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    Uchronia founder designs own home as “love letter to French craft”

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    Glossy walls, ruched curtains and oversized flower-shaped cushions characterise this eclectic 1970s-style Paris apartment, designed and owned by Uchronia founder Julien Sebban.

    Called Univers Uchronia, the apartment is in the city’s 18th arrondissement, close to the Uchronia office – a Parisian architecture and interiors studio known for its bold application of shape, colour and reflective surfaces.
    Julien Sebban designed Univers Uchronia as his homeSebban designed the dwelling as his home, which he shares with his husband and Maison Royère artistic director Jonathan Wray.
    The Uchronia founder created the apartment as an extension of his studio – “it’s truly a manifesto of our universe,” he told Dezeen.
    Colourful interiors anchor the apartmentSebban worked with local studio Atelier Roma to create all the walls and ceilings, which are either lacquered and glossy or made of matte pigmented concrete, respectively reflecting or absorbing light throughout the day.

    Finished in hues ranging from cloud-like pale blue to lemony yellow, the walls and ceilings complement the poured-in-place resin floor that spans the apartment and features a bold motif that “waves and moves in relation to the architecture”.
    A metallic island features in the open-plan kitchenThe home is anchored by a predominantly pink living space, which includes Uchronia-designed pieces such as low-slung interlocking coffee tables made from walnut burl and orange resin.
    Translucent and gathered pink curtains were paired with a geometric vintage bookshelf and a blocky but soft sofa finished in purple and orange.
    A bespoke onyx dining table was created for the home”The apartment is very colourful with ’60s and ’70s inspirations and a mix of our contemporary pieces and vintage objects,” said Sebban.
    In the open-plan kitchen and dining room, a veiny Van Gogh onyx table was positioned next to a metallic kitchen island, illuminated by a blobby seaweed-shaped table lamp.
    Ornamental jellyfish decorate the home officeA portion of the otherwise orange wall was clad with tiny, mirrored tiles. Reflected in the gleaming ceiling, the tiles have the same effect as a shimmering disco ball.
    Opposite the dining area is Sebban and Wray’s home office, characterised by a bright orange, built-in day bed topped with silk flower-like cushions and a wave-shaped backrest.
    The dwelling’s bathrooms follow a similar designAbove the bed, ornamental jellyfish were suspended like planets against a constellation of gold stars, which decorate the ombre orange and yellow wall that nods to the colour-drenched interior of the city’s Cafe Nuances – also designed by Uchronia.
    The dwelling’s bathrooms follow a similar design. Accents include dusty pink alcoves and ceramic tiles depicting underwater scenes, as well as a lily pad-shaped rug and a mirror resembling a cluster of clouds.

    Ten self-designed homes that reflect the unique styles of their owners

    “The apartment defines the codes we have tried to develop at Uchronia over the last four years,” concluded Sebban.
    “It’s a play on colours, textures and materials, and a love letter to French craft.”
    Univers Uchronia is “a love letter to French craft”Uchronia was named emerging interior designer of the year at the Dezeen Awards 2023. The studio previously renovated a Haussmann-era apartment for a pair of jewellery designers with multifaceted furniture pieces created to mirror the appearance of precious stones.
    Various architects have designed their own homes, such as John Pawson, who created this minimalist second home in the Cotswolds in the UK.
    The photography is by Félix Dol Maillot. 

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      Destudio inverts day and night zones at redesigned Casa Inversa apartment

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      Architecture office Destudio has remodelled an apartment in Valencia for a couple of empty nesters, swapping the positions of the living and sleeping areas so they perform better for the owners’ lifestyles.

      The clients, who recently worked with Destudio to design their pharmacy in the Spanish city, invited the studio to oversee the renovation of the 150-square-metre apartment that had been their home for two decades.
      The couple’s grown-up children no longer live with them and Destudio saw this change in circumstances as an opportunity to create an entirely new and more appropriate layout.
      Destudio swapped the positions of living and sleeping areas in Casa Inversa”We worked with the owners to convince them to make a ‘tabula rasa’ of how they lived in this house for the last 20 years and find a better distribution for their actual needs,” Destudio creative director Gabi Ladaria told Dezeen.
      “It was tough for the family to recognise that every wall had to be demolished,” he added, “but when they saw the first plans and 3Ds they realised there were better ways to live in their house, being more honest with their needs in the coming years.”

