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    Krista Ninivaggi looks to “future rather than nostalgia” for Brooklyn Tower lobby interiors

    International architecture studio Woods Bagot has completed the lobby design of the Brooklyn Tower, a supertall skyscraper that is the tallest in the New York City borough.

    Woods Bagot was commissioned for the interior spaces – including lobbies, amenities spaces and furniture – for the SHoP Architects-designed skyscraper, which is completing this year. So far, it has completed the two entrances that will usher residents into the lobby.
    Woods Bagot designed the lobby for Brooklyn’s tallest towerThe tower itself rises from the historic Dimes Saving Bank in Downtown Brooklyn, so Woods Bagot needed to navigate the historic design as well as the “future landmark”.
    “Together with the architect we looked to the future rather than focus on a nostalgia for the past,” Woods Bagot principal Krista Ninvaggi told Dezeen.
    It features oak panelling”Ironically, [American architect] Hugh Ferriss’s work and dedication to retro-futurism influenced our designs,” she added.

    “We very much wanted the interiors to be in dialogue with the ethos of the exterior of the building, so that it felt like a complete work and continued the vision of the exterior. The goal was for the inside and outside to be unified as a total work.”

    SHoP Architects principal knew Brooklyn Tower would be “like the Empire State Building of Brooklyn”

    Woods Bagot’s solution to create this unification was to focus on small details, such as the wood panelling in the main lobby, which was milled at one-half the scale of the exterior facade extrusions.
    The design included both of the two residential entrances to the tower, one of which passes through the Dimes Savings Bank building on Fleet Street.
    Both entrances have oak panelling and cream-coloured hexagonal flooring that was based on the original flooring for the bank.
    The elevator entrance room has a ceiling clad in dimesThe Flatbush Avenue entrance, through the extension built for the tower, acts as the primary lobby and has a concierge desk positioned in front of a recess.
    Gold and bronze detailing and custom furniture designed by Ninvaggi – such as a built-in stone bench – were arranged around the desk and the wood panelling is backlit.
    From here, a passageway with arches clad in stone connects the main lobby with the Fleet Street entrance. Also accessed from the main lobby is the elevator bank.

    Miller Hull Partnership and Woods Bagot design timber Sea-Tac airport expansion

    This area has a vaulted ceiling clad in liberty dimes, another reference to the bank, and the elevators are framed by gold detailing.
    “We also used an abstracted mercury dime face as the signage for the ATM tucked away in the lobby,” said Ninvaggi.
    “Though we wanted to reference the bank we intentionally incorporated wood, which was not found in the bank’s original material palette. This warmed the space and gives it a more residential feel and the lighter wood tone compliments the stone.”
    “Overall, we made strides to abstract our references for a modern-day audience,” she added.
    A passageway connects the two entrancesWoods Bagot was founded in Adelaide, Australia in 1869. Other recent projects by the studio include a convention centre in Christchurch with a curved, tile facade in collaboration with New Zealand studio Warren & Mahoney and an expansion to Seattle’s Sea-Tac airport.
    The Brooklyn Tower is scheduled to be completed in the next few months, with most of its black facade already having been installed.
    The photography is by Adrian Gaut.

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    Of Architecture builds beachside home for surfer-and-artist couple in Cornwall

    London practice Of Architecture has used a fuss-free colour and material palette to create this understated home for a young couple in the town of Newquay in Cornwall.

    House by the Sea belongs to an artist and a surfer, who told Of Architecture that they wanted a home without extravagant finishes, instead preferring a living space that appears “simple, robust and utilitarian”.
    Of Architecture has designed House by the Sea for a couple in CornwallThough the brief was relatively straightforward, erecting the home proved tricky for the practice.
    “The house is located by the cliff side of Pentire peninsula and has a very steep driveway, so transporting material was a big challenge for everyone on site,” the Of Architecture co-founder James Mak told Dezeen.
    “We had to work with materials that could be carried by a small vehicle or by hand.”

