Minimalist interior design

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      Eight calming bedrooms with minimalist interiors

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      For our latest lookbook, we’ve gathered ten minimalist bedrooms with peaceful designs, ranging from a Mexican bedroom with a concrete bed to a cosy space in a former girls’ school in Puglia.

      Natural materials including wood and stone were used to finish these eight bedrooms, which also feature muted colour palettes and little in the way of decoration.
      Leaving walls bare and keeping the amount of artworks and personal items to a minimum can help create a more soothing and clutter-free bedroom.
      Beige, grey and warm brown hues, meanwhile, make for relaxing spaces free from eye-catching colours.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring terraces and balconies, marble-lined bathrooms and cave-like interiors.

      Photo by Fabian MartinezCasa Tres Árboles, Mexico, by Direccion
      Designed to resemble a “monastic sanctuary”, this weekend retreat in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, aims to celebrate the contrast between shadow and light in its interior.
      In the pared-down bedrooms, the walls were painted in dark colours to contrast the warm wooden ceiling beams. A wooden bench at the end of the bed and tactile linen textiles give the room a slightly rustic feel.
      Find out more about Casa Tres Árboles ›
      Photo by Aaron ChapmanCabin House, India, by Taliesyn
      Cabin House’s interior was informed by the vernacular architecture of its location in south Bangalore’s Jayanagar neighbourhood.
      Earthy finishes were used for the home, which features bare concrete walls and plenty of wood details. A wooden bedframe and flowers create a friendly atmosphere in the mezzanine bedroom.
      Find out more about Cabin House ›
      Photo by Anson SmartPacific House, Australia, by Alexander & Co
      Australian studio Alexander & Co aimed to create contemplative spaces inside Pacific House in Sydney.
      In the minimalist bedroom, walls were rendered in concrete and matched with carpet in a darker grey colour. Sculptural bedside lamps and transparent floor-to-ceiling curtains add a softer feel to the spartan interior.
      Find out more about Pacific House ›
      Photo by Tomooki KengakuHiroo Residence, Japan, by Keiji Ashizawa
      Custom-made wooden furniture and art pieces are dotted throughout Hiroo Residence. Designer Keiji Ashizawa used muted tones to make the most of the sunlight in the central Tokyo apartment, which has several large windows.
      In the bedroom, wood panels cover entire walls and hide away technical functions behind the beds. Organically shaped ceramics add discrete decorative touches.
      Find out more about Hiroo Residence ›
      Photo by Gavin GreenFisherman’s Cottage, Australia, by Studio Prineas
      The bedroom in this Australian home is located inside a concrete extension to an old fisherman’s cottage.
      Here, a solid-stone bath doubles as a bedhead and mirrored walls were used to make the small room feel bigger. To not clutter the space, accessories were restricted to a few glass trays and vases as well as a striped throw.
      Find out more about Fisherman’s Cottage ›
      Photo by Rory GardinerCasa Alférez, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy
      A bedside nook sits underneath a high window inside this brutalist holiday home, which features wooden floors and walls made of board-formed concrete.
      Architect Ludwig Godefroy also designed built-in concrete furniture for the house, including a concrete bed. A pale grey version of designer Verner Panton’s classic Flowerpot lamp adds a glossy detail to the room’s rough texture.
      Find out more about Casa Alférez ›
      Photo by Salva LópezCasolare Scarani, Italy, by Studio Andrew Trotter
      Architecture practice Studio Andrew Trotter converted a girls’ school in Puglia that dates back to 1883 into a grand family home with plenty of decorative arches.
      In the cosy minimalist bedroom, a jute rug covers the stone floor made from crushed rocks and mortar, while the colour palette was kept to creamy whites as well as warm brown and tan hues.
      Find out more about Casolare Scarani ›
      Photo by Roberto RuizPalau apartment, Spain, by Colombo and Serboli Architecture
      “Imperfect” original features were highlighted during the renovation of this apartment in Barcelona, which features white-washed walls and wooden floors.
      In the mezzanine-level bedroom (above and top image), wicker doors front an entire wall and cover the closet. An organically shaped mirror and an orange chair make the calm space feel more playful.
      Find out more about Palau apartment ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring terraces and balconies, marble-lined bathrooms and cave-like interiors.