      An initial survey of how the existing spaces were used informed the decision to switch the position of the private and communal areas so the main living space receives the best of the available sunlight. This act gave the project its name, Casa Inversa.
      The dining area was positioned in the corner of the living roomConversations with the clients revealed that they wanted the kitchen to be the heart of the house as this is where they spend a lot of time preparing and eating meals throughout the day.
      This informed the decision to reduce the size of the dedicated dining area by incorporating it into a corner of the living room.
      The kitchen was designed as the heart of the homeA cantilevered bench minimises the floor area used so the adjacent lounge feels more generous.
      “We use this strategy in our restaurant projects to maximise the number of diners,” Ladaria pointed out, “but here it is used to maximise the space in the other part of the corner bench where the living room is located.”

      Tactile materials “accentuate the value of shadows” in Bolívar House

      The studio added that the table is likely to be used infrequently, mostly when friends or family come to visit, so it was designed like a restaurant booth to make the dining experience feel like eating out.
      The kitchen opens onto a terrace with outdoor seating, while on the opposite wall a wine display backed with semi-opaque glass provides a visual connection with the adjoining utility space. Sliding glass doors can be closed to separate the kitchen and the adjacent sitting room if required.
      Sliding glass doors separate the living area and kitchenThe apartment’s three bedrooms were relocated to the opposite end of the floor plan, where they overlook the building’s internal courtyards.
      The principal bedroom and one of the guest rooms are accommodated in an angular corner that previously housed the living room. The main bedroom’s dressing area features cupboards that extend along one wall, making the most of the space.
      A material palette consisting of clay-rendered walls, oak joinery and porcelain tiles acts as a warm backdrop for the clients’ art collection.
      Clay render covers the wallsWhere possible, Destudio specified furniture from local brands, including the sofa, armchairs and the living room’s library shelving.
      Destudio was founded in 2014 by architects Gabi Ladaria and Nacho Díaz, who studied together at Valencia’s Polytechnic University.
      Other recent residential projects in Valencia include the renovation of a former fisherman’s house using geometric blue-and-white tiling and a copper-toned home in an olive grove.
      The photography is courtesy of Destudio.

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      Eight chocolate-brown interiors that look good enough to eat

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      In memoriam of the many chocolate eggs that will be consumed this Easter, our latest lookbook rounds up eight homes with tasteful cocoa-coloured interiors.

      Chocolatey brown might be the unofficial colour of Easter as the biggest driver of chocolate sales – second only to Christmas.
      But the rich, earthy hue is also proving increasingly popular among interior designers for its unique function as both a colour and a natural, able to bring a sense of warmth to otherwise minimalist spaces.
      Below are eight mouth-watering examples to feast your eyes on, including a rammed-earth house in Brazil and the renovation of a Shigeru Ban loft conversion in New York.
      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, breakfast nooks and compact garden studios with neat storage solutions.

