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    Patricia Urquiola creates lofty showroom for Moroso in Manhattan

    Moroso has opened a new showroom in Manhattan designed by Patricia Urquiola, marking the 70th anniversary of the Italian brand.

    The 4,300 square-foot showroom (400 square metres) has a double-height space that was previously occupied by an art gallery.
    There are spaces for meetings and officesDespite its scale, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola sought to replicate the feeling of a home, by setting up the furniture in smaller configurations that could be seen in a living room or another intimate setting.
    The space is located at 105 Madison Avenue, in central Manhattan. It replaces the brand’s previous showroom in the SoHo neighbourhood, which opened in 2007.
    The showroom is located in New York City”The new Moroso showroom in New York transcends the concept of the exhibition space,” said the Italian brand founded in 1952 by Agostino and Diana Moroso.

    “[The showroom] introduces visitors to the company through a series of appealing domestic settings in which interiors in restrained colours heighten the appeal of the furniture on display,” Moroso added.
    Large columns were finished with handmade terracotta tilesThe team refinished the interiors with colourful pink finishes, new wooden floors and curved surfaces rather than corners.
    “The interiors are reinterpreted with an emphasis on their gently curved contours and lack of sharp angles, while particular attention is paid to colour,” said Moroso.
    The inaugural collection includes a sofa that is meant to look like moss-covered rocksLarge columns within the space were finished with shiny, handmade terracotta tiles, complementing the prevailing colour palette.
    Along the walls at the periphery of the space, Studio Urquiola created plant-filled alcoves, which help break up the space into smaller sections.
    Plant-filled alcoves line the walls of the space”Everything is studied in detail, and even the lighting is designed to make the space elegant and welcoming, while plants and niches create focal points in the different rooms,” said Moroso.
    In addition to the main exhibition space, the showroom includes a smaller mezzanine at the back, where the brand can host architects or other design professionals for meetings.

    Johnston Marklee installs villas inside industrial LA building for Holly Hunt Showroom

    The mezzanine space is divided into a lounge area, workstations and a glass structure with meeting rooms and a private office.
    A blue staircase connects this level to the ground floor and to the cellar, which has larger pieces.
    “Studio Urquiola’s architectural design alters the existing structure while maintaining its spatial characteristics, perfecting and emphasizing their soft, enveloping language with warm tones of terracotta and wood,” said Moroso.
    Patricia Urquiola also created furniture for the inaugural connectionThe inaugural collection on display at the showroom includes a sofa that is meant to look like moss-covered rocks by Sofia Lagerkvist and Anna Lindgren of Swedish design studio Front, and a series of colourful furniture that was designed by Patricia Urquiola called Pacific, which is finished in wool upholstery.
    Patricia Urquiola founded her eponymous studio in 2001, with her partner Alberto Zontone. The studio takes on architectural commissions, as well as designing furniture, products, and exhibitions.
    Other projects by the Spanish designer include the Haworth Hotel in Michigan, which was revamped to become a “design showcase” and a table with mix-matched legs for Cassina.
    The photography is by Alex Kroke unless otherwise indicated.

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    Great White Melrose in LA offers outdoor dining on a pink-plaster patio

    Pink plastered columns and fireplaces surround this open-concept restaurant on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue, which co-founder and creative director Sam Cooper coloured to match his childhood home.

    Cooper and his business partner Sam Trude recently opened Great White Melrose as their third and largest location in the city, following outposts in Venice Beach and Larchmont Village.
    Fireplaces face each other across the patio dining area at Great White MelroseOn the site of a former laundromat, the 5,000-square-foot (465-square-metre) restaurant was designed by Cooper and his in-house team. Along with its casual menu by chef Juan Ferreiro, the space combines influences from coastal cultures in Australia, Mexico and Europe.
    Dining is available on a partially open patio facing the street, beneath a roof of slatted panels between weathered timber beams.
    The pink-toned plasterwork was chosen to match the colour of co-founder Sam Cooper’s childhood homePink fireplaces face each other across this area, which is lit with a soft glow from large woven pendants found in Pakistan.

