Residential

Subterms

    More stories

    • 138 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Wine-red kitchen forms centrepiece of Paris apartment by Hauvette & Madani

      by

      Interior design studio Hauvette & Madani has made a sumptuous wine-red kitchen the focus of this otherwise neutral apartment in Paris.

      The Republique apartment is set within a typical Haussmann-era building in the French capital’s 11th arrondissement and belongs to a family with two children.
      From the outset of the renovation, the clients called for the home to orbit around a “spectacular” atmospheric kitchen.
      A wine-red kitchen is the focal point of the Republique apartmentHauvette & Madani responded by using a striking colour scheme, rendering all of the kitchen’s linoleum cabinets and its curved breakfast island in a wine-red colour. The same shade was also applied to the ceiling but in a glossy lacquer.
      “We wanted a dark but joyful colour and ended up deciding on this substantial red,” founders Samantha Hauvette and Lucas Madani told Dezeen. “We also love the fact [the colour’s] eccentricity matches the rest of the calm and soft apartment.”

      Spaces are connected by travertine-framed doorwaysLustrous decorative elements such as an aged-mirror splashback and brass light were also introduced to the space, and a support column was wrapped in stainless steel.
      The room’s original wooden flooring was overlaid with travertine and Emperador marble tiling.
      Shades of beige can be seen throughout the living roomA travertine-framed doorway looks through to the adjacent living room, where walls were painted an oatmeal beige, matching a bean-shaped velvet sofa from French brand Pierre Augustin Rose.
      A pair of wriggly-edged oak coffee tables and a terracotta-coloured edition of French designer Pierre Paulin’s Ribbon chair were also used to dress the space.

      Six renovated Parisian apartments in historical Haussmann-era buildings

      The dining room next door is centred by an oval travertine table, around which steel-framed leather seats have been arranged. At the rear of the room is a tall white dresser inset with oak-lined niches where ornaments or artworks can be displayed.
      A Murano glass chandelier hangs from the ceiling, where ornate moulding was carefully preserved.
      The nearby dining room has a travertine table at its centreThe project also saw Hauvette & Madani refresh the parents’ bedroom, which now features 1930s-style lighting and a bespoke oak headboard. This winds around the back of the room and has arched cut-outs that accommodate bedside tables.
      A walnut-wood vanity cabinet and vintage Italian mirror were also fitted in its en-suite bathroom.
      A bespoke oak headboard was installed in the parents’ bedroomOften considered the heart of the home, the kitchen is where architects and designers enjoy getting playful with colour.
      Other examples include the kitchen inside Sans-Arc Studio’s Plaster Fun House, where a pink terrazzo breakfast island contrasts duck egg-blue cabinetry.
      And the kitchen within this Belgian apartment by Carmine Van Der Linden and Thomas Geldof features birch wood cupboards that were stained a murky hue of green.
      The photography is by Yannick Labrousse. 

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares189 Views

      in Rooms

      Eight interiors that strike a balance between rustic and contemporary

      by

      For our latest lookbook, Dezeen has selected eight examples of rustic yet contemporary interiors, including but not limited to an apartment in Sao Paulo and a Tuscan boutique hotel.

      Rustic interiors have a strong focus on natural and aged materials as well as traditional wooden or stone furnishings.
      These material choices are often used to create a homely and welcoming atmosphere that is somewhat reminiscent of a farmhouse style.
      From an inn with nautical-leaning decor to a mid-century home in Joshua Tree, here are eight examples of how interior designers are bringing rustic design tropes into the 21st century.
      This is the latest in our lookbook series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring wood-panelled dining rooms, statement headboards and homes with pergolas.

      Photo is by Stanley YangVilla Kurno, US, by Mini Inno
      Los Angeles interior design studio Mini Inno renovated this mid-century ranch-style home in Joshua Tree National Park and converted it into a holiday home.
      The studio opted for a neutral interior scheme that serves as the background for various wooden furnishings and fixtures.
      Wood beams were left exposed across the ceiling of the living area while wooden barstools, shelving and cupboard doors are contrasted against the white-painted walls and floors.
      Find out more about Villa Kurno ›

