvilinear amphitheatre styleThe shoes are displayed in simple box frames, which are raised and lit up like artwork in a gallery. Ensuring that the trainers on display were the focal point was a main objective for the architects.
    “The goal was to make sure the products were the main attraction in the store, while also making everything work smoothly for both customers and staff,” Al-Jawad Pike said.
    The studio devised a store layout enabling customers to view all products from any part of the storeThe store’s semi-circular layout has street-facing windows that let in the light, and the studio also added adjustable warm lighting from the back-lit, semi-circular ceiling to provide additional illumination.
    “We wanted to create a wash of light from above to bath the space in a warm and comfortable ambience,” said Al-Jawad.
    “At its top, the perimeter wall banks into a semi-circular, back-lit stretch ceiling with adjustable warmth to dramatically alter the atmosphere in the space.”
    Sculpted boulders are dotted around the store spaceAl-Jawad Pike was founded in 2014 by Al-Jawad and Dean Pike and aims to create spaces that “engender a sense of well-being and intrigue, as well as fun”.
    Other retail interiors recently featured on Dezeen include Bottega Veneta’s Avenue Montaigne flagship store in Paris and Cúpla’s design for a boutique in central London.
    The photography is by Ståle Eriksen.

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    Ten homes where flooring enhances the connection between indoors and outdoors

    Our latest lookbook explores homes where flooring details and materials help to create the impression that a living space extends out beyond a house’s exterior walls.

    A range of different techniques can be used to create the sense of a continuous floor surface.
    The most obvious is to use the same flooring material, or one that looks very similar, for both interior and exterior spaces.
    However, this isn’t always necessary. By combining level thresholds with floor-to-ceiling glazing, it’s also possible to create that sense of continuation by simply maintaining a consistent surface.
    Here, we look at 10 examples that use one or more of these methods to create different effects, ranging from a forest home in Mexico’s Valle de Bravo to a waterside villa in Denmark.

    Many of these examples use continuous floor surfaces to connect a living room with a garden or patio, but some explore other rooms where the effect can be applied.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring chocolate-brown interiors and minimalist bathrooms.
    Photography is by LGM StudioCasa Mola, Mexico, by Estudio Atemporal
    Mexico City-based Estudio Atemporal designed this house in a densely forested area of Valle de Bravo with the aim of allowing residents to live “more organically”.
    The large-format flooring tiles inside the house give way to brickwork paving outside, but sliding glass doors with level thresholds create a clean junction that allows the two spaces to feel connected.
    Find out more about Casa Mola ›
    Photo is by Agnese SanvitoThe Saddlery, UK, by Studio Octopi
    Terrazzo flooring features both inside and outside this extension to a Georgian house in southeast London, designed by architecture office Studio Octopi.
    Sourced from British manufacturer Diespeker, this material is speckled with colours that complement the mint-green tone of the building’s metal walls.
    Find out more about The Saddlery ›
    Photo is by Nick DeardonDulwich House, UK, by Proctor & Shaw
    Kitchen and terrace become a single space divided only by levels in this extension to a home in Dulwich, London, designed by architecture studio Proctor & Shaw.
    Glass doors slide open on two sides – with one disappearing into a wall – to completely open up the building’s corner. The sliding mechanism is set into a continuous porcelain tile floor surface, resulting in a flush threshold.
    Find out more about Dulwich House ›
    Photo is by Maxime DelvauxMaison Hercourt, France, Studio Guma
    Minimal glazing plays a key role in connecting the kitchen of this renovated stone farmhouse in Normandy with an adjoining patio.
    Designed by Paris-based Studio Guma, the renovation involved installing the kitchen in a space that previously functioned as a cart shed. Although the floor surface changes from concrete to stone from inside to outside, the slender-framed glass doors help the two surfaces to be read as one.
    Find out more about Maison Hercourt ›
    Photo is by Jonas Bjerre-PoulsenFjord Boat House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
    Copenhagen-based Norm Architects chose handmade ceramic bricks for the flooring of this vacation house, built on the edge of a fjord just outside the city.
    They form stairs that lead down from the main house to a terrace, then continue inside to give the interior living spaces a casual, rustic feel. At the main entrance, the linearity of the brickwork pattern acts to draw the eye.
    Find out more about Fjord Boat House ›

