Houses

Subterms

    More stories

    • 138 Shares189 Views

      in Rooms

      House of Grey designs Highgate home using natural tones and materials

      by

      The furnishings and finishes in this London home, designed by interiors studio House of Grey, were chosen for the health of its occupants as well as the health of the planet.Set in Highgate, London, the three-storey townhouse features custom timber furniture, a carbon-absorbing bathroom finish and a mattress made using natural, biodegradable latex.

      The living room is painted a deep sage green
      According to House of Grey, the design of the interior, with its palette of natural colours and soft textures, was guided by “circular salutogenic design principles”.
      This means it hopes to cut out waste and pollution, as a way of working towards a circular economic system. Salutogesis, meanwhile, refers to a medical approach focused on facilitating health rather than simply fighting sickness and disease.

      A clay plaster wall finish by Clayworks features in the WC

      In keeping with this, each material and resource the studio has used was researched for its impact on human and ecological health while in production, in use and once it has been discarded.
      “We are no longer simply finding design solutions, our work is now focused on eliminating the problem altogether,” said the studio’s founder Louisa Grey.
      “We have evolved to a place where we choose to work with materials and resources that are good for human health and have a positive ‘cradle to cradle’ impact on the planet.”

      A plush white sofa anchors the living room
      Finding herself unable to source “beautiful, contemporary” furniture made using sustainable manufacturing processes and natural materials, Grey commissioned artists and makers such as British furniture designer Sebastian Cox to produce bespoke pieces for the project.
      “I can never really find what I’m looking for, so at House of Grey we have started creating things for ourselves and for people that feel there is an inherent lack of choice when it comes to finding interior pieces with integrity that represent both their style and values,” she said.

      A custom wardrobe was designed by Sebastian Cox
      Cox’s pieces include a master bed with matching side tables, as well as a wardrobe and vanity unit made from materials such as ebonised oak and blackened ash, which the designer claims are able to moderate humidity and improve indoor air quality.
      The wardrobe interiors are made from cedar wood– a natural pesticide that can repel moths.

      Plaster walls of Jaffa Roofhouse imbue apartment with history and warmth

      “Thought-through details such as these culminate in an ongoing contentment in a space that improves human health with day-to-day use,” said the studio.

      The master bed features green velvet upholstery
      The bedding and mattress were supplied by UK manufacturer NaturalMat and, according to the brand, are made entirely from biodegradable materials.
      The master bed is upholstered using coconut husk fibres, also known as coir, which are coated in natural latex to create a springy padding.

      The mattress by NaturalMat is made using natural and biodegradable materials
      The bedroom also features natural lime paint by German brand Bauwerk in a colour that was developed in collaboration with House of Grey as part of a new collection that will launch later this month.
      It is made using a variety of natural bases including clay, stone, chalk, slate and limestone, and coloured using natural pigments such as ochre.

      Inbuilt shelving offers extra storage space
      “This natural lime paint provides a healthy alternative to widely available, chemical-based paints,” said the studio.
      “It is free of toxins and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), allowing your walls to breathe when combined with other natural building materials such as clay.”

      The bathroom walls are finished in Tadelakt
      The bathroom walls are made from a lime-based plaster surface called Tadelakt, which is waterproofed using a soap solution.
      Traditionally found in Moroccan architecture, it releases 80 per cent less CO2 during its production than similar cement-based finishes and most CO2 that is generated gets re-absorbed by the lime as it cures.

      The sink is made of natural plaster made from sand and unfired clay
      The bath and sink consist of a natural plaster made from sands, unfired clays, pigments and minerals, while in the toilet House of Grey used a two-tone clay plaster wall finish by Clayworks in the shades Moon Tonal and Buff.
      According to the brand, the natural clay has zero VOC emissions, low embodied carbon and is entirely recyclable.
      Gitai Architects has recently renovated an apartment in Israel, covering its walls in plaster to give the space a natural tactility.
      Similarly, Spacon & X drew on natural materials and plants to imbue Noma’s burger-focused spinoff POPL with a warm and relaxed atmosphere.
      Photography is by Michael Sinclair.

