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      Note Design Studio creates colourful interiors to “break the grid” of 1930s office building

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      Stockholm-based Note Design Studio used neutral colours and contrasting bright hues to reinvigorate the interiors of the Douglas House office building in London.Note Design Studio designed the Douglas House office space, which has 700 desks spread over six floors, for office developer The Office Group (TOG). It had previously designed the Summit House property for the company.

      Note Design Studio used natural materials and bright colours for the interiors of Douglas House
      The Swedish studio aimed to “break the grid” of the 14,235-square-metre 1930s office building, which has a vertical layout and red brick-facade.
      “As a building, Douglas House is very ‘rational’ in its architecture,” designer Johannes Carlström told Dezeen. “Even though it stretches quite far horizontally, it was vertical in its structure and spatial program.”

      Pieces by contemporary design brands are used throughout the space

      “We realised early that we wanted to ‘break the grid’ of the building and deliver an interior less predictable than what is expected from the industrial appearance of the facade,” he added.
      “That also related to a more abstract idea about breaking the conformity of our everyday lives, to design a place that actually shakes you up a bit when entering for your workday.”

      The studio focused on how the space would make users feel
      While many office spaces are designed to enhance productivity, Note Design Studio said its focus for Douglas House was more on creating the right feeling and mood.
      To create a space that would, in the words of the studio, bring a “gentle punch” to office design, it used contrasting colours and materials throughout the space.
      “The palette ranges from deep ochres to brisk light blues, calm chalk tones, popping reds and vivid blues,” Carlström said.

      Meeting rooms are painted in calm blue nuances
      The studio aimed to keep as much of the original details as possible but had to replace a lot of materials that were in poor condition. The original wooden floors, however, were lifted, renovated and put back into place.
      “We have worked with giving the building a more defined character by using materials that will live long together with the building itself,” Carlström said.

      A curvilinear glass wall connects the main spaces and adds privacy to meeting rooms
      A curvilinear wall made from glass blocks has been added to the ground floor to connects its three main public spaces.

      Note Design Studio includes recharge room in central London co-working space for TOG

      “It stretches through the whole building giving spatial richness to the promenade between different functions of the ground floor as well as a vivid backdrop enhanced by the activity of the meeting rooms that are blurred through the glass blocks,” Carlström explained.
      “The curve also creates unique footprints for the meeting rooms and the three communal spaces, which with a straight wall would have been more or less identical to one another in terms of space.”

      Materials such as ceramic tiles were chosen for their durability
      Other materials used for the project were chosen for their durability, as office buildings experience extensive wear and tear, and their reusability. They include steel, glass and ceramic tiles, as well as 100 per cent recyclable Tarkett IQ plastic wall and floor coverings.
      Douglas House was also given solar panels and a green biodiverse roof to further enhance its sustainability credentials.

      The Douglas House reception features a desk clad in Ettore Sottsass’ veneer
      Note Design Studio also added a number of design touches to the interior, including a reception desk in Ettore Sottsass veneer for Alpi in a striking blue-grey colour, and pieces from brands including Artrex and Muller van Severen in bright hues.
      Newly commissioned pieces from artists and designers including Jenny Nordberg, Jochen Holz, Wang & Söderström, Philipp Schenk-Mischke, James Shaw, Mijo Studio and Studio Furthermore also fill the building.

      Pale blue chairs contrast beige tiles and dark wood
      Douglas House also includes an “oxygen room” – a plant-filled space where the idea is that workers can relax and connect with nature, the “recharge room”, gym, cafe and a mothers’ room which is dedicated to nursing mothers.
      “We have worked with the whole building and designed small or big things on every square metre basically,” Carlström said. “A lot of the office spaces are done in the same manner, but the public and communal spaces all have their unique design attributes.”

      Earthy, warm hues create a welcoming feel
      Douglas House has 700 desks for over 1,000 employees and opened in November 2020. Note Design Studio thinks the final design has succeeded in creating a different kind of office space.
      “From our point of view it differs on many levels – it has a lot more expression than you normally see in an office space, a diversity of tempos and functions allowing people to choose what suits them best that specific day,” Carlström said.
      Among the studio’s other recent projects are the pastel-coloured Mantelpiece Loft interiors in Stockholm and a reusable trade fair stand for Vestre.
      Photography is courtesy of The Office Group.

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      Sky-blue cafe in Buffalo features “Alice in Wonderland” staircase

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      Canadian design duo Julia Jamrozik and Coryn Kempster have created a playful all-blue cafe in a century-old house in Buffalo, New York, with an optical illusion staircase.Named Tipico Coffee, the cafe’s identity was formed with the intention of designing a space that encourages social interactions and supports local craftsmanship.

