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    Eight colourful renovations that use vibrant shades to transform the home

    From a bold blue apartment in Paris to an all-lilac kitchen in Stockholm, this lookbook rounds up renovations that cleverly use bright colours to update and refresh home interiors.

    While neutral colour palettes are often chosen for a sense of serenity, embracing bold and bright colours can add a sense of fun to a home and reflect the owner’s personal style.
    The interiors in this lookbook show how even period buildings, from an Edwardian London townhouses to a 1950s Norwegian home, can be renovated to have colourful, modern and playful interiors.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring New York City lofts, living rooms with vintage furniture and interiors with burl wood surfaces.
    Photo by Félix Dol MaillotParisian apartment, France, by Uchronia

    Local studio Uchronia coated walls in gradients of bright colours and added colourful geometric furniture to this Parisian apartment, which was designed for a pair of jewellery designers.
    The bold tones sit against a backdrop of detailing including boiserie, mouldings and parquet flooring. These are original to the mid-century building the apartment is located in, which was designed as part of Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s reconstruction of the French capital.
    Find out more about the Parisian apartment ›
    Photo by Jesper Westblom1980s Stockholm apartment, Sweden, by Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor
    Lilac hues coat the walls, ceiling and floor of the kitchen in this apartment in Stockholm, which was renovated by local studio Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor.
    Set in a 1980s prefabricated concrete building, the studio also created an all-yellow bedroom and added accents of burnt orange to the home’s doors and bespoke furniture.
    Find out more about the 1980s Stockholm apartment ›
    Photo by French + TyeGraphic House, UK, by Office S&M
    Architecture studio Office S&M drew upon its clients’ love for graphics to create the colourful and geometric renovation of Graphic House in London.
    The studio added art deco forms in a variety of colours to the mid-terrace Edwardian home, including mint green walls and kitchen cupboards, yellow window and door frames, and a blue staircase.
    Find out more about Graphic House ›
    Photo by Paolo FuscoRetroscena, Italy, by La Macchina Studio
    Swathes of primary colours feature throughout Retroscena, a 1950s apartment in Rome that was transformed by Italian architecture practice La Macchina Studio.
    The practice aimed to create a “surreal” and “quasi-theatrical” interior with bright blue archways and zesty yellow curtains contrasting against white walls.
    Find out more about Retroscena ›
    Photo by Magnus Berger NordstrandYellow House in the Apple Garden, Norway, by Familien Kvistad
    With a name referencing the sunny hue of its monochrome exterior, Yellow House in the Apple Garden is a 1950s house in Oslo that local studio Familien Kvistad renovated to have a more modern feel.
    Based on the client’s favourite colours, the interior palette includes bold tones of mustard yellow in the kitchen tiling and shades of plum and forest green in the soft furnishings.
    Find out more about Yellow House in the Apple Garden ›
    Photo by Taran WilkhuEast London townhouse, UK, by PL Studio
    Interior design office PL Studio added shades of blue, green and yellow to this east London townhouse, informed by a Morrocan villa that was once the home of artist Jacques Majorelle.
    Applying the colours in graphic shapes on the home’s walls, PL Studio wanted to create a sense of character that reflected the clients’ joyful and positive energy.
    Find out more about the east London townhouse ›
    Photo by Sean DavidsonHudson Heights apartment, USA, by Ideas of Order
    US architecture studio Ideas of Order updated this 1,000-square-foot residence in Manhattan with pops of colour in the style of French midcentury designers, such as Charlotte Perriand.
    The studio gave each room in the apartment its own identity by using different colours. The kitchen was refreshed and made more suitable for entertainment with raspberry and periwinkle cabinets, a lime green storage wall was added to the bedroom, and pale pink cabinets were inserted in the entryway.
    Find out more about Hudson Height apartment ›
    Photo by Megan TaylorSunderland Road House, UK, by 2LG Studio
    Sunderland Road House is an Edwardian home in London that local firm 2LG Studio renovated for a family of five, aiming to incorporate the clients’ love for colour while respecting the period elements of the house.
    Shades of pastel green cover the walls in the baby’s room, the entry hall was coated in hues of pink, and the kitchen was fitted with sky-blue cabinets.
    Find out more about Sunderland Road House ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring New York City lofts, living rooms with vintage furniture and interiors with burl wood surfaces.

