More stories

  • in

    Modektura adds sand terrazzo flooring to Kyiv apartment

    A balcony-turned-conservatory features in an apartment renovated by architecture and interior studio Modektura in Kyiv, Ukraine.

    Kyiv-based Modektura designed the interior to reflect the history of the apartment block, which was initially constructed in 1900.
    The one-bedroom apartment was renovated by Modektura”We wanted to tie it back to the house itself,” Modektura founder Maksym Dietkovskyi told Dezeen.
    “Colours and textures were chosen to create an interior that feels like it has a history – one that has been waiting for its owner for a long time.”
    The studio added sand to the terrazzo flooringThe studio refurbished the flooring of the apartment incorporating sand into the terrazzo as part of several material experiments undertaken by the studio during this project.

    Additionally, marble chips were embedded within the mineral plaster on the walls.

    Monolithic green marble forms “majestic wall” in Milan apartment

    “The idea to experiment with materials was inspired by old decorative techniques, blending them with a modern approach” Dietkovskyi explained.
    “Using sand and marble chips not only combined their decorative properties but also created a unique, aesthetically pleasing effect.”
    The open archways feature an inner wooden frameToned-oak, marble, stainless-steel and brass was used throughout the rest of the apartment.
    The material palette was chosen to “cultivate a sense of stability and tranquility”.
    Doors were swapped for open archways that feature a decorative moulding with an inner wooden frame.
    A balcony was turned into a conservatoryA corridor, described by the architect as a “central artery”, extends through the entire length of the flat leading from the kitchen to the bedroom and living area.
    A balcony attached to the kitchen was turned into a conservatory. The studio added underfloor heating to ensure a comfortable temperature for the plants.
    Paintings and sculptures are displayed throughout the apartmentTo accommodate the client’s art collection, the space includes a library and pedestals for displaying art pieces.
    Artworks on display include sculptures by Ukrainian artist Dmytro Hrek, paintings by Kristina Otchych-Cherniak and a diptych by Rostyslav Zavhorodniy.
    A pair of Cassina tilting back chairs are placed in the living roomThe studio, working with the owners, decided to keep the building’s classical elements, notably the decorative cornices.
    Mid-century design pieces such as Cassina tilting back chairs, Louis Poulsen glass pendants and Snoopy table lamps from Flos were selected to “collectively evoke a nostalgic retro atmosphere.”
    The living room includes a small library areaModektura completed the project during the ongoing war in Ukraine. The team described having to deal with unforeseen circumstances due to the wartime context.
    The reduced number of workers necessitated more extensive supervision and power supply issues and obstacles related to the conflict “significantly complicated the project implementation process,” the studio told Dezeen.
    Other projects in Kyiv recently featured on Dezeen include a fitness studio lined with curtains, a laser clinic with futuristic interiors and a holistic healing centre by Ukranian designer Olga Fradina.
    The photography is by Yevhenii Avramenko.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Alarquitectos lines Lisbon apartment with colour-blocked walls and pine wood

    Portuguese studio Alarquitectos has used walls of pink and blue to brighten São Sebastião 123, an apartment converted from a 20th-century office in Lisbon.

    Tasked with revitalising the old workspace’s dark and poorly ventilated interiors, Alarquitectos opened it up by removing the existing partitions and adding a courtyard.
    Along with an existing outdoor space that has been reorganised, this courtyard doubles as a lightwell for the 167-metre-square apartment.
    Walls of pink and blue decorate the São Sebastião 123 apartmentSão Sebastião 123 is organised with a series of “fluid” living spaces at its front and more private spaces, including the bedrooms, at the rear.
    Narrow corridors brightened by the colour-blocked walls lead into the airy, open-plan living area that is illuminated by a window and full-height opening connected to a slim balcony.

    In the living area, a shelving unit runs the length of the room and is paired with pine flooring and grey-toned furnishings.
    A sliding door connects the living space to the kitchenA sliding door leads from the living space into a kitchen “box”, which is enclosed on both sides by deep-blue cabinets topped with metal counters, and complemented by terrazzo flooring.
    Bronze detailing is used for lighting fixtures, mirrors and door knobs throughout the home.
    The kitchen features deep-blue cabinets and terrazzo flooring”We envisioned the kitchen as a vibrant focal point, hence the striking colour of the kitchen box,” studio co-founder Mafalda Ambrósio told Dezeen.
    “We sought cool colours that contrast with the warm tones of the pine wood,” she continued.
    “This colour palette was inspired by the aggregates in the kitchen terrazzo, resulting in a deep blue with green pigments and a light pink.”
    There is a dining room with an oak table and three pendant lightsAdjacent to the kitchen is a dining area with an oak dining table and three pendant lights. Further counter space and shelving are provided along one side.
    To the back of the dining area, a full-height door opens up to the new enclosed courtyard, which is lined with ceramic-tiled walls and terrazzo flooring and decorated with black-steel furniture and leafy plants.

