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      Seven bathrooms elevated by stylish shower curtains

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      Our latest lookbook showcases the myriad of ways shower curtains can create visual impact in bathrooms, from bold pops of colour and pattern to elegant, long drapes that add a sense of serenity.

      Practically, shower curtains provide privacy and prevent water from splashing outside showers and bathtubs, but they are also an opportunity to add decoration to a bathroom interior.
      The examples below showcase how curtains can introduce material variety to the hard, sterile surfaces usually found in bathrooms.
      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 conversation pits, kitchens with metal details and kitchens with brick floors.
      Photo by Lorenzo ZandriNelson Terrace, UK, by Paolo Cossu Architects

      Neutral-toned curtains were suspended from an elliptical rail over the freestanding bathtub at Nelson Terrace, a Georgian home in north London that local studio Paolo Cossu Architects overhauled.
      The curtains add texture to the muted colour palette in the bathroom and provide an enclosure when using the ceiling-mounted shower head.
      Find out more about Nelson Terrace ›
      Photo by Christoph RokittaBerlin Mitte apartment, Germany, by Atheorem
      Local architect Atheorem updated an apartment in Berlin, creating a wet room with a serene and ethereal quality by adding all-white finishes and minimal fittings.
      A pair of floor-to-ceiling curtains close off the shower area, adding texture to the white material palette and filtering in soft natural light.
      Find out more about Berlin Mitte apartment ›
      Photo by Kensington LeverneEmber Locke, UK, by Atelier Ochre and House of Dré
      Striped shower curtains were chosen to jazz up the bathrooms of the Locke Hotels’ outpost in west London, designed by local studios Atelier Ochre and House of Dré.
      The simple yet striking pattern adds visual interest to the hotel room interiors, which were decorated in a mix of rich, warm tones.
      Find out more about Ember Locke ›
      Photo by JC de MarcosMinimal Fantasy, Spain, by Patricia Bustos Studio
      An iridescent pink shower curtain hangs in the monochromatic Minimal Fantasy apartment in Madrid, which was designed by local interior design practice Patricia Bustos Studio.
      The practice applied 12 shades of pink across the home’s interior, including on the bathroom tiles and sanitary ware.
      Find out more about Minimal Fantasy ›
      Photo by Mariell Lind HansenCanyon House, UK, by Studio Hagen Hall
      For this London home renovation, architecture office Studio Hagen Hall added muted purple curtains against a shower screen in the cork-tiled bathroom.
      The curtains add a sense of privacy and separation between the bathroom and the adjacent bedroom, which was decorated in a complementary dusty pink colour palette.
      Find out more about Canyon House ›
      Photo by Federico CairoliHouse in Cunha, Brazil, by Arquipélago Arquitetos
      Copper piping outlines the shower area and hangs the curtain in this wet room, located in a countryside house in Brazil that was designed by São Paulo studio Arquipélago Arquitetos.
      The metal details complement the home’s earthy material palette, which features straw-coloured bricks from a local pottery studio.
      Find out more about House in Cunha ›
      Photo by French + TyeMo-tel House, UK, by Office S&M
      Local studio Office S&M overhauled a Georgian townhouse in London with bold colours, including a bathroom with bright yellow accents.
      The studio matched the bathroom’s shower curtain to the yellow-painted window frame and colourful grout between the white square tiles.
      Find out more about Mo-tel 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 conversation pits, kitchens with metal details and kitchens with brick floors.

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      Eight characterful kitchens with sleek metal details

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      Our latest lookbook focuses on eight homes fitted with metal kitchens, from a flat in London informed by fish-and-chip shops to a 19th-century apartment with period details in Paris.

      While stainless steel has long been a material associated with restaurant kitchens due to its durability and functionality, it can bring a sleek, modern feel to residential kitchens and many now opt to integrate metal kitchens into their homes.
      Here, we spotlight eight homes that make use of metal in residential kitchens in various ways.
      Included in this collection of projects is a fish-and-chip-shop-inspired kitchen in London, a live-work apartment space in a brutalist building in Quebec City and a 24-square-metre micro apartment in Melbourne.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, living rooms with autumnal hints of red and orange and members’ clubs with lavish interiors.