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    Yatofu fosters “relaxed holiday atmosphere” in Jianze showroom

    Design studio Yatofu has completed a furniture showroom in Hangzhou, China, featuring a playful pastel colour palette and a display area housed on a steel-mesh platform.

    The 80-square-metre retail space belongs to Chinese design brand Jianze and forms part of an emerging cultural district in the city’s Liangzhe New Town.
    Jianze’s facade features a floor-to-ceiling opening with retractable glazed doorsYatofu set out to create a “relaxed holiday atmosphere” inside the showroom, which was influenced by the semi-public garden terraces found in European cities and features a full-height opening with retractable glazed doors that connect it with the outdoors.
    “This blurring of the boundary between the inside and outside allows passing pedestrians to easily observe the activities that take place within the showroom while maintaining visual continuity between the street level and interior space,” the studio explained.
    A sage green steel platform creates an additional display areaInside the space, Yatofu used contrasting colours and materials to portion up the floor area while introducing a whimsical touch to reflect Jianze’s products.

    One example is the decision to juxtapose glossy white floor tiles and rough pink micro-cement to create a visual separation between different zones.
    The space is divided by contrasting flooring”The playfulness of the flooring’s colour and configuration evokes a sense of joy and vibrancy, inviting visitors to linger and explore the brand and its products with wonder and curiosity,” said Yatofu.
    The delicate colour scheme also contrasts with the raw concrete ceiling, where exposed ducting and lighting tracks add to the industrial feel.
    The studio designed the showroom as a versatile space for eventsClose to the centre of the open room, a lightweight steel mezzanine provides additional space for displaying some of Jianze’s furniture. A spiral stair in one corner offers a fun and space-efficient way of accessing the platform.
    The raised enclosure is clad in a perforated steel mesh that allows its contents to remain visible as visitors walk around the space below.

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    The structure is painted a light shade of sage green that complements the pink micro-cement walls and floors, adding to the calming feel of the interior.
    Built-in cabinets and shelving made from pale birch wood add tone and texture to the space. The wood was also used to create a monolithic desk in one corner that functions as a service and payment area.
    Steel pegs form an adjustable display systemOn a nearby wall, rows of detachable stainless steel pegs form an adjustable display system that can be used to support various products.
    This use of flexible displays combined with the unconventional partitioning of space contributes to “an experience that exists somewhere between a pop-up and conventional showroom”, according to Yatofu.
    The mezzanine was wrapped in perforated metal meshThe versatile space can function both as a showroom and a place for hosting events such as exhibitions or markets, in particular thanks to its connection with the surrounding public realm.
    “The showroom invites its visitors to connect to the brand through a concept that communicates joy, ease, acceptance and a willingness to share in the appreciation of lifestyle and home,” the studio said.
    The platform was painted sage green to complement the pink walls and floorsYatofu was founded in Helsinki, Finland, in 2017 and now operates globally, working across disciplines including interior architecture, product and furniture design, visual communication and strategic design.
    The studio has previously converted a post office in Zhejiang into a boldly coloured gift shop and events space, and designed the interiors for a teahouse in Helsinki featuring a palette of brick, oak and oxidised steel.
    The photography is by Wen Studio.

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    Moooi furnishings “tell a different story on every floor” of Lisbon hotel says Rebelo de Andrade

    Father and son architect duo Luís and Tiago Rebelo de Andrade explain how they furnished Lisbon’s Art Legacy Hotel entirely with Moooi products in this video produced by Dezeen for the Dutch furniture brand.

