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      Atelier Fréderic Louis adds new curves to art-deco house in Antwerp

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      The rounded details of an art-deco-style facade are repeated throughout the interior of this house in Antwerp, which has been renovated by Atelier Fréderic Louis.

      Belgian architect Fréderic Louis has modernised the layout of House Mellinet, replacing the previously separate kitchen and living room with a large, open family room that opens out to the rear garden.
      The design – created in collaboration with interior designer Sarah De Pauw – celebrates the building’s existing curved details.
      The art-deco house has a brick facade with various curved detailsAccording to Louis, it was these details that first attracted the owners to the 145-square-metre property.
      “They bought the home because they fell in love with the original art-deco-style elements,” he told Dezeen.

      Extra curved details have also been added in, including a new fireplace and two focal staircase treads.
      The renovation created a more open layout for the ground floorThe ambition behind the renovation was to create a more open-plan ground floor layout, increasing natural light and making the living spaces feel more generous in size.
      Achieving this layout involved stripping the building back to its structure and installing new steelwork.
      An original arched opening was reinstated”Our starting point was trying to figure out how we could open the rooms to each other, as these were all closed off from each other by thick load-bearing walls,” explained Louis.
      “The structural elements we used for this were key for the design of the house, as they stayed partly visible.”
      New steelwork was required, although only some of the beams are left exposedWhen builders started stripping the interior back to its structure, they discovered hidden details such as a large arched wall frame. This fuelled Louis’ decision to make curves the key design motif.
      The new layout creates a circular route through the ground-floor spaces, defining a lobby space, a lounge area, a dining area and a kitchen, while a small office sits off to one side.
      The junction between floor surfaces is one of many new curved detailsTwo different floor surfaces feature here: a chevron-patterned oak parquet, and a speckled white terrazzo.
      The junction between these surfaces integrates another curved detail.

      Graux & Baeyens designs three brick volumes to form Belgian house with wetland views

      This is echoed by the shape of the kitchen island counter, which is made from a marble that matches the tones of the terrazzo floor.
      “The end of the wall was also curved, not only as a reference to the original style elements, but also to ease the circulation around the kitchen island and the spaces next to it,” said Louis.
      Other curves feature on the kitchen counter and the fireplaceNew windows were installed in place of the previous PVC frames, with slender aluminium details that look more akin to the steel designs that would have been on the building originally.
      Heating, plumbing and electrical systems have also been upgraded to bring them up to modern standards.
      Focal staircase treads repeat the curve themeGhent-based Louis has run his own studio since 2014, but he also works for Graux & Baeyens Architecten, where he has led projects including the blocky House J-VC.
      House Mellinet is one of several historically sensitive renovations the architect has undertaken. He believes the design has returned the building “to its former grandeur”.
      The renovated first-floor bathroom features a similar terrazzo to the kitchen”The living areas have evolved from closed, dark spaces, to a vivid, daylight-rich living space with a great view over the green garden,” he said.
      “The kitchen has become a point of attraction, while the new and restored art-deco elements have restored the original feel of the house.”
      The photography is by Tim Van de Velde.

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      Earthy colours bring warmth to clifftop Aethos Ericeira hotel in Portugal

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      Lisbon-based Pedra Silva Arquitectos has teamed up with Spanish design studio Astet to convert a former clifftop farmstead on Portugal’s west coast into a destination for surfers.

      Aethos Ericeira is a 50-room hotel positioned high up on sandstone cliffs, overlooking the beach on a stretch of coastline known to offer some of the best waves in Portugal.
      Aethos Ericeira occupies a converted farmhouse. Photo is by Francisco NogueiraPedra Silva Arquitectos oversaw the building work, which included reworking the facades, while Astet replanned the spatial flow and designed the visual aesthetic of the interiors.
      Their design draws from its setting, combining references to the rural landscape with elements of surf culture, and also taking advantage of the elevated view.
      The original facade is updated with protruding box windows. Photo is by Francisco NogueiraGrand windows, simple furnishings and an earthy colour palette help to create an environment where visitors can feel relaxed and connected with the setting.