      Photo is by Edmund DabneyHighbury apartment, UK, by Holloway Li
      Local studio Holloway Li renovated this apartment set in a converted Victorian house in north London, creating a single-storey home with an open-plan layout for its co-founder Alex Holloway.
      Designed to reference materials found in London’s many fast food outlets and fish and chip shops, its custom-built kitchen was clad in circle-brushed stainless steel with a curved splashback.
      Find out more about the Highbury apartment ›
      Photo by Maryse Béland, Maxime Brouillet and Antoine MichelBrutalist apartment, Canada, by Jean Verville
      Metal surfaces were juxtaposed against bright yellow wall lamps within this live-work apartment space that architect Jean Verville designed for himself as a “creative laboratory” inside a residential tower in Quebec City.
      Stainless-steel commercial restaurant furniture was used for the kitchen, blending in with the raw concrete walls of the 1970s brutalist building.
      Find out more about the brutalist apartment ›
      Photo is by French + TyeTrellick Tower apartment, UK, by Archmongers
      Surfaces and fixtures made from industrial-style materials were paired with newly exposed concrete aggregate walls in this home renovation by London studio Archmongers in North Kensington’s Trellick Tower.
      In the kitchen, speckled brown and cream terrazzo was incorporated alongside brushed stainless steel counters, white cabinets and matt-black linoleum flooring.
      Find out more about the Trellick Tower apartment ›
      Photo is by Giulio GhirardiHaussmann-era apartment, France, by Rodolphe Parente
      Set within a 19th-century Parisian apartment, French interior designer Rodolphe Parente balanced cabinet finishes of stainless steel and pastel pink with a frame-like marble splashback for the kitchen.
      During the overhaul of the Haussmann-era apartment, Parante set out to preserve and restore some of the classic features while improving the sense of flow by connecting the dining room with the kitchen.
      Find out more about the Haussmann-era apartment ›
      Photo is by Félix Dol MaillotUnivers Uchronia, France, by Uchronia
      Named Univers Uchronia, this eclectic Paris apartment was designed by Uchronia founder Julien Sebban as his home, intended to be an extension of his studio – known for its bold application of shape, colour and reflective surfaces.
      A metallic island was incorporated in the open-plan kitchen, topped with a blobby seaweed-shaped table lamp, alongside an array of contrasting materials and colours.
      Find out more about Univers Uchronia ›
      Photo is by Yevhenii AvramenkoStalinist-era apartment, Ukraine, by Mirzoyan Studio
      Partition shelves and built-in furniture were used to distinguish open-plan spaces in Ukrainian architecture practice Mirzoyan Studio’s renovation of this Stalinist-era flat in the historic centre of Kyiv.
      Fitted in the corner of the open-plan living and dining room, the cabinets and countertops in the primary working area of the kitchen were finished in polished stainless steel.
      Find out more about the Stalinist-era flat ›
      Photo is by Pier Carthew Kerr, Australia, by SSdH
      Metal surfaces were combined with wooden cabinetry in this mezzanine-style apartment by local studio SSdH, located in a warehouse building in Melbourne that once housed a chocolate factory.
      Part of an open-plan living space, the kitchen was fitted with geometric cabinetry made from local spotted gum timber, as well as brushed stainless steel and nickel fixtures.
      Find out more about Kerr ›
      Photo is by Peter Bennetts Microloft, Australia, by Studio Edwards
      Australian architecture practice Studio Edwards remodelled this 24-square-metre micro apartment on the top floor of a 1980s apartment block in Melbourne.
      A horizontal raw aluminium surface was used for the angled wedge-shaped countertops in both the kitchen and dining area, designed to seamlessly merge the two spaces.
      Find out more about Microloft ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, living rooms with autumnal hints of red and orange and members’ clubs with lavish interiors.

