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      R & Company highlights seven “archetypes” of American collectible design

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      New York gallery R & Company has curated collectible design work by 55 contemporary artists and designers based throughout the United States.

      The exhibition Objects: USA 2024 is the second instalment in a series of triannual exhibits by the gallery surveying the current state of collectible design practices in the country.
      The show touches on topics such as revived craft traditions, material experimentation, political instability, environmental degradation, and cultural re-appropriation.
      R & Company has showcased 55 designers and artists from across the United States. Works by Dee Clements, Justin Favela, Luam Melake, and Coulter FussellDesigners that represent different generations and backgrounds are on show, including Minjae Kim, Chen Chen and Kai Williams, Roberto Lugo, Katie Stout, and Hugh Hayden.
      “In recent years, collectible design has increasingly entered popular consciousness, in part, thanks to the diversity of individuals embracing handmade processes and propelling them in new directions,” R & Company said.

      “Objects: USA offers an incisive exploration of the formal innovations and conceptual motivations that shape the distinct and varied landscape of today’s object-making.”
      It was organised according to seven “archetypes”. Works by Trey Jones, Nicole McLaughlin, and Kim MupangilaïAccording to the gallery, many of the artists and designers defy easy categorisation and challenge the understood boundaries between art and design.
      The show was guest-curated by writers and historians Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy and Kellie Riggs, who chose to present works thematically through several “archetypes.”
      “After a long period of examining what we believe to be some of the most compelling work being made today, we took on the daunting but exciting task of finding the throughline between 55 unique practices,” Vizcarrondo-Laboy said.
      “What emerged were seven archetypes that provide a dynamic way to explore object-making, not only within this group but also in the future.”
      Designers and artists working across the United States were represented. Works at centre by Brian Oakes, Matthew Szösz, Carl D’Alvia, and Hugh HaydenThe groupings are organised under the headings Truthseekers, Codebreakers, Betatesters, Doomsdayers, Insiders, Keepers and Mediators.
      Showcasing talents that uphold and find new purpose for long-established handicrafts, the Truthseekers section includes pieces by Los Angeles wood artist Nik Gelormino and New Mexico-based ceramicist Lonnie Vigil.
      The exhibition was curated by Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy and Kellie Riggs. Works by Cammie Staros, Ryan Decker, Liam Lee, and Francesca DimattioThe Betatesters grouping presents artists and designers who experiment with these techniques and push the limits of material.
      On view as part of this “archetype” is Houston designer Joyce Lin’s Wood Chair concept, which was created using MDF, epoxy, and oil paint. It shows her ongoing exploration of how the lines between what people think of as natural and artificial can be blurred.
      The Doomsdayers section touches on how talents are addressing today’s political polarisation and dystopian angst.
      The work under this dystopian heading includes Brooklyn-based designer Ryan Decker, who creates graphical works out of materials like fibreglass, resin, and aluminium – like Leaky Bladder – to comment on the rise of technologies like VR and the role video games play in our lives.
      The groupings were chosen to showcase the wide scope of the collectible design world in the US. Works by Minjae Kim and Jolie NgoThe Insiders grouping explores how design can address domestic space and how that impacts the human experience, especially during the lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. Designers in this category included Hugh Hayden who presents “unexpected interventions” into everyday objects such as cribs.
      Brooklyn-based Congolese-Belgian designer Kim Mupangilaï’s Bina daybed was grouped under the Codebreakers section. It demonstrates how designers incorporate distinct forms from different cultural sources.
      “[Mupangilaï’s] distinct body of furniture is imbued with personal narratives, embracing materials symbolic of her Congolese heritage and childhood in Europe,” R & Company said. “Her elegant, organic forms reveal historical and contemporary complexities of identity and experience as the viewer revels in the details.”
      The Keepers section includes one-off designs, sculptures, and installations by artists and designers that utilise these mediums to explore how people establish cultural and interpersonal connections.
      The Mediator “archetype” highlights designs used to help people negotiate with their surroundings and heritage – such as those by Chicago-based Norman Teague.
      “Norman Teague’s multi-faceted practice [architecture, installation, and object design] is inspired by his Chicago South Side neighbourhood and broader African aesthetics,” R & Company said.
      The works range from futuristic to traditional. Works by Misha Kahn, Venancio Aragon, and Ryan DeckerMade using ebony-finished basswood and leather as well as traditional carving and stitching techniques, the Africana Rocking Chair combines references to both his Western and African upbringings but Teague distils them in a contemporary form.
      Also exhibited as part of the Mediator section, Las Vegas-based artist Justin Favela re-appropriates the piñata as an important symbol of Latinx identity in both still-life paintings and painted life-size objects such as low-rider bikes.
      Bright colours were used for backdrops. Work by Nicki GreenAccording to Riggs, the idea was to use these groupings as a way of highlighting the full complexity of American collectible design and offer fresh insights on how conceptual and self-expressive objects fit in the larger cultural conversation; how these designs can be both functional and used to comment on different aspects of contemporary American society.
      The photography is by Logan Jackson.
      Objects: USA 2024 is on show from 6 September 2024 to 10 January 2025 in New York City. For more exhibitions, talks and fairs in architecture and design visit Dezeen Events Guide. 

