Apartments

Subterms

    More stories

    • 138 Shares129 Views

      in Rooms

      Mesura furnishes Casa Vasto apartment and gallery with “constellation of objects”

      by

      Local studio Mesura has designed a live-work home for a gallery owner that combines exhibition space with living quarters in a former factory in Barcelona.

      Casa Vasto is situated in the city’s seaside neighbourhood El Poblenou, characterised by its 18th-century industrial buildings that were deindustrialised in the 1960s and 70s.
      Unfurnished areas serve as exhibition spaceThe apartment is located in one of these former factories and comprises two spaces – the public living and kitchen area that also houses gallery exhibitions, and the private bedroom and bathroom that are reserved solely for the owner’s use.
      A service core made from birch wood divides the space without being attached to the walls or to the ceiling, which has an unusual vaulted design characteristic of factories built in Barcelona in the 19th century. This channels services to the kitchen and bathroom components and contains a toilet, shower and storage.
      Bespoke furniture sits alongside design classicsOn one side of the core is the living and gallery space. This has plenty of space to hold exhibitions and is filled with monolithic furnishings that create functional zones, including a long dining table with cylindrical legs and a blocky stainless-steel kitchen island.

      A low, sprawling sofa defines the lounge area, which centres around a coffee table fashioned from waste material created during the apartment’s construction by designer Sara Regal.
      Low-lying furnishings underline the height of the space and the unique ceilingArtworks and furniture have been arranged throughout the space, which was curated in collaboration between the owners and Mesura.
      “The project’s interior design is reinterpreted as a constellation of unique objects detached from the apartment’s limits,” said Mesura.
      “These elements contrast with the white-washed walls and light-wood furnishings to emerge as accents of colour and form, weaving a cohesive and contemporary identity throughout the project, drawing focus to the pieces and artwork.”
      The minimalistic kitchen unit shares the central core’s oblong profileBespoke pieces custom-made for Casa Vasto are flanked by iconic design classics, such as architect Mies van der Rohe’s MR10 Chair and architect Mario Botta’s Seconda Chai.
      “Some of the interior pieces were specifically designed for the space – kitchen, dining table, service core, bathtub – and the others – sofas, chairs, lighting – were more of a process with the clients, who had their own preferences and interests,” Mesura told Dezeen.

      Auba Studio converts 1980s bakery in Spain into industrial NZ10 Apartment

      Frames are hung on the walls in the bedroom, which also contains two sinks and a bathtub encased in blocky concrete volumes.
      As in the rest of the space, rectangular windows extend from floor level to let natural light into the space.
      The bed, bath and sink unit are all custom-made for the project”We think the pieces selected for the interiors create a comfortable and unique atmosphere when in touch with the bespoke furniture we designed for the project,” the studio told Dezeen.
      Other adaptive reuse apartment projects on Dezeen include an apartment in a converted bank office by Puntofilipino and a flat in a former chocolate factory by SSdH.
      The photography is by Salva López.

      Read more: More

    • 88 Shares99 Views

      in Rooms

      Eight basement apartments that are subterranean sanctuaries

      by

      In this lookbook, we select eight apartments that prove basements are the new penthouses, from an art deco flat in Paris to a sci-fi-style hideaway in Madrid.

      Often associated with limited space and poor natural light, basement homes have not always been particularly coveted.
      But as the world’s cities get more expensive, busier and hotter, below-ground living can be a relatively affordable, private and temperate option.
      Below are eight of the best basement apartments previously featured on Dezeen.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring cave-like interiors, residential entrance halls and pocket doors.