    “Completely visible from the street, the open concept was developed very intentionally to create a relationship with the neighborhood, the antithesis of the way so many Los Angeles – and specifically West Hollywood – hospitality venues operate,” said the restaurant team.
    Reclaimed cobblestones sourced from Germany cover the floors inside and outGuests arrive via a ramped cobblestone walkway that passes through a procession of pink arches, each draped in greenery and featuring sconces built into the plasterwork.
    The colour was chosen to match the home where Cooper grew up in Australia, adding “a sentimental touch” to the project.
    The interior space swaps pink for neutral tonesThe reclaimed cobblestone flooring sourced from Germany continues inside, where pink is swapped for neutral tones and a focus is placed on craft.
    A bar made from Portuguese limestone runs along the back of the space, with arched niches behind displaying wine bottles on wooden shelves.
    A bar made from Portuguese limestone runs along the back of the roomOn the main wall hangs a large painting by Berlin-based artist Danny Gretscher that brings hints of the colours found outside into the room.
    Glazed doors with black metal frames concertina open to connect the indoor and outdoor areas.

    Six of the best restaurant interiors in California

    Rattan chairs and brown-toned seat cushions found across both echo the laid-back style typically found at hospitality venues in the Mexican resort of Tulum.
    “Our West Hollywood location is an extension of what we’ve found to be a successful formula that considers all of the necessary elements for an unforgettable dining experience,” said Trude.
    Lighting is integrated into the plasterworkGreat White Melrose combines “interesting art, design, architecture, music, and a variety of options as it pertains to both food and beverage that feature the best ingredients and an ever-growing list of talented makers”, he added.
    Melrose Avenue is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, thanks to its wealth of boutique shops like Forte Forte, eateries such as the now-shuttered Auburn and design galleries including Francis Gallery LA.
    Great White Melrose is the third outpost from Cooper and business partner Sam Trude, following locations in Venice Beach and Larchmont Village”I have always enjoyed this part of West Hollywood, which seems to seamlessly connect all of the different worlds within it such as entertainment, nightlife, tourism, etc,” said Cooper.
    “There is a real energy about this space and the surrounding area and we are excited to tap into that with Great White Melrose.”
    Other hospitality projects to open recently in LA include Hotel Per La, designed by Jaqui Seerman in a neoclassical building.
    Last year, we rounded up six of the best restaurant designs in California.

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    Ten interiors tickled pink with Color of the Year Viva Magenta

    For our latest lookbook, we’ve cherry-picked 10 interiors clad in shades that recall Viva Magenta after American colour company Pantone named the bright pink hue as its Color of the Year for 2023.

    Pantone describes Viva Magenta as “a brave and fearless red shade that vibrates with vim and vigour” and reflects current attitudes towards experimentation and fearlessness.
    “It’s assertive but it’s not aggressive – we refer to it as a fist in a velvet glove,” said vice president of the Pantone Institute Laurie Pressman.
    Shades of bright pink magenta have been used by interior designers in the projects below to brighten up spaces in locations ranging from Copenhagen to Tokyo.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with sliding doors, lounges with suspended fireplaces and cottage interiors.