    One of the sitting areas has uninterrupted views of Pentire Steps beachOnce the framework was in place, the house was finished with a “monolithic and modest” lime plaster facade.
    Key rooms were dispersed across the home’s open-plan first floor, where walls are almost exclusively painted an off-white shade.
    Prefabricated steps grant access to a cosy mezzanineIn one corner is the kitchen, which features black melamine plywood cabinetry and a large breakfast island topped with stainless steel.
    Overhead hangs a couple of industrial-style pendant lamps.
    The space is filled with artworks and other trinketsAdjacently lies a sitting area that directly overlooks Newquay’s picturesque Pentire Steps beach.
    Fronted by expansive sliding windows, the space is dressed with a classic Eames lounge chair and an L-shaped sofa upholstered in beige marl fabric.

    Jubilee Pool in Penzance reinvented as UK’s first geothermal seawater lido

    Another sitting area lies towards the rear of the first floor, facing a concrete blockwork wall.
    Backed against the wall is a wood burner with a tall slender flue that stretches up to meet the four-metre-high ceiling.
    A skylight in the beam-lined roof helps brighten the mezzaninePrefabricated plywood steps lead up to a mezzanine level tucked beneath the home’s sloping roof, which is held up by steel beams.
    Intended to serve as a cosy retreat, the space is illuminated by a single skylight while artworks are casually leaned up against its walls and books are showcased on a wrap-around gridded shelf.
    The minimalist aesthetic of the first floor then carries over onto the home’s ground floor, which accommodates two guest bedrooms – complete with their own en suites – a cloakroom and a utility room.
    Rooms on the home’s ground floor are also pared backA number of other architecturally striking homes can be found along the British coast.
    Examples include RX Architects’ Seabreeze in East Sussex, which is coated in smooth pink concrete, and Mole Architects’ Marsh Hill House in Suffolk, which is shaped like a seagull’s wing.
    The photography is by Lorenzo Zandri.

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    Pascali Semerdjian exposes concrete ceiling for São Paulo apartment overhaul

    São Paulo studio Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos has renovated an apartment in the city for a local family, utilising the furniture, cladding and exposed details to create social spaces that are “deeply Brazilian and vividly cosmopolitan”.

    The family asked Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos to design their home after seeing another apartment the firm had overhauled, which was also featured on Dezeen.
    Brazilian design including an Oscar Niemeyer chaise longue is showcased throughout this renovated apartmentFor the 376-square-metre ER Apartment, the architects divided the layout into two – placing an open social area and guest suite in one half, and the private rooms in the other.
    The social area comprises an expansive, combined dining and living space with access to multiple planted balconies.
    Social spaces including the dining room are lined with pale timber slatsWalls in this area are lined with vertical slats of pale timber, interrupted by panels of jade-coloured onyx that extend out to form side tables next to sofas.

    Behind the onyx wall panel is a hidden hemispherical light fixture, which glows softly through the stone when illuminated.
    In the kitchen, a breakfast bar emerges from a drum-like plaster sinkThe eclectic furniture in the living area ranges from a chaise lounge by Brazilian modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer, and vintage chairs by Svante Skogh and Kurt Østervig, to a double-sided stool by contemporary Brazilian designer Claudia Moreira Salles.
    “The clients worked with [us] to develop social zones that are both deeply Brazilian and vividly cosmopolitan,” said Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos.
    Plenty of storage was added during the renovation workIn the dining room, a large walnut table is shaped to follow the curves of the walls and is accompanied by a set of Erik Buch chairs.
    A pair of Prop Lights by Dutch designer Bertjan Pot hang from the concrete ceiling, which was exposed during the renovation in this and several other rooms.
    Natural materials are used in the private areas and the building’s concrete ceilings were exposedThis side of the apartment also includes a custom wine cellar and a kitchen where a breakfast bar extends from a drum-like plaster form that incorporates the sink.
    The private half of the home includes the primary suite, bedrooms and a toy room for the daughters, storage space and a shared bathroom.

    Curved bookshelf organises Pascali Semerdjian’s VLP apartment in São Paulo

    Most of the materials in these spaces are natural, and the clients required “sustainability certificates for every piece of wood used in the renovation” according to the designers.
    “The couple loves object design, just like us, so we took a lot of care and made some special designs for them, so the apartment would be unique and a different experience,” the studio said.
    The apartment includes a toy room for the clients’ daughtersCustom pieces include a trough-like bronze and stone sink in the primary bathroom, a cocktail table in the lounge, and an “almost religious” niche and closet set into the entryway.
    The family’s extensive collection of contemporary Brazilian art is also showcased throughout the home, including works by Ana María Tavares, Gabriela Costa and Matias Mesquita.
    Among the custom elements in the home is a trough-like bronze sink in the primary bathroomIn densely populated São Paulo, apartment living is extremely common and architects often have to get creative to add character to generic spaces.
    Recently completed examples include a duplex penthouse with a sculptural staircase, a home filled with different textures, and a residence where the concrete structure is left fully exposed.
    The photography is by Fran Parente and image production is by Victor Correa.

