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      Six renovated Parisian apartments in historical Haussmann-era buildings

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      Period details are mixed with contemporary interventions inside these renovated apartments in Paris, built in the mid-19th century during Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s reconstruction of the French capital.

      In his role as the prefect of the Seine département under Napoleon III, Baron Haussmann was responsible for creating the network of boulevards that still define the city’s urban landscape today.
      The homogenous apartment buildings flanking these boulevards were designed to strict guidelines, all made from cream-coloured stone with a steep four-sided mansard roof and no more than six storeys.
      Although Haussmann was less prescriptive about the building’s interiors, they generally feature high ceilings and parquet floors alongside elaborate mouldings and boiserie.
      Read on for six examples of how architects and interior designers have brought these apartments into the 21st century, including a book lover’s loft and two flats combined to form a family home in the Marais.

      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with minimalist interiors, concrete kitchens and marble-lined bathrooms.
      Photo by Salem MostefaouiWood Ribbon apartment by Toledano + Architects
      Original details such as parquet floors and ornate ceiling plasterwork were retained in the renovation of this apartment, which had been left largely untouched since the end of the 19th century.
      But local studio Toledano + Architects tore down several partition walls to create a more open floorplan, traversed by a snaking plywood wall that roughly divides the apartment into three zones while providing tactical storage in the living room and kitchen.
      “I really wanted to enhance this dichotomy between ancient and contemporary,” founder Gabrielle Toledano told Dezeen. “It’s very relevant in a city like Paris where both are in a constant dialogue.”
      Find out more about Wood Ribbon apartment ›
      Photo by Giulio GhirardiApartment Canal Saint Martin by Rodolphe Parente
      French interior designer Rodolphe Parente made only a few minor architectural interventions when overhauling this apartment in Canal Saint-Martin, exposing long sealed-off doorways and creating a hybrid dining room and kitchen.
      Instead, he modernised the apartment by contrasting original details such as mouldings with unexpected contemporary details, colours and the “radical” art collection of the owner.
      In the bedroom, a vivid purple rug clashes with caramel-coloured walls while in the living room, period wall panelling highlights the modernity of the sofa and the glossy coffee table.
      Find out more about Apartment Canal Saint Martin ›
      Photo by Olivier Martin GambierApartment XIV by Studio Razavi
      With several partition walls removed, French office Studio Razavi created a new layout for this apartment by slotting a multi-faceted furniture block made from wood-fibre panels into the remaining gaps.
      Its staggered profile creates sightlines between the different areas of the house while framing some of the building’s original Hausmann-style ceiling mouldings.
      Painted in a muted slate grey, the furniture block performs a different function in every room – acting as a storage cabinet in the kitchen, a TV mount in the living room and a desk in the study.
      Find out more about Apartment XIV ›
      Photo by Stephan JulliardMarais apartment by Sophie Dries
      Two flats become one 100-square-metre residence in this renovation project that French architect Sophie Dries completed in trendy Marais for a family of four.
      Period details were painted in simple white, providing a contrast with new additions such as the Hans J Wegner chairs and the dyed linen curtains in the living room
      “The Haussmannian style was refined and pared down, in order to introduce minimal lines better suited to a modern family,” Dries explained.
      Find out more about Marais apartment ›

      Enter the Diamond by Atelier 37.2
      An additional bathroom is housed inside the three-metre-high birchwood volume at the centre of this residence in the French capital, designed by local studio Atelier 37.2.
      The sharp lines of the diamond-shaped structure contrast with the apartment’s ornate ceiling mouldings and white-painted walls.
      “This tension generates a fictional potential that plays with the imagination of the inhabitants,” said the studio.
      Find out more about Enter the Diamond ›
      Photo by Stéphane ChalmeauArsenal loft by h2o Architectes
      This three-room loft is set inside the mansard roof of a Haussmann-era building in the Arsenale district, which originally served as servant’s quarters for the apartments below.
      Parisian firm h2o Architectes opened up its floor plan to make the most of the top-floor views while installing wooden bookshelves to define different areas and house the extensive library of the apartment’s book-loving owner.
      Their timber construction creates a visual connection with the original parquet floors, while the white paint used to brighten walls and other structural elements continues onto some sections of the floor.
      Find out more about Arsenal loft ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with minimalist interiors, concrete kitchens and marble-lined bathrooms.