      Photo by Jack LovelShadow House, Australia, by Grotto Studio
      Almost all of the surfaces in this Perth cottage extension by Grotto Studio are lined in sumptuous brown timber, from the walls and floors in the bedroom to the entire bathroom counter.
      “The choice of dark timber for the interior was motivated by a desire to create a rich, intimate and immersive atmosphere,” studio founder Craig Nener told Dezeen.
      “The dark tones add depth and character to the spaces, creating a warm and inviting ambience.”
      Find out more about Shadow House ›
      Photo by Syam SreesylamChuzhi house, India, by Wallmakers
      Soil, waste and debris were used to form the spiralling walls of Chuzhi house in Shoolagiri, India, giving the interiors a rustic, earthy feeling.
      To keep the focus on the architecture, the rooms themselves are finished in matching colours with reclaimed timber floors complemented by woven and wooden furniture.
      Find out more about Chuzhi house ›
      Photo by Fabian MartinezColonia Condesa house, Mexico, by Chloé Mason Gray
      Interior designer Chloé Mason Gray sought to embrace the lack of natural light in this bachelor pad in Mexico City’s Condesa neighbourhood, shaded by large trees from the avenue outside.
      Embracing the dark and moody atmosphere, the designer chose colours and textures that would make the spaces feel “masculine, rich, and interesting” including leather, linen and textured chocolate-brown plaster.
      Find out more about Colonia Condesa house ›
      Photo by Felix SpellerMayfair pied-à-terre, UK, by Child Studio
      Adolf Loos’s modernist Villa Muller informed the dining area in this London mews house, where mahogany joinery is backed by veiny dark red marble.
      Soft light filters into the space from a glass-brick partition, blocking out the kitchen and rounding off the intimate atmosphere created by Child Studio.
      Find out more about this Mayfair pied-à-terre ›
      Photo by Gareth HackerHighbury House, UK, by Daytrip
      A more pared-back take on the theme comes in the form of this vintage 1970s Gilda sofa by Michel Ducaroy, composed of multiple segments reminiscent of a Chocolate Orange.
      It serves as a focal point in the otherwise muted living room of London’s Highbury House, paired with a blackened oak armchair by EBBA Architects founder Benni Allan and one of David Horan’s delicate Paper lights.
      Find out more about Highbury House ›
      Photo by Federico CairoliCasa em Cunha, Brazil, by Arquipélago Arquitetos
      The rammed-earth construction of this house in Brazil’s mountainous Cunha region is left exposed on the interior, creating an organic striped finish across the walls.
      Matching brown finishes feature heavily throughout the rest of the home, where ceilings are covered in wooden slats while the bathroom is defined by coppery hardware and tiles the colour of bitter chocolate.
      Find out more about Casa em Cunha ›
      Photo by César Béjar StudioCasa Los Tigres, Mexico, by César Béjar Studio and Fernando Sánchez Zepeda
      Dark wood panelling helps to hide doors and storage inside the Casa Los Tigres beach house on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, designed by César Béjar Studio and Fernando Sánchez Zepeda.
      It encircles the lower portion of the living spaces and develops the bedrooms almost entirely, paired with pale stone flooring and pared-back accessories to create a calm refuge.
      Find out more about Casa Los Tigres ›
      Photo by David MitchellTribeca loft renovation, USA, by Timothy Godbold
      New York interior designer Timothy Godbold was responsible for renovating this loft in a historic Tribeca textile factory, originally converted by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban in 2019.
      The former TV room now functions as a home office and bar, with a low-slung chestnut-brown sofa helping to warm up the otherwise neutral colour palette while wall reliefs informed by 1970s sci-fi spice up the walls.
      Find out more about this Tribeca loft renovation ›
      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, breakfast nooks and compact garden studios with neat storage solutions.

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      Timothy Godbold adorns Tribeca loft with modernist relief panels

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      New York interior designer Timothy Godbold has renovated an apartment in a historic Tribeca building, adding various relief treatments across its neutral walls including panels influenced by a 1970s sci-fi series.

      The spacious loft is located in an 1881 cast-iron building on Franklin Street, which was formerly a textile factory and was overhauled by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban in 2019.
      The most dramatic space in the loft is a double-height living room surrounded by windows”The homeowners, a young family with two children, set out with the objective of creating a great home for entertaining that simultaneously utilized space efficiently to create a comfortable family living space,” said Godbold’s team.
      The designer helped to organise the layout so that it functioned optimally for the family, and despite opting for a neutral colour palette, Godbold upped the drama through the scale of the furniture and artwork.
      Rather than disguise a structural column, Timothy Godbold used it as an anchor for the dining tableA double-height living room occupies a corner flooded with light from windows on two sides, which can be diffused by drawing the sheer curtains.

      To work around a large structural column disrupting the view to the living room, Godbold used the column to anchor a stone dining table to turn it into a focal feature.
      The kitchen is intentionally minimal, benefitting from the absence of cabinet and drawer pullsThe table references a 1930s design by Hans and Wassili Luckhardt and Alfons Anker, in keeping with the industrial style of the building.
      The kitchen is very minimal, thanks to the omission of cabinet and drawer pulls, and includes an island with a waterfall stone top that creates space for a breakfast bar.
      An area behind the kitchen was converted into a flexible office and bar spaceHidden behind the kitchen is a former TV room converted into a bar room and an office “to maximise the versatility of the space and meet multiple needs”.
      The walls in this flexible room are covered in geometric plaster-relief panels, which add shadows and texture, while the furniture is darker and more masculine.
      Plaster relief panels based on a 1970s sci-fi series cover the wallsA Reprise pendant light from New York design studio Apparatus hangs in a corner that has been curved to accentuate the modernist-style wall panelling.
      “The wall details in this Tribeca space are inspired by a classic 1970s sci-fi series that showcases an all-Italian modern aesthetic within a futuristic environment,” said the team.
      A feature wall behind the bed in the primary bedroom is fluted across its full widthA row of plastered arched niches separates the formal entertaining areas from a more casual seating area, where a large pale grey sofa shifts the tone from the warm whites found elsewhere.
      In the primary bedroom, the built-in bed and nightstands are installed below a tufted upholstered headboard that runs the full width of the room, and a fluted wall feature that extends to the ceiling.
      The bedroom also features a sculptural sofa, large planters and a huge artwork by Etienne MoyatOpposite the bed is a sculptural sofa surrounded by oversized planters and a large, carved relief artwork by French sculptor Etienne Moyat on the wall.
      Godbold custom-designed many of the pieces throughout the home, including most of the furniture and decorative elements.

