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      RMGB decorates Versailles townhouse with custom and vintage furniture

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      Interior design studio RMGB has redesigned a 19th-century townhouse opposite the Chateau de Versailles, using marble and steel to modernise it while “preserving French heritage”.

      The home’s new owner recently sold his apartment in Paris to move back into the townhouse, which had been his childhood home, and asked for a careful renovation to take the interior back to its original state.
      RMGB restored the home’s damaged parquet flooring and mouldings before adding bespoke and vintage furniture.
      The townhouse’s original mouldings were repairedDue to its location near the Chateau de Versailles, designers Baptiste Rischmann and Guillaume Gibert had to consider each change carefully.
      “The most difficult part of the project was complying with all the requests made by the Architecte des Bâtiments de France, given that the house is opposite the Château de Versailles,” the studio told Dezeen.

      “They were very demanding about the aesthetic of the project. We had to stay within a certain logic of preserving French heritage.”
      RMBG also renovated the parquet floors in the houseRischmann and Gibert aimed for the redesign to respect the home’s original layout while giving it a more modern feel.
      “The house hadn’t been remodelled for several decades,” the designers said. “We all had to rethink and modernize the whole while preserving a trace of history.”
      “Our initial idea was to preserve the original volumes and infuse them with a new aesthetic and tell a new story, a new life for our customers.”
      The kitchen features a marble island and a custom-made steel cupboardThe designers created custom furniture for some of the rooms in the 230-square-metre house. In the kitchen, they added a large stainless-steel cupboard with retractable doors.
      Nearby, a large Calacatta Viola marble kitchen island hides the hob and oven, adding a monolithic yet decorative touch.

      Monolithic green marble forms “majestic wall” in Milan apartment

      “The idea was to integrate colors and materials in small touches, such as the pinkish-orange of the sofa or the blue shade of the rug,” the studio said.
      “The materials play the same role for us, from the shine of the parquet and its deep hue to the brutality of the kitchen marble. Our aim is always to create balance by contrasting materials.”
      The studio chose vintage armchairs for the living roomIn the living room, Rischmann and Gibert added a ceiling light by designer Nacho Carbonell, a Lek sofa designed by Christophe Delcourt and a pair of 6911 vintage armchairs by furniture designer Horst Bruning.
      RMBG chose the furniture for the house based on how the different pieces would work together in terms of both shape and colour.
      “We tried to achieve the most harmonious, fair ensemble possible,” the studio said. “At no point did we want to overdo the aesthetics, which meant we had to work more surgically.”
      Sculptural furniture adds character to the bedroom”While the pinkish orange of the sofa adds a touch of acidity, the dark blue of the rug brings a little more classicism to the space,” the duo added.
      “The white, taut lines of the dining table temper the more extreme materiality of the kitchen island. Each piece of furniture designed or selected for the project was subjected to a rigorous selection process.”
      Black marble decorates the bathroomIn the bedroom, the studio added a sculptural bed inspired by the work of French designer Jean Royère. The bathroom, like the kitchen, features striking stonework, with a bathtub and basin in Grigio Carnico marble.
      “The basins and the bathtub in the parental bathroom in Grigio Carnico marble, for which we revised the design of the classic basins, giving them a more contemporary look with cleaner lines,” Rischmann and Gibert said.
      Other interiors with striking marble designs include a Milan apartment with a “majestic wall” and an all-marble extension to a Victorian house.
      The photography is by Matthieu Salvaing.

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      Eight wooden kitchens that make the most of the material

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      Swirly cabinets and oak-lined ceilings feature in our latest lookbook, which collects eight residential kitchens from around the world where wood takes centre stage.

