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      Intervention Architecture hides fold-out furniture behind walls of Florin Court flat

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      British studio Intervention Architecture designed bespoke plywood joinery to conceal furniture including a pull-down bed and a collapsible dining table inside this micro apartment in north London.

      The flat is located within Florin Court, a nine-storey art deco building overlooking Charterhouse Square that was designed by Guy Morgan and Partners and built in 1938.
      The 24-square-metre flat at the rear of the building was previously the servant quarters for a larger residence facing the garden at the front.
      Intervention Architecture has designed the interiors for a London micro apartmentIts current owners, a couple of young artists, commissioned Intervention Architecture after seeing images on the studio’s website of another tiny flat it designed in London’s Barbican Estate.
      Similarly to this project, the Barbican flat featured reconfigurable joinery that allowed for optimal use of the compact space.

      “The brief here was to create joinery for lots of storage and to have it all hidden behind doors to make the apartment feel more spacious,” Intervention Architecture founder Anna Parker told Dezeen.
      Furniture in the Florin Court flat is concealed behind built-in joineryA storage wall lining one side of the living area houses a bed that folds down to rest on a moveable bespoke sofa. Shelving above the bedhead provides space for books with built-in reading lights positioned on either side.
      The sofa, which can also be used as a daybed, was built to contain four bespoke flatpack stools. These can be arranged around a dining table that can be broken down and stored within the wall.
      The living area houses a daybed that transforms into a moveable sofa when foldedA focal point of the space is the open shelving that functions as a library along the end wall.
      Here, a recurring arch motif that references the building’s art deco architecture is used to frame the book-filled niches.
      The puzzle-like construction of the shelving was also informed by Florin Court’s claim to fame as the residence of Agatha Christie’s fictional detective Hercule Poirot in the popular ITV television series.
      Open shelving functions as a library with art deco-style arch motifsIntegrated into the storage units in one corner of the room is a study nook featuring a bespoke seat and a built-in drawing board that can be raised and adjusted to provide an ergonomic work surface.
      Joinery throughout the space was constructed using a single material – poplar plywood with a white oiled finish. The floorboards were sanded and given the same treatment to reinforce the cohesive aesthetic.
      “We wanted to retain a sense of calmness and singular surface tone of one natural material in the apartment to create an even tone of light from the one main window opening,” said Parker.
      Joinery was constructed using poplar plywood with a white oiled finishThe ceiling, walls and window frames are painted a simple off-white shade that helps to brighten the space. This hue is complemented by the tactile boucle upholstery chosen for the sofa.
      The room is illuminated by a single bulb above the study area and a central cluster hung at different heights from the ceiling. A pair of matching bedside lamps provides additional task lighting.

      Studio Est adds “brutalist elements” to Battersea Power Station apartment

      While the living area is minimal in its use of colour, the adjoining bathroom and kitchen are saturated in bold hues that introduce an expressive element to the scheme.
      “As the clients are two formidable artists, where the use of colour is intrinsic to their work, we wanted to reference a singular use of two colours in the two spaces ancillary to the main studio,” Parker added.
      The bathroom is clad with blush-pink tiles chosen to evoke a hue that might be found in a 1930s ocean liner. All-white aluminium taps, sanitaryware and a Japanese-style bathtub contribute to the clean and simple aesthetic.
      Blush-pink tiles cover the bathroom, contributing to a clean and simple aestheticThe kitchen is entirely painted in a vibrant shade known as International Klein Blue after the French artist Yves Klein, who used it extensively in his artworks.
      According to Parker, the use of saturated colour creates an “immersive experience” within the tiny two-square-metre space, which manages to squeeze in a hob, oven, dishwasher, fridge, sink, spice rack and concealed bin storage.
      The two-square metre kitchen is painted in International Klein BlueIntervention Architecture was founded by Parker in 2015 and is based in Birmingham, England. The interdisciplinary practice adopts a collaborative approach to its projects, resulting in bespoke solutions with their own unique personality.
      The studio has previously worked on several projects in its home city, including an extension clad in cedar battens and a brick extension featuring arched windows that resemble a colonnade.
      The photography is by Tom Bird.

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      Mirzoyan Studio renovates Stalinist-era flat in Kyiv with oak and stainless steel

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      Architecture practice Mirzoyan Studio has renovated an apartment in the historic centre of Kyiv, Ukraine, adding reflective surfaces and built-in oak furniture.