      Timothy Godbold turns his Hamptons home into a “villain’s hideout”

      His references included mid-century Italian designers like Joe Colombo, whose space-age shapes are echoed in the dining chairs, sofas, and smaller lighting and decor items.
      Godbold also played with proportion to add drama, as seen in the living room’s custom stone sofas that are upholstered in a “brutalist” fabric made in England, and the coffee table with an integrated planter.
      A variety of space-age shapes and materials can be found throughout the loftThe rugs also feature custom designs that outline the furniture in the same space.
      Overall, the goal was to “marry the industrial, the art deco and the more surreal aspects of 1970s noir cult cinema for a glamorous and intriguing end product.”
      The home’s neutral colour palette continues through to the nurseryOriginally from Australia, Godbold is currently based in the Hamptons, where he renovated his mid-century home to resemble a “villain’s hideout”.
      He also aims to preserve other modernist dwellings built across the area through the nonprofit organisation Hamptons 20th Century Modern.
      The photography is by David Mitchell.

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      Rafael Viñoly Architects unveils “last project” designed by Rafael Viñoly

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      Architecture studio Rafael Viñoly Architects has unveiled designs for a terraced residential building in Uruguay, which is the last project designed by the studio’s founder.

      Located outside of Montevideo on a beachfront site, the Médano El Pinar apartment complex will be comprised of approximately 120 luxury, multi-family residences of one to five bedrooms. It is the last project designed by architect Rafael Viñoly, who died last year.
      Rafael Viñoly Architects has unveiled designs for a terraced residential complex in Uruguay”The last project designed by renowned architect Rafael Viñoly, Médano El Pinar is an innovative, ultra-sustainable, luxury, multi-family residential development,” said the studio.
      “The building’s long, low-slung, and sinewy shape integrates it with the organic landscape of its pristine setting to minimize its visual impact on the neighbourhood and make it completely invisible from the public beach.”
      It is the last project designed by the late architect, according to the studioSituated behind sand dunes, renderings show an undulating building with a terraced facade that mirrors the curves of its beachfront site.

      Residences will be distributed along its 1,394-foot (425-metre) length and contain glazed facades that will open onto terraces.
      The residences will contain glazed facades and private terraces”Generously proportioned interiors open to large elevated private gardens with panoramic views, creating a sense of ‘conscious luxury’,” said the studio.
      The building will be constructed from a locally sourced mass timber structure, according to the studio, with aims to be “the first nearly Zero-Energy Building”.

      Rafael Viñoly Architects unveils plans for vineyard-covered airport terminal

      Other sustainable strategies integrated into its design will include the use of solar panels, rainwater capture, a green roof and cross ventilation.
      Interior renderings show double-height living spaces with wood beams distributed throughout and capped by a wood-slated ceiling.
      The building will be made of a mass timber structureA wall of floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors open onto the accompanying terrace, which hosts a small pool or garden and additional seating areas.
      A large pool sitting in front of the building is also pictured, with ground-level entrances to the building tucked along its length.
      Uruguayan architect Viñoly, who died aged 78, designed numerous buildings around the world including 432 Park Avenue in New York and the Walkie Talkie in London.
      Architects and critics including Norman Foster and Michael Kimmelman paid tribute to Viñoly after his passing, and his son Román Viñoly, discussed his legacy in an interview with Dezeen.
      Other recent projects in Montevideo include a stacked housing block designed by MVRDV and a prefabricated multi-storey car park by MAPA.
      The images are courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects.

