Eight stylish kitchens with metallic gold surfaces in unexpected places
Our latest lookbook collects opulent kitchens that incorporate pops of shiny, reflective gold on worktops, cabinet doors, splashbacks and decor. More
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Eight colourful kitchens designed for cheery living
Stained green plywood and a wiggly salmon-pink room divider embellish our latest lookbook, which features a rainbow of colourful residential kitchens. More
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Eight characterful kitchens with sleek metal details
Our latest lookbook focuses on eight homes fitted with metal kitchens, from a flat in London informed by fish-and-chip shops to a 19th-century apartment with period details in Paris.
While stainless steel has long been a material associated with restaurant kitchens due to its durability and functionality, it can bring a sleek, modern feel to residential kitchens and many now opt to integrate metal kitchens into their homes.
Here, we spotlight eight homes that make use of metal in residential kitchens in various ways.
Included in this collection of projects is a fish-and-chip-shop-inspired kitchen in London, a live-work apartment space in a brutalist building in Quebec City and a 24-square-metre micro apartment in Melbourne.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, living rooms with autumnal hints of red and orange and members’ clubs with lavish interiors.Photo is by Edmund DabneyHighbury apartment, UK, by Holloway Li
Local studio Holloway Li renovated this apartment set in a converted Victorian house in north London, creating a single-storey home with an open-plan layout for its co-founder Alex Holloway.
Designed to reference materials found in London’s many fast food outlets and fish and chip shops, its custom-built kitchen was clad in circle-brushed stainless steel with a curved splashback.
Find out more about the Highbury apartment ›
Photo by Maryse Béland, Maxime Brouillet and Antoine MichelBrutalist apartment, Canada, by Jean Verville
Metal surfaces were juxtaposed against bright yellow wall lamps within this live-work apartment space that architect Jean Verville designed for himself as a “creative laboratory” inside a residential tower in Quebec City.
Stainless-steel commercial restaurant furniture was used for the kitchen, blending in with the raw concrete walls of the 1970s brutalist building.
Find out more about the brutalist apartment ›
Photo is by French + TyeTrellick Tower apartment, UK, by Archmongers
Surfaces and fixtures made from industrial-style materials were paired with newly exposed concrete aggregate walls in this home renovation by London studio Archmongers in North Kensington’s Trellick Tower.
In the kitchen, speckled brown and cream terrazzo was incorporated alongside brushed stainless steel counters, white cabinets and matt-black linoleum flooring.
Find out more about the Trellick Tower apartment ›
Photo is by Giulio GhirardiHaussmann-era apartment, France, by Rodolphe Parente
Set within a 19th-century Parisian apartment, French interior designer Rodolphe Parente balanced cabinet finishes of stainless steel and pastel pink with a frame-like marble splashback for the kitchen.
During the overhaul of the Haussmann-era apartment, Parante set out to preserve and restore some of the classic features while improving the sense of flow by connecting the dining room with the kitchen.
Find out more about the Haussmann-era apartment ›
Photo is by Félix Dol MaillotUnivers Uchronia, France, by Uchronia
Named Univers Uchronia, this eclectic Paris apartment was designed by Uchronia founder Julien Sebban as his home, intended to be an extension of his studio – known for its bold application of shape, colour and reflective surfaces.
A metallic island was incorporated in the open-plan kitchen, topped with a blobby seaweed-shaped table lamp, alongside an array of contrasting materials and colours.
Find out more about Univers Uchronia ›
Photo is by Yevhenii AvramenkoStalinist-era apartment, Ukraine, by Mirzoyan Studio
Partition shelves and built-in furniture were used to distinguish open-plan spaces in Ukrainian architecture practice Mirzoyan Studio’s renovation of this Stalinist-era flat in the historic centre of Kyiv.
Fitted in the corner of the open-plan living and dining room, the cabinets and countertops in the primary working area of the kitchen were finished in polished stainless steel.
Find out more about the Stalinist-era flat ›
Photo is by Pier Carthew Kerr, Australia, by SSdH
Metal surfaces were combined with wooden cabinetry in this mezzanine-style apartment by local studio SSdH, located in a warehouse building in Melbourne that once housed a chocolate factory.
