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    Eight living rooms with tactile organic modern interiors

    For our latest lookbook, we’ve collected eight living rooms from Denmark to Japan that have been decorated in an organic modern style, featuring natural wood and stone details.

    The deceptively simple organic modern style combines modernist interior designs with natural materials and earthy colours.
    Plenty of wood, in the form of flooring, panelling and furniture give these interiors an organic feel. Designers have also chosen stone to create the same effect, with stone floors, tables and sofa bases adding an elegant and natural touch.
    All of these living rooms also have discrete and neutral colour palettes, with hues of brown, beige, tan and various white and cream shades creating restful environments.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring floors that connect the indoors and outdoors and interiors with mezzanines.

    Photo by Jonas Bjerre-PoulsenHeatherhill Beach House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
    Danish studio Norm Architects designed the cedar-clad Heatherhill Beach House to resemble a traditional barn, with a material palette that leans heavily on wood and brick.
    In the ocean-facing living room, the studio combined a brick floor and wooden wall with modernist furniture, including the slender graphic Valerie Objects Hanging Lamp by design studio Muller Van Severen.
    Find out more about Heatherhill Beach House ›
    Photo by Helen CathcartThe Maker’s Barn, UK, by Hutch Design
    Originally a concrete pig shed, Hutch Design transformed The Maker’s Barn into a holiday rental using “natural and honest” materials.
    Its living, dining and kitchen area features a concrete fireplace, bulbous soft furniture and a shaggy beige rug in front of floor-to-ceiling windows that underline the house’s connection to the landscape.
    Find out more about The Maker’s Barn ›
    Photo by David MitchellTribeca loft, US, by Timothy Godbold
    This Tribeca loft inside a former textile factory has a dramatic double-height living room surrounded by large windows. To make the room feel more intimate, interior designer Timothy Godbold added sheer curtains and softly rounded furniture.
    A discrete colour palette of cream and beige hues is offset with plenty of green plants, while a central stone table and stone sofa base add a rustic touch.
    Find out more about Tribeca loft ›
    Photo by Ståle EriksenPalm Springs, UK, by Will Gamble Architects
    Named for the California desert town, the Palm Springs extension in London draws on the area’s specific type of modernism. This is exemplified by the use of natural materials and floor-to-ceiling glazing.
    The sandy hues in the living room also nod to the arid Palm Springs surroundings, with a sage green sofa adding more colour to the interior.
    Find out more about Palm Springs ›
    Photo by by Rory Gardiner835 High Street, Australia, by Carr
    The interiors of this flat in Melbourne form a softer contrast to its gridded concrete facade. A rounded sofa with undulating shapes is juxtaposed against branch-like side tables and designer Hans J Wegner’s classic Flag Halyard chair.
    Textile accents in the form of a patterned rug and a fur throw also help make the room feel cosier.
    Find out more about 835 High Street ›
    Photo by Sean DavidsonAmity Street Residence, US, by Selma Akkari and Rawan Muqaddas
    The living room of Amity Street Residence in Brooklyn, New York, houses a collection of sculptural furniture pieces that give it an art-gallery feel.
    Here, designer Isamu Noguchi’s Akari rice lamp with its bamboo stem matches a wooden chair and plinth and contrasts with a green marble table.
    “A warm colour palette was deployed to unify the spaces by way of gentle oak floors, cream-hued walls that contrasted with dark stone, and stained-wood inset bookshelves,” said designer Selma Akkari.
    Find out more about Amity Street Residence ›
    Photo by Tomooki KengakuAzabu Hills Residence, Japan, by Karimoku Case
    Azabu Hills Residence (above and main image) sits on a hilltop in Tokyo and was designed to have a “calm and serene atmosphere”. Local zelkova wood was used for its custom-made furniture, including an ovoid coffee table.
    A clever use of materials enhances the organic modern interior, with a glossy, lacquered brown vase standing out against the textured rug and sofa.
    Find out more about Azabu Hills Residence ›
    Photo by José HeviaCan Santacilia, Spain, by OHLAB
    New and old meet inside the Can Santacilia apartment building in Palma de Mallorca’s old town, parts of which are from the 12th or 13th century.
    In the living room of one of the flats, architecture studio OHLAB used geometric-shaped rattan furniture and a rug to bring a natural colour palette into the all-white room.
    Find out more about Can Santacilia ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring floors that connect the indoors and outdoors and interiors with mezzanine.