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    Eight home interiors that make a feature of exposed services

    Our latest lookbook showcases eight home interiors that make a visual statement by revealing their services, including wires, cables, ducts and plumbing.

    Stripping back interiors can expose services including pipework that runs along walls and ceilings to provide heating, water, electricity and airflow to our homes.
    This roundup features homes with industrial and unfinished appearances that make a feature of exposed services, including a Parisian studio that uses copper pipework as hanging space and a stripped-back apartment in Brazil with blue-painted pipes.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring Milanese home and hotel interiors, living rooms decorated in the primary colours and terracotta-tiled kitchens.
    Photo is by Fran ParenteGale Apartment, Brazil, by Memola Estudio

    Brazilian studio Memola Estudio renovated this São Paulo apartment to better suit the owner’s tastes, stripping back finishes on the walls and ceilings to expose the building’s concrete structure, piping, wiring and ductwork.
    The studio contrasted the industrial look of the apartment with warm, earthy-toned furniture and contemporary artwork.
    Find out more about Gale Apartment ›
    Photo is by Cyrille LallementShakers Studio, France, by Ariel Claudet
    A network of copper pipes snakes around the perimeter of this studio apartment in a 17th-century Parisian building, which architect Ariel Claudet added to make it stand out on Airbnb.
    Informed by traditional Shaker peg rails, the pipes conceal electrical cables and double as a hanging rail to display ornaments and household items.
    Find out more about Shakers Studio ›
    Photo is by Maíra AcayabaRF Apartment, Brazil, by SuperLimão
    Located inside a modernist São Paulo building completed in 1958, Brazilian studio SuperLimão exposed the pipes in the RF Apartment and painted them a pale shade of blue-green that was in keeping with the period the building was constructed.
    SuperLimão also painted the ceiling a burnt pink colour and peeled back the edges of the entryways to reveal large chunks of plaster and brick.
    Find out more about RF Apartment ›
    Photo is by José HeviaNZ10 Apartment, Spain, by Auba Studio
    Spanish architecture firm Auba Studio transformed a former bakery in Palma into an apartment, stripping back the interior to reveal the building’s high ceilings and bare structure.
    Auba Studio added a stainless steel kitchen island to complement the industrial look of the exposed ductwork and light fittings.
    Find out more about NZ10 Apartment ›
    Photo is by José Hevia10K House, Spain, by Takk
    10K House is a 50-square-metre Barcelona apartment that Spanish studio Takk renovated, adding rooms nestled inside one another to maximise insulation.
    Water pipes and electrical fittings were left exposed to allow free passage between the Russian-doll-like rooms and to keep material costs down.
    Find out more about 10K House ›
    Photo is by Tim van de VeldeDe Lakfabriek apartments, the Netherlands, by Wenink Holtkamp Architecten
    Eidenhoven studio Wenink Holtkamp Architecten converted a 20th-century factory in Oisterwijk, the Netherlands, into apartments that maintain the industrial character of the building.
    The apartments have an open-plan layout with the building’s raw concrete structure, metal ductwork and wiring left visible.
    Find out more about De Lakfabriek apartments ›
    Photo is by Takumi OtaFishmarket, Japan, by Ab Rogers Design
    Fishmarket is an artist’s studio and residence in Kanazawa, Japan, with an interior that was stripped back to its industrial shell by London-based studio Ab Rogers Design.
    The studio added a series of fluorescent rotating partition walls that transform how the space is used and add bright pops of colour that stand in contrast against the grey concrete and metal pipework.
    Find out more about Fishmarket ›
    Photo is by Lorenzo ZandriEarthrise Studio, UK, by Studio McW
    London-based architecture practice Studio McW transformed this London warehouse into a studio and office that enhances the building’s original features.
    The practice removed some of the redundant overhead services that were restricting the ceiling height. The remaining exposed services add to the industrial look of the property, while custom oak joinery adds warmth to the spaces.
    Find out more about Earthrise Studio ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring Milanese home and hotel interiors, living rooms decorated in the primary colours and terracotta-tiled kitchens.