    Ederlezi, Mexico, Práctica Arquitectura
    Using the same flooring surface for both indoors and outdoors can become costly, but this low-cost infill house in Monterrey offers a clever solution.
    Designed by locally based Práctica Arquitectura, the house features a stepped living space with an adjoining courtyard.
    Most of the courtyard is landscaped, but the edges are lined with the same square saltillo tiles that provide interior flooring. This helps to extend the living space outdoors without requiring quite as many tiles.
    Find out more about Ederlezi ›
    Photo is by Helen CathcartThe Maker’s Barn, UK, by Hutch Design
    Full-height glazing features in many of the rooms of this rural holiday rental on the outskirts of London, a former pig shed renovated by Hutch Design. This results in a strong connection with the surrounding patio.
    The effect is particularly effective in the primary bedroom, which features a bath set into the floor. Here, it’s possible to observe the clean line running between the end-grain timber flooring inside and the paving tiles outside.
    Find out more about The Maker’s Barn ›
    Photo is by Rory GardinerMossy Point, Australia, by Edition Office
    Melbourne-based Edition Office selected very different surfaces for the shower room of this house in Mossy Point, New South Wales, but they appear to merge thanks to the use of frameless glazing.
    A similar effect can be found throughout the house, but the contrast between the wooden decking and the blue tiles of this room is the most striking.
    Find out more about Mossy Point ›

    Shift House, Spain, by Nomo Studio
    Roughly polished white concrete flooring unites both the interior and exterior of this house on the island of Menorca, designed by Barcelona-based Nomo Studio.
    This creates a feeling of continuity from the building’s entrance, located on the uppermost storey, all the way across to a balcony terrace on the opposite side of the main living room.
    Find out more about Shift House ›
    Photo is by Brotherton LockA Modern Oasis, UK, by Richard Parr Associates
    The level thresholds of this house in Oxfordshire, England, create a visual connection between the polished concrete flooring inside and the paving tiles outside.
    Architecture office Richard Parr Associates carefully matched the colours of these two surfaces so that they appear to be made of the same material.
    Find out more about A Modern Oasis ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring chocolate-brown interiors and minimalist bathrooms.

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    Reflect Architecture balances “contemporary art with family life” in Toronto house

    Canadian studio Reflect Architecture has renovated a home in Toronto for a new generation of the same family, while incorporating an extensive art collection.

    North Drive House was the childhood home of one of the owners. After stints living abroad and in Downtown Toronto, the couple were lured back to the two-acre property for the space to raise their young family.
    The home’s hallways and living spaces were renovated to feel like a gallery for the couple’s art collectionHowever, the residence’s traditional interiors were not to their taste, so Reflect Architecture principal Trevor Wallace was called in to undertake an extensive renovation.
    His approach was to create a deliberate “tension” between the need to display an extensive contemporary art collection – which includes pieces by Robert Mapplethorpe and Erik Madigan Heck – and fulfilling the needs of a family home.
    A sculptural staircase features layered bannisters, stepped profiles and curved forms”The idea of living in a gallery was always important to the owners, but the critical distinction is that they didn’t want to live in a museum,” said Wallace.