      Monteverdi Hotel, Italy, by Michael Cioffi
      Located in a hamlet in Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tuscany, Monteverdi Hotel was transformed from a crumbling building to a 29-room hotel over a 14-year renovation.
      Materials and finishes throughout the interior were chosen for their textural quality and walls feature uneven surfaces with indents and niches. Salvaged wood was used for ceiling beams, timber archways and closet doors, which were constructed from old farm doors.
      Find out more about Monteverdi Hotel, ›
      Photo is by Alexander RibarWhidbey Inn, US, by Mike and Matt French
      Mike and Matt French collaborated with friends and local designers to update this historic inn on Widbey Island near Seattle.
      The team renovated the property, which was built in 1907, and decorated the interior with a contemporary yet rustic approach with subtle nautical influences. Wood panelling in various shades was used across the interior and paired with timber furnishings.
      Find out more about Whidbey Inn ›
      Photo is by Jeff HoltCarriage House, US, by Workstead
      This home is set inside a converted kitchen house in South Carolina – a small outbuilding that was originally used to prepare food for the main residence.
      Workstead decorated its interior using an imperfect approach that saw the US studio make a feature of exposed, paint-splattered brickwork and crumbling plaster walls.
      In one of the home’s living areas, cypress and woven cane cabinets with an integrated window seat were built around a window, extending from the wooden floors up to the white-washed ceilings.
      Find out more about Carriage House ›
      Photo is by Carola MerelloLa Ganea, Italy, by Studio Mabb
      A material palette of plaster, timber and iron defines the rustic interiors of this restaurant in Brescia, Italy, which was designed by interiors practice Studio Mabb.
      The former farmhouse dates back to the 16th century and was renovated to have a simple aesthetic with earthy components. Large wooden beams stretch across the ceiling above a tiled floor and grey-washed walls while dark wood and iron furnishings complete the moody atmosphere.
      Find out more about La Ganea ›
      Photo is by Giorgio MarafiotJapanese tea house, Italy, by Lorenzo Guzzini
      At this home on Lake Como, which was informed by Japanese architecture, materials were chosen for their likeness to the surrounding nature and the vernacular architecture of the historic village of Dizzasco.
      Textural wall finishes in earthy tones and stone-lined floors were combined with exposed wooden ceilings, pine skirting boards and doors in an effort to reference the rustic look of traditional tea houses.
      Find out more about Japanese tea house ›
      Photo is by Matej HakárHouse V, Slovakia, by Martin Skoček
      Slovakia-based architect Martin Skoček used salvaged and time-worn materials in the interior of this gabled home near Bratislava.
      Bricks walls are exposed in the open-plan living area at the centre of the home beneath a wood-gabled ceiling that spans the entire length of the space.
      Contemporary additions such as a steel breakfast island and oak storage wall anchor the kitchen area, providing a contrast with the raw brick walls and wooden ceiling.
      Find out more about House V ›
      Photo is by Fran ParenteGM Apartment, Brazil, by Nildo José Architects
      Brazillian studio Nildo José Architects highlighted many of the existing architectural features when renovating this two-bedroom apartment in a condominium tower in Sao Paulo.
      The interior scheme draws on a more contemporary idea of rustic, using exposed concrete elements combined with bleached wood and glazed tiles.
      “The kitchen is open and funky, blending rustic and modern with colours, design and materials,” the studio said.
      Find out more about GM Apartment ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring wood-panelled dining rooms, statement headboards and homes with pergolas.

      Read more: More

    • 138 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Shiftspace brings IM Pei rowhouse in Philadelphia back to “original vision”

      by

      US studio Shiftspace has renovated a rowhouse in Philadelphia originally designed by Chinese-American architect IM Pei, restoring its original qualities after decades of alterations.

      Designed by Pei as part of a row of houses in the 1950s, the three-storey unit in the Society Hill neighbourhood had undergone several renovations and extensions over the years.
      Shiftspace was tasked with paring back these alterations to restore Pei’s original vision while enhancing it with contemporary details.
      Shiftspace has renovated an IM Pei-designed rowhouse in Philadelphia”Understanding Pei’s original vision for these houses, we approached this project with a sense of reverence that allowed us to see our design as enhancements to that original vision rather than starting from a blank canvas,” said Shiftspace partner Tim Barnes.
      Rowhouses are common in Philadelphia and sometimes referred to colloquially as “rowhomes”. Much of the city’s housing of this typology was built in the late-18th and early-19th centuries.