      Photo by Jim StephensonUnearthed Vault, UK, by Daab Design
      Architecture studio Daab Design turned a former art storage vault in London into a two-bedroom basement flat.
      Georgian period features were meticulously restored as part of the renovation and paired with a soothing colour palette of creams, greens and blues, turning what was previously a dark and cramped interior into a modern living space.
      Find out more about Unearthed Vault ›
      Photo by Simone BossiThe Whale, France, by Clément Lesnoff-Rocard
      The Whale takes its name from the huge structural elements that punctuate this home in the basement of a Parisian apartment building, which reminded architect Clément Lesnoff-Rocard of being inside an enormous animal.
      Lesnoff-Rocard stripped back the apartment to reveal the chunky concrete beams, while extensive mirrored glass, brass and geometric shapes inject an understated sense of art deco.
      Find out more about The Whale ›
      Photo by José HeviaYurikago House, Spain, by Mas-aqui
      Architecture studio Mas-aqui used half-levels in its renovation of this semi-basement apartment in Barcelona to maximise space.
      The previously unused bottom level was excavated to create a staircase down to a new guest bedroom featuring a structural arch above the bed and an exposed-concrete retaining wall.
      Find out more about Yurikago House ›
      Photo by by Yiannis Hadjiaslanis (also top)Ilioupoli Apartment, Greece, by Point Supreme
      Sunken into the ground at the bottom of an apartment building in Athens, this small, one-bedroom flat was previously a storage space.
      Point Supreme sought to retain the interior’s “magical-cave-like” feeling by leaving raw concrete surfaces exposed and using floor finishes, curtains and sliding partitions rather than walls to separate the space.
      Find out more about Ilioupoli Apartment ›
      Photo by Hey! CheeseHouse H, Taiwan, by KC Design Studio
      The basement of House H in Taipei leans into its underground setting with a dark and moody colour palette provided by concrete flooring, loosely rendered grey plaster walls and black or grey fixtures and fittings.
      To filter more natural light and fresh air into the basement, KC Design Studio carved several openings into the ceiling, accommodating a staircase and an indoor courtyard.
      Find out more about House H ›
      Photo by José HeviaApartment Tibbaut, Spain, by Raúl Sánchez
      Architect Raúl Sánchez converted a vaulted basement beneath a house in Barcelona into a subterranean apartment using curving panels of laminated pine.
      The partition curls around a central living area, separating each of the rooms but stopping short of the ceiling to ensure the building’s original architecture remains visible, as well as allowing natural light to spread throughout the space.
      Find out more about Apartment Tibbaut ›
      Photo by José HeviaCasa A12, Spain, by Lucas y Hernández-Gil
      This semi-basement Madrid apartment features fun, Stanley Kubrick-esque features such as shiny silver curtains, cobalt-blue accent walls and an indoor courtyard with orange grass.
      Lucas y Hernández-Gil designed the space to be a “world of work and leisure” where the homeowners can escape from the street above.
      Find out more about Casa A12 ›
      Photo by Jérôme FleurierStudio LI, France, by Anne Rolland Architecte
      A secret room sits beneath this sunken studio apartment created by Anne Rolland Architecte in a long-abandoned space in a 17th-century Parisian townhouse.
      Accessed via a mechanical trapdoor and granted natural light by a window in the kitchen floor, the former slurry pit was restored to create a music room and home cinema.
      Find out more about Studio LI ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring cave-like interiors, residential entrance halls and pocket doors.

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

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

      by

      Multifaceted furniture pieces crafted to mirror the appearance of precious stones feature in this opulent Parisian apartment, which was renovated by local studio Uchronia for a pair of jewellery designers.

      Located on Paris’s Avenue Montaigne, the one-storey apartment is housed within a building designed as part of Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s famed reconstruction of the French capital during the mid-19th century.
      Uchronia renovated a Haussmann-era apartment in ParisUchronia maintained the apartment’s original boiserie, mouldings, parquet flooring and tall ceilings, which are hallmarks of Haussmann-era architecture.
      This quintessentially Parisian backdrop was updated to include bright and textured furnishings designed to mimic pieces of jewellery.
      The dining room features a modular resin table”The space had great bones – a classical Haussmanian layout,” said Uchronia founder and architect Julien Sebban. “That being said, it felt cold, pretentious and beige.”

