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    Eight living spaces that go heavy on metal furniture

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    Although more commonly associated with industrial applications, furnishings made of cool-toned steel, aluminium and chrome are infiltrating every room of the home. This lookbook rounds up eight living spaces that show how it’s done.

    In recent years, a growing cohort of young designers has been experimenting with humble, industrial metals – often using only one material, which is left raw and unfinished to promote recycling.
    Among them are Paul Coenen, Annie Paxton and David Taylor, whose Knuckle light made of bent aluminium tubing was crowned lighting design of the year at the 2023 Dezeen Awards.

    Paul Coenen folds single sheet of steel to form furniture “that can last a generation”

    Contrasted against natural materials like timber and stone, these pieces can add a raw, industrial edge to interiors while still feeling refined.
    Read on for eight living spaces from around the world that are toughened up with steely metal furnishings, including a Ukrainian log cabin, a flat in Antwerp’s brutalist Riverside Tower, a Melbourne residence set in a former chocolate factory and two separate São Paulo apartments.

    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more examples, see previous lookbooks featuring homes with slides, colourful renovations and New York City lofts.
    Photo by Andrey Bezuglov and Maryan BereshRelogged House, Ukraine, by Balbek Bureau
    Balbek Bureau set out to offer a modern interpretation of a traditional log cabin in this renovation, contrasting the building’s warm timber panelling with an industrial palette of concrete and metal.
    The Ukrainian studio created several custom furniture pieces for the cabin, including a trio of sleek stainless-steel consoles that frame the low-lying bed.
    Find out more about Relogged House ›
    Photo by Gareth HackerHighbury House, UK, by Daytrip
    A vintage zinc-plated lamp stands atop a brushed aluminium console by American sculptor Jane Manu in the hallway of this renovated Victorian terrace house in London.
    The home was designed by interiors studio Daytrip and furnished by Sophie Pearce, founder of design gallery Béton Brut, to contrast a “gallery-like minimalism” with organic materials and forms.
    Find out more about Highbury House ›
    Photo is by Fran ParenteFrederic Chopin Apartment, Brazil, by Tria Arquitetura
    Brazilian studio Tria Arquitetura went beyond furniture and enveloped an entire column in this São Paulo apartment in sheets of stainless steel to offer a cool, sharp-edged contrast to the wood and other warm tones in the living room.
    The home belongs to an art-loving couple and was designed to accommodate their collection of art and collectible design.
    “The main concept in the choice of finishes and architectural solutions was to bring comfort but still leave a big void so that the works could dress the house,” said Tria Arquitetura.
    Find out more about Frederic Chopin Apartment ›
    Photo by Matthijs van der BurgtRiverside Tower apartment, Belgium, by Studio Okami Architecten
    Metals in different finishes meet inside this duplex apartment in Antwerp’s brutalist Riverside Tower, where local firm Studio Okami Architecten exposed the building’s original concrete structure.
    Sleek metal surfaces provide a counterpoint to the rough finish of the walls, painted baby blue in one instance to form a spiral staircase and elsewhere left raw in the form of cabinets and a sculptural kitchen island.
    Find out more about Riverside Tower apartment ›
    Photo by Pier CarthewKerr Street, Australia, by SSdH
    Eclectic metal furniture takes centre stage in Melbourne’s Kerr Street apartment, which is housed in a former chocolate factory.
    Among them are folded aluminium stools, a two-seater armchair with an undulating frame and a chainmail-fringed side table by local designer Annie Paxton.
    Find out more about Kerr Street ›
    Photo by Piet-Albert GoethalsApartment A, Belgium, by Atelier Dialect
    Apartment A in Antwerp delivers a more pared-back take on the theme, pairing a chromed metal floor lamp from Reggiani with a steel-bottomed velvet-upholstered daybed by Belgian designer Jonas Van Put.
    In the bedroom, Belgian studio Atelier Dialect went a step further and installed a bathtub wrapped in panels of mirrored steel in the middle of the minty-green room.
    Find out more about Apartment A ›
    Photo by Giulio GhirardiCanal Saint-Martin apartment, France, by Rodolphe Parente
    Metal covers almost all of the surfaces in the kitchen of this Haussmann-era apartment in Paris, as well as spilling over into many of the other rooms.
    In the living room, there is Axel Chay’s unlacquered aluminium Septem stool, while the bathroom is brightened up by the Morgans chair – created by French designer Andrée Putman for Emeco – whose aluminium frame is polished to such a high shine it basically functions as a mirror.
    Find out more about Canal Saint-Martin apartment ›
    Photo by Fran ParenteGale Apartment, Brazil, by Memola Estudio
    Part of the balcony in this São Paulo apartment was converted into a bar and lounge area as part of a renovation by local practice Memola Estudio.
    The practice designed a custom metal bar for the space that matches the nearby kitchen cabinetry while adding an industrial edge to the seating area with its low-slung soft furnishings.
    Find out more about Gale Apartment ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with slides, colourful renovations and New York City lofts.