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      Il Capri Hotel receives pink-heavy revamp from Graziella Buontempo and Arnaud Lacombe

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      A husband-and-wife hotelier duo has renovated a hotel in a Venetian-style palazzo on the island of Capri, refreshing its pastel-pink facade and continuing the hue into the guest rooms.

      Il Capri Hotel was built in the 19th century as a private villa in the Neo-gothic Venetian style before being transformed into a hotel in 1899.
      Il Capri Hotel is located in a Venetian-style palazzo in the centre of CapriIts current owners, Graziella Buontempo and Arnaud Lacombe, redesigned the interiors to reflect the grandeur of the property while imbuing it with a sense of contemporary chic.
      The duo retained the building’s signature pink-and-white facades, repairing and repainting them. They also chose to repeat some of the same hues and external architectural details throughout the interiors.
      The reception area features a marble-topped desk and a retail space”Honoring the property’s history and location, the hotel’s colour palette is inspired by the pink found across the island of Capri and the striking volcanic reds of Mount Vesuvius,” said the hotel team.

      A bright red curved awning signals the hotel’s entrance, located close to the town square in the centre of the famous Italian holiday destination, leading guests to a reception desk topped with reddish marble.
      A checkerboard floor runs through the communal lounge spacesRoom keys are stored individually in small arched niches within a wood-panelled wall behind, while local gifts are displayed on built-in shelves nearby.
      The hotel’s public areas feature checkerboard flooring, black lighting fixtures and red curtains to the match sofa cushions and rug trims.
      The hotel has 21 guest rooms spread over several floorsA variety of antique furniture pieces were curated to make the lounges feel homely while artworks and photos were sourced from the personal collection of Buontempo, whose family has long associations with the island.
      Archways divide various seating areas from corridors and one another, creating several distinct areas where guests can relax.
      The pink of the building’s exterior is continued in the guest roomsIn the bedrooms, pink appears again as wainscoting and on upholstered headboards shaped as ogee arches.
      The rooms include sisal floors and other natural materials and are simply decorated so that attention isn’t drawn away from the views.
      The rooms are decorated sparingly to draw attention to the views”Each of the 21 guest rooms pays homage to the culture of the island with decor imbuing a feeling of comfort, no-frills luxury and understated elegance,” the hotel team said.
      Il Capri offers several options for dining and drinking, many of which allow these activities to be enjoyed al fresco with views of the island’s dramatic coastline and the Gulf of Naples.

      Two buildings in Rome merge to form boutique hotel Condominio Monti

      These include the street-level Caprirama Bar, connected to the lobby and extended onto an expansive terrace with a herringbone-pattern tiled floor and groupings of terracotta plant pots, landscaped by garden designer Jonathan Froines.
      The all-day restaurant Vesuvio also has a shaded outdoor dining terrace, where caned bistro chairs accompany wood-topped tables.
      The hotel has several terraces for relaxing outdoorsSun loungers line up along the rooftop swimming pool, shaded by red parasols with crenellated white edges.
      There’s also a subterranean nightclub, Rumore, which is used as a cinema and an events space during the off-season.
      The terraces feature herringbone-tiled floors and groups of potted plantsA short boat ride from Naples on the Amalfi Coast, Capri is a popular destination for both Italian and international tourists.
      Elsewhere in the country, recently opened or revamped hotels include the Palazzo Daniele in Puglia, the Condominio Monti in Rome, and the Aeon Hotel near Bolzano.
      The photography is by Jonathan Froines.