      The cafe’s main bar is grafted from reclaimed furniture
      Reclaimed furniture and lighting made from construction-site string lights feature alongside an oversized staircase to nowhere which forms amphitheatre-style seating.
      The cafe’s main bar is made from ten reclaimed wooden tables sourced from classified advertisements website Craigslist.

      The main bar encourages social interactions

      The tables are grafted together and painted in sky-blue, forming a unified bar which runs along one wall of the cafe.
      “The process of designing the cafe really started with the idea of the social infrastructure of the grafted bar,” Jamrozik and Kempster told Dezeen.

      Drinks on ice are displayed between the bar’s table-tops
      The open bar has clusters of swivelling stools arranged around blue table-tops that jut out of the bar’s customer side, allowing easy socialising between customers and staff.
      “The different shapes of the tables come together to create opportunities for conversations,” continued the designers.
      “This is augmented with the use of swivelling bar stools that allow patrons the ability to turn their bodies to orient themselves to a new connection.”

      Swivelling stools encourage random encounters between customers and staff

      BLUE Architecture Studio adds U-shaped glass box to Shanghai coffee shop

      Groups of circular olive-green garden tables and chairs, as well as built-in blue benches, make up two intimate seating areas behind each side of the bar, which are separated by a wall.
      The tables and chairs used are purposefully outdoor furniture. This means that the seating can be moved onto an exterior patio in the summer months.

      Tipico’s atmosphere is a mix of indoors and outdoors
      Various scattered potted plants blend green and blue furniture together and continue the theme of bringing the outdoors inside.
      Jamrozik and Kempster explained their intentions for using sky-blue as the cafe’s dominant colour.

      Ménard Dworkind creates retro coffee bar in downtown Montreal

      “We wanted to use a vibrant colour to visually tie together the bar and benches to create continuity in the space and give visual emphasis to the bar as the main design gesture.”
      “We chose blue to both complement the olive green furniture and plants, but also to create moments of contrast with the bespoke yellow lights,” they continued.

      Potted plants are scattered around the space
      The bespoke lights designed for the cafe are composed of construction-site string lights, wound around sections of aluminium stock tubes. They hang above the bar and the seating areas.
      “We wanted to transform the string lights, while still making it clear what the source product was,” explained the designers.

      Lighting made from construction-site string lights
      Metal pegboard is another off-the-shelf material used in the space, making up a menu board behind the bar, a merchandise display board and a community message board.
      The bottom of the main bar and built-in-benches was also lined with wooden pegboard in order to “give them both a visual texture, taking advantage of the acoustic properties of the perforations,” said Jamrozik and Kempster

      A merchandise display board made from metal pegboard
      A sense of the building’s historic charm remains in the existing fireplace that is preserved, which is painted in a strip of the same sky-blue paint as the main bar.
      An over-scaled stairwell acts as an additional, cosy seating area fit for a couple of customers at a time.

      The building’s original fireplace and its playful stairwell
      Sealed off by a mirror and leading to nowhere, the stairwell is intended as an “Alice in Wonderland moment,” enhancing the cafe’s playfulness.
      “The stairway’s oversized steps effectively shrink the visitor and act as seats while the mirrored ceiling gives the impression that the space continues up,” explained Jamrozik and Kempster.
      “We imagine people will be drawn to the curious space and hope that they enjoy the tongue-in-cheek reference that plays on the domestic history of the original building,” continued the designers.

      Sealed off by a mirror, the stairwell is an optical illusion
      Jamrozik and Kempster note the importance of playful design in their work, which they believe connects people in public spaces.
      “We use the language of play to create social infrastructures: physical prompts which encourage contact between strangers.”
      “We believe that questioning the way people use and occupy space and their relationship to one another through playful encounters has enormous potential to speak across generations and cultural differences,” they continued.

