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      Nwankpa Design creates compact, colourful sanctuary for working mom in LA

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      California studio Nwankpa Design has transformed a room in a family house into a colourful, private space for a mother to work, breastfeed and exercise.

      The project, called Cumberland Hideaway, was designed by local firm Nwankpa Design for a creative director and mother of two. Totalling 200 square feet (18.5 square metres), the slender, rectangular room is located within a suburban, ranch-style home in Los Angeles.
      Cumberland Hideaway was designed by local firm Nwankpa DesignThe space formerly held a storage area, and before that, it served as a garage.
      The client desired a “sanctuary” where she could work, nurse and ride a fitness bike, in addition to having storage space. The design needed to be as efficient as possible because of the room’s limited size.
      “The programme packs a lot into the small footprint,” the studio said.

      The room was designed for a mother to breastfeed, work and exerciseThe team opted for blocks of colour, streamlined cabinetry and contemporary decor. The combined elements create variety without making the space feel too crowded.
      A skylight and slit windows bring in daylight while also offering privacy. Extra illumination is provided by globe-shaped Carina Maxi pendants from Nuevo Living, a Restoration Hardware chandelier and sconces by Brooklyn studio In Common With.
      Nwankpa Design added colourful accents to the spaceWalls are sheathed in a light-grey wallpaper from Fayce. Bush-hammered porcelain tile was used for the flooring.
      Furnishings include a wooden treadmill desk, a Blu Dot table and a peach sofa from Interior Define. A bold, striped rug by Ralph Lauren helps delineate the lounge area.
      Furnishings include a wooden work deskCustom medium-density fibreboard cabinets – in shades of pale pink, baby blue and white – were staggered to fit a Peloton exercise bike. Brass was selected for knobs and handles. A mini fridge was incorporated into cabinetry along one wall.
      A range of potted plants helps to round out the space.

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      Studio founder Susan Nwankpa Gillespie said the project brief resonated with her, being a working mom herself.
      “It’s about all of the things we need, without compromising what we want,” she said.
      “We need a space to decompress – somewhere we can focus and get work done, whatever kind of work that is,” she added. “We also want it to feel special, to uplift us.”
      Nwankpa Design scattered potted plants around the roomOther spaces for working moms include Big and Tiny, a co-working facility with on-site childcare that features wooden decor and a blue-and-pink colour palette, and a variety of outposts for The Wing, a women-focused, co-working company.
      The photography is by Madeline Tolle.
      Project credits:
      Design studio: Nwankpa DesignTeam: Susan Nwankpa Gillespie (lead designer), Lillian Nguyen (designer)

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      Nivek Remas renovates founder's home to serve as its office space

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      Toronto studio Nivek Remas has renovated its founder’s home to create an office for the studio based on changes in working conditions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

      Early in 2020, the Canadian interior design studio led by Kevin Chan and Samer Shaath was poised to lease new office space for its expanding business. However, these plans were halted by pandemic restrictions.
      Nivek Remas renovated one of its founder’s home for the studio officesThroughout the lockdowns that impacted Canadians and the subsequent work-from-home standards, the office sought ways to work together in the future, without going to an office full-time.
      “[We] quickly recognized the shift in what defines an office and the culture that was evolving from those blurred lines,” Nivek Remas’ Kevin Chan told Dezeen.
      The home was converted to have spaces for work and leisureThe duo decided to renovate one of their homes to serve as an office for the young firm, which was established in 2016.

      The new studio was completed in 2021 and is located in an area of Toronto called Cabbagetown, just east of the city centre.
      The studio plays into the work-from-home trendIt occupies 1,250 square feet (116 square metres) of a standalone house in a residential neighbourhood.
      The completed studio has a main office area, conference rooms, as well a kitchen and a dining nook.
      The ground floor has eight workstationsVisitors enter the office along a green hallway accented with glass wall sconces. By the entrance, there is a powder room and a coat closet.
      The ground floor has eight workstations laid in an open-concept configuration. Most of the furniture is black, including the desktops and chairs.
      The space functions as a workstation for the interior design studioAt the front of the house, a kitchenette and breakfast nook look out onto the street. The designers used a darker palette of greens and olive tones in the kitchenette area to contrast the workstations, which are painted white and filled with light and plants.
      An open staircase leads to the upper floor, where the team included a new conference room that offers some privacy from the main work area. It includes a long table and a couch, for more informal gatherings.
      Dark greens were used for some walls and detailsOther amenities of this home-and-office combination include a gym and bike storage for commuters located in the basement.
      The founders of Nivek Remas said that although the new office space helps collaboration, they balance out the time spent there with remote work.

