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Landscapes of the Netherlands informed the design of this office in Hoofddorp by local studio Firm Architects, which features a curving brick wall and reflective materials referencing the role of water in Dutch culture. More
Our latest lookbook collects eight houses from around the world that feature kitchens with tactile brick floors, including a mid-century home in the USA and a coastal dwelling in Denmark.
Widely used for their durability and low maintenance, bricks are a long-time favourite material across the fields of architecture, interiors and design.
They are most commonly used on walls and patios, but also popular as internal flooring because of their ability to add rich, earthy tones and tactile qualities to an interior.
While brick flooring may conjure up images of old rustic farmhouses, this roundup shows how they can also be adapted to suit contemporary homes around the world.
The examples below include those that have been arranged in herringbone format, used as a backdrop to oak cabinetry or designed to connect homes to their matching patios outside.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, autumnal living rooms and lavish members’ clubs.
Photo by Carlos NaudeHacienda Granada, USA, by Working Holiday Studio
Working Holiday Studio sought to create a “hacienda vibe” for this mid-century home that it overhauled in Los Angeles.
Among the alterations was a revamp of the kitchen, which involved adding a floor of warm terracotta bricks handmade in Tijuana, Mexico, arranged in a herringbone format.
They contribute to a warm and earthy aesthetic in the room, which is enhanced by dark green plaster walls and wooden joinery and furniture.
Find out more about Hacienda Granada ›
Photo by Agnese SanvitoGallery House, UK, by Neil Dusheiko
Chunky reclaimed bricks extend down from the lower half of the walls of this kitchen and continue out across its floor.
Designed by architect Neil Dusheiko for his father-in-law, the terracotta lining forms a backdrop to a wall of storage built from oak that displays ceramics, glassware and framed pictures.
Find out more about Gallery House ›
Photo by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm ArchitectsFjord Boat House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
Handmade ceramic bricks are inlaid across the floor of this kitchen, which Danish studio Norm Architects created at the Fjord Boat House in Denmark.
Married with warm oak finishes and a custom washi-paper pendant lamp, the textured flooring is intended to contribute to a warm and cosy atmosphere.
“A refined abundance of warm textures and hues are used throughout, creating a deep sense of cosiness and comfort,” said Norm Architects.
Find out more about Fjord Boat House ›
Photo by David SouthwoodArklow Villa III, South Africa, by Douglas & Company
During their renovation of a century-old house in Cape Town, architects Liani and Jan Douglas revamped the kitchen with a tactile material palette that includes brick flooring.
The terracotta floor continues onto the adjoining patio and is teamed with a structure of exposed South African pine and bespoke wooden units finished with green marble counters.
Find out more about Arklow Villa III ›
Photo by Chris WhartonVinyl House, UK, by Benjamin Wilkes
Elongated bricks are arranged in a herringbone formation across the floor of the Vinyl House extension, recently completed by British studio Benjamin Wilkes in London.
Designed to help connect its kitchen area to the matching patio outside, the earthy flooring is complemented by warm wooden cabinetry and off-white terrazzo countertops.
Find out more about Vinyl House ›
Photo by Prue RuscoeBudge Over Dover, Australia, by YSG
Terracotta brick was teamed with aged brass and tactile plaster across the interior of Budge Over Dover, a house in Australia renovated by YSG.
Bricks line much of the ground floor, including its textured kitchen that is complete with a chunky prep counter made with a veiny marble countertop.
Find out more about Budge Over Dover ›
Photo by Jonas Bjerre-PoulsenHeatherhill Beach House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
Norm Architects also opted for brick flooring in the kitchen of Heatherhill Beach House, a wooden holiday home on the Danish coast. It was designed as a contemporary twist on the traditional brick flooring found in Denmark.
“The bricks are placed side by side instead of in the traditional pattern and have minimal cuts – instead, the grout size changes minimally to achieve a homogenous and harmonious look,” the studio explained.