    “This is a family home above all. The owners have always imagined that their kids would one day look back on living here and think it was pretty cool that they were playing soccer or running around inside what felt like an art gallery.”
    The living room includes contemporary furniture and a ribbon-like fireplace by Brooklyn designer Leyden LewisThe team retained the existing layout and circulation while updating the spaces with fresh materials, colours and forms.
    Most in line with the gallery-like aesthetic, the living spaces, hallways and corridors feature stark white walls and minimalist detailing such as flush doors and entryways.
    A different approach is taken in the dining room, where the walls are painted dark tealAt the centre of the home is a staircase designed as if a piece of sculpture itself, comprising layered bannisters, stepped profiles and curvaceous forms.
    A similarly playful tactic was applied in the living room, which features a rippling, ribbon-like fireplace designed by Brooklyn-based designer Leyden Lewis.
    Doors and entryways throughout the home are designed to be flush with the walls”We had a lot of fun exploring and playing with the staircase’s shapes and orientations,” Wallace said. “We wanted it to feel organic and fluid, and that required being playful. That was true for the entire house from start to finish, it was important that we didn’t take the whole thing too seriously.”
    The spareness of these spaces is swapped in the cooking and eating areas, which feature darker, richer colours like the teal dining room.

    Blue slide is centrepiece of Walker house renovation by Reflect Architecture

    A knotted light fixture by Lindsey Adelman hangs over the large stone dining table, accompanied by chairs with ochre velvet upholstery.
    In the kitchen, tone-on-tone travertine cabinetry and surfaces include a new 15-foot-long (4.5-metre) kitchen island.
    Tone-on-tone travertine cabinetry and surfaces were added in the kitchenAn existing gabled skylight overhead was maintained, but its beams were updated with a copper hue to “complement the travertine”.
    The room is oriented towards a glass wall facing a Japanese maple tree in the garden, under which sits a large dining table by local furniture designer Mary Ratcliffe.
    A 15-foot-long (4.5-metre) island was also added beneath an existing skylightWallace founded Reflect Architecture in 2016, and the studio’s previous work includes a Toronto home renovation with a blue slide as its centrepiece.
    Other recently completed residential overhauls in the city include a residence connected by asymmetric brass-lined portals and a house where built-in storage volumes were added.
    The photography is by Doublespace Photography.

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    Post Company restores hotel known as birthplace of Apple’s Macintosh computer

    New York design studio Post Company has revived a historic hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, drawing on the building’s illustrious past and recent acclaim to inform its interiors.

    The 75-key La Playa Hotel is situated a few blocks from the beach in the town, located on California’s Pacific Coast Highway and renowned for its bohemian spirit.
    The moody lobby of La Playa Hotel features dark coffered ceilings and textured plaster wallsIt was taken over in 2012 by Marc & Rose Hospitality – which also operates the recently overhauled High Country Motor Lodge in Flagstaff, Arizona – and reopened in October 2023 following a long renovation process.
    “As the fifth owners in its more than 115-year history, we focused on letting the building lead us to a design that supports the stories of the past, while infusing thoughtful amenities to meet the expectations of the modern traveller,” said Marc & Rose president John Grossman.
    Restored elements of the building include a staircase with tiled risers and iron railingsThe team worked with Post Company to uncover historical details about the property, which was originally built in 1905 by landscape painter Chris Jorgensen for his wife, chocolate heiress Angela Ghirardelli.