      According to Shiftspace, Pei designed the Society Hill townhouses to “bridge the gap” between these brick rowhomes and his nearby condominium, Society Hill Towers.
      It was originally built in the 1950sThe original exterior of the home has been retained. It consists of a mostly brick facade punctuated at the street-facing side by a large window with a small steel balcony.
      At the top of the home is a band of concrete-framed clerestory windows.
      Wooden louvres replace wallsInside, a central staircase that reaches from the basement to the third storey is essential to the redesign. Cleaving to Pei’s vision, Shiftspace has reoriented the home around this spiral stair and introduced a series of open-concept living spaces.
      The updated floorplans follow a typical format, with public spaces on the first three floors and three bedrooms on the fourth.
      At ground level, a curved breakfast nook with banquet seating leads to a kitchen that sits between the central staircase and a wall, and back into a dining area that has access to a garden patio. Here, some solid walls have been replaced with wooden louvres.
      The home is oriented around a spiral staircaseAbove are a living room and a study, separated by the staircase, as well as rearranged bedrooms and bathrooms.
      Two of the bedrooms on the top floor share a bathroom, while the main sleeping space has an ensuite. The bathrooms are tucked into spaces attached to the central core.
      “Our design reverted back to Pei’s original concept using a centralized core for all circulation, bath and mechanical spaces while reconfiguring for a master suite, kitchen, and entry area,” said founding partner Mario Gentile.

      “With IM Pei’s death, the last of the modern monument makers has passed”

      The studio added a new frame to the oculus at the top of the staircase that circulates additional light to the largely windowless structure. It also added skylights to the bedrooms.
      Minimising divides between rooms also allowed for further circulation throughout the home and for more light to penetrate the lower levels from the oculus.
      Shiftspace wanted to honour Pei’s original visionThe design was geared towards a more active lifestyle, which led to the addition of bike storage tucked away into nooks in the basement and on the ground floor.
      Shiftspace completed the renovation with a light-toned colour palette for the more public spaces and darker hues for the bedrooms and study.
      Pei was born in Guangzhou, China in 1917 and emigrated to the United States in 1935, where he founded a studio today known as Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. He designed a number of noteworthy buildings including Dallas City Hall and the Grand Louvre pyramid in Paris.
      Other buildings of his to be renovated include the Eskenazi Museum in Indiana.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares129 Views

      in Rooms

      Trellick Tower apartment revamped in line with Japanese design principles

      by

      German interior designer Peter Heimer and joinery studio Buchholzberlin used a restrained material palette of concrete, oak and aluminium when renovating this flat inside London’s brutalist Trellick Tower.

      The Grade II-listed building, designed by architect Ernö Goldfinger, originally opened in 1972 to provide social housing for the neighbourhood of Kensal Rise but has since become a landmark of brutalist architecture thanks to its distinctive lift tower.
      Peter Heimer and Buchholzberlin have renovated a Trellick Tower flatThe renovation works were carried out in a privately owned apartment on Trellick Tower’s 21st floor that had not been significantly altered in several years and as a result, was host to narrow rooms and lacklustre white walls.
      Its owners wanted the open up the 86-square-metre floorplan to create the impression of a “cool concrete loft” while offering better views of the surrounding cityscape.
      Views of the London skyline took centre stage”Their taste was also trained by contemporary Japanese design, so they wanted to use a reduced range of pure materials,” Buchholzberlin told Dezeen.

      “Since Trellick Tower is subject to strict preservation requirements, our hands were tied so to speak. But we were able to push through with small improvements.”
      Oak was used to form the kitchen’s cabinetry and breakfast counterThe wall separating two former children’s bedrooms was knocked through to create a larger unified space that now serves as the living area.
      The team also exposed the building’s original concrete walls, laid oak flooring and installed slender aluminium lights across the ceiling.
      A bench seat with inbuilt storage boxes was fitted beneath a row of windows at the front of the room, allowing for uninterrupted vistas of northwest London and beyond.
      A pull-out guest bed is concealed within the desk in the studyThe two doors that previously led to the respective children’s bedrooms were left in place. Between them now stands a huge, double-faced oak sideboard.
      An inlaid mirrored panel reflects the distant skyline and in turn “brings an impression of the city into the apartment’s centre”, according to the team.