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      The Mint List brings mid-century influences to north London family home

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      Interior design studio The Mint List has brought light, space and warmth to this Edwardian house in London with multiple extensions, a hidden playroom and plenty of tactile materials.

      The renovated end-of-terrace house in Kensal Rise belongs to a film-industry couple that wanted a cosy family home with mid-century elements, in particular referencing the work of designers Charles and Ray Eames.
      The Mint List has renovated and extended an Edwardian house in north London”The clients had a leaning towards mid-century style but they didn’t want that to overwhelm the scheme,” The Mint List founder Camilla Kelly told Dezeen.
      “The Eames House was a good mid-century reference in terms of encompassing warm, repurposed textures, a sense of scale and an abundance of light.”
      A new rear extension houses the home’s kitchen and dining spaceThe brief was to open up this formerly dark and “unremarkable” home and create an improved sense of flow.

      As well as adding two bedrooms and a small study in the newly converted loft, The Mint List created a rear extension to house the kitchen-dining space and absorbed the property’s former garage into the house, providing a mudroom, pantry and playroom.
      The custom-built kitchen island has two levelsThe playroom is cleverly concealed behind a bank of new storage in the hallway, which has also been enlarged by opening it up into the former porch.
      “There was huge importance given to light in the design,” said Kelly. “Wherever possible, we created tall windows benefiting from the south-facing aspect.”
      Bookshelves act as room dividers to form a hybrid library and snugThe house is full of custom-designed features and finishes at the request of the client.
      The floor uses unusually slim lengths of oak, laid at right angles to each other in huge grids, while the thresholds were distinguished with slender fins of brass that add subtle visual interest.
      The children’s playroom is hidden inside a wall of storage in the hallwayDrawing on the design language of mid-century furniture, the kitchen was completely custom-built for the space with a clean-lined, yet playfully asymmetric design.
      “We centralised the assembly and used high windows on either side of the cabinets to emphasise the cubic nature of the design,” said Kelly. “The asymmetric cubes that form the cabinets were built using walnut, with cream-painted doors for the covered storage.”

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      The material mix includes walnut veneer, reeded glass, olive-coloured door fronts and antique brass detailing, as well as concrete and reclaimed iroko wood worktops.
      “I’m averse to keeping things all in one colour,” the designer said. “It’s a missed opportunity to bring texture, colour and character to a space.”
      The children’s bedroom is located on the first floorThe kitchen island was designed to account for the owners’ love of entertaining, with a section of the worktop raised to bar height to draw guests away from the cooking area.
      “The island is even more asymmetric, with different levels, drawers, shelves and openings that served to show how the geometry of a design can sometimes be off-kilter and still look neatly intentioned, as long as it sits correctly within the scale of the space,” Kelly said.
      A small study now occupies the loft alongside a primary bedrooms suiteThe curved bar provides a visual link to the rounded steps that lead down into the kitchen area, as well as to other curved elements throughout the house.
      “I like to include some curves in my projects through room openings, joinery and countertops,” Kelly said. “They help to soften spaces and improve flow from one area to the next.”
      The main bathroom is held in pale blue and green tonesAdjoining the kitchen is a hybrid library and snug, which is partially enclosed with oak shelving finished in glass and raffia, that double up as room dividers and nod to the Eames House in California.
      “We didn’t want this to be a dead space,” Kelly said. “It’s a quiet spot where you can curl up with a book or listen to music. And when the couple is entertaining, this is a soft space where you come to catch up with someone.”
      Four bedrooms are spread across the home’s upper levels, including a shared children’s bedroom with bunk beds on the first floor and two added bedrooms in the converted loft.
      A baby pink sink provides a pop of colourSince founding The Mint List in 2011, Kelly has completed a number of interior projects in London.
      Among them are the headquarters of music management company Everybody’s in Highbury, which she kitted out with mid-century-style movable furniture.
      The photography is by Dave Watts.