      “For a change, we avoided structural work and focussed on the decoration,” he told Dezeen.
      A trapezoid lacquered cabinet was positioned in the living roomCreated as a home for two jewellery designers, the apartment features an amorphous resin table in the dining room that is divided into seven modular parts and patterned with a motif informed by the green gemstone malachite.
      “The table’s custom-designed, beaten steel legs echo the principle of claws holding a solitaire diamond to its ring,” explained Sebban.
      Coloured light refracts from a squat stained-glass chairMulticoloured light refracts from a squat stained-glass chair in the sizeable living room, which features a trapezoid lacquered cabinet and curvy jewel-like furniture finished in vivid hues and contrasting textures.
      Uchronia suspended a milky blue Murano glass chandelier overhead and wrapped the room’s floor-to-ceiling windows in sheer ombre curtains.
      Uchronia created a bespoke bed frame for the apartment”The walls echo the curtains and are also treated – and this is a technical feat – in gradations of colour,” the architect said.
      Tucked into an alcove, towering silvery shelves display a selection of ornaments and were designed to give the impression of an open jewellery box.
      “If the apartment’s shapes are reminiscent of the jewellery world, its materials and colours are also borrowed from it,” Sebban said.

      Six renovated Parisian apartments in historical Haussmann-era buildings

      In the single bedroom, the studio took cues from the undulating striations of onyx when creating a bespoke bed frame, finished in plush upholstery to blend in with the room’s patterned carpet while alabaster lamps were positioned atop its two posts.
      Elsewhere in the room, Uchronia paired a dramatically carved Ettore Sottsass dressing table in book-matched marquetry with an egg-shaped chair defined by gleaming red plastic and “space-age lines”.
      An Ettore Sottsass dressing table was also included in the bedroom”It’s very hard to pick a favourite place in this flat because each space has its own identity and colour,” Sebban said. “But if there’s one thing I really love about this apartment, it’s the vitrail that leads to the kitchen.”
      The curving window was an existing feature of the apartment, which the studio customised with candy-coloured glass panes.
      “It creates a place of passage that is quite timeless, like a little sanctuary,” said the architect.
      Coloured glass appears throughout the apartmentColoured glass is a motif that appears throughout the apartment, including the asymmetrical pastel-hued wine and cocktail glasses that look like precious stones.
      “Playful and contradicting combinations of colour, organic and geometric lines and a rich combination of textiles and glass come together to form a chromatic jewellery box filled with gems,” said Sebban. “Every detail has been thought out, polished and cut.”
      Asymmetrical pastel-hued glasses looks like precious stonesElsewhere in Paris, French architect Sophie Dries previously renovated a Haussmann-era apartment for clients who are “really into colour”, while Hauvette & Madani added a sumptuous wine-red kitchen to a dwelling in the city’s République area.
      The photography is by Félix Dol Maillot. 

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Eight renovated mid-century homes that marry period and contemporary details

      by

      From a modernist villa in Beverly Hills to a flat in one of Brasília’s iconic Superquadra apartment blocks, the mid-century renovations in this lookbook are a masterclass in updating a period home while retaining its distinctive character.

      Originally constructed in the post-war period between 1945 and 1969, mid-century homes have proved enduringly popular due to their prescient emphasis on natural light, clean lines, open floor plans and humble materials such as wood, stone and concrete.
      The renovations below see many of these original features retained and restored, supplemented with contemporary additions such as double-height ceilings and furniture by the likes of Tadao Ando and Mario Bellini.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring art deco homes, sunny yellow interiors and serene bedrooms with striking natural views.
      Photo by Jack LovelCity Beach Residence, Australia, by Design Theory

