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      Highstay designs Paris holiday apartments for Olympics visitors and holiday makers

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      Hospitality brand Highstay has brought a contemporary spin to these 19th-century Parisian apartments, which its team has renovated to offer accommodation during the Olympic Games and beyond.

      The holiday apartments are intended for short- and long-term stays of up to one month, offering an alternative to hotels “for those coming to the city this summer for the Olympics”, Highstay said.
      Highstay’s has created holiday apartments within historic buildingsThe apartments are spread over four central Paris locations: Champs-Elysées, Saint-Honoré, Louvre and Marais.
      The majority are located within historic Haussmann-era buildings typical of the French capital and were designed by Highstay’s in-house team to retain their character while offering a contemporary twist.
      Each apartment is designed with a neutral palette and contemporary furniture”Our interior designers combine the quintessential Parisian style of 19th-century architecture with contemporary materials and modern equipment,” said the Highstay team.

      “The association of natural stones, elegant woods and high-quality fabrics shapes the atmosphere of a room and best connect our guests to the spirit of a place.”
      Parquet floors, bronze mirrors and marble accents are common throughoutRanging from one to three bedrooms, the apartments are decorated in a neutral palette, combining classical mouldings with minimally detailed stone and pale wood surfaces.
      Common materials and elements found in most of the interiors include arched architectural features, parquet flooring, travertine surfaces and dramatic marble used across fireplaces, bathrooms and kitchens.
      The buildings’ classical mouldings were retained”Each high-end pied-à-terre positions the kitchen area as the focal point and central hub, inviting conviviality while suite-style bedrooms offer a warm and intimate ambience through carefully selected wood materials, varied fabrics and textures,” said the team.
      Unique features tailored to the different contexts of each location range from large-scale upholstered or wooden headboards to full-wall panelling, bronze-tinted mirrors and various contemporary furniture and artworks.
      The kitchen area is positioned as a focal pointIn the two-bedroom Louvre I apartment, which overlooks the famous museum on Rue de Rivoli, a grand salon room contains the kitchen and living area.
      A ring-shaped light hangs over the centre of the tall space, which is vertically emphasised by the kitchen millwork and full-height windows.

      Laurent Taïeb transforms Louvre Post Office into Hôtel Madame Rêve in Paris

      Arched niches display decorative items on either side of the dark stone fireplace, from which the TV emerges at the touch of a button.
      The primary bathroom is wrapped almost entirely in richly veined black-and-white marble accented by black fixtures while the second is clad in warm-toned travertine.
      Highstay’s Louvre I apartment includes a bedroom with dark walnut panellingParis is gearing up to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games over the summer and is preparing by renovating many of the city’s iconic sites and landmarks including the Grand Palais, which is set to host the fencing and taekwondo events.
      Only one permanent new sporting venue – a timber Aquatics Centre by VenhoevenCS and Ateliers 2/3/4 –  is being constructed for the event, in a bid to minimise its carbon footprint.
      Louvre I also has a bathroom with walls and floors lined entirely in dramatic black and white marbleOther accommodation options across the city for design-minded travellers include the Canal Saint-Martin hotel designed by Bernard Dubois, Hôtel de la Boétie by Beata Heuman and Hôtel Madame Rêve by Laurent Taïeb.
      The photography is by Thomas de Bruyne.

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      Eight minimalist kitchens where materials provide the decoration

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      For our latest lookbook, we’ve compiled eight functional kitchens that prove that conventional construction materials have their place in domestic interiors.

      The kitchens featured in this roundup utilise common construction materials, including wood, metal and concrete, to create an atmosphere of durability and serenity.
      Combining these materials creates a balanced interior scheme, with wood providing a sense of warmth, while metals such as stainless steel and concrete add an air of functionality.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring interiors punctuated by red accents, homes with internal windows and spaces energised by colourful window frames.
      Photo by Iñaki DomingoMadrid apartment, Spain, by Leticia Saá