      The importance of play is an influence in Jamrozik and Kempster’s design work
      Designers everywhere are acknowledging the importance of designing public spaces to maximise social interactions. In Montreal, Ménard Dworkind has created a cafe with a central standing bar, while Central Saint Martins graduates have created blocky outdoor furniture for a public square in Croydon, London.
      Julia Jamrozik and Coryn Kempster have collaborated on design projects since 2003. Their varied work spans temporary installations and permanent interior and architectural commissions.
      Photography is by Sara Schmidle.
      Project credits: 
      Architecture team: Abstract Architecture PC

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      Penthouse of SOM-designed tower transformed into collectible design gallery

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      Seminal furniture designs by Brazilian modernists sit alongside contemporary art in a shoppable exhibition within the 40th-floor penthouse of a recently-opened San Francisco residential tower by architecture firm SOM.Travelling French-Lebanese gallery Gabriel & Guillaume has decorated the interior of the penthouse of the new Fifteen Fifty building in bright colours and patterns, and furnished it with a mix of new and mid-century pieces, all of which are for sale as part of the showcase.

      Top: An open living space is at the centre of the penthouse. Above: The apartment’s office features a sofa by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
      The exhibition, which will run through summer 2021, is a collaboration between the gallery, the building’s developers Related California and branding agency FrenchCalifornia, which specialises in creating exhibitions within model apartments.
      The team was tasked with decorating the three-bedroom, three-bathroom penthouse – with interior architecture designed by Los Angeles firm Marmol Radziner – to create a scheme that is “livable and approachable”.
      “We always work to conceptualise and execute spaces that help visitors see that collectible design can be attainable and fun, so this project came very naturally to us,” FrenchCalifornia told Dezeen.

      The master bedroom features almond green walls and a hand-knotted wool and silk rug by Marguerite le Maire

      Pieces on show hail from Italy, France and Brazil, dating from the 1940s to present day.
      They sit alongside a contemporary art collection curated by gallerist Jessica Silverman, which includes works by American sculptor Davina Semo, multi-media artist Julian Hoeber, painter and photographer Ian Wallace, Israeli artist Amikam Toren and Berlin-based Claudia Wieser.

      A Jacaranda wood and marble dining table by Sergio Rodrigues sits in the dining room area alongside dining chairs by Martin Szekely
      Vivid paint colours such as the deep blue in the open kitchen, almond green in the bedroom and 1980s-style graphic green wallpaper in the office were chosen to reflect the spirit of the city while complementing the furniture and helping to define the different rooms.
      Describing their style as “eclectic”, Gabriel & Guillaume pulled together a diverse selection of furniture from different countries and eras.
      Pieces designed in the 1980s by French designer Martin Szekely sit alongside work by Brazilian modernists such as Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner, who founded illustrious furniture brand Forma, and Jorge Zalszupin.

      The living space opens up into a dining room
      Contemporary furniture pieces include designs by Beirut-based Ranya Sarakbi and Niko Koronis, who is known for his work with resin. Rugs by Iwan Maktabi and textile designer Marguerite Le Maire, as well as pieces by ceramicist Maloles Antignac were chosen to complement the furniture.
      “When we buy pieces, we don’t think of how they will go together,” Nancy Gabriel and Guillaume Excoffier of Gabriel & Guillaume told Dezeen. “Most great pieces usually go together if proportions work – and when one piece looks uneasy with another one, just add a third one.”

      10 homes that double up as galleries or artists’ workspaces

      In the past decade, an increasing number of galleries and art shows have moved their showcases from traditional gallery spaces to domestic settings.
      “Buyers, designers and decorators alike prefer to see pieces in situ and visualise a piece in a lived-in space, and the model residence is obviously the perfect platform to do this,” said FrenchCalifornia.

      The living room features ballet slipper pink walls
      “With retail moving fast online, when you want to actually bring people to an exhibition, you need to offer them an experience,” Gabriel & Guillaume added.
      “The coldness of a white cube does not do that. In comparison, getting into a home is always a more special moment. While you can see the pieces, you can also discover the way they go together and the curation of the space. The homely format definitely has more soul.”

      Tall windows in the bathroom offer views of the city beyond
      This sentiment is echoed by the founders of Nomad, a travelling art fair founded in 2017 that showcases collectible design in exclusive villas and apartments.
      Speaking about the fair’s residential context, Nomad co-founder Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte told Dezeen: “What is good is that you can relate on a domestic scale with the objects. Most design collectors don’t buy for their storage for investment, they buy pieces to live with them. So to have them in a domestic environment is definitely perfect because you can relate to them.”
      Photography by Douglas Friedman.

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      Ten designer bathrooms with freestanding baths

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      For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up 10 dream bathrooms with statement baths ideal for luxurious bathing, including tubs made from teak, clay, concrete and porcelain.This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbook series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series showcased peaceful bedrooms, colourful kitchens and living rooms with calm interiors.
      Below are ten bathroom interiors from the Dezeen archives featuring standalone baths that sit in the middle of the room or away from the walls.