    After the death of her niece at Carmel Beach, the couple sold the mansion and it was converted into a hotel by adding 20 rooms, then further expanded to its current size in 1940.
    The hotel bar, Bud’s, is designed to be dark and intimateIn 1983, it was the site of an Apple company retreat, during which founder Steve Jobs unveiled the first working prototype of the Macintosh computer.
    With all this history, as well as ties to key figures of the bohemian movement, Post Company restored the Spanish Colonial-style building in a respectful manner while introducing new elements to enhance its character.
    A brighter approach to the decor was taken in the hotel’s guest rooms and suites”Our design honours the hotel’s history and vernacular while ushering in the works and objects of contemporary artists and muses,” said Post Company.
    “Each space is a singular and inviting design – much like the diverse cast of patrons and local characters engrained in its extensive past – resulting in an eclecticism that is a deeper reflection of what has always been and paves the way for a new generation to gather, create, and explore.”
    Cream walls and linen curtains complement the original shell pendant lights by Frances Adler ElkinsThe moody and atmospheric lobby features terracotta floors, a dark coffered wood ceiling and textured plaster walls, and is furnished with a variety of vintage pieces.
    A sweeping staircase leading upstairs to the guest rooms is adorned with patterned tiles on its risers and thin iron railings.
    Dark wood furniture contrasts the lighter-toned walls and textilesThe hotel’s bar, Bud’s, is named after Howard E “Bud” Allen – a Carmel local who took over the hotel in the 1960s and introduced a full-time bar and 10-minute happy hour.
    The space is dark and intimate, with plenty of wood panelling, leather-upholstered booths and banquettes, and decorative unlacquered brass and carved details.
    One of the guest rooms boasts a star-shaped stained-glass windowIn the guest rooms, Post Company took a lighter approach to the decor by choosing cream for the walls and the linen curtains.
    Curvaceous furniture is complemented by modern sconces and original plaster shell pendants by Frances Adler Elkins.

    Post Company imbues Mollie Aspen hotel interiors with earthy hues

    Each room has a curated bar, while the bathrooms have been updated with colourful tiles and blackened nickel fixtures.
    One of the ground-floor rooms boasts a star-shaped stained glass window, which is surrounded by foliage on the exterior.
    The hotel’s grounds are landscaped with brick paths and patios between plantingThe hotel’s grounds are landscaped with flowerbeds and lawns, criss-crossed by brick pathways that connect arched colonnades with patios and the outdoor swimming pool.
    Several guest rooms open directly onto the gardens, and a handful are in the pavilion that faces the pool terrace.
    The building’s historic Spanish Colonial architecture, typified by the arched colonnades around it periphery, was restored during the renovationLa Playa has multiple spaces for meetings and events, including a game room and the 2,160-square-foot (200-square-metre) Pacific Room that is typically used to host weddings.
    Breakfast is served in an indoor-outdoor dining room, whose covered terrace extends towards the ocean and provides a spot for evening cocktails while watching the sunset.
    The dining area extends out to a covered terrace where guests can watch the sunsetPost Company, formerly known as Studio Tack, is renowned for its hospitality projects and also recently completed the warm, wood-filled interiors for the Mollie Aspen hotel.
    The studio’s earlier work includes The Lake House on Canandaigua in New York’s Finger Lakes region, the Sound View hotel on the North Fork of Long Island and The Sandman converted motel in northern California.
    The photography is by Chris Mottalini.

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    Eight home interiors where mezzanines maximise usable space

    For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up eight home interiors that make clever use of mezzanines to optimise floorspace.

    Mezzanines, which are used as an intermediate level between the lower floor and a ceiling, have the ability to increase gross internal floor area by capitalising on extra ceiling height.
    These raised floors offer additional room to host a variety of spaces – including bedrooms, home offices and reading spaces, to name a few.
    Ranging from compact apartment renovations to newly-built, split-level holiday homes, this diverse collection of home interiors showcases how mezzanines can be used as a creative solution to maximise floorspace and create dynamic home layouts.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring minimalist bathrooms with peaceful interiors, compact garden studios with neat storage solutions and homes lit by central courtyards.