Part of an open-plan living space, the kitchen was fitted with geometric cabinetry made from local spotted gum timber, as well as brushed stainless steel and nickel fixtures.
Find out more about Kerr ›
Photo is by Peter Bennetts Microloft, Australia, by Studio Edwards
Australian architecture practice Studio Edwards remodelled this 24-square-metre micro apartment on the top floor of a 1980s apartment block in Melbourne.
A horizontal raw aluminium surface was used for the angled wedge-shaped countertops in both the kitchen and dining area, designed to seamlessly merge the two spaces.
Find out more about Microloft ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, living rooms with autumnal hints of red and orange and members’ clubs with lavish interiors.Read more: More
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Eight home kitchens finished with tactile brick floors
Our latest lookbook collects eight houses from around the world that feature kitchens with tactile brick floors, including a mid-century home in the USA and a coastal dwelling in Denmark.
Widely used for their durability and low maintenance, bricks are a long-time favourite material across the fields of architecture, interiors and design.
They are most commonly used on walls and patios, but also popular as internal flooring because of their ability to add rich, earthy tones and tactile qualities to an interior.
While brick flooring may conjure up images of old rustic farmhouses, this roundup shows how they can also be adapted to suit contemporary homes around the world.
The examples below include those that have been arranged in herringbone format, used as a backdrop to oak cabinetry or designed to connect homes to their matching patios outside.This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, autumnal living rooms and lavish members’ clubs.
Photo by Carlos NaudeHacienda Granada, USA, by Working Holiday Studio
Working Holiday Studio sought to create a “hacienda vibe” for this mid-century home that it overhauled in Los Angeles.
Among the alterations was a revamp of the kitchen, which involved adding a floor of warm terracotta bricks handmade in Tijuana, Mexico, arranged in a herringbone format.
They contribute to a warm and earthy aesthetic in the room, which is enhanced by dark green plaster walls and wooden joinery and furniture.
Find out more about Hacienda Granada ›
Photo by Agnese SanvitoGallery House, UK, by Neil Dusheiko
Chunky reclaimed bricks extend down from the lower half of the walls of this kitchen and continue out across its floor.
Designed by architect Neil Dusheiko for his father-in-law, the terracotta lining forms a backdrop to a wall of storage built from oak that displays ceramics, glassware and framed pictures.
Find out more about Gallery House ›
Photo by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm ArchitectsFjord Boat House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
Handmade ceramic bricks are inlaid across the floor of this kitchen, which Danish studio Norm Architects created at the Fjord Boat House in Denmark.
Married with warm oak finishes and a custom washi-paper pendant lamp, the textured flooring is intended to contribute to a warm and cosy atmosphere.
“A refined abundance of warm textures and hues are used throughout, creating a deep sense of cosiness and comfort,” said Norm Architects.
Find out more about Fjord Boat House ›
Photo by David SouthwoodArklow Villa III, South Africa, by Douglas & Company
During their renovation of a century-old house in Cape Town, architects Liani and Jan Douglas revamped the kitchen with a tactile material palette that includes brick flooring.
The terracotta floor continues onto the adjoining patio and is teamed with a structure of exposed South African pine and bespoke wooden units finished with green marble counters.
Find out more about Arklow Villa III ›
Photo by Chris WhartonVinyl House, UK, by Benjamin Wilkes
Elongated bricks are arranged in a herringbone formation across the floor of the Vinyl House extension, recently completed by British studio Benjamin Wilkes in London.
Designed to help connect its kitchen area to the matching patio outside, the earthy flooring is complemented by warm wooden cabinetry and off-white terrazzo countertops.
Find out more about Vinyl House ›
Photo by Prue RuscoeBudge Over Dover, Australia, by YSG
Terracotta brick was teamed with aged brass and tactile plaster across the interior of Budge Over Dover, a house in Australia renovated by YSG.
Bricks line much of the ground floor, including its textured kitchen that is complete with a chunky prep counter made with a veiny marble countertop.