      Strong, versatile and often sustainable, timber is a favourite material among architects and designers.
      From an east London dwelling that is almost entirely underground to a rural Tasmanian farmhouse, here are eight homes united by their wooden kitchens.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring converted barns, eclectic hotels and micro interiors.
      Photo by Fionn McCannChurchtown, Ireland, by Scullion Architects

      Churchtown is a curved glass extension to a family home in Dublin, designed by Scullion Architects as a family-focussed space.
      The studio was informed by 1930s modernism when creating the kitchen, which is characterised by stained oak-panelled cabinetry.
      Find out more about Churchtown ›
      Photo by Max Hart NibbrigBolívar House, Spain, by Juan Gurrea Rumeu
      Architect Gurrea Rumeu designed this home for himself and his wife in Barcelona.
      Swirly dark wood was used to create tall kitchen cabinets, while concrete walls and floors add an industrial touch to the interior.
      Find out more about Bolívar House ›
      Photo courtesy of James ShawLondon house, UK, by James Shaw
      Known for making extruded recycled plastic furniture, designer Shaw applied his off-beat creative approach to his own London home which he designed with architect Nicholas Ashby to be almost entirely underground.
      Shaw created kitchen cabinets out of veneered MDF, which he paired with worktops formed from pale blue HIMACS and stainless steel.
      Find out more about this London house ›
      Photo by Jonas Bjerre-PoulsenFjord Boat House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
      Fjord Boat House is a lakeside holiday home that sits near the border of Denmark and Germany.
      Danish studio Norm Architects chose a warm interior palette for the dwelling, including a kitchen defined by oak cabinets and ceilings and handmade ceramic brick flooring.
      Find out more about Fjord Boat House ›
      Photo by Dianna SnapeCoopworth, Tasmania, by FMD Architects
      FMD Architects designed a farmhouse in rural Tasmania with a plywood-lined kitchen and living spaces separated by a statement wood-burning stove.
      Located on Bruny Island, Coopworth features corrugated metal cladding that references vernacular agricultural buildings.
      Find out more about Coopworth ›
      Photo by Daniëlle SiobhánZwaag house, the Netherlands, by DAB Studio
      Two types of timber were used to clad the floors, walls, ceiling and cabinets of this kitchen at a family home in Zwaag, the Netherlands.
      DAB Studio renovated the floors and ceiling with hand-scraped oak, while Afromosia wood – a tropical hardwood native to west Africa – was applied to the cabinets and walls.
      Find out more about this Zwaag house ›
      Photo by Andrew PogueHood Cliff Retreat, USA, by Wittman Estes
      Architecture studio Wittman Estes sought to immerse Hood Cliff Retreat “in the stillness of the forest” on its wooded site in Washington State.
      White oak floors and pine plywood ceilings feature in the neutral-hued kitchen, designed with floor-to-ceiling glazing that reveals the surrounding trees.
      Find out more about Hood Cliff Retreat ›
      Photo by Mark Durling PhotographyMalibu Surf Shack, USA, by Kelly Wearstler
      Interior designer Kelly Wearstler transformed a 1950s beachfront cottage in Malibu, California, into a bohemian retreat for herself and her family.
      Chunky wooden cabinets and drawers characterise the kitchen, created in the designer’s distinctive eclectic style.
      Find out more about Malibu Surf Shack ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring converted barns, eclectic hotels and micro interiors. 

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      Orange floors create “golden afterglow” in Aranya fashion store by Say Architects

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      Chinese studio Say Architects has designed a concept store for fashion brand Nice Rice in the seaside resort of Aranya, featuring bright-orange tiles and furniture intended to evoke the colour of a sunset.

      Having previously designed stores for Nice Rice in Shenzhen, Chengdu and Shanghai, Say Architects conceived the interior as a response to the store’s setting near the port city of Qinhuangdao, also known as the Aranya Gold Coast.
      Say Architects has designed a concept store for Nice Rice in Aranya”Due to the individuality of the site and the splendid geolocation, we hope to bring the orange sea of Aranya inside and build a gold coast that never ends by using light as expression, creating undulating volumes, intertwining lights and shadows,” the architects said.
      The 290-square-metre store is arranged over three floors, with retail spaces on the lower two storeys and a roof terrace accessible from the top floor.
      Glossy orange tiles reflect light onto white walls, creating a “golden afterglow” effectThe building’s minimalist facade features an illuminated sign with the company’s logotype over the entrance and a horizontal window above.