      Australian studio Design Theory looked to preserve the “considerable mid-century charm” of this home on the coast of Perth during its renovation (top and above), remaining true to the rich palette of natural materials found in the original design.
      Contemporary furniture and lighting with gently curving forms were chosen to soften the rigorous lines of the original architecture and prevent the interiors from feeling like a period pastiche.
      Find out more about City Beach Residence ›
      Photo by An PhamBrandaw Residence, US, by 180 Degrees Design + Build and CBTWO Architects
      A new double-height living room with a pitched roof and full-height glazing was added to modernise this 1960s home in Phoenix, creating sightlines up and out towards nearby Camelback Mountain.
      Modernist touches remain on the interior in the form of plentiful wood panelling alongside finishes and furnishings in muted primary colours ranging from teal to mustard-yellow.
      Find out more about Brandaw Residence ›
      Photo by James O DaviesHampstead House, UK, by Coppin Dockray
      This house in Hampstead was originally designed by British architect Trevor Dannatt in 1960 as London’s answer to the post-war Case Study Houses built by the likes of Richard Neutra and the Eameses in California.
      When renovating and extending the property for a growing family, local studio Coppin Dockray contrasted vintage and contemporary furniture for a “domestic, lived-in” feel, with pieces ranging from a Togo chair to Mia Hamborg’s Shuffle table for &Tradition.
      Find out more about Hampstead House ›
      Photo by Gerhard HeuschBeverly Hills villa, US, by Heusch
      Historical images helped architecture firm Heusch to restore this Beverly Hills villa to its former glory and reverse some of its “unfortunate transformations” over the years.
      Existing terrazzo floors on the ground floor were restored and complemented with fluted glass details and dark timber furnishings, both new and old, including Ando’s cantilevered Dream Chairs and a bookshelf by Italian architect Augusto Romano from the 1950s.
      Find out more about Beverly Hills villa ›
      Photo by Justin ChungPalermo house, US, by OWIU
      California studio OWIU retained several original elements during the renovation of this 1955 home in LA’s San Rafael Hills, among them the glass-block walls and wooden ceiling beams, which were exposed from under false ceilings and sanded down to reveal their natural colour.
      These were contrasted with more neutral contemporary elements such as pale oak flooring and walls coated in Venetian plaster, with assorted lights by Isamu Noguchi and George Nelson – one of the founding fathers of American modernism.
      Find out more about Palermo house ›
      Photo by Joana FranceBrasília apartment, Brazil, by Debaixo do Bloco Arquitetura
      This apartment is located inside Brasília’s historic Superquadra 308 Sul, the first “superblock” apartment complex constructed as part of architect Lucio Costa’s 1957 master plan for the new Brazilian capital.
      Local studio Debaixo do Bloco Arquitetura cut open the building’s exposed concrete walls, opening up its layout to meet the needs of a modern family while preserving period details such as the building’s distinctive white breeze-block screens and its granilite flooring.
      Find out more about Brasília apartment ›
      Photo by Ingalls PhotographyMalibu Surf Shack, US, by Kelly Wearstler
      When interior designer Kelly Wearstler turned this 1950s beachfront cottage in Malibu into a bohemian retreat for herself and her family, she retained the original wood-panelled walls and selected finishes that were “hand-crafted, rustic and raw” to match the existing material palette.
      The interiors feature abundant planting, alongside an eclectic mix of period-agnostic furnishings including a 1980s green marble table by Bellini, paired with a plaster-covered Caféstuhl chair by contemporary Austrian designer Lukas Gschwandtner.
      Find out more about Malibu Surf Shack ›
      Photo by Rafael SoldiGolden House, US, by SHED
      Seattle architecture firm SHED had to make several aggressive interventions when renovating this 1950s building in nearby Shoreline, which was originally constructed as a family home but had previously been divided up to serve as a retirement home.
      Working around the existing post-and-beam structure, the studio updated the interior to maximise views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound while enlarging the kitchen and reorganising it around a central island.
      Find out more about Golden House ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring art deco homes, sunny yellow interiors and serene bedrooms with striking natural views.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Puntofilipino brings noble materials to apartment in former bank office

      by

      Design studio Puntofilipino has created a richly layered interior full of texture and patina for this Madrid apartment, designed to offer an unexpected take on the client’s passion for Danish art and furniture.