      “We couldn’t stop Balfron Tower from being privatised. In fact we probably helped it along”

      More concrete and oakwood surfaces can be seen in the kitchen, which occupies the former living area. Low-lying cabinetry was installed along the room’s back wall, while a large breakfast counter was placed at its centre.
      The counter was custom-built to stand at the exact same height as the railing of the apartment’s balcony, ensuring that sightlines aren’t compromised when the clients sit down to eat.
      The desk also discretely hides new water pipesThe former kitchen, meanwhile, was converted into a study with an oakwood desk snaking around the edges of the room.
      Its base conceals a network of water pipes that had to be redirected to serve appliances in the new cooking quarters. One side of the desk also conceals a pull-out bed that can be used when guests come to stay.
      An oak headboard wraps around the principal bedroomThe principal bedroom was left in its original place but – like the rest of the apartment – was stripped back to expose its concrete walls.
      Oakwood was used here to form the base of the bed and its lengthy headboard, which extends along the lower half of the walls.
      Heimer and Buchholzberlin also removed the time-worn laminate that once covered the small flight of stairs leading down from the apartment’s entrance, revealing the concrete steps beneath.
      Concrete steps were revealed in the apartment’s hallwayTrellick Tower is just one example of the striking council estates that can be found across the British capital, which were recently chronicled in a book by photographer Jack Young.
      Others include Holmefield House with its graphic tiled facade and the Brunel Estate, which has a monumental slide sweeping through its public pathways.
      The photography is by Heiko Prigge.

      Read more: More

    • 138 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Penthouse at Richard Rogers-designed New York tower overlooks City Hall Park

      by

      A penthouse has been unveiled inside British architecture firm RSHP’s first residential project in New York City: a tower overlooking City Hall Park in Lower Manhattan.

      With interiors by local studio Ash Staging, Penthouse 3 is one of 30 residences within No 33 Park Row, which was designed by RSHP’s late founder, Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Richard Rogers, before his death in 2021.
      Penthouse 3 at No 33 Park Row boasts 15-foot (4.5-metre) ceilingsFrom the 23-storey tower, the 5,403-square-foot (502-square-metre) penthouse has an unobstructed view of the Manhattan park, and features dark-coloured steel framing intended to reference the area’s industrial-era buildings.
      Visible through the huge windows are the building’s copper fins, an architectural element similar to the firm’s previous residential buildings such as One Hyde Park in London.
      The corner residence boasts views of City Hall through huge windows”One Hyde Park and 33 Park Row each face a park to the north and exhibit a similarity in terms of aspiration and quality with carefully composed facades that exhibit a richness of depth, shadow and texture,” said studio partner Graham Stirk, who worked alongside Rogers on the building.

      The penthouse interior features a double-height, open-plan living area that wraps around the huge north-facing windows to form an L shape.
      A staircase with glass balustrades connects to the upper levelTwo generously sized seating areas are positioned on either side of a 10-person dining table in the corner, while an adjacent bar area can be hidden away behind folding pocket doors.
      Above the grey marble kitchen is a grand wood-panelled storage and display wall that extends all the way up to the ceiling, with high shelves accessible via a rolling ladder as well as the mezzanine corridor.
      Each of the five bedrooms features a different aestheticA metal staircase with glass balustrades doglegs around a curved platform to reach the upper level, where a workspace is located on the glass-edged balcony.
      Five bedrooms all have tall ceilings but are decorated with different detailing. One is entirely neutral-toned, while another features pale teal walls, blue upholstery and rug, and copper table lamps.

      One Wall Street skyscraper completes conversion from offices to apartments

      In the 5.5 baths, richly veined book-matched Montclair Danby marble patterns the walls and floors, and an outdoor terrace measuring 108 square feet (10 square metres) has a wooden deck that echoes some of the millwork inside.
      The penthouse’s eventual residents will also have access to the fifth-floor amenities, which include an indoor/outdoor fitness centre and yoga studio, an outdoor kitchenette and dining area, as well as a rooftop terrace, library, craft studio, screening room and bike storage.
      Richly veined, book-matched Montclair Danby marble features in the bathroomsFounded as Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the firm rebranded as RSHP in June 2022 following Rogers’ death. It has since revealed designs for “open and welcoming” Shenzhen skyscraper.
      The studio’s other projects in New York City include the 80-storey Three World Trade Center, which was completed in 2018 not far from No 33 Park Row.
      Dark-coloured steel framing on the exterior is intended to reference Lower Manhattan’s industrial-era buildingsOnce almost exclusively occupied by commercial property, Manhattan’s Financial District is becoming increasingly residential.
      Some of the existing offices towers are being converted into homes, like the recently opened One Wall Street, while new skyscrapers like David Adjaye’s newly completed 130 William are purpose-built for living.
      The photography is by Evan Joseph.