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    Six interior designers style rooms at Artemest’s L’Appartamento in Milan

    Six interior design studios, including Kingston Lafferty Design and T.ZED Architects, have overhauled a room at the 1930s L’Appartamento for commerce platform Artemest at Milan design week.

    The designers each used furniture, lighting and art from the brands, designers and artists represented on the Artemest platform to showcase their own style in a room at the apartment in Milan’s 5Vie district for the L’Appartamento exhibition.
    “We wanted to bring this stunning apartment back to life and show how different interior design studios, each with its own style and design approach, can work with Artemest to create inspiring and surprising interiors that celebrate authentic Italian beauty,” said Artemest founder Ippolita Rostagno.
    T.ZED Architects designed the entrance space at Artemest’s L’AppartamentoIn the entryway, Dubai-based studio T.ZED Architects aimed “to set the tone for what is yet to come” by preserving the character of the room and adding selected pieces.
    The studio choose a mix of furniture in off-white, cream and brown, including copper and leather finishes that plays off the green tones of the richly patterned, period wallpaper.

    Mirrors – including a Sybilla mirror with console by Ettore Sottsass for Glas Italia, and an Itaca floor mirror by Atlasproject – were placed to illuminate and enlarge the space, while amplifying the period details.
    Kingston Lafferty Design placed a golden block in the living roomIn the adjoining room, Dublin-based studio Kingston Lafferty Design aimed to “challenge visitors’ sense of what a living room should be” by placing a sculptural monolithic block seems to glow with a soft golden sheen in the centre of the space.
    The block splits the room into two distinct spaces and contains a mirrored space described by the studio as “a gallery of lights”.
    The golden block divides the space into twoOn one side of the block is an informal living room that evokes a sense of playfulness through the use of oversized furniture in bright colours, including the Osaka Blue Sofa by Pierre Paulin for La Cividina.
    The other side has a rich palette of jewel-tones to creates a more decadent atmosphere.
    Moniomi aimed to create a room on the terraceLeading from the living room a large terrace was reworked by Miami-based studio Moniomi, which aimed to create an outside room that felt like an interior space.
    The studio used a combination of large-scale upholstered pieces, gridline patterns and graphic blacks and whites, softened by lush greens to reference the outdoor location.
    The design language here features saturated colours and layered patterns – including the Nuovola 01 dining table by Mario Cucinella for Officine Tamborrino, which represent the studio’s Hispanic roots.
    Nina Magon designed the apartment’s dining spaceAnother US-based designer, Nina Magon, created the L’Appartamento dining room, playing with monochromatic hues to enhance the authenticity of the original finishes here.
    Sculptural furniture, such as the Trompe-l’oeil Trois dining table by DelMondo Studio, topped with a cluster of Flow[t] pendant lamps by Nao Tamura for WonderGlass was added to the space.
    The bedroom was designed by Styled HabitatIn the bedroom, Dubai-based studio, Styled Habitat, delved into the history of the 1930s to translate the romance of that era into the modern day and evoke a sense of timeless glamour.
    To capture the experimental and avant-garde trends of European modernism, Styled Habitat juxtaposed new and old, with a Czech Chair by Hermann Czech for Gebrüder Thonet Vienna, alongside pieces like the Calle Pinzi Murano Glass Chandelier by Luci Italia.

    Paola Navone to give away hundreds of objects at Take It or Leave It exhibition

    Finally, for L’Appartamento’s hallway and the studio, Paris-based interior designer Anne-Sophie Pailleret was informed by her first reaction to seeing the apartment.
    The long, narrow hall, has been covered with the textural Tra 1100 Wallpaper hand-crafted by La Scala Milano Wallcovering, contrasting with geometric Alfabeto Tiles by Margherita Rui for Ninefifty, on the floor.
    Anne-Sophie Pailleret styled the corridorThe walls are further decorated with Ninfea wall lamps by Giovanni Botticelli in collaboration with Paola Paronetto, functioning as a gallery-style grouping of lights.
    For the studio room, Pailleret created a mix of warm colours and graphic patterns, with comfortable and curvaceous furniture.
    The photography is courtesy of Artemest.
    L’Appartamento takes place from 17 to 23 April 2023 at Via Cesare Correnti 14, 20123 Milan, Italy. See our Milan design week 2023 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

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    Eight Milanese interiors with eye-catching material palettes

    In the lead-up to Milan design week, we have rounded up eight residential and hotel interiors in the Italian city that are united by their use of muted colours and diverse materials.

