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      Ten homes that use colour to turn stairs into statements

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      A Swedish house with a stairway hidden behind a bookcase and an architect-revamped new build in the Netherlands feature in our latest lookbook of ten homes with colourful staircases that draw the eye.

      Adding a layer of paint makes it possible to turn even simple stairs into standout architectural features, rather than just functional ones. This is especially helpful in renovation projects, where larger structural changes would be considerably more time- and money-intensive.
      Below, we’ve curated ten examples of residential stairwells from across the colour spectrum, including a baby-blue storage unit that also incorporates stairs leading to a mezzanine and a sunshine-yellow spiral staircase made from gridded steel sheets.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing timber-clad bathrooms, light-filled glass extensions and exposed wooden floorboards.
      Photo is by Noortje KnulstMatryoshka House, Netherlands, by Shift Architecture Urbanism

      When Shift Architecture Urbanism split this derelict four-storey townhouse in Rotterdam into two modern apartments, the Dutch studio removed large sections of the upper floor in each flat to create imposing double-height living spaces.
      The bedrooms are housed on what remains of the upper floors and can be accessed via brightly coloured staircases – painted red in one apartment, electric-blue in the other. The stairs are set inside steel-clad volumes that also conceal a toilet, storage space and kitchen equipment.
      Find out more about Matryoshka House ›
      Photo is by Åke E:son LindmanFagerström House, Sweden, by Claesson Koivisto Rune
      This house in Sollentuna just north of Stockholm was designed by local practice Claesson Koivisto Rune to curve around a huge old oak tree.
      On the interior, the home’s curvature is mirrored by a staircase that is concealed behind a built-in bookcase and painted the same deep red colour as the timber cladding on the building’s exterior.
      Find out more about Fagerström House ›
      Photo is by José HeviaDuplex in Sant Gervasi, Spain, by Arquitectura-G
      Tasked with overhauling a dark, cramped duplex for a “nuclear family” in Barcelona, Spanish studio Arquitectura-G didn’t just knock through some walls but also finished most of the surfaces in bright sunshine-yellow in a bid to lighten up the interior.
      The colour was used for everything from the carpet to the bathroom tiles and the spiral staircase, which features risers made from gridded steel sheets to allow light to filter through the apartment.
      Find out more about Duplex in Sant Gervasi ›
      Photo is by Marcela GrassiLoft in Poblenou, Spain, by NeuronaLab
      Architecture studio NeuronaLab placed a huge baby-blue module at the centre of this compact loft in order to turn it from a bachelor pad into a home for a young family.
      Made from pressed recycled cellulose panels, the unit helps to separate the open floorplan into separate zones and provides extra storage, while also incorporating a staircase that leads up to a newly-created mezzanine.
      Find out more about Loft in Poblenou ›
      Photo is by Andrew MeredithWhite Rabbit House, UK, by Gundry & Ducker
      A sweeping triple-height staircase curves around into a cantilever at the heart of this renovated 1970s house in London by architecture firm Gundry & Ducker.
      Its contrasting material palette is tied together with different shades of green, ranging from pistachio-coloured walls to racing-green railings and teal-speckled terrazzo steps.
      Find out more about White Rabbit House ›
      Photo is by Matthijs van der BurgtRiverside Tower apartment, Belgium, by Studio Okami Architecten
      Studio Okami Architecten stripped away all the surface coverings inside this apartment in Antwerp’s brutalist Riverside Tower in order to highlight its original concrete structure.
      This rough backdrop is contrasted against a collection of vibrant artworks, alongside peachy resin floors and a sky-blue spiral staircase, which was welded and painted in place due to the limited size of the tower’s circulation areas.
      Find out more about Riverside Tower apartment ›
      Photo is by Joe FletcherCut Out House, USA, by Fougeron Architecture
      Various cut-outs were made in the floor slabs of this century-old Victorian house in San Francisco to create a series of voids that usher in natural light.
      One of these voids is filled with a neon orange staircase, complete with a perforated-metal rail that folds in and out to mimic the shape of the home’s new canted glass facade.
      Find out more about Cut Out House ›
      Photo is by French + TyeMo-tel House, UK, by Office S&M
      London studio Office S&M reimagined the traditional narrow staircase of this Georgian townhouse using a toy box palette of pale pink, butter yellow and bright red.
      Storage is integrated into the spandrel in keeping with the rest of the renovation, which also saw a huge freestanding seating nook with built-in cupboards installed in the kitchen.
      Find out more about Mo-tel House ›
      Photo is by Rubén Dario KleimeerWorkhome-Playhome, Netherlands, by Lagado Architects
      When Victor Verhagen and Maria Vasiloglou of Dutch studio Lagado Architects sought to give their own home in a cookie-cutter new build a more “outspoken character”, they turned the central staircase into a key focal point.
      Instead of altering its structure, the duo simply painted the existing steps in cornflower blue and added a sculptural balustrade punctuated with triangular cut-outs that reveal glimpses of different rooms.
      Find out more about Workhome-Playhome ›
      Photo is by Juan SolanoCasa Blanca, Peru, by Martin Dulanto
      A curving concrete staircase finished in fluorescent orange is the only pop of colour inside this otherwise minimalist, neutral-toned home in Lima.
      “It is very plastic and playful,” architect Martin Dulanto told Dezeen. “As a powerful personality element, you either love it or hate it.”
      Find out more about Casa Blanca ›
      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 timber-clad bathrooms, light-filled glass extensions and exposed wooden floorboards.

