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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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    Eight homes where mid-century modern furniture adds a stylish touch

    Pieces by designers Charles and Ray Eames and Isamu Noguchi are on show in this lookbook, which features homes with eye-catching mid-century modern furniture.

    Mid-century furniture, which often has simple lines and a sculptural feel, adds a modernist touch to these homes, which range from period properties to newly built and renovated houses.
    Among the interiors showcased in this lookbook are iconic architect Le Corbusier’s own home and a residence in London’s upmarket Mayfair area that has been filled with mid-century modern and art deco details.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring perforated brick-walls, budget home interiors and immersive saunas in peaceful settings.
    Photo by Mariell Lind HansenZero House, UK, by Ben Garrett and Rae Morris

    Owners Ben Garrett and Rae Morris updated Zero House, which was informed by Californian Case Study Houses, themselves in a way that would honour its mid-century roots.
    The living room features a striking floor-to-ceiling fireplace clad in tiles, as well as a number of furniture pieces in warm colours. Among them is a classic Eames office chair in a dark-brown leather colour that matches the wooden panelling that decorates the room.
    Find out more about Zero House ›
    Photo by Jeff CateHudson Woods home, US, by Magdalena Keck
    Located in upstate New York, this holiday home has an interior that fuses Danish and Japanese design. A dinner table and chairs by designer Finn Juhl are among the Danish pieces used in the house, where they look both functional and elegant.
    A simple lamp with a gold-coloured shade above the table adds a decorative touch and matches the brass fastenings at the backs of the chairs.
    Find out more about the Hudson Woods home ›
    Photo by Polina Parcevskya and Julie SmorodkinaRadikal Klassisk, Spain, by Puntofilipino 
    The interior of this Spanish apartment in a former bank building has a moody, interesting colour palette and features richly textured materials including terrazzo, clay-rendered walls and marble tiles.
    In contrast, the furniture is streamlined and unfussy, including a sculptural lounge chair by Danish designer Hans J Wegner in the living room.
    Find out more about the Radikal Klassisk ›
    Photo by Jack LovelCity Beach House, Australia, by Design Theory
    American artist and designer Noguchi’s iconic coffee table, made from a heavy glass tabletop that rests on two undulating wooden legs, has pride of place in the living room of City Beach House.
    The interior, created by Australian studio Design Theory, responds to the design and natural material palette of the house itself, which is from the 1960s.
    Find out more about City Beach House ›
    Photo by Jim StephensonHallen, Sweden, by Åsa Hjort Architects
    This newly built home in the southern Swedish region of Österlen has a blocky geometric design and large windows that provide views out across the Baltic Sea.
    An Eames lounge chair adds a comfortable resting space in one of the rooms, where its dark hues contrast against sheer white curtains and pale wood flooring.
    Find out more about Hallen ›
    Photo is by Joe FletcherMoore House, US, by Woods + Dangaran
    A pair of vintage globe-shaped pendants by Dutch designer Frank Ligtelijn light up the bathroom in this 1960s California home designed by architect Craig Ellwood.
    The bathroom also features a dark Emperador marble countertop and a wall clad in Japanese porcelain tiles.
    Find out more about Moore House ›
    Photo by Felix Speller and Child StudioMayfair residence, UK, by Child Studio
    The “Pernilla” lounge chair by Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson is among the many mid-century modern furniture pieces on show in this London apartment.
    Local practice Child Studio told Dezeen that the spacious lounge that houses the chair was informed by the grand salon in fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris home.
    Find out more about the Mayfair residence ›

    Studio apartment, France, by Le Corbusier
    Le Corbusier’s apartment in his Immeuble Molitor apartment building in Paris, where he lived for more than three decades, reopened to the public in 2018.
    Visitors to the modernist flat can admire mid-century modern furniture pieces including a black leather edition of the designer’s signature LC2 lounge chair, which sits next to a cowhide rug at the entrance of the apartment.
    Find out more about Le Corbusier’s apartment ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring perforated brick-walls, budget home interiors and immersive saunas in peaceful settings.

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    Child Studio blends mid-century modern and art deco details in Mayfair pied-à-terre

    Local practice Child Studio has designed a house in a mews courtyard in London that mixes mid-century modern furniture with custom-made pieces in a nod to fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent’s home.

    Child Studio designed the home, which was created for a hotelier and restauranteur, as a space for dining, entertaining and hosting parties.
    A white curved fireplace sits at the centre of the loungeIt centres around a spacious lounge that was informed by the grand salon in fashion designer Saint Laurent’s Paris home.
    Informed by the way Saint Laurent’s residence displayed his collection of artworks, the Mayfair home is a cornucopia of furniture pieces by iconic mid-century modern designers.
    Sculptures and vintage furniture decorates the space”We worked closely with the client to create a space that reflected his personality and interests, encompassing art, design, literature and travel,” Child Studio founders Che Huang and Alexy Kos told Dezeen.