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      The studio said that it has embraced a fully hybrid model and that the office space allows for “creative gathering”.
      “We see this as our studio for at least another five years or until we outgrow the space,” Chan said. “It’s a true representation of our studio work and ethos but also a true representation of the times and how casually defined offices are now.
      “Corporate offices are trying to become more WFH and more casual with coffee bars, and table tennis or gaming break out areas, but we’re approaching it from the other direction and making a residential space more studio,” he added.

      Many architects and designers embraced the work-from-home trend, building out new spaces for themselves during the pandemic.
      Other examples include a coastal Maine cabin that 30X40 Design Workshop completed as its office, and the Beverly Hills home of Gerhard Heusch, who built himself an underground office using concrete.
      The photography is by Scott Norsworthy.
      Project credits:Interior design: Nivek RemasConstruction: Shape Building GroupMillwork: Ell-Rod Architectural Millwork

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      Sulkin Askenazi arranges yellow school interiors around wooden tree

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      Splashes of bright yellow, round openings and a giant timber tree are among the playful touches Mexican design studio Sulkin Askenazi has included in Ikigai Sisu, a school in the Dominican Republic.

      Sulkin Askenazi arranged the elementary school around a central wooden tree in the lobby, which provides a playful feature for the children to sit on when learning indoors.
      Sulkin Askenazi has added yellow hues inside Ikigai SisuCalled Ikigai Sisu, the 500-square-metre school opened in September 2021 and is located in the town of Punta Cana on the eastern coast of Dominican Republic.
      Sulkin Askenazi was informed by Finnish schools, where shared recreational areas are given par with traditional learning spaces such as classrooms. The school is designed to encourage learning through play and exploration.
      Rooms are arranged around an artificial tree in the lobby”The origin of the project is aligned with the Finnish educational model, where recreational spaces play an important role in the development of children by providing a stimulating and inclusive place that fosters ties, curiosity and interaction,” said Jack Sulkin, co-founder of Sulkin Askenazi.

      “We wanted to design a school where the entire space felt connected and flexible and not too divided or fractioned into isolated spaces,” he told Dezeen.
      An area for physical education is at the back of the buildingAt the heart of Ikigai Sisu is a trunk made from locally sourced white oak slats that children can sit on. Also in the lobby is a reception desk, a climbing wall and soft stools clad in yellow and grey fabric.
      Classrooms with wooden tables and chairs line the front of the building while at the back there is a soft play area for physical exercise lessons. A kitchen can also be found in one of the main classrooms.
      Classrooms are coloured in the same yellow schemeSulkin wanted the colour yellow, which is the school’s colour, to act as a sensory stimulus. Yellow tiles are found in the bathrooms while sunny hued paint continues the colour theme in the classrooms.
      The yellow is countered with grey accents which appear on soft furnishings such as rugs, pouffes and activity mats.

      Walls with integrated furniture and yellow nooks encourage play in Madrid school

      “We wanted the project to have a more vibrant monochrome look and feel; an aesthetic that alludes to the school’s philosophy,” Sulkin explained.
      “The vibrancy of yellow, applied to our ever-flowing spaces through the school design, unquestionably triggers imagination and the ever changing minds of young children who roam the space.”
      Cubby holes and rounded openings are dotted throughoutAccording to Sulkin, the other “main character” in the school is the use of wood.
      “The project has two main characters, the first one is the colour yellow, and the second is the low thick wooden ribbon that organically flows throughout the project,” Sulkin explained.
      “We tried to instil a free-flowing, interactive, energy invigorating space with Ikigai,” he added.
      The bathroom is clad in bright yellow tilesDotted throughout the low slung school are little wooden cubby holes set at different heights and cushioned nooks that allow children to hide and peek through.
      This same wood forms an array of shelving units to display learning material and cabinets for storage.
      Bright colours are a popular feature in contemporary educational architecture around the world.
      Dezeen rounded up 10 colourful kindergartens that encourage kids to crawl, jump and learn including a pastel coloured learning centre in Melbourne by Danielle Brustaman and a hot pink kindergarten in China by Crossboundaries
      Photography is by Thiago da Cunha.