    Photo is courtesy of BHDMShoreline Waikiki, Hawaii, by BHDM
    The interior of the beachside Shoreline Waikiki hotel in Hawaii has a flamboyant colour scheme, giving it a jubilant feel that matches the island’s surrounding tropical flora and fauna.
    Redesigned by US studio BHDM for the “millennial-minded traveller”, the accommodation has a hot-pink carpet that stretches from the reception to the ground floor lounge and contrasts the brightly coloured yellow, teal, blue and red furniture upholstery.
    Find out more about Shoreline Waikiki ›
    Photo is by Tim LenzAtrium, US, by Smith Hanes Studio
    Rich tones of green, raspberry and gold collide with smooth terrazzo, shiny tiles and tropical wallpaper in Atlanta bistro and restaurant Atrium.
    Local architecture studio Smith Hanes Studio looked to the lines, patterns and shapes found in colourful French cafes and art deco buildings for the space, which is filled with an array of large leafy plants.
    Find out more about Atrium ›
    Photo is by James McDonaldFamily Kitchen, UK, by Mizzi Studio
    British design studio Mizzi Studio renovated this restaurant in London botanical garden Kew Gardens, creating a whimsical eatery that wouldn’t look out of place in the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film.
    Designed to introduce young children to new foods, the space features playful decor such as an apple-shaped seat, giant timber-weaved fungi sculptures and a magenta-coloured Ethiopian Enset tree.
    Find out more about Family Kitchen ›
    Photo is by John ShortMaggie’s Centre, UK, by Ab Rogers Design
    At this Maggie’s Centre cancer treatment site in Sutton, England, patients can rest and convalesce in a pinky-purple-toned living area that studio Ab Rogers Design wanted to feel cheerful, yet sensitive.
    “Believing in colour’s sensual and psychological power, we coloured the surrounding rooms to suit the functions and activities they host,” said Ab Rogers Design founders Ab Rogers and Ernesto Bartolini.
    Find out more about Maggie’s Centre ›
    Photo is courtesy of Patricia UrquiolaRotazioni and Visioni by Patricia Urquiola
    The rust, mustard, dusty pink, baby blue, yellow and caramel block colours and black lines in these rugs by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola contrast the circular openings that punctuate the walls in this pared-back room.
    Made from Himalayan wool and silk, the soft rugs have been used to add depth and warmth to the space.
    Find out more about Rotazioni and Visioni ›
    Photo is by John ShortScape, UK, by Ab Rogers Design
    A ribbon of magenta pink courses through the central areas of Scape, a housing block that Hackney-based studio Ab Rogers Design refurbished for students in London’s East End.
    Vibrant colour-coding knits the buildings’ internal parts together, while the bedrooms are informed by the sleeping quarters of train carriages, with space-saving furniture such as cupboards that double up as desks and seating nooks nestled in the windows.
    Find out more about Scape ›
    Photo is by Shingo NakashimaToggle Hotel, Japan, by Klein Dytham Architecture
    Sandwiched between a raised expressway, a railway line and Tokyo’s Kanda River, Toggle Hotel was designed by Tokyo-based Klein Dytham Architecture to stand out from the neighbouring infrastructure.
    Inside each of the rooms, which guests are able to choose based on their colour preferences, the furniture, bedding, carpets and soft furnishings are all coloured in the same shade.
    Find out more about Toggle Hotel ›
    Photo is by Gianluca Di IoiaCasa Lana, Italy, by Triennale di Milano
    A plush pinkish-red carpet covers the floor of this model apartment, which was recreated within the Triennale di Milano as part of a permanent new installation.
    Originally designed by Memphis Group founder Ettore Sottsass for a friend, Casa Lana is arranged around a wooden enclosure with built-in shelving and sofas.
    Find out more about Casa Lana ›
    Photo is by MasquespacioResa San Mamés , Spain, by Masquespacio
    Valencia-based studio Masquespacio injected splashes of its signature colour-blocking style throughout Resa San Mamés, a 1,850 square-metre building that houses 351 students in Bilbao, Spain.
    In the main lobby, millennial pink paint clashes with the crimson tiles that line the walls, while soft furnishings and partitions were used to define zones elsewhere on the ground floor.
    Find out more about Resa San Mamés ›
    Photo is by Itay BenitHayarden school, Israel, by Sarit Shani Hay, Chen Steinberg Navon and Ayelet Fisher
    A rainbow of colours, including a bright pink that straddles fuschia and magenta, have been used to brighten up this two-storey school in Tel Aviv, which local designer Sarit Shani Hay, architect Chen Steinberg Navon and Ayelet Fisher overhauled in 2019.
    Situated in Tel Aviv’s Hatikva Quarter – a neighbourhood with a high number of asylum-seekers – the school has a house-shaped reading nook and colourful paintwork, which the team hoped would help to create an inspiring learning area for the children of refugees.
    Find out more about Hayarden school ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring Bauhaus-informed interiors, homes in converted warehouses and neutral living rooms.