    Photo by David DworkindHickson Residence, Canada, by Ménard Dworkind
    Located on the south shore of Montreal, this 1980s house was renovated by local studio Ménard Dworkind and features rounded plaster details and a terracotta fireplace.
    The studio added a sculptural mezzanine to the 520-square-meter home, which hosts the bedrooms, bathrooms and an office overlooking the double-height living room below.
    Find out more about Hickson Residence ›
    Photo by Seth CaplanDumbo Loft, USA, by Crystal Sinclair Designs 
    Crystal Sinclair Designs renovated this loft apartment in Brooklyn to include a mezzanine hosting a book collection, as well as a bedroom accessed via a ladder.
    The studio retained the space’s existing industrial look but complemented it by adding wooden furniture and white and grey marble.
    Find out more about Dumbo Loft ›
    Photo by José Hevia 105JON, Spain, by Vallribera Arquitectes
    This renovation of a narrow terraced house in Spain by Vallribera Arquitectes saw the studio add a mezzanine level to increase the home’s limited floor area.
    Defined by its blue-painted steel and chipwood construction, the mezzanine level offers space for two children’s bedrooms, along with a bathroom and a small study.
    Find out more about 105JON ›
    Photo by Pier CarthewKerr, Australia, by SSdH
    Housed in a former chocolate factory, Kerr is a warehouse apartment in Melbourne designed by local studio SSdH to include a split-level layout.
    A mezzanine-style level wrapped by a white steel-mesh balustrade occupies the upper floor and contains an open-plan living space and kitchen.
    Find out more about Kerr ›
    Photo by JAG StudioHorno de Pan, Ecuador, by ERDC Arquitectos
    ERDC Arquitectos and Taller General used brick and glass to construct this arched roof home in Quito that features an open mezzanine level.
    Split across three levels, the lowest level offers living and kitchen areas, while an entry, bathroom, bedrooms and studio are provided on the upper floors.
    Find out more about Horno de Pan ›
    Photo by Pierce ScourfieldFerguson, Scotland, by Duncan Blackmore, Lee Ivett and Simon Harlow
    Brightly coloured walls decorate this tiny apartment in Glasgow designed by Duncan Blackmore, Lee Ivett and Simon Harlow, which contains no freestanding furniture.
    To maximise floor and height space within the 25-square-metre home, a small mezzanine level hosts a sleeping space that is accessed via built-in wooden steps.
    Find out more about Ferguson ›
    Photo by José CamposHouse in Rua Direita de Francos, Portugal, by WeStudio and Made
    Mezzanine levels feature throughout the living and bedroom spaces within this gabled, stone house in Porto designed by We Studio and Made.
    A staircase in the kitchen space leads up to a study on a mezzanine level, while ladders in the bedrooms lead up to mezzanines situated above en-suite bathrooms or storage cupboards.
    Find out more about House in Rua Direita de Francos ›
    Photo by Rory GardinerCasa Alférez, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy
    Situated in a Mexican pine forest, this brutalist holiday home by Ludwig Godefroy is defined by concrete walls, built-in furniture and wooden floors.
    Composed of five half-levels organised around double-height spaces, the home’s compact arrangement was strategically designed to prioritise height over width.
    Find out more about Casa Alférez ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring minimalist bathrooms with peaceful interiors, compact garden studios with neat storage solutions and homes lit by central courtyards.

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    Barbican’s Unravel exhibition explores the subversive power of textiles

    Curator Lotte Johnson discusses the transformative power of textiles in this video produced by Dezeen for the Barbican’s latest exhibition.

    Titled Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art, the exhibition examines how textiles have been employed to explore themes spanning power, oppression, gender and belonging.
    It features over 100 works that make use of textile, fibre and thread from over 50 artists from across the globe, spanning from the 1960s to the present day.
    The exhibition explores how artists have used textiles to express their lived experienceThe exhibition is designed to challenge the perception of textiles being solely domestic or craft practices and instead features textile works that relate a story of resistance and rebellion as well as pieces that present narratives of emancipation and joy.
    Johnson explained that textiles offer a meaningful medium to express personal and political issues due to their tactile nature and intimate connection to daily life.