      Read more: More

    • 88 Shares99 Views

      in Rooms

      Eight pared-back kitchens with minimalist storage solutions

      by

      Sometimes the simple solutions are the best, as seen in this lookbook featuring tidy kitchen interiors where minimalist closed cabinets are combined with decorative materials.

      In these kitchens, found in homes from Sweden to Mexico, architects and designers largely chose simple storage solutions but added material interest in the form of marble, steel and brick details.
      By hiding utensils and crockery away, benches and kitchen islands are freed up to use for food preparation. In some of these kitchens, open shelves above the work areas also provide spaces to hold decorative plates, bowls and cookbooks.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes where the wardrobe is the focal point, bedrooms with statement headboards and homes with pergolas.
      Photo by Lorenzo ZandriSteele’s Road House, UK, by Neiheiser Argyros

      The original brickwork was uncovered in parts of this London flat, including in the kitchen where it forms the backdrop to the room’s minimalist cabinets.
      Pale-wood cupboards sit underneath the brick wall, which also features shelves to add more storage.
      Designers Neiheiser Argyros added a curved window seat, as well as a wooden kitchen table and stool to match the cabinets and give the room a more natural feel.
      Find out more about Steele’s Road House ›
      Photo by Giulio GhirardiHausmann apartment, France, by Rodolphe Parente
      This Parisian apartment in a 19th-century Haussmann building in Paris was given an overhaul by interior designer Rodolphe Parente, who took cues from the owner’s art collection.
      In the kitchen, stainless steel cabinets were used to form storage and workspaces, creating an industrial feel that is tempered by pastel-pink walls.
      “The kitchen is a deconstructed block sitting in the Haussmanian environment,” Parente told Dezeen. “It is connected to the historical elements through its composition.”
      Find out more about the Hausmann apartment ›
      Photo by Scott NorsworthyHouse M, Canada, by Studio Vaaro
      Studio Vaaro used oak cabinetry for the kitchen of this home in Canada, while matching oak shelving provides additional storage above the workspaces.
      To contrast the warm wood, the studio chose grey marble for the countertops and splashbacks, which gives the kitchen an organic feel. Additional storage can be found in the pale grey cabinets that frame the kitchen.
      Find out more about House M ›
      Photo by Edmund DabneyLondon apartment, UK, by Holloway Li
      A kitchen clad in circle-brushed stainless steel clads one wall in this London flat by local studio Holloway Li. Designed in reference to the city’s many fish-and-chip shops, it features a striking curved splashback.
      Above the workspaces, a built-in open shelf provides space to store glasses and cooking utensils, with the rest of the storage is hidden behind patterned-steel cabinet doors.
      Find out more about London apartment ›
      Photo by Ronan MézièreMontreal apartment, Canada, by Naturehumanie
      Fresh minty hues decorate the kitchen of this Montreal apartment, which was given a modern update while retaining many of its traditional details.
      The green colour matches that of the apartment’s existing stained glass doors. And the kitchen island and cabinets both have inviting curved forms, finished in a glossy paint that complements the rougher tiles above the counters.
      Find out more about the Montreal apartment ›
      Photo by Gareth HackerHighbury House, UK, by Daytrip
      Located in Highbury in north London, this home juxtaposes a gallery-like minimalism with more organic forms.
      This is evident in the kitchen, where pared-back storage cabinets in an unusual rectangular shape sit underneath a decorative marble countertop.
      Sculptural vases, plates and cooking utensils decorate the matching marble kitchen island as well as a small ledge that functions as both storage and display counter.
      Find out more about Highbury House ›
      Photo by Yoshihiro MakinoEastern Columbia Loft, US, by Sheft Farrace
      Architecture studio Sheft Farrace renovated this flat, which is located in the iconic art deco Eastern Columbia building in Los Angeles, creating minimalist interiors that draw on the building’s exterior.
      In the kitchen, this can be seen in the curved corners of the counters and the elongated cabinet hardware, which reference 1930s design. Florida Brush quartzite was used to cover much of the kitchen, adding a striking decorative detail that is complemented by white oak.
      Find out more about Eastern Columbia Loft ›
      Photo courtesy of Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm ArchitectsArchipelago House, Sweden, by Norm Architects
      Danish studio Norm Architects designed this home on the west coast of Sweden to embody both Scandinavian and Japanese aesthetics.
      In the white-walled kitchen, a stainless-steel kitchen island offers both a practical workspace and cupboards for storage. Open wood shelving was decorated with black ceramics to create an art installation-style feature on one wall.
      Find out more about Archipelago 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 where the wardrobe is the focal point, bedrooms with statement headboards and homes with pergolas.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares99 Views

      in Rooms

      Atelier Caracas imbues apartment in Caracas with 1980s industrial edge

      by

      Interiors studio Atelier Caracas has brought industrial influences and offbeat materials into this apartment in Caracas, designed around the restrictions posed by Venezuela’s recent political and economic crisis.