      “When we came across the property, we immediately knew it was a unique opportunity – a secluded destination on top of a 40-metre cliff, surrounded by lush fields with unrivalled ocean views,” said CEO and co-founder Benjamin Habbel.
      “The building, a former farmhouse turned into a rehab centre, had been abandoned for many years,” he told Dezeen. “Despite its bad shape, we saw huge potential.”
      Arched windows are a key feature in the lobby. Photo is by PION StudioThe venue is one of five properties under the Aethos brand, along with locations in France and Italy.
      Like its sister venues, the ethos behind Aethos Ericeira is to promote mindfulness among guests, by offering wellbeing-focused spaces and experiences.
      The materials palette includes wood, rattan and soft-green tiles. Photo is by PION StudioFor Pedra Silva Arquitectos, this meant bringing a greater sense of cohesion to the existing buildings and the various extensions that had been added over the years.
      The old farmhouse was kept simple, with light-rendered walls, a clay tile roof, arched recesses and protruding box windows. Meanwhile other parts of the building were updated with timber slats and metal panelling.

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      “We felt the solution was to establish a clear distinction between old and new, restoring the existing building to something closer to its original state, and giving recent extensions and new construction their own distinct character,” said studio founder Luís Pedra Silva.
      “For the areas of more recent expansion, the challenge was to achieve a contemporary look and feel that was well integrated,” added architect Bernardo Nadais.
      “We achieved this by combining a strong materiality with surgical instances of demolition – removing some sloped roofs, opening up the balconies – allowing us to reinterpret the facades into clearer shapes and volumes.”
      Timber slats clad one of the newer buildings. Photo by PION StudioAstet’s interior design strategy centred around the year-round experience.
      The materials palette incorporates warm natural materials like wood, velvet and rattan, but also brings in cooler surfaces that include marble and stone.
      A swimming pool is framed by the buildings. Photo by PION Studio”Ericeira can be great and sunny but there are a few months where it’s windy and rainy, so the number one goal was for rooms and common spaces to function in the summer and be cosy in the winter,” said Astet’s Ala Zureikat.
      “Yet we didn’t want to be too literal and use Portuguese tiles, because I think that’s the first thing that everyone associates with Portugal,” he told Dezeen. “We wanted to achieve a more sophisticated twist.”
      The hotel is designed for surfing enthusiasts. Photo is by PION StudioThe most distinctive space is the hotel reception, which is characterised by the original arched windows, soft-green tiles and large louvre screens.
      The bedrooms are more minimal, with custom headboards, muted fabrics and wooden flooring.
      “The door of the room is a full-size mirror, so wherever you are, you always have a view of the ocean,” said Zureikat.
      Onda is the hotel restaurant. Photo is by PION StudioAethos Ericeira facilities include a restaurant, a gym, a heated saltwater pool, a meditation and yoga deck, and a spa with hammam, hot slab and treatment rooms.
      Landscape works help to create easy flow between these spaces, and link up with pathways leading to the beach.
      Other recent beach hotels to open include Ethos Vegan Suites in Santorini, Villa W in Saint-Tropez, and Patina Maldives.
      The photography is by Francisco Nogueira and PION Studio.

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      Happy new year from Dezeen!

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      Happy new year from Dezeen! We’ll be back tomorrow, but in the meantime, you can read the most-read stories of 2022 and our full review of the year.

      The review looks at the most interesting architecture, design and interior stories from 2022. It includes roundups of the top houses, home interiors, staircases, skyscrapers, rebrands, furniture and much more.
      Read the review of 2022 ›
      The main image is from Matsuyama house by TTArchitects, which features dedicated spaces for watching fireworks. The photography is by Kei Sugino.

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      Upstairs lounge with “DIY” design approach opens at Public Records

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      Public Records co-founders Shane Davis and Francis Harris have added a bar and lounge on an upper floor of their multi-purpose creative venue in Brooklyn.

      Upstairs is the latest addition to Public Records, which was opened in 2019 by musician Harris and creative consultant Davis, who led the design of both the original spaces and the new lounge.
      The Upstairs lounge at Public Records is anchored by a dark marble bar and glossy black floorThe extension joins a variety of programmed areas in the industrial brick building, including a cafe and record store, a plant-based bar and restaurant, an outdoor garden and a Sound Room for live performances.
      For Upstairs, Davis collaborated with DSLV Studio on the interiors, Arup for the acoustics, and a cast of makers to renovate the upper-level space – once occupied by Retrofret Vintage Guitars.
      A “DIY approach” was taken to the design of the space, which involved multiple collaborators”We felt that people would value a space that inspires more intimate connection than our other spaces,” said David. “This framework then provides opportunities to explore our ideas and showcase those of our collaborators on various scales, whether it be a sound system, a chair, an event series, or a cocktail.”

