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      Pierre Brocas and Nada Oudghiri design gallery-like eyewear store informed by Memphis movement

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      Colourful display stands are meant to appear like artworks within this eyewear store in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia created by French designer Pierre Brocas and architect Nada Oudghiri.Located in the Mall of Dhahran, the 100-square-metre retail space is the first flagship store for Dubai glasses brand Eyewa.
      “Our wish was to move away from typical eyewear retail atmospheres,” said Brocas. “When you think of eyewear stores, you usually have something clinical in mind – all products are regimented under strong bleached lights. When Eyewa approached us, we felt we had to design something bold.”

      Undulating clay walls envelop the interior

      The store’s shell was conceived as a grey capsule with terrazzo flooring and undulating clay walls, designed to wrap the store “like a thin sheet of paper”.
      “These waves add softness to the surroundings of the space and create separate moments while keeping the floor plan open,” the duo explained.

      A series of cuboid and spherical plinths populate the centre of the store
      Brocas and Oudghiri applied Eyewa’s signature bright colour palette to wall display units made from powder-coated plywood. These are composed of repeated geometric shapes, complete with integrated LED strip lights and mirrors.

      Watch our talk with Deyan Sudjic and Adam Nathaniel Furman about the impact of Memphis

      The designers conceptualised the wall units as sculptural artworks, while cylindrical and cuboid display plinths populate the centre of the store to evoke the feeling of being inside a gallery.
      Made from plywood and clear acrylic, these flexible units can be stacked and rearranged to create different layouts.

      A series of screens allow customers to virtually try on sunglasses
      “The Memphis movement was an important reference for this project,” Brocas told Dezeen. “We love the playful and impactful work of Ettore Sottsass and we thought this approach was very suited to Eyewa’s unapologetic use of colour and its lighthearted spirit.”
      “We are also very drawn to minimal artists such as Donald Judd,” he continued. “You can see a touch of post-modernism and a bit of minimalism in the aesthetics of this store.”

      The lighting system is integrated between hanging ceiling panels
      Above, a ceiling installation made of 39 hanging panels draws customers further into the store, hiding pipes and wires while seamlessly integrating the lighting system. The panels are painted coral on one side and turquoise on the other to add “an element of surprise”.
      Interactive screens allow customers to virtually try on sunglasses and different coloured contact lenses while an immersive, turquoise-coloured exam room is located in the back of the store.

      An exam room at the back of the store is cast all in turquoise
      A series of convex mirrors line the sales counter, recalling the shape of optical lenses.
      “We remembered visiting Luis Barragán houses in Mexico and noticing that he places mirrored balls in the rooms to reflect and warp the space,” Brocas explained of their inspiration.

      Multicoloured shelving is integrated into the plaster wall
      Eyewa’s flagship is the duo’s first project together. Previously, Brocas created interiors for fashion retailers, while Oudghiri has designed a number of buildings in Morocco.
      They met while studying at California Polytechnic State University and said their collaboration allowed them to form an interior that is “halfway between eye-catching spatial design and long-lasting architectural principles”.
      Another brightly coloured eyewear store to feature on Dezeen is Ace & Tate’s Copenhagen location, where local studio Spacon & X used geometric shapes and primary colours to evoke the experience of entering an artist’s studio.
      Photography is by Hussain Khatim.

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      Mid-century Melbourne apartment modernised with pistachio green kitchen

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      Architect Murray Barker and artist Esther Stewart worked together to retrofit this two-bedroom 1960s apartment in Melbourne’s Brunswick neighbourhood using colours and materials that pay homage to the original mid-century interior.When the current owners bought the walk-up apartment, it had been empty for 20 years and had its original decor including linoleum and carpet floors and salmon pink walls. The owners wanted to retain its character while updating the living spaces to suit modern life.
      Built in 1961, the 65-square-metre apartment is split into two zones with a living space and kitchen at the front on either side of the entrance and two bedrooms on either side of a bathroom at the rear.

      A skylight lets light into the kitchen

      “The apartment’s layout was typical of many apartments of this typology, with a clear division between living and private spaces and with frontage on two sides,” Barker told Dezeen.
      “We wanted to retain room divisions, but at the same time improve connections, extend sightlines and bring more natural light into the kitchen.”