Find out more about Budge Over Dover ›
Photo by Jonas Bjerre-PoulsenHeatherhill Beach House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
Norm Architects also opted for brick flooring in the kitchen of Heatherhill Beach House, a wooden holiday home on the Danish coast. It was designed as a contemporary twist on the traditional brick flooring found in Denmark.
“The bricks are placed side by side instead of in the traditional pattern and have minimal cuts – instead, the grout size changes minimally to achieve a homogenous and harmonious look,” the studio explained.
Find out more about Heatherhill Beach House ›
Photo by Fred HowarthCamberwell Cork House, UK, by Delve Architects
A floor that acts as a continuation of the brick paving outside features in the open-plan kitchen of Camberwell Cork House, conceived by Delve Architects in London.
Its design formed part of a wider strategy for the home that sought to better connect it to its garden. This is also achieved by introducing large green-framed windows that enhance sight lines and maximise natural light.
Find out more about Camberwell Cork House ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, autumnal living rooms and lavish members’ clubs.Read more: More
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Eight wooden kitchens that make the most of the material
Swirly cabinets and oak-lined ceilings feature in our latest lookbook, which collects eight residential kitchens from around the world where wood takes centre stage.
Strong, versatile and often sustainable, timber is a favourite material among architects and designers.
From an east London dwelling that is almost entirely underground to a rural Tasmanian farmhouse, here are eight homes united by their wooden kitchens.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring converted barns, eclectic hotels and micro interiors.
Photo by Fionn McCannChurchtown, Ireland, by Scullion ArchitectsChurchtown is a curved glass extension to a family home in Dublin, designed by Scullion Architects as a family-focussed space.
The studio was informed by 1930s modernism when creating the kitchen, which is characterised by stained oak-panelled cabinetry.
Find out more about Churchtown ›
Photo by Max Hart NibbrigBolívar House, Spain, by Juan Gurrea Rumeu
Architect Gurrea Rumeu designed this home for himself and his wife in Barcelona.
Swirly dark wood was used to create tall kitchen cabinets, while concrete walls and floors add an industrial touch to the interior.
Find out more about Bolívar House ›
Photo courtesy of James ShawLondon house, UK, by James Shaw
Known for making extruded recycled plastic furniture, designer Shaw applied his off-beat creative approach to his own London home which he designed with architect Nicholas Ashby to be almost entirely underground.
Shaw created kitchen cabinets out of veneered MDF, which he paired with worktops formed from pale blue HIMACS and stainless steel.
Find out more about this London house ›
Photo by Jonas Bjerre-PoulsenFjord Boat House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
Fjord Boat House is a lakeside holiday home that sits near the border of Denmark and Germany.
Danish studio Norm Architects chose a warm interior palette for the dwelling, including a kitchen defined by oak cabinets and ceilings and handmade ceramic brick flooring.
Find out more about Fjord Boat House ›
Photo by Dianna SnapeCoopworth, Tasmania, by FMD Architects
FMD Architects designed a farmhouse in rural Tasmania with a plywood-lined kitchen and living spaces separated by a statement wood-burning stove.
Located on Bruny Island, Coopworth features corrugated metal cladding that references vernacular agricultural buildings.
Find out more about Coopworth ›
Photo by Daniëlle SiobhánZwaag house, the Netherlands, by DAB Studio
Two types of timber were used to clad the floors, walls, ceiling and cabinets of this kitchen at a family home in Zwaag, the Netherlands.
DAB Studio renovated the floors and ceiling with hand-scraped oak, while Afromosia wood – a tropical hardwood native to west Africa – was applied to the cabinets and walls.
Find out more about this Zwaag house ›
Photo by Andrew PogueHood Cliff Retreat, USA, by Wittman Estes
Architecture studio Wittman Estes sought to immerse Hood Cliff Retreat “in the stillness of the forest” on its wooded site in Washington State.
White oak floors and pine plywood ceilings feature in the neutral-hued kitchen, designed with floor-to-ceiling glazing that reveals the surrounding trees.