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      Paris duplex by Johanna Amatoury references architecture of Greek islands

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      Harnessing soft whites and gently curving plaster forms, interior designer Johanna Amatoury has brought a holiday-house feel to this apartment in the peaceful Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine.

      The duplex belongs to a couple who work in real estate and their three young children – a globetrotting family with a particular love for the Greek islands.
      Interior designer Johanna Amatoury has renovated a Paris duplexAmatoury designed their apartment as a homage to the region’s vernacular architecture.
      “Because of their love for this part of the world, we arrived in this apartment and imagined a holiday house feeling, using warm and textural materials – very unlike typical Parisian apartments,” she told Dezeen.
      “We worked with mineral materials, textures and raw colours in the apartment to provide depth and achieve the desired ambience.”

      Curving plaster-covered surfaces feature heavily in the entrywayThe design of the home was also shaped by its layout, arranged over the ground and first floors of a large 1980s building that opens onto a small garden.
      This encouraged Amatoury to model the apartment on a single-family house.
      The design draws on the vernacular architecture of the Greek islands”We wanted to imagine it as a house, to create a more outside-in atmosphere, increasing all the size of the windows,” she said.
      “The apartment is on the garden level, so my guideline was to open as much as possible to the outside and the planting there.”
      Violetta marble tables anchor the living roomThe apartment’s whole floorplan was reworked in order to create a living room, dining room and kitchen that all look onto the gardens outside.
      The staircase was relocated to a more logical location close to the entrance, while upstairs the space was completely reconfigured to create four bedroom suites.
      Artworks reflect the Grecian theme of the interiorAs a homage to Greek island architecture, Amatoury used Roman plaster to soften the forms within the apartment, particularly in the entrance hall.
      “We used warm, textural materials including lots of softly curving and tactile plaster finishes that give the space a sculptural look,” she said.
      “Roman plaster is a very ancient technique that has a mineral appearance with a smooth, soft and slightly glossy finish, which catches the eye and dresses the wall through classic mineral colours while also embracing brighter nuances.”

      Six renovated Parisian apartments in historical Haussmann-era buildings

      In the kitchen, smoked walnut timber cabinetry is paired with splashbacks and worktops made of Navona travertine.
      Set in an otherwise open-plan space, the area is enclosed in glazed panels.
      “The family entertains a lot and cooks a lot, both the parents and the children,” Amatoury said. “As a result, it was necessary to be able to close off the kitchen while maintaining this visual openness.”
      The kitchen is enclosed by glazed partitionsMuch like a window, the glazed panels feature curved grilles and are set on an oak base that creates a visual link with the built-in oak banquette upholstered in white boucle wool.
      “We create a lot of benches because they’re so practical, incorporating storage chests, but most importantly for their cosy appeal,” Amatoury said. “Benches introduce a mix of fabrics and through these fabrics, the space becomes more welcoming.”
      Amatoury fashioned an oak seating banquette for the dining area For Amatoury, the furniture edit was a balancing act between creating a “harmonious yet eclectic atmosphere” that blends sophistication and comfort.
      Taking a central role is the curving sofa in the living room, which is upholstered in off-white linen and paired with monolithic Violetta marble tables.
      A staircase leads up to the second floor”Its design not only provided a focal point but also added a touch of elegance and softness to the space,” she said.
      “The curving shape offered a sense of flow and organic grace, enhancing the room’s visual appeal. The choice of off-white linen contributed to a serene ambience here, promoting a feeling of openness and lightness.”
      The upper level houses four bedroom suitesAmatoury, who has worked on several residential and commercial interiors across Paris, says she was tasked with the project after the owners admired a home she had completed for friends of theirs.
      “They liked our work and especially the warmth we bring to our projects, almost like a cocoon,” she said.
      Other residential interiors in the French capital that have recently been featured on Dezeen include a loft apartment in a former textile workshop and a Haussmann-era flat that was restored to its “former glory”.
      The photography is by Pierce Scourfield.

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      Hauvette & Madani restores Haussmann-era Paris apartment to its “former glory”

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      Local design studio Hauvette & Madani drew on the Haussmannian history of this Paris apartment to create a gallery-like interior for its occupant’s vast art collection.