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      Unusual colour combinations make up Durat showroom in Helsinki

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      Finnish interior designer Linda Bergroth has brought together unexpected colour combinations for the Durat showroom in Helsinki, which is filled with the manufacturer’s terrazzo-like surface material made from plastic waste.

      The showroom occupies around 100 square metres of space in central Helsinki on the site of a former coffee shop.
      Durat’s showroom shows off the brand’s surfacing material across multiple displaysDurat’s speckled surface material can be used in sheets or moulded into basically any shape, so the company wanted a showroom that would convey a sense of endless possibilities.
      To this end, Bergroth made almost everything in the store out of Durat surfacing, including three display areas, a wall of colourful samples and a central kitchen-style island.
      Interior designer Linda Bergroth combined unusual coloursThe display areas were designed to show off the material’s different thicknesses, joints and mounts while using a broad selection from the brand’s range of more than 1,000 colours.

      One display features different washbasins, either integrated into a countertop or mounted on top. This area combines tones of turquoise, salmon pink and mustard with a white worktop that looks as if it was topped with a scattering of rainbow sprinkles.
      The displays showcase some of Durat’s different shapes, joints and thicknessesAnother display features a freestanding orange soaking tub set against an apple-green wall. Two shelves line the walls, holding more colourful material samples cut into contrasting shapes to invite play.
      “The showroom is mostly serving architects and designers,” Bergroth told Dezeen. “So it was easy for me to relate to the needs of the customer, who wants to understand the anatomy and possibilities of the material.”
      Material samples are displayed on floating shelves”Many of the decisions were made to communicate these possibilities and not define how someone’s compositions should look,” she continued. “Untypical colour combinations and mismatched patterns are also a way of freeing the user to find new ways of thinking.”
      Bergroth finished the showroom with minimal furnishings and fittings, including matt white Vola faucets she describes as resembling “immaterial cut-outs in the heavily patterned surfaces”.

      Cover Story plastic-free paint shop encourages visitors to play with colour

      There is also a storage room and a private office area, both concealed behind doors that blend into the display areas.
      The shopfront features big windows in two directions, which Bergroth and Durat used to their advantage by creating a design that could be experienced from the street as much as from the inside.
      An office and storage area are hidden behind doors in the displays”The layout is designed in a way so it can be well explored from the street, also outside office hours,” said Bergroth. “This brings a nice brand visibility and brightens up the neighbourhood during the dark months.”
      Durat surfacing is made from 30 per cent post-industrial plastics and is fully recyclable. The company aims to create a closed-loop material cycle where all Durat surfaces are repurchased at the end of their life and turned into new products.
      Durat surfacing can also be used to form furniture piecesBergroth also worked with the material in some of her previous projects, including the pop-up Zero Waste Bistro she designed for the WantedDesign Manhattan fair.
      Other projects by the interior designer include another Helsinki shop interior for the brand Cover Story, which makes plastic-free paint.

