Residential

Subterms

    More stories

    • 113 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Uchronia conceives Haussmann-era Paris apartment as “chromatic jewellery box”

      by

      Multifaceted furniture pieces crafted to mirror the appearance of precious stones feature in this opulent Parisian apartment, which was renovated by local studio Uchronia for a pair of jewellery designers.

      Located on Paris’s Avenue Montaigne, the one-storey apartment is housed within a building designed as part of Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s famed reconstruction of the French capital during the mid-19th century.
      Uchronia renovated a Haussmann-era apartment in ParisUchronia maintained the apartment’s original boiserie, mouldings, parquet flooring and tall ceilings, which are hallmarks of Haussmann-era architecture.
      This quintessentially Parisian backdrop was updated to include bright and textured furnishings designed to mimic pieces of jewellery.
      The dining room features a modular resin table”The space had great bones – a classical Haussmanian layout,” said Uchronia founder and architect Julien Sebban. “That being said, it felt cold, pretentious and beige.”

      “For a change, we avoided structural work and focussed on the decoration,” he told Dezeen.
      A trapezoid lacquered cabinet was positioned in the living roomCreated as a home for two jewellery designers, the apartment features an amorphous resin table in the dining room that is divided into seven modular parts and patterned with a motif informed by the green gemstone malachite.
      “The table’s custom-designed, beaten steel legs echo the principle of claws holding a solitaire diamond to its ring,” explained Sebban.
      Coloured light refracts from a squat stained-glass chairMulticoloured light refracts from a squat stained-glass chair in the sizeable living room, which features a trapezoid lacquered cabinet and curvy jewel-like furniture finished in vivid hues and contrasting textures.
      Uchronia suspended a milky blue Murano glass chandelier overhead and wrapped the room’s floor-to-ceiling windows in sheer ombre curtains.
      Uchronia created a bespoke bed frame for the apartment”The walls echo the curtains and are also treated – and this is a technical feat – in gradations of colour,” the architect said.
      Tucked into an alcove, towering silvery shelves display a selection of ornaments and were designed to give the impression of an open jewellery box.
      “If the apartment’s shapes are reminiscent of the jewellery world, its materials and colours are also borrowed from it,” Sebban said.

      Six renovated Parisian apartments in historical Haussmann-era buildings

      In the single bedroom, the studio took cues from the undulating striations of onyx when creating a bespoke bed frame, finished in plush upholstery to blend in with the room’s patterned carpet while alabaster lamps were positioned atop its two posts.
      Elsewhere in the room, Uchronia paired a dramatically carved Ettore Sottsass dressing table in book-matched marquetry with an egg-shaped chair defined by gleaming red plastic and “space-age lines”.
      An Ettore Sottsass dressing table was also included in the bedroom”It’s very hard to pick a favourite place in this flat because each space has its own identity and colour,” Sebban said. “But if there’s one thing I really love about this apartment, it’s the vitrail that leads to the kitchen.”
      The curving window was an existing feature of the apartment, which the studio customised with candy-coloured glass panes.
      “It creates a place of passage that is quite timeless, like a little sanctuary,” said the architect.
      Coloured glass appears throughout the apartmentColoured glass is a motif that appears throughout the apartment, including the asymmetrical pastel-hued wine and cocktail glasses that look like precious stones.
      “Playful and contradicting combinations of colour, organic and geometric lines and a rich combination of textiles and glass come together to form a chromatic jewellery box filled with gems,” said Sebban. “Every detail has been thought out, polished and cut.”
      Asymmetrical pastel-hued glasses looks like precious stonesElsewhere in Paris, French architect Sophie Dries previously renovated a Haussmann-era apartment for clients who are “really into colour”, while Hauvette & Madani added a sumptuous wine-red kitchen to a dwelling in the city’s République area.
      The photography is by Félix Dol Maillot. 

      Read more: More

    • 138 Shares129 Views

      in Rooms

      Studio Varey Architects celebrates natural light in Notting Hill house renovation

      by

      London firm Studio Varey Architects has simplified this Victorian terraced house to create a light-filled home in Notting Hill, with timber-framed skylights designed to catch the sun.

