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    Ten living rooms with sculptural furniture pieces

    For our latest lookbook, we have selected 10 living rooms from the Dezeen archive that feature sculptural furniture, from plump and rounded sofas to reclining wooden chairs.

    The interiors in this lookbook are filled with curved forms, soft angles and artistic shapes, giving them a gallery-like feel.
    Each living room has a unique collection of sculptural pieces, with some playing host to lightweight minimalist items that echo their pared-back interiors while others house fluffy, dense items that reflect the tactile home in which they belong.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks of homes with welcoming terraces, sleek co-working spaces and well-organised bedrooms.
    Photo is by Scott Frances6A, US, by Brad Ford

    This double-height living room with expansive windows is situated within Cast Iron House, a historic building in New York’s Tribeca neighbourhood that is being turned into apartments by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban.
    Directly beneath a sculptural hanging mobile lies a low slung bench-style seat in tan leather and a low coffee table showcasing a selection of homeware items.
    One of 13 residential spaces inside the building, the show home is kitted out by interior designer Brad Ford who hoped to compliment Ban’s striking work with vintage furnishings and neutral tones.
    Find out more about 6A ›
    Photo is by Ishita SitwalaMumbai Apartment, India, by The Act of Quad
    In this high rise flat in India’s capital Mumbai, spherical curved tables and orbed shaped sculptures are dotted all over, punctuating the otherwise minimalist space.
    In the open-plan living room, a circular coffee table surrounded by curved benches provides a playful element that contrasts with the neutral-hued tones, wooden materials and soft curtains.
    Find out more about Mumbai Apartment ›
    Photo is by Sean DavidsonAmity Street Residence, US, by Sarah Akkari and Rawan Muqaddas
    Three pieces of seating furniture take centre stage in the living room of this apartment on the fourth floor of a building in Brooklyn, with a circular lamp and marble table acting as supporting characters.
    Architectural design studios Sarah Akkari and Rawan Muqaddas transformed what was once a neglected apartment into a “minimal but warm” residence typified by creamy colours and soft furnishings.
    Find out more about Amity Street Residence ›
    Photo is by Simone BossiMA House, France, by Timothee Mercier
    Architect Timothee Mercier built what he refers to as an “intimate refuge” for his parents in Vaucluse, France, in what was previously an old farmhouse.
    Tasked with converting the ruined and dilapidated building into a light and airy residence aligned with the rural landscape, Mercier chose rustic furnishings in neutral tones and natural materials like oak wood and raffia.
    In the central living room, he added a pair of cane armchairs with high backs and a round wooden coffee table that was sourced in a Parisian flea market.
    Find out more about MA House ›
    Photo is by Stephen Kent JohnsonOne Manhattan Square, US, by Jamie Bush
    American designer Jamie Bush packed this New York apartment full of eclectic furnishings in a kaleidoscope of styles, colours and textures.
    Bush’s mix of old and new elements is particularly evident in the living spaces where items such as a black 1972 Hoop chair by Piero Palange and Werther Toffoloni is paired with an undulating rust-coloured sofa.
    Find out more about One Manhattan Square ›
    Photo is by The Fishy ProjectThane Apartment, India, by The Act of Quad
    Thane Apartment was designed by The Act of Quad anf is easily distinguished by its cobalt blue accents seen on the furnishings and fittings.
    Located in the Indian city of Thane, the 101-square-metre home has a number of bespoke items including a grey L-shaped sofa, a padded swing and a quartz-topped dining table.
    The striking blue colour scheme is continued in the living room, where the shade crops up on rounded piping and bead-like attachments on the stools.
    Find out more about Thane Apartment ›
    Photo is by Paula Abreu Pita for Standard ArtsThe Bryant apartment, US, by Standard Arts
    Constructed inside British architect David Chipperfield’s residential tower The Bryant, this two-bedroom model unit is furnished with playful decor and colourful artwork.
    In the living room, curatorial firm Standard Arts added sculptural foam and plywood chairs and a curving, acrylic floor lamp from Objects of Common Interest. Like the rest of the interior, the studio wanted it to “appeal to the uniquely curious mind”.
    Find out more about The Bryant apartment ›
    Photo is by Sean DavidsonWest Village apartment, US, by Olivier Garcé
    Designed by New York-based interior designer Olivier Garcé, this contemporary show space is set within a pre-war brownstone building in the West Village, New York.
    The designer aimed to turn his apartment into a gallery space for his friends’ work, which includes a coffee table with three carved wood legs and Ian Felton’s Kosa Side Chair.
    Find out more about West Village apartment ›
    Photo is by Nicole FranzenAmagansett House, US, by Athena Calderone
    A cosy, intimate feel was incorporated into this mid-century Long Island dwelling Amagansett House by way of linen fabrics, vintage finds and plaster walls.
    New York designer Athena Calderone, who owns and lives in the apartment, revived the interiors with a pale palette and a combination of contemporary and vintage pieces that include sculptural ornaments, urns and candle holders.
    Find out more about Amagansett House ›
    Photo is by Denilson MachadoDN Apartment, Brasil, by BC Arquitetos
    A walnut coffee table with triangular legs framed by a curved sage green sofa is the focal point for this São Paulo apartment by Brazilian studio BC Arquitetos, which houses a collection of mid-20th century art.
    Designed for a landscape architect client, the 230-square-metre apartment is wrapped in natural walnut wood, interrupted only by original faceted concrete columns.
    Find out more about DN Apartment ›
    This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing compact bedrooms, basement conversions and interiors with innovative room dividers.