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    Sergio Mannino enlivens Philadelphia pharmacy with mauve and silver

    Brooklyn-based designer Sergio Mannino has chosen a palette of purple and silver for a Philadelphia pharmacy that helps patients affected by the opioid crisis.

    Located in the Philadelphia suburb of Cheltenham, the Angel Care Pharmacy is owned by Olivia Tchanque, who wanted the design of her space to reflect the care and sensitivity offered to her patients.
    Sergio Mannino designed the mauve and chrome seats that populate the waiting area at Angel Care PharmacyTchanque looked to Sergio Mannino Studio to create an environment that feels distinctive, clean and contemporary.
    The pharmacy was born in part to help deal with the ongoing opioid crisis in the US, and those with addictions to OxyContin and deadly substitute Fentanyl.
    Mannino designed the interiors and branding for the pharmacyIts mission revolves around “providing the community with the best medical supplies and care they need”, said Tchanque.

    Mannino was responsible for the interior design and branding for the space, including its angel-wing logo used for signage and across marketing materials.
    Once two separate units, the space is divided into retail and prescription areas that are connected by an open doorwayOnce two separate units, the 1,800-square-foot (167-square-metre) pharmacy is divided into retail operations and prescription areas now connected by an open doorway.
    In the retail area, the designer intentionally chose colours that are bold but would not be overbearing.
    The pharmacy windows are surrounded by pale purple walls with a grid overlaid”Mauve is the colour of balance: it represents tenderness and it’s frequently associated with femininity and motherhood,” said Mannino.
    “White brings a feeling of safety and purity. It represents the absence of things and a sense of relaxation and clarity. Silver has always been associated with the moon, inspiring a feeling of joy and peace.”
    Oak-framed shelving from Blu Dot and Hem is used to display productsTwo chairs designed by Mannino with soft purple-upholstered bases, minimal chrome backrests and oak armrests provide a waiting area for patients along with a built-in window seat.
    These are accompanied by two side tables designed by Ettore Sottsass for Kartell, in violet and pink finishes.

    Pharmacy waiting room in Brooklyn features calming turquoise tones

    The room is decorated with silver-toned wallpaper on two sides and purple grid pattern on the others.
    Shelving displays along the walls came from Blu Dot, while freestanding units in the centre of the room are by Hem – both crafted from oak.
    The pharmacy is located in the Philadelphia suburb of CheltenhamThe colour palette extends to the minimalist branding, which features mauve hues, grid patterns and contemporary typography.
    At Tchanque’s request, Mannino also introduced compostable vials and bags instead of plastic packaging, since “every year, each local pharmacy in the US fills 60,000 prescriptions on average,” according to the pharmacist.
    The branding for the pharmacy follows the same colour palette as the interiorsSergio Mannino Studio was established in 2008, and the firm’s early projects included a showroom for footwear brand Kensiegirl and another shoe shop where the walls were covered in interchangeable panels.
    More recently, Mannino completed a pharmacy waiting room in Brooklyn featuring graphic floor tiles, a pigmented cement desk and curved leather chairs.
    The photography is by Sergio Mannino Studio.

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    Eight hotel interiors characterised by eclectic designs

    From guest rooms filled with fashion designer Christian Louboutin’s personal antique collection to Ibiza’s oldest hotel where handmade masks are mounted on the walls, our latest lookbook features eight eclectic hotel interiors.