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      Yinka Shonibare and India Mahdavi bring “a warm feel of Africa” to London restaurant Sketch

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      British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare and architect India Mahdavi have redesigned the Gallery dining room at London venue Sketch, adding site-specific artworks, warm golden colours and textured materials to its interior.

      The project, which is the latest in a string of artist collaborations from Sketch, features a series of 15 artworks by Shonibare dubbed Modern Magic. These were designed specifically for the space.
      The Gallery at Sketch is now covered in warm yellow huesMahdavi incorporated sunshine-yellow and golden colours to the interior alongside textured materials informed by Shonibare’s installation, including a copper skin on one of the walls.
      “Yinka’s artwork was a real inspiration and enticed me to work differently,” Mahdavi told Dezeen. “Textures have transcended colours by using a strong palette of materials.”
      “I used elements that have allowed me to extend Yinka’s artistic exploration of culture and identity, and bring a warm feel of Africa to the space and furnishings.”

      Artworks by Yinka Shonibare decorate the wallsMahdavi was also responsible for choosing the colour that previously dominated the interior of Sketch’s Gallery – a pale pink hue that became an Instagram favourite and remained in the room for eight years.
      “The Gallery at Sketch has been linked to the colour pink for such a long time that it was very challenging for me to overcome this success,” she said.
      This time, Mahdavi aimed to change the focus away from just the colour.
      “I didn’t want everybody to ask me what the new colour at the gallery is and therefore, I really worked on textures and materials that are evocative of the richness of Africa,” she explained. “Warmth is the new colour at Sketch.”
      Designer India Mahdavi worked with different textures for the interiorShonibare’s Modern Magic installation includes five hand-carved wooden masks as well as 10 framed quilts, which replicate African masks collected by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso.
      “Picasso was interested in appropriating from another culture and I also appropriate from European ethnic art,” Shonibare explained.
      “Cultural appropriation can be a two-way street,” he added. “This collaboration with Sketch has given me an opportunity to expand my creative process – creating a different environment to encounter and experience my art in a fun and relaxing setting.”
      Pieces were designed especially for the spaceThe artworks are complemented by tactile furniture pieces and accessories designed for the Gallery.
      “I chose yellow fabrics and leather to cover the banquettes,” Mahdavi said. “It is the colour of sun and happiness.”
      “The subtle shades of yellow vary from one piece to another carrying different patterns of weaved raffia, which were chosen within Aissa Dione’s collection of fabrics and specially woven for the project in Senegal.”

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      “The walls are covered in metallic copper paper by De Gournay to radiate the room and the wall lights are made in Ghanaian wicker by artist Inès Bressand,” she continued.
      “It was my way of helping Yinka take over the room without interfering with his work.”
      A copper wall reflects the lightMahdavi believes the new Sketch interior is more suitable for a post-Covid world.
      “The pink Gallery at Sketch lasted eight years instead of the two years initially planned,” she said.
      “I really believe that the pink room belonged to the pre-Covid era,” Mahdavi added. “It was fun, feminine and there was a certain lightness to it. The new Gallery at Sketch has more depth, the textures imply the feeling of togetherness.”
      “Textures have transcended colours,” Mahdavi said of the designSketch’s most recent artist collaboration was with UK artist David Shrigley, whose black-and-white drawings stood out against the pale pink colour of the Gallery and were also emblazoned on a collection of ceramics.
      Mahdavi, who is one of this year’s Dezeen Awards judges and will sit on the interiors design jury, was recently among a group of designers who reinterpreted Dior’s Medallion Chair at Salone del Mobile.
      Among Shonibare’s recent work is a set of bespoke stamps designed for the Royal Academy’s 250th anniversary.
      The photography is by Edmund Dabney.

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      Forte Forte's first US store features golden changing rooms and balancing stones

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      Light fixtures inspired by James Turrell artworks, balancing stones, and a circular golden changing room feature in the interiors of fashion brand Forte Forte’s Los Angeles boutique.

      The Italian label’s art director Robert Vattilana designed the interiors of the store, which is located at 8424 Melrose Place in Los Angeles – the first Forte Forte branch in the US.
      Vattilana called the design “an ineffable balance of the geometric and the organic”.
      The store features a sage green enamelled metal facadeTwo rectilinear shop windows are framed by a sage-green enamelled metal facade with the boutique’s glowing logo. The recessed front door is crafted from enamelled wood.
      Inside, a bright white ceiling is lit at the edges casting light on the textured walls, which create a neutral backdrop for Vattilana’s minimal but eclectic designs.