      Austin Maynard Architects adds steel-and-glass extension to brick cottage in Melbourne

      The apartment’s original large windows provided ample natural light and effective cross ventilation. The owners felt that the existing kitchen, however, felt disconnected from the living room as the space was too confined to accommodate a dining table and lacked adequate natural light.
      To remedy this, Barker and Stewart reconfigured the plan to improve the connection between the living room and the kitchen.

      The Pistacho-coloured kitchen has a terrazzo floor
      The dividing walls between the two rooms were partially demolished and joinery elements were inserted to reorder circulation paths between the home’s central entrance, the reoriented kitchen and the living room.
      “We expanded the use of integrated joinery, considered existing proportions and details, and the use of high quality, robust but interesting materials,” said Murray.

      The interior of the cabinets is a rich terracotta colour
      The new kitchen layout has an L-shaped plan that is open to the living area and anchored by a custom-made steel frame table with a Rosa Alicante marble top and fixed banquette seating.
      Visible from the living room, a long kitchen countertop made from the same red marble as the table completes the L-shaped kitchen plan and incorporates a stove, oven and sink.

      Red marble was used across the work- and tabletops
      A skylight above the kitchen table lets sunlight into the space through thick glass roof tiles. The ceiling is insulated and the roof window is double-glazed to minimise additional heat gain and to retain winter warmth.
      Murray and Stewart selected the pistachio green colour for the joinery in a nod to the original 1960s-era kitchen that it replaced. Details include visible framing around doors and drawers and custom finger pulls. Sliding-pocket doors reveal a hidden appliance area in the pantry to hold a toaster, kettle and coffee machine.

      Barker and Stewart retained the apartment’s original 1960s bathroom
      The apartment’s bathroom is the 1960s original and features speckled flooring, dusty pink tiles and baby blue sanitaryware.
      “Each apartment in the block has a unique toilet, bath and sink set in contrasting colour palettes, in combination with unique terrazzo flooring in the bathroom,” Murray explained. “The interior materiality was specific and robust but enthusiastic and this was something we wished to explore and elaborate upon.”
      The terrazzo floor tiles that are used across the rest of the apartment were salvaged excess stock from a larger project and were chosen to complement the original floors.

      The apartment is housed in a typical red brick complex
      “These buildings are visually robust, but there is beauty in the material nuance of the brown brick and subtle ornamentation through the considered design of ordinary things,” he continued. “The original interior aesthetic was far from white walls and plain tiles.”
      Last year, London studio Archmongers renovated a duplex mid-century flat in one of the city’s most well-known housing estates, using shades of red, yellow and blue to complement the modernist material palette. Meanwhile in Rome, Italian architecture office La Macchina Studio renovated a 1950s apartment, revealing original terrazzo floors and adding bold colours.
      Photography is by Benjamin Hosking.

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      Kelly Wearstler creates sculptural oak staircase for hotel in Austin

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      Interior designer Kelly Wearstler included eye-catching details such as vintage rugs and a white oak staircase that doubles as a ceramics display in her design for the Austin Proper Hotel and Residences.Built in 2019 by New York firm Handel Architects, the 32-storey hotel and apartments managed by McGuire Moorman Hospitality is located in Downtown Austin, Texas.
      Los Angeles-based Wearstler, who will be on the interiors panel as a Dezeen Awards 2021 judge, created the aesthetic for the 244 rooms and 99 “branded residences.”

      Panels of Shou Sugi Ban cypress clad the walls

      Her interior design for the hotel revolves around local art and textiles, with some eclectic vintage elements thrown in.
      A focal point is a sculptural staircase made of white oak wood with stepped balustrades.

      Vintage rugs are draped over the wooden stairs
      An interesting backdrop has been created by showcasing the underside of the staircase steps, while a ziggurat of plinths below is used to display a range of glazed earthenware pots and vases.
      Custom panelling along the walls of the hotel is made from cypress wood, charred using the traditional Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban to create a tiger-striped effect.

      Patterned tiles and rugs feature in the Peacock restaurant
      Mismatched vintage rugs run up the stairs, and a mix of chairs and armchairs upholstered in patterned fabric are scattered around the lobby.
      Tiles by Austin ceramicist Rick Van Dyke appear as inlays on furniture such as cabinets, and fibre artwork by local artist Magda Sayeg, known for her yarn bombing installations, are hung in the bedrooms alongside antique mirrors.