      An open-sided kitchen island flanked by a duo of three-legged stools features in this kitchen in a Madrid flat by architect Leticia Saá.
      A shelf-like surface holds the cooktop and a simple coat of white paint covers the walls and ceilings, creating a casual and bright kitchen area.
      Find out more about Madrid apartment ›
      Photo by Maxime DelvauxNormandy farmhouse, France, by Studio Guma
      Vast picture windows and a blush pink concrete island characterise this kitchen, which sits inside a rural farmhouse in northern France designed by Studio Guma.
      Original rustic beams and a stone wall compliment the minimalist kitchen, in which the designers chose to forgo conventional wall cabinets in favour of a slimline shelf.
      Find out more about Normandy farmhouse ›
      Photo by Asier RuaCasa Olivar, Spain, by Matteo Ferrari and Carlota Gallo
      Rustic and industrial design motifs are combined in this kitchen inside Casa Olivar, a two-storey apartment in Madrid renovated by designers Matteo Ferrari and Carlota Gallo.
      A wooden table and uneven floor tiles contrast with sleek stainless steel cabinets, imbuing the space with a sense of balance.
      Find out more about Casa Olivar ›
      Photo courtesy of SABO ProjectSacha apartment, France, by SABO Project
      Plywood cladding, storage and furniture define the interior of this Parisian apartment by SABO Project.
      White walls and flooring tie the abundant use of warm-toned wood in with the concrete ceiling above.
      Find out more about Sacha apartment ›
      Photo by Cathy SchuslerPenthouse M, Australia, by CJH Studio
      CJH Studio covered the walls of this kitchen in small square tiles when renovating Penthouse M, an apartment in Gold Coast, Australia, that dates from the 1980s.
      A wooden bar flanked by tall bar stools is positioned in front of floor-to-ceiling windows, and a bright, cool-toned colour palette creates an atmosphere of calm.
      Find out more about CJH Studio ›
      Photo by Maja WirkusK916 and K907, Poland, by Thisispaper Studio
      A slatted wooden partition wall and a concrete ceiling generate a textural backdrop for the kitchen and dining area of this flat in the Polish capital of Warsaw.
      Thisispaper Studio furnished the space with purely essential furniture – a plain kitchen unit and a functional dining set – to give the room an aesthetically peaceful appearance.
      Find out more about Thisispaper Studio ›
      Photo by Max Hart NibbrigBolívar House, Spain, by Juan Gurrea Rumeu
      Local architect Juan Gurrea Rumeu added dark wooden cabinetry to the kitchen in his Barcelona house, creating a warm and grounding effect.
      Exposed wires attached to lighting add an industrial edge, and the presence of concrete on the walls and floors provides an interplay between warm and cool tones.
      Find out more about Bolívar House ›
      Photo by Rory GardinerMossy Point house, Australia, by Edition Office
      Metal countertops and backsplashes give a utilitarian edge to this plywood kitchen installed in a home in Australia.
      Local studio Edition Office installed smooth-fronted cabinets to keep clutter out of sight, allowing select ceramics and coffee paraphernalia to take centre stage.
      Find out more about Mossy Point house ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring interiors punctuated by red accents, homes with internal windows and spaces energised by colourful window frames.

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      Eight interiors with pyramidal ceilings that create dramatic depth

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      For our latest lookbook, we’ve brought together eight houses from Mexico to Norway featuring pyramidal ceilings that reveal their structure and create a sense of depth.

      Similar to domed and vaulted ceilings, pyramidal ceilings have four panes that angle upwards towards a central point. Because of their depth, they often conform to architectural elements visible on the exterior of a structure.
      The ceilings can have skylights on their apexes to bring in light and provide a sense of height to structures that are often single-storey.
      While it can be rendered in a variety of materials, the feature often conforms to the wall material used throughout the house. Sometimes a building will feature more than one pyramidal ceiling, creating a peak-and-valley effect with interesting light patterns.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring houses that have vaulted ceilings and rooms with decorative plasterwork.