      Set in a former bank office building in the Salamanca neighbourhood that dates back to 1929, the one-bedroom apartment was conceived as a refuge for the client.
      Puntofilipino has completed the Radikal Klassisk apartment”He was looking for a space of relaxation, silence and solitude,” Puntofilipino founder Gema Gutiérrez told Dezeen. “Madrid is a very fast city and his need was to find a place where time stopped.”
      Puntofilipino set out to design a space that reflects the client’s love of Danish style without resorting to Scandinavian design cliches.
      Instead, the studio sought to foster a sense of timelessness by balancing modern and historical influences, calling the apartment Radikal Klassisk.

      The interior features natural materials such as stone and wood”It’s a very modern design and yet also with a slightly historical bent,” she said. “There is a perpetual link between the past and the present.”
      “I wanted to show the client the coexistence and communion between classic and contemporary Danish brands,” Gutiérrez added.
      “Pieces by designers such as Hans J Wegner, father of modern Danish design, coexist with contemporary Danish brands such as Overgaard & Dyrman – both free of passing trends, timeless.”
      Layered textiles add depth to the spaceWhile the lines and forms are clean and modern, Gutiérrez says the materials themselves, which range from natural stone to terrazzo and wood, “are historically recognised noble materials, used in palaces throughout the centuries”.
      The work of Danish painter Ebba Cartensen was another influence on the apartment’s aesthetic.
      The late artist’s cubist compositions informed the heavily patinated finishes seen in each room, from the clay-rendered walls to the marbled tiles.

      Studio Noju renovates curvy apartment in brutalist Torres Blancas tower

      “I looked for the pictorial representation of Ebba Carstensen’s painting,” said Gutiérrez.
      “The patinated finishes express time, distance, and memory – a ground-breaking, elegant and sober aesthetic that goes beyond the concept we have of Danish design.”
      Dark botanical wallpaper frames the bedroomIn the bedroom, Puntofilipino used a darkly immersive botanical wallpaper by Instabilelab with a mural-like scale.
      “The client has a predilection for bucolic painting,” the studio said. “In addition, the plant motifs give depth to the space.”
      Here, as elsewhere, the colours are rich and intense, taking their cues from the tonal variations in the stone, metal and wood used in each room.
      A monolithic tub forms the centrepiece of the roomIn the open-plan bedroom-bathroom, a monolithic stone tub takes on a sculptural quality as the central focal point within the space.
      “I considered breaking with architectural patterns and giving more prominence to the centre of the room,” Gutiérrez said. “The inside of the bathtub, metaphorically, reflects a bench where you could see any work of art in a museum.”
      The sofa fulfils a similar function in the living room, this time with an emphasis on curves rather than straight lines.
      The living room is centred by a curvy NORR11 sofaProduced by Danish design brand NORR11, it consists of three distinct elements, each upholstered in a different fabric progressing from off-white bouclé to olive green leather.
      “I studied the soleo, the path of the sun, and how it affects colours and materials in the interior,” Gutiérrez said. “The gradual transition gives depth and makes you look around the space, a dance through the senses.”
      Furnishings include Danish design classics such as this Hans J Wegner chairNearby in Salamanca, locals studio Lucas y Hernández-Gil recently completed JJ16 – a compact family home filled with colour blocking and clever storage solutions.
      Also in the Spanish capital, Studio Noju has renovated a curvy two-storey apartment in the city’s brutalist Torres Blancas tower.
      The photography is by Polina Parcevskya and Julie Smorodkina.