      Wine racks and botanical wallpaper decorate the restaurant
      The fifth floor features a pool deck clad with locally quarried travertine, where Mexican restaurant La Piscina serves small-batch tequila.
      There are three other eateries in Austin Proper Hotel and Residences including Peacock, which serves Mediterranean food against a backdrop of parquet floors covered in more vintage rugs and walls covered in Portuguese-style tiles.
      A private dining area, screened off by walls made of full wine racks, features botanical wallpaper.

      Pastel tiles decorate the Mockingbird cafe
      The interior of The Mockingbird, a coffee shop that serves Greek frozen yoghurt, was decked out in more colourful tiles by Wreastler.
      Small square tiles cover the walls and form a pattern of powder blue, seafoam green, inky navy blue and pale burnt orange colours.

      The bar has a flocked wallpaper ceiling
      Austin Proper Hotel and Residences also has a drinking establishment called Goldie’s Sunken Bar, which has a cobalt blue-painted bar, low stuffed armchairs and a high ceiling covered in opulent wallpaper.
      All over the hotel, walls are hug with art and niches are filled with ceramics. Pot plants filled with hardy desert species add splashes of greenery.

      Pot plants and mismatched furniture
      The 99 apartments attached to the hotel also have interiors designed by Kelly Wearstler. Their occupants have access to the hotel’s amenities as well as a private pool, along with dog grooming and concierge services.
      Kelly Wearstler is an interior designer based on America’s west coast. Recent collaborations for the same hotel franchise include the San Francisco Proper and the Santa Monica Proper.
      Photography is by The Ingalls.

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      Studio Anton Hendrik Denys designs Belgian office informed by 1960s colour schemes

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      Studio Anton Hendrik Denys and Steen Architecten have transformed an industrial office building in Belgium by cladding it in corrugated metal and adding colourful graphic interiors.Studio Anton Hendrik Denys, in collaboration with Steen Architecten, stripped the existing office building in Heverlee back to its core and used the company’s corporate identity to create a design that it calls a “contemporary twist on modernism”.
      The AEtelier office was designed for an IT consulting company in Belgium and contains a combination of private workspaces, meeting rooms, open plan communal areas, and event rooms that can be used for events and conferences.

      Top: AEtelier by Studio Anton Hendrik Denys. Above: walls and the ceiling are painted a deep blue.

      “I love and always apply a minimalistic design-language, but simultaneously I feel the need to add something extra,” studio founder Anton Hendrik Denys told Dezeen.
      “Modernism often balances minimal shapes wonderfully with splashes of colour and new, unfamiliar materials.”

      Wood-panneled areas provide a contrast against the blue walls
      Informed by the bold interior colour schemes of the 1960s, the designer chose a deep blue colour for the walls of the office and used teal carpeting and a green floor throughout.
      A welcome desk and lockers at the entrance of the office have a muted grey colour palette and are framed by a wood-panelled backdrop, while the blue walls and ceiling create a colourful contrast.

      Midcentury-inspired seating areas are built into nooks
      An existing dropped ceiling was replaced with circular soundproofing panels that expose the height of the space and its industrial piping and fixtures.
      Circular acoustic panels have been added to the ceilings throughout the interior. These are mimicked in large halo lighting fixtures suspended over tables, as well as on cabinetry details that feature circular cut-outs, and have also been added to a wall in a private office.

      Colours zone different spaces within the open-plan areas
      Denys used colour in an informative way to define different spaces. The orange hue used for the company’s corporate identity was chosen for kitchen areas, bars, toilets and soft furnishings, to make these easy to find.

      Studio Aisslinger designs LOQI office with social distancing in mind

      “The main colour of my client’s corporate identity happened to be orange, which was both a welcome coincidence and a perfect starting point to build my midcentury-inspired colour palette,” Denys said.
      “In the meeting rooms eventually, less bright shades of the main colours were applied to create a more relaxed atmosphere,” he added.