      A mixture of pastel and brighter tones define the space”The Los Angeles boutique is meant as a concise and vibrant project where light becomes matter, in an ineffable balance of the geometric and the organic,” the interior designer told Dezeen.
      Both pastel hues and brighter pops of colour are seen in the store’s furniture, which ranges from chunky terrazzo planters and gold shelving to a powdery pink chaise longue.
      The changing rooms were placed in a rounded gold boothThe amount of garments on display is minimal, with single dresses suspended delicately from various squiggly formations of gold wire.
      Changing rooms exist within a rounded, bright gold pod that is separated into cubicles. These feature a mixture of plush sea-green textiles and an array of mirrors.

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      Another standout element is two giant stones placed in front of ethereal, full-height muslin curtains, one of which balances on top of the other in a dramatic formation.
      “The stones are from the Palm Springs desert and are meant as a tribute to the work of [former Swiss art duo] Peter Fischli and David Weiss,” explained Vattilana.
      Two giant stones add drama to the boutiqueBack-lit, circular openings throw light on the boutique, which, according to the designer, also take cues from an existing artist.
      “Perimeters and ceilings create movement and an iridescent light emerges from the total depth of the shop, referring to the luminous geometries of [light artist] James Turrell,” he continued.
      The lighting was informed by the work of James TurrellVattilana described the brand’s Los Angeles store as a space that “echoes the volumes and lines of Californian modernism,” as it follows a group of uniquely designed Forte Forte stores in locations such as Milan and London.
      “The contrast with Italian materials and finishes enriches the balance of components with further nuances, sealing the uniqueness of the project.”
      “Each Forte Forte location follows a different rhythm,” he concluded.
      Giada Forte and her brother Paolo Forte founded the Italian fashion brand in 2002. Its other store designs include a Tuscan boutique with a hull-style ceiling and a Rome store “drowned” in green onyx.
      The images are courtesy of Forte Forte.

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      Masquespacio puts colourful spin on traditional Italian restaurant concept

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      Colourful marble accents and looming arches characterise this restaurant by Spanish studio Masquespacio, which takes cues from traditional Italian eateries.

      Called Piada, the restaurant sells Italian flatbreads and is the second of its kind to be designed by Masquespacio in the French city of Lyon.
      Piada is a restaurant in LyonThe interiors of the latest Piada blends retro design elements borrowed from traditional Italian restaurants, such as marble and gold finishes, with colours and materials that were chosen to echo the eatery’s healthy food menu.
      “First, we investigated ancient Italian restaurants and bars to bring the traditional concept into the design,” Masquespacio co-founder Christophe Penasse told Dezeen.
      Masquespacio took cues from traditional Italian eateries”Then, we sought elements that could represent a sort of healthy aspect, which at the same time have a splashy and young colour concept that represents the brand’s identity,” he added.

      A garland of lush plants and flowers is suspended above the entrance to the two-storey restaurant, under which floor-to-ceiling arched windows were designed to draw visitors in from the street.
      Bold blocks of colour define the spaceInside, guests are met with a collection of booth-like tables that offer a mixture of built-in seating, including banquette benches and rounded wooden stools.
      This area is defined by a bold palette of sugary pastel colours, ranging from pale lilac seat cushions to mint-green walls.

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      Piada’s external arch motif is also continued in its interiors, where curved alcoves have been outlined with columns of bulbous sconce lights that resemble oversized Hollywood-style mirrors.
      “We used five elements to represent the traditional Italian bar and restaurant – arches, light bulbs with gold finishes, marble and mirrored menus,” explained Penasse.
      Piada’s design is also influenced by its healthy food menuIn a nod to Piada’s healthy food concept, Masquespacio added clusters of plants that spill out of backlit rounded nooks behind the seating areas both upstairs and downstairs.
      The studio also incorporated stucco on the walls and tiles with a handmade effect to create a more organic feel to the restaurant interior. All of Piada’s furniture was custom-made by Masquespacio to match the restaurant’s eclectic themes.
      The restaurant is the second of its kind in the French cityFounded in 2010 by Penasse and Ana Milena Hernández Palacios, the Spanish studio has completed a number of other interior projects with designs rooted in bright colour.
      These include a playful burger joint in Turin, multi-hued student housing in Bilbao and a colour-clashing phone repair shop in Valencia.
      The photography is by Gregory Abbate.