    H3O creates “unpredictable” zigzagging interiors for lightning-struck home

    A glazed opening onto the courtyard draws light into a bedroom, while a smaller circular opening illuminates the adjacent corridor – operating as a “physical bridge between the interior and exterior”.
    “We extended our focus to the exterior space, not merely as a source of natural light and ventilation but also as an extension of the living experience,” Ambrósio said. “The materials for the patios were meticulously chosen to create a sense of refinement and tranquillity.”
    Ceramic-tiled walls and terrazzo flooring features in the courtyardSão Sebastião 123 is complete with two small workspaces beside the living area and a shared bathroom lined with ceramic tiles and terrazzo flooring matching the external courtyard.
    Other recent projects defined by colourful interiors include a playful seaside hotel that uses colour blocking to distinguish different areas and a residential conversion with jagged walls that reference a lightning bolt.
    The photography is by Do mal o menos.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Highstay designs Paris holiday apartments for Olympics visitors and holiday makers

    Hospitality brand Highstay has brought a contemporary spin to these 19th-century Parisian apartments, which its team has renovated to offer accommodation during the Olympic Games and beyond.

    The holiday apartments are intended for short- and long-term stays of up to one month, offering an alternative to hotels “for those coming to the city this summer for the Olympics”, Highstay said.
    Highstay’s has created holiday apartments within historic buildingsThe apartments are spread over four central Paris locations: Champs-Elysées, Saint-Honoré, Louvre and Marais.
    The majority are located within historic Haussmann-era buildings typical of the French capital and were designed by Highstay’s in-house team to retain their character while offering a contemporary twist.
    Each apartment is designed with a neutral palette and contemporary furniture”Our interior designers combine the quintessential Parisian style of 19th-century architecture with contemporary materials and modern equipment,” said the Highstay team.

    “The association of natural stones, elegant woods and high-quality fabrics shapes the atmosphere of a room and best connect our guests to the spirit of a place.”
    Parquet floors, bronze mirrors and marble accents are common throughoutRanging from one to three bedrooms, the apartments are decorated in a neutral palette, combining classical mouldings with minimally detailed stone and pale wood surfaces.
    Common materials and elements found in most of the interiors include arched architectural features, parquet flooring, travertine surfaces and dramatic marble used across fireplaces, bathrooms and kitchens.
    The buildings’ classical mouldings were retained”Each high-end pied-à-terre positions the kitchen area as the focal point and central hub, inviting conviviality while suite-style bedrooms offer a warm and intimate ambience through carefully selected wood materials, varied fabrics and textures,” said the team.
    Unique features tailored to the different contexts of each location range from large-scale upholstered or wooden headboards to full-wall panelling, bronze-tinted mirrors and various contemporary furniture and artworks.
    The kitchen area is positioned as a focal pointIn the two-bedroom Louvre I apartment, which overlooks the famous museum on Rue de Rivoli, a grand salon room contains the kitchen and living area.
    A ring-shaped light hangs over the centre of the tall space, which is vertically emphasised by the kitchen millwork and full-height windows.

    Laurent Taïeb transforms Louvre Post Office into Hôtel Madame Rêve in Paris

    Arched niches display decorative items on either side of the dark stone fireplace, from which the TV emerges at the touch of a button.
    The primary bathroom is wrapped almost entirely in richly veined black-and-white marble accented by black fixtures while the second is clad in warm-toned travertine.
    Highstay’s Louvre I apartment includes a bedroom with dark walnut panellingParis is gearing up to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games over the summer and is preparing by renovating many of the city’s iconic sites and landmarks including the Grand Palais, which is set to host the fencing and taekwondo events.
    Only one permanent new sporting venue – a timber Aquatics Centre by VenhoevenCS and Ateliers 2/3/4 –  is being constructed for the event, in a bid to minimise its carbon footprint.
    Louvre I also has a bathroom with walls and floors lined entirely in dramatic black and white marbleOther accommodation options across the city for design-minded travellers include the Canal Saint-Martin hotel designed by Bernard Dubois, Hôtel de la Boétie by Beata Heuman and Hôtel Madame Rêve by Laurent Taïeb.
    The photography is by Thomas de Bruyne.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Luke McClelland uses stone and oak to overhaul Georgian apartment in Edinburgh

    A select few materials appear throughout this apartment in Edinburgh, which architect Luke McClelland has revamped to let its historic features take centre stage.