      The studio updated the two-bedroom apartment, which is within a Stalinka – a type of building characteristic of the architecture of the Soviet Union under the leadership of Joseph Stalin in the 1930s – to turn it into a rental property.
      Mirzoyan Studio renovated the Stalinist-era flat in KyivMirzoyan Studio founder Nastia Mirzoyan explained that the building’s historical character posed certain structural limitations, requiring “careful planning to avoid compromising its integrity”. To create the rental property, Mirzoyan opened up the apartment, which was originally the client’s family home.
      “To create a more spacious environment, we decided to merge the living room and kitchen into one common area,” explained Mirzoyan.

      A shelving unit divides the kitchen and the living roomThe practice used partition shelves and built-in furniture to seperate the spaces. A wooden shelving unit takes centre stage in the main space, dividing the living room from the kitchen.
      The dining table extends out from the shelving unit towards the kitchen. Cabinets and a countertop finished in polished stainless steel are fixed in the primary working nook of the kitchen.
      The kitchen cabinets and countertop are finished in polished stainless steelNear the entrance, the team installed a full-height mirrored closet, creating a distinct entryway.
      Leftover broken marble was sourced from a local supplier for the flooring of the entryway and the bathroom.

      Ukrainian studios “doing what we can, and sometimes what we can’t” after two years of war

      The studio’s colour choices were influenced by the fact that the apartment is oriented towards the northeast and receives limited natural light.
      “We opted for light and warm background colours to counteract this, creating a brighter and more inviting space,” said Mirzoyan.
      A mirrored closet is installed in the entrywayThe property is dotted with reflective materials such as mirrors and stainless steel, which were chosen to “enhance the perceived depth and brightness”.
      The living room and kitchen are lined with French windows opening into a quiet courtyard.
      A warm and light colour palette is used across the apartmentThe use of materials such as wood and terrazzo across the space is a reference to the building’s heritage, aiming to add a “sense of historical continuity”.
      Mirzoyan’s design philosophy is focused on striving to create “spaces that blend local history with contemporary elements, balancing eclectic decisions to produce environments that feel both timeless and modern”.
      The bathroom floor is covered in broken marbleOwing to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the practice faced significant challenges in completing this project.
      “Sometimes builders simply could not come to the site, and sometimes they came and sat in a shelter for hours,” Mirzoyan told Dezeen. “There were times when construction was halted for months, and the project budget was cut in half.”
      “This experience has reinforced the importance of practical and durable design solutions that can withstand unpredictable conditions.”
      Moreover, Mirzoyan foresees a trend towards “using locally sourced materials and supporting local craftsmen, contributing to the resilience and self-sufficiency of the community”.
      Recently, Mirzoyan Studio also completed a hotel bar in Kyiv’s historic Podil neighbourhood.
      Elsewhere in the city, Modektura has renovated an apartment featuring a balcony-turned-conservatory and Dihome has created a colourful industrial-style interior for a young couple.
      The photography is by Yevhenii Avramenko.

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      Eight interiors that are stepped up by the addition of ladders

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      Our latest lookbook focuses on kitchens and living rooms that are elevated by their inclusion of ladders.

      In contemporary interior design, ladders can be specified as an alternative to staircases due to their space-efficient nature, their ability to be moved to access different areas and the sense of playfulness they foster.
      Old ladders also have a place in modern interiors – their statuesque nature occasionally sees them used as a sculptural focal point or accessory in interior styling.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with unique red-and-green colour schemes and bathrooms with striking and distinctive bathtubs.
      The photo is by Kate GlicksbergWarren Street Townhouse, USA, by Studio Vural