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      Intervention Architecture hides fold-out furniture behind walls of Florin Court flat

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      British studio Intervention Architecture designed bespoke plywood joinery to conceal furniture including a pull-down bed and a collapsible dining table inside this micro apartment in north London.

      The flat is located within Florin Court, a nine-storey art deco building overlooking Charterhouse Square that was designed by Guy Morgan and Partners and built in 1938.
      The 24-square-metre flat at the rear of the building was previously the servant quarters for a larger residence facing the garden at the front.
      Intervention Architecture has designed the interiors for a London micro apartmentIts current owners, a couple of young artists, commissioned Intervention Architecture after seeing images on the studio’s website of another tiny flat it designed in London’s Barbican Estate.
      Similarly to this project, the Barbican flat featured reconfigurable joinery that allowed for optimal use of the compact space.

      “The brief here was to create joinery for lots of storage and to have it all hidden behind doors to make the apartment feel more spacious,” Intervention Architecture founder Anna Parker told Dezeen.
      Furniture in the Florin Court flat is concealed behind built-in joineryA storage wall lining one side of the living area houses a bed that folds down to rest on a moveable bespoke sofa. Shelving above the bedhead provides space for books with built-in reading lights positioned on either side.
      The sofa, which can also be used as a daybed, was built to contain four bespoke flatpack stools. These can be arranged around a dining table that can be broken down and stored within the wall.
      The living area houses a daybed that transforms into a moveable sofa when foldedA focal point of the space is the open shelving that functions as a library along the end wall.
      Here, a recurring arch motif that references the building’s art deco architecture is used to frame the book-filled niches.
      The puzzle-like construction of the shelving was also informed by Florin Court’s claim to fame as the residence of Agatha Christie’s fictional detective Hercule Poirot in the popular ITV television series.
      Open shelving functions as a library with art deco-style arch motifsIntegrated into the storage units in one corner of the room is a study nook featuring a bespoke seat and a built-in drawing board that can be raised and adjusted to provide an ergonomic work surface.
      Joinery throughout the space was constructed using a single material – poplar plywood with a white oiled finish. The floorboards were sanded and given the same treatment to reinforce the cohesive aesthetic.
      “We wanted to retain a sense of calmness and singular surface tone of one natural material in the apartment to create an even tone of light from the one main window opening,” said Parker.
      Joinery was constructed using poplar plywood with a white oiled finishThe ceiling, walls and window frames are painted a simple off-white shade that helps to brighten the space. This hue is complemented by the tactile boucle upholstery chosen for the sofa.
      The room is illuminated by a single bulb above the study area and a central cluster hung at different heights from the ceiling. A pair of matching bedside lamps provides additional task lighting.