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      Kriskadecor uses aluminium to create “warm and inviting” interiors

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      Promotion: metal-chain manufacturer Kriskadecor is challenging the perception of aluminium as a cold material with a series of projects where it is used to brighten an interior.

      Kriskadecor has used its aluminium metal chains to adorn the interiors of public and residential buildings to create relaxing and welcoming spaces, ranging from bars to co-housing.
      Kriskadecor has used its aluminium chains to adorn a range of interiors. Photo by Lucía GorosteguiAccording to the brand, using aluminium to create an inviting interior comes down to the shapes and colours with in the material is finished and paired.
      For example, Kriskadecor specialises in versatile aluminium chains, designed to be used for everything from space dividers and wallcoverings to sculptural lighting and installations.
      It also installed them in a co-working space in Madrid”Despite being a metallic and seemingly cold material, aluminium can play a fundamental role in interior design when used strategically and in conjunction with other elements,” said Kriskadecor.

      “To counteract this perceived coldness, at Kriskadecor, we play with two concepts: colour and shape,” it explained.
      The brand is challenging the perception of aluminium as a cold material. Image by Petit OiseauAccording to the brand, its team of experts approaches “each project in a completely personalised manner” to ensure the products are used in the best way possible.
      Key examples of interiors where Kriskadecor has installed its aluminium chains include the LATAM Airlines lounge in an airport in Chile designed by local studio Grupo Arquitectos. Here, the brand suspended a sculptural installation formed of three bronze-hued cylinders above the bar area.
      They are suspended above a bar in a LATAM Airlines lounge. Photo by Aryeh Kornfeld”Grupo Arquitectos conceived the design of the VIP lounge for LATAM Airlines at Santiago de Chile’s airport as a warm and inviting space where passengers could relax and have a more enjoyable journey,” said Kriskadecor.
      “The floating effect of all the elements, in addition to the light reflecting on the chains, softens and provides a more pleasant and balanced ambience.”
      In France, Kriskadecor contributed to “an atmosphere of wellbeing and serenity for students and young professionals” at the Ecla Paris Villejuif co-living residences by Studio Chantal Peyrat.
      Colourful aluminium chains are used as part of a wider lighting scheme intended to “add dynamism” to the common areas and reception.
      In the workspaces, they are used as privacy curtains. Photo by Lucía GorosteguiMeanwhile, in Spain, a series of green-toned aluminium chain curtains have been used as more than decoration – lining the glass-enclosed meeting rooms of a coworking space in Madrid by local studio Ballarín Mendoza.
      They are used to add privacy “without obstructing the visual field” while allowing light to enter, Krisakdecor said.
      For more information on Kriskadecor and its aluminium chains, visit its website here.
      Partnership content
      This article was written by Dezeen for Kriskadecor as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      GOA tops Metasequoia Grove Restaurant with cluster of tree-informed pyramids

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      Chinese studio Group of Architects has created a restaurant topped with a canopy made from a series of aluminium pyramidal forms in the village of Suzhou, China.

      The structure, which was informed by a grove of metasequoia trees, was designed by Group of Architects (GOA) for a waterside site in China’s Jiangnan region.
      Metasequoia Grove Restaurant by Group of Architects features a canopy inspired by the trees on site”We want the design of Metasequoia Grove Restaurant to integrate into its natural setting and become a part of the landscape,” the project’s leading architect Chen Binxin told Dezeen.
      “The forms of the metasequoia trees are abstracted and translated into a purely geometric architectural language, a pyramidal frustum.”
      The restaurant features a group of pyramidal aluminium formsMultiple versions of the pyramidal shape in three different scales form the forest-like canopy that tops the restaurant.

      Skylights top each pyramidal module, letting light enter the interior, while short eaves at the canopy’s base frame views across the surrounding wetland.
      Light enters the space through the skylights and perforations in the pyramidsThe pyramidal roof modules comprise three layers: an outer layer of perforated aluminium panels, a central glass layer that increases luminosity, and an inner layer of wood panels.
      “We chose steel columns to respond to the density and verticality of tree trunks and perforated aluminium panels as the roof canopies’ outer layer to imitate the dancing sunlight spots and shadows that filter through leaves,” said Chen.