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      Of Architecture builds beachside home for surfer-and-artist couple in Cornwall

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      London practice Of Architecture has used a fuss-free colour and material palette to create this understated home for a young couple in the town of Newquay in Cornwall.

      House by the Sea belongs to an artist and a surfer, who told Of Architecture that they wanted a home without extravagant finishes, instead preferring a living space that appears “simple, robust and utilitarian”.
      Of Architecture has designed House by the Sea for a couple in CornwallThough the brief was relatively straightforward, erecting the home proved tricky for the practice.
      “The house is located by the cliff side of Pentire peninsula and has a very steep driveway, so transporting material was a big challenge for everyone on site,” the Of Architecture co-founder James Mak told Dezeen.
      “We had to work with materials that could be carried by a small vehicle or by hand.”

      One of the sitting areas has uninterrupted views of Pentire Steps beachOnce the framework was in place, the house was finished with a “monolithic and modest” lime plaster facade.
      Key rooms were dispersed across the home’s open-plan first floor, where walls are almost exclusively painted an off-white shade.
      Prefabricated steps grant access to a cosy mezzanineIn one corner is the kitchen, which features black melamine plywood cabinetry and a large breakfast island topped with stainless steel.
      Overhead hangs a couple of industrial-style pendant lamps.
      The space is filled with artworks and other trinketsAdjacently lies a sitting area that directly overlooks Newquay’s picturesque Pentire Steps beach.
      Fronted by expansive sliding windows, the space is dressed with a classic Eames lounge chair and an L-shaped sofa upholstered in beige marl fabric.

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      Another sitting area lies towards the rear of the first floor, facing a concrete blockwork wall.
      Backed against the wall is a wood burner with a tall slender flue that stretches up to meet the four-metre-high ceiling.
      A skylight in the beam-lined roof helps brighten the mezzaninePrefabricated plywood steps lead up to a mezzanine level tucked beneath the home’s sloping roof, which is held up by steel beams.
      Intended to serve as a cosy retreat, the space is illuminated by a single skylight while artworks are casually leaned up against its walls and books are showcased on a wrap-around gridded shelf.
      The minimalist aesthetic of the first floor then carries over onto the home’s ground floor, which accommodates two guest bedrooms – complete with their own en suites – a cloakroom and a utility room.
      Rooms on the home’s ground floor are also pared backA number of other architecturally striking homes can be found along the British coast.
      Examples include RX Architects’ Seabreeze in East Sussex, which is coated in smooth pink concrete, and Mole Architects’ Marsh Hill House in Suffolk, which is shaped like a seagull’s wing.
      The photography is by Lorenzo Zandri.

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      Hollie Bowden converts London pub into pared-back jewellery showroom

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      Lime-washed walls meet aluminium display fixtures in this minimalist studio and showroom that designer Hollie Bowden has devised for London brand Completedworks.

      Set over two floors of a former pub in Marylebone, it provides space for Completedworks to design and display its jewellery and ceramics, as well as to host an array of craft-focused classes.
      Hollie Bowden has designed a studio and showroom for CompletedworksThe brand was established in 2013 and up until now, has largely been sold via high-end department stores such as Dover Street Market and Liberty. But founder Anna Jewsbury felt it was time for Completedworks to have its own brick-and-mortar space.
      “We increasingly had clients asking to come and see our pieces in person but felt that we didn’t have a space that felt considered and reflected our vision,” she said. “We wanted people to be able to enter our world and get to know us, and for us to get to know them.”
      Display shelving was crafted from lustrous aluminiumFor the design of the showroom, Jewsbury worked with London-based designer Hollie Bowden, who naturally looked to the brand’s jewellery for inspiration.