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      While the living area is minimal in its use of colour, the adjoining bathroom and kitchen are saturated in bold hues that introduce an expressive element to the scheme.
      “As the clients are two formidable artists, where the use of colour is intrinsic to their work, we wanted to reference a singular use of two colours in the two spaces ancillary to the main studio,” Parker added.
      The bathroom is clad with blush-pink tiles chosen to evoke a hue that might be found in a 1930s ocean liner. All-white aluminium taps, sanitaryware and a Japanese-style bathtub contribute to the clean and simple aesthetic.
      Blush-pink tiles cover the bathroom, contributing to a clean and simple aestheticThe kitchen is entirely painted in a vibrant shade known as International Klein Blue after the French artist Yves Klein, who used it extensively in his artworks.
      According to Parker, the use of saturated colour creates an “immersive experience” within the tiny two-square-metre space, which manages to squeeze in a hob, oven, dishwasher, fridge, sink, spice rack and concealed bin storage.
      The two-square metre kitchen is painted in International Klein BlueIntervention Architecture was founded by Parker in 2015 and is based in Birmingham, England. The interdisciplinary practice adopts a collaborative approach to its projects, resulting in bespoke solutions with their own unique personality.
      The studio has previously worked on several projects in its home city, including an extension clad in cedar battens and a brick extension featuring arched windows that resemble a colonnade.
      The photography is by Tom Bird.

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      Mirzoyan Studio renovates Stalinist-era flat in Kyiv with oak and stainless steel

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      Architecture practice Mirzoyan Studio has renovated an apartment in the historic centre of Kyiv, Ukraine, adding reflective surfaces and built-in oak furniture.

      The studio updated the two-bedroom apartment, which is within a Stalinka – a type of building characteristic of the architecture of the Soviet Union under the leadership of Joseph Stalin in the 1930s – to turn it into a rental property.
      Mirzoyan Studio renovated the Stalinist-era flat in KyivMirzoyan Studio founder Nastia Mirzoyan explained that the building’s historical character posed certain structural limitations, requiring “careful planning to avoid compromising its integrity”. To create the rental property, Mirzoyan opened up the apartment, which was originally the client’s family home.
      “To create a more spacious environment, we decided to merge the living room and kitchen into one common area,” explained Mirzoyan.

      A shelving unit divides the kitchen and the living roomThe practice used partition shelves and built-in furniture to seperate the spaces. A wooden shelving unit takes centre stage in the main space, dividing the living room from the kitchen.
      The dining table extends out from the shelving unit towards the kitchen. Cabinets and a countertop finished in polished stainless steel are fixed in the primary working nook of the kitchen.
      The kitchen cabinets and countertop are finished in polished stainless steelNear the entrance, the team installed a full-height mirrored closet, creating a distinct entryway.
      Leftover broken marble was sourced from a local supplier for the flooring of the entryway and the bathroom.

      Ukrainian studios “doing what we can, and sometimes what we can’t” after two years of war

      The studio’s colour choices were influenced by the fact that the apartment is oriented towards the northeast and receives limited natural light.
      “We opted for light and warm background colours to counteract this, creating a brighter and more inviting space,” said Mirzoyan.
      A mirrored closet is installed in the entrywayThe property is dotted with reflective materials such as mirrors and stainless steel, which were chosen to “enhance the perceived depth and brightness”.
      The living room and kitchen are lined with French windows opening into a quiet courtyard.
      A warm and light colour palette is used across the apartmentThe use of materials such as wood and terrazzo across the space is a reference to the building’s heritage, aiming to add a “sense of historical continuity”.
      Mirzoyan’s design philosophy is focused on striving to create “spaces that blend local history with contemporary elements, balancing eclectic decisions to produce environments that feel both timeless and modern”.
      The bathroom floor is covered in broken marbleOwing to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the practice faced significant challenges in completing this project.
      “Sometimes builders simply could not come to the site, and sometimes they came and sat in a shelter for hours,” Mirzoyan told Dezeen. “There were times when construction was halted for months, and the project budget was cut in half.”
      “This experience has reinforced the importance of practical and durable design solutions that can withstand unpredictable conditions.”
      Moreover, Mirzoyan foresees a trend towards “using locally sourced materials and supporting local craftsmen, contributing to the resilience and self-sufficiency of the community”.
      Recently, Mirzoyan Studio also completed a hotel bar in Kyiv’s historic Podil neighbourhood.
      Elsewhere in the city, Modektura has renovated an apartment featuring a balcony-turned-conservatory and Dihome has created a colourful industrial-style interior for a young couple.
      The photography is by Yevhenii Avramenko.