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    Ten interiors that use innovative room dividers instead of walls

    A pastel-pink wardrobe and a theatrical silver curtain feature in our latest lookbook, which highlights 10 creative ways to split a space into different sections by using room dividers.

    Whether they’re lightweight and movable such as screens, fixed yet adjustable like curtains, or built into the framework of a building like a shelving unit, room dividers can be a practical and inexpensive solution to break up a space and provide more privacy.
    The interiors in this lookbook, which range from homes in Spain and Australia to hotel rooms in Japan and exhibition spaces in Brasil and the US, showcase innovative solutions for how to partition a large room.
    This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing homes with parquet flooring, compact bedrooms and self-designed studios by architects and designers.
    Photo is by Luis Díaz DíazReady-made Home, Spain, by Azab

    Pale blue curtains slice through the middle of this whimsical home in Bilbao, designed by architecture studio Azab.
    Challenged with a floor plan in the shape of a semi-circle, the studio decided to section off the two bedrooms and the bathroom using sheathes of the vibrant fabric, injecting a playful element into the apartment.
    Other colourful features include a pink extraction hood above the cooking stove, a yellow lacquered steel storage unit and an exposed wall.
    Find out more about Ready-made Home ›
    Photo is by Denilson Machado of MCA EstudioCasa Alma, Brasil, by Studio Melina Romano
    This exhibition space looks more like a cosy apartment than a traditional exhibition hall, thanks to an array of homely features including gauzy curtains, low-slung coffee tables and mossy gardens.
    Brasilian practice Studio Melina Romano hoped to create a sensorial atmosphere by using rounded elements and tactile materials for attendees of Casacor, São Paulo’s annual festival of architecture and interior design.
    Find out more about Casa Alma ›
    Photo is by Elsa YoungMetamporhic Wardrobe, UK, by Studiomama
    East London-based design studio Studiomama devised a pastel-coloured wardrobe called Metamorphic, which has a set of large doors that open out into a partition.
    The closet features a rail to hang clothes on, drawers in varying sizes and a set of doors that can be unfurled into a screen. The design showcases how room dividers made from furniture can be used as an innovative solution for creating private spaces in open-plan interiors.
    Find out more about Metamorphic Wardrobe ›
    Photo is by Yikin HyoK5 Tokyo Hotel, Japan, by Claesson Koivisto Rune
    A converted bank building in Tokyo, which survived bombing during world war two, was turned into a boutique hotel by Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. The practice aimed to transform the lodging into a warm, cosy place to stay by adding bespoke elements and furniture in deep brown hues.
    In each of the 20 rooms, delicate blue ombre curtains surround a wooden desk and cabinet, which guests can use as a private space for personal activities. Similar hand-dyed curtains in blue and white colours also frame the beds.
    Find out more about K5 Tokyo Hotel ›
    Photo is by José HeviaCasa A12, Spain, by Lucas y Hernández-Gil
    An indoor courtyard, bright orange furniture and a series of shiny silver curtains are some of the quirky features that Spanish studio Lucas y Hernández-Gil added to enliven the basement of this Madrid apartment.
    In an effort to counter the lack of light and space on the lower level, the studio painted the walls white and used dramatic full-height curtains that can be pulled back to seal off the bedroom suite.
    Find out more about Casa A12 › More