      A glazed entrance provides a view into the store, where bright orange surfaces create a vibrant contrast with the shop’s monochrome exterior.
      The glossy orange tiles reflect light onto the white walls, creating an effect that the architects describe as a “golden afterglow”.
      A leather bench provides a minimalist seating area on the first floorInside, a full-height void connects the shop’s three floors, with a vaulted ceiling directing light from a window on the top floor down to the levels below.
      Say Architects designed each floor with a symmetrical layout that enhances the calm and serene atmosphere within the store.
      Clothes rails in the Nice Rice store are designed to resemble breaking wavesOn the ground floor, a pair of freestanding units are used for serving customers, while changing rooms are positioned on either side of a second entrance to the rear of the space.
      Clothes rails on both sides of the room are designed to resemble breaking waves, curving outwards from the wall to create space for hanging clothes underneath.

      Tile mural fronts Cult Gaia Miami boutique by Sugarhouse

      On the first floor, a geometric leather bench provides a seating area, while a simple display podium is located close to the transparent balustrade overlooking the triple-height void.
      Throughout the store, windows of varying sizes create a play of light and shadow on the internal surfaces that changes throughout the day.
      A full-height void connects the three floorsStaircases on both sides of the building ascend to a roof terrace that is floored with the same tiles used inside the store.
      A sheltered area with matching orange benches allows this space to be used in all weather.
      The building’s staircases lead to an outdoor roof terraceSay Architects is based in Hangzhou and is led by architects Yan Zhang and Jianan Shan.
      The studio works across architecture, interior and landscape design, with previous projects including an accessories store formed almost entirely of translucent resin and a grooming salon for pets featuring a sunken cafe and a paddling pool.
      The terrace is finished in the same tiles as the interiorAranya is built on the site of a failed real estate development and aims to provide a haven for overworked young urbanites seeking a coastal escape.
      The exclusive gated community contains several architecture projects that have helped elevate its profile including an art centre designed by Neri&Hu, a monolithic concrete concert hall and a chapel raised above the beach on stilts.
      The photography is by Wen Studio.

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      CO Adaptive overhauls Queens home to meet Passive House standards

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      Brooklyn studio CO Adaptive has retrofitted a terraced house in Queens, New York to meet Passive House energy efficiency standards.

      The 1,152-square-foot (107-square-metre) brick townhouse was originally built in 1945 and has undergone a considered “deconstruction” process during its recent renovation.
      Throughout the home, CO Adaptive removed perimeter flooring to install a membrane, then replaced it with reclaimed boards at an angleRather than throwing out the contents of the existing structure, all of the removed materials were separated by type and sent to new homes.
      The renovation work revolved around the goal of the unit becoming a Passive House – or Passivhaus – a certification that recognises outstanding energy efficiency in buildings.
      The kitchen was fully replaced using maple-faced plywood for millworkThis is the first project undertaken by CO Adaptive Architecture’s construction management arm, CO Adaptive Building.

      “We believe building to Passive House standards is the future of ensuring resilience for our cities, particularly in the restoration and upgrade of the older building stock,” said CO Adaptive co-principal Ruth Mandl.
      “We want to work on simplifying and scaling this endeavor; ideally ensuring that we can bring the cost down on Passive House for our clients, and make it a solution that is more affordable and available.”
      Counters and backsplash are made from blue porcelain with coloured specklesChanges to the layout of the compact two-storey, three-bedroom home were kept to a minimum since the room program was already efficient.
      The perimeter of the existing wood floors and subfloors was removed, enabling the team to install an airtight membrane that seals the wood joists – which were in good condition – to prevent heat loss.
      Bright blue was chosen for new window and door framesWhere the flooring was removed, reclaimed red oak planks that matched the originals were laid at an angle to highlight the minor intervention.
      Larger windows were added to bring more light into the dining room, which overlooks a new rear deck.
      Upstairs, features include a built-in ladder that provides roof access via a skylightThe home was refitted to be fully electrified, powered by a solar canopy from Brooklyn Solarworks on the roof, and is now net positive, according to the studio.
      “The solar array provides more than enough energy to cover the significantly reduced heating and cooling loads of the building, in addition to heating water, cooking with an induction stovetop and charging an electric vehicle,” said CO Adaptive.
      Through-wall AC units were replaced with an energy-recovery ventilator systemAny holes in the exterior previously used for through-wall air conditioning units are now occupied by an energy recovery ventilator system, which helps to control the interior humidity.
      All changes to the facade are denoted by a checkerboard brick infill pattern, similar to the approach taken inside.
      Black-and-white details, such as the bathroom tiles and fixtures enliven the minimal interiorsSouth-facing openings are shaded by Hella operable Venetian blinds, coloured bright blue to match the new window frames.
      Natural materials were prioritised inside, such as a lime and sand-based plaster layer that allows the masonry walls to breathe.