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      Eight home kitchens finished with tactile brick floors

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      Our latest lookbook collects eight houses from around the world that feature kitchens with tactile brick floors, including a mid-century home in the USA and a coastal dwelling in Denmark.

      Widely used for their durability and low maintenance, bricks are a long-time favourite material across the fields of architecture, interiors and design.
      They are most commonly used on walls and patios, but also popular as internal flooring because of their ability to add rich, earthy tones and tactile qualities to an interior. 
      While brick flooring may conjure up images of old rustic farmhouses, this roundup shows how they can also be adapted to suit contemporary homes around the world. 
      The examples below include those that have been arranged in herringbone format, used as a backdrop to oak cabinetry or designed to connect homes to their matching patios outside.

      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, autumnal living rooms and lavish members’ clubs.
      Photo by Carlos NaudeHacienda Granada, USA, by Working Holiday Studio
      Working Holiday Studio sought to create a “hacienda vibe” for this mid-century home that it overhauled in Los Angeles.
      Among the alterations was a revamp of the kitchen, which involved adding a floor of warm terracotta bricks handmade in Tijuana, Mexico, arranged in a herringbone format.
      They contribute to a warm and earthy aesthetic in the room, which is enhanced by dark green plaster walls and wooden joinery and furniture.
      Find out more about Hacienda Granada ›
      Photo by Agnese SanvitoGallery House, UK, by Neil Dusheiko
      Chunky reclaimed bricks extend down from the lower half of the walls of this kitchen and continue out across its floor.
      Designed by architect Neil Dusheiko for his father-in-law, the terracotta lining forms a backdrop to a wall of storage built from oak that displays ceramics, glassware and framed pictures.
      Find out more about Gallery House ›
      Photo by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm ArchitectsFjord Boat House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
      Handmade ceramic bricks are inlaid across the floor of this kitchen, which Danish studio Norm Architects created at the Fjord Boat House in Denmark.
      Married with warm oak finishes and a custom washi-paper pendant lamp, the textured flooring is intended to contribute to a warm and cosy atmosphere.
      “A refined abundance of warm textures and hues are used throughout, creating a deep sense of cosiness and comfort,” said Norm Architects.
      Find out more about Fjord Boat House ›
      Photo by David SouthwoodArklow Villa III, South Africa, by Douglas & Company
      During their renovation of a century-old house in Cape Town, architects Liani and Jan Douglas revamped the kitchen with a tactile material palette that includes brick flooring.
      The terracotta floor continues onto the adjoining patio and is teamed with a structure of exposed South African pine and bespoke wooden units finished with green marble counters.
      Find out more about Arklow Villa III ›
      Photo by Chris WhartonVinyl House, UK, by Benjamin Wilkes
      Elongated bricks are arranged in a herringbone formation across the floor of the Vinyl House extension, recently completed by British studio Benjamin Wilkes in London.
      Designed to help connect its kitchen area to the matching patio outside, the earthy flooring is complemented by warm wooden cabinetry and off-white terrazzo countertops.
      Find out more about Vinyl House ›
      Photo by Prue RuscoeBudge Over Dover, Australia, by YSG
      Terracotta brick was teamed with aged brass and tactile plaster across the interior of Budge Over Dover, a house in Australia renovated by YSG.
      Bricks line much of the ground floor, including its textured kitchen that is complete with a chunky prep counter made with a veiny marble countertop.
      Find out more about Budge Over Dover ›
      Photo by Jonas Bjerre-PoulsenHeatherhill Beach House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
      Norm Architects also opted for brick flooring in the kitchen of Heatherhill Beach House, a wooden holiday home on the Danish coast. It was designed as a contemporary twist on the traditional brick flooring found in Denmark.
      “The bricks are placed side by side instead of in the traditional pattern and have minimal cuts – instead, the grout size changes minimally to achieve a homogenous and harmonious look,” the studio explained.
      Find out more about Heatherhill Beach House ›
      Photo by Fred HowarthCamberwell Cork House, UK, by Delve Architects
      A floor that acts as a continuation of the brick paving outside features in the open-plan kitchen of Camberwell Cork House, conceived by Delve Architects in London.
      Its design formed part of a wider strategy for the home that sought to better connect it to its garden. This is also achieved by introducing large green-framed windows that enhance sight lines and maximise natural light.
      Find out more about Camberwell Cork House ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring conversation pits, autumnal living rooms and lavish members’ clubs.