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      David Chipperfield Architects designs minimal Akris boutique in Washington DC

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      The Milan office of David Chipperfield Architects has designed a minimalist boutique for fashion brand Akris in Washington DC, featuring pleated walls and displays suspended from thin wires.

      The store in the US capital is the first execution of a new retail concept created for Akris, a family-run fashion house founded in Switzerland in 1922.
      The Akris store is located on I St NW in the US capitalBrothers Albert and Peter Kriemler, the grandchildren of founder Alice Kriemler-Schoch, collaborated with David Chipperfield Architects Milan (DCA Milan) on the concept that debuted in DC, and has since also been applied in Tokyo.
      “DCA Milan’s design intent for the project was to enhance the materiality and fine craftsmanship of Akris collections through a solid, three-dimensional architecture associated with a light display system, defining a space where carefully chosen materials take centre stage,” said the design team.
      The boutique debuts a new design concept for the brand’s retail spacesLocated downtown, a few blocks from the White House, the boutique is lined with white-painted maple panels arranged to look like fabric pleats.

      These panels wrap three walls and also cover the ceiling, giving the impression of a room within a room.
      White-painted wood panels form pleats across the walls and ceilingGrey limestone flooring, large cylindrical columns and other surfaces continue the neutral colour palette, providing a backdrop for the brand’s bright clothing and accessories.
      Shelves, clothing rails and mirrors are suspended from thin cables connected to the ceiling or high up on the wall panels.
      Mirrors and rails are suspended from thin wiresInfluenced by the work of Italian artist Bruno Munari, the taut wires form subtle lines across the pleated panels.
      “The design references Bruno Munari’s tensile spatial structures, whose fundamental nature lies in the contrast between two opposing forces: tension and compression,” DCA Milan said.

      David Chipperfield designs metallic interiors for Ssense’s Montreal boutique

      To partition the space, large sheets of stainless steel mesh hang from the ceiling. Anodized aluminium counters create a flow of movement around the store.
      Ivory-coloured horsehair – a material long associated with Akris – is used on the fitting rooms walls and ceiling along with grey felt furniture, while wool carpet covers the floor.
      Lighting is hidden with the shelving displaysSpotlights installed on ceiling tracks are directed at specific products and other lighting is hidden in the shelves.
      Overall, the interior is designed to be subtle and restrained, to keep focus on the items for sale.
      David Chipperfield Architects Milan collaborated on the design concept with Albert and Peter Kriemler, the grandchildren of Akris founder Alice Kriemler-SchochBritish architect David Chipperfield founded his eponymous firm in 1984, and it has become best known for cultural venues like Berlin’s Neues Museum and Mexico City’s Museo Jumex.
      But the studio, which has offices in London, Berlin, Milan and Shanghai, also has past experience in luxury retail with projects including the New York headquarters for watch brand Rolex and a minimal Montreal boutique for fashion label Ssense.
      The photography is by Alberto Parise.

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      Ten contemporary living rooms with cool stone surfaces

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      Rough-hewn granite and smooth marble are among the materials chosen for the living rooms in this lookbook, which use stone to create elegant interiors.