      Photo by by Einar AslaksenWeekend House, Norway, by Line Solgaard Arkitekter
      Norweigan architecture studio Line Solgaard Arkiteker created a house that sits under a single zinc-clad pyramidal roof topped with a massive skylight that filters light through the whole home.
      Because of the need for room dividers, the pyramid is only viewed in parts, as seen in the living space above with its slanted ceilings clad in stepped oak slats that make its angle even more dramatic.
      Find out more about Weekend House ›
      This photo and top photo by Joe FletcherFour Roof House, United States, by TW Ryan Architecture
      This home in rural Montana features not one but four pyramidal roofs, each with a skylight that casts sunlight on the white-walled interiors – a dramatic contrast with the hardy Corten steel of the exterior.
      Because of the potential for overexposure inside, the studio placed reflective panelling below each of the skylights to diffuse the direct sunlight.
      Find out more about Four Roof House ›
      Photo by Alice ClancyHouse at Kilmore, Ireland, by GKMP Architects
      Another house with a single pyramidal roof, this home in the Irish countryside was designed to be compact, so the higher roofs made the spaces seem larger and more airy.
      Instead of a central skylight, smaller ones were laid out across the four faces of the home and a series of glulam beams were left exposed, as seen in the home’s kitchen.
      Find out more about House at Kilmore ›
      Photo by Casey DunnRiver Bend Residence, United States, by Lake Flato 
      This house in Texas has multiple volumes topped with pyramidal skylights, each with its own distinct cladding to create different light environments for different usages.
      The home was designed to “sit lightly on the land”, so the studio decided to arch the ceilings up to create a sense of cosy height in the gathering and workspaces.
      Find out more about River Bend Residence ›
      Photo by Joe FletcherPlover House, United States, by Fuse Architects
      Another house that sits under a single pyramidal roof, this California project features a pyramid that rises gradually and terminates at a large skylight at its centre.
      The project is a renovation of an existing house, and one of the main objectives was to peel back elements that had blocked the light from the skylight – which sits over the kitchen – from reaching the other living spaces.
      Find out more about Plover House ›
      Photo by César BéjarThe Avocado, Mexico, by Práctica Arquitectura
      The house near Monterrey has a structure made almost entirely out of concrete and features a large pyramidal ceiling at its centre, making the dining area a sort of inner sanctum of the otherwise low-lying structure.
      Standing 4.5 metres above the floor, this skylight gives the space a sense of depth and the cut-out allows inhabitants to realise the thickness of the concrete that makes up the walls, echoing the forms of ancient pyramids found in the country.
      Find out more about The Acovado ›
      Photo by Timothy SoarThe Tin House, United Kingdom, by Henning Stummel
      This red-clad house in London contains multiple pyramidal forms with skylights in order to create light-filled spaces in a dense part of the city.
      In the kitchen, a strip of paint separates the red panelling of the walls from the plaster pyramidal ceiling, adding a sense of elongation and depth to the space.
      Find out more about The Tin House ›

      Hollowed Out House, Australia, by Tribe Studio
      Instead of conforming exactly to the shape of the roof the pyramidal ceilings in this Sydney house function like voids in the thick roofline.
      The interior pyramids stretch upwards in “distorted” angles, allowing light to enter in a way best suited to the site.
      Find out more about Hollowed Out House ›
      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 interior windows that maximise light, creative guest rooms that accommodate visitors in style, and home interiors brightened with colourful window frames.

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      H3O creates “unpredictable” zigzagging interiors for lightning-struck home

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      Three jagged walls delineate the colourful spaces inside this converted barn in Sant Just Desvern, Spain, transformed by Barcelona studio H3O to reference a lightning bolt that struck the building generations ago.

      The one-storey Relámpago House is a former barn with a white-painted barrel-vaulted ceiling in the Spanish town of Sant Just Desvern on the outskirts of Barcelona.
      Relámpago House features a colour-block interiorFor the interior scheme, H3O took cues from an old family legend told by the homeowner, whose ancestors are said to have survived a lightning bolt that struck the barn and entered the building through the chimney, narrowly avoiding the family members sheltering under the dining table.
      “Transforming a story into architecture seemed to us a fascinating and fun challenge,” the studio told Dezeen.
      H3O delineated spaces with jagged walls informed by lightning boltsH3O inserted three intersecting walls shaped like lightning bolts into the plan, defining rooms within the otherwise open space.