    Lisbon practice Rebelo De Andrade designed the interiors of the five star Art Legacy Hotel, located in the Baixa-Chiado district in the city’s centre.
    The hotel is notable for its exclusive use of Moooi products and rooms with bold primary colour schemes.
    Art Legacy Hotel is a five star hotel in Lisbon”Hospitality is always about image and stories,” said Luís Rebelo De Andrade, founder of the studio, in the exclusive Dezeen video interview. “We wanted the guests, when they come to this hotel, to have a completely unexpected experience.”
    “So, we proposed to our client that we make a hotel with only Moooi products, to give it a very strong identity.”

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    Moooi’s products were used throughout the hotel, including carpets, furniture, lighting, wall coverings and art pieces.
    “Moooi is everywhere in the building,” said Tiago Rebelo De Andrade, who is partner and principal architect at the studio and Luís Rebelo De Andrade’s son. “When you enter the hotel, all the colours, all the textures, all the furniture from Moooi helps us to tell a different story in every floor.
    Rebelo De Andrade furnished the Art Legacy Hotel entirely with Moooi productsThe project is a renovation of a historical office building. Alongside overhauling the hotel’s interior, Rebelo De Andrade also redesigned its facade.
    According to Tiago Rebelo De Andrade, Moooi’s blend of modernity and classical references suited the studio’s approach to designing the hotel’s interiors.
    “Moooi is classic but in a way that can also be modern,” he said. “It’s a modern-classic building.”
    Art Legacy Hotel is a renovation of a historic building in Lisbon’s centreLuís Rebelo De Andrade decided to partner with Moooi on the hotel’s interiors after visiting the brand’s Museum of Extinct Animals exhibition at Milan design week in 2018.
    Each room in the Art Legacy Hotel has either a blue, red, yellow or green colour scheme, with matching wall coverings, furniture and tiling in the bathrooms.
    “When I first met Moooi’s products, I felt that it uses a lot of primary colours,” he said. “So I used primary colours in a very strong way in the hotel. They are colours that provoke you.”
    Moooi’s lighting, furniture, wall coverings and carpets are used throughout Art Legacy HotelIn the video interview, the duo also discussed their working relationship.
    “My son, he provokes me,” said Luís Rebelo De Andrade. “We had to educate ourselves on how to work together.”
    “I offer my experience, he offers his youth in projects,” he continued. “So I think it’s a good mix.”
    Rebelo De Andrade used primary colour schemes in Art Legacy Hotel’s rooms”It’s difficult because it’s a father and son relationship,” added Tiago Rebelo De Andrade. “We are always arguing, but at the end of the day, we drink a bottle of wine so that we can make peace with each other.”
    Other recent projects from Moooi include the IDEO-designed Pallana suspension lamp, made up of adjustable ring lights, and the rope-like Knitty Chair designed by Nika Zupanc.
    The photography is by João Guimarães.
    Partnership content
    This video was produced by Dezeen for Moooi as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen’s partnership content here.

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    Oskar Kohnen fills “well-curated” London office with mid-century modern furniture

    London studio Oskar Kohnen has outfitted a Mayfair office with mid-century modern furniture and contemporary pieces, which “are so well curated that no one would ever dare to throw them away”.

    Spread across three floors, the office is housed within a rectilinear building in London’s Mayfair neighbourhood with a gridded facade.
    Oskar Kohnen designed the office in London’s Mayfair area”It has a townhouse feeling,” studio founder Oskar Kohnen told Dezeen of the office, which he designed for developer Crosstree Real Estate.
    At its ground level, Kohnen clad the entrance hall with dark-stained wooden panels and added sconce lights to subtly illuminate the space.
    A cream Djinn sofa was placed in the entrance hallAn amorphous Djinn sofa, created by industrial designer Olivier Mourge in 1965, was placed in one corner.