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      Eight living rooms decorated with autumnal hints of red and orange

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      As autumn draws near in the northern hemisphere, our latest lookbook showcases different ways to add cosy shades of red and orange to living rooms.

      Lounge chairs, coffee tables, artwork and even window frames are some of the ways the living rooms featured below introduce pops of autumnal colour to the interior.
      Ranging from rich, deep reds to rusty terracottas and burnt oranges, the colours help add a sense of warmth to cosy lounge areas as the temperature in the northern hemisphere cools.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring living rooms with sculptural coffee tables, luxurious members’ club interiors and homes with pull-out furniture.
      Photo by Alice MesguichCollectors Home, the Netherlands, by DAB Studio

      In this 1920s home in Amsterdam, which was renovated by interiors firm DAB Studio, colour and warmth were injected into the living room with a deep red Gubi chaise lounge placed in front of a marbled mahogany feature wall.
      Set in an otherwise neutral-toned room, the chaise lounge sits across from a sculptural coffee table and a Wassily Chair by Bauhaus designer Marcel Breuer.
      Find out more about Collectors Home ›
      Photo courtesy of Note Design StudioHabitat 100, Sweden, by Note Design Studio
      Habitat 100 is a 1920s flat in Stockholm that was overhauled by local firm Note Design Studio with custom-made furniture and mouldings informed by the eaves of the building.
      A sculptural 1940s coffee table by Swedish designer Erik Johansson, made up of black lacquered spheres wedged between two orange-toned mahogany veneer disks, acts as the centrepiece in the living room.
      Find out more about Habitat 100 ›
      Photo by Michael SinclairHelios 710, UK, by Bella Freud and Maria Speake
      Helios 710 is a London apartment located inside the former BBC Television Centre, designed by architect Piercy & Company with interiors by creative duo Bella Freud and Maria Speake.
      The eclecticism of the 1970s informed the designers, who added glossy black sofas with burnt orange seat cushions to the green-carpeted living room.
      Find out more about Helios 710 ›
      Photo by Jack LovelShadow House, Australia, by Grotto Studio
      A rusty red-toned painting hangs on a double-height wall in the neutral living area at Shadow House, an early 1900s cottage in Perth that was refurbished and extended by Australian practice Grotto Studio.
      The practice created an open-plan living, kitchen and dining room in the extension, with light wood panels lining the walls and angular roof.
      Find out more about Shadow House ›
      Photo by Ivan JonesStock Orchard Street, UK, by Sarah Wigglesworth
      Designed by architect Sarah Wigglesworth in 2001 and retrofitted in 2020, Stock Orchard Street is a home in north London with straw-bale insulation and walls made from sandbags, recycled concrete and railways sleepers.
      Window frames were finished in different colours throughout the home. In the living room, red window frames complement rust-toned seating and cushions.
      Find out more about Stock Orchard Street ›
      Photo courtesy of Färg & BlancheThe Baker’s House, Sweden, by Färg & Blanche
      For its exhibition at Stockholm Design Week in 2019, Swedish design studio Färg & Blanche displayed furniture and lighting in an 1889 home that belonged to the family of its co-founder, Julius Westerdahl.
      In the sitting room of the historic home, bright red side tables were placed next to an existing red-brown velvet sofa.
      Find out more about The Baker’s House ›

      Courtyard House, US, by No Architecture
      A faceted glazed garden punctures this home in Oregon’s Willamette Valley wine country, which was designed by New York firm No Architecture.
      The open-plan kitchen, dining room and lounge was arranged around the courtyard, with a large orange rug providing a contrast to the leafy backdrop.
      Find out more about Courtyard House ›
      Photo by Sean DavidsonWest Village apartment, US, by Olivier Garcé
      Interior designer Olivier Garcé transformed his New York home into a showcase of collectible furniture, experimental ceramics, decorative lighting and original artworks by his friends and colleagues.
      In front of the brick fireplace is a coffee table with a pink-glazed lava stone tabletop, a terracotta-toned upholstered chair and a floor lamp with a fire engine red light shade.
      Find out more about West Village apartment ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring living rooms with sculptural coffee tables, luxurious members’ club interiors and homes with pull-out furniture.