    As the Salone del Mobile furniture fair is set to kick off next week, alongside its surrounding Fuorisalone events programme, these interiors provide a glimpse into some of the city’s design-led apartments, homes and hotels.
    Among the featured projects in Italy’s industrial capital is a hybrid home and office space in a former dental studio, a home set within a 200-year-old palazzo and a nunnery-turned-hotel.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring accent walls, bookshelves and terracotta tiles.
    Photo is by Carola RipamontiTeorema Milanese, Italy, by Marcante-Testa

    With the exception of removing a partition wall to create an open-plan living and dining area, Italian design studio Marcante-Testa looked to maintain the classic layout of this apartment in a 1960s building on Corso Sempione during its renovation.
    The studio decorated the apartment in muted colours and used pale grey cipollino tirreno marble as a “carpet” across the sitting area. Elsewhere, a pale lemon-hued cabinet functions as a partition while the bathroom is clad in a maroon-streaked salomè marble.
    Find out more about Teorema Milanese ›

    Out of the Blue, Italy, by AIM
    Italian design studio AIM made liberal use of the colour grey when renovating the interior of this 150-square-metre home in Milan. The concealed staircase that forms the centre of the renovation is framed in the distinctive bluey-grey hue.
    And in the dining area, the home’s wooden flooring was decorated with a painted rectangle that aims to visually zone and separate the space from its surroundings. Brass fixtures complement its grey hue, which can also be found across light fixings and ornaments.
    Find out more about Out of the Blue ›
    Photo is by Giovanni Emilio GalanelloPrivate apartment, Italy, by Untitled Architecture
    A cylindrical staircase and metal structural elements are the focal features of this small apartment, designed by local studio Untitled Architecture.
    The apartment has a minimal paired-back aesthetic, with white-painted walls and bleached wood elements contrasted against tiny pops of colour introduced through blue-hued grouting and balustrades.
    Find out more about the private apartment ›
    Photo is by Michele FilippiCPR Apartment, Italy, by +R Piuerre
    Housed in a former dental studio, this hybrid home and office belongs to a young remote-working couple and was designed to combine Milanese modernism with Nordic design.
    Two areas of the apartment were colour-coded according to their function, with the bedroom, office and entryway covered in tones of grey while the living area and kitchen are marked by a bright yellow hue. The spaces are connected by a white-painted staircase constructed from sheets of folded metal.
    Find out more about CPR Apartment ›

    Room Mate Giulia, Italy, by Patricia Urquiola
    Pistachio green was used to colour the dado wall panelling and soft furnishings inside this suite in Milan’s Room Mate Giulia hotel decorated by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola. Meanwhile, the upper half of the walls and the ceilings are covered in white wallpaper with a geometric grid pattern.
    Industrial materials and furnishings, including a galvanised metal shelving unit, were repurposed as boutique storage solutions and room partitions.
    Find out more about Room Mate Hotels ›

    Casa Salvatori, Italy, by Elissa Ossino Studio
    This home, designed by Milanese architecture practice Elissa Ossino Studio for the head of Italian stone company Salvatori, brings together marble furnishings and flecked terrazzo floors to link the interior with Salvatori’s stone manufacturing history.
    Dulled hues of blue, peach, green and yellow were carried through the interior of the home, which is set within a 200-year-old palazzo in the city’s Brera district.
    Find out more about Casa Salvatori ›
    Photo is by Giovanna SilvaHouse with an iron staircase, Italy, by Roberto Murgia and Valentina Ravara
    An iron staircase with a zig-zagging framework reminiscent of structural trusses was installed along one wall of this apartment in the Isola district, designed by Italian architects Roberto Murgia and Valentina Ravara.
    The floor of the main living space features a geometric design, achieved through the use of hexagonal cement tiles. Each of the tiles is handmade and coloured in shades of light blue and white to provide tonal variation.
    Find out more about House with an iron staircase ›
    Photo is by Alberto StradaThe Sister Hotel, Italy, by Quincoces-Dragò
    Housed in a former 16th-century nunnery in Milan’s city centre, The Sister Hotel features decadent yet eclectic interiors by architecture studio Quincoces-Dragò.
    The studio looked to grandiose private townhouses when designing the interiors, opting for moody shades of navy blue and deep green within the bedrooms. Furnishings introduce brighter colours into the suites, including a velvet-upholstered orange sofa.
    Find out more about The Sister Hotel ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring accent walls, bookshelves and terracotta tiles.