      C+ Architects mingles old and new inside Restaurant Ya in Beijing

      Kitchens and private dining balconies are located in the restaurant’s eastern wing, which is wrapped in a rubble stone facade.
      In an effort to emphasise the lightness of the structure, the studio designed the building to have only 10 load-bearing columns, which have been arranged around the edges of the space. Opposite each of the load-bearing columns is a group of three columns along the window frames.
      Slim columns support the weight of the structureBy adding the same paving to the interior and the waterside terrace, the studio aimed to create a cohesive aesthetic across the restaurant and its exterior.
      Two-metre-wide, single-bay floor-to-ceiling windows connected by narrow frames enhance the visual openness of the space.
      The roof hangs over dining spaces surrounded by glass wallsSet to open in October, the restaurant will be used as both a dining space for visitors and a small banquet hall for holding public events.
      It is part of a larger governmental scheme for the redevelopment of Shanwan village, which will include a B&B also designed by the studio, currently under construction. The proposed development includes guest rooms, additional restaurants, an outdoor events space and a pool, alongside preserved residential houses and forests.
      “As architects, we want to increase the recognition and attention to this village by reinforcing a sense of local identity through the design and turning this project into an attractor to promote the local ecotourism industry while activating the surrounding areas,” said Chen.
      Metasequoia Grove Restaurant by Group of Architects has been longlisted in the hospitality building category of Dezeen Awards 2022.
      Other restaurants in China featured on Dezeen include Cheng Chung Design’s restaurant inside a brick art installation and a 0321’s restaurant containing a florist enclosed in a translucent pink box.
      The photography is by In Between.

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      Ten installations by Kriskadecor that use chain curtains to dramatic effect

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      Promotion: from space dividers to ceiling features, Kriskadecor creates bespoke hanging installations from colourful aluminium chains. Here, we’ve rounded up ten of the Spanish brand’s most prominent projects.

      Each of Kriskadecor’s chain-link fixtures can be customised with different colours, shapes and sizes that can be tailored to different environments, whether interior or exterior.
      Since it was founded in 1926, the brand has refined its production process, integrating 20 per cent recycled content and anodising the metal for durability and colourfastness.
      “We have developed a unique manufacturing process which has been fine-tuned over the years by relying on an essential cornerstone, the human component,” said Kriskadecor.
      “The chain links spring from a perfect balance between an industrial process and the oversight of our technicians, whose expert hands check each project in detail.”

      Read on for ten of the brand’s seminal installations.
      Photo is by Jon NissenbaumMiQ office, USA, by Sydness Architects, Design Republic and Emma Louise Ingham
      A gradient curtain of sunset-coloured chains offers a contrast against the neutral interiors of this office in New York by marketing company MiQ.
      The divider is designed to help separate the space into a series of open, spacious work areas to encourage collaboration without blocking natural light from streaming into the interior.
      Photo is by Tiberio SorvilloLinder Cycling Hotel, Italy, by Perathoner Architects
      High up in the Dolomite Alps, guests of this bike-friendly hotel can unwind in a dedicated spa where privacy is provided courtesy of the Nieva de Noche curtains by Barcelona-based designer Claire Davies.
      Chainlinks of various colours including deep blue, black and pale silver create intricate patterns that resemble raindrops while blending in with the moody palette of the surrounding interior.

      Nando’s Altrincham, UK, by Stac Architecture
      Instead of being anodised to create different colours, the aluminium links used in this particular installation are lacquered in a saturated yellow hue from Kriskadecor’s new Luxe Edition palette, which provides a more matte finish while improving durability.
      While this version was custom made to suit a restaurant interior by English practice Stac Architecture, the collection also includes an extensive range of other Pantone and RAL colours from Capri Blue to Raspberry Red.
      Photo is by Philip DurrantAldgate Tower, UK, by Basha Franklin
      Suspended in an east London office tower, this feature helps to close the distance between the atrium’s floor and its towering ceilings in a bid to make the room feel more welcoming.
      Here, the chains are arranged into three cylindrical segments of different sizes and ombre colours that complement the seating nooks below.
      Photo is by Joni IsrealiWestfield Mall of the Netherlands by MVSA Architects
      More than 230 kilometres worth of chains in shades of gold and brown hang from the ceiling in the cafeteria of Holland’s largest shopping centre.
      Organised into 30 curved panels, the installation meanders its way through the interior, imitating the organic flow of air while helping to create a sense of intimacy within the vast commercial space.