      While stone surfaces can help rooms feel cooler during hot summer days, they also create a warm, organic atmosphere in modern interiors – especially when contrasted against glass surfaces and other natural materials, such as wood.
      For our latest lookbook, we’ve chosen 10 living rooms from the Dezeen archive in which different types of stone add textural interest and bring a touch of the outdoors into the home.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks on light-filled glass extensions, exposed wooden floorboards and timber-clad bathrooms.
      Photography is by Timothy KayeGrange Residence, Australia, by Conrad Architects

      Australian studio Conrad Architects described its design for Grange Residence as a “split form of minimalist stone blocks.” Inside the four-bedroom home, concrete and stone were used to create a minimalist interior.
      The living room is a smorgasbord of stone detailing, with marble used for both shelves and furniture and a contrasting stone chosen for a built-in bench.
      Find out more about Grange Residence ›
      Photography is by Prue RuscoeBudge Over Dover, Australia, by YSG
      The original travertine flooring was kept in interior design studio YSG’s renovation of Budge Over Dover house in Sydney.
      The smooth, glossy floor is contrasted with an aubergine-hued plaster ceiling and a pale green statement wall, while a black marble coffee table and maroon chairs complete the interior.
      Find out more about Budge Over Dover ›
      Photography is by Joe FletcherAtherton Contemporary, US, by Pacific Peninsula Architecture and Leverone Design
      Texas split-cut limestone was used for both the exterior and parts of the interior of this house in Silicon Valley, California.
      In the living room, the chunky wall creates an interesting backdrop to a low wooden sofa and a warm wooden floor. A shaggy pillow and ridged floor mat pick up on the uneven textures to create a subtly matching interior.
      Find out more about Atherton Contemporary ›
      Photography is by Durston SaylorWriter’s Studio, US, by Eric J Smith
      Located in a forest in Connecticut, US, this writer’s studio, which was designed for a poet, has an unusual writing and living room that has seemingly been attached to the exterior of the cantilevered building.
      The house’s exterior wall, which is made from fieldstone and bluestone, forms the back wall of the glass-cube room. Rough-hewn stone walls are featured throughout the studio.
      Find out more about Writer’s Studio ›
      Photography is by Darius PetrulaitisGreetings from Rome, Lithuania, by 2XJ
      A structured stone wall with arched openings has become a decorative centrepiece in this apartment in Lithuania, designed by local studio 2XJ. The studio clad the wall in slabs of Italian travertine to turn it into an elegant feature.
      “We decided to highlight this wall and create the home around it, to separate the house into active and restful spaces,” the studio explained.
      Find out more about Greetings from Rome ›
      Photography is by Bruce ColeLoghaven Artist Residency, US, by Sanders Pace Architecture
      A decorative rustic stone wall holds the hearth in Sanders Pace Architecture’s Loghaven artist campus, nestled within a forest in eastern Tennessee.
      The rough-hewn stone contrasts against a wooden ceiling and white plaster walls, while a patterned rug and leather daybed add cosy touches to the large living room.
      Find out more about Loghaven Artist Residency ›
      Photography is by Mark Seelen, Ambroise Tezenas and François HalardChalet, Switzerland, by Liaigre
      Paris studio Liaigre refurbished this Swiss chalet in St Moritz, excavating a basement to add a sauna and a spa.
      The granite leftover from the excavation was used to line the living room walls, creating an interior that nods to the snow-capped mountains outside.
      Find out more about this Swiss chalet ›
      Photography is by Jeremy BittermannLaurelhurst, US, by MW Works
      US studio MW Works updated this 1960s home in Seattle to create a more open layout. A material palette of wood, concrete, stone and glass was used for the renovation.
      The studio aimed to create a stronger connection between the interiors and the outdoors, as seen in the living room. Here, floor-to-ceiling windows open up to the outside, while the fireplace has been re-clad in dry-stack limestone to create a decorative textural contrast.
      Find out more about Laurelhurst ›
      Photography is by David CerveraRaw House, Mexico, by Taller Estilo Arquitectura
      Located in Yucatán, Mexico, Raw House opens up towards a leafy courtyard garden. Just inside the courtyard, the living room floor is covered in smooth grey marble, creating an elegant and cooling interior.
      Dark-brown wooden and leather furniture, including a pair of classic Barcelona chairs by Mies van der Rohe, give the room an organic feel.
      Find out more about Raw House ›
      Photography is by Building NarrativesStone House, UK, by Architecture for London
      This extension to a family home in London was designed as a monolithic stone shape, with a playful interior that includes a small arched entrance for the family’s cat.
      The tiered terrace that extends from the outside to form a plinth inside was built from an agglomerate stone made from recycled waste quarried in Lombardy, Italy.
      Find out more about Stone House ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks on light-filled glass extensions, exposed wooden floorboards and timber-clad bathrooms.