      Screen House, Sydney, Australia, by Carter Williamson Architects
      The bathroom of Screen House by architecture studio Carter Williamson is covered from floor to ceiling with tactile black tiles to create a spa-like setting for its owners.
      A freestanding bathtub was placed under a bubble-like pendant light that is suspended from the asymmetric pitched roof.
      Find out more about Screen House ›

      Chimney House, Sydney, Australia, by Atelier Dau
      As part of an extension and refurbishment of a heritage-listed building in Sydney, architecture studio Atelier Dau added a ground floor bathroom.
      The bathroom is defined by porcelain floor tiles designed by Patricia Urquiola and a statement roll-top bath alongside a narrow window with views to the home’s internal courtyard.
      Find out more about Chimney House ›

      Highgate house, London, UK, by House of Grey
      This London home designed by interiors studio House of Grey incorporates a range of natural materials and finishes.
      In the bathroom (above and top), the walls are coated with a lime-based plaster surface called Tadelakt, which is waterproofed using a soap solution. The bath and sink were made from a combination of sands, unfired clays, pigments and minerals.
      Find out more about Highgate house ›

      Art Villa, Costa Rica, by Formafatal and Refuel Works
      Czech studios Formafatal and Refuel Works left the concrete structure exposed throughout this villa nestled into the jungle in Costa Rica.
      In the master bedroom, a concrete tub is set alongside a pair of glass doors that allow the space to be opened up to the surrounding jungle.
      Find out more about Art Villa ›

      Mountain cabin, Italy, by Modostudio
      The bathroom of this secluded mountain cabin designed by Modostudio has spectacular views over Italy’s Adige Valley.
      Set at the centre of the room the freestanding bath was positioned to take the best advantage of these views through full-height windows.
      Find out more about Mountain cabin ›

      Tsubo House, London, UK, by Fraher & Findlay
      Architecture practice Fraher & Findlay focused the renovation and extension of this home in east London on a small courtyard.
      All of the house’s bathrooms feature graphic monochromatic tiled floors, while the master bathroom has its own fireplace and a freestanding jet-black tub.
      Find out more about Tsubo House ›

      House V, Slovakia, by Martin Skoček
      The dramatic en-suite bathroom of the master bedroom of this gabled house near Bratislava, designed by architect Martin Skoček, is lined with salvaged bricks.
      Its centrepiece, aligned with the apex of the pitched ceiling, is an oval, freestanding bathtub.
      Find out more about House V ›

      Atelier Villa, Costa Rica, by Formafatal
      The bathrooms within this perforated-aluminium clad villa in Costa Rica are defined by floors made with cement tiles from Nicaragua.
      One of the bedroom suites has a freestanding bath that is lit by mottled light coming through the cladding perforations.
      Find out more about Atelier Villa ›

      Leaf House, London, UK, by Szczepaniak Astridge
      The focal point of the rooftop extension to architectural photographer Edmund Sumner and writer Yuki Sumner’s London home by Szczepaniak Astridge is a Japanese-style wooden bath.
      Positioned against a large window that has views across London, the bath was made from waxed teak by furniture maker William Garvey.
      Find out more about Leaf House ›

      The Boathouse, Devon, UK, by Adams+Collingwood Architects 
      London studio Adams+Collingwood Architects designed this house overlooking Salcombe Estuary so that its first-floor living spaces could take advantage of views across the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
      On the ground, which is embedded into the hillside, there are four bedrooms and three bathrooms, including the master en-suite that features a copper bathtub.
      Find out more about The Boathouse ›
      Photography is by Jim Stephenson, Brett Boardman, Edmund Sumner, BoysPlayNice, Adam Scott, Laura Egger, Tom Ferguson, Michael Sinclair and Matej Hakár.
      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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      Warm hues and central oven define Sofi bakery in Berlin

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      The layout of this craft bakery in Berlin, designed by Danish architects Mathias Mentze and Alexander Vedel Ottenstein, revolves around an open kitchen that showcases the beauty of the bread-making process.Located in the courtyard of a restored brick factory in the city’s Scheunenviertel quarter, Sofi is a craft bakery that makes bread and cakes using grains sourced from small, organic farmers in Northern Europe.

      Above: Sofi is housed in a former brick factory. Top image: A long, communal table offers space to eat
      The project is a collaboration between Danish chef and restaurateur Frederik Bille Brahe and Design Hotels founder Claus Sendlinger.
      As well as making baked goods using organic ingredients and low-intervention techniques, the owners’ ambition is for Sofi to serve as a community hub and to supply fresh bread to a selection of local restaurants.