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      Snarkitecture overhauls New York law offices using “elevated” stud walls

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      Architecture studio Snarkitecture has updated the New York offices of legal firm Jayaram Law, adding elements with wavy cutouts and furniture from a new collection with Made By Choice.

      The overhaul of Jayaram’s 3,800-square-foot (353-square-metre) space in Manhattan’s Flatiron District forms part of the company’s artist residency program and continues a longstanding relationship with Snarkitecture.
      A continuous, wavy wooden edge forms a portal into the Record Room at Jayaram Law’s officesThe studio, founded by artist Daniel Arsham and architect Alex Mustonen, reimagined the offices as a collaborative space for creative work and made multiple interventions to the layout.
      “Our approach was to unify the space and create a layout emphasising openness, flexibility, and scattered moments of reflection and privacy,” said the team.
      Snarkitecture reinterpreted “the ubiquitous stud wall as an elevated millwork piece” to create the freestanding structureA key decision involved bringing warmth to the industrial-style space, which features exposed ceilings and concrete tile flooring.

      This was achieved by introducing wood, acoustic panels, rugs, curtains, and upholstered pieces “that added more comfort and softness to the space”.
      A window provides a view from the workspace into the Record Room, which displays various Snarkitecture ephemeraAt one end of the floor plan, Snarkitecture built a room using a simple wooden framework to create a library and display area.
      “One of our key design moves is reinterpreting the ubiquitous stud wall as an elevated millwork piece,” the team said.
      In the centre of the offices is a lounge area known as The CommonsThe semi-enclosed space, named the Record Room, has a window that looks onto the open-plan workspace and is accessed via a portal with a continuous wavy outline.
      “We wanted this room to feel unexpected and immersive, thus creating a theme around a ‘Listening Lounge’, featuring an environment with wood shelvings, a record player, and vinyl records,” Snarkitecture said. “Its shelves also host archival items, publications, design objects, and ephemera from Snarkitecture and Jayaram.”
      The open workspace is furnished with long desks that together create room for 24 to 32 peopleOther stud-wall elements with amorphous cutouts form moveable display cases and room dividers, used particularly to define a central lounge known as The Commons.
      Wavy edges are also found on the Autex acoustic panels hung vertically in rows from the white-painted ceiling above the seating area.
      A conference room was created by merging three smaller private offices”It is a comfortable spot with low lounge seating, lush greenery, and an area rug that creates a space for collective gatherings and intimate conversations,” said Snarkitecture.
      On either side, communal workspaces with 15-foot (4.6-metre) custom birch plywood tables accommodate 24 to 32 people.
      Acoustic panels were added above the lounge area to dampen the sound in the industrial-style spaceAlong the perimeter is a glass-fronted conference room that was created by combining three private offices into one space.
      Built-in millwork provides a TV niche for conferencing and stores general office supplies, while a curtain wraps the space to dampen echoes.