      Set in the capital’s Campo Alegre district, Apartamento N.1 belongs to a relative of Atelier Caracas co-founder Julio Kowalenko, who gave the studio a rare carte blanche for the renovation of the 400-square-metre interior.
      Atelier Caracas has renovated an apartment in Caracas”He’s a corporate, traditional Oxford type of guy,” the duo explained.
      “We said to ourselves, there are two ways in which we can approach this project,” they added. “We could either play it safe or go nuts.”
      Ultimately, Kowalenko and his co-founder Rodrigo Armas used the opportunity to experiment with applying industrial design principles at an architectural scale and enhanced the apartment’s loft-like qualities in a nod to the architecture of 1980s Los Angeles.

      Overhead lights are mounted on a system of perforated metal sheets”We’ve always been fascinated with a sort of robotic, mechanical aesthetic that accompanies 80s LA architecture,” the studio said.
      “This popular mechanics approach, as we call it, can be seen in the early works of Frank Gehry and later on in the experimental houses and appendixes of Eric Owen Moss and Morphosis among others,” the duo added.
      “There is a finesse in this artisanal slash industrial approach, which we always like to pay homage to in our designs.”
      The same sheet metal was also used to form room dividersThese influences are seen most clearly across the home’s experimental material palette.
      The studio decided to completely expose the raw concrete slab structure of the ceiling, celebrating it with a textural finish rather than hiding it away.
      The duo avoided the use of pre-fabricated components, instead carefully designing the majority of the elements themselves.
      The kitchen is fronted with unfinished wooden panelsTo preserve the integrity and simplicity of the ceiling, the lighting is mounted on a black-coated perforated metal structure – a reference to the 1980s aesthetic and custom-designed for this apartment by Atelier Caracas.
      The studio also utilised the same perforated sheet metal to create a number of versatile room dividers that break up the largely open-plan space.
      Set on wheels and attached to the ceiling via matching rails, they can be easily moved around to separate the kitchen from the living areas.
      “Microperforated sheet seemed a clever option to generate both permeable and ephemeral separations between private and public spaces within the apartment,” Atelier Caracas said.

      Atelier Caracas models Venezuelan day spa on 2001: A Space Odyssey

      The early stages of the apartment’s design kicked off in 2017 when Venezuela faced intersecting economic and constitutional crises.
      Inevitably, Atelier Caracas says this “difficult period of turmoil” also impacted the availability of materials.
      “There was a scarcity, which in turn led the studio to a never-ending investigation on how what was available could be used differently,” the duo said. “The main goal was to make high-end architecture with simpler materials.”
      Triangular cut-outs serve as door handles for the kitchen frontsThe simple white terrazzo floor – used almost everywhere across the apartment – was produced on-site and chosen for its cooling properties in the city’s tropical climate.
      “Even in high temperatures, it remains fresh and cooled,” the studio said. “Also, the reflective quality of this material was a key factor for bathing the spaces with the natural sunlight coming from the windows.”
      The kitchen is fronted with unfinished wooden panels, decorated only with geometric cutouts that double up as door handles.
      Terracotta floor tiles were repurposed for the wallsMeanwhile, the wall that borders the living room is finished in terracotta flooring tiles from a pool supply store.
      “This type of terracotta is usually found on pool terraces and public areas of middle-class Venezuelan residences,” Atelier Caracas explained. “Nowadays it’s considered to be a kitsch or outdated material.”
      “Contrast between refined and low-tech materials can generate new narratives on what luxury can be. We believe that luxury lies in the way people inhabit their spaces, and not in the number of flamboyant finishes.”
      White terrazzo floors help to reflect the lightIn terms of line and form, the apartment playfully mixes linear grids and diagonals with rounded corners and arches.
      “Monotony and routine can, sometimes, cause a stagnant state of contentment that we like to disturb through our designs,” the studio said.
      “We like to think that architecture should be uncomfortable in some sort of way, by pushing people out of their comfort zone, one can really redefine humans’ relation to design.”
      This same philosophy also inspired one of the studio’s previous projects in Caracas – a day spa modelled on Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
      The photography is by Outer Vision.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares149 Views

      in Rooms

      Eight homes where wardrobes are used as a focal point

      by

      Statement wardrobes with red-leather doors and bright yellow shelving feature in this lookbook, which proves clothes storage does not have to be a blight on the interior.