      The room is anchored by a dark, patterned marble bar, which together with the glossy black floor contrasts the mostly white walls and furniture.
      Particular attention was paid to the sound quality in the space, which includes large subwoofer speakers by OJASParticular attention was paid to the sound quality in the space, where walls are furred out and undulated to bounce music around the room from large subwoofer speakers.
      These are housed in cabinets by Devon Turnbull of OJAS and positioned against the back wall, with either side of the cabinets containing a diverse array of equipment including a reel-to-reel tape player.
      Custom furniture pieces include the PR Lounge Chair, designed with local fabricator Joe CauvelPatrons will be able to choose from a curated selection of records and CDs available to play during gatherings, events and parties.
      “Intentional listening on an audio system that showcases the practices of production in the music space allows for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the cultural significance of musicians and producers who are an integral part of how we shape our perception of the world,” said Harris.

      Public Records in historic Brooklyn building pairs vegan cafe with nightclub

      Wrapping the room are cream leather banquettes, accompanied by circular glass tables, and black ceramic and foam stools commissioned from Zurich-based artist Cristian Anderson that are reminiscent of used paint buckets.
      Also scattered through the space is the custom PR Lounge Chair, designed with local fabricator Joe Cauvel and constructed of plywood and steel with exposed joinery.
      Exposed ductwork and services found throughout the old industrial building are also present in UpstairsExposed ductwork and services found throughout the building are also present in Upstairs, which continues the same “DIY approach” taken to all of Public Records’ spaces.
      Brooklyn has no end of venues that act as community hubs, workspaces and nightlife spots geared towards its thriving creative population.
      Black ceramic and foam stools by artist Cristian Anderson are reminiscent of used paint bucketsAmong others are The Mercury Store performing arts centre in Dumbo and the 77 Washington artist studios in the Navy Yard.
      Elsewhere in New York City, creative co-working space Neuehouse recently updated its hospitality areas.
      The photography is by Ill Gander.

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      No Architects completes “seamless” revamp of 1920s house in Prague

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      Czech studio No Architects has renovated and extended a 1920s villa in a Prague suburb, adding bespoke joinery and modern details that complement the original architecture.

      The studio headed by artist Daniela Baráčková and architect Jakub Filip Novák oversaw the modernisation of the property in the Smíchov district on the left bank of the Vltava river.
      The joinery on the ground floor was painted duck-egg blueThe extensive remodelling and extension aimed to retain the character of the house, which was built in the 1920s in a romantic style that references the steep-pitched roofs and brick cladding of arts and crafts-style English villas.

      No Architects removed all of the existing floors, ceilings and non-load-bearing walls of the semi-detached property and added a side extension to accommodate containing a ground-floor guest suite and a bedroom on the first floor.
      Bespoke joinery was added throughout the interiorThe extension utilises the same palette of clay roof tiles, painted brick and a pumice stone plinth in order to produce a timeless aesthetic that is in keeping with the original architecture.

      “Other contemporary extensions in this neighbourhood got very old very quickly and don’t fit in well anymore,” Jakub Filip Novák told Dezeen.
      “Our addition refers to the original facade details and is hardly recognisable as separate to the original house. The connection between the new and old parts is not just via design, but it seems seamless even by structure and same ageing of material.”
      The interior layout was reconfigured to modernise the villaThe revamped interior has a contemporary layout, with an open living and dining area linked to the adjacent kitchen. A new doorway in the rear elevation provides direct access from the kitchen to the garden.
      A custom-built unit next to the back door discreetly conceals a pantry and toilet, along with plenty of storage and space for the refrigerator.

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      No Architects designed bespoke joinery added throughout the house to make optimal use of the available space and to create a sense of aesthetic consistency between the various rooms.
      “The living space consists of many details and we like to frame them because it helps connect plenty of technology and infrastructure which surround us in any house,” said Novák.
      “It’s also an economic decision,” he added, “because every square metre of living space in Prague is expensive so it is rational to use it sensibly. We see joinery as part of such thinking, uniting architecture, construction and technology.”
      Green woodwork adds a splash of colour to the staircaseSome of the interventions were painted in pastel shades that add a distinctive character to the spaces. The upper floor and staircase feature green woodwork, while the ground-floor joinery is painted a shade of duck-egg blue.
      The clients spent part of their lives working in Japan and the United Kingdom, so some of the colours and details reference these experiences.
      The decorative panelling and exposed radiators on the first floor recall traditional British houses, while the minimal bench seating in the living room and the tiled porch evoke Japanese living.
      The studio designed built-in seating in the living roomA small door on the first-floor landing provides access to a previously unused space above the entrance that now contains a private play area accessible only by the children.
      Throughout the project, No Architects adapted existing features to give them a new purpose or to enhance the character of the building while ensuring it meets the client’s requirements.
      The bespoke joinery was designed to optimise space in the home”We work with intuitive ‘memory of architecture’ and aesthetics which belongs to the original era but we don’t follow it directly,” Novák added, “we just use it to make a nice place that makes the most of the potential which is in the atmosphere of the house.”
      No Architects’ founders met while studying at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague. The studio combines the disciplines of art and architecture to produce detailed-oriented solutions that reflect their clients’ requirements and personalities.
      The photography is by Studio Flusser.