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      Studio Rhonda uses saturated colours and glass bricks to revamp Zetteler's headquarters

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      Interiors firm Studio Rhonda has redesigned communications agency Zetteler’s London office using contrasting colours and tactile vegan and deaf-friendly materials.

      The studio, which is led by Rhonda Drakeford, created a distinctive feeling for each of the headquarter’s three zones – a main work area, a smaller cafe-style space for meals and relaxing, and a meeting space.
      The Zetteler headquarters is located in east LondonAs Zetteler founder Sabine Zetteler has severe conductive hearing loss, it was also important that the office didn’t feature details such as hard floors and high ceilings, which can create a disruptive atmosphere.
      “The space was to be split into three zones, each with a different ambience and function, with an emphasis on the whole space to be deaf-friendly, plus there was the need for the materials used to be vegan,” Drakeford explained.
      Plants are dotted throughout the spaceThe choice to use vegan materials was based on the fact that most of Zetteler’s staff is vegan or vegetarian.

      “The research process was enlightening; for example, I was surprised to learn that some paints include casein, a dairy product,” Zetteler told Dezeen.
      “I’m proud that we’ve been able to find vegan options for all our integral building materials, but I would really like to see manufacturers take more responsibility for transparency, so we can all make more informed decisions.”
      A duck-egg blue decorates the main workspaceTo create distinctive zones in the office, located in a mid-century industrial block off Broadway Market in east London, Drakeford used different colours and materials to define the spaces.
      A pale duck-egg blue was used for the main work area, which also features a large desk in natural wood and a jute carpet that gives the room an organic feel.
      Glass bricks create a light meeting roomThe adjacent meeting room is enclosed in glass brick walls, which Zetteler had requested to allow for light to flow through the space.
      “I sourced some Czech glass bricks with graphic linear mouldings for a contemporary edge,” Drakeford explained.

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      “I devised an anchor line of 2,300 millimetres from the ground as the top height of any structures so as to maintain coherence in all three zones and also to help the space retain an open-plan feel,” she added.
      “The roof of the glass-brick ‘pod’ stops at the 2,300 millimetres anchor line, allowing light to travel over it.”
      The Zetteler kitchen features wood and Valchromat surfacesIn the kitchen, the interior designer used furniture from brand Hølte, a Zetteler client whose showroom is close to the office.
      “I specified custom oversize recessed handles and an unusual matching oak splash-back combined with a beige tap by Toniton for a mono-material/colour effect ‘block’,” Drakeford said.
      “We also used the oversize circular handles on the adjoining orange Valchromat storage cupboards, which were also produced by Hølte, and the green Valchromat sliding doors to the right of the kitchen block,”
      Pale blue walls meet green storage spaces and a glass-brick meeting roomThe use of colour was defined by the light in the different rooms of the office, which sits on a north-south axis.
      “I worked with a cool, duck-egg blue at the front, south-facing area as I knew that the space tends to get very warm in the summer,” Drakeford explained.
      “A warmer, buff colour was used at the rear, north-facing section, to counteract how cold that area can feel in the winter months.”
      Warmer hues were used at the north-facing rear of the buildingThe neutral backdrop hues were complemented by pops of colour in a variety of textured materials and chalky tones. To make the space deaf-friendly, the designer chose to add plenty of soft materials to the interiors.
      “Curtains and rugs are used throughout to help with zoning and privacy as well as optimising the acoustics,” Drakeford said.
      “The meeting pod is purpose-built, very solid and lined with acoustic vegan wool, creating a quiet sanctuary from the more open-plan spaces. Planting is also a key part of the acoustic softening, as well as making the space more welcoming.”
      A deep blue hue makes the meeting room feel cosyThe overall design aimed to create an office that didn’t have the “matchy-matchy” feel of many corporate office spaces, Drakeford said.
      “I approached this space in the same way I would treat a residential interior, with the warmth and comfort of a mismatched but visually coherent family of furniture and materials,” she added.
      Other notable London offices include The Crown Estate’s Fathom Architecture-designed space in St James’s and a “homely” office in the brutalist Smithson Tower.
      Photography is by Taran Wilkhu.

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