    “We worked a lot with vintage furniture, and as for the new pieces we sourced, we hope they are so well curated that no one would ever dare to throw them away,” said Kohnen.
    The first floor features a living room-style space”Warm and inviting” interiors characterise a living room-style space on the first floor, which was created in direct contrast to the industrial appearance of the exterior.
    An L-shaped velvet and stainless-steel sofa finished in a burnt orange hue was positioned next to white-stained brise soleil screens and a bright resin coffee table.
    Terrazzo accents were chosen for the kitchen”The social spaces have an earthy and calm colour palette – yet they are lush and dramatic,” explained Kohnen.
    A pair of low-slung 1955 Lina armchairs by architect Gianfranco Frattini also features in this space, while floor-to-ceiling glazing opens onto a residential-style terrace punctuated by potted plants.
    Oskar Kohnen added a bright gridded ceiling to one of the meeting roomsSimilar tones and textures were used to dress the rest of the rooms on this level.
    These spaces include a kitchen with contemporary terrazzo worktops and a meeting room with a red gridded ceiling that was set against cream-coloured panels and modernist black chairs.

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    The second floor holds the main office, complete with rows of timber desks and an additional meeting room-library space characterised by the same reddish hues as the low-lit entrance hall.
    “The idea was to create an office space that had soul to it and would offer a more personal take on a work environment, rather than the usual corporate spaces we are so familiar with in London,” Kohen concluded.
    The second floor holds the main officeFounded in 2011, Kohnen’s eponymous studio has completed a range of interior projects, including a mint-green eyewear store in Berlin and a pink-tinged paint shop in southwest London.
    The photography is by Salva Lopez.

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    Brazilian-informed murals bring character to Parisian restaurant duo Oka Fogo

    Architect Arnaud Behzadi and artist Florence Bamberger have combined French and Brazilian influences to create interiors for a pair of adjoining restaurants.

    Located in Paris’ 17th arrondissement, Oka Fogo is the latest eatery from Raphael Rego, a Michelin-starred chef who is originally from Rio de Janeiro.
    Behzadi designed interiors that aim to capture the spirit of Rego’s cuisine, while Bamberger painted wall and ceiling murals that bring an extra spark of energy.
    Bamberger reinterpreted Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe on the wall of FogoThe two restaurants each have a distinct character.
    Oka, which means “house” in the language of Brazil’s indigenous Tupi people, is an intimate 16-seat dinner-service restaurant with the feel of a grand yet cosy lounge.

    The neighbouring Fogo, which translates as “fire”, is a less formal space that offers a sense of dining al fresco. With an adjoining bar and grill, this 40-seat space is open for lunch and dinner.
    Oka is a 16-seat restaurant with the feel of a grand but cosy lounge”I approached the project as a journey through a house,” Behzadi told Dezeen.
    “I see Oka as a prestigious living room and Fogo as an interior garden.”
    A ceiling mural incorporates references to Brazil’s flora and faunaBamberger’s expressive murals reinforce this approach.
    In Fogo, she has painted a reinterpretation of the Édouard Manet artwork, Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe. The work takes cues from the free-flowing lines of Brazilian artist José Francisco Borgès, resulting in a vibrant style.
    The Oka mural features on the ceiling rather than a wall. This more abstract work is based on Brazil’s flora and fauna, along with objects that represent the nation’s culture.
    The facade combines Jatoba wood with striated marbleBehzadi chose richly toned woods and highly textural marbles for the interior design palette, in a nod to materials favoured by Brazil’s prolific mid-century designers.
    This partnering of stone and wood begins with the facade, where panels of Jatoba wood from the Amazon sit above a plinth of striated Iranian marble.