      Read more: More

    • 88 Shares129 Views

      in Rooms

      Dezeen's top 10 home interiors of 2020

      by

      Continuing our yearly review, Dezeen has selected the top 10 home interiors of 2020 – including a rustic home in rural France and a multicoloured Tokyo apartment.

      MA House, France, by Timothee Mercier
      This dwelling, which architect Timothee Mercier built for his parents, is meant to be aesthetically harmonious with the rural landscape of Vaucluse, France.
      Inside there’s whitewashed walls and just a smattering of rustic furnishings, which Mercier either found in Parisian flea markets or had custom made.
      “I decided early-on to infuse the house with the monastic qualities of its surroundings,” he told Dezeen. “[The house] had to be a spectacle, but a discrete one.”
      Find out more about MA House ›

      House V, Slovakia, by Martin Skoček
      Bricks salvaged from the ruins of an 80-year-old property now line the interior of House V, which is situated in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava.
      The time-worn bricks cover walls in the living room, bedroom and even the master bathroom, where a freestanding tub has been placed beneath the peak of the home’s pitched roof.
      Find out more about House V ›

      EGR Apartment, Ukraine, by Ater Architects
      To open up the constricted floor plan of this Kyiv apartment, Ater Architects demolished partition walls and replaced them with cobalt-blue curtains.
      The curtains – and the pink grouting between the kitchen tiles – offer a shock of colour amongst the otherwise monotone interior, which has white-painted walls running throughout.
      Find out more about the EGR Apartment ›

      Edinburgh apartment, UK, by Luke and Joanne McClelland
      Having lived in a poky London flat for eight years, architects Joanne and Luke McClelland set about making the rooms inside their Edinburgh apartment as bright and spacious as possible.
      The pair painted surfaces white, widened doorways to let in more sunlight and opened up the kitchen to include a dining area. Commenters were particularly impressed with the high-end look of the kitchen’s wooden cabinetry, which was actually sourced from IKEA.
      Find out more about the Edinburgh apartment ›

      Imperfect Residence, Hong Kong, by NC Design & Architecture
      Naturally flawed materials feature inside this Hong Kong apartment, which draws on the values of wabi-sabi – a Japanese philosophy that encourages finding beauty in imperfection and transience.
      Jagged offcuts of marble have been set into the floor, while oxidised copper has been used to make custom lights or decorative panels. Beige plaster also gives the walls a slightly uneven surface finish.
      Find out more about Imperfect Residence ›

      Kew Residence, Australia, by John Wardle
      Commenters loved the personal feel of architect John Wardle’s Melbourne home, which he decided to revamp after his three children grew up and moved out.
      At the heart of the plan is now a “cocoon”-like study where Wardle displays books and ceramic ornaments that he’s collected over the years. The architect also made sure that his favourite type of wood, Victorian ash, was used for all of the home’s joinery.
      Find out more about Kew Residence ›

      Urban Cabin, Italy, by Francesca Perani
      A daybed that doubles up as a storage box and a wardrobe that hides a washing machine are some of the handy space-saving elements that feature inside this tiny guest cabin, which occupies the porch of a home in Bergamo.
      Architect Francesca Perani made the unusual decision to line the 25-square-metre interior with OSB – a material she had previously only seen used on construction sites.
      “I love its textural irregularity, random organic composure and recycled properties,” she explained.
      Find out more about Urban Cabin ›

      Nagatachō Apartment, Japan, by Adam Nathaniel Furman
      Tasked with turning this lack-lustre Tokyo apartment into “a place of happiness, joy and lightness”, designer Adam Nathaniel Furman applied vivid, food-inspired colours to its interior.
      The kitchen has watermelon-green floors, while the dining area has lilac carpet that looks like icing. “Zesty” lemon-yellow taps and milky orange tiles also appear in the bathroom.
      “The colour scheme became a matter of choosing ingredients for a beautifully calibrated visual feast,” Furman explained.
      Find out more about the Nagatachō Apartment ›