      Mounted flush against a whitewashed brick wall, this wooden ladder features in the Japanese-informed kitchen of a townhouse in New York’s Brooklyn neighbourhood, designed by local firm Studio Vural.
      The design of the interior scheme references the city of Kyoto in Japan, as requested by the owners, following a visit they made to the area in 2009.
      Find out more about Warren Street Townhouse ›
      The photo is by Alice MesguichCollectors Home, The Netherlands, by DAB Studio
      Interior design firm DAB Studio used this house’s bay window as a niche to display this green-painted fruit ladder, dating from the year 1890.
      It was rendered in the striking colour specifically for the project, in reference to the green panes of stained glass that surround it.
      Find out more about Collectors Home ›
      The photo is by Dave WattsKensal Rise house, UK, by The Mint List
      An Edwardian end-of-terrace house was renovated by interior design studio The Mint List with various mid-century modern design elements.
      High-up cupboards are reached via a ladder in the kitchen, which slides side-to-side to access different cabinets.
      Find out more about Kensal Rise house ›
      The photo is by BCDF studioTimbaud apartment, France, by Isabelle Heilmanne
      Interior designer Isabelle Heilmann propped a wooden ladder against a mezzanine level in this Parisian apartment, situated inside a former textile workshop.
      An old wooden dining table and chairs echo the materiality of the ladder, and a swing installed in the living room is another playground-esque furnishing in the apartment.
      Find out more about Timbaud apartment ›
      The photo is courtesy of JRKVCThe Lake House, Slovakia, by JRKVC
      In order to make efficient use of its 65-square-metre footprint, Slovakian studio JRKVC created mezzanine areas above enclosed cabin rooms in this lakeside house.
      A pair of light wooden ladders create access to the areas above the rooms, which function as bedrooms and a bathroom. They are painted green on one end of the space and clad in ridged brown tiles at the other.
      Find out more about The Lake House ›
      The photo is by Seth CaplanDumbo Loft, USA, by Crystal Sinclair
      Located in New York’s Dumbo neighbourhood, Crystal Sinclair Designs overhauled this loft apartment to include a mezzanine level housing a miniature library and seating area.
      It is accessed via a metal-and-wooden ladder that ascends through an arch-shaped cut-out in the floor, saving space by positioning the ladder directly beneath it.
      Find out more about Dumbo Loft ›
      The photo is by Cristobal PalmaPunta Chilen, Chile, by Guillermo Acuña Arquitectos Asociados
      Two rows of open shelving flank this kitchen in a Chilean beach house, and a pair of ladders on castor wheels provide access to even the highest shelves.
      All surfaces are made from pine timber, creating a warm interior in contrast to the sea visible from all of the windows.
      Find out more about Punta Chilen ›
      The photo is by Diana ArnauCasa Texcal, Mexico, by HGR Arquitectos
      A double-height bookcase with a platform halfway up it is the focal point of the living space in this Mexican home by local studio HGR Arquitectos.
      The platform is secured by black railings around its perimeter and is accessed by a matching ladder also featuring black metal handrails for safety.
      Find out more about Casa Texcal ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with unique red-and-green colour schemes and bathrooms with striking and distinctive bathtubs.

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      Eight eclectic self-designed homes by architects and designers

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      Our latest lookbook collects eight dwellings that were self-designed by architects and designers including Mexico-based Ludwig Godefroy and London studio Holloway Li.

      From a modernist-style house in South Africa to an American family residence characterised by a large interior crane, there are a range of materials and floor plans offered by each of these homes.
      The properties demonstrate the myriad ways architects and designers apply their knowledge to their own living spaces and push the boundaries of what is possible outside of client constraints.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring wooden kitchens, statement bathtubs and paper lamps.
      Photo by HANAAtwater House, USA, by Rebecca Rudolph and Colin Thompson