      “This geometry choice is not random – it emulates the unpredictable trajectory and rapid dispersion of a lightning bolt’s energy,” added the studio.
      The all-pink bedroom is accessed via a colourful doorThe colourful intersecting walls enclose a private bedroom and bathroom, as well as forming the perimeter of the open-plan kitchen and living area.
      This communal space features zigzagged strip lighting suspended above a boxy metal kitchen island and walls clad in green glazed tiles.
      Strip lighting was suspended above a metal kitchen islandSugary pink walls delineate the bedroom, accessed via a contrasting door that is painted dark green on one side and deep blue on the other.
      “The interaction of these colours with the opening and closing doors creates an experience of spatial fluidity inspired by the pop art aesthetic of the 70s, reflecting a radical, fun and optimistic spirit,” explained H3O.
      The angular bathroom has a blue ceiling and wallsCharacterised by a mixture of green tiles and floor-to-ceiling dark blue paint, the bathroom is the smallest and most angular of the spaces, with a jagged, asymmetric mirror that wraps one corner of the room and tops a geometric sink.
      “The construction of the walls involved a meticulous design and execution process, ensuring that every angle and twist served an aesthetic function and optimised habitability and indoor living,” the studio said.
      Stones were collected to create “seemingly out-of-context” door handlesSmall stones were collected to create “seemingly out-of-context” door handles throughout the dwelling, adding organic accents to the otherwise colour-blocked interior.
      As a final nod to the home’s tumultuous history, a sculptural silver lightning bolt now protrudes from the chimney.

      Masquespacio founders create home and office where “everything revolves around play”

      “The idea of a lightning bolt redefining space, filling it with form and colour, pushed us to explore beyond conventional boundaries,” reflected H3O.
      “Relámpago House transforms a forgotten barn into a visual spectacle.”
      A silver lightning bolt protrudes from the building’s chimneyVarious other architectural projects have been defined by zigzagging motifs.
      London-based Outpost studio created a jagged zinc kitchen extension in Haggerston while German practice Wulf Architekten designed a sports centre for a school in Überlingen with a folding roof to reference the mountains of the surrounding Alps.
      The photography is by José Hevia. 

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      Masquespacio founders create home and office where “everything revolves around play”

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      The founders of Spanish studio Masquespacio have transformed a traditional Valencian farmhouse into their self-designed home and studio, with maximalist interiors that nod to the Memphis movement.

      Creative and life partners Ana Milena Hernández Palacios and Christophe Penasse renovated the 1920s villa, which was once a farmhouse on the outskirts of Valencia, to create a hybrid home and studio that reflects their maximalist approach to interiors.
      Masquespacio has designed a live-work space in Valencia”Everything revolves around the concept of play,” explained Hernández Palacios, who co-founded Masquespacio with Penasse in 2010.
      “We’ve been influenced by many styles over the last decade, from New Memphis to art deco and futurism,” Penasse added. “We can say that our private home is a mix of it all.”
      The ground floor holds the studio’s workspacesThe duo maintained the building’s original timber front door and white facade decorated with light-blue window frames and ornate grilles.

      Inside, the ground floor was reserved for their studio, spread across several interconnected meeting rooms in the former farmstead, known locally as an alquería.
      Masquespacio restored the building’s original hydraulic floor tilesHere, Masquespacio restored the building’s decoratively patterned hydraulic floor tiles alongside its traditional doors and windows.
      Painted in bright hues, they help to colour-code the different office spaces, filled with the studio’s characteristic chunky, lumpy and latticed furniture.
      There is a double-height interior courtyard at the centre of the home”As always, the project includes a mix of colours, textures and forms – one of the main aspects of all our designs, no matter what aesthetic we’re working with,” Penasse told Dezeen.
      At the centre of the home is a double-height interior courtyard illuminated by skylights, with exposed-brick walls painted in lilac surrounded by wiggly flowerbeds with lush statement cheese plants.
      From the courtyard, visitors can see up to an interior balcony on the first floor, which is accessed via a purple concrete staircase and contains the living spaces.
      The couple’s bed is encased in a green dome next to a hot-pink seating booth.The balcony reveals two sculptural objects – a giant green dome that conceals the couple’s bed and a curved hot-pink screen that hides a seating booth.
      This immersive furniture – Penasse’s favourite part of the project – creates a focal point that connects both levels of the house but also provides more private quarters for the couple despite the open nature of the overall plan.
      A mosaic of yellow tiles defines the bathroom”There are no wall partitions to hide our home [from downstairs] but it’s kept private by the bed’s form and a semi-transparent green curtain that allows us to take advantage of the natural light almost everywhere on the upper floor,” explained Penasse.
      The sleeping area is connected to the main living space via a tunnel-like corridor, which includes an all-yellow bathroom with triangular cabinets and walls clad with a mosaic of handmade ceramic tiles.