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    Sheft Farrace renovates loft in Los Angeles' art deco Eastern Columbia building

    Architecture studio Sheft Farrace has renovated a loft apartment in Los Angeles’ iconic Eastern Columbia building, subtly incorporating colours from the art deco exterior into the minimalist interiors.

    The studio renovated the loft while drawing details from the exterior of the 13-storey building in Downtown Los Angeles, known for its highly detailed turquoise facade and clock tower, which was designed by Claud Beelman and completed in 1930.
    Sheft Farrace chose to divide up the loft, yet retain visual connections through framed openingsIt was converted into lofts in 2006, and local studio Sheft Farrace was recently tasked with renovating one of the condos for a young creative from Kazakhstan.
    “Uninspired by the unit’s original 2006 layout and interiors, the owner wanted it to feel like a brand new space — so Sheft Farrace approached it as a blank canvas,” said the studio, led by Alex Sheft and John Farrace.
    The pared-down decor contrasts the building’s colourful exteriorThe apartment has tall ceilings, and their height is accentuated by the building’s long narrow windows and floor-to-ceiling drapery.

    Rather than keep the open floor plan, the studio chose to divide up the space to help define areas for different functions.
    The ceiling height is accentuated by tall windows and floor-to-ceiling draperyHowever, the visual connections between the kitchen and dining room, and the living room and bedroom, are retained by large framed openings used in place of doors.
    “Every space has its own character, based on what time of day it is and how the natural light comes in through the full-height windows,” said Sheft Farrace.

    OWIU Studio brings Japanese style to Biscuit Loft apartment in Los Angeles

    For the most part, the home is decorated in a much more pared-down style than the building’s opulent exterior, primarily with soft neutral hues and sparse furnishings.
    Certain material choices in the kitchen and bathroom tie much more closely to the colourful facades, including white oak, Verde Aver marble, and Florida Brush quartzite to echo the orange, green and blue exterior tiles.
    Materials like white oak and Florida Brush quartzite in the kitchen nod to the art deco exteriorThe curved corners of the kitchen counters and elongated cabinet hardware also evoke 1930s design.
    “Upon first glance, it’s stylistically in stark contrast with the historical building that it’s within, but throughout the space are subtle nods to the art deco exterior and ultimately, it feels like it belongs,” Sheft Farrace said. “We felt honored to have contributed a small chapter to the long and storied history of a Los Angeles landmark.”
    In the bathroom, Verde Aver marble was also chosen to reference the historic tiled facadesDowntown Los Angeles has dramatically transformed from a no-go zone to a popular and thriving neighbourhood over the past 20 years.
    This shift is partially thanks to the opening of cultural institutions like Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall and Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s The Broad museum, as well as a spate of high-end hotels.
    The photography is by Yoshihiro Makino.

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    Ten living spaces that are punctuated by saturated primary colours

    Our latest lookbook compiles residential living rooms that have been given an air of playfulness through their use of the three primary colours.

    In design, the primary colours are yellow, blue and red. They usually appear in this context as strong cobalt blues, vivid sunshine yellows and intense fire-engine reds.
    This trio of colours is prevalent throughout design history and can be seen in paintings by Dutch artist Piet Mondrian and suspended mobiles by American sculptor Alexander Calder.
    They are often used when designing products for children due to the visually stimulating nature of their bright, dense hues.
    In interior design, they have a similarly invigorating effect, whether applied directly to structural elements such as walls and columns or found in soft furnishings and accessories.