      A 3.5-metre-tall bread shelf separates the bakery from the guest area

      Its interior was designed by Mentze and Vedel Ottenstein in collaboration with Augsburg-based interior design studio Dreimeta.
      “We were introduced to the project last summer when Frederik Bille Brahe approached us about a new bakery he was working on in Berlin,” Vedel Ottenstein told Dezeen.
      “Like Frederik, we are based in Copenhagen and have frequented his existing cafes and restaurants. So he brought us on to ensure that there would be a distinct Copenhagen feel to his first endeavour outside of Denmark.”

      A corner bench is made from solid elm
      “When we first visited the site in July 2020, the former tenant — which was a famous bagel shop — had just vacated the space. From the beginning, it was quite easy to imagine that this could be an amazing project, as the space itself has a lot of nice qualities,” he recalled.
      “The double-height ceiling as well as the connection to the inner courtyard bring both light and a certain curiosity to the location. The space needed a lot of work but we felt the assignment was more to bring forth existing qualities instead of inventing new ones.”

      All furniture was custom-made for the interior
      The new floor plan revolves around an open-plan kitchen that sits at the centre of the space. Conceived as a “production floor”, this allows guests to watch Sofi’s small, international team of young bakers rolling out dough and working the ovens.
      “Making bread is a highly technical skillset with all these different steps and we wanted this process to be the generator of the plan layout,” said Vedel Ottenstein.

      Six bakeries and sweets shops with delectable interiors

      “A bakery has a very clear narrative in which the oven is the heart of the place and so we wanted to place the oven in the exact middle of the space,” he continued.
      “It’s like a choreography and we wanted to showcase the beauty of the process to all of the customers – from mixing the flour and water all the way to stocking up the bread shelf with freshly baked goods.”

      The shelves display a range of the team’s favourite products
      A red vinyl floor and walls painted in a delicate yellow hue are intended to reflect the colours of the bricks in the courtyard outside.
      Peg coat racks and shelves wrap the walls while a 3.5-metre-tall bread shelf and long communal table fill up the centre of the space.

      The stools were made by Rammelisten
      All are made from solid elm with walnut detailing, with larger pieces such as the counter, bread rack, work table and shelves fabricated by a German carpentry firm. Smaller, movable items including the stools and benches were crafted by Rammelisten, a small woodwork studio based just north of Copenhagen.
      “This was so that we could be more hands-on, follow the production and do alterations to the designs if we discovered issues,” explained Vedel Ottenstein.

      Atelier Vime’s wicker lamp was decorated with a flower display by Danh Vo
      The huge wicker pendant lamp that hangs over the communal table was handmade by French studio Atelier Vime and has been decorated with a flower display by local artist Danh Vo.
      “The flower arrangement installed inside the shade is made from bast and hops flowers as a nod to the leftover waste from beer production that Frederik intends to use in the bread-making at Sofi,” explained Vedel Ottenstein.

      Pinocchio is a tiny bakery in Japan decorated in the colours of bread

      “The installation is a seasonal piece, where Danh Vo will bring in new flowers and plants according to the season from his farm north of Berlin, called Güldenhof,” he continued.
      “He wishes to challenge the typical idea of a flower arrangement by using unexpected plants and weeds such as flowering leeks and lettuces.”

      The bakery’s colourful glazed tableware comes from Studio X
      A tall, open shelving unit separating the bakery and guest area displays a range of the team’s favourite products — including ceramics, coffee, tea, natural wines and flour from the Danish Kørnby mill.
      Colourful glazed tableware by London’s Studio X, hand-crafted cups by Danish artist Kasper Hesselbjerg and vintage cutlery were all carefully selected by the design team and owners.
      Sofi is not the first warm-hued bakery to feature on Dezeen. Design studio I IN decorated this tiny bakery in Japan in the colours of bread, while US studio The New Design Project outfitted a West Village cookie shop with speckled terrazzo, beige tiles and creamy walls to reference the baked goods for sale.
      Photography is by Volker Conradus.

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      Merooficina carves up former fisherman's house into two bright apartments

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      Porto architecture practice Merooficina has converted a former fisherman’s house in Aveiro, Portugal, into two apartments that blend original features with new interventions.Casa da Beiramar is located in the historic neighbourhood of Beira-Mar with its colourful terraced houses. These have long, narrow floor plans and an adobe structure, meaning they are built from bricks made of earth and other organic materials.