      Ten self-designed studios by architects and designers

      Opposite the bathroom is a colourful open-air terrace featuring circular windows and similar built-in seating to Bun Turin – an Italian burger joint designed by Masquespacio with boxy blue-tiled tables created to look like swimming pools.
      “Geometry can be found all over our house,” explained Hernández Palacios. “Everything is a game of circles and triangles.”
      The terrace follows a similar geometry to the interiorsThe light blue kitchen includes large, triangular alcoves and cupboards finished in natural stone and aluminium, designed to conceal utilities.
      There is also an island made from veiny marble and petite glazed tiles. Bespoke Masquespacio bar stools were wrapped in matching pale blue fabric.
      Triangular cupboards feature in the kitchenNext to the open-plan kitchen, the living and dining spaces include more brightly coloured furniture from the studio’s Mas Creations collection, which features the same twisted and angular shapes and soft upholstery as the pieces downstairs.
      Floor-to-ceiling curtains form a backdrop for a snaking lime green sofa, while dark green dining chairs with pyramidal backrests were positioned around a jewel-like glass table.
      Striking pyramid-shaped dining chairs continue the maximalist theme”Ninety-five per cent of the furniture and objects in our house are part of our Mas Creations collection, locally designed and produced by our studio,” said Penasse.
      Similarly bold projects from Masquespacio include a restaurant in Milan, Italy, with interiors that take cues from futuristic spaceships and the first Mango Teen store in Barcelona featuring vivid graphic shapes.
      The photography is courtesy of Masquespacio. 

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      Eight homes where internal windows and partitions maximise light

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      In this lookbook, we have collected eight projects that use internal glazing and partitions to create brighter home interiors and increased connectivity between spaces.

      While the primary use of windows is for daylight access and ventilation, they can also play a key role in visually connecting spaces within the home.
      Adding internal windows enables more interaction between adjacent rooms, while allowing light to penetrate further into the home – creating bright and spacious interiors.
      While similar, internal partitions offer a unique opportunity to simultaneously increase connectivity and enhance privacy through the demarcation of a home’s internal spaces.
      Below are eight examples that showcase the versatility of internal openings and partitions, ranging from a colourful home extension featuring playful, circular windows in London to an open-plan kitchen punctuated with brass-lined portals in Toronto.

      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring creative guest rooms that accommodate visitors in style, home interiors brightened with colourful window frames and hotel interiors characterised by eclectic designs.
      Photo by BCDF studioTimbaud, France, by Isabelle Heilmann
      Converted from a textile workshop, this open-plan apartment in Paris offers a bright, spacious interior equipped with a dedicated home office, mezzanines and a loft.
      Designer Isabelle Heilmann used internal windows and glazing in order to retain visual connections between the rooms, as well as demarcate the living spaces and enable a flow of light through the interior.
      Find out more about Timbaud ›
      Photo by Megan TaylorCurve Appeal, UK, by Nimtim Architects
      Multifunctional partitions built from plywood joinery were used to define the interior of this 1920s house in Southwark, London, renovated by local studio Nimtim Architects.
      Addressing a need for improved connectivity and daylight, the studio used curved, glazed openings within the partitions to encourage visual connection between the different spaces.
      Find out more about Curve Appeal ›
      Photo by Scott NorsworthyPortal House, USA, by Svima
      Renovated by architecture and art studio Svima, this residence in Toronto features asymmetrical portals lined with brass ribbons.
      Aptly named Portal House, the home’s open-plan kitchen and dining area are connected via two portals – with one used as a doorway and the other as a pass-through for food, drinks and tableware.
      Find out more about Portal House ›
      Photo by José HeviaMediona 13, Spain, by Nua Arquitectures
      Nua Arquitectures revamped this house in the historic centre of Tarragona, Spain, using pastel-coloured steel to reinforce its structure.
      Internal windows overlook the home’s large entrance, which features a staircase lined with pastel blue balustrades, to allow light to travel into the home.
      Find out more about Mediona 13 ›
      Photo by Nick DeardenAR Residence, UK, by DeDraft
      A kitchen extension clad in green aluminium panels was used by architecture studio DeDraft to update this home in east London.
      Also overseeing the remodelling of the home’s upper floors, the studio implemented large windows and skylights along with an internal window to allow light to permeate the interior.
      Find out more about AR Residence ›
      Photo by Jim StephensonA House in East London, UK, by Charles Holland Architects
      This colourful extension completed by Charles Holland Architects features a trio of aligned, circular windows that connect the ground-floor spaces.
      Creating “unexpected views between rooms”, these internal openings form a series of interconnected interior spaces, as opposed to a large open-plan layout.
      Find out more about A House in East London ›
      Photo by Megan TaylorFruit Box, UK, by Nimtim Architects
      Also completed by Nimtim Architects is an extension added to a 1970s townhouse in Forest Hill, London, which is divided by adaptable partitions.
      These plywood partitions are designed to be filled in for increased privacy between spaces, but are also non-structural to allow for easy removal to maximise interior space if needed.
      Find out more about Fruit Box ›
      Photo by Alex Shoots BuildingsHouse in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic, by Byró Architekti
      Byró Architekti restored and renovated this 19th-century house in Kutná Hora using colourful joinery and playful openings.
      Aiming to improve the connection between the home’s spaces, internal windows and glass-block walls were added to each level of the centralised spiral staircase.
      Find out more about House in Kutná Hora ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring creative guest rooms that accommodate visitors in style, home interiors brightened with colourful window frames and hotel interiors characterised by eclectic designs.

