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      Modektura adds sand terrazzo flooring to Kyiv apartment

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      A balcony-turned-conservatory features in an apartment renovated by architecture and interior studio Modektura in Kyiv, Ukraine.

      Kyiv-based Modektura designed the interior to reflect the history of the apartment block, which was initially constructed in 1900.
      The one-bedroom apartment was renovated by Modektura”We wanted to tie it back to the house itself,” Modektura founder Maksym Dietkovskyi told Dezeen.
      “Colours and textures were chosen to create an interior that feels like it has a history – one that has been waiting for its owner for a long time.”
      The studio added sand to the terrazzo flooringThe studio refurbished the flooring of the apartment incorporating sand into the terrazzo as part of several material experiments undertaken by the studio during this project.

      Additionally, marble chips were embedded within the mineral plaster on the walls.

      Monolithic green marble forms “majestic wall” in Milan apartment

      “The idea to experiment with materials was inspired by old decorative techniques, blending them with a modern approach” Dietkovskyi explained.
      “Using sand and marble chips not only combined their decorative properties but also created a unique, aesthetically pleasing effect.”
      The open archways feature an inner wooden frameToned-oak, marble, stainless-steel and brass was used throughout the rest of the apartment.
      The material palette was chosen to “cultivate a sense of stability and tranquility”.
      Doors were swapped for open archways that feature a decorative moulding with an inner wooden frame.
      A balcony was turned into a conservatoryA corridor, described by the architect as a “central artery”, extends through the entire length of the flat leading from the kitchen to the bedroom and living area.
      A balcony attached to the kitchen was turned into a conservatory. The studio added underfloor heating to ensure a comfortable temperature for the plants.
      Paintings and sculptures are displayed throughout the apartmentTo accommodate the client’s art collection, the space includes a library and pedestals for displaying art pieces.
      Artworks on display include sculptures by Ukrainian artist Dmytro Hrek, paintings by Kristina Otchych-Cherniak and a diptych by Rostyslav Zavhorodniy.
      A pair of Cassina tilting back chairs are placed in the living roomThe studio, working with the owners, decided to keep the building’s classical elements, notably the decorative cornices.
      Mid-century design pieces such as Cassina tilting back chairs, Louis Poulsen glass pendants and Snoopy table lamps from Flos were selected to “collectively evoke a nostalgic retro atmosphere.”
      The living room includes a small library areaModektura completed the project during the ongoing war in Ukraine. The team described having to deal with unforeseen circumstances due to the wartime context.
      The reduced number of workers necessitated more extensive supervision and power supply issues and obstacles related to the conflict “significantly complicated the project implementation process,” the studio told Dezeen.
      Other projects in Kyiv recently featured on Dezeen include a fitness studio lined with curtains, a laser clinic with futuristic interiors and a holistic healing centre by Ukranian designer Olga Fradina.
      The photography is by Yevhenii Avramenko.

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      Alarquitectos lines Lisbon apartment with colour-blocked walls and pine wood

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      Portuguese studio Alarquitectos has used walls of pink and blue to brighten São Sebastião 123, an apartment converted from a 20th-century office in Lisbon.

      Tasked with revitalising the old workspace’s dark and poorly ventilated interiors, Alarquitectos opened it up by removing the existing partitions and adding a courtyard.
      Along with an existing outdoor space that has been reorganised, this courtyard doubles as a lightwell for the 167-metre-square apartment.
      Walls of pink and blue decorate the São Sebastião 123 apartmentSão Sebastião 123 is organised with a series of “fluid” living spaces at its front and more private spaces, including the bedrooms, at the rear.
      Narrow corridors brightened by the colour-blocked walls lead into the airy, open-plan living area that is illuminated by a window and full-height opening connected to a slim balcony.

      In the living area, a shelving unit runs the length of the room and is paired with pine flooring and grey-toned furnishings.
      A sliding door connects the living space to the kitchenA sliding door leads from the living space into a kitchen “box”, which is enclosed on both sides by deep-blue cabinets topped with metal counters, and complemented by terrazzo flooring.
      Bronze detailing is used for lighting fixtures, mirrors and door knobs throughout the home.
      The kitchen features deep-blue cabinets and terrazzo flooring”We envisioned the kitchen as a vibrant focal point, hence the striking colour of the kitchen box,” studio co-founder Mafalda Ambrósio told Dezeen.
      “We sought cool colours that contrast with the warm tones of the pine wood,” she continued.
      “This colour palette was inspired by the aggregates in the kitchen terrazzo, resulting in a deep blue with green pigments and a light pink.”
      There is a dining room with an oak table and three pendant lightsAdjacent to the kitchen is a dining area with an oak dining table and three pendant lights. Further counter space and shelving are provided along one side.
      To the back of the dining area, a full-height door opens up to the new enclosed courtyard, which is lined with ceramic-tiled walls and terrazzo flooring and decorated with black-steel furniture and leafy plants.