    The two-floor apartment is located in Edinburgh’s New Town, set within a Grade I-listed building that dates back to the 19th century.
    Luke McClelland has renovated a Georgian apartment in EdinburghSuccessive years of modifications meant that the home’s grand Georgian proportions and historic details had all but disappeared.
    Local architect Luke McClelland was tasked with sensitively stripping back the interior to reveal its original charm.
    A kitchen suite was added into the home’s dining room”The muted interior is intended to compliment, rather than detract from, the existing building,” he explained. “A simple material palette was agreed with the client: Ceppo Di Gre stone and oak.”

    He started by incorporating the kitchen into the apartment’s generously sized dining room. A bespoke oak wood counter crafted by local joinery studio Archispek now centres the space.
    A new doorway grants access to a utility room, which occupies the old kitchenOne end of the counter serves as a dining table, while the other end has a stove that’s set into a slab of Ceppo Di Gre stone.
    The same stone was used to build the work surface that runs above a series of low-lying oak cupboards at the rear of the room.

    Fraser/Livingstone adds angular tenement to historical Edinburgh site

    The former kitchen has been transformed into a utility room where appliances and other household items can be stored, a move that McClelland says will allow the new kitchen to “maintain its clean, sculptural lines”.
    More storage is provided by arched nooks punctuating either side of the opening that looks through to the living area.
    Plump blue Togo sofas by French brand Ligne Roset and expansive abstract paintings by Edinburgh-based artist Arran Rahimian were added to the space to soften the appearance of its stark white walls.
    Arched nooks offer extra storageThe home used to have carpet and vinyl flooring. But this was peeled back to reveal the original pinewood boards, which were carefully sanded and oiled to bring back the brilliance of their grain.
    One exception is the hallway, where porcelain tiles were uplifted to expose flagstones underneath, while the original staircase was repaired and restored.
    Abstract art and deep-blue sofas decorate the living areaThe project also saw McClelland merge two small storerooms to form a bathroom, complete with Ceppo Di Gre wall panelling.
    A new doorway was created between the kitchen and the utility area. Any other major structural changes were avoided so that the building could uphold its listed status.
    A new bathroom was created in the home’s flagstone-lined hallwayThis isn’t the first home that Luke McClelland has completed in Edinburgh. In 2022, he updated a Georgian apartment in the city’s port district of Leith, reconfiguring its convoluted layout to allow in more natural light.
    A few years earlier, he also revamped his own home in the Comely Bank neighbourhood to feature a series of modern, airy living spaces.
    The photography is by ZAC and ZAC.
    Project credits:
    Designer: Luke McClelland DesignConstruction: Pawlowski ConstructionsKitchen fabrication: ArchispekLiving room artwork: Arran Rahimian

    Read more: More

  • in

    Studio Gameiro draws on hues of Caparica cliffs for Arriba apartment

    Studio Gameiro has designed the interior of the Arriba apartment in the coastal town of Caparica, Portugal, using local stone and drawing on wooden fishing huts for inspiration.

    The fit-out of the two-bedroom apartment, located inside a building from the 1980s, was designed to reference the coastal area of Caparica.
    The interior of the Arriba apartment is decorated in sandy colours”The interior colour palette and texture was inspired by the beautiful coastline of Caparica, a unique fossil-rock formation along the coast with sandy and terracotta hues,” studio founder Joāo Gameiro told Dezeen.
    “This natural and protected area south of Lisbon has a particular and playful way of changing with light, and it is also almost poetically embedded in our childhood memories of long summer holidays, as it was the first seaside area close to the big city.”
    Studio Gameiro wanted the interior to reference its surroundingsThe sandy hues of the Caparica cliffs influenced the colour palette of the apartment, which is filled with beige and tan hues and named Arriba for the Portuguese word for cliff.

    Studio Gameiro also referenced the 70-square-metre apartment’s surroundings through its choice of materials, designing wooden kitchen cabinets in a nod to local fishing boats.
    The two-bedroom apartment has an open-plan kitchen”The use of wood for the low kitchen cabinets relates to the [area’s] fishing huts, which are characterised by vertical or horizontal lines of wooden planks,” Gameiro said.
    “The texture found in the upper cabinets also finds inspiration in the same source, resembling the straw utilized in the construction of these huts.”