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      Gold-leaf wall divides renovated Barcelona apartment by Raúl Sánchez Architects

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      Architect Raúl Sánchez has renovated a flat in a typical Barcelona apartment building, adding built-in cabinetry and furnishings in hues that echo the original mosaic flooring.

      The 85-square-metre flat was created following the subdivision of a larger apartment with aspects towards the Carrer d’Enric Granados on one side and a large internal courtyard on the other.
      Raúl Sánchez Architects has renovated a Barcelona apartmentSánchez’s studio was tasked with making the most of the available space, which is just six metres wide and needed to incorporate two bedrooms and two bathrooms along with a generous living area.
      Following the partitioning of the original apartment, this smaller flat was left with an entrance set within the building’s interior at one end and a gallery-like room overlooking the courtyard at the other.
      A wall covered in gold leaf separates the living area from the gallerySánchez chose to leave the main living area and gallery open to enhance the sense of space and connection with the view.

      The rest of the interior comprises private functions that are arranged along a hallway leading from the entrance to the living space.
      The gallery houses the dining room and overlooks the courtyard”I wanted to maximise the light throughout the apartment and make something special of the corridor that was necessary given the situation of entering at one end,” the architect told Dezeen.
      “Even though the apartment is small, there are different space situations like differences in height, materials, dimension or colour, which create a very rich experience inside the flat.”
      The kitchen features a pink marble splashbackThe hallway is lined with full-height cabinetry, incorporating doors that lead to the bedrooms on either side. Each bedroom receives natural light and ventilation from a window that opens onto an internal courtyard.
      Small annexes that serve as dressing rooms connect the bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, one of which is also accessible from the hallway. These spaces feature cabinets, shelves and handles made from water-resistant varnished MDF.
      The flat is styled with modern design pieces including a sofa from KragelundThe walls lining the hall feature a rose-gold finish, only interrupted by a pair of dark blue lacquered bookshelves roughly halfway along.
      Sánchez explained that the colour choices derive directly from the intricate mosaic floors, which were preserved and treated to restore them to their original condition.

      Red accents enliven social housing block on triangular plot in Barcelona

      Rooms where the mosaic had previously been removed now feature off-white micro cement floors.
      “Everything inside the apartment has a bit of that brownish-reddish-beige hue of the tiles,” he pointed out. “Even the blue of the shelves, which may seem a big contrast, can also be found in the tiles.”
      Full-height cabinetry lines the hallway of the flatThe hallway’s walls form a datum that extends through into the living space, where the original exposed ceiling beams create a differentiation in height that is emphasised by a subtle change in colour.
      The rose-gold hue used for the cabinets is echoed by a pink Portuguese marble splashback in the kitchen that was assembled from unmatched salvaged slabs.
      Small annexes connect the bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms from the hallwayAn existing structural wall separating the living area from the gallery space was covered with gold leaf in order to lighten its appearance and conceal its load-bearing purpose.
      “This imparts a more symbolic and abstract presence, serving as a connection element with the exterior, reflecting the light that falls upon it from the backyard,” said Sánchez.
      The flat’s furnishings echo the mosaic flooring of the original apartment designThe property is owned by a client based in Dubai, who will use it as a pied-a-terre as well as renting it out some of the time.
      It was styled with modern design pieces including a sofa from Kragelund, a chaise longue by Sancal and a cork stool from Vitra.
      Dark-blue lacquered bookshelves coexist side-by-side with the rose-gold cabinetryLocal gallery Víctor Lope Arte Contemporáneo provided the various artworks.
      Raúl Sánchez has lived and worked in Barcelona since 2005, where his studio takes on global projects across architecture, interiors, urbanism and design.
      The office was named emerging interior design studio of the year at Dezeen Awards 2022 and has previously completed projects including a townhouse with a four-storey spiral staircase and an apartment featuring a shiny brass wardrobe.