      Set in the Westbourne Conservation Area, Huron House has belonged to its current owners for the last 25 years.
      Huron House is a renovated Victorian terrace in west LondonThe overhaul of the 19th-century building started as a simple ground-floor renovation to replace the kitchen and improve the connection between the house and its garden.
      However, exploratory works showed the four-storey property to be in bad structural condition, which demanded major improvement works but also gave the owners an opportunity to reimagine their period home.
      Decorative oak beams frame the skylight in the extensionThe new brief to Studio Varey Architects included a full house renovation and interior design, with special emphasis on the bathrooms as well as custom joinery and the rebuilding of the 1990s rear extension to create a new open-plan kitchen and dining room.

      “Our goal was to create an open-plan living space and bring lots of natural light into the ground floor, helping it to feel more inviting and better suited to entertaining friends and family,” the studio told Dezeen.
      A simple white staircase leads upstairsThe property sits on a rough east-west axis, giving it the potential to achieve great light levels throughout the day, with the sun moving from the back of the house in the morning to the front in the afternoon.
      “We wanted to ensure this natural light was captured through the architecture and design of the spaces,” the studio said.
      On the ground floor, Studio Varey Architects removed a structural post that supported the building but divided the back wall.
      A skylight illuminates the top-floor bathroomThis has been replaced with a steel frame, which allowed the studio to introduce slimline aluminium sliding doors that now run along the whole back of the property.
      An existing skylight in the flat roof here was enlarged and framed with oak beams, pulling more light into the centre of the hybrid kitchen-dining space.
      “Natural light cascades into the back of the house, while the introduction of oak beams created a feature that plays with the light as it travels through the property,” the studio said.

      Office S&M uses colour and geometry to create Graphic House in London

      The whole staircase was replaced and positioned further away from the home’s large rear windows, creating a lightwell funnels sun into the lower floors.
      On the top floor, an existing bathroom was fully renovated. Situated in the middle of the top floor it featured no windows save for a small skylight, meaning that light levels were totally inadequate.
      Here, Studio Varey Architects cut back the ceiling to create a multifaceted surface clad in birch plywood – its colour knocked back with a wash of soft white – to bounce light around the space.
      The ceiling was cut back to allow more light into the interior”We created a splayed ceiling that increased the height of the space, allowing for the playful integration of materials to emphasise the new angles,” the studio said.
      “Naturally finished birch ply, leading from the skylight down into Tadelakt walls, beautifully captures sunlight creating a special warmth in the space.”
      Oak forms bookcases in the sitting romWhite oak can be found throughout the house in the form of built-in joinery from bookcases and wardrobes, as well as in the feature beams of the extension.
      “We wanted to simplify the material palette and keep it light, both in appearance and number of elements we used,” the studio said.
      “This was done to emphasise the quality of the materials themselves, highlight the craftsmanship of the work and establish a visual link between the interior spaces throughout the home.”
      Oak joinery features in the primary bedroomPolished concrete, used for the floor at ground level, is underlaid with underfloor heating and provides a durable surface that is easy to clean for the owners after walking their dog.
      Other recently renovated houses in London include Sunderland Road House by 2LG, which features pastel-painted corniced ceilings, and Graphic House by Office S&M, which is defined by graphic shapes and bold hues.
      The photography is by Taran Wilkhu.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Eight renovated mid-century homes that marry period and contemporary details

      by

      From a modernist villa in Beverly Hills to a flat in one of Brasília’s iconic Superquadra apartment blocks, the mid-century renovations in this lookbook are a masterclass in updating a period home while retaining its distinctive character.

      Originally constructed in the post-war period between 1945 and 1969, mid-century homes have proved enduringly popular due to their prescient emphasis on natural light, clean lines, open floor plans and humble materials such as wood, stone and concrete.
      The renovations below see many of these original features retained and restored, supplemented with contemporary additions such as double-height ceilings and furniture by the likes of Tadao Ando and Mario Bellini.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring art deco homes, sunny yellow interiors and serene bedrooms with striking natural views.
      Photo by Jack LovelCity Beach Residence, Australia, by Design Theory