      Co-founder of Design, Bitches Rebecca Rudolph and her husband Colin Thompson of Gensler designed their own home in Atwater Village, Los Angeles.
      In the kitchen, the pair combined a polished marble splashback with a central stone island clad in bespoke concrete panels made by Thompson.
      Find out more about Atwater House ›
      Photo by Frances MaraisMossel Bay house, South Africa, by Yvette van Zyl
      Modernist and nautical influences come together at this three-bedroom home in Mossel Bay, South Africa, designed and owned by local architect Yvette van Zyl.
      Porthole-style windows illuminate the interior, which features a mixture of concrete ceilings and floors and walls of exposed or painted brick.
      Find out more about this Mossel Bay house ›
      Photo by Jim StephensonPeckham House, UK, by Surman Weston
      Peckham House is a self-designed and self-build project by architecture studio Surman Weston, where co-director Percy Weston currently lives with his family.
      Hit-and-miss brickwork clads the home’s striking facade, while lime plaster lines the walls inside. End-grain woodblocks, salvaged from offcuts of the ceiling’s wooden structure, were also used to create chunky flooring.
      Find out more about Peckham House ›
      Photo by Edmund DabneyLondon apartment, UK, by Holloway Li
      Local design studio Holloway Li sought to honour the utilitarian kitchens of London’s many fast food outlets when creating a “unique” circle-brushed steel kitchen for this Highbury apartment.
      Inhabited by studio co-founder Alex Holloway, the apartment features pops of colour in its resin dining table and chubby orange armchair. A bathtub was also placed in the open-plan living space, adding to the home’s unusual design.
      Find out more about this London apartment ›
      Photo by Edmund SumnerCasa SanJe, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy
      Known for his brutalist-style buildings, architect Ludwig Godefroy and his partner renovated this house and home studio in Mexico for himself and his family.
      Integrated with an adjacent garden, Casa SanJe is characterised by a caste concrete interior with a mixture of warm wood panels and a wall covered in reddish volcanic stone.
      Find out more about Casa SanJe ›
      Photo by Jim StephensonBrighton house, UK, by Studiotwentysix
      Isabella and Dan Gray of architecture office Studiotwentysix created a birch plywood-lined loft extension for their family house in Brighton, England.
      Containing 55 square metres of additional living spaces, the loft includes an exposed red-oxide steel structure and is punctuated by geometric skylights.
      Find out more about this Brighton house ›
      Photo by Benny ChanJArzm House, USA, by John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects
      The founders of John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects inserted a giant yellow construction crane into the kitchen of their Los Angeles family home in the city’s Silver Lake neighbourhood.
      “Designing our own house was great because we didn’t have to ask permission,” John Friedman told Dezeen, explaining the unusual move. “We could do whatever we want.”
      Find out more about JArzm House ›
      Photo by Lorenzo ZandriOasis, UK, by Unknown Works
      Oasis is the home of architecture studio Unknown Works’ co-founder Theo Games Petrohilos, who wanted to renovate a terraced London house by adding a side and rear extension to create a flexible interior and maximise natural light.
      The studio placed a petite internal courtyard at the centre of the plan, which was informed by traditional Japanese stone gardens that provide cross ventilation throughout homes.
      Find out more about Oasis ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring wooden kitchens, statement bathtubs and paper lamps.

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      YSG creates “eccentric beats of nostalgia” in Byron Bay seaside home

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      Interiors studio YSG has updated a seaside home in Byron Bay, Australia, creating a series of retro spaces with colours and furnishings that evoke the 1970s.

      Byron Bay is known for its tropical climate and surf culture, so YSG director Yasmine Saleh Ghoniem designed a laid-back interior filled with period details to complement the lush environment.
      YSG has renovated a seaside home in Byron Bay, AustraliaResponding to the client’s love of deep brown hues and vintage furnishings, the 1970s theme informed details such as the use of chrome and the addition of a sunken lounge.
      “Despite tropical surrounds, the home’s gaze is now firmly fixed inwards to create sensory journeys heightened by the eccentric beats of nostalgia,” said Ghoniem.
      A chrome balustrade create a threshold between the kitchen and loungeThe existing kitchen was gutted to double its size, with a new galley kitchen partially enclosed by a wooden screen and a circular island that can be used for casual dining.

      A chrome balustrade informed by old-school skate parks provides an additional place to lean alongside the island. Fixed to a timber column, it helps to create a threshold between the kitchen and the sunken lounge.
      Vintage Italian dining chairs were reupholstered in chartreuse velvetThe island’s chrome footrest echoes the nearby barstools and vintage Italian dining chairs sourced in Paris, which YSG has reupholstered in chartreuse velvet.
      The project is titled Checkmate after the geometric patterned floors featured throughout the property.
      Terracotta pavers are arranged into a geometric grid across Checkmate’s living areasIn the living areas, YSG specified terracotta pavers arranged in a simple grid with wide grout lines that add tonal contrast.
      Checkered porcelain tiles used in the family bathroom extend across a balcony that wraps around the parents’ bedroom. The same pattern and hues were used for the bedroom’s cork flooring – another nod to the seventies.
      Checkered sandstone floor tiles feature in the guest bedroom downstairsThe raised bathtub in the main bathroom was retained and wrapped in mosaic tiles, while the guest bathroom downstairs features chunky sandstone floor tiles in a similar checkered pattern.
      YSG’s limited spatial interventions also included enclosing an internal balcony to create a hallway leading to the children’s enlarged bedrooms. A circular window on this level now looks onto the verdant balcony off the main bedroom.
      The home is furnished with a mix of new and vintage piecesAs in many of its previous projects, YSG used timber framing and slatted screens in the home to help provide visual cohesion while fulfilling practical functions.
      In addition to the screen installed in the kitchen, a latticed partition on the upper floor provides privacy for the children walking from the bathroom to their bedrooms.