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    Inferences/Inferencias exhibition aims to “arouse curiosity towards contemporary design”

    Barcelona-based gallery Il-lacions has opened an exhibition at Madrid Design Festival that features over 70 furnishings, sculptures and design pieces in an effort to explore contemporary design.

    The theme of the exhibition is centred around its name, Inferences/Inferencias, which Il-lacions described as “the action and effect of inferring one thing from another, a link between ideas, the consequence of something.”
    Inferences/Inferencias is a group exhibition that was exhibited as part of Madrid Design FestivalThe gallery selected one piece of work by each of the artists it represents, who were then asked to become co-curators of the exhibition and invite a designer, maker or artist whom they admired to also exhibit a piece of work.
    The resulting 74 sculptures and furniture pieces displayed in the exhibition were arranged on and around a large angular display table that was finished to mimic concrete.
    A wooden stool by Sanna Völker is a tribute to architect Louis KahnAll of the works in the show focus on one or more topics specified by the gallery, such as research and development in new materials, object functionality, sustainability and production processes.

    “We would like to arouse curiosity towards contemporary design, visitors can read about the pieces and even touch them with care,” Il-lacions founder Xavier Franquesa told Dezeen. “We would like them to learn about materials, functionality and ingenuity in design.”
    A light installation titled Ignoring Helena by Michael Roschach is placed nearby Burned Ode Chair by Sizar Alexis”We hope people understand the amount of work behind each piece, there’s a lot of research and experimentation,” said Franquesa.
    “These are inspirational objects that contribute to giving interiors something more than just a function, they are emotional and unique,” it added.

    Antoni Arola creates architecture “from light” for Madrid Design Festival

    “We would like to stimulate new views on design and thinking to shape contemporary values, and together with the creators to generate a cultural heritage that reflects this time and this place,” he said.
    Among the pieces on display is Joel Blanco’s Shiba-Inu dog sculpture with a built-in ASIC cryptocurrency miner. This uses the exhibition space’s electricity to mine Dogecoin and is a commentary on financial freedom and an anarcho-capitalist future, according to the designer.
    Also exhibited is a Jesmonite and fibreglass chair by Six N. Five, embedded with an authentication chip built on Blockchain technology that allows the piece to be minted as an NFT.
    Objects, fixtures and furnishings were hung from walls and placed throughout the gallery spaceA number of the works on show also feature reused and recycled materials.
    “Josep Vila Capdevila is reusing pieces from old factories (fluorescents, cables, a pulley) and he mixes it with noble materials such as marble to create the Suspended Lamp exhibited – he classifies this piece as ‘Random Luxury’,” said Franquesa.
    “The ‘Aluminium Block’ side table by Toni Pallejà is reinterpreting industrial materials, transforming them into elements that convey luxury and fashion.”
    The exhibition features 74 objects, furnishings and sculptures that discuss contemporary designIl-lacions was founded in 2011 by Xavier Franquesa. Inferences/Inferencias forms part of the fifth edition of Madrid Design Festival, a month-long event that transforms the city into a design hub.
    Also exhibited at this year’s edition is a light installation by Antoni Arola that forms architecture from light. Previous editions saw Jorge Penadés invite 14 designers to showcase “bold ideas in small boxes”.
    The photography is by Asier Rua.
    Inferences/Inferencias is on display at the Cultural Centre of Villa Fernán-Gómez as part of Madrid Design Festival, which takes place from 15 February to 13 March 2022. See Dezeen Events Guide for all the latest architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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    Transatlántico exhibition “forms a bridge” between Latin American and European design