      Australian studio Design Theory looked to preserve the “considerable mid-century charm” of this home on the coast of Perth during its renovation (top and above), remaining true to the rich palette of natural materials found in the original design.
      Contemporary furniture and lighting with gently curving forms were chosen to soften the rigorous lines of the original architecture and prevent the interiors from feeling like a period pastiche.
      Find out more about City Beach Residence ›
      Photo by An PhamBrandaw Residence, US, by 180 Degrees Design + Build and CBTWO Architects
      A new double-height living room with a pitched roof and full-height glazing was added to modernise this 1960s home in Phoenix, creating sightlines up and out towards nearby Camelback Mountain.
      Modernist touches remain on the interior in the form of plentiful wood panelling alongside finishes and furnishings in muted primary colours ranging from teal to mustard-yellow.
      Find out more about Brandaw Residence ›
      Photo by James O DaviesHampstead House, UK, by Coppin Dockray
      This house in Hampstead was originally designed by British architect Trevor Dannatt in 1960 as London’s answer to the post-war Case Study Houses built by the likes of Richard Neutra and the Eameses in California.
      When renovating and extending the property for a growing family, local studio Coppin Dockray contrasted vintage and contemporary furniture for a “domestic, lived-in” feel, with pieces ranging from a Togo chair to Mia Hamborg’s Shuffle table for &Tradition.
      Find out more about Hampstead House ›
      Photo by Gerhard HeuschBeverly Hills villa, US, by Heusch
      Historical images helped architecture firm Heusch to restore this Beverly Hills villa to its former glory and reverse some of its “unfortunate transformations” over the years.
      Existing terrazzo floors on the ground floor were restored and complemented with fluted glass details and dark timber furnishings, both new and old, including Ando’s cantilevered Dream Chairs and a bookshelf by Italian architect Augusto Romano from the 1950s.
      Find out more about Beverly Hills villa ›
      Photo by Justin ChungPalermo house, US, by OWIU
      California studio OWIU retained several original elements during the renovation of this 1955 home in LA’s San Rafael Hills, among them the glass-block walls and wooden ceiling beams, which were exposed from under false ceilings and sanded down to reveal their natural colour.
      These were contrasted with more neutral contemporary elements such as pale oak flooring and walls coated in Venetian plaster, with assorted lights by Isamu Noguchi and George Nelson – one of the founding fathers of American modernism.
      Find out more about Palermo house ›
      Photo by Joana FranceBrasília apartment, Brazil, by Debaixo do Bloco Arquitetura
      This apartment is located inside Brasília’s historic Superquadra 308 Sul, the first “superblock” apartment complex constructed as part of architect Lucio Costa’s 1957 master plan for the new Brazilian capital.
      Local studio Debaixo do Bloco Arquitetura cut open the building’s exposed concrete walls, opening up its layout to meet the needs of a modern family while preserving period details such as the building’s distinctive white breeze-block screens and its granilite flooring.
      Find out more about Brasília apartment ›
      Photo by Ingalls PhotographyMalibu Surf Shack, US, by Kelly Wearstler
      When interior designer Kelly Wearstler turned this 1950s beachfront cottage in Malibu into a bohemian retreat for herself and her family, she retained the original wood-panelled walls and selected finishes that were “hand-crafted, rustic and raw” to match the existing material palette.
      The interiors feature abundant planting, alongside an eclectic mix of period-agnostic furnishings including a 1980s green marble table by Bellini, paired with a plaster-covered Caféstuhl chair by contemporary Austrian designer Lukas Gschwandtner.
      Find out more about Malibu Surf Shack ›
      Photo by Rafael SoldiGolden House, US, by SHED
      Seattle architecture firm SHED had to make several aggressive interventions when renovating this 1950s building in nearby Shoreline, which was originally constructed as a family home but had previously been divided up to serve as a retirement home.
      Working around the existing post-and-beam structure, the studio updated the interior to maximise views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound while enlarging the kitchen and reorganising it around a central island.
      Find out more about Golden House ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring art deco homes, sunny yellow interiors and serene bedrooms with striking natural views.

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Eight open-plan interiors where dining tables take centre stage

      by

      A brutalist apartment in Belgium and a coastal house in Australia feature in this lookbook, which collects open-plan interiors where dining tables are the focal point.