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      Holloway Li transforms Munich office building into Wunderlocke hotel

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      Wassily Kandinsky’s abstract paintings influenced the colourful yet understated interiors that design studio Holloway Li has created inside the Locke hotel in Munich.

      The aparthotel, called Wunderlocke, contains 360 serviced studio apartments and is situated in Munich’s Obersendling district, taking over an office building that previously belonged to German tech company Siemens.
      A timber desk anchors Wunderlocke’s receptionLondon-based Holloway Li aimed to celebrate the building’s raw structure and reveal its “inner voice”, avoiding a more traditional “material intensive” approach to retrofitting.
      This decision was chiefly informed by the work of 20th-century Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky – a pioneer of abstract art who spent a significant portion of his career in Munich.
      Adjacent to the reception is a co-working area”Kandinsky’s work explores how we can develop a closer relationship to nature through abstraction, rather than through more figurative approaches favoured at the time,” explained Holloway Li.

      “He believed that by connecting with the ‘innerer klang’ (inner voice) of things, an artist could reveal the natural essence of objects and materials.”
      Teal-coloured leather runs around the edge of the bar counterIn line with this idea, the studio stripped back the building to its concrete shell and added a carefully curated selection of furnishings using natural colours and materials where possible.
      At the heart of the ground-floor reception is a curved timber desk inset with panels of wheat-coloured carpet, which were also used to wrap the lower half of the room’s structural columns.
      Yellow and red furnishings bring a burst of colour to the barBeyond the reception is an informal co-working area dressed with plush sea-green sofas and communal timber desks.
      Holloway Li placed leafy potted plants around the periphery of the room and along the trellis-style shelves, creating the impression that the nearby Grünwald forest has “grown into and occupied” the interior.

      Fettle designs Schwan Locke Hotel in homage to early German modernism

      This floor of the Wunderlocke hotel also houses a drinks bar, with the lip of its countertop upholstered in supple teal-coloured leather to encourage guests to get comfortable and hang around for longer.
      Mustard-yellow tub chairs and a red seating banquette provide extra pops of colour.
      The building’s terrazzo staircase dates back to the 1960sThe upper floors of the hotel can be reached via a terrazzo staircase, which dates back to the 1960s but was updated with a stainless steel handrail.
      Painted in natural blue and green hues, each guest suite is designed to function as a small studio apartment with its own lounge area and kitchenette.
      Guest suites are decked out in shades of blue and greenIf guests don’t want to cook in their room, they have the option of eating at Mural Farmhouse – a group of five food and drinks venues spread across seven floors of the Wunderlocke building.
      Run by the founders of Munich’s Michelin-starred restaurant Mural, the complex encompasses an all-day restaurant, a wine bar, cocktail bar, coffee shop and an upscale eatery.
      All of the venues follow a farm-to-table ethos, making use of hand-picked herbs and vegetables from the hotel’s rooftop farm, which offers views over the Bavarian Alps.
      Each suite comes complete with a lounge and kitchenetteWunderlocke is the second Munich outpost from British aparthotel chain Locke. The first, called Schwan Locke, pays homage to early German modernism and features a colour palette informed by the work of Mies van der Rohe.
      Holloway Li was previously tasked with designing Locke’s location in the London district of Bermondsey, which evokes sunny California deserts.
      The photography is by Ed Dabney.

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      Ten homes with light-filled glass extensions

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      For our latest lookbook, we’ve chosen 10 residential glass extensions that create airy, light-filled and modern additions to homes.