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      Throughout the Jayaram offices, Snarkitecture included furniture from its new collection in collaboration with Finnish brand Made By Choice.
      Pieces including dining chairs, lounge chairs, small round tables and a large conference table all feature the studio’s signature wavy edges and cutouts.
      Several furniture pieces from Snarkitecture’s collection with Made By Choice can be found throughout the officeSeveral works from Snarkitecture’s Broken & Sculpted Series created with the Italian brand Gufram are also dotted around the office.
      The pink, broken mirrors introduce hints of colour, while the studio’s Slip chairs with wonky legs and a slanted seat for Portuguese brand UVA add even more whimsy.
      Pink mirrors from a collaboration with Gufram introduce hints of colourSince starting Snarkitecture in 2008, Arsham and Mustonen have worked with brands including Kith, Billionaire Boys Club, COS and Caesarstone on retail interiors and immersive installations.
      In New York City, the studio has previously filled a gallery with lights that resemble “large lollipops” and created an exhibition space at Hudson Yards to allow the public to explore its experiments.
      The photography is by Harlan Erskine.

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      Material & Memory exhibition responds to “raw materiality” of Brinkburn Priory and Manor

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      Tutors and researchers from Northumbria University have filled a derelict manor house, nestled in a curve of the River Coquet in Northumberland, with objects informed by the site’s rich history and materiality.

      The exhibition titled Material & Memory is being held at Brinkburn Priory and Manor, a former 12th-century monastery that fell into ruin and was restored in the 19th century, when the manor house was built alongside it.
      Northumbria University faculty has designed products for Brinkburn Priory and Manor. Top photo is by Brian Morris and above by Jennine WilsonAround 20 faculty members and researchers from Northumbria University’s School of Design and Department of Architecture created works that reference the fabric and atmosphere of the historic buildings.
      Co-curator and assistant design professor Anthony Forsyth said the pieces created for the show were influenced by the “tranquil and atmospheric” spaces at Brinkburn, as well as by the multiple layers of history evident in the empty rooms.
      Josh South’s Nook candleholders replicate the form of a shouldered door arch”The raw materiality of the spaces is a rich source of inspiration, while the span of history informs an approach that is contemporary yet acknowledges the past,” he explained.

      Several contributions reference architectural features that were exposed as part of English Heritage’s efforts to stop dry rot from destroying the manor, which had fallen into disrepair before the preservation charity took over responsibility for the house in 1965.
      Anthony Forsyth’s Mullion plinths are shaped like the manor’s stone window mullionsForsyth’s Mullion plinths feature forms derived from the tapered profile of the building’s stone window mullions, while the Nook candleholders created by design lecturer Joshua South replicate the form of a shouldered door arch in patinated sand-cast bronze.
      In collaboration with woodworker Johnny Hayes, South also developed the Quatrefoil tables, which are based on a pattern of overlapping circles commonly featured in medieval emblems and found in the stained-glass windows of the Priory at Brinkburn.
      South’s Quatrefoil tables are based on the priory’s stained-glass windowsPhilip Luscombe, who teaches on the university’s Furniture and Product course, created a lamp with an oak structure that evokes the robust construction of church furniture.
      The Monk lamp’s paper diffuser references religious texts and creates a warm glow when the light is turned on.

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      Forsyth also developed the Assemblage floor lamp, constructed using off-the-shelf components and parts retained from other projects.
      The design is informed by the state of the interior at Brinkburn, where layers of construction have been exposed and the reuse of materials is evident.
      Phil Luscombe has created a lamp with an oak structure that references church furnitureBen Couture, assistant architecture professor and co-curator of the exhibition, created a geometric yellow bench that intentionally contrasts with the architectural style of the manor house.
      The bench responds to the dimensions of the adjacent windows, through which visitors can look out towards the river.
      The exhibition includes various other works in mixed media, ranging from etchings to printed textiles, photomontages and wallpapers. Each of the pieces was created following repeated visits to the site and through conversations with experts at English Heritage.
      Ben Couture designed a geometric yellow bench. The photo is by Brian MorrisThe charity previously worked with Northumbria University on a similar exhibition of objects displayed at Aydon Castle, also in Northumberland.
      According to Frances McIntosh, a curator at English Heritage, the Material & Memory exhibition makes good use of the normally empty rooms, encouraging visitors to reconsider the past, present and future of these historic spaces.
      “Brinkburn Priory Manor House is like a blank canvas and exhibitions like this are a great way to use the space and allow visitors to think more deeply about the complicated layers of the building they can see,” she said.
      The photography is by Phil Luscombe unless otherwise stated.
      Material & Memory is on show at Brinkburn Priory and Manor until 3 November 2024. For more events, exhibitions and talks in architecture and design visit the Dezeen Events Guide.