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

      A glazed opening onto the courtyard draws light into a bedroom, while a smaller circular opening illuminates the adjacent corridor – operating as a “physical bridge between the interior and exterior”.
      “We extended our focus to the exterior space, not merely as a source of natural light and ventilation but also as an extension of the living experience,” Ambrósio said. “The materials for the patios were meticulously chosen to create a sense of refinement and tranquillity.”
      Ceramic-tiled walls and terrazzo flooring features in the courtyardSão Sebastião 123 is complete with two small workspaces beside the living area and a shared bathroom lined with ceramic tiles and terrazzo flooring matching the external courtyard.
      Other recent projects defined by colourful interiors include a playful seaside hotel that uses colour blocking to distinguish different areas and a residential conversion with jagged walls that reference a lightning bolt.
      The photography is by Do mal o menos.

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      Eight compact micro interiors that make the most of their small space

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      For our latest lookbook, we’ve collected eight micro apartments and micro homes that use clever solutions to fit the most into a single room, which often functions as both the living room and the bedroom.

      A “sleeping cocoon” and built-in space-saving furniture are among the solutions used to create comfortable living and sleeping spaces in these projects.
      The interiors, which range from a home in Taipei to a small apartment in Beirut, feature a number of innovative designs that allow their owners and tenants to stretch out – even in spaces that are as small as 15 square metres.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring minimalist kitchens and homes with pyramidal ceilings.
      Photo by Pierce ScourfieldFerguson, Scotland, by Lee Ivett, Simon Harlow and Duncan Blackmore

      Colour decorates the walls in this 25-square-metre apartment in Glasgow, which doesn’t contain any freestanding furniture. Instead, a fixed bench and a shelf that functions as a desk create a living room and workspace.
      The bed can be found on a mezzanine that sits above a compact shower room and is reached via wooden steps. Custom-made sinks ensure that the white goods don’t take up too much space in the flat, which the owner uses as a temporary base in the city.
      Find out more about Ferguson ›

      Corten steel micro home, Lithuania, by IM Interior
      This micro home located inside a former garage in Lithuania shows “how little a person needs,” said designer Indrė Mylytė-Sinkevičienė, founder of IM Interior.
      The home measures 21 square metres and has warm birch wood lining. Its bed is positioned like a window seat beneath one of its two narrow windows and surrounded by concealed storage. A slim, built-in shelf functions as both a desk and a dining table.
      Find out more about the Corten steel home ›
      Photo is by Hey! CheeseMicro-flat, Taiwan, by A Little Design
      Local studio A Little Design used built-in, space-saving furniture for this Taipei apartment, which measures just 17.6 square metres.
      Built-in cabinets provide storage next to a staircase that leads up to a mezzanine bed, while a foldable table can be used as a desk or dining space.
      Find out more about the micro-flat ›
      Photo is by Peter BennettsMicroloft, Melbourne, by Studio Edwards
      Chipboard was used to create much of the furniture in this 24-square-metre apartment in Melbourne, including storage units, a sofa and a bed.
      The designers also customised IKEA furniture for the home, wrapping a bedside stool in recycled aluminium to help with the acoustics and using aluminium legs to extend the same stools to create seats for dining.
      Find out more about Microloft ›
      Photo by Ståle EriksenShoji Apartment, UK, by Proctor & Shaw
      A translucent “sleeping cocoon” wrapped in panels that reference Japanese shoji screens gave this flat its name. Designed by London studio Proctor & Shaw, it measures 29 square metres and has a design that takes advantage of its high ceilings.
      “This apartment renovation project is conceived as a prototype for micro-living in existing housing stock with constrained floor areas but traditionally generous ceiling heights,” explained the studio.
      Find out more about Shoji Apartment ›
      Photo by Marwan HarmouchShoe Box, Lebanon, by Eliemetni
      This compact Beirut apartment, located on the roof of an old building, has just 15 square metres of floor space but manages to fit everything into one room.
      The floor was coated in white epoxy to maximise the light in the small space, which has lots of under-bed and under-seating storage in its custom-built space-saving furniture. Matching white walls add an airy feel to the space.
      Find out more about Shoe Box ›
      Photo by Koji Fujii Nacasa and PartnersLove2 House, Japan, by Takeshi Hosaka
      This Tokyo micro home, which measures 19 square metres, receives plenty of natural light from its two large skylights.
      Architect Takeshi Hosaka built it for himself and his wife, designing the compact home with seven partitions that extend out from the reinforced concrete walls to define the dining, kitchen and sleeping zones.
      A large sliding door opens the home up to the street, creating additional space in the warm months.
      Find out more about Love2 House ›
      Photo by JAG StudioDoméstico, Ecuador, by Juan Alberto Andrade and María José Váscones
      Located inside the Qorner building in Quito, Ecuador, this micro apartment measures 27.5 square metres and features a floor-to-ceiling unit that the designers described as a “habitable artifact”.
      It contains storage space as well as a bed and desk, both of which fold up. A door in the corner leads to a bathroom with a sink, shower and toilet.
      Find out more about Doméstico ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring minimalist kitchens and homes with pyramidal ceilings.

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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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