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      Eight creative guest rooms that accommodate visitors in style

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      In this lookbook, we’ve collected eight guest rooms from China to Spain that provide visiting friends and family a space to call their own.

      Guest accommodations come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Ranging from a sofa during our younger years to full-blown guesthouses later on, putting up friends and family is made better when we have a place to put them – no matter how small.
      The houses and apartments below showcase the myriad ways an extra bedroom can be integrated into an interior, often doubling as an office, storage space or – in the case of a Beijing apartment – a place to enjoy some tea.
      Read on below for fresh ideas on how to provide space for visitors.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring brightly-framed windows, tactile and organic living rooms and mezzanines that maximise usable space.

      Photo by Jack LovelWeeties Factory home, Australia, by Spaceagency
      A deep red carpet defines this guest room in a single-family Australian home, which consists of three consolidated apartments that once were part of a heritage-listed cereal factory.
      The same red was carried into a curtain – which provides privacy from the living room below – and a corner chair, while built-in shelving sits at the entrance.
      Find out more about Weeties Factory home ›
      Photo by Eva Cotman and Maria CeballosBarcelona apartment, Spain, by Eva Cotman
      Guests sleep atop a platform in this Barcelona apartment, which also doubles as a storage area.
      Croatian architect Eva Cotman sought to renovate the apartment to provide more open space. To optimize its functionality, she placed a bookshelf staircase in front of the guest bed.
      Find out more about Barcelona apartment ›
      Photo by Ewout HuibersCanal house, The Netherlands, by i29
      To accommodate guests in this renovation of a canal house in Amsterdam, architecture studio i29 inserted a forest-green volume off the kitchen.
      The guest suite also contains its own bathroom and access door to a garden, while a built-in bed and shelving provide rest and storage.
      Find out more about Canal house ›
      Photo by Weiqi JinBeijing apartment, China, by Rooi
      Plywood units were inserted into this 1950s Beijing apartment to organize and provide more space in its tight interior, which was created during an influx of people moving to urban areas when apartments were often compact.
      A linear volume inserted along the kitchen and dining room can be used for storage, as a tea-drinking room, or as guest accommodations with a mattress placed on the floor. A bubble in the ceiling also provides a relaxing space for feline roommates.
      Find out more about Beijing apartment ›
      Photo by David MaštálkaRounded Loft, Czech Republic, by AI Architects
      An attic in Prague was converted into a two-storey apartment, with living spaces, a kitchen and primary bedrooms located on the first floor and a guest suite located in a mezzanine.
      In the mezzanine, a bed sits at the end of a long hall, while a bathroom sits adjacent to the stairs. A terrace in between the two spaces and skylights lining the roof provide a connection to the outdoors.
      Find out more about Rounded Loft ›
      Photo by Tim BiesFalse Bay Writer’s Cabin, USA, by Olson Kundig
      This cabin in Washington doubles as a study for its owners, as well as a bedroom for visiting guests when a bed is folded out of the wall.
      The space is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass, which is protected by doors that fold up and enclose the entire cabin and fold down to create multiple porches.
      Find out more about False Bay Writer’s Cabin ›
      Photo is courtesy Rubén Dario Kleimeer and Lagado Architects.Workhome-Playhome, The Netherlands, by Lagado Architects
      The founders of Lagado Architects revamped their own Rotterdam apartment by inserting a bright blue staircase and colourful storage units.
      An open loft-style room sits on the second floor. This has minimal furniture so that it can be quickly turned into an exercise room or used as guest accommodations for visitors.
      Find out more about Workhome-Playhome ›
      Photo by Iñaki Domingo of IDC StudioMadrid apartment, Spain, by Leticia Saá
      A wash area sits outside a guest bedroom in this Madrid apartment to physically and visually separate the space from the remaining house.
      The guest area, which sits directly in front of the primary bed, also faces an interior courtyard which separates both sleeping areas from the living room and kitchen.
      Find out more about Madrid apartment ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring brightly-framed windows, tactile and organic living rooms and mezzanines that maximise usable space. 