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      Soho House opens in historic São Paulo hospital filled with local art and furniture

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      Members’ club Soho House has opened its first location in South America, taking over a historic building in São Paulo and creating interiors influenced by Brazilian modernism.

      Soho House São Paulo sits within the Cidade Matarazzo, a cluster of early 20th-century Italianate maternity ward buildings in the Bela Vista neighborhood that have been restored over the past two decades.
      Shapes and patterns from the mid-century Brazilian modernism movement can be seen throughout Soho House São Paulo, starting in the reception areaA block away from the Avenida Paulista – a major urban artery – and the Museum of Art of São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand, the hotel includes 32 guest rooms and restaurant, bar and club spaces for members.
      “The House’s interiors are inspired by the city’s rich Portuguese heritage and Brazilian modernism,” said Soho House team.
      The ground-floor members’ club spaces are filled with local furniture and artworksSoho House Design worked with local artisans to source Brazil-made furniture and decor for the hotel and club, which revolve around a central courtyard.

      This verdant open-air terrace is furnished with rattan chairs, round tables, and green and white parasols for up to 68 members and guests to convene and dine outdoors.
      In The Game Room, a navy-topped pool table and a large yellow sectional inhabit the spaceLarge arched glass windows bring light into the ground-floor club spaces, where multiple lounge areas include a Sitting Room that can be used for work during the day and a Main Bar where DJs spin.
      The Game Room has a navy-topped pool table and a large yellow sectional, while the Drawing Room is anchored by an ornate marble fireplace and features a secondary bar.
      Arched openings connect various lounge areas through the building, which was once a maternity wardSoho House São Paulo also features two event spaces: the Condessa room and the Zambone room on the second floor, which includes a private bar and a video projector.
      Artwork around the building forms a collection amassed by the Soho House team that includes the work of 60 artists born, based or trained in Brazil.
      Guest bedrooms feature textured plaster walls and bold patterned curtainsA surrealist mural in the main bar, titled Pernas, pra que te quero!, was created by local artist Marcelo Cipis.
      Upstairs guest rooms vary in size, with the larger ones featuring freestanding baths and living areas, and some have a private terrace.

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      Occupying the upper level, the rooms are decorated with textured plaster walls, dark wooden furniture and bold patterned curtains that nod to Brazilian modernism.
      “The lighting and furnishings in every bedroom have been sourced locally, including reclaimed wood floors and hand-painted tiles in the bathrooms,” said the team.
      A central courtyard allows up to 68 members and guests to dine and relax outdoors”At the same time, all fabrics and accessories have been produced in Brazil or handmade in São Paulo,” they added.
      A second phase of development, due to be completed in 2025, will include the addition of a gym with multiple fitness and spa areas, and a rooftop pool bar surrounded by loungers for sunbathing.
      Soho House São Paulo is located within the restored Cidade Matarazzo, a cluster of early 20th-century Italianate buildings in the city’s Bela Vista neighborhoodSoho House currently operates 42 locations worldwide, with recent openings in the Americas including Mexico City, Nashville, Austin and a third outpost in Los Angeles.
      The group was founded in London by Nick Jones in 1995, and became known for its distinctive rustic and eclectic interior style that has since developed to echo contextual cues of each house location.
      The photography is by Christopher Sturman.