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      Tala Fustok fills Hyde Park apartment with contemporary art and vintage furniture

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      Tala Fustok Studio has transformed the interior of an apartment in west London into a “calm sanctuary” containing carefully chosen artworks and furnishings influenced by the travels of its owner.

      The Palace Gate apartment is located on the fourth floor of a Victorian mansion block neighbouring Hyde Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
      Tala Fustok has designed the The Palace Gate apartment in LondonLocal interior designer Tala Fustok set out to turn the four-bedroom property into a relaxing pied-a-terre containing a collection of contemporary artworks.
      “I wanted to create a calm sanctuary to balance the hustle and bustle of the city and the owner’s lifestyle,” Fustok told Dezeen.
      “Our client is an ardent traveller, frequenting North Africa and copious European cities,” she added. “We wanted to ensure this was reflected in the design, as a sort of escapism and bringing a dose or reminder of those settings to their London home.”

      Integrated storage conceals steel beams in the living roomThe interior features a palette of soft colours intended to evoke a sunset, with textures of stone and earthy fabrics adding to the nomadic and natural feel.
      The 252-square-metre interior was reorganised through several structural interventions that opened up the living and dining area, as well as combining two bedrooms to form a large principal bedroom and dressing area.
      A woven chair and a vase from east London’s M.A.H Gallery stand in the entrance hallIn the main living space, steel beams are concealed within a room divider featuring curved surfaces and open shelves that allow light and views throughout, while providing spaces for displaying artwork.
      Deep hues and textures including plastered walls and velvet upholstery add richness and variety to the scheme, making the most of the light that floods into the southwest-facing spaces.
      Wooden cabinetry contrasts with brass details in the kitchenA monochromatic colour scheme forms a simple backdrop for the artworks, vintage furniture and bespoke elements created to enhance the home’s restful atmosphere.
      Fustok’s studio was involved in selecting the unique furnishings and art for the home in order to elevate the spaces and create consistency throughout the different rooms.

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      A pared-back entrance hall – containing a Venetian mirror, a woven chair and a vase from east London’s M.A.H Gallery – leads through to the dining room where a mirror from The Antique Mirror Company hangs above a painted brick fireplace.
      A 1970s Italian travertine table combines with a curved sofa to create a space for informal dining. On top of the table is a centrepiece from London’s Vessel gallery and beneath sits a shaggy rug by designer Tim Page.
      A huge pink-velvet bed is the centrepiece of the bedroomFustok added double arched doors to connect the dining room with the adjacent kitchen, where wooden cabinetry contrasts with brass details including the cooker hood.
      The living room features a travertine fireplace along with a mirror and rug that match those used in the dining room. Bespoke furnishings made of bleached plywood, brass and timber contribute to the space’s relaxed, rustic character.
      The same pink tones carry over into the bathroomIn the main bedroom, a 1960s-style bed upholstered in dusty pink velvet provides a bold centrepiece.
      The tapestry above the bed is from London gallery Schmid McDonagh, while a bespoke mirror by French artist Christophe Gaignon is positioned above the stone fireplace.
      A dressing area alongside the main bedroom is arranged around a bespoke storage island wrapped in leather and plywood, which is illuminated from above by a pendant light from British design studio Pinch.
      The dressing room is arranged around a bespoke storage islandThe Moroccan-informed en-suite bathroom contains a bespoke travertine sink and zellige tiles in the shower. The design of this space encapsulates the nomadic inspirations seen throughout the residence.
      Tala Fustok studied at the Architectural Association before setting up her studio in west London.
      Her previous projects include a Manhattan loft with a calm ambience and an office for game developer Ninja Theory in Cambridge, which features a blood-red bar and an all-blue cinema room.
      The styling is by Sania Pell and photography by Michael Sinclair.

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      Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2022

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      A temple-like hotel in Mexico and a converted prison in Berlin feature in this roundup of the best hotel designs of 2022, as we continue Dezeen’s review of the year.