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      Studio Gameiro draws on hues of Caparica cliffs for Arriba apartment

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      Studio Gameiro has designed the interior of the Arriba apartment in the coastal town of Caparica, Portugal, using local stone and drawing on wooden fishing huts for inspiration.

      The fit-out of the two-bedroom apartment, located inside a building from the 1980s, was designed to reference the coastal area of Caparica.
      The interior of the Arriba apartment is decorated in sandy colours”The interior colour palette and texture was inspired by the beautiful coastline of Caparica, a unique fossil-rock formation along the coast with sandy and terracotta hues,” studio founder Joāo Gameiro told Dezeen.
      “This natural and protected area south of Lisbon has a particular and playful way of changing with light, and it is also almost poetically embedded in our childhood memories of long summer holidays, as it was the first seaside area close to the big city.”
      Studio Gameiro wanted the interior to reference its surroundingsThe sandy hues of the Caparica cliffs influenced the colour palette of the apartment, which is filled with beige and tan hues and named Arriba for the Portuguese word for cliff.

      Studio Gameiro also referenced the 70-square-metre apartment’s surroundings through its choice of materials, designing wooden kitchen cabinets in a nod to local fishing boats.
      The two-bedroom apartment has an open-plan kitchen”The use of wood for the low kitchen cabinets relates to the [area’s] fishing huts, which are characterised by vertical or horizontal lines of wooden planks,” Gameiro said.
      “The texture found in the upper cabinets also finds inspiration in the same source, resembling the straw utilized in the construction of these huts.”

      Studio Gameiro draws on Algarve’s craftsmanship for Austa restaurant interior

      As with its interior scheme for the Austa restaurant in Almancil, the practice designed much of the furniture for the apartment, which it made from wood.
      “Following the same input as in other Studio Gameiro projects, we always tend to design bespoke furniture as an extension of the ability to manipulate textures and materials and celebrate the craftsmanship we are very fortunate to work with,” Gameiro explained.
      “The use of Kambala wood was important, as a reference to the durable wood used at the fabrication of the fishing boats, for example.”
      Lioz marble was used for the sinkIn the kitchen, the studio added an L-shaped kitchen counter made from marble.
      “We used Lioz marble, a type of stone extracted locally that has been used in kitchen counters for centuries due to its hard and extremely resistant surface,” Gameiro said. “We also loved how it resonated with the sandy and terracotta hues of the hills nearby.”
      The apartment features an unusual bathroom, organised around a shower base that was designed to have an organic shape reminiscent of “shapes found on the beach”, the studio said.
      The bathroom has an organically shaped showerIt was made from Moleanos stone – a type of Portuguese limestone set with the remains of sea shells – and was inspired by the coastal erosion that has affected the area.
      “As in most of these coastal formations, it has previously suffered from erosion, which in this case was eventually stopped by the pro-active planting of the Caparica pine forest,” Gameiro said.
      “This is now considered a natural protected area and what is left is a coastal outline of ins and outs to and from the beach, which inspired the organic shape of the shower wall.”
      Custom-made wooden furniture decorates the flatIn the study, the studio added a bespoke desk and wooden shelving, while the bedroom has a custom-made make-up desk and a bespoke wooden bed.
      Other recent Portuguese interior design projects featured on Dezeen include a Lisbon home by Fala Atelier and a boutique hotel by designer Christian Louboutin.
      The photography is by Tiago Casanova.

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