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      Eight interiors that are stepped up by the addition of ladders

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      Our latest lookbook focuses on kitchens and living rooms that are elevated by their inclusion of ladders.

      In contemporary interior design, ladders can be specified as an alternative to staircases due to their space-efficient nature, their ability to be moved to access different areas and the sense of playfulness they foster.
      Old ladders also have a place in modern interiors – their statuesque nature occasionally sees them used as a sculptural focal point or accessory in interior styling.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with unique red-and-green colour schemes and bathrooms with striking and distinctive bathtubs.
      The photo is by Kate GlicksbergWarren Street Townhouse, USA, by Studio Vural

      Mounted flush against a whitewashed brick wall, this wooden ladder features in the Japanese-informed kitchen of a townhouse in New York’s Brooklyn neighbourhood, designed by local firm Studio Vural.
      The design of the interior scheme references the city of Kyoto in Japan, as requested by the owners, following a visit they made to the area in 2009.
      Find out more about Warren Street Townhouse ›
      The photo is by Alice MesguichCollectors Home, The Netherlands, by DAB Studio
      Interior design firm DAB Studio used this house’s bay window as a niche to display this green-painted fruit ladder, dating from the year 1890.
      It was rendered in the striking colour specifically for the project, in reference to the green panes of stained glass that surround it.
      Find out more about Collectors Home ›
      The photo is by Dave WattsKensal Rise house, UK, by The Mint List
      An Edwardian end-of-terrace house was renovated by interior design studio The Mint List with various mid-century modern design elements.
      High-up cupboards are reached via a ladder in the kitchen, which slides side-to-side to access different cabinets.
      Find out more about Kensal Rise house ›
      The photo is by BCDF studioTimbaud apartment, France, by Isabelle Heilmanne
      Interior designer Isabelle Heilmann propped a wooden ladder against a mezzanine level in this Parisian apartment, situated inside a former textile workshop.
      An old wooden dining table and chairs echo the materiality of the ladder, and a swing installed in the living room is another playground-esque furnishing in the apartment.
      Find out more about Timbaud apartment ›
      The photo is courtesy of JRKVCThe Lake House, Slovakia, by JRKVC
      In order to make efficient use of its 65-square-metre footprint, Slovakian studio JRKVC created mezzanine areas above enclosed cabin rooms in this lakeside house.
      A pair of light wooden ladders create access to the areas above the rooms, which function as bedrooms and a bathroom. They are painted green on one end of the space and clad in ridged brown tiles at the other.
      Find out more about The Lake House ›
      The photo is by Seth CaplanDumbo Loft, USA, by Crystal Sinclair
      Located in New York’s Dumbo neighbourhood, Crystal Sinclair Designs overhauled this loft apartment to include a mezzanine level housing a miniature library and seating area.
      It is accessed via a metal-and-wooden ladder that ascends through an arch-shaped cut-out in the floor, saving space by positioning the ladder directly beneath it.
      Find out more about Dumbo Loft ›
      The photo is by Cristobal PalmaPunta Chilen, Chile, by Guillermo Acuña Arquitectos Asociados
      Two rows of open shelving flank this kitchen in a Chilean beach house, and a pair of ladders on castor wheels provide access to even the highest shelves.
      All surfaces are made from pine timber, creating a warm interior in contrast to the sea visible from all of the windows.
      Find out more about Punta Chilen ›
      The photo is by Diana ArnauCasa Texcal, Mexico, by HGR Arquitectos
      A double-height bookcase with a platform halfway up it is the focal point of the living space in this Mexican home by local studio HGR Arquitectos.
      The platform is secured by black railings around its perimeter and is accessed by a matching ladder also featuring black metal handrails for safety.
      Find out more about Casa Texcal ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with unique red-and-green colour schemes and bathrooms with striking and distinctive bathtubs.