    Eclectic design brings together objects and styles from a range of sources – often mixing contemporary and vintage pieces.
    While many hotels are characterised by uniform luxury, others celebrate unlikely combinations of furniture, colours and patterns.
    Here are eight eclectic hotel interiors from around the world defined by contrasts and clashes.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring residential mezzanines, Mexican holiday homes and minimalist bathrooms.

    Photo courtesy of Kelly WearstlerDowntown LA Proper, USA, by Kelly Wearstler
    American designer Kelly Wearstler has created the interiors for all four of the Proper Hotel Group’s branches across North America.
    The Downtown LA Proper is anchored by “bold and eclectic choices”, including a chunky graphite reception desk and a hand-painted archway flanked by leaning column-like cacti in rustic pots.
    Find out more about Downtown LA Proper ›
    Photo by Karel BalasMontesol Experimental, Ibiza, by Dorothée Meilichzon
    Dorothée Meilichzon of French interior design studio Chzon renovated Montesol – the oldest hotel in Ibiza, originally built in the 1930s.
    Meilichzon transformed the renamed Montesol Experimental with “a bohemian overtone” that draws on the hotel’s rich history. Among its interior elements are lumpy Playdough Stools by artist Diego Faivre, hand-crafted masks and an abundance of tassels.
    Find out more about Montesol Experimental ›
    Photo by Ambroise TézenasVermelho, Portugal, by Christian Louboutin and Madalena Caiado
    Louboutin filled his first hospitality project with furniture and materials from his personal antique collection.
    The fashion designer worked with architect Madalena Caiado to create the Vermelho boutique hotel in the Portuguese village of Melides. The guest rooms feature unexpected elements such as a rattan monkey-shaped side table and striking hand-painted frescoes.
    Find out more about Vermelho ›
    Photo by Brooke ShanesyPalm Heights, Grand Cayman, by Gabriella Khalil
    Collectible design pieces characterise Palm Heights in Grand Cayman, the island’s first boutique hotel.
    Creative director Gabriella Khalil sought to style the project like a 1970s Caribbean mansion, selecting sandy yellows and bold blue hues to complement the many original artworks that adorn the walls.
    Find out more about Palm Heights ›
    Photo by The IngallsAustin Proper Hotel and Residences, USA, by Kelly Wearstler
    Among the Proper Hotel Group’s other locations is an Austin branch. Wearstler inserted a sculptural oak staircase into the lobby that doubles as a plinth for a varied collection of glazed earthenware pots and vases.
    Locally sourced art and textiles characterise the hotel, which has cypress wood walls that were charred using the traditional Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban to create a tiger-striped effect.
    Find out more about Austin Proper Hotel ›
    Photo by Simon BrownHôtel de la Boétie, France, by Beata Heuman
    Swedish designer Beata Heuman created the Hôtel de la Boétie in Paris to be “a bit like a stage set”.
    Heuman chose contrasting elements for the colour-drenched interiors. Bedrooms feature a mixture of dark-hued woven headboards and pale pink sheets, while downstairs, the reception area’s jumbo flower lamps balance the steely silver of the lounge walls.
    Find out more about Hôtel de la Boétie ›
    Photo by Felix BrueggemannChâteau Royal, Germany, by Irina Kromayer
    A series of eclectic spaces make up the Château Royal in Berlin, which references the heyday of the German capital at the turn of the 20th century.
    Interior architect Irina Kromayer designed the hotel to be “authentic” rather than retro, choosing art noveau tiles and brass and nickel hardware in a nod to the finishes commonly found in Berlin’s historic buildings.
    Find out more about Château Royal ›
    Photo by Christian HarderEsme Hotel, USA, by Jessica Schuster Design
    Plush velvet flooring, textural tassels and plants in wicker pots come together at the Esme Hotel in Miami, renovated by New York studio Jessica Schuster Design.
    The interiors draw on the “bohemian grandeur” of the hotel’s 1920s history, with decadent alcoves clad with contrasting patterns.
    Find out more about Esme Hotel ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring residential mezzanines, Mexican holiday homes and minimalist bathrooms.