      CO Adaptive Architecture converts Gowanus foundry into flexible theatre spaces

      The kitchen millwork is maple-faced plywood, while the countertops and the backsplash are blue porcelain with coloured speckles.
      The red kitchen floor is made of solidified linseed oil, pine resin and sawdust, which forms a natural linoleum that’s soft underfoot.
      On the south-facing front of the house, openings are shaded by Hella operable Venetian blindsOther details include a ladder built into the wall on the upper-floor landing that provides access to the roof via a skylight.
      “This project prioritises careful deconstruction rather than demolition, to ensure that whatever is removed is either reused or sorted for down or up cycling,” said CO Adaptive co-principal Bobby Johnston.
      A solar array added to the roof provides more energy than the house needs to runAmong the firm’s previous renovations is an industrial building in Gowanus converted into bright and spacious theatre rehearsal spaces, which was shortlisted in the rebirth project category of Dezeen Awards 2022.
      Passivhaus is a popular standard for achieving energy efficiency in residential and other buildings, with other recent examples to have achieved this certification including a stucco-clad, cube-shaped holiday home in Mexico, and a house in the UK with an undulating green roof and timber cladding.
      The photography is by Naho Kubota.
      Project credits:
      Architect: CO Adaptive ArchitectureConstruction management: CO Adaptive BuildingMEPS engineers: ABS EngineeringStructural engineers: ADoF Structural EngineersConstruction manager: CO Adaptive BuildingSolar panel installation: Brooklyn SolarWorksKitchen millwork: ArmadaWood flooring, stair and other millwork: Trilox

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      Eight offbeat red-and-green home interiors that prove opposites attract

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      Interior designers are finding interesting ways to pair red and green – a combination more typically associated with Christmas – to create quirky colour-block interiors. This lookbook brings together recent examples of how it can be done.

      Set on opposite sides of the colour wheel, red and green are inherently compatible, each helping to offset the other.
      Combining two such bright colours in a residential interior can sound daunting, even without their festive affiliation. But a slew of recent projects show that they can have a place in modern interiors.
      Below, we’ve collated eight home interiors that prove this colour combination isn’t just for Santa, combining subdued green tones with warmer hues ranging from pink to crimson.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring clerestory windows, exposed ceiling beams and kitchen skylights.

      Photo by Yannis DrakoulidisTrikoupi Apartment, Greece, by Point Supreme Architects
      Colourful built-in furniture pieces define different areas inside this Athens apartment in the wake of a renovation by local studio Point Supreme Architects, which saw many of the home’s partition walls removed to make the interior feel more sunny and spacious.
      Among them is a stained plywood storage wall that runs along one side of the apartment, providing a dramatic contrast with the oxblood-coloured kitchen cabinets and the glossy Ferrari-red island.
      Find out more about Trikoupi Apartment ›
      Photo by José HeviaCasa Milc, Spain, by Lucas y Hernandez Gil
      Spanish studio Lucas y Hernandez Gil aimed to bring personality back to this 19th-century Madrid apartment, which had been renovated one too many times, with the addition of playful shapes and “warm and friendly” colours.
      Painted a pale sage green from floor to ceiling, the kitchen features a crimson dining table from the studio’s own furniture brand Kresta Design that was brought in to mirror the gently curved walls.
      “The kitchen is designed as a play of opposites between materials and shapes,” co-founder Cristina Domínguez Lucas told Dezeen.
      Find out more about Casa Milc ›
      Photo by Joe FletcherRedwood House, USA, by Studio Terpeluk
      Unexpected colour combinations help balance out the timber-heavy interiors of this Albert Lanier-designed house in San Francisco’s Noe Valley, renovated by local firm Studio Terpeluk.
      A baby pink kitchen and minty green storage unit shine against the Douglas fir flooring and red cedar walls, alongside classic furniture pieces including a red-lacquered version of Carl Hansen’s Wishbone Chair.
      “Color was a recurring theme in the exquisite and eclectic art collection of the owners,” studio founder Brett Terpeluk said. “This went perfectly hand in hand with my interest in mid-century Italian design and its bold use of color.”
      Find out more about Redwood House ›
      Photo by José HeviaRelámpago House, Spain, by H3O
      Zigzagging partitions nod to the history of this lightning-struck home, renovated by Spanish studio H3O and painted in pastel primary colours inspired by the “radical, fun and optimistic spirit” of 1970s pop art.
      Even the floors are finished in a pale green resin, providing a counterpoint to the coral pink and butter yellow of the walls.
      Find out more about Relámpago House ›