      Read more: More

    • 100 Shares139 Views

      in Rooms

      Eclectic Warsaw apartment interior designed as “elaborate puzzle”

      by

      Walnut burl and terrazzo accents are combined with chunky statement furniture in this apartment in Warsaw, which Polish studio Mistovia has renovated for an art director and her pet dachshund.

      Located in the city’s Praga Północ neighbourhood, the 45-square-metre flat is set within a 1950s estate designed by Polish architects Jerzy Gieysztor and Jerzy Kumelowski.
      The Warsaw apartment was renovated by MistoviaMistovia devised an eclectic material and colour palette when updating the interior, which the studio describes as an “elaborate puzzle” of contrasting patterns.
      “The apartment is based on several dominant ‘cubes’,” said Mistovia founder Marcin Czopek. “Each of them has a different function, accentuated by various patterns through the use of veneer or colour.”
      Panels of swirly grey wood veneer feature in the living spaceThe living room is defined by a wall panelled in swirly grey wood veneer– originally designed by Memphis Group founder Ettore Sottsass for Alpi in the 1980s – while the bathroom is obscured behind a wall of glass blocks.

      The kitchen is now connected to the lounge to create one open-plan space, filled with statement pieces including a misshapen vase and the molten-looking Plopp stool by Polish designer Oskar Zieta, set against the backdrop of floor-to-ceiling walnut-burl cabinets.
      A tortoiseshell cabinet defines the bathroomTerrazzo was used to form chunky black-and-white legs for the kitchen’s window-side breakfast bar as well as an entire burnt-orange table in the dining area.
      “A muted base – bright, uniform micro cement flooring and walls with a delicate texture – allowed for the use of geometric forms, rich in interesting structures and bold patterns,” Czopek said.

      SSdH tucks Melbourne warehouse apartment into former chocolate factory

      Designed for an art director and her dog, the apartment features a similarly striking bathroom.
      Here, gridded monochrome tiles and glass-brick walls are paired with a statement standalone sink, featuring squat cobalt-blue legs that support a tortoiseshell cabinet crowned by a triptych mirror.
      The single bedroom includes purple and marble accentsA purple wardrobe complements the rectilinear marble headboard in the apartment’s singular bedroom, adding to the boxy geometry of the home.
      Also in Warsaw, Polish studio Projekt Praga incorporated mid-century elements and pops of colour into a dumpling restaurant while local firm Noke Architects referenced the high waters of Venice in a bar complete with sea-green floors and skirting tiles.
      The photography is by Oni Studio. 

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares119 Views

      in Rooms

      Chipboard and recycled denim define spaces inside Microloft in Melbourne

      by

      Australian architecture practice Studio Edwards has completed an exercise in contemporary small-space living with this 24-square-metre micro apartment in Melbourne’s Fitzroy district.

      The clients, a young couple, approached Studio Edwards to remodel the tiny studio apartment on the top floor of a 1980s apartment block.
      Microloft is a 24-square-metre apartment in Melbourne”They asked for a home that felt unified and clutter-free, with ample storage, an efficient kitchen with space for cooking and dining, a comfortable lounge and quiet sleeping zones,” founder Ben Edwards told Dezeen.
      “Microloft provides a solution for inner-city living that navigates the constraints of limited space and ageing housing stock through an interior that provides the clients with a functional and coherent dwelling.”
      Aluminium was used to form kitchen counters and shelvesRather than using partitions or walls, spaces are defined by custom furniture pieces that provide visual connections.

      A horizontal raw aluminium surface forms angled countertops in both the kitchen and dining area before extending through an existing double archway into the sleeping area beyond.
      Chipboard forms several other storage units throughout Micoloft”Angled elements act in a similar way to room dividers, nothing extends higher than the datum line, helping the space to remain open,” said Edwards.
      “The kitchen melds seamlessly into a dining space via the angled countertop, while triangular storage shelves make use of the corners of the room.”