      Glass is a popular material for house extensions as it is durable, weather-resistant and – thanks to its transparency – adds light and brightness to a space.
      While glass extensions are common in cities all over the world, many examples in this lookbook are found in homes in London, where demand for extra space continues to increase.
      The transparent extensions have been constructed to provide additional space to an existing building and are often used by residents for socialising, dining and entertaining.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks on homes framed by shutters and louvres, interiors with cork walls and homes that make use of board-formed concrete.

      Photo is by Will PryceTower House, UK, by Dominic McKenzie Architects
      The lofty structures often found in rural Italy informed Dominic McKenzie Architects’ brick extension for this home in Islington, London.
      The studio added black glass-panelled French doors that open out onto a sunken garden, while a rectangular skylight above allows light to filter into the dining area from overhead.
      Only minor changes were made elsewhere in the home. The pre-existing joinery was repainted and a Carrara marble fireplace was installed in the living room at the front of the house.
      Find out more about Tower House ›
      Photo is by Fionn McCannChurchtown, Ireland, by Scullion Architects
      Located in the suburbs of Dublin, this 1930s semi-detached house called Churchtown has an extension modelled on a traditional conservatory.
      Designed by Scullion Architects as a continuation of the original home, the extension houses an open-plan kitchen and dining space framed by clerestory windows. Both the white terrazzo used on the work surfaces and flooring and the stained-oak panelling were used throughout the house.
      Find out more about Churchtown ›
      Photo is by Adam GibsonMount Stuart Greenhouse, Tasmania, by Bence Mulchay
      Architecture studio Bence Mulchay added an extension with a black steel frame to a 19th-century villa for a client who wanted to maximise views of the surrounding lush gardens in Mount Stuart, Tasmania.
      The open-plan dining area features shelves that connect to the external steel structure and large counter-tops with built-in storage units made from dark timber.
      Find out more about Mount Stuart Greenhouse ›
      Photo is by Logan McDougallFelsham Road, UK, by Giles Pike Architects
      Tasked with extending and improving this Victorian semi-detached house, London-based studio Giles Pike Architects designed a stepped, double-height extension to create an open-plan living, kitchen and dining room.
      As part of its overhaul, the studio added simple finishes throughout the property – dark wood covers the floor and the walls are painted white, while the kitchen cabinets and cupboards are all painted a charcoal grey.
      Find out more about Felsham Road ›
      Photo is by Mark MahaneyFloating Farmhouse, US, Tom Givone
      Designer Tom Givone hoped to combine archaic and modern elements in his renovation of Floating Farmhouse, a two-storey home in rural New York that overlooks a picturesque creek.
      After installing a large wall of glass at the front of the waterside kitchen, he finished the space with a polished concrete floor and a wood-burning stove, while the original colonial touches such as exposed beams and white-painted timber cladding were left intact.
      Find out more about Floating Farmhouse ›
      Photo is by Aisling McCoyThe Glass Ribbon, Ireland, by Scullion Architects
      A large dining area, study and drawing room surrounded by glazed windows and skylights make up the extension of this house in Dublin.
      Irish architecture studio Scullion Architects wrapped the walls in a thick, concrete plinth that doubles up as an informal bench and window sill for potted plants.
      Find out more about The Glass Ribbon ›
      Photo is by Joe FletcherValley Street, US, by Síol Studios and Levy Art and Architecture
      Sweeping views of a historic sloping garden are enjoyed through the window wall of this study in Valley Street – a split-level home in San Fransico’s Noe Valley neighbourhood.
      Created by Síol Studios and Levy Art and Architecture for a couple that is passionate about art, the interiors combine industrial and bold details such as exposed wooden beams.
      Find out more about Valley Street ›
      Photo is by Robert BattersbyLantern Lean-to, UK, by Blee Halligan Architects
      Crittall-style black gridded frames form the exterior of this 100-square-metre extension, which has oak parquet flooring, light-coloured brickwork and timber surfaces inside.
      The large family that occupies Lantern Lean-to wanted local studio Blee Halligan Architects to create more space for entertaining their many guests while still keeping the interior timeless.
      Find out more about Lantern Lean-to ›
      Photo is by Jack HobhouseBurrows Road House, UK, by Rise Design Studio
      To bring plenty of light into this home in North London, an extension made almost entirely of glass was added to the side of the house, with full-height glass doors at the rear.
      Rise Design Studio inserted brass fittings and a white island unit in the large kitchen-cum-dining room at the back of the mid-terrace house.
      Find out more about Burrows Road House ›
      Photo is by Heather HobhouseMile End Terrace, UK, by HÛT
      London-based architecture studio HÛT removed this home’s existing brick extension and replaced it with what the architects described as a “jewel-like glass box extension” that opens onto a sunken patio.
      “The glass box helps bring daylight deep into the centre of the house where the kitchen is located and gives views into the lovely garden,” the studio said.
      In the rest of the property, the architects decided to keep the original historic features wherever possible, in particular making a statement with the listed building’s staircase.
      Find out more about HÛT ›
      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 multi-generational homes, homes filled with decorative ceramics and residential corridors.