      With dining rooms often forming part of larger, multipurpose living areas in our homes, tables are an easy way to create a focal point that subtly breaks up space.
      As demonstrated by this lookbook, dining tables also present an opportunity for homeowners to bring personal style into a room while carving out an intimate setting to entertain guests.
      This is the latest in Dezeen’s lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks that feature interiors with reclaimed materials, art deco influences and sunny yellow finishes.
      Photo by Jose HeviaLandaburu Borda, Spain, by Jordi Hidalgo Tané

      A dining table takes centre stage in this house extension, which architecture studio Jordi Hidalgo Tané added to Landaburu Borda in rural Navarra.
      Supported by chunky metal legs, the table is formed of two giant pieces of wood and paired with bright red chairs that help it pop against a backdrop of concrete walls.
      Find out more about Landaburu Borda ›
      Photo by Olmo PeetersRiverside Tower apartment, Belgium, by Studio Okami Architecten
      Studio Okami Architecten used the dining table as an opportunity to inject colour into this concrete apartment, which is located in a brutalist tower in Antwerp.
      The bright aquamarine tabletop was married with slender red-metal legs, which draw the eye to the dining area with the help of a black ceramic chandelier plunging overhead.
      Find out more about the Riverside Tower apartment ›
      Photo by Timothy KayeBarwon Heads House, Australia, by Adam Kane Architects
      Slabs of travertine form this monolithic table, located in the large living and dining room at a coastal home in Barwon Heads.
      It brings a lavish aesthetic to the otherwise understated room, which features black wooden chairs, sheer curtains and a pared-back colour palette.
      At one end is a sink, allowing the table to also be used as an island for food preperation.
      Find out more about Barwon Heads House ›
      Photo by Megan TaylorSunderland Road house, UK, by 2LG Studio
      Pink was used throughout this renovated Edwardian house in London by 2LG Studio, including in the playful dining room set.
      Set against white walls and a baby-blue vitrine, the statement table has a top made from waste wood chips and resin and matching sculptural pink chairs.
      Find out more about the Sunderland Road house ›
      Photo by Joe FletcherThree Chimney House, USA, by T W Ryan Architecture
      A mottled-brass chandelier was suspended over this big eight-seater table, which sits at the heart of Three Chimney House in Virginia.
      Its minimalist yet striking wooden form stands boldly against white walls, a pale-brick chimney and delicate spindle-back chairs.
      Find out more about Three Chimney House ›
      Photo by Read McKendreeSag Harbor 2, USA, by Kevin O’Sullivan + Associates
      Smooth edges and a curved cut-out give a sculptural look to the wooden legs beneath this chunky dining table.
      Teamed with vintage Fresco dining chairs by G Plan, it brings a mid-century-style focal point to the contemporary interior of Sag Harbor 2.
      Find out more about Sag Harbor 2 ›
      Photo by Jose CamposNieby Crofters Cottage, Germany, by Jan Henrik Jansen and Marshall Blecher
      Architects Jan Henrik Jansen and Marshall Blecher designed this dining table as an extension of the island in the kitchen at Nieby Crofters Cottage.
      Illuminated by low-hanging pendant lights, the table was surrounded by eight of Hans Wegner’s Wishbone chairs and creates an opportunity for the owner to entertain guests while preparing food.
      Find out more about Nieby Crofters Cottage ›
      Photo by Michael SinclairTelevision Centre apartment, UK, by Waldo Works
      Flanked by a black fireplace and kitchen cabinetry, this dining table stands out because of its glossy pine-green top.
      Waldo Works contrasted it with saffron-coloured chairs a mustard-yellow rug, which helps establish it as the focal point and social heart of the open-plan room.
      Find out more about the Television Centre apartment ›
      This is the latest in Dezeen’s lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks that feature interiors with reclaimed materials, art deco influences and sunny yellow finishes.

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares119 Views

      in Rooms

      Relogged house by Balbek Bureau reinterprets traditional log cabins

      by

      Architecture studio Balbek Bureau has revamped a house in Ukraine using stainless steel and concrete to create a modern interpretation of a log cabin.

      The three-bedroom cabin was built from horizontally stacked logs, which the designers kept on display throughout the interior.
      Horizontally-laid logs clad both the exterior and interiorThe Kyiv-based studio aimed to deviate from conventional cabin interiors, instead creating an industrial, utilitarian scheme informed by the style of American fashion designer Rick Owens.
      “The pre-existing interior was in a classic log cabin style,” Balbek Bureau told Dezeen. “The logs were a lighter shade, closer to the natural wood colour – the furniture was mostly made of wood as well with traditional country-style shapes dominating the interior.”
      The stairs have cantilevered steps that appear to floatIn order to lend itself to a more industrial finish, the studio trimmed the interior of surplus logs and timber.