      Bars are painted one block colour, so that guests and users can easily navigate the space
      A visual language was developed by Jaap Knevel, an information designer, to create iconography and signage so that staff and guests can easily navigate within the space.
      The green floor defines shared spaces and guides users through the building. These hard floor surfaces are juxtaposed with a soft teal carpet that covers the floors of private offices and meeting rooms.

      Halo lighting fixtures match the circular acoustic panels
      Studio Anton Hendrik Denys and Steen Architecten also renovated the exterior of the building, which is now clad in corrugated aluminium that contrasts and frames glimpses of the bold interior that can be seen through the windows.
      The aluminium cladding continues into a central landscaped courtyard that houses plants, as well as bright red furniture and a concrete bridge that connects two parts of the office.

      A concrete bridge runs through the courtyard between wild landscaping
      “For the outdoor renovation, the goal was to create a calm and subtle look that would serve as a frame for the bright interior,” Denys explained.
      “Creating a contrast between a silver-ish facade with windows framing shots of blue, orange, green and pink behind them,” he added.

      Opal-framed windows and doors sit within the corrugated aluminium facade
      “I wanted to move away from the general perception of how office spaces should look like nowadays,” Denys explained.
      “Besides that, I wanted to create a space that could be reorganised as time evolves and people might have different needs for their work environment.”
      Studio Anton Hendrik Denys was founded by Anton Hendrik Denys, a Belgian-born designer based in Copenhagen who works across art, furniture design, interior and spatial design.
      Colourful office interiors are on the rise. Beyond Space recently completed this colourful office designed around a reconfigurable grid system, while Note Studio also created a bold interior that aims to “break the grid” of 1930s office buildings.
      Photography is by Hannelore Veelaert.
      Project credits:
      Designer and creative lead: Studio Anton Hendrik DenysCollaborating architect: Steen ArchitectenLandscape design: Van Dyck Tuinarchitectuur

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      Ten calming green kitchens that bring natural tones into the home

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      For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up ten fresh and airy kitchens that use shades of green to give a hint of the natural world.From soft sage to bright emerald, green is this year’s kitchen colour trend, often paired with natural local materials.
      Perhaps inspired by our craving for nature during the pandemic, calming sea greens, grassy hues and mossy tones are popular choices for kitchen cabinetry, walls or tiles.
      This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbook series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series showcased living rooms with statement shelving, peaceful bedrooms and designer bathrooms.

      Belgium Apartment, Belgium, by Carmine Van Der Linden and Thomas Geldof
      Local architects Carmine Van Der Linden and Thomas Geldof designed this duplex for a coastal location surrounded by sand dunes on the Belgian coast.
      To contrast the marble-topped counters, the architects choose to colour the splashback, shelving and panelled birch-wood cabinets in a shade of green that recalls seaweed and beach grasses.
      “The colour choice of the wood subtly brings in the seaweed colour from the adjacent sea and the marram grasses in the surrounding dunes,” the architects explained.
      Find out more about Belgium Apartment ›

      The Mantelpiece Loft, Stockholm, Sweden, by Note Design Studio
      Note Design Studio painted furniture in green and pink throughout The Mantelpiece Loft to stand out against its white walls.
      Sage green was used for one of the staircases and a bedroom, as well as the kitchen cabinets that were paired with contrasting countertops of terrazzo flecked with orange stone.
      Find out more about The Mantelpiece Loft ›

      Apartment XVII, Lyon, France, by Studio Razavi
      Studio Razavi combined pale-grey plaster, a light wooden floor and sea-green cabinets in this renovation of an apartment in a Renaissance-era building in the historic Vieux Lyon neighbourhood of Lyon in France.
      The green kitchen cabinetry has a matching splashback with a stepped silhouette.
      Find out more about Apartment XVII ›

      Casa Mille apartment, Turin, Italy, by Fabio Fantolino
      Italian architect Fabio Fantolino used pops of green and petrol blue throughout the interior of this apartment in Turin that he designed for himself.
      In the herringbone-floored kitchen, sea-green cabinetry is paired with copper handles.
      Find out more about Casa Mille ›

      House extension, Sheffield, UK, by From Works
      The bespoke kitchen of this house in Sheffield was designed to incorporate the materials and colours of moss-covered rocks found in the nearby Peak District.
      It combines green-stained plywood with grey fossil limestone worktops and splashback sourced from a Derbyshire quarry.
      Find out more about Sheffield house extension ›