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    “I decided to interpret a classical style for the storefront,” said Behzadi.
    “It’s a very Parisian approach, using an exotic material to start evoking the interior that you will discover inside.”
    Fogo’s floor is a grid of green marble and travertine tilesInside, decorative wooden furniture and joinery are accompanied by a mix of different stones, including white travertine and various green-toned marbles.
    Other eye-catching details include sculptural wall lights by Behzadi’s former business partner, designer Cathy Crinon, and chairs by the late Brazilian designer Sergio Rodrigues.
    “There is a clear Brazilian inspiration,” added Behzadi.
    Additional spaces include a private alcoveThe venue also includes an alcove dining space with room for six, featuring a mirrored ceiling and curved banquette in red velvet, and a wine and champagne tasting room with a vaulted ceiling.
    Oka Fogo opened earlier this month. Other recent openings in Paris include Moët Hennessy’s Cravan cocktail bar and oyster bar Citrons et Huîtres.
    The photography is by Claire Israel.

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    Plantea Estudio plays with light and shadow for Acid cafe interior

    Spanish studio Plantea Estudio has completed a cafe and bakery inside an early 20th-century building in Madrid, contrasting the original dark tones of the interior with modern steel surfaces.

    Taking over a former gem store on a busy street in the Justicia district, the Acid cafe and bakeshop was designed to provide a place for quiet conversation away from the bustle of the city.
    The Acid Cafe and Bakeshop provides an intimate space away from the busy streetIt occupies the ground floor of a turn-of-the-century building, which is rich with historic details such as a deep storefront made from wood and green marble, with curved windows on either side of the entrance.
    Plantea Estudio sought to retain the original character of the space by restoring elements including the facade and the internal wood shelving and windows, as well as a decorative plaster frieze above the new serving area.
    Reflective steel contrasts with the space’s existing dark-toned interiorMinimal architectural interventions and a carefully chosen material palette help to define Acid’s interior ambience while supporting the new function of the space.

    “We completed and adapted what was there and added the rest to match this same character – or to contrast as an opposition that enhances it,” Plantea Estudio architectural designer Carla Morán told Dezeen.
    “Old and new, figurative and abstract, colour and shadow, rough and soft, matt and satin, all in the same space as different sides of the same coin.”
    The walls and ceilings are finished with warm-grey lime wash paintThe shop was previously divided into two parts, with the rear part housing storage and toilets. Plantea Estudio retained this configuration but looked to make better use of these neglected space at the back by creating a cosy lounge area for patrons.
    In the front part of the space, wooden shelves were sanded and varnished to return them to their original condition. Any anachronous additions were removed and replaced with shelves or doors painted in a deep red chosen to complement the wood tones.
    A mirror added to the ceiling above Acid’s entrance increases the sense of space in this area and multiplies reflections produced by the curved windows.

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    The building’s original terrazzo was uncovered from underneath layers of flooring, while the walls and ceiling were finished with a warm-grey lime wash paint that contributes to the cosy atmosphere.
    A coffee machine and pastry display sit on a stainless steel counter that provides a point of contrast with its precise and modern appearance, softened by a matte finish that produces blurred reflections.
    Original terrazzo flooring was uncovered by removing layers of flooringThe elongated lounge area at the rear of the unit is designed as a refuge from the busy neighbourhood, where guests can relax in semi-darkness with a coffee and pastry.
    “The interior space was quite dark, only connected to the exterior part by two openings in a structural wall,” Morán recalled. “So we thought about a room in shadow and quietness, with the reflection of the soft light over a stainless steel shared table.”
    A cosy lounge occupies the rear of the bakeryThe room’s new floor is made from plywood that produces a soft sound underfoot as guests transition from the terrazzo-floored shop to this calmer and quieter space.
    The wood is painted a deep blue colour to match the walls at either end of the room and contribute to the intimate half-lit atmosphere. A row of exposed light bulbs hangs above the table to provide gentle illumination along with shimmering reflections.
    Blue-painted plywood floors were chosen to muffle stepsThis is the third project that Plantea Studio has completed for the owners of Acid cafe in Madrid, following the Gota wine bar with its cave-like dining room.
    The studio was founded in 2008 by brothers Luis and Lorenzo Gil. Its other projects include a raw and minimal shop for footwear brand Veja and a multi-purpose entertainment space housed in a former erotic cinema.
    The photography is by Salva López.
    Project credits:
    Architecture and interior design: Plantea EstudioPromoter: Acid caféFurniture: Plantea Estudio and FramaLighting: Frama, Santa & Cole, Vitra, Ferm Living and AnglepoiseGraphic design: Koln studioArt: Armando MesíasPaint: Bauwerk colour