    “Textiles are one of the most under-examined mediums in art history and in fact history itself,” Johnson said. “They are an intrinsic part of our everyday lives. When we’re born, we’re shrouded in a piece of fabric. Everyday we wrap ourselves in textiles,” she continued.
    “They’re really this very intimate, tactile part of our lives and therefore perhaps the most intrinsic, meaningful way to express ourselves.”
    Feminist artist Judy Chicago’s Birth Project depicts birth as a mystical and confrontational processThe exhibition is structured into six thematic sections. The first, called Subversive Stitch, presents works that challenge binary conceptions of gender and sexuality.
    The section includes feminist artist Judy Chicago’s Birth Project, which vividly depicts the glory, pain and mysticism of giving birth, as well as a piece from South African artist Nicholas Hlobo, which, despite initially appearing as a painting, is made using ribbon and leather stitched into a canvas.
    Another section of the exhibition is titled Bearing Witness, which brings together artists who employ textiles to confront and protest political injustices and systems of violent oppression.
    Artist Teresa Margolles creates collective tapestries that trigger conversations on police brutalityIncluded in this section are tapestries by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles that commemorate the lives of individuals including Eric Garner and Jadeth Rosano López.
    Garner was an African-American man killed in 2014 by NYPD police officer Daniel Pantaleo, who put Garner into a chokehold during arrest. López was a seventeen-year old-girl assassinated in Panama City.
    Margolles used fabric that had been placed in contact with the victims’ deceased bodies and collaborated with embroiderers from their respective local communities to create the tapestries.
    The Wound and Repair sections includes work from American artist and activist Harmony Hammond’s Bandaged Grid series, in which layered fabric is used to evoke imagery reminiscent of an injured body.
    Tau Lewis’ fabric assemblages offer new narratives of black historiesWhile violence and brutality are key themes examined in the exhibition, it also showcases how textiles can be used to create narratives of hope. The final, most expansive section of the exhibition is titled Ancestral Threads, which encompasses works created to inspire a sense of optimism and reconnect with ancestral practices.
    “This section not only explores artists processing exploitative and violent colonial and imperialist histories, but also celebrates the artists who are re-summoning and relearning ancient knowledge systems to imagine a different kind of future,” Johnson explained.
    Canadian multimedia artist Tau Lewis’s work titled The Coral Reef Preservation Society is a patchwork assemblage of recycled fabrics and seashells including fragments of textured denim.
    The work pays homage to the enslaved women and children thrown overboard in the Middle Passage, the historical transportation route used during the Atlantic slave trade. These women and children have been reimagined as underwater sea creatures to transform the narrative into one of regeneration.
    Vicuña revives the art of the quipu in her installation Quipu AustralA large installation by Chilean artist Cecilia Vicuña titled Quipu Austral is situated towards the end of the exhibition. The installation takes the form of billowing ribbons hanging from the ceiling.
    Vicuña references quipu, a form of recording used by a number cultures in Andean South America. Quipu was a ancient writing system which used knotted textile cords to communicate information.

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    Other sections in the exhibition include Fabric of Everyday, which explores the daily uses of textiles, as well as Borderlands, which examines how textiles have been used to challenge ideas around belonging.
    These sections feature works such as Shelia Hicks’ colourful woven bundles and Margarita Cabrera’s soft sculpture cacti crafted from reclaimed US border patrol uniforms.
    Mexican-American artist Margarita Cabrera uses reclaimed border patrol uniforms in her work”We hope that people might come out of this exhibition feeling invigorated and moved by the stories of resilience and rebellion embedded in the work but also hope and emancipation,” Johnson said.
    “I hope that the show might inspire people to pick up a needle and thread themselves and use it to express their own lived experience.”
    The show is a partnership between the Barbican and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and was co-curated by Barbican curators Johnson, Wells Fray-Smith and Diego Chocano, in collaboration with Amanda Pinatih from the Stedelijk.
    Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art is at the Barbican Centre until 26 May 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
    Partnership content
    This video was produced by Dezeen for the Barbican Centre as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen’s partnership content here.

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    SODA offers model for office-to-residential conversions with Roco in Liverpool

    London studio SODA has converted a 1970s office block in Liverpool city centre into a residential building that  includes co-working and wellness facilities.