      Waterfront Nikis Apartment, Thessaloniki, Greece, by Stamatios Giannikis
      Architect Stamatios Giannikis used colour-blocked walls painted in flamingo pink, azure blue and pastel green to define the different rooms in this seaside apartment in Greece.
      The green chosen for the kitchen cabinets and walls was designed to be in sharp contrast with the apartment’s original geometric red and black cement-tile flooring.
      Find out more about Waterfront Nikis Apartment ›

      Apartment on a Mint Floor, Porto, Portugal, Fala Atelier
      As the name suggests, Fala Atelier created a mint-green floor from epoxy resin throughout this two-bedroom apartment in Porto, Portugal.
      To complement the floor, the apartment’s kitchen unit doors were coloured two subtly different shades of turquoise.
      Find out more about Apartment on a Mint Floor ›

      Parisian apartment, Paris, France, by Atelier Sagitta
      French practice Atelier Sagitta added an almost entirely green kitchen to this previously characterless apartment in Paris.
      The emerald-green walls and cabinets, combined with grooved oak cupboards made by a local cabinet maker, make the kitchen the focal point of the apartment.
      Find out more about Paris Apartment ›

      Esperinos guesthouse, Athens, Greece, by Stamos Michael
      The kitchen of this guesthouse in Athens was painted a plum-purple hue to contrast with the rest of the largely moss-green interiors.
      Green was also introduced in the kitchen where dark emerald cabinetry was matched with black, industrial-style shelves that display crockery.
      Find out more about Esperinos guesthouse ›

      Apartment #149, Lviv, Ukraine, by Roman Shpelyk
      Interior designer Roman Shpelyk designed this apartment in the Ukrainian city of Lviv to have largely simple white interiors.
      Colour was added with a plant-filled shelving unit and the forest-green laminated-plywood cabinetry in the kitchen.
      Find out more about Apartment #149 ›
      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 peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

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      Cheng Chung Design creates restaurant within brick art installation in China

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      Hong Kong architecture studio Cheng Chung Design has created a restaurant and exhibition space within the cavernous interiors of a brick art installation in Mile City, China.The restaurant, named 50% Cloud Artists Lounge, occupies one of several distinctive structures in Dongfengyun Town that evoke a giant cluster of termite mounds.
      Cheng Chung Design’s (CCD) interior is deliberately pared-back to retain focus on this unusual building, while also forming a backdrop to the artwork that is exhibited throughout it.

      Top image: the restaurant occupies a cavernous brick building. Above: it resembles a giant cluster of termite mounds

      “It was to be not only a restaurant but also an art space with an exhibition area,” said CCD’s founder, Joe Cheng.
      “It aims to serve as an exhibition hall for various cultures and arts, providing a space for the public to get close to and enjoy art,” he told Dezeen. “You can see original art throughout the entire space.”

      The entrance is marked by a curving steel doorway
      The brick structure within which the restaurant is located was created by local artist Luo Xu and made without any steel reinforcements or nails.
      The interiors of the other buildings in the cluster, also designed by CCD, have been transformed into a multi-functional hall, an art gallery and a hotel.

      Steel panels guide visitors inside
      CCD marked the entrance to the restaurant by a trail of curving steps that lead to an arched door and a series of curving steel panels.
      This is modelled on the nearby Honghe Hani Rice Terraces – a system of historic terraces used to grow rice – and designed to add an “artistic touch” that is complementary to the colours and sinuous form of the building.

      The restaurant layout responds to overhead skylights
      Inside, the layout of the restaurant’s bar, chairs and tables responds to the curves of the structure and the positions of round openings carved into its roof.
      As the walls of the building could not be decorated, this is intended to draw visitors’ attention to the light that filters in through the skylights and onto the bricks and creates patterns throughout the course of the day.

      Patterns of light across the brick walls are the focal point
      “Light is an essential element in the space,” said CCD. “Guests can experience the change of light in every minute.”
      “All design elements are arranged based on light and under skylights. Natural light tells the passage of time throughout the day, and creates diversified spatial experiences,” the studio added.

      Woven lampshades help softly filter light
      Furniture is kept simple throughout, with cool colours and curved bodies that complement the form of the building.