      Located in the city’s historic Triangle d’Or, the dwelling previously featured minimalist marble surfaces and gilding leftover from a recent renovation.
      Hauvette & Madani “re-appropriated” the apartment, originally designed as part of Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s famed reconstruction of the French capital during the mid-19th century, to reflect its architectural past.
      Hauvette & Madani added cornices and mouldings to the apartment to reflect the dwelling’s Haussmannian roots”The challenge was to completely revamp the apartment, which had just been refurbished,” said studio co-founder Samantha Hauvette, who designed the dwelling with Lucas Madani.
      “We carried out meticulous research to find the right motifs and decorations to restore the place to its former glory and Haussmannian charm,” she told Dezeen.

      The living room features various artworksThe designers recreated delicate white cornices and mouldings – hallmarks of Haussmannian design – within the apartment, which had been previously stripped of these details.
      This created a considered but neutral backdrop for the resident’s eclectic collection of artwork and a curated selection of furniture “mixing eras and styles,” according to Hauvette and Madani.
      Sarah Crowner designed a bold fireplace for the dining spaceVisitors enter at a small round vestibule clad in straw marquetry – a “common thread” that also features on a pair of curved sofas and a sleek coffee table as well as sliding doors, the main bedroom’s headboard and the dining table.
      The light-filled living room is characterised by sculptural furniture and art pieces, including rounded vintage armchairs finished in a dark green hue and metallic base.
      An amorphous ceiling work by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm was suspended above the sofas, while a deep blue painting by Swiss practitioner Miriam Cahn adds a bold hue to the room.
      “It’s a real living space, where the homeowner shares a lot with her artist and designer friends,” said the designers. “All the pieces have a strong identity.”
      The kitchen balances traditional elements with more alternative detailsFor the dining room, American artist Sarah Crowner created a striking turquoise fireplace, which was clad in a blocky mosaic of geometric tiles and positioned alongside a burnt orange vintage egg-shaped chair.
      “We wanted to take the codes of classicism and break free from them,” explained Hauvette and Madani, who aimed to balance traditional interior details with more contemporary colourful touches.
      A blocky drinks bar was finished in the same design as the kitchen tableContinuing this theme, the designers sandwiched a bright green stove between more subtle, light pink cabinets in the kitchen, which includes a patterned feature wall.
      Blocks of light-coloured timber were stacked by French furniture maker Hervé van der Straeten to create a singular lumpy leg for the kitchen table as well as the base of a drinks bar elsewhere in the apartment.

      Wood Ribbon apartment in Paris features an undulating timber wall

      Hauvette and Madani also constructed an in-house sauna for the home, finished in dark wooden slats and tucked behind a bespoke green-hued daybed, made by the designers themselves.
      “We have a strong belief that everything that you love independently will work perfectly once put together,” said Madani, who highlighted the power of trusting your instincts when curating eclectic interiors.
      Hauvette & Madani also added a home saunaSummarising the overall look and feel of the apartment, the pair declared, “it’s Paris Haussmannian style, with a hint of craziness!”
      Hauvette & Madani is not the first studio to renovate a traditional Parisian apartment with contemporary touches.
      Local studio Uchronia recently filled a home for jewellery designers with multifaceted furniture pieces crafted to mirror the appearance of precious stones. The studio also previously added a wine-red kitchen to an otherwise neutral flat in the French capital.
      The photography is by François Coquerel. 

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      Isabelle Heilmann converts Parisian textile workshop into loft apartment

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      Interior designer Isabelle Heilmann has used glazing and level changes to turn a former textile workshop in Paris into an open-plan apartment with a dedicated home office.

      The owners of the property on Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud asked Heilmann’s studio Epicène to rationalise the interior and create a space for home working while maintaining the apartment’s quirky layout.
      Isabelle Heilmann has completed the Timbaud apartmentThe existing loft featured several impractical and dilapidated spaces including a cramped bedroom and three mezzanines with low ceilings that were once used for storing rolls of fabric.
      Heilmann removed some of the existing structures and introduced changes in floor height to delineate the new spaces while adding internal windows that retain a visual connection between the rooms.
      A raised platform houses the home office”Using differences in level and glass partitions allows you to demarcate the different living spaces while allowing light to circulate,” the designer told Dezeen.