      Studio Edwards conceals “jewel-like” eyewear store behind perforated aluminium facade

      The angular wedge shape of the aluminium counters is mirrored in a wall-mounted console and a custom-made sofa with bookshelves integrated into its base, both made from oriented strand board (OSB).
      Above the datum line, one wall is clad in grey mirrored panels to make the apartment appear larger while creating a visual link to the grey-painted exposed brick walls and the heavily patinated concrete floor.
      The bed sits on a raised chipboard plinth to maximise bedroom storage, while the sliding door of the wardrobe, as well as the apartment’s front door, are wrapped in recycled denim to provide further textural interest as well as acoustic softening.
      Among them is the wardrobe in the bedroom”Use of raw aluminium surfaces, along with the OSB plinth that elevates the bed, provide creative storage solutions while delivering refined aesthetic appeal,” said Edwards.
      Simple IKEA stools were customised to fit in with the apartment, with a bedside stool wrapped in recycled denim to further soften the acoustics in this space.
      In the dining area, the same stools were extended with aluminium legs to create high seats for bench-top dining.
      A recycled denim panel forms the wardrobe’s sliding doorMicro homes are among a number of solutions being explored by architects and interior designers in response to Melbourne’s worsening housing crisis, as the city saw record rent increases last year.
      Others have explored creating multi-generational homes where family members can split both spaces and costs, as seen in this house on a narrow infill site by Matt Gibson and this adaptable suburban home by Austin Maynard Architects.
      Maynard also recently self-funded the construction of an “ethical housing” block in inner-city Melbourne, accommodating 20 low-cost, eco-conscious apartments with enough room for young families.
      The photography is by Peter Bennetts.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Note Design Studio enriches Stockholm apartment with “cloudy” ceiling stucco

      by

      Note Design Studio has updated this formerly characterless apartment in Stockholm to feature bespoke Douglas fir joinery and curvy stucco ceilings designed to suggest cloud formations.

      Although the Cloudy Outlines apartment sits within a building dating back to 1842, Note Design Studio says the interior had been stripped of any historic charm and “traces of craftsmanship” during previous renovations.
      Douglas fir joinery appears throughout the Cloudy Outlines apartmentIt also had a poor layout, with a living area that could only be accessed via a dark, lengthy corridor snaking around the back of the apartment while the remaining rooms were awkwardly shaped and difficult to furnish.
      The studio decided to redesign the home from scratch, knocking down all of its internal walls to form a more cohesive floor plan.
      The apartment’s corridor was repositioned to allow for more natural lightThe corridor was repositioned to run parallel to the building’s window-lined facade and, as a result, is now flooded with natural light.

      Rooms were classically finished with white-painted walls and Douglas fir flooring.
      Curved stucco gives the ceilings a soft, cloud-like qualityBillowy stucco moulding was added throughout to give a soft “cloudy” quality to the ceilings and provide a contrast with the “rationality and material robustness” of the apartment, the studio explained.
      “With the previous interior and finishes removed, a new holistic design was developed with a limited amount of design principles, all with a timeless ambition,” Note Design Studio said.

      Note Design Studio draws on Swedish Grace style for Habitat 100 apartment

      In the kitchen, Douglas fir was used again to create simple cupboards and a striking circular cover for the extractor fan.
      The countertop, on the other hand, is overlaid with a sleek metallic finish.
      Furnishings in pastel hues disrupt the otherwise neutral colour schemeAll of the apartment’s doors, as well as its window sills, are also made from Douglas fir.
      The material palette only deviates slightly in the bathroom, which features grey-tile surfaces and flecked terrazzo-like flooring.
      The stucco effect can also be seen in the bedroomThe Cloudy Outlines apartment is one of several residential renovations that Note Design Studio has completed in the Swedish capital, where the firm is based.
      Among them is Habitat 100 – an apartment littered with references to the Swedish Grace movement – and the Mantelpiece Loft, which is distinguished by its colour-block bedrooms.
      The photography is courtesy of the studio.

      Read more: More