      Pattern completes understated interiors for Locura bar in Byron Bay

      The balcony on this level already had a slatted ceiling and YSG added matching vertical battens to further shade the space and protect it from being overlooked by neighbours.
      To furnish the interior, Ghoniem sourced a variety of new and vintage pieces that reference aesthetic styles from the 1950s to the 1970s, including a limited edition denim Soriana chair from Cassina placed in the living room.
      The raised bathtub in the primary bathroom was updated with mosaic tilesThe dining chairs are complemented by cone-shaped bar stools upholstered in a tropical fabric from Kvadrat, while a pair of Italian armchairs purchased at vintage emporium Oda Paris feature a chocolate-and-spearmint harlequin pattern.
      Lighting and accessories add further layers of pattern and texture to the interior, with the various shades of brown providing a backdrop for more expressive elements.
      A circular window overlooks the balcony off the main bedroom”We steered away from deep shades, opting for warm caramel and toffee shades,” Ghoniem told Dezeen.
      “To this grounding tone, we added a gamut of colours from jolts of indigo and denim blues to watermelon pink and green stripes adorning the kitchen’s window treatments, and assorted coloured ceramic pulls to the primary suite’s wardrobes.”
      Timber screens shade the upstairs balconyA moon-like fibreglass light fixture was created as a custom piece to fill the large void above the sunken lounge, while bespoke timber handles used for the kitchen cabinets as well as the property’s front door add a whimsical detail.
      In the main bathroom, an LED artwork by local artist Jeremy Kay was installed on the ceiling to create a dynamic disco effect.
      An LED artwork by Jeremy Kay creates a disco effect in the main bathroomYasmine Saleh Ghoniem founded her eponymous design studio in 2020, having previously worked with landscape architect Katy Svalbe at their joint studio Amber Road in Sydney.
      YSG’s multidisciplinary projects are defined by a bold approach to colour, texture and pattern. Ghoniem draws on her background in music and dance to infuse her designs with elements of storytelling and staging.
      Other residential interiors completed by the studio include a suburban home in Sydney finished with sumptuous materials intended to evoke a luxury hotel, and a coastal home featuring maximalist patterns that reference the beach clubs of Ibiza and Cancun.
      The photography is by Prue Ruscoe.

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      Alastair Philip Wiper captures “over-the-top kitsch” 1970s doomsday bunker in Las Vegas

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      British photographer Alastair Philip Wiper has documented a subterranean fallout shelter in Las Vegas, Nevada, complete with a four-hole putting green surrounded by faux pine trees and painted scenery.

      Built in 1978 by millionaire Jerry Henderson, the doomsday bunker stretches across 1,400 square metres. Henderson lived in the underground house for five years with his wife Mary up until his death in 1983.
      Alastair Philip Wiper has photographed an underground bunker in Las Vegas”Jerry was a millionaire who advocated for underground living,” Wiper said, adding that Henderson also had a similar bunker in an undisclosed location in Colorado.
      “He thought that all people would be better off living underground, not just in case of an apocalypse but in all situations.”
      The residence was built in 1978 as a nuclear fallout shelterThe shelter reflects the era in which it was designed, with details from decorative luminaires to statement pink curtains and toilet seats evoking 1970s interiors.

      Other features include a swimming pool, two hot tubs, a dance floor with a pole, a four-hole putting green, a bar, a barbecue and a sauna.
      “It seems like Jerry liked to party,” Wiper told Dezeen. “The house is made for entertaining. It’s not a house designed for a recluse.”
      1970s statement furnishings include pink toilet seats and decorative luminairesArtificial pine trees and faux rock walls emulate an outdoor garden space, while painted backdrops depicting life-like landscapes surround the shelter.
      Lighting simulates different times of day, with details like the pool and the garden picked out with colourful fluorescents that add to the eccentric nature of the residence.