      “Our goal was to achieve a clean geometry of the space with as little extra lines as possible,” said the studio.
      “That is why we removed part of the log beams that were not load-bearing – we did the same with non-bearing walls to create an open space on the first floor.”
      A towering fireplace dominates the living spaceMicrocement flooring and project-bespoke furniture pieces such as stainless steel consoles were added to the spaces to contrast the traditional log walls.
      Vintage lounge and dining chairs from the owner’s own collection were added to character to the spaces, which were hung with paintings belonging to the client.
      Log beams juxtapose industrial finishes in the kitchenThe glass-fronted entryway contains a staircase comprising timber planks cantilevered out from wall. Beyond, the kitchen, dining room, home office and living room are contained within one fluid space.
      The cabin’s construction is most apparent in the double-height living space, where logs form tall bookcases accessed by a sliding metal ladder. These flank a tapered fireplace made from concrete blocks, at the foot of which sits a large sofa.

      Looking Glass Lodge features glass facades that reflect the surrounding woodland

      The use of concrete continues in the kitchen, which is dominated by a monolithic kitchen island flanked by floor-to-ceiling stainless steel cabinets.
      Plywood panelling replaces logs in the curtain lined theatre room leading off of the kitchen.
      Metal consoles on casters sit below the screenModern, black-framed windows were installed throughout the building, with vertical windows added in the home office and dining room to bring more sunlight into the space.
      Original ceiling beams were left exposed to highlight the cabin’s original construction.
      A clear desk contrasts the wooden dining room furnitureRecalling the sofas downstairs, the master bedroom features a sprawling custom-made bed that sits low to the floor. Its upholstered sides were bolstered by stainless steel consoles similar to those in the theatre room.
      Retro lamps were added as a playful touches including a bulbous standing lamp that arches over the bed.
      The main bedroom utilises warmer-toned woodA moveable mirror-panelled screen on castors sits against one wall, and a wooden mid-century console references the warm-toned timber-clad walls.
      Throughout the house black radiators, ceiling lights, window frames and power outlets punctuate the rooms.
      Upholstered sleeping nooks create a cosy atmosphereThe two bedrooms on the other side of the cabin retain the dark-toned log walls of the living room, adjoined by steel shelves and contrasted by soft, padded sleeping nooks.
      Both of the bathrooms are a stark contrast from the rest of the interiors, with almost no wooden finishes at all and housing white fixtures.
      Concrete covers the bathroom walls, floors and ceilings”[Relogged] allowed us to work on rethinking the rather established and traditional form of a log cabin,” concluded the studio.
      Other cabins featured on Dezeen include A-frame cabins in a remote Canadian forest by Atelier l’Abri and a cabin clad in ash wood on a rocky outcrop in Norway by Line Solgaard Arkitekter.
      The photography is by Andrey Bezuglov and Maryan Beresh.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Puntofilipino brings noble materials to apartment in former bank office

      by

      Design studio Puntofilipino has created a richly layered interior full of texture and patina for this Madrid apartment, designed to offer an unexpected take on the client’s passion for Danish art and furniture.

      Set in a former bank office building in the Salamanca neighbourhood that dates back to 1929, the one-bedroom apartment was conceived as a refuge for the client.
      Puntofilipino has completed the Radikal Klassisk apartment”He was looking for a space of relaxation, silence and solitude,” Puntofilipino founder Gema Gutiérrez told Dezeen. “Madrid is a very fast city and his need was to find a place where time stopped.”
      Puntofilipino set out to design a space that reflects the client’s love of Danish style without resorting to Scandinavian design cliches.
      Instead, the studio sought to foster a sense of timelessness by balancing modern and historical influences, calling the apartment Radikal Klassisk.

      The interior features natural materials such as stone and wood”It’s a very modern design and yet also with a slightly historical bent,” she said. “There is a perpetual link between the past and the present.”
      “I wanted to show the client the coexistence and communion between classic and contemporary Danish brands,” Gutiérrez added.
      “Pieces by designers such as Hans J Wegner, father of modern Danish design, coexist with contemporary Danish brands such as Overgaard & Dyrman – both free of passing trends, timeless.”
      Layered textiles add depth to the spaceWhile the lines and forms are clean and modern, Gutiérrez says the materials themselves, which range from natural stone to terrazzo and wood, “are historically recognised noble materials, used in palaces throughout the centuries”.
      The work of Danish painter Ebba Cartensen was another influence on the apartment’s aesthetic.
      The late artist’s cubist compositions informed the heavily patinated finishes seen in each room, from the clay-rendered walls to the marbled tiles.