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      Bureau Tempo applies subtle tones and textures to renovated Brooklyn loft

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      Canadian studio Bureau Tempo has completed a “gentle redesign” of a loft space in Brooklyn, New York, which features a subtle pale green kitchen and fritted glass partition walls.

      The home faces the busy Atlantic Avenue thoroughfare that runs through the Brooklyn Heights neighbourhood and enjoys tall ceilings and large windows at either end.
      A mural depicting Prospect Park is painted above the loft’s den areaMeasuring 1,600 square feet (150 square metres), the loft is roughly divided into three sections.
      At the front are the primary bedroom – painted in a colour called Dead Salmon by Farrow & Ball – and an office space that is equipped with a foldaway Murphy bed that can be deployed for guests.
      The dining room features a large black table and matching Windsor chairsThis multifunctional space is separated from the living area by a partition of wood and fritted glass panels.

      Folding doors open to connect with the lounge and dining area, but the light can still reach these central spaces when closed thanks to the glass.
      The lounge is furnished with comfy sofas and armchairs, plus an oxblood-coloured coffee table”The addition of an operable wood and fluted-glass wall between the primary space and the Atlantic Avenue end of the home allows for an open office by day and an inviting and private quarters when hosting guests,” said Bureau Tempo.
      The lounge is furnished with comfy sofas and armchairs, plus an oxblood-coloured coffee table, all placed atop a rug by Armadillo.
      The office space can be opened up to the rest of the apartment with folding panelsBeyond is the dining area, where a large black table is accompanied by six Windsor chairs and a pair of stretched-fabric pendant lights that hang overhead.
      The final portion of the loft is raised up two steps, and contains a den area with more soft seating and the kitchen.
      A retractable Murphy bed allows the office to double as a guest roomAbove a section of bead-board panelling where the TV is mounted, a mural by artist and friend of the loft’s owners Melody Lockerman depicts nearby Prospect Park.
      “Painted in tones that compliment choices throughout, the mural adds a welcome touch of levity,” Bureau Tempo said.

      General Assembly exposes wooden beams inside revamped Brooklyn loft

      In the kitchen opposite, textured four-by-four-inch ceramic tiles create a subtle checkerboard pattern of pale pink and white across the floor.
      Millwork on the central island and lower cabinets was painted a very light shade of green and is accented with brass hardware.
      Fritted glass panels allow light from the front window to penetrate deeper into the apartment”These rooms share a direct connection with the intimate yet spacious and light-filled north facing terrace, which dramatically extends the perception of the home’s size,” the team said.
      The majority of the walls throughout the apartment are covered in a textured lime plaster finish by Bauwerk Colour, complementing exposed wooden ceiling beams in each room.
      The primary bedroom is painted in Dead Salmon by Farrow & Ball to contrast the lime plaster in other spacesMany of Brooklyn’s former industrial buildings now house chic apartments and lofts, many of which maintain nods to their past.
      At a residence in Gowanus, wooden structural elements were uncovered and retreated during renovations by General Assembly, while a home inside a former chocolate factory in Bedford-Stuyvesant has ductwork and services are left exposed.
      The photography is by Alex Lesage.

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      Studio Jean Verville Architectes adds “graphic dimension” to brutalist apartment

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      Bright yellow accents stand out against concrete and metal surfaces within this “creative laboratory” that architect Jean Verville has created for himself inside a residential tower in Quebec City.