Find out more about Hood Cliff Retreat ›
Photo by Mark Durling PhotographyMalibu Surf Shack, USA, by Kelly Wearstler
Interior designer Kelly Wearstler transformed a 1950s beachfront cottage in Malibu, California, into a bohemian retreat for herself and her family.
Chunky wooden cabinets and drawers characterise the kitchen, created in the designer’s distinctive eclectic style.
Find out more about Malibu Surf Shack ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring converted barns, eclectic hotels and micro interiors.Read more: More
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Eight contemporary kitchens brightened by skylights
Residential kitchens illuminated by skylights are the focus of this lookbook, which includes homes everywhere from Australia to Mexico and Japan.
A popular feature in many contemporary kitchens, skylights are typically used to maximise natural light in rooms that sit below ground or in the depths of a plan.
However, they are also helpful for saving valuable wall space in areas for food preparation, leaving more room for cabinets and shelving, or they can simply be installed to create a focal point.
The eight examples below show how skylights can be made in all shapes and sizes to enhance and brighten kitchens in any style.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring exposed structural ceiling beams, clerestory windows and nightclub interiors.Photo by Helen CathcartThe Maker’s Barn, UK, by Hutch Design
A square-shaped skylight casts light over the glossy tiled kitchen in The Maker’s Barn, a home that Hutch Design created on the site of a concrete pig shed near London.
The soft light from overhead enhances the warm and tactile finish of the space, which is finished with wooden cabinetry and a mix of rough terracotta and wooden floor tiles.
Find out more about The Maker’s Barn ›
Photo by Peter BennettsBismarck House, Australia, by Andrew Burges Architects
Rather than opting for a traditional square skylight, Andrew Burges Architects punctured the ceiling of the Bismarck House’s kitchen with a curved sheet of glazing.
It follows the shape of the undulating first floor above and helps brighten the industrial aesthetic of the room, which pairs utilitarian tiles with exposed brick walls and concrete flooring.
Find out more about Bismarck House ›
Photo by Danny BrightMontauk House, USA, by Desciencelab
Desciencelab slotted rectangular skylights across the pitched roof of Montauk House, maximising natural light in the teak-lined cooking and dining area below it.
The light drawn in through the glazing bounces off the white-painted ceiling, helping to distribute it around the open-plan room, which also contains a lounge area.
Find out more about Montauk House ›
Photo by Rory GardinerHouse VO and House WO, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy
This kitchen skylight has been carved into the sculptural concrete form of a Mexican house designed by Ludwig Godefroy.
It helps to illuminate the kitchen counters, which would otherwise be lowly lit due to their position below ground level.
Find out more about House VO and House WO ›
Photo by Tololo StudioYamaguchicho House, Japan, by Slow
Exposed concrete walls form a backdrop to this black kitchen, which is partially lit by angled, fluted skylights on one side.
This was designed by Slow to provide the owners with ample light while cooking, due to the Japanese house having a mostly windowless exterior for privacy.
Find out more about Yamaguchicho House ›
Photo by Jim StephensonWalled Garden, UK, by Nimtim Architects
Nimtim Architects placed skylights to one side of this kitchen, which sits deep in the plan of a townhouse it has extended in London.
The square panes are framed by Douglas fir beams and filter just enough light to brighten the space while retaining the cosy, earthy quality achieved through a palette of exposed brickwork, rough plaster and concrete flooring.
Find out more about Walled Garden ›
Photo by Benjamin HoskingBrunswick Apartment, Australia, by Murray Barker and Esther Stewart
Murray Barker and Esther Stewart kept it simple for the skylight in this kitchen, opting for a square-shaped design that sits above the dining table.
It helps light up the space that would otherwise have little natural light, due to its other windows sitting close to a brick wall and reducing the amount that can filter inwards.
Find out more about Brunswick Apartment ›
Photo by Virtually Here StudiosMalibu beach house, USA, by Sophie Goineau
In Malibu, Sophie Goineau has renovated a family beach house to allow more light in. In the kitchen, this involved adding skylights to its wavy roof.
The skylights are partially obscured with ash battens that cloak the entire ceiling, letting in light but blocking out the bright overhead sun.