      Studio Noju renovates curvy apartment in brutalist Torres Blancas tower

      “I looked for the pictorial representation of Ebba Carstensen’s painting,” said Gutiérrez.
      “The patinated finishes express time, distance, and memory – a ground-breaking, elegant and sober aesthetic that goes beyond the concept we have of Danish design.”
      Dark botanical wallpaper frames the bedroomIn the bedroom, Puntofilipino used a darkly immersive botanical wallpaper by Instabilelab with a mural-like scale.
      “The client has a predilection for bucolic painting,” the studio said. “In addition, the plant motifs give depth to the space.”
      Here, as elsewhere, the colours are rich and intense, taking their cues from the tonal variations in the stone, metal and wood used in each room.
      A monolithic tub forms the centrepiece of the roomIn the open-plan bedroom-bathroom, a monolithic stone tub takes on a sculptural quality as the central focal point within the space.
      “I considered breaking with architectural patterns and giving more prominence to the centre of the room,” Gutiérrez said. “The inside of the bathtub, metaphorically, reflects a bench where you could see any work of art in a museum.”
      The sofa fulfils a similar function in the living room, this time with an emphasis on curves rather than straight lines.
      The living room is centred by a curvy NORR11 sofaProduced by Danish design brand NORR11, it consists of three distinct elements, each upholstered in a different fabric progressing from off-white bouclé to olive green leather.
      “I studied the soleo, the path of the sun, and how it affects colours and materials in the interior,” Gutiérrez said. “The gradual transition gives depth and makes you look around the space, a dance through the senses.”
      Furnishings include Danish design classics such as this Hans J Wegner chairNearby in Salamanca, locals studio Lucas y Hernández-Gil recently completed JJ16 – a compact family home filled with colour blocking and clever storage solutions.
      Also in the Spanish capital, Studio Noju has renovated a curvy two-storey apartment in the city’s brutalist Torres Blancas tower.
      The photography is by Polina Parcevskya and Julie Smorodkina.

      Read more: More

    • 150 Shares179 Views

      in Rooms

      DAB Studio lines kitchen of Dutch home with oak and Afromosia wood

      by

      Dutch interior design practice DAB Studio has transformed the kitchen of a family home in Zwaag, the Netherlands, by covering the floors and ceiling in one type of wood and the walls and cabinets in another.

      DAB Studio aimed to create a “calm yet soulful” interior with an earthy colour palette made up of tan and neutral shades.
      Quarter-sawn Afromosia wood lines the walls and kitchen unitsThe floors and ceiling were covered in hand-scraped oak with a smoked and black-oiled finish, laid in a pattern of side-by-side plank pairs.
      Afromosia wood, a tropical hardwood native to west Africa, was applied to the walls and cabinets. The wood was quarter sawn to create a decorative grain pattern and add a sense of playfulness to the interior.
      Oak planks were laid in side-by-side pairs on the floors and ceilingDAB Studio co-founders, Lotte and Dennis Bruns, designed the interior to be a space that would balance “feminine and masculine elements” and reflect both of the owners’ design tastes.

      According to the duo, the repeating wood choices for the different surfaces give the space a sense of completeness.
      Marble worktops extend down the sides of the kitchen units”Per the client’s request, we wanted to merge the feminine and masculine vision of their new home, balancing each other out in one curated space,” the co-founders told Dezeen.
      “This allowed us to create unique areas in line with our client’s habits and interests while imbuing the space with a sense of spaciousness and lightness.”
      “In order to merge all elements of the design, it felt important to prioritise the theme of consistency,” the duo added.
      “For that particular reason, the wood of the floor is repeated on the ceiling, and the wood used for cabinetry is continued into the walls of the room.”