      This can be seen for example in the hammered-metal door handles that appear throughout the studio and directly reference the creased design of the gold Cohesion earrings.
      A modular display system in the showroom is clad in lilac linen”[Completedworks] is known for the beauty of the textural surfaces and flowing almost baroque forms,” Bowden explained. “We developed a display language that played off that, with minimal details and strict lines.”
      Almost every surface throughout the studio is washed in beige-toned lime paint, with only a few slivers of the original brick walls and a worn metal column left exposed near the central staircase.

      Hollie Bowden channels the ambience of dimly lit gentlemen’s clubs for London office

      Bowden used brushed aluminium to create a range of display fixtures, including chunky plinths and super-slender shelving units supported by floor-to-ceiling poles.
      The space also houses a couple of angular aluminium counters for packing orders that include discrete storage for boxes and subtle openings, through which tissue paper or bubble wrap can be pulled.
      Shoji-style storage cabinets can be seen in the officeA slightly more playful selection of colours and materials was used for the studio’s custom furnishings.
      In the main showroom, there’s a modular display island sheathed in lilac linen. Meanwhile in the office, designer Byron Pritchard – who is also Bowden’s partner – created a gridded wooden cabinet inlaid with translucent sheets of paper, intended to resemble a traditional Japanese shoji screen.
      Hammered-metal door handles in the studio resemble Completedworks’ earringsThis isn’t Bowden’s first project in London’s affluent Marylebone neighbourhood.
      Previously, the designer created an office for real estate company Schönhaus, decking the space out with dark-stained oak and aged leather to emulate the feel of a gentleman’s club.
      The photography is by Genevieve Lutkin.

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      Sheft Farrace renovates loft in Los Angeles' art deco Eastern Columbia building

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      Architecture studio Sheft Farrace has renovated a loft apartment in Los Angeles’ iconic Eastern Columbia building, subtly incorporating colours from the art deco exterior into the minimalist interiors.

      The studio renovated the loft while drawing details from the exterior of the 13-storey building in Downtown Los Angeles, known for its highly detailed turquoise facade and clock tower, which was designed by Claud Beelman and completed in 1930.
      Sheft Farrace chose to divide up the loft, yet retain visual connections through framed openingsIt was converted into lofts in 2006, and local studio Sheft Farrace was recently tasked with renovating one of the condos for a young creative from Kazakhstan.
      “Uninspired by the unit’s original 2006 layout and interiors, the owner wanted it to feel like a brand new space — so Sheft Farrace approached it as a blank canvas,” said the studio, led by Alex Sheft and John Farrace.
      The pared-down decor contrasts the building’s colourful exteriorThe apartment has tall ceilings, and their height is accentuated by the building’s long narrow windows and floor-to-ceiling drapery.

      Rather than keep the open floor plan, the studio chose to divide up the space to help define areas for different functions.
      The ceiling height is accentuated by tall windows and floor-to-ceiling draperyHowever, the visual connections between the kitchen and dining room, and the living room and bedroom, are retained by large framed openings used in place of doors.
      “Every space has its own character, based on what time of day it is and how the natural light comes in through the full-height windows,” said Sheft Farrace.

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      For the most part, the home is decorated in a much more pared-down style than the building’s opulent exterior, primarily with soft neutral hues and sparse furnishings.
      Certain material choices in the kitchen and bathroom tie much more closely to the colourful facades, including white oak, Verde Aver marble, and Florida Brush quartzite to echo the orange, green and blue exterior tiles.
      Materials like white oak and Florida Brush quartzite in the kitchen nod to the art deco exteriorThe curved corners of the kitchen counters and elongated cabinet hardware also evoke 1930s design.
      “Upon first glance, it’s stylistically in stark contrast with the historical building that it’s within, but throughout the space are subtle nods to the art deco exterior and ultimately, it feels like it belongs,” Sheft Farrace said. “We felt honored to have contributed a small chapter to the long and storied history of a Los Angeles landmark.”
      In the bathroom, Verde Aver marble was also chosen to reference the historic tiled facadesDowntown Los Angeles has dramatically transformed from a no-go zone to a popular and thriving neighbourhood over the past 20 years.
      This shift is partially thanks to the opening of cultural institutions like Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall and Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s The Broad museum, as well as a spate of high-end hotels.
      The photography is by Yoshihiro Makino.