      Cavernous brick vaults define Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum in China

      These are teamed with large woven lampshades that softly light the room, alongside art-deco style partitions that were used to loosely divide the space.

      Furniture is kept simple throughout
      The artwork throughout the restaurant ranges from bespoke furniture to larger sculptures designed by CCD and produced by an artist called Qi Songtao.
      This includes an abstract, cloud-like piece and a metallic, woven artwork that mimics a human head.

      A cloud-like sculpture is among the featured artwork
      Elsewhere in China, Studio Zhu-Pei also created a series of sweeping, red-brick structures to house the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum.
      Located in the city of Jingdezhen, the museum’s cavernous buildings are all unique in size and are designed to recall the forms of traditional brick kilns.

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      Brazilian designers imagine relaxing interiors for Patagonian eco-lodge

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      Designers from Brazil have created renderings that imagine the interiors of an eco-lodge in Patagonia for the design show Casa NaToca.The theme for this year’s Casa NaToca was “refuge” with participating designer asked to design rooms for Mapu, a sustainable house and guest lodges being built in the Chilean part of Patagonia by a couple named Pati Beck and Gustavo Zylbersztajn.
      Designers including Bel Lobo, Leila Bittencourt, Paula Neder and Paola Ribeiro each contributed digitally rendered interiors of the lodge.

      Top: living room by MRC Arq. Design. Above: dining room by Isabela Fraia Arquitetura

      Mapu is being built in the city of Futaleufú next to Lake Lonconao.
      Along with a home for the pair and their children, Mapu will include loft-style accommodation for guests, extra accommodation in the form of an Airstream trailer and a restaurant in a greenhouse.

      Reading room by Marcella Reynol Arquitetura
      Participating designers imagined all of these places with timber walls, natural textures and wide windows with sweeping views of the landscape.
      MRC Arq Design created a living room with a hanging swing and a built-in desk in front of giant windows with views of the mountains, while Isabela Fraia Arquitetura designed a timber-lined dining room filled with art and bookshelves.

      Playroom by Estudio Minca and Hauzz Estudio Criativo
      A kitchen by Rodrigo Ferreira Arquitetura features an island covered in a blackboard for the children to draw on.
      There are cute bedrooms for both of the children along with a room for their cousins, and an attic playroom by Estudio Minca and Hauzz Estudio Criativo with a diorama of the planets suspended from the ceiling and a net floor.

      Children’s bedroom by Quarto das Primas, Muito Mais Arquitetura and Nina Moraes Design
      Marcella Reynol Arquitetura’s reading room features cheerful framed prints on the walls.
      A deck for barbecues designed by Leila Bittencourt, Cynthia Bento, and Flávia-Lauzana features a sunken conversation pit overlooking the scenery.

      Airstream guest house by Cajoo Studio

      “The desire for escapism is at an all-time high” say visualisers creating fantasy renderings

      Cajoo Studio visualised a compact and cheerful guest apartment in a trailer, and there are a wide variety of guest lofts designed for couples or families.
      All of the renderings share a sunshine-saturated palette, with pale timber walls and plenty of houseplants and woven pendant lampshades.

      Barbeque spot by Leila Bittencourt, Cynthia Bento and Flávia-Lauzana
      Previously held in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, this year’s Casa NaToca show is being held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
      Visitors to the online show can explore a 360-degree virtual tour and listen to audio recordings from the designers.

      Guest studio by Ana Hygino and Cau Gonçalves
      More dreamy fictional interiors renderings by architects and designers include a rock-formation hotel in Russia, an idealised holiday villa by the sea, and a hotel with a spa in Ukraine.
      Casa NaToca is online until 11 April 2021. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Ten living rooms with statement shelving that is both practical and beautiful

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      For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up ten living rooms that have solved the storage dilemma with bespoke shelving that define the room. This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbook series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series showcased designer bathrooms, colourful kitchens and living rooms with calm interiors.
      Whether they’re used as room dividers, to show off the owners’ book collection or as a hiding place for shy pets, built-in or custom-made shelves create a design statement.
      Read on for our round up of the ten best from Dezeen’s archives (plus a bonus eleventh one, above, which features the spectacular floor-to-ceiling bookcases at Olson Kundig’s Wasatch House in Salt Lake City):