Find out more about this Malibu beach house ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring exposed structural ceiling beams, clerestory windows and nightclub interiors.Read more: More
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How to Style Open Shelving in a Kitchen (+ secret ingredients to add to the mix!)
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Sources for above — click here
Styling shelves can feel daunting, but it can be fun and less stressful when you know a few designer secrets for selecting the right items and how to style them.
Here are some of my favorite tried and true tips for selecting items to display and how to style open shelving in a kitchen (or anywhere!).
Botanical Plates // Brass Bells // Blue and White Chinoiserie Ginger Jar
Pair practical and pretty
I like to use both practical and pretty items decorate a kitchen. This philosophy is true of shelves, too. Often some of what I choose to display are pieces that are stored on the shelves because they are practical. They could be brought down off the shelves and used, such as a stack of plates, a pitcher or a basket.
Seascape Art Print in This Wood Picture Frame // This art print and others are in my Amazon Art and Frame Storefront // Blue and White Plates // Stoneware Crock
Set the mood with a palette
Determining a mood for your shelves will help you narrow down what you want on the shelves and ultimately brings everything together. The mood can be built around your style or the items you have to work with. It can be altered through the selection of colors and textures to give your shelves a more intentional, cohesive, streamlined look.
A cohesive palette doesn’t mean everything has to match, or stay neutral or that you can’t use your favorite colors.
Pick a mood word or two to describe the overall feeling you want to achieve. Do you want your shelves to reflect a certain season? What word would help you to describe the overall vibe? Moody? Happy? Colorful? Serene? To establish a strong mood, be intentional with what you add to the shelves. If something doesn’t contribute to the mood or is a distraction, it can go.
Sources: Blue and White Chinoiserie Ginger Jar // Botanical Plates // Brass Bells // Favorite Cookbooks // Artificial Artichoke // Seascape Art Print in This Wood Picture Frame // This art print and others are in my Amazon Art and Frame Storefront
A formula I use often in my home:
A few shades of two colors + a wood and a white tone + a metal tone. Any additional hues are included in small doses.
On the top two shelves you can see I used shades of blues and greens with mid-tone woods and whites. Then I included a few very small pops of reds and yellows only within the dishes on the plate rack.
Blue and White Chinoiserie Planter Pot on Shelf // Seascape Art Print in This Wood Picture Frame
Use unmatched + unexpected
While you certainly can style shelves with one kitchen collection for impact, such as a matching set of dishes or all cookbooks, you can also mix pieces that don’t necessarily match or are unexpected in a kitchen. This makes it easier and more affordable to change the look through the seasons and show off smaller or growing collections in fresh ways.
Mismatched pieces can look pleasing together because they all contribute to the mood and color palette you’ve selected. While it can be nice in a kitchen to display every day items on my open shelves I like to include pieces that aren’t necessarily just “kitchen related.”
I use various collected or vintage items, interesting textures, a few plants, books, faux or real organic elements like florals, vegetables or plant stems, as well as artwork and vessels.Blend a mix of sizes and shapes
Rounds, cylinders, rectangles, spikey or feathery shapes … blend together elements with opposite or unique shapes to add interest! Don’t use too many small items, but a couple of smalls will make the overall look more pleasing, interesting and natural.Pair, Lean and Layer
To make mismatched pieces look more intentional and cohesive on shelves, practice the pair, lean and layer techniques. Start in the back. Depending on the length or height of your shelves, you may be able to lean a piece or two against the back wall of the shelves. Artwork and large platters or plates work well for this. Then layer / slightly overlap some pieces in front of others. Pair different heights, allowing some breathing space. Try to style three items together at least once for a cohesive grouping. Combine textures and colors for style and function — for example, placing apples in a basket.
Kitchen Hardware // More Kitchen Details
Step back and look
Does the overall look feel natural and pleasing? Step back to look around the room, too, not just directly at the shelves. If it’s too cluttered or crowded or not interesting enough for your taste, nudge items around, add or take away colors, sizes or shapes, until you like the way it feels!Would you like to go behind the scenes of my home and be a part of a community of like-minded home lovers? Join me in real time each week to get insights into creating a sanctuary you love. You will learn my simple homemaking and decorating tips, be able to ask questions and get help decorating your home! Join us in HomeBody Gathering Place!