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    Ten playful pink kitchens that use colour in unexpected ways

    From the bubble-gum-coloured cabinets of a Tokyo apartment to the rosy mosaics found in a modernist Grecian villa, our latest lookbook rounds up 10 pink kitchens from the Dezeen archives.

    Architects and designers often reach for different shades of pink when they want to add interest and personality to a functional space, such as a kitchen.
    Sometimes this takes the form of isolated pops of colour, as seen below in the kitchen islands in a Minsk design office and a creekside home in Lithuania.
    Elsewhere, all of the surfaces from the walls and floors down to the kitchen sink are finished tonally in different shades of pink, as evidenced here by two different Spanish apartments.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing home interiors that make use of statement windows, board-formed concrete and textured cork-covered walls.

    Photo is by Jan VranovskyNagatachō Apartment, Japan, by Adam Nathaniel Furman
    A saccharine, bubblegum-pink kitchen suite sits at the heart of this apartment in Tokyo by British designer Adam Nathaniel Furman, clashed playfully with stripes of “watermelon-green” vinyl flooring.
    “A lot of the way I described the project as I was developing it was through taste and references to cooking and food, so that the colour scheme became a matter of choosing ingredients for a beautifully calibrated visual feast,” Furman told Dezeen.
    Find out more about Nagatachō Apartment ›
    Photo is by Lorenzo ZandriSt Minas House, Greece, by Neiheiser Argyros
    Neiheiser Argyros used playful colours and materials to complement the existing modernist details of a 1970s villa near Athens, which the architecture practice overhauled last year.
    The kitchen’s limited material palette of exposed brick and board-formed concrete was rounded off with unexpected touches, such as perforated aluminium cabinets and a dusty-pink mosaic backsplash with matching counters.
    Find out more about St Minas House ›
    Photo is by JC de MarcosMinimal Fantasy apartment, Spain, by Patricia Bustos Studio
    All of the rooms and most of the surfaces in this holiday apartment in Madrid are finished in some shade of pink – all the way down to the kitchen sink.
    Local practice Patricia Bustos Studio only broke from the colour scheme when it came to the cupboard fronts, which are interrupted by brass detailing and geometric shapes in denim and baby blue.
    Find out more about Minimal Fantasy apartment ›
    Photo is by Luis Díaz DíazMixtape Apartment, Spain, by Azab
    Pale pink walls and cupboard doors help to jazz up this kitchen in a 1960s apartment, which Spanish architecture studio Azab has overhauled for a retiree in Bilbao.
    Mismatched herringbone floor tiles tie the colour scheme together, bringing in little flavours of mint green and cherry red alongside a muted beige to match the timber trim on the kitchen frons.
    Find out more about Mixtape Apartment ›
    Photo is by Dmitry TsyrencshikovStudio11 office, Belarus, by Studio11
    When designing its own workplace in Minsk, interiors practice Studio11 aimed to steer clear of the simple industrial aesthetic favoured by many design and architecture offices.
    That meant juxtaposing the interior’s raw concrete and plaster surfaces with vibrant accents, such as an abstract portrait by Belarusian painter Zakhar Kudin or a blush-coloured counter, which is set in front of the half-painted blue walls in the shared kitchen.
    Find out more about the Studio11 office ›
    Photo is by Javier Agustín RojasLerma workshop, Argentinia, by Estudio Nu
    Argentinian practice Estudio Nu created this communal kitchen when dividing up its own design studio, set in a former dental mechanics workshop in Buenos Aires, in order to create accessible office spaces for other local creatives.
    Here, speckled pink tiles were chosen to match the interior’s muted material palette, which combines rippled glass doors with pale timber walls and concrete floors.
    Find out more about Lerma workshop ›
    Photo is courtesy of ReformDesigners Remix showroom, Denmark, by Reform
    Danish brand Reform, which specialises in customising IKEA kitchen suites, took inspiration from the colour schemes and gradients of makeup palettes when designing the break-out area of this fashion showroom in Copenhagen.
    Here, kitchen fronts from Reform’s Basis collection are finished in progressively deeper pastel shades ranging from peach to blush and dark rose, contrasted against a jet-black sink and tap.
    Find out more about Designers Remix showroom ›
    Photo is by Giedrius MamavičiusHouse and the River, Lithuania, by After Party
    White walls, floors and ceilings create a bright, modern backdrop inside this creek-side house in northern Lithuania, with character added in the form of antique Soviet-era furnishings and splashes of unexpected colour.
    Its monochrome kitchen is tucked under a mezzanine and punctuated by a salmon-coloured island with a terrazzo countertop in ballet-slipper pink.
    Find out more about House and the River ›
    Photo is by Roberto RuizApartment in Born, Spain, by Colombo and Serboli Architecture
    An arched, coral-pink volume squeezes in a second bathroom next to the kitchen of this compact apartment, which is set in a 13th-century residential building in Barcelona’s historic El Born neighbourhood.
    This same motif is repeated in the breakfast island with its curved worktop made of pink quartz and the matching rose-tinted dining table.
    Find out more about Apartment in Born ›
    Photo is by Richard ChiversMaison Pour Dodo, UK, by Studio Merlin
    Pale, plaster-coloured walls and Douglas fir floorboards are contrasted against smokey blue cabinets inside this flat in London’s Stoke Newington, which local practice Studio Merlin overhauled for founder Josh Piddock and his girlfriend.
    The interior combines what Piddock describes as a “spectrum of storage”, ranging from a hacked IKEA kitchen suite topped with a concrete Caesarstone counter to open, pantry-style shelves squeezed in above a small seating nook.
    Find out more about Maison Pour Dodo ›
    This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing statement windows, board-formed concrete and textured cork-covered walls.