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    Esrawe + Cadena house Mexico City fragrance boutique within radial pavilion

    This wooden pavilion set among lush gardens forms a retail space in Mexico City for fragrance brand Xinú, designed by its founders Esrawe + Cadena.

    The Xinú Marsella space occupies a former car mechanic’s workshop in the city’s Juarez neighborhood that has been transformed into an oasis of greenery.
    Esrawe + Cadena built the Xinú boutique within an industrial courtyard transformed into a verdant gardenIt was built to provide a multi-sensory experience for customers of perfume and home scent brand Xinú, which designers Héctor Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena founded in 2016.
    Both had a hand in creating the retail space, which is intended to reinvigorate the leftover industrial space and provide an enjoyable spot to visit.
    The single-storey pavilion is built almost entirely from laminated tornillo wood”The design approach started with the idea of gifting a garden to the neighbourhood, ingeniously giving life to a vacant space by harmoniously blending a holistic experience that integrates the seductive power of nature, with design and architecture,” said the design team.

    Visitors approach the space via an unassuming metal gateway on the street, passing through a tunnel with many potted plants on either side before emerging into the courtyard.
    Its radial construction emanates from a central columnA flagstone path guides this journey to and around a circular single-storey pavilion built almost entirely from laminated tornillo wood.
    Its radial construction revolves around a large central pillar, from which structural beams emanate to support tongue-and-groove ceiling panels.
    Vertical louvres around the perimeter support shelves and vitrines displaying various itemsThe pavilion sits on a steel frame atop a system of red grandis wood beams, while a pine lattice above the ceiling supports a plywood board roof.
    Around the perimeter are a series of vertical louvres that provide anchors for shelves and vitrines displaying a variety of items.
    Products on view include Xinú’s fragrances, candles and other olfactory-related piecesGlass panels fill most of the gaps between the louvres, except the two that are left for the wooden doors.
    At night, a ring of track lighting illuminates the displays that range from Xinú perfumes and candles, to olfactory-stimulating natural items, small plants and botanical drawings.
    The boutique is designed to offer Xinú customers a “a powerful authentic brand narrative””This thoughtful arrangement allows the periphery to fully embrace the botanical realm, correlating scents, candles, incense and home products with the vivid tapestry of the landscape,” the team said.
    “Supported by a powerful authentic brand narrative, the pavilion unfolds as a contemplative journey, a multi-sensory approach inviting guests to explore a universe crafted by simplicity and the fragrant symphony of nature as well as Xinú’s unique products and scents.”

    Mexican design and architecture undergoing a “renaissance” says Héctor Esrawe

    Xinú launched during Design Week Mexico in 2016, when the brand’s stacked-hemisphere reusable bottles – also designed by Esrawe Studio and Cadena & Asociados – were unveiled.
    Esrawe is one of Mexico’s most prolific contemporary designers, and in a recent interview with Dezeen, said that Mexican design and architecture is undergoing a “renaissance”.
    The courtyard is accessed from the street via a metal gate and reached by following a flagstone pathHis studio’s recent projects include the Albor Hotel in San Miguel de Allende where planes of green tile are suspended from the lobby ceiling and an apartment in Mexico City anchored by a cruciform cabinet.
    Cadena frequently collaborates on projects with Esrawe, offering art direction, concept design and brand identity.
    Track lighting inside the pavilion and uplights in the plants create an atmospheric setting at nightOther projects the two studios have completed together include Grupo Arca’s showroom and cultural centre in Guadalajara and the Tierra Garat cafe in Polanco, Mexico City.
    The photography is by Alejandro Ramírez.
    Project credits:
    Concept and experience: Esrawe + CadenaArchitecture, interior design, furniture: Esrawe StudioDisplay and artwork design: Cadena ConceptsDesign team: Heisei Carmona, Nuria Martin, Laura Vela, Ángel Durán, Raúl Araiza, Rodrigo Romero, Pablo ÁvilaVisualisations: Yair UgarteScale models: Alejandro Uribe, David DíazWood: MicmacStructure: Sergio LópezInstallations: JLC RemodelacionesLandscaping: Arturo FloresLighting: Lighteam

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    Vitra extends European presence with showroom openings in heritage buildings

    Promotion: Swiss furniture brand Vitra is expanding its European presence through a programme of showroom openings in renovated, distinctive historic buildings.