      Above: Casa da Beiramar is situated in Aveiro’s Beira-Mar neighbourhood. Top image: the ground-floor flat now opens up onto a patio
      Clad in traditional azulejos tiles and decorated with green ceramic flowerpots, the houses were originally built for the local fishing community.
      “This part of the city has been witnessing an interesting fusion between the old dwellers and more recent inhabitants,” explained Merooficina founders Catarina Ribeiro and Vitório Leite.

      The downstairs kitchen features yellow tiles and marble countertops

      The studio was commissioned by one of these new residents to restore a two-storey, 150-square-metre adobe house, which sits on a corner plot with two street-facing facades.
      The client asked Merooficina to create a flexible design that would allow the building to be used in multiple different ways – initially as two apartments but with a longterm view of converting it back into a single house or an office for the owner’s new psychology practice.

      The stairwell leading up to the first-floor apartment is painted blue
      “We understand flexibility as a way to enrich ageing buildings,” said the studio. “It’s a matter of adding and layering possibilities on a specific place, so the new occupation can be multiple and transformative.”
      Using the house’s two existing entrances, the studio was able to create two separate apartments – one on each floor of the building. The first-floor apartment can be reached via a bright blue stairwell, while the ground-floor apartment is accessed directly from the street.

      Palma Hideaway in Mallorca is obscured from the street by a tiny tiled garden

      A door that connects the two apartments at the bottom of the stairwell has been temporarily closed off but yellow panes of glass help to funnel light into the stairwell.
      The studio restored and reinforced the existing adobe walls and floors to improve the apartments’ thermal and acoustic insulation. Original windows, doors and other structural and ornamental elements were retained as much as possible.

      A new balcony juts out over the patio
      The biggest intervention was the addition of a new steel structure, which allowed the back of the building to be opened up. Here, the previous owners had added a haphazard extension using ceramic bricks and steel sheets, covering what used to be a patio.
      This structure was demolished to return the space to its former use, while pivot windows were added to open up the ground floor apartment to the outdoor space.
      The patio walls are clad in a gradient of yellow tiles that were painted by a local artist, in a homage to Aveiro’s long history of tile production.

      The yellow tiles from the kitchen are matched on the patio
      The patio connects to an open-plan living and dining area and a kitchen, which features matching yellow tiles, marble countertops and birch plywood cupboards.
      From the kitchen, a mirrored door leads to the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen.
      A glazed balcony was added above the new patio on the first floor, which houses a bathroom and a bathtub enrobed in a white curtain to create a barrier between the bather and the busy street.

      The bathtub is hidden from view through a white curtain
      “We wanted to mix and match the ambiences of both apartments using the tiles and other details, but they are quite different,” Ribeiro told Dezeen.
      “In the upstairs apartment, we tried to retain all of the existing features, such as the windows and wood detailing – adding only the glazed balcony in the bathroom and a new kitchen. Downstairs, however, was in a very bad state when we began the project. So here we used a cleaner, more minimal design language and organisation.”

      Pinewood flooring runs through the first-floor apartment
      In the upstairs kitchen, the architects restored the original tiles, brown rose plaster and marble as well as replacing the pinewood flooring.
      Whenever the owners want to convert the property back into a single dwelling, the apartments can easily be connected via the door at the bottom of the stairwell while the kitchen on the first floor could be converted into an additional bedroom.

      Yellow glass panes separate the two apartments
      Alternatively, the downstairs entrance, bathroom and bedroom could be closed off from the kitchen and living room and turned into an office for the owner’s work as a psychologist.
      “The mixture between the new interventions and the existing, recovered features is a liquid blend between two ways of building,” explained the architects. “One more universal – related to the new habits and comfort demands of the new inhabitants – and the other more vernacular, related to the place, the existing building and the local culture.”
      In Spain, Iterare Arquitectos used traditional construction techniques and local materials to update a 100-year-old home in a former fisherman’s neighbourhood in Valencia. The minimalist interior is designed to blend in with its historical surroundings.
      Photography is by Tiago Casanova.

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      Ten welcoming living rooms where the fireplace takes centre stage

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      With spring still a few months away in the northern hemisphere, this is the season to snuggle up in front of an open fire. For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up ten cosy living rooms where the fireplace is at the heart of the interior design.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 calm interiors, peaceful bedrooms, Japandi interiors and domestic bathrooms designed by architects.