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      Rodolphe Parente respectfully rethinks a classic Haussmannian apartment in Paris

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      French interior designer Rodolphe Parente has completed a contemporary overhaul of a 19th-century Parisian apartment, reflecting both the building’s heritage and the “radical” art collection of its owner.

      Originally built during Haussmann’s major reconstruction of Paris, the 150-square-metre flat is located in the Canal Saint-Martin neighbourhood in northeastern Paris.
      Rodolphe Parente has renovated a Haussmann-era apartment in ParisAs part of the renovation, Parente sought to celebrate the apartment’s extensive period details. In the entrance hall, a band of gold leaf now highlights the geometry of the circular ceiling and missing sections of the mouldings were painstakingly reinstated.
      “The main idea was to preserve and at some points restore the classic Haussmannian codes of a Parisian apartment,” Parente told Dezeen. “It was important for me to keep the Parisian vibration as well as the radical tone of my client’s art taste.”
      Redfield & Dattner created an abstract fresco behind the dining tableParente began by opening up the apartment to improve the sense of flow, exposing long sealed-off doorways and connecting the dining room with the kitchen.

      Taking cues from the craftsmanship inherent in the apartment, Parente drafted in several contemporary craftspeople including custom painting studio Redfield & Dattner, which created an abstract fresco on the new wall behind the dining table.
      The kitchen balances cabinet finishes of stainless steel and pastel pink”I wanted to bring the hand of craftsmanship into this project,” said Parente.
      “The people I have worked with on this apartment bring something to the creativity in general.”
      A sculptural vintage sofa centres the living roomThroughout the space, a palette of warm neutrals was used to create a sense of immersion.
      “I chose neutral tones to subtly enhance the classical heritage of the apartment and keep an enveloping atmosphere,” the interior designer explained.

      Studio Razavi inserts sculptural furniture block into 19th-century Parisian apartment

      Against this cohesive backdrop, surprisingly colourful elements leap out including the lacquered yellow light above the dining table – Parente’s own design – and the vivid purple rug used against caramel-coloured walls in the main bedroom.
      The kitchen balances cabinet finishes of stainless steel and pastel pink with a frame-like marble splashback, created by French artist Alice Guittard for Double V Gallery.
      “The kitchen is a deconstructed block sitting in the Haussmanian environment,” Parente said. “It is connected to the historical elements through its composition.”
      Period wall panelling remains in the reading roomIn the living room, a sculptural vintage sofa is sited in the centre of the space, anchored by a graphic rug and positioned to disrupt the angles of the room.
      Parente played with contrast via the material and colour palettes throughout the apartment. In the reading room, period wall panelling highlights the modernity of the sofa and chair with their highly lacquered side panels.
      Parente designed a custom chair and sofa for the space”For this room, we have designed custom-made furniture with contemporary and radical shapes bringing a form of reflection to the space,” the designer said.
      The idea of juxtaposition continues with the art displayed in the apartment, with the client’s often provocative pieces completing the aesthetic in each room.
      Colours clash in the main bedroom”The client showed total faith in this balance between modernism and legacy for the interior design. He also wanted to keep this dialogue for the decoration and focused on staying eclectic in his choice of furniture and art,” said Parente.
      “The client has a radical point of view regarding art and design. It was a real pleasure to create a dialogue between the existing pieces and the interior design.”
      A vivid purple rug contrasts with caramel-coloured wallsOther Hausmann-era apartment renovations in Paris have seen interior designers make more dramatic interventions, with Atelier 37.2 adding a sculptural wooden volume to house a new bathroom while Studio Razavi inserted a multifaceted furniture block that takes on a different function in each room.
      The photography is by Giulio Ghirardi.

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      Daytrip creates calm broken-plan interior for Edwardian home in west London

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      Warm, tactile materials and rich colours are balanced with a newfound sense of openness in this early 20th-century house that architecture studio Daytrip has renovated and extended in London.