      Berlin apartment, Germany, by Gisbert Pöppler
      Berlin studio Gisbert Pöppler has renovated an apartment that occupies a glass pavilion on the roof of a 1930s residential building in the city’s Mitte neighbourhood.
      Custom furnishings and fixtures – including mint-coloured cabinetry and cherry red-lacquered wood panelling – were added to help the home fit its owner like a “tailor-made suit”.
      Find out more about this Berlin apartment ›
      Photo by Félix Dol MaillotUnivers Uchronia, France, by Uchronia
      French studio Uchronia, crowned emerging interior designer of the year at the 2023 Dezeen Awards, is known for its fearless use of colour. And the home of founder Julien Sebban is no exception.
      The Parisian apartment was designed as a homage to the 1970s, with reddish-brown walnut burl surfaces, wavy wainscoting and patterned green tiles that match the poured resin floor.
      Find out more about Univers Uchronia ›
      Photo by French + TyeGraphic House, UK, by Office S&M
      This Edwardian terrace home belongs to a couple of graphic designers, whose love for art deco forms and adventurous colours informed the interior scheme by architecture studio Office S&M.
      “In this project, colours and shapes have been used to help define key moments throughout the house and tell a story about the building’s function and history,” Office S&M co-founder Catrina Stewart told Dezeen.
      Find out more about Graphic House ›
      Photo by Taran WilkhuForest Gate House, UK, by PL Studio
      This London townhouse belonging to a couple and their chihuahua puppy brims with shades of green and blue, while details in various pinkish hues bring a sense of overall “warmth and joy” to the palette.
      “We wanted to create a home that reflected our clients’ personalities and joyful spirit, a home filled with positive energy,” design firm PL Studio told Dezeen.
      “They were not afraid of mixing different shades and colour combinations, so we went for bright, bold and fearless.”
      Find out more about Forest Gate House ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring clerestory windows, exposed ceiling beams and kitchen skylights.

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      Khan Bonshek arranges east London home around brick “spine wall”

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      Architecture studio Khan Bonshek’s founders have remodelled their own terraced house in east London around a central brick wall, carrying out the majority of the work themselves.

      Named Two Up, Two Down, the house was renovated and extended by Sabba Khan and Mark Bonshek, who founded Khan Bonshek in 2021.
      With the studio acting as client, architect and contractor, the couple aimed to rearrange the home’s interior and add small additions to make the most of the space.
      Khan Bonshek designed their own home in London”The house represents our guiding philosophy; how to make the most with very little,” the couple said.
      “Most expensive new builds are about packing in rooms and low ceilings,” continued Bonshek.

      “We’ve taken a volumetric approach. We sought to create expanse, have views beyond rooms and create something humble through spatial arrangement.”
      The house is arranged around a central brick wallThe studio removed all the existing internal walls in the terrace, which the couple acquired in 2018, before adding a central grey brick “spine wall” through the centre of the building.
      This wall supports the stairs, which are visible in the front room, and runs the full height of the home adding a natural, textural element.
      A rear extension was replacedTo improve flow and openness in the house, two small extensions were added. On the ground floor, the existing extension was replaced with a full-width brick addition, which now contains the light-filled kitchen.
      At the top of the house, the existing loft conversion was extended with the addition of a timber-framed dormer.