    The brand, which is known for high-end office and home furniture by leading designers, has embarked on a programme of showroom expansion and renovation to add to its global presence.
    “All Vitra showrooms reflect an agile and flexible platform to showcase our office and home concepts, including both Vitra and Artek,” said the brand.
    “We are keen to present the collaboration and synergies with our partners in spaces designed for communal work, activities and events.”
    It has recently opened or renovated showrooms in Amsterdam, London, Madrid, Oslo and Stockholm.

    Vitra recently opened a showroom in OsloVitra’s latest showroom opened last month in Oslo. Set within a 1930s metal factory in the resurgent Skøyen district, the understated interior was designed to contrast the industrial structure and set the base for the brand’s curated furniture collections.
    The space contains offices for Vitra local staff and also functions as a place for the brand to host architects and designers.
    It also opened a showroom in renovated building in MadridEarlier this year in Madrid’s bustling Salamanca district, Vitra opened a showroom within a 1920s art nouveau building originally designed by Spanish architect Antonio Palacios as a power supply facility for the city’s metro system.
    The space was renovated by Spanish studio Carlos Manzano Arquitectos to create a bright and open space that showcases many of the building’s original features.
    Topped by a distinctive steel and glass roof, the space combines office space for Vitra’s Madrid staff along with a showroom space, Vitra Colour & Material Library and a Task Chair Lab.
    “One of our main goals was to peel off added elements to reveal the beauty of the spacious interior,” said Till Weber, creative director interiors and scenography.
    “We also tried to maintain as much as possible of the original structure. For example, we tore out an entire kitchen installed by the former tenant to reveal wonderfully preserved brick walls.”
    Its Amsterdam showroom overlooks the city’s portIn Amsterdam, Vitra recently opened another showroom on the dockside in the city’s Houthavens district within an old industrial munitions complex.
    Vitra’s Amsterdam home was designed by London-based interiors studio SevilPeach, which was shortlisted for interior designer of the year at Dezeen Awards 2019.
    Described as “breathtaking” by Vitra chairman Rolf Fehlbaum, the pared-back space features several showrooms, a shop, offices, canteen, a workshop and warehouse spaces.
    Vitra’s London showroom opened in the Tramshed in ShoreditchIn London, Vitra recently opened a showroom in another heritage building – the Grade II-listed Tramshed in Shoreditch.
    Originally built as a power station for the East London Tramway in 1905, the building was renovated to draw attention to its original features including the central roof light.
    Along with the showroom openings, Vitra also recently renovated its Stockholm showroom. The brand also has European showrooms in Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Prague and Paris as well as outside Europe in Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo.
    The Herzog & de Meuron-designed VitraHaus is its flagship storeThe target audience for Vitra’s showrooms are B2B professionals, dealers, artists and designers. For its private clients, Vitra caters via its authorised dealer network and its own online shops.
    Additionally, there is the Vitra Campus in Weil Am Rhein in Germany, which contains the Herzog & de Meuron-designed VitraHaus flagship store.
    “The VitraHaus is a unique building that we have been working on for more than a decade,” said Nora Fehlbaum, CEO of Vitra.
    “During this time, we have learned more about the building and about interiors in general: what does the building want? What suits it? What are the recipes for a good room? What is missing from our collection to make an interior even more meaningful or appealing? The interior we have now created reflects our answers to these questions and it is an ongoing project.”
    Vitra creative director interiors and scenography Till Weber said: “In addition to the Vitra Campus, the Vitra brand should also be tangible and visible at a local level.”
    “Depending on the location and surroundings there is a tailored concept, different colour scheme, a different product selection – but the Vitra DNA can always be experienced.”
    Find out more about Vitra’s showrooms on its website.
    Partnership content
    This article was written by Dezeen for Vitra as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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    Gary Card redesigns London’s LN-CC store with orange tunnel and LED-lit club

    Designer Gary Card has given London’s LN-CC boutique a redesign that includes a sci-fi-looking wooden tunnel and a room “shaped like the inside of a foot”.