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      Norm Architects devises understated HQ for children's lifestyle brand Liewood

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      A refined palette of oak, plaster and steel defines the interior of the Liewood headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, designed by local practice Norm Architects.

      The pared-back 2,200-square-metre office was conceived to give prominence to Liewood’s colourful, Scandi-style children’s clothes, toys and homeware.
      Norm Architects has completed Liewood’s Copenhagen headquarters”With the ambition to create a comfortable space with a somewhat understated character, we worked to let the space obtain its significance through the thoughtful use of tactile elements such as textured plaster walls and contrasting elements like oakwood and steel,” explained Sofie Bak, an architect at the practice.
      Staff enter the five-floor office via an airy light-filled lobby that is anchored by a rounded counter, roughly washed with sandy-beige plaster.
      Plaster podiums provide display space on the first floorCone-shaped pendant lights are strung along the ceiling while oversized stone tiles are laid across the floor, helping to “emphasise the grandeur” of the space.

      A pre-existing staircase curves up to the first floor, which accommodates a showroom. This part of the building formerly served as a production hall, with a vast scale that could easily feel empty and unwelcoming, according to Norm Architects.
      At mealtimes, staff can gather in The ParlourTo counter this, the practice constructed what it describes as a “warm wooden core” – a house-shaped oakwood volume with built-in shelves for showcasing Liewood’s products.
      Large, plaster-coated display plinths are dotted across the rest of the room. At the back is a short flight of wide, wooden stairs where staff can sit and chat throughout the day.

      Norm Architects creates warm yet minimalist interior for Y9 sailing yacht

      More products can also be presented here on bespoke podiums that, thanks to cut-outs at their base, are able to slot onto the steps.
      The building’s first floor also contains The Parlour – a kitchen and dining area where Liewood employees can enjoy meals together. It features a large travertine table, a series of plump grey sofas and graphic art pieces by the Danish designer Sara Martinsen.
      Traditional work areas can be found across the rest of the HQWork areas throughout the rest of the HQ are furnished with practical desks and storage units that match the off-white walls, while meeting rooms are fronted with panes of glass to foster a sense of openness.
      As the building’s original staircase didn’t extend all the way to the fifth floor, Norm Architects installed a spiralling set of white-steel steps.
      These grant access to a space the practice refers to as The Apartment: a secondary showroom designed to have a more intimate, homely feel.
      The top floor accommodates The Apartment, a more intimate showroomElsewhere, Norm Architects recently took its minimalist aesthetic off-shore when designing the interiors of the Y9 sailing yacht, decked out with supple suede furnishings and wood-panelled surfaces.
      The photography is by Jonas Bjerre Poulsen of Norm Architects.

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      SSdH tucks Melbourne warehouse apartment into former chocolate factory

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      Local studio SSdH has designed a split-level, mezzanine-style apartment characterised by eclectic furniture, which is housed within an old chocolate factory in Melbourne.

      Kerr is a warehouse apartment in Melbourne’s Fitzroy suburb, located in a building that was once home to the historic MacRoberton’s Chocolate Factory before being converted into residential units in the late 1990s.
      Kerr is one of a number of apartments arranged around a central atriumAdapted into “apartment shells” arranged around a striking central atrium, the units were first designed with only basic amenities to allow occupants to determine their own interior designs.
      SSdH recently renovated Kerr, one of these units, as a three-bedroom, two-bathroom dwelling that intends to expose but also refresh the building’s original architecture.
      “The design pays homage to history while being decidedly contemporary,” studio director Jean-Marie Spencer told Dezeen.