      Queen’s Park House is a double-fronted Edwardian property – set in the titular west London neighbourhood – which Daytrip has taken from a series of run-down and characterless bedsits to a calm, contemporary home for a TV producer and his family.
      An understated foyer leads into Queen’s Park HouseAs the house had lost many of its Edwardian features, the studio devised contemporary takes on these details.
      Among them are the cherry wood “portals” by London carpenter Studio Manolo, which have replaced the architraves that once surrounded doors throughout the house.
      Daytrip extended the home with a bold new double-height volume to the rear, accommodating a hybrid kitchen-dining-living space and an open gallery housing a small study. In addition, the studio created a new principal bedroom suite at loft level.

      Steps lead down into the bespoke kitchen designed by Edward CollinsonDaytrip’s approach to the layout focused on maximising the feeling of space by opening up the connection points between previously discrete rooms.
      Stepping away from the traditional idea of a central corridor, the studio shifted the main route through the house to take in each room in turn.
      The spaces are differentiated by a drop in levels, as part of the semi-open broken-plan layout devised by Daytrip.
      A clerestory window provides views out from the living roomWhile these spaces retain their own individual functions and character, there is now a closer relationship between the individual rooms.
      “Traditional homes are full of dead ends where rooms feel secluded and separated,” Daytrip told Dezeen. “We wanted to create more connections.
      “It felt appropriate for a modern family lifestyle to create an easy and accessible route, from arrival down through the social spaces.”
      The living area also opens out onto a small gardenThe “arrival room” with its central table by local furniture maker Edward Collinson was designed to create a sense of calm to reframe the family’s mindset as they return home.
      On a practical level, this room also provides storage for all of the family’s coats, shoes and bags, concealed behind panelling that’s an inverted version of the typical period panelling found in Edwardian homes.
      Throughout the house, cherry timber was used in combination with the darker tones of the fumed oak floors.
      A gallery-level study sits above the kitchen”We enjoy the smoky effect of the fumed oak and used the warmer tones of the cherry as a counterpoint to that,” the practice said. “We like to use timber to create a tonal background, as it brings more depth to a room than paint alone.”
      From the foyer, steps descend into a more intimate snug, which is lined with umber-toned textured wallpaper and cherry timber shelving. This creates a darker, more cosy atmosphere that contrasts with the previous space.
      More steps link the snug to the newly extended kitchen, dining and living room.

      Daytrip transforms east London terrace house into understated apartments

      Here, floor-to-ceiling glass doors open the space up to the minimalist courtyard garden beyond – designed by regular Daytrip collaborator Tyler Gold Finch Gardens.
      Above this area, a clerestory window creates a dual-aspect outlook and frames views of the surrounding tree canopy.
      The kitchen, also made by Edward Collinson, features cherry wood panelling and Fior Di Pesco marble splashbacks, while the island is topped with a solid piece of lava stone in a glazed finish.
      The study is furnished with an Ekstrem chair by Terje Ekstrøm”We build palettes that reflect the mood and character of the property, often introducing both harmony and contrast,” Daytrip said.
      A poured concrete floor that was polished to a soft sheen continues out into the garden, creating a sense of seamlessness between the two spaces.
      Above the kitchen floats an open gallery, decorated in shades of russet with a rust-coloured carpet by Swedish brand Kasthall.
      Bathrooms provide an unexpected splash of colourFor the home’s colour palette, Daytrip referenced its red brick front and the greenery of the nearby park with an earthy mix of rusty-reddish tones, balanced by shades of bronze and bright mossy green.
      Beyond the study, the first floor is family-focused with children’s bedrooms and bathrooms, while the principal bedroom suite resides at the top of the house, benefitting from views of the London skyline.
      The bedroom was designed as a comfortable retreat, enveloped by tactile grasscloth wallpaper, in a warm amber tone. There’s an emphasis on softness here, with an off-white pure wool carpet as well as floor-to-ceiling diaphanous linen curtains.
      The principal bedroom was designed as a calming retreatLondon design consultancy Monument Store was chosen to furnish and style the house.
      “We liked Monument Store’s contrast of abstract and brutalist sculptural objét alongside post-modernist pieces such as the cult iconic Ekstrem chair in the gallery space, or the Tito Agnoli cane chairs in the kitchen-lounge,” Daytrip said.
      Linen curtains hide views of the London skylineThe studio has completed a number of London home extensions in recent years.
      Among them are two properties in east London’s Clapton – a townhouse with a newly excavated basement level and a Victorian terrace, which is now home to three separate apartments.
      The photography is by Pierce Scourfield.