      116 Sorauren and 118 Sorauren, Canada, by Ancerl Studio
      The living room of 116 Sorauren Street in Toronto, one of a pair of twin townhouses designed by Ancerl Studio, has been made cosy through the use of natural materials and plenty of textiles.
      A black steel fireplace sits on a cast concrete plinth against the back wall. The plinth extends to create a comfortable nook has where the owners or their guests can warm themselves.
      Find out more about 116 and 118 Sorauren ›

      Three Chimney House, US, by T W Ryan Architecture
      This modernist white-brick house in Virginia (above and top image) has three white chimneys that define its external form. Inside, one of them opens up into this starkly elegant, brick-clad fireplace in the living room.
      Here, tall white walls and ceilings create a contrast with the more traditional upholstered furniture. Warm colours ranging from pale aubergine purple to a mustard yellow were used on the seating by the fireplace, which is practical during cold winter months as well as being a decorative feature all year round.
      Find out more about Three Chimney House ›

      Pound Ridge House, US, by Tsao & McKown
      Tsao & McKown drew on Japanese architectural principles when designing Pound Ridge House. The influence that can be seen in the pared-back fireplace built onto a square stone hearth that sits between the living room and the dining room.
      The design references an irori, a traditional Japanese sunken hearth which is often square in form and set in the middle of a room.
      Smoke is extracted by a bronze flue in the form of a truncated pyramid that hangs from the ceiling of the lounge, which is filled with wood detailing and cream-coloured textiles. A generous skylight lets the light in during the daytime.
      Find out more about Pound Ridge House ›

      Teton House, US, by Olson Kundig
      With views like the ones from Teton House (above and top) in the mountainous terrain of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, you don’t need art on the walls. Olson Kundig used floor-to-ceiling windows to take advantage of the vistas. But the view is almost upstaged by a substantial black fireplace in the centre of the glazing.
      The simple form of the fireplace is complemented by leather chairs in warm brown hues as well as wood surfaces and woven textiles, creating an inviting, relaxing atmosphere.
      Find out more about Teton House ›

      House for Grandparents, US, by Dash Marshall
      The renovation of this California farmhouse was informed by the state’s Spanish missions, and its geometric forms and spartan material use reference these religious structures. But there is nothing ascetic about the house’s comfortable living room, where a broad brick fireplace sits on one wall.
      A colourful painting and rug add vibrancy to the room, while two cylindrical metal coffee tables pick up the warm glow of the fire.
      Find out more about House for Grandparents ›

      Smith Residence, Canada, by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple
      Inside this holiday home on the Nova Scotia peninsula, a massive fireplace keeps the living room toasty. Made from granite that was sourced from a nearby quarry, the fireplace features one aperture for the fire and one for storing logs.
      Its sits underneath the black steel trusses that support the exposed roof. In front of the fire, a soft high-pile rug and two brown leather sofas complete the design of the living room.
      Find out more about Smith Residence ›

      Wasatch House, US, by Olson Kundig
      An enormous bronze flue dominates the library in this Utah home by Olson Kundig, which has the feel of a living room thanks to a wide leather sofa and two cognac-coloured leather chairs. These sit in front of the unusual portrait-shaped fireplace, which is set in the monolithic flue and fronted by double doors.
      A colour palette of dark browns and greys create a pleasantly laid-back atmosphere in the capacious room while ceiling-height bookcases flank the fireplace.
      Find out more about Wasatch House ›

      Lincoln, Belgium, by Notan Office
      Modernist architect and designer Alvar Aalto inspired the design for this fireplace, set in a rooftop extension in Brussels by Notan Office.
      It wraps around a corner and was built from concrete and ceramic construction blocks in warm orange and pale grey hues. “A fireplace is a kind of artifactual element in a house,” architect Frédéric Karam told Dezeen. “I wanted to express a sense of organic and rough feeling for such a function,”
      Find out more about Lincoln ›

      Little Peek, US, by Berman Horn Studio
      Little Peek is a holiday home in Vinalhaven off the coast of Maine, designed by the Berman Horn Studio founders for themselves.
      Designed to be used in all seasons, the house nevertheless has a summer feel thanks to its light interior and many generous windows, as well as an enclosed patio.
      But in the open-plan kitchen and living room, a built-in fireplace set in a narrow stonework flue helps keep the room warm during cold New England winters.
      Find out more about Little Peek ›

      Casa Prè de Sura, Italy, by Casati
      A freestanding fireplace in the form of a trapezoidal prism decorates this living room in Italy, set in a gabled house by Austrian architects Casati that has rough limestone interior walls.
      The white fireplace functions as a decorative piece as well as a heat source. It has been cleverly designed with a side ledge on which the owners can stack wood. Beige and cream hues were used for the colour palette, matching both the fireplace and the limestone walls.
      Find out more about Casa Prè de Sura ›
      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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      in Rooms

      Noiascape brings variety and maturity to co-living with High Street House

      by

      Architects and developers Tom and James Teatum have launched a co-living building in west London where no two homes are the same, and residents can access spaces for working, learning and socialising.The brothers, who run both property company Noiascape and architecture studio Teatum+Teatum, designed High Street House in Shepherd’s Bush to offer flexible and sociable living to residents of all ages, not just young people.