      The home is divided by a white-painted staircaseThe mezzanine-style apartment is split across two levels by a staircase with a white-painted gridded steel mesh balustrade. Doubling as a lightwell, the staircase is illuminated by the apartment’s original single factory window.
      Upstairs, the open-plan living space includes a kitchen fitted with geometric cabinetry made from local spotted gum timber, as well as brushed stainless steel and nickel fixtures.
      Spotted gum timber and stainless steel define the kitchenThe similarly minimalist lounge area is delineated by smooth sliding doors made of the same spotted gum, which are offset by existing structural beams and columns painted in bright white.
      A sage-green two-seater armchair is positioned next to a chunky column floor lamp by emerging designer Annie Paxton and a distinctive coral-blue vase.
      A two-seater armchair features in the lounge area”Old wall and ceiling linings, trims and details are stripped back to expose original materials and structural framing,” explained Spencer.
      “An application of white unifies what was, subsequently giving the ‘new’ its own platform through contrast,” she added.
      SSdH also included timber accents downstairsTwo bedrooms and a bathroom are contained downstairs, while a bedroom and an en-suite feature on the upper level.
      All three bedrooms are defined by the same pared-back white and wooden elements as the communal areas. Inside one of them, a mushroom-like floor lamp made from lumps of blue sculpting plaster adds a playful touch.
      Among the eclectic furniture is a mushroom-like lampGleaming geometric tiles in shades of blue and yellow feature in each of the bathrooms, which also have bulbous sconce lights.
      Timber operable doors and translucent curtains leading to the sleeping areas were designed to balance the airy openness of the living spaces, according to Spencer.
      One bathroom is clad in bright blue tiles”Living areas, where privacy is less of a concern, invoke a spilling out to the street to make the most of the light and air,” said the studio director.
      Other sculptural accents inserted throughout the apartment include boxy aluminium corner stools under the stairs and a fluted side table crafted from a solid piece of timber.

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      SSdH added double glazing to Kerr’s existing large factory window to provide both thermal and acoustic benefits to the apartment, which is located in close proximity to a busy street.
      “This glazing, along with the thermal mass embodied within the heavy masonry building allowed the apartment to remain un-airconditioned, relying on passive cross ventilation from the shared building lobby to maintain temperatures and reduce energy consumption,” said Spencer.
      Boxy aluminium corner stools are tucked under the staircaseFormerly industrial spaces are popular locations for residential conversions.
      Local firm Studio McW transformed an east London warehouse into a live-work space for climate activists and filmmakers Jack Harries and Alice Aedy while Auba Studio designed an apartment in a 1980s bakery in Palma de Mallorca.
      The photography is by Pier Carthew.

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      Curtains for minimalism as John Pawson goes maximalist

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      Minimalist British designer John Pawson has ditched his pared-back aesthetic in favour of full-blown maximalism, Dezeen understands.

      Pawson, who is not an architect, had become famous for his minimalist designs and was awarded a CBE in 2019.
      But a source close to Pawson informed Dezeen that he has now embraced bold colours, clashing patterns and animal-print furnishings after a dramatic change-of-heart.
      British designer Pawson has historically been known for his minimalist designs”I went to the Pawsons’ place in the Cotswolds recently and it’s like night and day,” the source said. “They’ve wallpapered over the white-brick walls and stuck some garish curtains over the windows.”
      “And the soft furnishings, my god. You can barely move for patterned rugs and blankets.”