    Studio Gameiro draws on Algarve’s craftsmanship for Austa restaurant interior

    As with its interior scheme for the Austa restaurant in Almancil, the practice designed much of the furniture for the apartment, which it made from wood.
    “Following the same input as in other Studio Gameiro projects, we always tend to design bespoke furniture as an extension of the ability to manipulate textures and materials and celebrate the craftsmanship we are very fortunate to work with,” Gameiro explained.
    “The use of Kambala wood was important, as a reference to the durable wood used at the fabrication of the fishing boats, for example.”
    Lioz marble was used for the sinkIn the kitchen, the studio added an L-shaped kitchen counter made from marble.
    “We used Lioz marble, a type of stone extracted locally that has been used in kitchen counters for centuries due to its hard and extremely resistant surface,” Gameiro said. “We also loved how it resonated with the sandy and terracotta hues of the hills nearby.”
    The apartment features an unusual bathroom, organised around a shower base that was designed to have an organic shape reminiscent of “shapes found on the beach”, the studio said.
    The bathroom has an organically shaped showerIt was made from Moleanos stone – a type of Portuguese limestone set with the remains of sea shells – and was inspired by the coastal erosion that has affected the area.
    “As in most of these coastal formations, it has previously suffered from erosion, which in this case was eventually stopped by the pro-active planting of the Caparica pine forest,” Gameiro said.
    “This is now considered a natural protected area and what is left is a coastal outline of ins and outs to and from the beach, which inspired the organic shape of the shower wall.”
    Custom-made wooden furniture decorates the flatIn the study, the studio added a bespoke desk and wooden shelving, while the bedroom has a custom-made make-up desk and a bespoke wooden bed.
    Other recent Portuguese interior design projects featured on Dezeen include a Lisbon home by Fala Atelier and a boutique hotel by designer Christian Louboutin.
    The photography is by Tiago Casanova.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Almost Studio designs Loft for a Chocolatier in Brooklyn

    Brooklyn practice Almost Studio has completed an apartment renovation inside a former chocolate factory, retaining an open layout while adding level changes to demarcate functional spaces.

    The Loft for a Chocolatier occupies part of a 1947 industrial building along Myrtle Avenue, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.
    The loft’s kitchen revolves around an island that’s anchored by a structural column surrounded by corrugated metalThe apartment boasts many features typical of loft-style living, including high ceilings, large windows, and exposed pipes and ductwork.
    In one sense, Almost Studio founders Anthony Gagliardi and Dorian Booth aimed to retain this character through an open floor plan, adding powder-coated white mesh boxes and metallic accents.
    Exposed ductwork and white powder-coated mesh boxes highlight the industrial character of the spaceIn another, the pair chose to denote or separate some of the functional areas using changes in angle or elevation.

    They looked to artists like Kazimir Malevich and Josef Albers for ways to honour the original spatial composition while organising the various spaces.
    The kitchen counter integrates a work-from-home area, where pale wood panels are contrasted by lime-green storage niches”It became a way for us to distinguish different areas – such as entry, kitchen, living room, dining room, and office – through these subtle rotational moves in a space that was otherwise entirely open,” said Gagliardi and Booth.
    “In many lofts, every space is equally capable of hosting any activity, and is therefore equally inadequate to host any activity,” the duo continued. “If a dining room can also be an office, gym, and workshop – is it the best place to have dinner?”
    A lounge area is located in the middle of the open-plan spaceThe apartment’s dining room is therefore located on a raised platform at the end of the space, where the ceiling is also lowered using the mesh boxes.
    This set-up aims to create “a closer relationship with the high loft windows, and light, as well as a smaller, more intimate space for conversations”, Gagliardi and Booth said.
    The dining area is raised on a platform to differentiate it from the rest of the apartmentThe raised area is accessed via a short staircase that’s covered in green carpet and flanked by sculptural pale pink screens.
    These elements – covered in Shirasu Kabe plaster – are indicative of the studio’s approach to softening the industrial architecture, along with cork flooring and wainscoting, and upholstered seating.
    Shutters can be opened to connect the mezzanine bedroom and the main living areaPale millwork fronts the pill-shaped kitchen island and curved cabinets behind, while other niches are left open and lined in chartreuse.
    The kitchen counter integrates an area for a desk, used as a home office, where the shelving also continues overhead.

    Another Seedbed is a Brooklyn apartment that doubles as a performance space

    Meanwhile, corrugated metal surrounds a structural column that anchors the island, and the dining chairs have tubular steel frames.
    At the opposite end from the dining room, another elevated portion of the space houses a bedroom, which is closed off from the rest of the apartment.
    The light-filled bedroom features cork wainscoting and plenty of built-in storageThis space is more intimate, and features cream walls, built-in storage, and an arched niche beside the bed that’s lined with more green carpet for the owner’s cats to nap in.
    A fritted glass door slides across for privacy, and a series of shutters that offer views between the bedroom and the main living area can be closed when desired.
    An arched niche lined with green carpet provides a spot for cat napsBrooklyn has many former industrial buildings that have been converted for residential use over the past decade.
    Others include a 19th-century hat factory in Williamsburg that is now home to an apartment that doubles as a performance space and a warehouse in Dumbo where one loft features a book-filled mezzanine.
    The photography is by Jonathan Hokklo.

    Read more: More

  • in

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

    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. 

    Read more: More

  • in

    Destudio inverts day and night zones at redesigned Casa Inversa apartment

    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.

    Read more: More