Find out more about Heatherhill Beach House ›
Photo by Fred HowarthCamberwell Cork House, UK, by Delve Architects
A floor that acts as a continuation of the brick paving outside features in the open-plan kitchen of Camberwell Cork House, conceived by Delve Architects in London.
Its design formed part of a wider strategy for the home that sought to better connect it to its garden. This is also achieved by introducing large green-framed windows that enhance sight lines and maximise natural light.
Find out more about Camberwell Cork House ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, autumnal living rooms and lavish members’ clubs.
Read more: More
The Danish bricks and narrow floor plan of this Aesop store in Copenhagen nod to the “humble” design of the nearby Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.
Located on Kronprinsensgade in Copenhagen’s old town, the neutral-hued store was created by skincare brand Aesop’s in-house design team to complement its setting without “unnecessary flourishes”.
The Aesop store is on Kronprinsensgade in CopenhagenThe interior takes cues from the architecture of the famed Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, completed in 1958 in Humlebæk, 35 kilometres north of Denmark’s capital.
A long and low-ceilinged rectangular room makes up the store, which features a circular space at the back with a curved brick-clad basin.
Danish red bricks feature throughout the interiorThis floor plan mirrors the museum’s “understated horizontal building” with its thin glass corridors, according to Aesop’s head of store design Marianne Lardilleux.
“We were drawn to the Louisiana Museum because it was designed as a home for Danish, rather than international, modern art,” she told Dezeen.
A backlit circular opening illuminates the curved basinDanish red brick tiles were laid across the floor by local stonemasons, arranged in a “radiating” pattern that recalls several Copenhagen landmarks, according to Lardilleux. These bricks replaced the store’s original painted concrete screed flooring.
Stained oak timber was used to create sleek geometric shelving, which spans the length of one of the walls and provides a gallery-style display unit for neat rows of Aesop products.
This material was also applied to the ceiling, characterised by slatted wood interrupted only by an oversized and backlit circular opening above the brick-clad basin with aged brass elements.
Louisiana Museum works with Stellar Works to relaunch original mid-century furniture
A smooth timber door leads to the back-of-house area, concealed behind a sandy-coloured curtain.
“The focus is on the warmth of the materials,” explained Lardilleux.
“At the museum, the humble materials used – bricks, wood, white paint – come together in a way that is simple yet striking. At Aesop, we hope to design spaces that are similarly direct in their approach.”
Stained oak was used to create the slatted ceiling”Just as every work of architecture relates to its site and context, every Aesop store is sensitive to its environment,” added the designer.
“We are not interested in rolling out identical interiors – our surroundings have always inspired us.”
Since the first Aesop outlet was designed in St Kilda, Melbourne, in 2003, the brand has opened hundreds of global stores that respond to their settings.
Recently, architect Jakob Sprenger installed 1920s plaster medallions above a sculptural sink as the centre of a Paris store while design studio Odami chose minty green interiors for a location in Los Angeles.
The images are courtesy of Brian Buchard.
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Living rooms with tactile brick, concrete and wood surfaces feature in this lookbook, which shows that opting for industrial materials doesn’t have to sacrifice cosiness.
Typically informed by old and unrefined factories, lofts and warehouses, industrial-style interiors are a go-to for many contemporary designers.
Homes of this style are often characterised by a combination of man-made and natural materials, including brick, wood, concrete and metal, and the exposure of details that are usually concealed, such as ductwork.
While, for some, the image of industrial spaces can conjure up feelings of being cold and unwelcome, this list of living rooms proves that with the right finishes, the style can actually be warm and inviting.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with furry walls, sculptural wooden staircases and rustic Italian interiors.
Photo by Mariell Lind HansenSt John Street, UK, by Emil Eve Architects
Emil Eve Architects retained the raw aesthetic of this former warehouse while transforming it into a warm and inviting home.
In the living room, old brick walls, metal window frames and a rough concrete ceiling form a tactile backdrop to contemporary wooden furnishings and an abundance of tall plants.
Find out more about St John Street ›
Photo by Mike SchwartzMichigan Loft, USA, by Vladimir Radutny Architects
A suspended black-metal fireplace is the centrepiece of this lofty apartment, which is located in Chicago and dotted with floor furnishings including a Toga sofa.