    Card, who designed the original interior of the east London store in 2011, said the challenge for him was using the knowledge he has accumulated since then to create something new.
    The LN-CC store in east London has a red facade”The question for myself this time was – can I use everything I’ve learned over the last decade to reimagine one of my most recognized projects,” he told Dezeen.
    “Each room has a very different concept,” he added. “It’s become part of the tradition now to change the temperature and colour palette with each room and encourage a journey of identity and discovery.”
    An octagonal wooden tunnel welcomes visitorsThe store is the only physical shop for LN-CC, which is mainly an online business, and is spread across the ground and lower-ground floor of a former tie factory.

    Visitors enter via an orange wooden tunnel with an octagonal shape reminiscent of the architecture in director Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
    Each room in the store has different colours and materialsIt is the third tunnel that Card has designed for the store, following its original orange tunnel and a later white version.
    “The tunnel is LN-CC’s icon,” Card explained. “It’s been with us for over a decade now, so it had to be a significant feature.”
    “We decided early on to bring it to street level and make the entrance something that had never been seen before as part of the store space,” he added.
    “It’s a brand-new design and construction. We’ve brought back the orange from the first tunnel; the white is a nod to the second version from 2014.”
    A cobalt-blue room sits on the lower-ground floorEach of the six rooms in the store has a different feel and different colours, which Card chose together with LN-CC’s buying and creative director Reece Crisp.
    “The colours we settled on really amplify what we’re showcasing, the brand’s unique edit,” the designer said.
    The store is LN-CC’s only physical spaceAmong them is the Callisto room, which has a cave-like feel and a design that was influenced by the building’s existing structures.
    “In the Callisto room, there was a circular part of a helter-skelter that used to be in the building – this used to be a tie factory and it was in the corner,” Crisp told Dezeen. “When we stripped the space back, we saw this sort of circle and that fed into how we wanted that space to be.”
    In the Atrium, Card used tile adhesive to create the structures and patterns on the room’s wide lime-green pillars, which provide shelving for the store’s accessories.
    The Atrium room has green pillars decorated with tile adhesiveFor LN-CC’s shoe room, known as the Midtarsal, Card drew on the anatomy of the human body to create an undulating, flesh-coloured interior.
    “The shoe space, the Midtarsal room, that’s engineering to an incredible degree,” Crisp said. “We love the shape – like the inside of the foot – and how that warps the room.”

    Mooradian Studio sprays London boutique interior with recycled newspaper pulp

    Throughout LN-CC, Card used a variety of different materials to bring the rooms to life.
    “The space is a juxtaposition of lots of different materials,” he said. “So MDF, perspex, wood and concrete – I sought to take small cues from the original while innovating with a refreshed lens exploring the interplay between texture, colour and materials within the newly imagined rooms.”
    The Midtarsal room has undulating shapes in a beige colourThe last room of the store is a club space, which features LED walls that can be used to turn the room into different colours or display messages.
    “The club has always been a huge part of LN-CC’s identity, ” Card said. “It was never about selling clothes – the brand was an online business after all – it was about delivering experiences. So we wanted to do something really special with the new club.”
    The LN-CC club space is lit by an LED wall”It was a bit dark and gritty before, which was cool, but we knew we needed to raise the stakes for the latest store design without it losing its edge,” Card added.
    “My right-hand man, Richard Wilkins, was the tech wizard for the space who created the lighting and amazing LED wall. The lighting totally transforms the space.”
    Other recent London store interiors include a boutique sprayed with recycled newspaper pulp and a colourful Marylebone store with handpainted murals.

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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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