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      Studio Vaaro reconfigures House M using built-in storage volumes

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      For the renovation of a house in Toronto’s West End, local firm Studio Vaaro added minimally detailed millwork to form kitchen cabinetry, the staircase and a feature bookcase in the living room.

      Studio Vaaro’s overhaul of House M, a three-storey detached property that had been renovated and extended multiple times over the years, involved reconfiguring the layout to remove the awkward subdivided spaces.
      The ground floor of House M is partitioned by storage volumes laid out in a diamond formation”Our clients were a professional couple with two young children, who were looking for flexible and resilient spaces that could accommodate their home offices, overnight guests, and the changing needs of their growing children,” said the studio.
      “We, therefore, developed a spatial concept based on ‘functional volumes’, in which well-proportioned spaces are partitioned by blocks of storage and service functions.”
      The pale blue-grey volumes provide additional storage space for the kitchenThese built-in storage blocks partially partition four rooms on the ground floor while keeping an open flow between them.

      Laid out in a diamond formation, all are coloured pale blue-grey to highlight their function against the otherwise white walls.
      In the kitchen, oak cabinetry contrasts with the marble countertops”The large amount of built-in storage ensures the rooms themselves are free of clutter and ready for use,” said Studio Vaaro. “In line with the family’s personalities, colour and playful details abound.”
      In the entryway is a coat closet that hides the view of the living room behind, where an oak bookcase sat atop a teal powder-coated fireplace covers almost an entire wall.
      Bleachers are built into the oak staircase, offering a display area or extra seatingA powder room is placed between this space and the kitchen, also forming additional cabinet and counter space within its volume.
      Further kitchen storage sits in front of the dining room, and another closet is tucked under the doglegging staircase.
      On the first floor, the bedrooms are accessed through deep portal doorways”A ‘mixing bowl’ at the centre of the plan, at the base of the stairs, visually and physically connects all four spaces,” the studio said.
      Both the entry and the dining room volumes are pulled away from the home’s exterior walls, allowing additional views between rooms.
      The portals are coloured dusty pink and the kids rooms are also colourfulThe remaining built-in furniture is oak to match the flooring that runs throughout, including kitchen millwork and the staircase, which incorporates oversized bleachers for displaying kids’ artwork or creating extra seating during a party.
      A white metal “picket” guardrail, softened with rounded details, allows light to pass down from the upper levels.

      Long wooden cabinet runs through slender Borden house by StudioAC

      On the first floor, two parallel volumes separate the children’s rooms at the front of the house and the primary suite at the back from the central corridor.
      These create both storage for the rooms, and deep doorway portals that are highlighted in dusty pink.
      Skylights in the stepped angled roofs bring extra light into rooms at the rear, including the primary bathroomCarefully considered details include recesses for the door handles, allowing the doors to open the full 90 degrees without banging into the wall.
      Work and study spaces in the attic are minimally furnished, though feature built-in desks that step up to form shelves behind.
      Study spaces in the attic also feature built-in furnitureSkylights in the stepped, angled roof planes on all three floors bring extra light into the dining room, primary bathroom, and the stairwell.
      Other Toronto homes that have undergone extensive renovations to make them better suited for their occupants include a 14-foot-wide house where pale woodwork forms storage to make more space, and another “disguised as a gallery” – both designed by StudioAC.
      The photography is by Scott Norsworthy.
      Project credits:
      Team: Aleris Rodgers, Francesco Valente-Gorjup, Shengjie Qiu.