    The adaptive reuse project sees the 10-storey block, which spent decades as an office for HM Revenue and Customs, transformed into rental homes managed by operator Livingway.
    Communal spaces take up most of the ground floorRoca contains 120 one- and two-bedroom apartments, plus two floors of co-living-style amenities for residents. These include workspaces, a large kitchen, cinema room, gym and treatment rooms and a planted roof terrace.
    Russell Potter, co-founding director at SODA, believes the project can serve as a model for office-to-residential conversions in city-centre locations.
    The design includes mix of flexible lounge and workspaces”The leaps that office design has made over the past decade or two have meant that certain period properties from the 1960s and 70s are perhaps not the most desirable from a commercial point of view,” he told Dezeen.

    “But if they occupy prime city-centre locations, they can offer amazing opportunities to adapt and re-use, to reinvigorate city centres with genuinely flexible and crafted spaces.”
    A timber “activity wall” provides surfaces, seating and storageLivingway’s model is a version of co-living. By offering Roca residents access to communal spaces, in addition to their apartments, it aims to foster a sense of community.
    Many of these shared spaces can be found on the ground floor. Here, various work, lounge and dining spaces are organised around a timber “activity wall” that provides surfaces, storage and seating.
    A communal kitchen is often used for cooking classes and demonstrationsOther interior details, such as folding screens, curtains and fluted glass windows, allow the space to be casually divided into different activity zones when required.
    Sometimes these spaces host workshops or classes, allowing residents to engage with local businesses.

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    “We’re introducing an element of communal activity to act as a hub at ground floor, in a similar fashion to what’s been happening in other co-living arrangements,” said Potter.
    “It means you have the opportunity to create a genuine sense of community within a city centre.”
    The building was previously an office blockOn the apartment floors, the existing floorplates made it possible to create larger homes than typical co-living units, arranged on opposite sides of a central corridor.
    Apartments come fully furnished, with bedrooms and bathrooms separate from the living areas.
    The renovation provides 120 apartments in total”Office buildings typically have slim floor plates with decent floor spans and high proportions of glazing-to-floor area, so make ideal opportunities for residential conversion,” Potter explained.
    “Likewise, floor-to-ceiling heights don’t tend to pose an issue for residential,” he added. “Typically, commercial floor heights are higher than what you expect in residential, meaning that you get better aspects of light into the spaces.”
    The apartments are larger than is typical for co-livingLivingway offers five of these units as hotel rooms, available for short stay. But guests don’t have access to all of the communal facilities; most are reserved for residents.
    Technology plays an important role in the building management. An app allows residents to book certain rooms or sign up for workshops and classes, while digital locks allow access to be controlled.
    The communal spaces feature colours and patterns that reference the 1970sThe interior design approach reflects the building’s 1970s heritage, with furniture and finishes that don’t shy away from colour and pattern.
    Standout spaces include the cinema room, an all-red space featuring large upholstered chairs, tubular wall lights and art-deco-style mouldings.
    Across the rest of the ground floor, the exposed concrete waffle-slab overhead brings an industrial feel that contrasts with the warmth of the wood surfaces and soft furnishings.
    Standout spaces include a cinema screening roomThe homes feature a more subtle palette, with muted tones rather than white, to allow residents to bring their own personalities into the design.
    A similar level of care was brought to the outdoor spaces. These include an informal courtyard on the ground floor and the seventh-floor roof terrace, which incorporates a trio of hot tubs.
    A planted roof terrace includes three hot tubsThe project builds on SODA’s experience of designing shared spaces. The studio has designed various spaces for workplace provider The Office Group (TOG), including Liberty House and Thomas House.
    The collaboration with Livingway came about after the company reached out to the studio via Instagram.
    “It is amazing to see what a beautiful result has been produced and how much our residents truly enjoy calling Roco their home,” added Samantha Hay, CEO for Livingway.
    The photography is by Richard Chivers.

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