    They primary colours help to bring energy into living areas both when used in isolation and when appearing in tandem with one another.
    This is the latest in our lookbook series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring four-poster beds, split-level living areas and colourful bathrooms.
    Photo by Paolo FuscoRetroscena apartment, Italy, by La Macchina Studio
    Vibrant pops of blue, yellow and red are set against a neutral backdrop of white walls and terrazzo stone floors in the living room of this mid-century one-bedroom apartment in Rome.
    The space represents the distilled interior scheme devised by Italian architecture practice La Macchina Studio that characterises the apartment, which is also home to floor-to-ceiling citrus-toned curtains and bright blue doorways.
    Find out more about Retroscena ›
    Photo by José HeviaHouse in Sant Antoni de Vilamajor, Spain, by Arquitectura-G
    A monochromatic red colour scheme dominates both the exterior and interior of this rural house near Barcelona designed by Spanish design studio Arquitectura-G.
    The split-level living space features a rhythm of striking red-painted columns and ceiling-height cupboard doors combined with rosy clay tiles.
    Find out more about House in Sant Antoni de Vilamajor ›
    Photo by Will PryceRed House, UK, by David Kohn Architects
    Red House in Dorset, England, was given its name by David Kohn Architects in reference to its red brick facade, however, splashes of the colour also appear throughout its eclectic interior.
    Primary coloured furnishings – including a blue rug and footstool, red wall hanging and yellow upholstered armchair – are dotted around the living space, offset by white-painted cinderblock walls and warm wooden accents.
    Find out more about Red House ›
    Photo by The Fishy ProjectOut of the Blue, India, by The Act of Quad
    Renovated by Mumbai-based studio The Act of Quad, this apartment in the Indian city of Thane is defined by its consistent use of cobalt blue in an otherwise neutral interior.
    Soothing splashes of the colour appear in pieces of bespoke furniture – including hemispherical and spherical inclusions on light fittings and tables – and line the inside of a wall-mounted drinks cabinet.
    Find out more about Out of the Blue ›
    Photo by Jesper WestblomApartment renovation, Sweden, by Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor
    The full trio of primary colours is used across this apartment in Stockholm by local practice Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor.
    Blue, yellow and red are seen in both full saturation and muted hues on walls, ceilings, soft furnishings and furniture, creating a colourful yet cohesive interior.
    Find out more about apartment renovation ›
    Photo is by José HeviaApartment renovation, Spain, by Arquitectura-G
    Spanish studio Arquitectura-G used a colour palette governed by shades of yellow in its refurbishment of this apartment in Barcelona.
    The living space contains a sunny yellow modular sofa and matching kitchenette, with the spaces united by a backdrop of small golden wall tiles, a honey-coloured wooden floor and white plasterwork.
    Find out more about this apartment renovation ›
    Photo by Johanna LinkFàng Sōng, Germany, by Crossboundaries
    Beijing-based architecture practice Crossboundaries reconfigured the interior of a houseboat moored in Berlin, which features modular furniture and storage solutions all finished in either red or yellow in reference to the Chinese imperial colours.
    An adaptable living area onboard contains a lemon-yellow sofa that folds away to support a double bed, as well as a cantilevered desk integrated into a wall panel that can be stowed away when not in use.
    Find out more about Fàng Sōng ›
    Photo by Yiannis Hadjiaslanis and Point SupremeIlioupoli Apartment, Greece, by Point Supreme
    Graphic primary-coloured details are scattered around this 56-square-metre subterranean apartment in Athens renovated by local architecture studio Point Supreme.
    The rough concrete walls and ceilings of the small living area are contrasted by red items – including a bench and window panes – as well as a trio of deep blue flags suspended in the entryway.
    Find out more about Ilioupoli Apartment ›
    Photo by Mattias HamrénFunction Walls, Sweden, by Lookofsky Architecture
    This apartment in Stockholm, which was renovated by local studio Lookofsky Architecture, is designed around a multifunctional wall that snakes through the interior.
    In the living area, the zesty yellow structure contains a sofa snuggled inside an extruded frame, accompanied by integrated shelving and matching golden upholstery.
    Find out more about Function Walls ›
    Photo by Prue RuscoePolychrome House, Australia, by Amber Road and Lymesmith
    Australian design studio Amber Road worked with colour consultants Lymesmith on this house in suburban Sydney, which is charactertised by its excessive use of colour.
    The aptly named Polychrome House is finished in a kaleidoscopic spectrum of colours, including in its living room where a wall mural of abstract shapes featuring red, blue and yellow is echoed by red and blue seating.
    Find out more about Polychrome House ›
    This is the latest in our lookbook series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring four-poster beds, split-level living areas and colourful bathrooms.

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