      The Canadian architect, who is currently dividing his time between practice and teaching at the School of Architecture of Laval University in Quebec City, designed the 79-square-metre apartment as a space he can both work and reside in.
      A pair of bright yellow lamps extend over the commercial restaurant furniture in the live-work apartment’s kitchenVerville, founder of Studio Jean Verville Architecte, describes the project as “an architectural experiment orchestrating a space with a graphic dimension”.
      The 1970s tower in which the residence is located was designed by architect Marcel Bilodeau and faces the Plains of Abraham Park in front of the St Lawrence River.
      The stainless steel furniture blends with the raw concrete shell of the brutalist building”Like an observation post offering breathtaking views of the Laurentian Mountains, the urban landscape, and the St Lawrence River, the interior comes alive with an immutable body-to-body relationship between transparency and reflection, while transforming realities through distancing and multiplication,” said the architect.

      The residence was completely gutted to leave a raw concrete shell, with windows on the north and south sides ushering light into the deep space.
      Verville inserted a series of glass and mirrored partitions to divide up the space, allowing for various layout optionsInstead of solid walls, Verville installed a series of sliding partitions so he could open up or close off areas as desired.
      These glass and mirror panes are mounted on metal tracks and bounce the natural light through the apartment, allowing the compact unit to feel larger than it is.
      An area furnished as a living room contains a rust-coloured sofa and a black-lacquered chair”By addition or subtraction, this flexible system fragments the plan into six layout alternatives with undetermined functions, offering up to seven distinct sub-spaces,” said Verville. “Meanwhile, flexible blinds with a metallic finish allow the option of openwork borders, as well as total privacy.”
      Beside the south-facing balcony is a kitchen, which features stainless-steel commercial restaurant furniture that blends with the grey concrete shell.
      The partitions are mounted on metal tracks and can be opened and closed as desired to alter the layoutA central island is fitted with two sinks, each with a large balanced-arm lamp in bright yellow mounted on the wall behind.
      The lamps can be adjusted into position above any area of the kitchen counter to aid with food preparation.
      The concrete bedroom is solely furnished with a low bedRooms suggested by the partitions include a sleeping area furnished only with a simple low bed and a study where a simple metal desk faces a window.
      The living area is populated by a rust-coloured sofa and a black lacquered chair arranged around a pair of mirrored coffee tables.

      Jean Verville converts backyard shed into minimalist studio in Montreal

      “The strategic positioning of domestic equipment maintains constant physical and visual permeability to neutralise the compactness of the unit,” Verville said.
      Services, pipes and ductwork are all exposed throughout the apartment, demonstrating how it operates as a functional space.
      Verville considers the space a “creative laboratory” in which he can experimentOther eclectic items peppered through the residence give the feel of a creative laboratory, in which its occupant experiments with space and the act of living within it.
      “Glass vials of all kinds, models and various explorations, utilitarian objects, and plants rub shoulders on the shelves, revisiting the spirit of the cabinet of curiosities in a playful presentation of everyday life,” said the architect.
      Verville frequently inserts himself into the photo sets of his projectsVerville is known for its minimalist material-focused projects, as well as for playfully inserting himself into the photographs of completed – as evidenced in this set.
      He can also be seen wandering around in a cape through a Montreal apartment designed for a music composer, hanging out of a loft in a shed he converted into a workspace and balancing on the roof of an A-frame forest cabin.
      The photography is by Maryse Béland, Maxime Brouillet and Antoine Michel.
      Project credits:
      Studio Jean Verville Architectes team: Jean Verville, architect – lead designer; Gabriel Ladouceur, studio coordinator, professional and scientific MA architecture candidate; Guillaume Turgeon Solis, technical specialist; France Goneau, artistic advisor; Tania Paula Garza Rico, architectSpecial collaborations: Loïc Bard, art furniture; France Goneau, ceramic sculpturesContractor: Nomad Construction

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      Eight homes where pull-out furniture creates flexible interiors

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      Folding desks, hide-away dining tables and Murphy beds are the focus of our latest lookbook, exploring homes where pull-out furniture allows rooms to be used in multiple ways.