Click here for mood board sources (and see more below)
Botanical Plates
Brass Bells
Blue and White Chinoiserie Ginger Jar
Seascape Art Print in This Wood Picture Frame // I ordered this art here because I wanted a specific size but you can also get these prints (and others) HERE on Amazon in a variety of sizes and some already framed as well!
Blue and White Plates
Stoneware Crock
Favorite Cookbooks
Artificial Artichoke
Kitchen Hardware
Blue and White Chinoiserie Planter Pot on Shelf
Basket plant is in (pineapple lidded basket)
Paint color: Classic Light Buff Sherwin Williams
Kitchen Tour and Details
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Eight minimalist kitchens where materials provide the decoration
For our latest lookbook, we’ve compiled eight functional kitchens that prove that conventional construction materials have their place in domestic interiors.
The kitchens featured in this roundup utilise common construction materials, including wood, metal and concrete, to create an atmosphere of durability and serenity.
Combining these materials creates a balanced interior scheme, with wood providing a sense of warmth, while metals such as stainless steel and concrete add an air of functionality.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring interiors punctuated by red accents, homes with internal windows and spaces energised by colourful window frames.
Photo by Iñaki DomingoMadrid apartment, Spain, by Leticia SaáAn open-sided kitchen island flanked by a duo of three-legged stools features in this kitchen in a Madrid flat by architect Leticia Saá.
A shelf-like surface holds the cooktop and a simple coat of white paint covers the walls and ceilings, creating a casual and bright kitchen area.
Find out more about Madrid apartment ›
Photo by Maxime DelvauxNormandy farmhouse, France, by Studio Guma
Vast picture windows and a blush pink concrete island characterise this kitchen, which sits inside a rural farmhouse in northern France designed by Studio Guma.
Original rustic beams and a stone wall compliment the minimalist kitchen, in which the designers chose to forgo conventional wall cabinets in favour of a slimline shelf.
Find out more about Normandy farmhouse ›
Photo by Asier RuaCasa Olivar, Spain, by Matteo Ferrari and Carlota Gallo
Rustic and industrial design motifs are combined in this kitchen inside Casa Olivar, a two-storey apartment in Madrid renovated by designers Matteo Ferrari and Carlota Gallo.
A wooden table and uneven floor tiles contrast with sleek stainless steel cabinets, imbuing the space with a sense of balance.
Find out more about Casa Olivar ›
Photo courtesy of SABO ProjectSacha apartment, France, by SABO Project
Plywood cladding, storage and furniture define the interior of this Parisian apartment by SABO Project.
White walls and flooring tie the abundant use of warm-toned wood in with the concrete ceiling above.
Find out more about Sacha apartment ›
Photo by Cathy SchuslerPenthouse M, Australia, by CJH Studio
CJH Studio covered the walls of this kitchen in small square tiles when renovating Penthouse M, an apartment in Gold Coast, Australia, that dates from the 1980s.
A wooden bar flanked by tall bar stools is positioned in front of floor-to-ceiling windows, and a bright, cool-toned colour palette creates an atmosphere of calm.
Find out more about CJH Studio ›
Photo by Maja WirkusK916 and K907, Poland, by Thisispaper Studio
A slatted wooden partition wall and a concrete ceiling generate a textural backdrop for the kitchen and dining area of this flat in the Polish capital of Warsaw.
Thisispaper Studio furnished the space with purely essential furniture – a plain kitchen unit and a functional dining set – to give the room an aesthetically peaceful appearance.
Find out more about Thisispaper Studio ›
Photo by Max Hart NibbrigBolívar House, Spain, by Juan Gurrea Rumeu
Local architect Juan Gurrea Rumeu added dark wooden cabinetry to the kitchen in his Barcelona house, creating a warm and grounding effect.
Exposed wires attached to lighting add an industrial edge, and the presence of concrete on the walls and floors provides an interplay between warm and cool tones.