      Every home in High Street House is different
      In line with the co-living model, the homes are small in size, but residents also have access to additional, shared facilities.
      These shared spaces include a co-working lounge that doubles as an events space, a spacious kitchen and dining room, a laundry, and a staircase that functions as a communal library.

      Skylights help to maximise natural light

      Meanwhile the homes – a mix of studios and micro-apartments – are designed to offer both quality and variety. They come in both single- and double-storey arrangements, and several have private outdoor terraces.
      Each one is also fitted out with custom-designed furniture elements, including a bed platform and a mobile storage closet, to ensure they are both space-efficient and high quality.

      Some units are arranged over two levels
      James Teatum told Dezeen that their residents include a mix of singles and couples, both pre- and post-family. What they usually have in common is that that are looking for an attractive place to live, but not a forever home.
      “Our members are typically coming to London for a specific period of three to twelve months, to work or learn,” he said.
      “They are able to work remotely and are very engaged in the cultural and social opportunities that cities provide. They want to live in modern spaces that are highly serviced, furnished and allow them to focus on living.”

      Each home features a Douglas fir kitchen and a mobile storage closet made from perforated metal
      The design for High Street House developed in response to learnings from previous rental homes that Noiascape has built and letted, including the smaller-scale Garden House and Hidden House.
      The founders observed that residents were increasingly looking to work from home – a trend that has only amplified following the Covid-19 pandemic – meaning that dedicated workspaces were becoming essential to residents.
      This led them to create the co-working lounge at ground level. It gives residents a regular workspace, but also a space that can host workshops, exhibitions, talks and other pop-up events that engage the local community.

      Beds are designed as multi-use platforms with surfaces and storage
      Another learning was that that the bed is no longer merely a place for sleeping, and is now used for relaxing and working too. Hence the bed in each High Street House home is a multi-use platform, integrating surfaces and storage.
      Likewise, the architects have created other multi-purpose furniture, including integrated benches and window seats.

      Spacious bathrooms are lined with geometric tiles
      “Flexible work patterns have changed the way members use spaces and what they need from the spaces where they live,” said James.
      “Lots of uses happen in parallel – working, cooking, reading, chatting, exercising – it all can happen in the same space. This was happening pre-Covid, but lockdown has amplified this transition. Therefore, we have simply expanded on the idea of home as a place not only to live, but to work, learn and socialise, all from one location.”

      A co-working lounge doubles as an events space
      The design aesthetic throughout is for bold colours, quality materials and simple, modern detailing.
      Floors are pigmented concrete in bright green and red shades, concrete and brick walls are left exposed, the bespoke kitchens and beds are built from Douglas fir, and the spacious bathrooms are lined in geometric tiles.
      There are also a number of furniture pieces created in collaboration with British designers.

      The main staircase also functions as a communal library
      “Modern urban renters want to turn up and start living straight away,” said James. “If we can provide fully integrated interiors with furniture it removes the need to buy flat pack furniture which is often then thrown out after a year.”
      “We will continue to invest in designing and making furniture with young British makers, it gives a clear identity to the interiors and allows us to work with emerging talent.”

      A large kitchen and dining room can be used by everyone
      The first High Street House residents moved in late 2020, and they include an 18-year-old music student and a couple in their 70s.
      As a result of Covid-19 restrictions, the building’s shared spaces haven’t yet been able to function as intended. But Noiascape plans to curate a diverse programme of events for them as soon as possible.

      Noiascape’s west London co-living space targets home-avoiding millennials

      One they do, Tom and James believes the building could become a model for how co-living developments can engage and contribute to their local communities, in a concept they call “hyper-local”.

      The aim is for High Street House to engage with the local community
      “Where higher local daily densities have been created during lockdown, we have seen some positive impact on local areas,” added James.
      “Co-living as a typology could be the catalyst to create this new density while providing the shared spaces to host a new type of public engagement.”
      Photography is by Nicholas Worley.

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