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      Ten homes with characterful exposed wooden floorboards

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      In this lookbook, we collect 10 homes from the Dezeen archive that use exposed wooden floorboards to give spaces a homely feel.

      Timber floorboards have been a popular choice for centuries thanks to their relative durability and warming aesthetic.
      The 10 examples below showcase how floors made from different woods can work in a wide variety of settings, from bright and colourful spaces to moodier ones.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with parquet flooring, terrazzo flooring and wood-clad kitchens.
      Photo is by Ståle EriksenER Residence, UK, by Studio Hallett Ike

      Studio Hallett Ike preserved the existing wooden floorboards in the living room of this renovated Victorian flat in London, sanding them down to expose more of their natural grain.
      The floor is combined with pale grey plaster on the walls and black metal furnishings “to create an overall impression that is minimal and timeless, exuding an assured and understated elegance”, the studio said.
      Find out more about ER Residence ›
      Image courtesy of PauzarqApartment in Bilbao, Spain, by Pauzarq
      Spanish studio Pauzarq integrated the original wooden floorboards of this Bilbao apartment into its broken-plan redesign.
      It extended them out of the kitchen-living area into an adjacent corridor and dressing room, creating a stripy transitional section where the old and new, lighter-coloured boards meet to soften the contrast.
      Find out more about this apartment in Bilbao ›
      Photo is by Cristobal PalmaHouse in La Pedrera, Uruguay, by Alejandro Sticotti
      Lightly distressed wooden floorboards mirror the board-formed concrete ceiling in the living room and bedroom of this holiday home on Uruguay’s Atlantic Coast, designed by Argentinian architect Alejandro Sticotti.
      Combined with bookshelves, two long desks and a large expanse of glass with views out to the ocean, these features come together to give the space a sheltered, serene feel.
      Find out more about this House in La Pedrera ›
      Photo is by Iñaki DomingoApartment in Lavapiés, Spain, by Leticia Saá
      Concrete flooring appears throughout most of this minimalist apartment in Madrid designed by architect Leticia Saá, apart from in the living room.
      Here, to signal a change of mood to something “cosy and natural”, the worn-brick and white-painted walls are complemented by wide, smooth oak floorboards.
      Find out more about this apartment in Lavapiés ›
      Photo is by Louise DesrosiersApartment G, France, by Anne-Laure Dubois
      Local architect Anne-Laure Dubois restored the existing wooden floorboards in this Paris apartment to their original tone as part of a renovation.
      She offset them with a restrained palette defined by dark-blue cement tiles on the kitchen floor and contrasting pale poplar-plywood cupboards.
      Find out more about Apartment G ›
      Photo is by Ståle EriksenMarylebone apartment, UK, by Jonathan Tuckey Design
      In this London flat, overhauled by architecture studio Jonathan Tuckey Design, wooden floorboards contrast with curving pastel-coloured walls of pink, green, blue and cream across the different rooms.
      The combination creates a fresh and contemporary look, while also retaining a classic feel in keeping with the home’s Regency-era origins.
      Find out more about this Marylebone apartment ›
      Photo is by Wu YongchangA Woodwork Enthusiast’s Home, China, by ZMY Design
      ZMY Design wanted this cavernous home, in a converted cement factory in the port city of Xiamen, to evoke a complete sense of calm.
      To achieve this effect in the dramatic living room, the austerity of the pale-grey powder-coated walls and original concrete ceiling is balanced with wide and richly toned oakwood floorboards.
      Find out more about A Woodwork Enthusiast’s Home ›
      Photo is by Richard WoodButterfly House, UK, by Biasol
      Teal-coloured units with golden details are helped to pop by contrasting white walls and original timber floorboards in the kitchen of this London townhouse with interiors by Australian studio Biasol.
      The designers used the same colour-splash technique in the living room, where the floorboards sit below a navy sofa, a blue illustration by British artist Tracey Emin and pale pink dining chairs.
      Find out more about Butterfly House ›
      Photo is by André NazarethHouse in Samambaia, Brazil, by Rodrigo Simão Architecture
      House in Samambaia, designed by Brazilian architect Rodrigo Simão for himself and his family, is an example of how wooden floorboards can also help to make outdoor spaces feel more homely.
      Seven-centimetre-thick wooden planks sourced from a demolition project make up this decking area, which acts as an outdoor living room and is the home’s main spot for socialising.
      Find out more about House in Samambaia ›
      Photo is by French + TyeMo-tel House, UK, by Office S&M
      London studio Office S&M set the pale timber floorboards in this Georgian townhouse renovation against an abundance of brightly coloured elements, from coral-pink bannisters to royal-blue radiators.
      Unusually, the floorboards are laid diagonally across the open-plan space, emphasising the contrast further and adding to the playful feel.
      Find out more about Mo-tel House ›
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with parquet flooring, terrazzo flooring and wood-clad kitchens.