      Will Gamble Architects modernises London Victorian house with “soft minimalism” interiors

      To further improve the sense of space, the walls enclosing the bathroom and study on the first floor were replaced with curtains.
      In the bathroom, a section of the ceiling was removed to create a double-height space.
      A timber framed dormer increased the loft spaceDuring the demolition, Khan Bonshek salvaged materials, which were reused in the reconstruction.
      These materials were supplemented with accessible materials such as plywood and yoghurt pots along with salvaged teak, black marble and brass.
      A double-height space was created in the bathroomAccording to the couple, the focus of the renovation was to create a home that would be an enjoyable place to live in, rather than adding value to the property.
      “We were very clear from the outset that we were creating a comfortable healthy home, rather than an asset,” said Khan.
      “We need to get to a place where we change policy and attitudes around housing as assets and instead to places which offer a reprieve and comfort.”
      The stairs are connected to the spine wallKhan believes the home can be an example of how existing terraced houses in the UK can be upgraded and argued that the government should amend tax laws to encourage renovations
      Refurbishments in the UK currently incur 20 per cent VAT, levies that are not applied on new build developments.
      “We have a duty to provide housing from the existing stock,” Khan added. “Think about all the embodied energy and why that’s such a better option than demolishing and putting up lots of new buildings.”
      The home is located in east LondonOther London home extensions recently featured on Dezeen include a minimalist extension to a Victorian home and a Grade II-listed villa with a wood-filled extension.
      The photography is by James Retief.

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      Eames Institute renovates 1990s industrial building to house headquarters

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      The design team at the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity has renovated an industrial building in California to host the organisation’s headquarters and a 40,000-object archive.

      Launched in 2023, the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity is a non-profit dedicated to preserving the Eames legacy through digital and physical public programming, including hosting tours of the designers’ extensive archive.
      The Eames Institute has renovated an industrial building to house offices and an archive dedicated to its designersThe institution recently completed a gut renovation of a building previously dedicated to the manufacturing of medical devices, opening up the floor plans on two storeys to accommodate staff.
      Originally built in 1997 and designed by California architect Jim Jennings, it features a saw-tooth-shaped body with a glass-enclosed lobby at its front that follows the form of its site, a wedge-shaped parcel tucked in between the off-ramps of a highway.
      The building was originally built in the 1990s by local architect Jim Jennings”The space began as dated, awkwardly-scaled private offices,” said the team.

      “Recognizing the innate value of Jennings’s design and the building’s history, The Eames Institute’s internal design team set about transforming the interiors to better fit its architectural bones.”
      “The renovated office channels the design genius of Ray and Charles Eames and notably showcases vintage furnishings from the Institute’s namesakes.”
      The new offices encompass a 2,755-square-foot (255 square metre) first-floor workspace and a 4,793-square-foot (445 metre) second-floor space, while the archive, a gift shop and a small gallery take up the rest of the building.

      The offices feature an exposed wooden structure, white walls, and Eames furniture and other pieces in the designers’ characteristic primary colour palette spread throughout.
      They are designed for “multi-disciplinary” work, with an assortment of different seating arrangements such as enclosed and semi-enclosed spaces offered for employees, including a long, wooden bar and multiple lounge areas.
      A mixture of enclosed and semi-enclosed spaces offers a variety of workspaces”Key initiatives included designing offices that offer a wide breadth of work points for both individuals and groups, as well as offering both opportunities for heads-down focused tasks and more social and collaborative activities,” said the team.
      Besides the “countless” Eames furniture pieces, lighting by Isamu Noguchi, textiles designed by Alexander Girard for Maharam, and furniture by MillerKnoll and vintage Herman Miller fill the space.