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      Eight eclectic self-designed homes by architects and designers

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      Our latest lookbook collects eight dwellings that were self-designed by architects and designers including Mexico-based Ludwig Godefroy and London studio Holloway Li.

      From a modernist-style house in South Africa to an American family residence characterised by a large interior crane, there are a range of materials and floor plans offered by each of these homes.
      The properties demonstrate the myriad ways architects and designers apply their knowledge to their own living spaces and push the boundaries of what is possible outside of client constraints.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring wooden kitchens, statement bathtubs and paper lamps.
      Photo by HANAAtwater House, USA, by Rebecca Rudolph and Colin Thompson

      Co-founder of Design, Bitches Rebecca Rudolph and her husband Colin Thompson of Gensler designed their own home in Atwater Village, Los Angeles.
      In the kitchen, the pair combined a polished marble splashback with a central stone island clad in bespoke concrete panels made by Thompson.
      Find out more about Atwater House ›
      Photo by Frances MaraisMossel Bay house, South Africa, by Yvette van Zyl
      Modernist and nautical influences come together at this three-bedroom home in Mossel Bay, South Africa, designed and owned by local architect Yvette van Zyl.
      Porthole-style windows illuminate the interior, which features a mixture of concrete ceilings and floors and walls of exposed or painted brick.
      Find out more about this Mossel Bay house ›
      Photo by Jim StephensonPeckham House, UK, by Surman Weston
      Peckham House is a self-designed and self-build project by architecture studio Surman Weston, where co-director Percy Weston currently lives with his family.
      Hit-and-miss brickwork clads the home’s striking facade, while lime plaster lines the walls inside. End-grain woodblocks, salvaged from offcuts of the ceiling’s wooden structure, were also used to create chunky flooring.
      Find out more about Peckham House ›
      Photo by Edmund DabneyLondon apartment, UK, by Holloway Li
      Local design studio Holloway Li sought to honour the utilitarian kitchens of London’s many fast food outlets when creating a “unique” circle-brushed steel kitchen for this Highbury apartment.
      Inhabited by studio co-founder Alex Holloway, the apartment features pops of colour in its resin dining table and chubby orange armchair. A bathtub was also placed in the open-plan living space, adding to the home’s unusual design.
      Find out more about this London apartment ›
      Photo by Edmund SumnerCasa SanJe, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy
      Known for his brutalist-style buildings, architect Ludwig Godefroy and his partner renovated this house and home studio in Mexico for himself and his family.
      Integrated with an adjacent garden, Casa SanJe is characterised by a caste concrete interior with a mixture of warm wood panels and a wall covered in reddish volcanic stone.
      Find out more about Casa SanJe ›
      Photo by Jim StephensonBrighton house, UK, by Studiotwentysix
      Isabella and Dan Gray of architecture office Studiotwentysix created a birch plywood-lined loft extension for their family house in Brighton, England.
      Containing 55 square metres of additional living spaces, the loft includes an exposed red-oxide steel structure and is punctuated by geometric skylights.
      Find out more about this Brighton house ›
      Photo by Benny ChanJArzm House, USA, by John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects
      The founders of John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects inserted a giant yellow construction crane into the kitchen of their Los Angeles family home in the city’s Silver Lake neighbourhood.
      “Designing our own house was great because we didn’t have to ask permission,” John Friedman told Dezeen, explaining the unusual move. “We could do whatever we want.”
      Find out more about JArzm House ›
      Photo by Lorenzo ZandriOasis, UK, by Unknown Works
      Oasis is the home of architecture studio Unknown Works’ co-founder Theo Games Petrohilos, who wanted to renovate a terraced London house by adding a side and rear extension to create a flexible interior and maximise natural light.
      The studio placed a petite internal courtyard at the centre of the plan, which was informed by traditional Japanese stone gardens that provide cross ventilation throughout homes.
      Find out more about Oasis ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring wooden kitchens, statement bathtubs and paper lamps.

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