    “This approach made us think of Saint Laurent’s salon – an eclectic interior where design objects and art pieces from different eras and parts of the world are assembled together, forming a highly personal environment.”
    Wooden shelving divides the roomA large open space in the residence, with narrow full-length skylights on each side, was given a vintage feel through the addition of wooden library walls.
    These divide it into a lounge area as well as spaces for dining and studying.
    “We were interested in finding an authentic design language for this project, balancing the art deco references with the 1960s and 70s modernism,” the studio added.
    Child Studio designed a wooden table for the roomAmong the furniture and lighting used for the residence are Japanese paper lamps by industrial designer Ingo Maurer and the “Pernilla” lounge chair by Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson, which have been juxtaposed with furniture designed by the designers themselves.
    “We paired vintage Scandinavian furniture by Bruno Mathsson and Kristian Vedel with playful lights by Ingo Maurer and Alfred Cochrane,” Huang and Kos said.
    “The cabinetry and tables were designed by Child Studio to unify the interior and accommodate all functional requirements.”
    The dining area has a glass-brick wallThe lounge also contains a fully functional, half-moon-shaped fireplace created by the studio, with a decorative shape that matches two ornate urns and a pair of art-deco-style floor lamps.
    “We designed the adulating fireplace to bring a sense of scale and permanence to the space,” the designers said.

    Ten homes where classic Eames chairs add a mid-century modern feel

    “The plaster finish seamlessly blends in with the surroundings,” they added.
    “The fireplace is placed below the skylight, and the soft shifts of sunlight throughout the day contribute to the tranquil atmosphere.”
    Armchairs by Charlotte Perriand sit around the dining tableIn the dining area, dark-wood shelving holding glassware, books and vases surrounds a circular wooden table with dining chairs by French architect Charlotte Perriand.
    “The material palette of this room draws inspiration from the modernist Villa Muller by Adolf Loos,” the designers said.
    “The combination of dark mahogany wood, patterned marble and green upholstery feels so chic, yet warm and unpretentious.”
    The study also features natural materialsA kitchenette next to the dining area was separated from the space by a glass-brick partition designed to filter the daylight.
    Behind the library shelves, Child Studio created a wood-panneled study for the homeowner. The studio aimed to use natural materials throughout the project.
    “We enjoy working with natural materials, such as solid wood, stone and plaster,” Huang and Kos said.
    “Child Studio often designs custom furniture pieces for projects, and we find that these simple and timeless materials are incredibly versatile and ideal for creating bespoke hand-crafted objects.”
    The reisdence is located in a historic mews in MayfairChild Studio used an “understated” colour palette for the residence to create a warm, relaxing environment that it hopes will continue to evolve.
    “Our goal was to design an interior that will continue evolving over time as the owners add new art pieces and bring heirlooms from their travels,” the studio said.
    Also in Mayfair, architecture studio Laplace renovated The Audley pub and filled it with art and MWAI designed an apartment as if it were a hotel suite.
    The photography is by Felix Speller and Child Studio.

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    The Mint List fits out London office with mid-century-style movable furniture

    Bespoke furniture with a mid-century feel can be rearranged to alter the use of this office space in north London, which interior design studio The Mint List has created for a music management company.

    Camilla Kelly and Lucy Tudhope of The Mint List designed the headquarters for management company Everybody’s, which recently upgraded to larger premises on the ground floor of a former shipping depot.
    Everybody’s office is located in a former shipping depotArchitect Duncan Woodburn developed plans to reconfigure the large, light-filled unit as an open-plan workspace including a high-ceilinged entrance along with a kitchen and dining area.
    For the interior scheme, The Mint List focused on retaining the building’s existing character and creating a flexible workspace with a midcentury feel.
    The Mint List designed custom joinery to divvy up the interior”We wanted to ensure that we respected the modernist nature of this industrial site, whilst integrating a sense of creativity that was absolutely key for the client,” Kelly said.

    One of the main challenges was zoning the large space to create different functional areas. This was achieved using custom-built joinery to separate self-contained yet open-plan spaces.
    Modular furniture features throughout the office interiorMuch of the joinery is modular, allowing the space to be reconfigured if required. Large storage units at the entrance are accessible from both sides and completely movable so they can be rolled away to create an open event space.
    Most of the time, the units serve to separate the office from the entrance area and provide staff with a degree of privacy from visitors.
    The office also houses a lounge for playing musicThe main workspace is flooded with light that enters through the building’s glazed frontage. It contains desks and bespoke oak credenzas that can also be easily moved to completely clear the open-plan room.
    At one end of the office is a kitchen with built-in storage, including coloured drawers and cupboard fronts that complement the African sapele wood joinery.

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    The kitchen contains bar seating next to the windows and a dining space arranged around a three-metre-long leather-topped artist’s table.
    A full-height glazed wall specified by the client separates the workspace from private offices and a cloakroom on the ground floor, as well as a mezzanine that houses an acoustically sealed meeting room and a lounge for playing music.
    Glossy tiles feature in the stairwell”The brief was a seamless, vertical grid of glass,” explained Kelly. “So we helped to translate that in terms of the finishes – textured glass to obscure vision through to the office and a beautifully finished oak frame that complements the midcentury scheme.”
    Throughout the project, The Mint List applied a palette of tactile and honest materials including sapele wood, oak, concrete and burnished brass.
    The Mint List added wood surfaces and brass detailsA colour scheme based on natural hues including greens, creams and earthy browns adds visual richness to the spaces.
    The office’s Marmoleum flooring is a custom design that subtly separates the space into different zones. The renewable material was chosen for its excellent acoustic properties in order to help absorb sound within the open spaces.
    The bathrooms are playfully decorated with colourful tilesBathrooms located on the ground floor feature retro sanitary- and brassware complemented by playful tiles, with each wall laid in different patterns and colours.
    Other recent office makeovers in London include Office S&M’s self-designed studio inside a former paint-making workshop and creative agency Ask Us For Ideas’ Soho office, which is split across two diametrically opposed floors.
    The photography is by Dave Watts.

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