    Brutalist furniture by Rick Owens, a shaggy pink sofa and ethereal lighting feature in Transatlántico, an exhibition of Latin American and European sculptural design presented by Galerie Philia in Mexico City.

    Transatlántico brings together furniture and ornaments by emerging Latin American designers from Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
    Top: a wall hanging by Mexican studio Caralarga. Above: Pietro Franceschini presents his Waldo sofa, among other seatingTheir pieces are presented alongside work by leading European designers such as Pietro Franceschini and Pierre De Valck, some of whom are showing in Mexico for the first time.
    “The aim was to create an authentic, specialised event around the Latin American design scene and its very distinct identity, but also include new collections by European designers,” Transatlántico co-curator Alban Roger told Dezeen.
    “We wanted to establish a dialogue between the two continents, with both their own distinctive styles but also strong inter-influences.”

    Carob wood furniture by Cristián Mohaded features in the exhibitionIn line with this theme, a shaggy pink “yeti” sofa by St Petersburg-based artist Vladimir Naumov for Missana Lab is included alongside delicate carob wood furniture by Argentinian designer Cristián Mohaded, who explores carpentry using native materials from his birth country.
    An ethereal light named Ghost Pendant was crafted by Mexican designers Héctor Esrawe and Emiliano Godoy and Los-Angeles born designer Brian Thoreen, using handblown glass, silicon tubing and LED lights.
    Vladimir Naumov offers a shaggy pink sofaOther pieces include dark-coloured brutalist furniture by Paris-based American fashion designer Rick Owens that is made from a mixture of bronze and camel skin, as well as Mexico City-based Platalea Studio’s playful Happiness Bench formed from three curvy slabs of pink and brown terrazzo.
    “We reached out to talents we believe in and who fell within our criteria of sculptural design,” explained co-curator Jorge Brown, with regard to how Galeria Philia selected the participating designers.
    “Our main criteria was the originality of their design exploration but also their creative research on various materials and sculptural techniques.”

    Mario García Torres curates design exhibition in Mexico City house

    According to Galerie Philia, sustainability was also a factor in Transátlantico’s curatorial ethos.
    This is reflected in pieces such as a series of delicately woven wall hangings by Mexican artisanal studio Caralarga, which are crafted using raw cotton yarn and discarded fabric waste.
    Ghost Pendant is a light by Héctor Esrawe and Emiliano Godoy and Brian ThoreenColombian designer Alejandra Aristizábal also presents textile wall hangings that resemble jumbo rolls of sewing thread, although hers are made from fique – a natural fibre from the Andean region that has historically been used to create ropes and hammocks.
    “Transatlántico is founded on the idea of forming a transatlantic bridge between the contrasting cultural and artistic worlds of Europe and Latin America, identifying how we establish a creative discourse across the social boundaries associated with the geography that divides us,” said Galerie Philia co-founder Ygaël Attali.
    Rick Owens presents a selection of brutalist bronze furnitureWith galleries in Geneva, New York City and Singapore, Galerie Philia is an international contemporary design and art gallery that also presents group exhibitions at temporary spaces around the world.
    Previous Galerie Philia exhibitions include a furniture show in Manhattan’s Walker Tower and an exhibition presenting emerging Italian designers’ responses to Rick Owens’ work in Milan.
    Happiness Bench is playful terrazzo seating by Platalea StudioThe photography is courtesy of Galerie Philia.
    Transátlantico is on show at House of Kirschner’s gallery space, Avenida Ejército Nacional 676, in Mexico City from 8 to 12 February 2022. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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