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      Formation Association transforms series of buildings for Phillips Los Angeles

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      Los Angeles architecture studio Formation Association has turned an assemblage of buildings in West Hollywood into a new home for London-based auction house Phillips.

      The West Coast headquarters for Phillips opened in October 2022 and includes three showrooms, a patio and offices created from a set of disparate structures on Santa Monica Boulevard.
      The new Phillips Los Angeles combines several different structures, including a historic doorway that was preservedFormation Association preserved many of the existing architectural elements of the eclectic collection of buildings, ensuring that each section retained its identity.
      “We started with idiosyncratic conditions and buildings layered with history,” said studio co-founder John K Chan, who led the project. “We wanted to keep that sensibility. The building is a varied palimpsest, with traces of the past appearing within the new facade.”
      An oculus punctures the curved overhang above the main entranceThe entrance to the 3,182-square-foot (296-square-metre) showroom is on an acute street corner, beneath a curved canopy clad in grey stucco.

      “This rounded marquee, punctuated by an overhead oculus, evokes the automobile-oriented Streamline Moderne era,” said Formation Association.
      Another circular cutout was created in the first gallery, exposing wooden beams that were painted silverThe textured stucco is contrasted by smooth trowelled plaster that covers adjacent surfaces, intended to add a Southern California identity to the building.
      On the east elevation, the team retained the sheet metal siding and an old doorway of a historic facade.
      Oak floors throughout the building match those found in Phillips’ other international locationsThis side of the building also includes a tall, narrow window through which Phillips can move large artworks in and out.
      Along the south facade, the architects added recessed windows cut at angles into the thickened perimeter wall, which allow more light into the galleries.
      The tallest space in the building, Showroom C, will be used to showcase larger artworks and sculptureInside, the three gallery spaces are laid out in sequence. Upon entry is Showroom A, which features a soffit ceiling and wide baseboards to evoke a residential space.
      A second oculus punctures the ceiling, exposing wooden beams painted silver as a nod to the work of Californian architect Richard Neutra.
      Steps and a ramp lead up to an office space that’s also used for client meetingsThe smallest gallery, Showroom B, is accessed through an open portal, and Showroom C is reached through a similar threshold.
      With a ceiling over 15 feet (4.5 metres) tall, this gallery is used for displaying larger artworks and sculptures.

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      All three spaces feature oak floors that match those found in all of Phillips’ international locations.
      “With the interplay of light and oak wood floors across the three subsequent showrooms, we were thinking about the cadence of an irregular enfilade,” said Chan. “Each of the three galleries has a distinct proportion that we wanted to leverage.”
      At the back of the building is a patio enclosed by grey-stained plywood wallsFrom Showroom C, a couple of steps and a ramp lead up to a small office used for client meetings.
      At the back of the building is the covered patio, enclosed by walls made from plywood that was stained grey to match the exterior stucco.
      Phillips Los Angeles opened in October 2022The opening of Phillips Los Angeles follows over a decade of continual growth for the city’s arts scene, which has seen galleries like Hauser & Wirth and The Future Perfect set up shop, and an annual edition of the Frieze Art Fair introduced.
      Formation Association is led by Chan and partner Grace U Oh. As well as completing a variety of institutional, residential and commercial projects, the studio has contributed several times to a program organised by the Architects for Animals charity that asks LA-based architects to design shelters for the city’s homeless cats.
      The photography is by Eric Staudenmaier.
      Project credits:
      Design team: John K Chan, Nick Miuccio, Carlo ‘CJ’ Guzman, Jay Lee, Colin JacobsStructural engineer: Nous EngineeringMEP engineer: Engineous GroupLighting designer: Fisher Marantz StoneLandscape designer: Ochre

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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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