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    Balenciaga wraps London store in pink faux fur to celebrate its Le Cagole “it-bag”

    Fashion brand Balenciaga has transformed its Mount Street store in London, creating a maximalist look to launch its Le Cagole collection by blanketing the interior in bright pink faux fur.

    To celebrate its popular Le Cagole bag, which references Balenciaga’s maximalist It Bags of the past, and launch the line’s collection of accessories and shoes, the entire interior of the store has been covered in fur.
    Balenciaga’s Mount Street store was lined in faux furThe brand removed its accessories, ready-to-wear collections and permanent shelving from the store and installed temporary, metal fixtures – taken from the brand’s previous projects and installations – throughout.
    Balenciaga wrapped these temporary fixtures and displays in a fluffy, bright pink faux fur chosen for its maximalist look to tie with the Le Cagole bag identity.
    Pink faux fur was used across the walls, floors and surfaces”The line, which now includes multiple bags, wallet, and shoe styles, reinvents Balenciaga codes in the tradition of maximalist It Bags of another era,” said Balenciaga.

    “Le Cagole pop-ups are in keeping with this spirit, covered entirely with bright pink fake fur. Shelves, displays, floors, seating, and even racks in the open-plan kiosks are lined in pink.”
    Le Cagole bags were placed across the fur-lined temporary displaysThe Le Cagole, which Vogue has dubbed the “new it-bag”, was designed by Balenciaga’s creative director Demna, who reinvented one of the house’s most iconic bags – the Balenciaga Motorcycle bag.
    First released in 2001 by Nicholas Ghesquiere, who led a 15-year tenure as creative director at the house from 1997 to 2012, the Motorcycle bag quickly became a staple of the 2000s.