The fireplace is complemented by exposed black ducting and hanging lights, which pop against the surrounding brick, warm wood and concrete elements.
Find out more about Michigan Loft ›
Photo by Fran ParenteGale Apartment, Brazil, by Memola Estudio
Exposed services, ducting and concrete help achieve an industrial look in this living room, which is located in a Brazilian apartment designed by Memola Estudio.
To add warmth to the space, these finishes are balanced with natural details including dark wooden floorboards and furniture, suede chairs and a textile wall tapestry.
Find out more about Gale Apartment ›
Photo by Andrey Bezuglov and Maryan BereshRelogged House, Ukraine, by Balbek Bureau
This living room belongs to a Ukrainian cabin, designed by Balbek Bureau with a utilitarian aesthetic that aims to challenge conventional cabin interiors.
Concrete is the predominant material, but stainless steel and wooden elements such as horizontally stacked logs also feature throughout. To add warmth, a giant fireplace takes centre stage and is positioned opposite a modular sofa on which visitors can cosy up.
Find out more about Relogged House ›
Photo by Casey DunnSouth 5th Residence, USA, by Alterstudio Architecture
In this lounge, the stripped-back material palette helps to draw attention to the “dramatic vistas” over a valley in Austin, Texas.
Rough-textured concrete forms the walls of the space, while polished concrete lines the floor. Window frames made of wood and steel add to the room’s industrial look, and colour is introduced through furnishings including a tubular pink-metal armchair.
Find out more about South 5th Residence ›
Photo by JAG studioA Forest House, Ecuador, by Aquiles Jarrín
Aquiles Jarrín married dark Chonta wood with black-steel beams and rough concrete for the design of this textural living room, found in A Forest House in Quito.
The wooden elements help break up the open-plan interior, carving out cosy nooks and storage spaces for the owner. The seating area is warmed by a cowhide rug and tan butterfly chairs.
Find out more about A Forest House ›
Photo by Joe FletcherAnalog House, USA, by Olson Kundig Architects
A tactile material palette of metal, concrete and glass tones was used for the living room of Analog House, a home in a Californian forest created by Olson Kundig Architects with the founder of Faulkner Architects – the client for the project.
In the lounge, these materials are paired with light wooden floors and minimalist furnishings including hanging lights, a sleek black sofa and tubular chairs.
Find out more about Analog House ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with furry walls, sculptural wooden staircases and rustic Italian interiors.
Read more: More
Polish design studio Projekt Praga has overhauled the taproom of a centuries-old brewery outside Kraków to accommodate a new bar and restaurant, inserting bold contemporary elements into the historic brick-vaulted space.
Tenczynek Brewery dates back to 1553, although parts of the building were destroyed during world war two and only reconstructed in 2014.
The Taproom bar is set inside the 16th-century Tenczynek BreweryThe original taproom spans an area of 250 square metres, with a little under half of the space devoted to the bar and eatery. The remainder was allocated to the kitchen and the alembic, where spirits are distilled behind a glass partition.
Projekt Praga opted for a minimal-intervention approach in order to respect the existing architecture and reduce the project’s environmental impact.
Alembics for distilling spirits are on display behind a glass partitionThis included exposing the original brick walls from behind a layer of tiles, leaving them “raw” in a bid to minimise construction waste and emissions.
The new elements were made from a palette of natural materials – including oak, ceramics, steel and glass – in collaboration with Polish artisans and craftspeople.
Customers can pour their own drinks from a central fountain”In Tenczynek, we understood the importance of the local character of the brewery,” Projekt Praga co-founder Marcin Garbacki told Dezeen. “Here, the production of beer and vodka is carried out using traditional methods.”
“The place has a unique atmosphere and energy that works well with individual craftsmanship,” he added. “The design elements are intricately tied to the brewery’s artisanal nature, seamlessly integrated into the existing space without attempting to transform it.”