      Mermaid Beach Residence, Australia, by B.E. Architecture
      The living room of Mermaid Beach Residence in Queensland’s Gold Coast region is a study in clever material use, with its concrete surfaces and timber flooring.
      The monolithic built-in wooden shelving that fills one wall creates a decorative grid-effect on top of the concrete. It rests on a stone slab above wooden storage units at floor level.
      Find out more about Mermaid Beach Residence ›

      Artist’s studio, Russia, by Ruetemple
      Architecture studio Ruetemple looked to “drawing and architecture” when designing this artist’s studio in Moscow, which is dominated by a large plywood partition that incorporates both furniture and shelving.
      As well as separating the lounge area from a workspace, the partition works as both storage space and furniture. It has a built-in sofa, shelving, and a set of steps that lead up to a suspended sleeping platform.
      Find out more about Artist’s studio ›

      Spear Building Loft, US, by Ravi Raj and Evan Watts
      This former factory in New York was renovated to create a bright, open living space. In the living room, simple built-in shelves were painted in a creamy pastel-yellow hue that harmonises with the white storage units and the fireplace.
      Rather than building the shelves into a separate wall panel, they have been attached to the white wall on one side, which creates an airy feel and helps open up the room.
      Find out more about Spear Building Loft ›

      Sierra Negra, Mexico, by Hemaa
      Two built-in shelves with wooden panelling serve a decorative function in this Mexico City living room, which has matching wooden floorboards and wood-clad walls.
      Its minimalist interior and simple colour palette, which blends beige, brown and grey hues, means the books in the shelves stand out as a splash of colour. The shelves also hold speakers and picture frames, helping to keep the rest of the room free from clutter.
      Find out more about Sierra Negra ›

      Sausalito Outlook, USA, by Feldman Architecture
      In the living room of this hillside home in Sausalito, California, Feldman Architecture added plenty of storage space for the owners’ book collection, while the white panelling in the middle hides the TV from sight.
      The walls and kitchen space next to the storage wall have been painted a matching glossy white, complemented by more natural hues such as a beige rug and brown Ligne Roset Togo seating.
      Find out more about Sausalito Outlook ›

      Mayfair apartment, UK, by MWAI
      In small apartments, built-in shelving can be the perfect space-saving solution. For MWAI’s design of a 37-square-metre home in London’s Mayfair area, it covered one wall of the open-plan kitchen and living area in a pale-wood storage unit that also includes a desk.
      Colours were kept neutral to reinforce the studio’s idea to look at the design as that of a hotel room where “all functions are carefully and discreetly planned to provide a functional response.”
      Find out more about Mayfair apartment ›

      Kew Residence, Australia, by John Wardle
      Architect John Wardle renovated his own Kew Residence home to make its wood-lined first-floor study the focal point of the house. Built-in shelves hold books and bric-a-brac on one side of the room and the architect’s art collection on another.
      Neutral wood colours were used for the shelves and the built-in reading nook in the room, where the architect said he spends “just about all his daylight hours.”
      Find out more about Kew Residence ›

      House for Booklovers and Cats, USA, by BFDO Architects
      The built-in storage in this colourful home lives up to the project name – it doesn’t just have space for books and art, but also for the owners’ two cats to hide away from visitors.
      The custom-made shelf has dozens of cubby holes while projecting shelves form a staircase for the cats to ascend to the ledge at the top, where they can sit and observe the goings-on below.
      Find out more about House for Booklovers and Cats ›

      The Hide Out, US, by Dan Brunn Architecture
      Dan Brunn Architecture renovated The Hide Out, which was originally designed by Frank Gehry in the 1970s, to pay homage to its initial simple material palette.
      In this living room and bedroom overlooking a meditation garden, the lush walnut seating nook is complemented by a built-in white bookshelf that also hides a fold-out bed.
      Find out more about The Hide Out ›

      Fin House, UK, by RA Projects
      The blue steel staircase in the middle of the living space in this home designed for fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic was designed to look “like a sculpture in a gallery.”
      As well as a staircase, the piece functions as a shelving system with multiple shelves in different sizes. Its back wall is broken up rather than solid, which lets light pass through and stops the colourful piece from feeling too solid.
      Find out more about Fin 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 showcasing peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

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