      “Now, from the moment you enter, you have a global vision of the volume of the apartment,” she added. “It’s a way to have a very open plan without the disadvantages of the loft.”
      A bright green door in the dining space conceals a WCThe partitions enclosing the existing bedroom were removed and a platform built in their place now contains a home office housing two workstations and a wall of library shelving.
      Two of the mezzanines were also demolished, leaving just one beside the entrance that was transformed into a room for gaming and accommodating overnight guests.
      Throughout the interior, Heilmann sought to preserve the spirit of the old workshop that had attracted the owners to this space. The raised platform recalls the height changes of the old mezzanines, while geometric sculptural elements evoke the original layout.
      The kitchen and living room are separated by a glass partition”The partitions and interlocking shapes of the old workshop have been simplified, but we find this play of asymmetrical cubes in the shape of the headboard or the glass partition between bedroom and living room,” she explained.
      “The industrial spirit is also suggested in the choice of lighting fixtures or the sobriety of the bathroom tiling.”
      Examples of the recurring geometric motif include a series of cubic volumes containing cupboards and storage niches on either side of the steps leading up to the platform.

      Uchronia conceives Haussmann-era Paris apartment as “chromatic jewellery box”

      An asymmetric window creates a bold feature that connects the living room with the new bedroom, where a stepped headboard creates shelf space for books, paintings and objects.
      The kitchen is located opposite the office platform and features a simple L-shaped layout that slots in underneath the mezzanine and windows.
      A swing in the living room capitalises on the apartment’s tall ceilingsThe cupboard units have birch plywood doors and a marbled Corian worktop that complements the minimal, industrial look of the interior.
      A full-height glass-and-steel wall that was part of the original workshop was carefully preserved and now separates the living room on one side from the kitchen and dining area on the other.
      A door in the central glass partition leads into the living area, where a swing suspended from the ceiling makes the most of the room’s height.
      The owners wanted a blank canvas for showcasing their collection of vintage objects, so walls and floors throughout the apartment are painted white to provide a muted, minimal backdrop.
      A green bedspread catches the eye in the bedroomThe scheme also aims to create a playful, relaxed and creative atmosphere evocative of 1960s modernism, with classic pieces such as Achille Castiglioni’s Snoopy lamp and an Enzo Mari print providing pops of colour.
      In the bedroom, a yellow-painted door and green bedspread catch the eye, while a bright green door in the dining space conceals a WC with a sink set against punchy pink cement tiles.
      The bedroom features a large dressing area with cupboards made from birch plywood, which is housed in a space previously occupied by a bathroom.
      Curved tiles by Pop Corn clad the sinkThe main bathroom offers a playful take on the geometric theme used elsewhere in the apartment, with its geometric sink clad in rounded tiles from French firm Pop Corn.
      Isabelle Heilmann studied at the École Boulle in Paris before founding her agency Epicène in 2018. The studio designs public and residential spaces that combine a minimalistic sensibility with a love of colour and characterful statement pieces.
      Other Parisian home interiors that have recently been featured on Dezeen include an apartment with a wine-red kitchen and another that was designed to resemble a “chromatic jewellery box”.
      The photography is by BCDF studio.

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      Ten New York City loft interiors that make innovative use of open space

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      For our latest lookbook, we explore ten loft conversions and renovations in New York City where designers have inserted partitions, storage and other elements to cleverly organise open space.

      Characterised by spacious open floor plans, high ceilings and large windows, loft apartments are as synonymous with New York City as coffee and bagels – at least in popular culture.
      Loft apartments are housed in converted commercial, manufacturing or warehouse buildings, which informs their overall industrial feel as well as their wide-open floor plans, which have acted as a blank canvas for creatives for decades.
      In the New York lofts below, designers have organised and reorganised interiors by removing walls, reducing and adding mezzanines, inserting glass and wooden storage units or embracing original structures.
      From a Brooklyn residence that can be converted into an event space to a SoHo loft that now houses a sculptural partition wall, read on for ten examples of cleverly organised New York lofts throughout the city.