      Julia van Beuningen adds spiral stair in Dutch barn conversion

      The centrepiece of the kitchen is the island, which features Afromosia wood cabinet doors and a waterfall countertop made from Arebescato Orobico marble.
      Wood cabinets along one kitchen wall were also topped with a marble worktop, which extends down one side to frame the unit.
      The studio balanced “masculine and feminine” elements in the interiorDAB Studio added a dining nook below a window, designed to be a space flooded with natural light where the family can gather.
      Seating with rounded corners wraps the three walls of the nook. The seating base was covered in the same wood as the interior walls, while the seat and backrest are covered in plush upholstery.
      The quarter-sawn Afromosia wood creates a decorative grainAt the centre of the nook, a rectangular table with two blocky legs made from Arebescato Orobico marble contrasts the rounded seating.
      “The dining nook is where the family can spend time together, welcome new conversations, and create core memories,” said Lotte and Dennis Bruns.
      “The asymmetrical built-in banquette seating feels inviting with its round edges, and adds a dynamic feel to the space.”
      The dining nook sits below a windowDecorative items and free-standing furniture were introduced to the interior to add more rounded elements, including a Wiggle Chair by Frank Gehry.
      Elsewhere in the Netherlands, Francois Verhoeven Architects has created a bungalow clad in vertical timber slats and Julia van Beuningen added a plywood staircase to a barn conversion.
      The photography is by Daniëlle Siobhán.

      Read more: More

    • 138 Shares159 Views

      in Rooms

      Viruta Lab blankets former fisherman’s house in Valencia with chequerboard tiles

      by

      Spanish interiors studio Viruta Lab has renovated a compact house in El Cabanyal, Valencia’s traditional fishing neighbourhood, using geometric blue-and-white tiling for an understated nautical aesthetic.

      Built in 1946, the humble two-storey building once belonged to the grandparents of the current owner but had been boarded up for many years.
      Viruta Lab has renovated a former fisherman’s house in ValenciaViruta Lab was brought on board to transform the small 85-square-metre home into a modern holiday residence while respecting its great sentimental value to the family.
      “Emotion was a very important starting point,” the studio told Dezeen.
      The interior is dominated by chequerboard tiles”The house is a family legacy and the image they have of it is very deep, so it was necessary for any intervention to be as respectful as possible and with a language that they understood and took as their own,” Viruta Lab continued.

      “We understood that the architecture already had a value, that we only had to beautify it, preserve it.”
      Green upholstery provides a contrast with the blue-and-white colour schemeViruta Lab uncovered the building’s original brick walls from under layers of peeling paint and carefully repaired the pre-existing mouldings “to give height and nostalgic value to the interior design”.
      Liberal chequerboard tiling provides a contrast to these traditional design details, featured throughout all the rooms from the kitchen to the sleeping quarters.
      Viruta Lab restored the home’s original mouldingsIn a suitably nautical palette of navy and off-white, the tiles reference the great variety of tiled facades found in the El Cabanyal neighbourhood.
      “The dominant colours on the facades of the Cabanyal are white, blue and green, which are associated with a lifestyle linked to the resources offered by the sea,” the studio said.

      Balzar Arquitectos nestles copper-toned home into Valencian olive grove

      “It was clear that we had to respect the local traditions, the architecture and the essence of the house and give it a maritime aesthetic, reinterpreting the Mediterranean style to adapt it to the tradition of the neighbourhood using its own materials.”
      Green shows up throughout the interior in the form of simple upholstered furniture – including a sofa, pouffe, benches and stools – all custom-designed by Viruta Lab for this compact space.
      European oak was used to form joinery detailsThe interior woodwork in European oak was stained to resemble Canaletto walnut, matching the tones of the two remaining original interior doors that were painstakingly restored and repurposed as sliding doors.
      “We wanted the woodwork to provide a quality counterpoint to the cold tones of the blues and greens, with an imprint and weight,” the studio said.
      The remaining interior doors were restored and repurposed as sliding doorsAnother key local material – esparto grass fibre – is less noticeable than the tiles but pops up throughout the house to add textural interest.
      Traditionally used to make ropes, baskets, mats and espadrille sandals, the flexible natural material was repurposed to form headboards and backrests, and even clad the suspended ceilings in the bathrooms.
      Esparto grass was used to from headboards and backrests”This material has been used because of its roots in the traditions and life in the Mediterranean area, especially in the Valencian community,” the studio said.
      “For Viruta Lab, the legacy comes from its use by men of the countryside and the sea, by the original residents of the Cabanyal, those men who used to wear espadrilles.”
      The house has a shaded outdoor dining area on the roofAs well as a clay-tiled roof terrace with a shaded outdoor dining area, the house also features a sensitively restored inner courtyard, complete with a stone water trough where the owner’s grandfather once dried his fishing nets at the end of a day’s work.
      Other projects that celebrate Valencia’s historic architecture include a 1920s penthouse that was renovated to celebrate its original mosaic floors and an octogenarian home in El Cabanyal that was updated using traditional construction techniques and local materials.
      The photography is by David Zarzoso.

      Read more: More