      Over 50 hotel and short-stay projects featured on Dezeen in 2022. Our list includes both destination hotels, such as the idyllic Patina Maldives, and stylish urban boltholes like Ace Hotel Toronto.
      Key hospitality trends include growing demand for staycations, as offered by venues like Sweden’s Treehotel, and the rise of the work retreat, thanks to venues like Artchimboldi Menorca.
      Read on for our top 10 hotels of 2022:
      Photo by Jaime NavarroCasa TO, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy

      Natural cooling was the priority for architect Ludwig Godefroy when designing this boutique hotel near Puerto Escondido, on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
      The cast-concrete structure integrates various openings – including large circular cutaways – to allow the breeze to flow through. There’s also a pool spanning the building and a series of outdoor baths for first-floor rooms.
      Godefroy described the hotel as “like the reinterpretation of an Oaxacan temple, generating a radical sensory experience upon entering”.
      Find out more about Casa TO ›
      Photo by Tom de PeyretHotel Terrestre, Mexico, by Taller de Arquitectura X
      Also near Puerto Escondido, Mexican architect Alberto Kalach and his studio Taller de Arquitectura X designed a monumental hotel complex that runs entirely on solar power.
      Hotel Terrestre consists of a series of buildings constructed from concrete and hand-made mud bricks, including 14 villas, an open-air restaurant, a spa and swimming pools.
      The ambition of the design was to embed structures in the landscape as if they have been there for years.
      Find out more about Hotel Terrestre ›
      Photo by The IngallsDowntown LA Proper Hotel, USA, by Kelly Wearstler
      Named hotel and short-stay interior of the year at Dezeen Awards 2022, this 148-room hotel in downtown Los Angeles has an eclectic interior created by designer Kelly Wearstler to reflect the city’s thriving creative scene.
      A former private club built in the 1920s, the property has been transformed with influences from Mexico, Morocco, Spain and Portugal, as well as references to local culture and history.
      Arriving guests are greeted by a hand-painted multicoloured mural designed by artist Abel Macias and a graphite reception desk designed by ceramicist Morgan Peck. Other highlights include a suite with its own pool.
      Find out more about Downtown LA Proper Hotel ›
      Photo by Patricia ParinejadWilmina, Germany, by Grüntuch Ernst Architects
      One of the most surprising new hotels of 2022 occupies an abandoned women’s prison and courthouse in Berlin.
      Locally based Grüntuch Ernst Architects transformed former cells within the 19th-century Charlottenburg facility into tranquil guest rooms finished in light colours, soft textures and warm, tactile materials.
      The U-shaped cell block now also contains a library, bar, spa and gym, while an extension housing Wilmina’s restaurant links the building with the former courthouse, which houses the hotel reception and a gallery called Amtsalon.
      Find out more about Wilmena ›
      Photo courtesy of BIGBiosphere, Sweden, by BIG
      The ever-popular Treehotel added another architect-designed treehouse in 2022, this time by Danish firm BIG.
      Joining designs by the likes of Snøhetta and Tham & Videgård, BIG’s Biosphere is the eighth treetop suite to be installed on the remote woodland site in Swedish Lapland.
      The building exterior is formed of 350 birdhouses of different sizes, fixed to a metal grid. Behind this is a 34-square-metre glass cube containing a bed, a toilet and a lounge space designed with birdwatching in mind.
      Find out more about Biosphere ›
      Photo by Fernando GuerraPatina Maldives, Maldives, by Studio MK27
      This project by Brazilian office Studio MK27 turned an island in the artificial Fari Islands archipelago in the Maldives into a luxury hotel resort, featuring secluded beach suites and water villas that project out to sea.
      The buildings – which include the Dezeen Awards-shortlisted spa – feature a materials palette of earthy colours, matt finishes and natural textures that chime with the natural landscape.
      Never rising above the tree canopy, they are dotted around the island in an arrangement designed to create areas of vibrant social activity and spaces of complete seclusion.
      Find out more about Patina Maldives ›
      Photo by William Jess LairdAce Hotel Toronto, Canada, by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects
      The Ace Hotel brand continued its tradition of collaborating with prolific architects for its first venue in Canada, which is designed by the RAIC Gold Medal-winning Shim-Sutcliffe Architects.
      The 123-room Ace Hotel Toronto features a facade of red brick laid in various patterns and an elevated lobby suspended from huge concrete arches.
      Original artworks by primarily Canadian artists feature throughout the hotel rooms and common areas, including a three-storey installation by Shim-Sutcliffe co-founder Howard Sutcliffe.
      Find out more about Ace Hotel Toronto ›
      Photo by Xun ZhengFloating Cloud Township Villa, China, by More Design Office
      Chinese studio More Design Office (MDO) renovated six traditional rammed-earth houses to create these contemporary guesthouses in the village of Qinglongwu, in Zhejiang Province.
      The properties were upgraded with new windows, partition screens and furniture, which offer a contemporary contrast to the rough-textured earth walls, and the original doors and window shutters.
      The vacation homes form part of newly established tourist destination, the Fangyukongxiangsu Cultural and Creative Complex. They are joined by two new concrete buildings that contain a bar and lounge.
      Find out more about Floating Cloud Township Villa ›
      Photo by Lizzet Ortiz and DesliorHotel Flavia, Mexico, by RootStudio
      Mexican architecture firm RootStudio delivered this 27-room hotel in Oaxaca without drawing up any plans.
      Located on a steep site, the building was commissioned in stages, as a “habitable sculpture”, so most of the design details were worked out on site.
      The result is a building organised around a courtyard filled with endemic vegetation. Visitors enter from the top level and make their way down toward the hotel’s rooms and amenities.
      Find out more about Hotel Flavia ›
      Photo by Pol ViladomsArtchimboldi Menorca, Spain, by Emma Martí
      This former girls’ school in Menorca is now home to a different type of workspace – hospitality company Artchimboldi and architect Emma Martí have turned it into a work retreat.
      The building features design-focused spaces where businesses can host meetings or team-building sessions, plus wooden “pods” that serve as bedrooms.
      Find out more about Artchimboldi Menorca ›