      Kohakinho restaurant, Switzerland, by Bruno Huber Architetti
      In this sushi restaurant in Lugano, the decor is matched to the menu with a sculptural fish-shaped lamp dangling from the ceiling while a Kriskadecor feature wall creates the impression of being underwater.
      The installation’s colour gradient starts on the ceiling with shades of orange, brown and gold that tie into the rest of the interior, before going on to incorporate various hues of blue towards the bottom.
      Photo is by Palkó GyörgyKI20 Business Centre, Hungary, by MadiLancos Studio
      Lengths of aluminium in a delicate champagne colour run along the length of three entire floors in the interior courtyard of this renovated Neo-Renaissance-style office in Budapest.
      Beyond adding a sense of understated elegance, they also help to conceal the building’s unsightly plumbing and electrics.
      Photo is by Marcela GrassiArchiproducts Milano, Italy, by Serena Confalonieri
      Thanks to the natural durability of the anodised aluminium, Kriskadecor’s wall hangings can also be applied to the exterior of a building like cladding, as seen on the Archiproducts shop in Milan.
      Here, the custom installation is mounted using a special fixing system, customised to fit the shape of the facade and imbued with a vibrant geometric pattern.
      Photo is by Denis VasilievCafe Karavaevi, Russia, by Marina Bagrova
      Winding strips of apricot-coloured aluminium are arranged around the overhead lamps in this Moscow cafe in order to diffuse their cold, functional light.
      With their gentle shape and colouring, the dangling fixtures help to bring a sense of softness to an otherwise industrial space.
      Photo is by Niels KramerIPG Mediabrands, Netherlands, by Tétris
      Instead of walls, this rest area in the Dutch office of IPG Mediabrands is bounded by transparent aluminium-chain curtains on two sides in order to allow light to permeate into the rest of the interior.
      An undulating frame creates a doorway on one side, which can be customised in any number of organic and geometric shapes.
      Partnership content
      This article was written by Dezeen for Kriskadecor as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Gonzalez Haase AAS creates minimal interior for Berlin communications office

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      Architecture studio Gonzalez Haase AAS used aluminium and translucent sheets of polycarbonate to create the few fixtures and furnishings that appear inside this sparse Berlin office.The office belongs to trendy communications agency BAM and has been designed by Gonzalez Haase AAS as a celebration of “raw materiality and geometric simplicity”.
      “The raw, minimalistic aesthetic serves as a blank canvas for the agency’s creative projects,” the studio explained.

      Measuring 270 square metres, the office takes over the ground and first floor of a building at the heart of the German capital.

      The spacious lower level has been left open so that the agency can use it for large-scale meetings, or transform into a showroom or gallery-style space for events.

      It’s only interrupted by a floor-to-ceiling sliding partition that can be pulled across to divide the space into two separate rooms when necessary.
      The partition is crafted from four sheets of polycarbonate and has intentionally been positioned to sit slightly diagonally to contrast the sharp right angles that appear elsewhere throughout the space.

      A white flight of stairs with a wire-frame balustrade leads up to the office proper.
      Raw aluminium has been used to craft a series of blocky furnishings at this level, most notably a 22.5-metre-long shelf that extends from one side of the room to the other.
      The shelf incorporates several open and closed storage cupboards, and a bench seat where staff can sit to eat their lunch.

      Aluminium has additionally been used to make the long central work desk and the cabinetry in the small kitchenette.
      Another angled polycarbonate partition appears at this level, but in this instance separates a boardroom.

      “These monumental [aluminium] elements find balance in the large, translucent walls of polycarbonate sheeting,” added the studio.

      Berlin’s Brutalist Silence office has barely anything inside

      Further textual interest is created by the chipped wood and wool acoustic panels that have been staggered across the ceiling. They’re inset with simple strip lights that illuminate work areas below.

      Gonzalez Haase AAS was established in 1999 by Pierre Jorge Gonzalez and Judith Haase.
      The studio often applies a pared-back aesthetic to its projects – last year it completed Tem-plate, a fashion concept store in Lisbon that has been simply finished with white walls, concrete floors and display fixtures clad in crinkled silver metal.

      As well as BAM’s office, other minimal workspaces in Berlin include Brutalist Silence, an office designed by Annabell Kutucu that features exclusively concrete surfaces and only a handful of furniture.
      Photography is by Thomas Meyer.

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      Laurent Deroo Architecte furnishes APC London store with aluminium “cabin modules”

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      Aluminium modules form display cases for this clothing store in London’s Covent Garden, which Paris studio Laurent Deroo Architecte designed for French clothing brand APC. Called Mistral, the project is the latest that Laurent Deroo Architecte (LDA) has created for Atelier de Production et de Création (APC) as part of their 15-year-long partnership. The volumes […] More