      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring kitchens with floor-to-ceiling cabinets, well-designed sheds and outbuildings and interiors created on a budget.
      Photo is courtesy of Future ProjectsAnother Seedbed, Williamsburg, by Future Projects
      Architects from New York studio Future Projects have converted an industrial space in a 19th-century cast iron building, which once served as a hat factory, into a unique loft apartment that serves as a residence and event space.
      To accommodate both the owner’s residential needs as well as public events, volumes covered in plywood and clay were inserted into an open floor plan to enclose private areas, while movable furniture including a sofa on wheels can be easily pushed out of the way for performances.
      Find out more about Another Seedbed ›
      Photo is by Seth CaplanDumbo Loft, Dumbo, by Crystal Sinclair Designs
      Interiors studio Crystal Sinclair Designs inserted a library mezzanine and a large glass partition to divide space in this Dumbo loft.
      The building’s original 14-foot ceilings accommodated the addition of the mezzanine, while the floor-to-ceiling glass partition was used to enclose the bedroom from the apartment’s remaining open floor plan.
      Find out more about Dumbo Loft ›
      Photo is courtesy of No ArchitectureThe Urban Tree House, West Village, by No Architecture
      No Architecture combined two units in a West Village skyscraper to create this double-height apartment, into which the studio inserted an extensive wooden structure with net beds that span over the living area.
      “We combined two units by first, redrawing all rooms into a cohesive ‘matrix plan’ and second, inserting a ‘garden folly’ that relates the interior to the adjacent Hudson River Greenway,” said New York-based No Architecture.
      Find out more about the Urban Tree House ›
      Photo is by Sarah ElliottTribeca Loft, Tribeca, by Andrea Leung 
      Architect Andrea Leung gut-renovated this loft in Tribeca for herself, opting to remove a mezzanine level and neatly organising private spaces in a linear row along the length of the space.
      Leung’s fascination with secret spaces – informed by her grandmother’s penthouse, which contained hidden rooms – prompted the architect to conceal all spaces but the living and dining room behind a mirrored wall.
      Find out more about Tribeca Loft ›
      Photo is by Isabel ParraManhattan loft, West Village, by Tala Fustok Studio
      A large glass and maple wood storage unit was used to divide the kitchen of this industrial West Village apartment from a living area, while a custom corten steel staircase leads to the second floor.
      London practice Tala Fustok Studio organised the interior to emphasise the apartment’s tall ceilings and oversized windows, as well as softening the space with limestone-washed walls.
      Find out more about Manhattan loft ›
      Photo is by Alan TanseyBroadway Loft, Madison Square North, by Worrell Yeung 
      New York architecture studio Worrell Yeung reorganised this NoMad loft to welcome more light, storage and an additional bedroom and bathroom for a growing family, who had lived in the space for over a decade.
      All of the apartment’s walls were removed to reveal the building’s structures and pipes while bookcase units and cabinetry were inserted to divide the space.
      Find out more about Broadway Loft ›
      Photo by Kevin KunstadtFrame Loft, Financial District, by Light and Air
      Located in a converted commercial building in the Financial District in Manhattan, this loft was cramped with internal walls before Brooklyn studio Light and Air removed the partitions to make the most of the generous floor area and large windows.
      The studio reduced the footprint of the overhead storage loft to allow for taller ceilings while inserting light wood shelving storage units, seating, a desk and cabinetry throughout the space.
      Find out more about Frame Loft ›
      Photo is by Daniel SalemiBrooklyn Loft, Clinton Hill, by Dean Works
      A volume made of Baltic birch plywood was inserted into this Clinton Hill loft to create more storage and section off a private sleeping area, which was further enclosed behind a glass partition.
      The adjusted floor plan places a living area towards the loft’s generous windows, the kitchen at its centre and the bedroom towards the apartment’s entrance.
      Find out more about Brooklyn Loft ›
      Photo is by Michael MoranSoho Loft, Soho, by Julian King
      To update this narrow apartment housed in a former silk warehouse, designer Julian King inserted a sculptural sleeping mezzanine at its centre, added a built-in bookcase and kept much of the remaining space completely open under its 13-foot ceilings.
      The mezzanine, which hosts just a bed, is concealed behind a partial wall that’s lined with integrated LED lighting.
      Find out more about Soho Loft ›
      Photo is by Eric PetschekChelsea Loft, Chelsea, by Worrell Yeung 
      Green paint covered the wood pillars of this Chelsea loft before Worrell Yeung updated the space, adding a large kitchen island and organising private areas towards the back of the apartment opposite its large windows.
      “The organising design strategy of this renovation was to maintain contiguous public living zones and extend daylight as far as it can reach by minimising partitions and concentrating private rooms on the north side of the apartment,” said the studio.
      Find out more about Chelsea Loft ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring kitchens with floor-to-ceiling cabinets, well-designed sheds and outbuildings and interiors created on a budget.

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