      It’s not unusual for wardrobes to be pared-back and concealed in residential interiors, often in an attempt to hide clutter and retain focus on other furnishings and finishes.
      However, this lookbook spotlights the works of architects challenging this idea and using essential clothing storage as an opportunity to create a focal point in a home.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring pergolas, guesthouse interiors and bedrooms with bathtubs.
      Photo by Nick WorleyLeather Dressing, UK, by Simon Astridge

      Rust-coloured leather lines the floor and sliding wardrobe doors of this dressing room, which architect Simon Astridge designed as an eye-catching centrepiece in a refurbished London house.
      “The best part of the leather tunnel is the lovely fresh leather smell you get every time you get out of bed to get dressed,” said Astridge.
      Find out more about Leather Dressing ›
      Photo by Studio NojuCasa Triana, Spain, by Studio Noju
      This vivid yellow wardrobe is among the brightly coloured spaces in Casa Triana, an open-plan apartment by Studio Noju in Seville.
      Its bright shelves and surfaces pop against its white surroundings and form a striking backdrop to the owner’s clothes. While forming a feature of the home, it also helps to create the illusion of having separate spaces within its open plan.
      Find out more about Casa Triana ›
      Photo by José HeviaThe Magic Box Apartment, Spain, by Raúl Sánchez Architects
      This shiny brass wardrobe at the centre of an apartment near Barcelona in Spain was intended to resemble a precious jewellery box. It also acts as a partition between two rooms, featuring a “secret passageway” in its middle.
      “I love brass, and in this precise project it gave that magic look, that look of a precious object,” said architect Raúl Sánchez.
      Find out more about The Magic Box Apartment ›
      Photo by José CamposYellow Apartment Renovation, Portugal, by Pedro Varela & Renata Pinho
      Yellow was also used by architects Pedro Varela & Renata Pinho to colour this wardrobe, which is located in an apartment in Portugal.
      The wardrobe forms part of a wall of storage that divides the apartment. Finishing touches include different-sized circular openings for use as handles and a step that is pulled out of the wall with a smiley-face cut-out.
      Find out more about Yellow Apartment Renovation ›
      Photo by Salem MostefaouiWood Ribbon, Paris, by Toledano + Architects
      This Parisian apartment is named Wood Ribbon after the sinuous plywood wall that snakes through its interior.
      While dividing the residence into three zones, the structure also incorporates several doorways, a dressing room and storage areas for clothes, including one in the hallway.
      Find out more about Wood Ribbon ›
      Photo by Jan VranovskyNagatachō Apartment, Tokyo, by Adam Nathaniel Furman
      A sugar-sweet colour palette fills every corner of the Nagatachō Apartment, which designer Adam Nathaniel Furman created for a retired expat couple in Tokyo.
      This includes the bedroom, where a built-in wardrobe is outlined by bright baby-blue doors and yellow semicircular motifs that stand out against the white and green walls on either side.
      Find out more about Nagatachō Apartment ›
      Photo by Filippo PoliGalla House, Spain, by Cavaa
      Though it sits seamlessly against the wall, the detailed design of this wardrobe ensures makes it a standout feature of the Galla House in Spain.
      It features wooden drawers for shoes and taller blue-painted cupboards for hanging clothes, alongside a deep window seat that is enjoyed by the home’s feline occupants.
      Find out more about Galla House ›

      Versailles Studio Apartment, Australia, by Catseye Bay Design
      Catseye Bay Design designed the wooden wardrobe of Versailles Studio Apartment to double as a privacy screen for the bed.
      Projecting diagonally from one of the bedroom walls, the two-metre-high structure incorporates clothes storage and shelving on the other side. Alongside the bed, it conceals an upholstered bench that looks out to a window.
      Find out more about Versailles Studio Apartment ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring pergolas, guesthouse interiors and bedrooms with bathtubs.

      Read more: More