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      Vitra extends European presence with showroom openings in heritage buildings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

      Mooradian Studio sprays London boutique interior with recycled newspaper pulp

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

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      “True trends always answer a need”

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

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

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

      Eight interiors celebrating the curated clutter of “bookshelf wealth”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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      Ten homes where flooring enhances the connection between indoors and outdoors

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

      Blue slide is centrepiece of Walker house renovation by Reflect Architecture

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

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

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

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

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

      Post Company imbues Mollie Aspen hotel interiors with earthy hues

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

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      Eight home interiors where mezzanines maximise usable space

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

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

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

      Read more: More