      Possible social-media link
      However, not-an-architect Pawson appears to have chosen to maintain a minimalist approach in his relationship with the media.
      Asked if he could explain his reversal in tastes, he replied: “No.”
      The source speculated that Pawson’s shift in style may be linked to social media.
      Pawson has now transformed his Cotswold home into a maximalist colour-festIn 2018, he surprised some by releasing a book of vivid photographs, telling Dezeen at the time that he had discovered a love of colour through Instagram.
      “Maybe he’s moved on to TikTok,” the source said.
      Maximalism has been a re-emerging trend over the past couple of years, partly driven by its popularity on the video-gallery platform.
      His studio declined to answer questions about whether Pawson – who, again, is not an architect and Dezeen would never suggest anything to the contrary – will apply his new-found personal partiality to maximalism to commercial projects.

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      However, a spokesperson said: “When are you doing another Hot List? John would really like you to do another Hot List.”
      Pawson, whose most high-profile projects include the Novy Dvur monastery in the Czech Republic and the Design Museum in London, ranked at number six on Dezeen’s Hot List of newsworthy designers and brands in 2017.
      Last week, a Deyan Sudjic-authored biography of Pawson’s life and work was published, but did not mention his switch to maximalism.
      The photography is by Gilbert McCarragher, with additional input from Studio Merlin.

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      WGNB creates minimal monochrome SVRN store in Chicago

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      A variety of monolithic furniture pieces direct the flow of movement around this fashion boutique in Chicago, designed by South Korean studio WGNB.

      The space for lifestyle brand SVRN is intended to highlight the products for sale as artworks and ideas, rather than simply as garments.
      Benches balanced on irregularly shaped rocks also act as product displays in the store”Spatial design of the SVRN store began with our interpretation of the SVRN’s brand identity and narrative through the eastern perspective,” said WGNB.
      “While the western perspective looks at the object itself, the eastern perspective rather focuses on the surrounding relationship of the object.”
      Thin black railings are used for hanging garmentsThe 4,200-square-foot (390-square-metre) store on North Aberdeen Street, in the Fulton Market area, is split into two sections: the main sales floor and a back room, which are connected by a narrow corridor.

      A muted, monochrome selection of materials creates a serene atmosphere in both of the spaces, while the architectural elements dictate purposeful paths that connect them.
      Various architectural and furniture elements form pathways for shoppers to meanderBlack railings transverse the walls, puncturing curved and flat vertical partitions made from materials including concrete, steel and black-stained thermowood.
      Curved benches that act as both accessory displays and seating are balanced on large irregularly shaped stones.
      The walls and ceiling in the back room are lined with stainless steelTogether, all of these elements suggest multiple meandering routes for customers to trace through the store.
      In the back room, the curvature of the benches corresponds with a circular opening in the brushed stainless steel ceiling, while a round patch of carpet sits offset on the floor.
      A section dedicated to footwear features multiple shelving unitsHot-rolled steel continues across three walls, creating a sci-fi feel in certain areas of the room.
      Micro-cement plaster paints are used to contrast the metal, adding a rougher texture against the smooth surfaces.
      A monochrome colour scheme is applied throughout”Overall, usage of the materials are manifestations of the SVRN’s brand identity and narratives,” said WGNB.
      The fourth wall in the rear space is reserved for displaying shoes, which sit on shelves of unequal heights that are silhouetted against backlighting.

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      “The spatial layout of the store considers the current that customer’s circulation creates in the space with the objects and openness,” said the studio.
      “And, the visual tension is created by the constantly changing eyesight of the customers while navigating the store.”
      A variety of smooth and textured surfaces create subtle contrasts across the boutiqueMinimalist fashion boutiques can be found worldwide, with many brands opting for a simple and pared-back interior to allow the products to shine.
      Recently completed examples include Snøhetta’s Holzweiler store in Copenhagen and a Jonathan Simkhai store in New York’s SoHo by Aruliden.
      The store was designed by WGNB, the Dezeen Awards Emerging Interiors Studio in 2021WGNB, which won the Dezeen Award for Emerging Interior Designer of the Year 2021, has also created monochromatic interiors for fashion brand Juun.J’s flagship store and a golf supply shop – both in Seoul.
      The photography is by Yongjoon Choi.
      Project credits:
      Construction/general contractor: Helios Construction Services

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