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      Weathered rocks inform interior of Orijins coffee shop by VSHD Design

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      Interiors studio VSHD Design has added a curved ceiling and boulder-like marble counters to this minimalist coffee shop in Dubai.

      Located on the street level of the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), the Orijins coffee shop is sparsely decorated using muted colours and natural materials.
      Slim metal furnishings fill the interior of VSHD Design’s Orijins coffee shop in DubaiVSHD Design, which was founded by local interior architect Rania Hamed in 2007, designed the cafe to mimic the “beautiful imperfections found in nature” and in particular a collection of water-smoothed stones picked up from the shores of the Red Sea.
      Orijins’ desaturated colour palette references sand, shells, stone and wood, while the dramatic curved ceiling and the seven uneven marble blocks that form the coffee bar lend a weathered quality to the 105-square-metre space.
      A curved ceiling and plastered walls mimic the surface of stonesThe marble blocks with their abstract shapes were drawn by hand but cut by automated CNC machines, creating a mixture of smooth and rough edges.

      These heavy forms are contrasted with slender metal furnishings and tactile textiles such as fur, boucle and heavy weaves, which were selected to complement the interior’s raw finishes.

      Ras Al Khaimah’s minimalist Hoof cafe is designed to recall horse stalls

      Plaster walls and polished concrete floors provide a neutral backdrop for the scheme.
      The cafe is lit by a slim LED strip that runs along the length of the space, highlighting the gentle curve of Orijins’ ceiling. Spotlights are positioned over the bar area and a brushed-aluminium sconce custom designed by VSHD decorates one of the walls.
      Seven uneven marble blocks form the coffee bar”Orijins represents the design firm’s interpretation of what it means to be calm, to sit still and to observe the beauty that can be found even in our flawed, everyday reality,” said VSHD Design.
      “It’s the feeling of calm and serenity one gets when sitting on a rock by the sea.”
      All of the furnishings are held in neutral tonesOther cavernous coffee bars include the Blue Bottle Coffee shop at the Shiroiya Hotel in Maebashi, Japan, where Keiji Ashizawa paired brick floors with a warm colour palette.
      The photography is by Oculis Project.

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