Glasses are displayed on red metal shelves nearbyThe principal focal point of The Taproom is a central self-service drinks fountain, set inside a column clad in handmade ceramic tiles by family-run workshop Ardea Arte.
Their warm burgundy tone layers with the original brickwork and the rich reds used across shelving and table legs to create an intense and immersive atmosphere.
Projekt Praga incorporates mid-century references into Polish dumpling restaurant
The dispenser allows visitors to pour themselves any desired amount of beer or vodka using 14 different taps.
“Since this element defines the modus operandi of the venue – it’s a taproom – we decided to turn it into a centrally located mini-rotunda, the heart of the space,” Garbacki said.
“It defines the logic of the space and facilitates accidental meetings of different users, serving as a social tool.”
The bar’s solid oak furniture is by Artur CzajkaThe oak floor was designed to act much like a carpet to delineate space, stopping short of the walls at a distance of around ten centimetres in order to draw a clear distinction between old and new.
At the same time, the flooring helps to ground several of the bar’s other oak elements, including the benches and tables by designer Artur Czajka.
“Part of our intention was to make a bold gesture in the space, a single fundamental intervention that will encompass all the other changes made and serve as a canvas for them,” Garbacki said.
Andrzej Bero and Piotr Linca handmade clay lamps for Tenczynek BreweryTo counter the narrow, elongated nature of the space, Projekt Praga made strategical use of mirrors and other reflective finishes both to illuminate and to extend the sense of space.
“The reflecting mirrors placed in the arcades across from the windows add depth to the space and multiply the impressive brick arches,” the studio said.
“Watched from a certain angle, they multiply natural light coming in through the windows, which is important as the natural light is quite restricted.”
The building’s original vaulted bricks ceilings are left exposedHandmade clay lamps suspended low over the tables enhance the venue’s intimate atmosphere.
Created in collaboration with ceramicists Andrzej Bero and Piotr Linca, they feature a colour palette that links to the original brick as well as to the new materials used on the project.
By using a range of different shapes and sizes of lampshades, each table’s setup is subtly different.
Red brick also features across the floors”The soft shapes of the smooth clay lamps are a bridge between the new interior decoration and the existing structure of the rough walls and arches,” Garbacki said.
Tenczynek Brewery project has been shortlisted for this year’s Dezeen Award in the restaurant and bar interior category alongside a seafood eatery with a vaulted-wood interior and Ikoyi by David Thulstrup, which is decorated with copper walls and a curved metal-mesh ceiling.
Projekt Praga, which was established by Marcin Garbacki and Karolina Tunajek in 2010, previously converted another historic brewery in Poland into minimalist apartments.
The photography is by ONI Studio.
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Indian practice Mind Manifestation has set up its studio in a converted apartment in Pune and designed the interior to reflect how the local landscape changes colour from season to season.
Pale green lime plaster and perforated bricks transform the 120-square-metre flat into a workspace that is both compatible with Pune’s tropical climate and reflective of the grassy hillside on which it is set.
Perforated bricks line the reception area of Mind Manifestation’s studio”The material palette has been tastefully chosen so as to match with the different shades of the hill throughout the year,” Mind Manifestation explained.
“Thus nature flows through to the indoors and the space becomes part of nature.”
Seating in the reception area is crafted from recycled cardboard tubesThe office is fronted by a small reception area, where both the floor and desk are lined with perforated bricks.
Here, visitors can sit and wait on a bench that curves around one corner of the space, fronted by recycled cardboard tubes.
Just behind the reception desk is a door that leads onto a small terrace, which is also floored with bricks to foster a seamless connection between the studio and the outdoors.
The window seat looks out across a hillsideBeyond the studio’s entrance area are a few rows of oakwood desks with cane-backed office chairs. There’s also a deep-set window seat that offers views over the sunny eastern side of the hill.
Walls here and throughout the rest of the office are washed with lime plaster, specifically selected by Mind Manifestation for its breathability. The floors, on the other hand, were poured over with terracotta-coloured concrete to match the bricks.