      Manual creates branding for Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity with “dynamic configurations”

      “The interior design drew from the wellspring of creativity and design excellence intrinsic to the organization’s identity and – as everything the Institute oversees – honors the rich legacy of Ray and Charles Eames.”
      The completion of the offices coincides with the opening of the Eames Archive, which encompasses a collection of “tens of thousands of artefacts” including furniture and objects organized among rows of shelving.
      The Eames’ characteristic primary colour palette marks the interior designThe institute offers guided tours of the archive led by chief curator and Eames granddaughter Llisa Demetrios.
      It also oversees the Eames Ranch, a Sonoma Country property dedicated to “land stewardship, habitat restoration, farming, and ranching” which is currently under renovation.
      Recently, it announced new branding by design agency Manual while Reebook released a series of sneakers that incorporate Eames design signatures.
      The photography is courtesy of the Eames Institute

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      David/Nicolas balances classic and contemporary in renovated Gio Ponti apartment

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      French-Lebanese design studio David/Nicolas has refurbished a Milan apartment from the 1920s, bringing in contemporary details while retaining features added by Italian architect Gio Ponti.

      The art deco-style apartment, originally designed by Mario Borgaro in 1923, was refurbished by Ponti in 1952. Since then, much of the fit-out was torn away by the apartment’s previous owners, who auctioned off some of the furniture and wall panelling.
      David/Nicolas has redesigned the interiors of a 1920s Milan apartmentThe current owner, investment banker Michele Marocchino, initially brought on David/Nicolas to create wainscoting for two of the rooms, The Studio and The Dressing, which sit between the living room and the bedroom.
      But Marocchino later decided that the studio’s founders, David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem, should work on the entire space to reimagine Ponti’s recognisable style for the 21st century.
      The updated interior pays homage to Gio Ponti’s refurbishment from 1952″Our goal was to honour Gio Ponti’s design by incorporating his vision while integrating our own identity, avoiding a mere replica of the original,” the duo told Dezeen.

      “The signature elements of a Gio Ponti space include intricate details, wooden joinery, distinct edges of wooden panels and a floor plan that creates engaging visual directions by redefining the way the space is lived, as well as creating specific perspectives that guide the eye.”
      David/Nicolas’s design balances classic and contemporary elementsThe refurbished apartment, now dubbed Casa di Fantasia, comprises a spacious kitchen, a dressing room, a primary bedroom and another bedroom with a multifunctional room at the back of the apartment.
      Other distinct spaces include a large living room with a bar, plus a study and movie room.
      David/Nicolas’s approach to the redesign was dictated by Ponti’s work on perspectives, recreating rooms lost during previous renovations while respecting their original proportions.

      Monolithic green marble forms “majestic wall” in Milan apartment

      Ponti’s use of swirly radica wood in his refurbishment was referenced through decorative tiger-patterned marquetry, which was used to adorn several of the rooms.
      “The tiger wall pattern is a reinterpretation of the Radica wood panelling, which has a similar movement to the tiger pattern,” the duo explained.
      “We thought it was a good idea to use it, as it diverges from the original design while still maintaining a similar movement in the wood.”
      Tiger-patterned walls offer a modern reinterpretation of Ponti’s use of Radica wood Key features of Ponti’s refurbishment that David/Nicolas discovered were still in place include the panelling around the entryway as well as a pink bathtub and shower unit, which the duo refurbished.
      Tiles by Italian sculptor and ceramist Fausto Melotti that originally covered the entire bathroom were also retained.
      “Since many of these tiles were sold at a Philips auction, we utilised the remaining ones on the wall behind the vanities,” said David/Nicolas. “To enhance these tiles and the bathtub, we covered the rest of the walls with micro concrete.”
      Ponti’s pink bathtub and shower units were retainedDavid/Nicolas also designed a plethora of new furniture pieces for Casa di Fantasia, such as the two main couches of the living area, the sofa in the library, a free-standing bar, the lamp above the dining table and some sconces in cast aluminium.
      Both hailing from Beirut, Raffoul and Moussallem met while studying architecture at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts in 2006 before going on to found their studio in 2011.
      Tiles by Fausto Melotti now serve as a backsplashPreviously, David/Nicolas created furniture inspired by the night sky and Beirut’s history, which went on display for an exhibition titled Supernova at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in New York City in 2019.
      Other Milan apartment refurbishments that have recently been featured on Dezeen include Teorema Milanese’s marble makeover by Marcante-Testa and Untitled Architecture’s overhaul of a small attic.
      The photography is by Sara Magni.

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