      In houses and apartments with limited space, fold-out or wheel-out furniture offers a clever space-saving solution.
      The Murphy bed, which incorporates a hinge that allows it to be stored vertically against a wall when not in use, is one of the most widespread examples.
      Architects and interior designers have also found similar ways of creating occasional dining tables and desks, using hinges or castors to make the furniture easy to move.
      Below, we’ve picked out eight examples including a guesthouse in California, a compact Hong Kong apartment and a home inside London’s Barbican estate.

      For more visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive, discover more lookbooks. Other recent examples explore wooden kitchens, statement bathtubs and nightclub interiors.
      Photo by French + TyeRoom For One More, UK, by Studio Ben Allen
      An adaptable joinery unit creates a work-from-home space and a children’s bedroom in this renovation of a flat in London’s brutalist Barbican estate by local firm Studio Ben Allen.
      The floor-to-ceiling unit creates a new partition wall through the middle of the home. On one side is a red fold-out desk and on the other a bunk bed with a pull-out armchair slotted underneath.
      Find out more about Room For One More ›
      Photo courtesy of Peter KostelovUptown Transformer Apartment, USA, by Peter Kostelov
      Pull-out furniture allows this New York apartment, designed by Russian architect Peter Kostelov, to more easily accommodate guests.
      The living room transforms into a dining space thanks to a table on wheels, which slots into a niche behind the kitchen units, while a slide-out bed allows a study to become a guest bedroom.
      Find out more about Uptown Transformer Apartment ›
      Photo by Tom BirdPoirot’s Bijou Apartment, UK, by Intervention Architecture
      Having previously created an adaptable apartment for a ballet dancer, Birmingham-based Intervention Architecture explored more pull-out solutions in this 24-square-metre London flat.
      A sofa on castors doubles as the support for a fold-down bed, while a collapsible dining table can be stored in the walls when not in use. There is also a study nook featuring a drawing board that can be raised and adjusted.
      Find out more about Poirot’s Bijou Apartment ›
      Photo courtesy of Sim-Plex Design StudioPet’s Playground, Hong Kong, by Sim-Plex Design Studio
      The layout of this compact Hong Kong apartment was designed to allow the owners to keep their two pets – a parrot and a cat – away from one another.
      This prompted local practice Sim-Plex Design Studio to design flexible furniture including a dining table that slides out from the kitchen cabinets.
      Find out more about Pet’s Playground ›
      Photo by Ithai SchoriDutchess County Studio, USA, by GRT Architects
      A Murphy bed allows a living room to become a bedroom in this studio-style home in New York’s Dutchess County, designed by Brooklyn firm GRT Architects.
      Stored away, the bed looks just like the wooden cabinets that span the rest of the wall. When folded down, shelves and lamps are revealed behind.
      Find out more about Dutchess County Studio ›
      Photo courtesy of YLAB Arquitectos BarcelonaArgentona Apartment, Spain, by YLAB Arquitectos
      Storage walls provide multiple uses in this renovated Barcelona apartment, designed by Spanish studio YLAB Arquitectos as the holiday home for a Norwegian couple.
      As well as allowing kitchen areas to be hidden away, the walls include pocket doors that create room partitions and fold-down surfaces that can serve as desks or dressing tables.
      Find out more about Argentona Apartment ›
      Photo by JAG StudioDoméstico, Ecuador, by Juan Alberto Andrade and María José Váscones
      A bed and a table are provided by one piece of fold-down furniture in this 27.5-square-metre apartment in the Safdie Architects-designed Qorner building in Quito.
      Keen to make the most of space, architects Juan Alberto Andrade and María José Váscones designed a Murphy bed that slots into a wall recess. The bed’s underside integrates a fold-down surface that can function as a desk or a dining table.
      Find out more about Doméstico ›
      Photo by Bruce DamonteCrest Guesthouse, USA, by Mork-Ulnes Architects
      California studio Mork-Ulnes Architects designed two flexible pieces of furniture for this 38-square-metre guesthouse in the mountains of Marin County.
      One is a bed that folds out from a wall, while the other is a kitchen island that can be wheeled into different positions.
      Find out more about Crest Guesthouse ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring wooden kitchens, statement bathtubs and nightclub interiors.

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