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    Historic sanatorium in Greek mountain forest transformed into Manna hotel

    Greek architecture offices K-Studio and Monogon have converted the abandoned Manna Sanatorium in Arcadia, southern Greece, into a luxury forest hotel.

    Originally built in the 1920s to give tuberculosis patients access to the healing power of nature, the historic structure is now a five-star wellness retreat.
    Manna offers 32 rooms fitted out with natural materials and neutral tones, plus gym and spa facilities and a restaurant focused on local produce.
    Manna hotel is housed in a former sanatorium for tuberculosis patientsThe building sits within a fir forest on Mount Mainalo, the tallest peak in the mountainous region.
    The design vision set out by Athens-based K-Studio was to amplify the sense of sanctuary offered by the remote location and enhance the feeling of connection to nature.

    Manna owner Stratis Batayas, a Greek entrepreneur who had spent his childhood summers in the area, wanted to create a year-round destination that stayed true to the building’s history.
    The building is set in a fir forest in Arcadia, a mountainous region of Greece”The client’s ambition was to reinterpret the concept of a sanctuary in the mountains with contemporary terms,” reads K-Studio’s design statement.
    “The hotel would have to be a place for isolation, as well as community-making and participation in the primary activities of everyday living.”
    Design details include columns with curved corner reveals and ornate gridded ceilingsThe renovation was overseen in collaboration with Athens-based Monogon and involved significant building work, including the reconstruction of a derelict rear wing and the installation of a new roof.
    When the sanatorium closed – made obsolete following the introduction of penicillin in 1938 – the building had been emptied to prevent looting. Stone window sills were stripped out and relocated, while the original roof was removed and repurposed on a hospital in nearby Tripoli.
    Concrete was used to replace the old sills, while the new timber roof was installed over rendered brickwork.
    The bar features neatly crafted joineryA reconfigured layout provides a new entrance on the side of the building.
    This leads through into a series of elegant reception and lounge spaces where details include columns with curved corner reveals, ornate gridded ceilings and a herringbone-patterned fireplace.

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    Manna’s bar can also be found here, featuring neatly crafted joinery. Elsewhere, the restaurant run by chef Athinagoras Kostakos has a more casual feel thanks to an open kitchen.
    Art is present throughout, with works by Greek artist Nikos Kanoglou, painter Joanna Burtenshaw and ceramicist Diane Alexandre.
    Attic bedrooms feature dormer balconiesBedrooms are located on the upper floors of the main building, including a new attic level, and on all levels of the rebuilt northern wing.
    Attic rooms offer the most modern feel, extending out to balconies set within large gable-ended dormers.
    Interiors feature natural materials and neutral tonesThe materials palette combines brushed timber with earth-toned textiles. Standout features include the elaborate privacy screens that form a backdrop to the beds.
    Terrazzo flooring is inlaid with marble to define different zones, matching the stone used for wash basins. Room numbers are carved into the floor surfaces in front of each room entrance.
    “Local craftsmen were involved in all construction phases, as they bear the knowhow of stoneworks, joinery and even the characteristic engraved grouting of the exterior stonewalls,” said K-Studio.
    Terrazzo flooring is inlaid with marble to define zonesManna opened its doors in the summer of 2023 and is represented by Design Hotels, a booking company that specialises in design-led retreats.
    K-Studio co-founder Dimitris Karampataki presented the project at the 2023 edition of The Lobby, an annual hospitality conference in Copenhagen.
    Manna’s restaurant features an open kitchenHe said the design for Manna “embraces the wear and tear, embraces the natural patina”.
    “When we first arrived we saw something, which took about a century to make,” he said. “We didn’t want to clean it too much, to be selective of its heritage. It was more important for us to embrace the whole story.”
    The design aims to reconnect people with natureOther destination hotels to open recently include the Six Senses Rome, designed by Patricia Urquiola, and the Sanya Wellness Retreat in Hainan, China, designed by Neri&Hu.
    The photography is by Ana Santl.
    Project credits
    Architectural concept: K-StudioTechnical design: Monogon, CS ArchitectureOn-site supervison: Monogon, K-StudioFF&E: K-Studio, MonogonArt curation: Joanna BurtenshawBranding design: MNPSurveyor: Ioannis CharbilasStructural engineer: Niki PsillaMechanical engineer: Gerasimos Vasilatos/Alexandra Zachopoulou & PartnersLighting design: Eleftheria Deko and Associates Lighting DesignSound consultant: Alpha AcoustikiKitchen consultant: XenexLandscape architects: H Pangalou & AssociatesMain contractor: CT Construction