Find out more about Bolívar House ›
Photo by Rory GardinerMossy Point house, Australia, by Edition Office
Metal countertops and backsplashes give a utilitarian edge to this plywood kitchen installed in a home in Australia.
Local studio Edition Office installed smooth-fronted cabinets to keep clutter out of sight, allowing select ceramics and coffee paraphernalia to take centre stage.
Find out more about Mossy Point house ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring interiors punctuated by red accents, homes with internal windows and spaces energised by colourful window frames.Read more: More
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Elisa Ossino focuses on “the tactility of the material” for limestone V-Zug showroom
Promotion: Italian architect Elisa Ossino has designed a “tactile” showroom in Milan for Swiss home appliance brand V-Zug.
Overlooking Piazza San Marco in the Italian city’s Brera district, the space is organised into two areas – one that displays V-Zug’s home appliances and one that functions as an “interactive kitchen”.
This was designed for visitors to “feel at home and experience appliances while enjoying good conversations”, the company said.
V-Zug Milan overlooks Piazza San Marco in BreraOssino designed the space, which will act as V-Zug’s Italian flagship, using cocciopesto flooring and limestone walls rendered in soft colours inspired by the silver finishing of the brand’s appliances.
“The narrative of the space focuses on the tactility of the material and the contrast between the mirrored surfaces of the V-Zug technological home appliances and the tactility of the stone, which is often sculptural,” Ossino told Dezeen.“All the materials in the space are on the one hand a search for the tactility of surfaces and on the other a search for colours,” she added. “Household appliances have mirrored surfaces that lend themselves very well to dialogue with any kind of material.”
At the heart of the space sits a monolithic white limestone staircase, designed as a three-dimensional volume. A large porthole visually connects the upper area with the floor below.
The interactive kitchen allows guests to experience V-ZUG’s home appliances in actionV-Zug wanted to challenge “the standard showroom” by offering guests an immersive experience during Milan design week, when they could watch chefs prepare dishes using the brand’s appliances in an interactive kitchen.
Following the immersive experience, guests could browse an extensive materials library and sit around a long grey stone table while members of the V-Zug Gourmet Academy carried out demonstrations.
“It is this theme in general that has somewhat suggested the entire formal layout of the showroom, which is played out very much on a balance between nature, matter and technology,” Ossino explained.
A porthole visually connects the upper and lower areasV-Zug Milan was just one of several outposts opened by the brand in the past few months, following on the heels of showrooms in Vienna, Berlin, Hamburg and Sydney.
“With the showroom in Milan, I tried to intercept some of the subtle themes that run through our imagination, our everyday life,” said Ossino.
“We are witnessing on the one hand a great technological development – just think of artificial intelligence – in our daily lives. But at the same time we have a great need to reclaim something ancestral, a more humanistic design [that’s] closer to matter.”
The architect also designed a series of installations for the space in collaboration with art studio Henry Timi, which were on display as part of this year’s Milan Design Week 2024.
The studio is V-Zug’s Italian flagshipThe location of the brand’s showroom in Brera was not insignificant for the designer, who drew on the district’s “extraordinary” history when designing the space.
“I would say that the whole space is about a meeting of matter, technology and craftsmanship,” she said.
“In Italy, we have an incredible tradition in the world of craftsmanship and it is a knowledge that tends to get lost. There is a strong process underway at this time in history to valorise it, which is also very much linked to this ancestral need to reconnect with the material.”
Guests can browse an extensive materials libraryThe space’s sleek lines and sculptural minimalism also pay homage to V-Zug’s Swiss roots.
“For us, it was important to convey a sense of hospitality,” added V-Zug global interior art director Gabriel Castelló Pinyon.
“We have tried to speak the language of the city: to be bolder and to work a lot with natural materials,” said the brand. “In Milan, people always expect something different. But it’s still V-Zug – it’s still minimalistic with clean lines.”
V-Zug Studio Milan co-hosted an exhibition at Sala della Passione. Pinacoteca di Brera showcased an installation designed by Ossino in collaboration with Henry Timi. For more information, visit V-Zug’s website.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for V-Zug as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.Read more: More