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      Parramon + Tahull adds tiled floors and bespoke joinery to refurbished Barcelona apartment

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      Barcelona studio Parramon + Tahull has renovated a traditional apartment in the city’s Gracia neighbourhood, adding birch plywood joinery and ceramic tiling to complement the building’s original features.

      The apartment is home to a family of four, which has lived there for several years and wanted to carry out a significant overhaul of the outdated interior.
      Parramon + Tahull has renovated an apartment in BarcelonaThe clients asked local architects Lluís Parramon and Emma Tahull to oversee the transformation of the space to provide an open living area and kitchen, along with separate bedrooms for each of their two daughters.
      The apartment is located on the upper floor of a five-storey building dating from the 1900s. A previous renovation undertaken around 20 years ago had altered the layout and destroyed most of the original features.
      The studio added bespoke joinery including a small built-in deskParramon + Tahull began by removing all of the existing partition walls in order to create a brighter and more practical series of spaces within the compact floor plan.

      The rearranged interior also provides plenty of usable storage and restores some of the original details, including wooden beams that had been painted white by the previous owners.
      Terracotta tiles cover floors throughout the apartment”We wanted to bring natural light into all the spaces and to achieve a sense of flowing, continuous space despite the limited surface area,” Tahull told Dezeen.
      “We were interested in working with natural materials and returning some of the original spirit of the building to the apartment.”
      Bespoke joinery is also provides storage in the bedroomsDue to its small size, the architects paid close attention to the choice of materials and layout in order to create a serene, spacious feel.
      “To achieve all the client’s goals, we had to work on a very precise scale of detail, designing all of the furniture to measure in order to take advantage of every square centimetre,” Tahull explained.

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      The interior utilises a palette of predominantly natural materials, chosen to complement the wooden beams while providing an element of tonal and textural contrast.
      Parramon + Tahull chose ceramic tiles from Spanish manufacturer Wow to create a continuous flooring surface throughout the entire apartment, including the kitchen and bathroom.
      Glossy white tiles clad the walls in the bathroom”We were looking for a small-format tile so the feeling of space would be bigger,” Tahull added. “We also wanted to play with a tapestry-like colour scheme that included white, because white gives a great luminosity and echoes the white of other elements.”
      The white and terracotta-coloured tiles include different formats, textures and surface finishes ranging from glossy to matte.
      White grout is used for the floors throughout the rooms, while the bathroom walls are clad in white tiles with contrasting reddish grout.
      Reddish grout provides a visual contrastBespoke fitted cabinetry made from birch plywood provides practical storage in every room, as well as in the hallway. Along with the tiles, the wood forms a consistent element that unites the spaces.
      Lluís Parramon and Emma Tahull founded their studio in 1997. The office focuses on delivering comfortable, contextual and energy-efficient architectural projects for private and commercial clients.
      The photography is by Judith Casas Sayós.

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