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To one side of the plan is a large meeting room centred by a wooden table. The same cardboard tubes that feature in the reception were used here to clad the table’s cylindrical base and to create a textured wall feature.
At the back of the space is a chunky concrete ledge where staff can recline as well as a shuttered window.
Green lime plaster covers the meeting room’s wallsAdditional work areas can be found towards the rear of the floor plan, along with a more casual meeting room where staff can gather for brainstorming sessions or team lunches.
This room is fronted by a series of perforated brick screens that allow cooling winds to pass into the interior. Bricks were also used to build a block of tiered seating at the back of the room.
Perforated bricks also create screens in a secondary meeting roomArchitecture and design studios often take on the responsibility of creating their own offices.
In London, the couple behind local practice 2LG Studio established a workspace in their four-bedroom home, while Esrawe Studio set up its Mexico City office inside a former dance hall, taking care to preserve the building’s weathered ceiling trusses.
The photography is by Hemant Patil.
Project credits:
Architecture: Mind ManifestationLead architects: Anand Deshmukh, Chetan LahotiDesign team: Pranjali Ekre, Dipti Kanade, Vidisha Paltewar
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Masonry bricks are tied together to form a curved entryway at this sushi restaurant in Miami’s Wynwood neighbourhood, by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.
At Uchi Miami, the American firm aimed to create a “perfect contrast” between the materials, techniques and styles of Japan and Florida.
Uchi Miami in Wynwood is fronted by a white structure wrapped in slats”Uchi tells a story of tactility, honoring Japanese tradition, but has been infused with local notes,” said Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.
“Wrapping, layering and stitching, inspired by native art forms, apply sophisticated design to simple objects to elevate ordinary materials found in daily life.”
A wall of woven bricks by Vas Bets greets guests upon entryFlanked by troughs filled with tropical plants, the entrance is surrounded by a pure white frame wrapped with vertical slats.
Once through the glass doors, guests are guided around to the host stand by a curved wall of concrete blocks created by locally based artist Vas Bets.
A chalk mural by Sam Angus Jackson is found above the sushi barThe blocks are tied together with rope, which weaves through their holes in a repeated pattern that is reflected in the polished floor.
In the main dining area, a mix of banquettes, bar seating and high-top tables offers a variety of configurations for parties of different sizes.
Warbach’s woven light fixtures create patterns across the ceilingThe wooden banquettes feature curved woven back panels and grey upholstered cushions – in a bouclé fabric for the backs and leather for the seats.
Walnut table tops and ash chairs match panelling on the walls and ceiling, while other surfaces are lined with bright red and orange wallpaper.
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Other artist collaborations within the restaurant include a hand-drawn chalk mural of jellyfish by artist Sam Angus Jackson, found above the sushi bar.
Hand-woven wall hangings by Miami artist Elan Byrd decorate the series of private dining areas, which run along one end of the restaurant behind black-framed glass panels.
Bright red wallpaper offers a contrast to the natural materialsPositioned over the bars and dining tables, lighting studio Warbach’s bespoke fixtures continue the woven motif.
“The overhead large, custom basket light provides a warm glow to illuminate the wall’s shapes and textile-inspired characteristics,” said Michael Hsu’s team.
The studio aimed to blend a variety of textures and materials throughout the restaurantMichael Hsu Office of Architecture has previously completed a restaurant with a curved wooden ceiling in its home city of Austin, Texas.
The studio has also designed a remote home in Texas Hill Country and the interiors for Shake Shack’s headquarters in New York City.
The photography is by Chase Daniel.
Project credits:
Owner: Hai HospitalityArchitect of record: Form Group ArchitectureGeneral contractor: City Construction GroupProject management: Amicon ManagementKitchen consultant: Trimark USAMEP: RPJ EngineeringLandscape designer: Plant the Future
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Design studio Yatofu has refined the interiors of a teahouse in downtown Helsinki with elements of brick, oak and oxidised steel. More
Indian studio Renesa has used earthy-hued masonry to form the entire facade and interior of a brick manufacturer’s showroom in New Delhi. More