    Balenciaga dedicates Autumn Winter 2022 show to the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine

    Demna’s Le Cagole collection, which was first launched as a collection of handbags, has now extended into a number of different bags, shoes and purses. It takes its name from French slang that refers to an “over-the-top attitude”.
    The pieces employ the same detailing, hardware and rivets as Ghesquiere’s 2001 Motorcycle bag, which have been applied across a number of accessories including knee-high stiletto boots, mini-purses and oversized rhinestone-embellished handbags.
    The fur-lined Le Cagole pop-up is open at Balenciaga’s Mount Street store in London from April through until June 2022.
    The pop-up offers limited edition bagsBalenciaga told Dezeen that the metal fixtures and displays would be reused for future projects, and it is looking into ways in which the fur can be repurposed and reused in different contexts.
    “Each Le Cagole pop-up fixture base was made of reused metal from previous projects. After the faux fur is removed, the metal will be reused again for future projects,” it said.
    “We are currently researching the best way in which we can donate the faux fur so that it can be reused in manufacturing toys, for example.”
    The pop-up is open until JuneFor the fashion brand’s Autumn Winter 2022 collection, the house created a “snow globe” where models walked the runway in a blizzard as a comment on both the climate crisis and the Ukraine war.
    In late 2021, Balenciaga renovated its flagship store in London and debuted its “raw architecture” store aesthetic.
    Photos are courtesy of Balenciaga.

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    Theatrical curtains drape around Dame bar by Bergman & Co

    A “rather fabulous” fictitious muse influenced the design of this richly decorated bar and restaurant in Melbourne by local interiors studio Bergman & Co.

    Dame recently opened in the IM Pei-designed Collins Place, a mixed-use complex in the East End of the city.
    Dame is located in IM Pei’s Collins Place complexThe concrete development was completed in 1981, so Bergman & Co looked to this decade for inspiration when devising a concept for the bar’s interior.
    “The narrative of Dame is centred around a fictitious 1980s muse; a powerful, well connected and rather fabulous woman,” said the team, led by director Wendy Bergman.
    A curvaceous pink marble bar counter sits in the centre of the spaceThe fictional character’s power and femininity are reflected in elements like the curved bar counter, made from blush-toned marble.

    Her portrait, painted by local Melbourne artist Stacey Rees, hangs behind the bar to tie the concept together.
    Blush curtains provide a backdrop for communal diningPale pink curtains divide the space from the building lobby and are draped dramatically to create an entryway.
    Diners are presented with multiple seating options around the restaurant’s glazed periphery.
    Glass block table legs nod to the building’s gridded architectureCommunal tables feature dark wooden tops and glass block supports, nodding to the gridded architecture of the setting.
    Above, pendant lights created in collaboration with Melbourne design studio Please Please Please are delicately suspended like pieces of jewellery.

    Pink marble and patchy concrete emulate ancient Rome in Melbourne’s Pentolina pasta bar

    Banquette seating wrapped in dark textured fabric creates cosy booths, while more casual round tables are paired with wicker-backed chairs.
    “A sumptuous banquette setting finished in rich, earthen tones creates a subtle sense of nostalgia, warming the building’s otherwise restrained palette of architectural finishes,” said Bergman & Co.
    Upholstery for banquettes was chosen to create a “sense of nostalgia””Quilted upholstery and 1980s-inspired furniture complete the aesthetic tableau, offering an elevated, all-day dining space,” the studio added.
    Glossy red table lamps and pendants are also scattered through the space, uniting a palette that feels rich and warm against the building’s grey terrazzo flooring.
    Pink marble tables are accompanied by wicker-backed chairsPink marble is similarly used at Melbourne’s Pentolina restaurant, designed by Biasol.
    Other dining and drinking establishments with notable interiors around Australia’s second-largest city include Studio Esteta’s Via Porta and Three Blue Ducks by Pattern.
    The photography is by Eve Wilson.

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