      Flat House, UK, by Practice Architecture
      Prefabricated panels made from hempcrete – a mixture of hemp and lime – were used to construct the structural shell of this zero-carbon house in Cambridgeshire.
      Practice Architecture left these panels exposed on the interior to create warm, textured surfaces. Wooden furnishings and an assortment of woven rugs further amplify the home’s cosy feel.
      Find out more about Flat House ›

      Casa A690, Mexico, by Delfino Lozano
      Architect Delfino Lozano fashioned what he describes as a “Mexiterrean” aesthetic for this 1970s property in Zapopan.
      Lozano says that whilst the home’s architecture is traditionally Mexican, the interiors appear more Mediterranean because of his use of “simple and pure” materials. Almost every room boasts plain, white-painted walls and built-in wooden furniture.
      Find out more about Casa A690 ›

      Read more: More

    • 100 Shares109 Views

      in Rooms

      Warm beige hues update Résidence Esplanade in Montreal

      by

      Design pair Michael Godmer and Catherine Lavallée created a sequence of meditative, beige-tone spaces in the partial renovation of this home in Montreal. Résidence Esplanade is situated in Mile End, a trendy area of Montreal host to various eateries, coffee bars and vintage stores.
      The property was originally built as two separate apartments, but five years ago was converted into the two-floor house it stands as today.

      The colour beige has been applied throughout Résidence Esplanade

      Much of the property’s unique decor details were eliminated during the renovation works. Its new owner, a young professional who collects furniture and works of art, tasked Michael Godmer and Catherine Lavallée with designing a slightly more distinctive interior.
      “We wanted to add identity to the house’s soul,” Godmer told Dezeen.

      Michael Godmer and Mathieu Turgeon renovate their Montreal design studio and home

      He and Lavallée have, for now, overhauled the home’s upstairs landing, study and one of its bedrooms – the rest of the rooms will be worked on at a later date.

      Walls in the bedroom have been loosely limewashed
      The three revamped areas have been completed in various shades of beige, a colour that the design pair says is “reminiscent of the soft winter light” that they saw on the first day they visited Résidence Esplanade.
      In the bedroom, walls have been loosely rendered with lime paint that leaves behind an eggshell-coloured finish.
      A tall wardrobe inlaid with cane panels has been set towards the rear of the room, while a white-oak sideboard has been set beneath the window so that the owner can display personal trinkets or ornaments.
      In the corner of the room is also a blush-pink slouch chair.

      In the study, a work desk has been set into a niche in the wall
      Limewashed surfaces continue into the home’s study. An oak work desk has been built within a niche in the wall, accompanied by a simple black tub chair and a spherical pendant lamp that dangles from the ceiling.
      Textural interest is added by the corrugated panelling that has been set at the back of the niche.
      Finally, fluted glass doors with buttermilk-coloured framing have been fitted in front of each of the rooms on the first floor.

      The back wall of the niche is corrugated
      Godmer and Lavallée say they plan to apply a similarly calming aesthetic throughout the rest of the home when they start the second phase of the renovation.
      “We are also looking at adding a mezzanine and a rooftop terrace for [the owner] to enjoy summer days having views of Mont-Royal mountain,” added Godmer.

      Fluted glass doors have been installed on the home’s first floor
      Résidence Esplanade is one of several homes that Michael Godmer has designed in his home city of Montreal. Others include Elmwood Residence, a Victorian-era townhouse in the Outremont neighbourhood which Godmer updated by creating a sequence of monochromatic living spaces.
      Earlier this year, Godmer also made over the Montreal home that he shares with his partner, Mathieu Turgeon and their two poodles. Inside, it boasts fresh white walls and an array of wooden fixtures and furnishings.
      Photography is courtesy of Catherine Lavallée.
      Project credits:
      Design: Michael Godmer and Catherine LavalléeConstruction: Frédéric LalondeCabinetmaking: Il Fabrique

      Read more: More