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    Lovers Unite revives interiors of mid-century Silver Lake home

    California design studio Lovers Unite has reinvigorated a 1950s home with sweeping views of the Los Angeles hills, turning an unused balcony into an extension of the indoor social space.

    The wooden dwelling in LA’s Silver Lake neighbourhood belongs to production designer James Chinlund and artist Clare Crespo.
    Lovers Unite renovated the home for a creative couple in Los AngelesA “previously a boring, nondescript mid-century house”, according to Lovers Unite, the property required some imagination to bring its interiors up to par with its setting.
    Therefore, the studio “introduced a few carefully plotted architectural interventions and material shifts to completely reimagine the interior of the home and take full advantage of its prime site”.
    The house has expansive views over the city’s hillsThe most impactful of these interventions was to bring an underutilised balcony at the back of the house into the envelope, extending the open-plan living and dining area by several feet.

    Beneath the large windows that were installed to fill the gap, Lovers Unite placed built-in seating with teal-upholstered cushions for relaxing and enjoying the panoramic vista.
    Plenty of wood was used throughout the home, particularly in the kitchen”With a large window wall and generous built-in banquette, the room finally celebrates the expansive views that had always been there,” the studio said.
    In the kitchen, dark green soapstone used for counters and the backsplash contrasts with the honey-toned cabinetry, and a shiny copper range hood matches a panel installed at the back of a bar area on the opposite side of the room.
    The honey-toned wood contrasts with soapstone surfaces and a copper range hoodElsewhere, colourful furnishings, collectible design pieces and bold artworks stand out against the predominantly wood interiors.
    A timber-lined lounge area features the classic modular Togo sofa system by Michael Ducaroy, which is wrapped in yellow corduroy fabric.

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    Meanwhile, in the den, a purple armchair is positioned beside a giant chair that Chinlund used as a prop for a shoot by Italian fashion outfit Roberto Cavalli.
    Wood slats were employed to partially screen the staircase opening on the upper level, next to a central fireplace with a raised hearth.
    As part of the renovation, an unused balcony was incorporated into the social space and a long window seat was installed in its placeOther decor items like vintage rugs, embroidered cushions and plenty of art and design books add even more character to the spaces.
    “Ultimately, the mood of the home reflects the spirit and talents of the estimable homeowner,” said Lovers Unite, noting that Chinlund has worked as a production designer for the Avengers movie franchise.
    Colourful furniture and set props are scattered through the different roomsSilver Lake is home to a variety of architectural gems, many built on dramatically sloping sites, including residences designed by notable mid-century architects like Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler.
    Led by Karen Spector and Alan Koch, Lovers Unite is based close to the neighbourhood, and has previously wrapped a bar and restaurant in Pasadena with expressive drapery.
    The photography is by Chris Mottalini.

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