      James Shaw’s light-filled London home is almost entirely underground

      “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” said Wiper. “But if you have a penchant for over-the-top kitsch, insane colour combinations and James Bond villain-lair aesthetics then you would be in heaven at this place.”
      Henderson’s underground house is now owned by the Church of Perpetual Life, an organisation involved with cryonic preservation that aims to extend human life, which Wiper explored in a 2023 feature for Bloomberg.
      The house has two separate hot tubsWiper documented the residence as part of an ongoing project called “How We Learned to Stop Worrying”, about the many architectural interpretations of the word “nuclear”.
      “I’m looking for all sorts of unusual locations that are associated with nuclear and when I came across the house, it fit perfectly,” Wiper said. “It’s so eccentric and flamboyant.”
      Artificial trees and faux rocks help mimic an outdoor garden spaceWiper’s latest photography book titled Building Stories, published by the Danish Architectural Press, also includes the underground house among a mix of other surreal buildings including a spooky skiing resort and a nuclear missile control centre.
      It is the follow-up to his previous book Unintended Beauty, which focuses on industrial buildings such as factories and power stations.
      Painted backdrops depict life-like scenery”I look for locations that are out of the ordinary, places that tell a story and which people don’t get to see every day, places I want to visit myself,” the photographer explained.
      “If there is something absurd, taboo or humorous about the location then all the better.”
      The photography is by Alastair Philip Wiper.

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      Translucent and reflective surfaces ricochet light around Cologne apartment

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      German architecture studio Demo Working Group has removed all non-structural walls from this 1970s high-rise apartment in Cologne, creating a utilitarian open-plan interior.

      Named Kier after its address on Kierberger Straße, the apartment is set in a housing block built in 1972. Before the renovation, wallpaper covered its concrete shell and a myriad of dividing walls created dark, enclosed rooms.
      Demo Working Group has renovated a 1970s Cologne apartmentNow, a structural concrete wall in the middle of the floor plan is the only interior wall that remains, although Demo Working Group used a concrete saw to cut out a doorway and create a direct link between the living space and the bedroom.
      “We were interested in how these concrete structures can be transformed to enable new spatial options,” partner Matthias Hoffmann told Dezeen. “The new opening between the living and the sleeping area redefines the circulation in the apartment.”
      Soft furnishings and reflective finishes take the edge off the stark concrete wallsRaw concrete perimeter walls work together with the remaining central wall to create an industrial-looking backdrop, consistent throughout all areas of the apartment.

      “The high-rise structures of that era are typically built out of concrete,” the studio said. “We took off the wallpaper so that the building’s structure with its specific texture and character can be experienced inside the apartment.”
      Light is bounced around by glass and reflective surfacesThe newly liberated interior benefits from having windows on two sides, which the designers capitalised on by employing translucent, transparent and reflective surfaces throughout.
      Former internal walls were replaced with sheets of transparent and frosted glass, allowing light to penetrate further into the space and providing a contrast with the heaviness of the concrete.
      Like the rest of the apartment, the kitchen has a cool-toned colour schemeThis creates a free-flowing atmosphere in the space, which almost functions as a studio apartment as a result of the minimal, see-through divisions between the living space, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.
      Mirrors and reflective surfaces are applied to other spaces, too. In the kitchen, cupboards are tucked below a window that casts light onto a full-height mirrored backsplash on one side.

      Archmongers celebrates “raw beauty of brutalist concrete” in Trellick Tower apartment refresh

      The green kitchen counter also reflects light and is made from a heavy-duty plastic, which Demo Working Group says is usually reserved for use in laboratories.
      Glossy white tiles line the kitchen and bathroom area while a built-in storage unit in the living space is clad in sheets of aluminium to level up the brightness of the interior.
      Three purple-upholstered cantilevered chairs surround a metal dining tableFurnishings follow a colour palette of blues, greens and purples, with the sofa and window frame in the living area picked out in a deep blue, referencing the accent colour found throughout the wider apartment block.
      Metal continues to feature in the furniture and fittings, from the legs of the dining set and bookshelf to a horseshoe-shaped light fixture on the bedroom ceiling.
      The shower enclosure is transparent and contains white fittings and fixturesDemo Working Group was founded in 2019 and works on architecture and interior projects throughout northern Germany.
      Other apartment interiors that have recently been featured on Dezeen include a refurbished art deco-style apartment in Milan and a flat in Kyiv that features colourful furnishings and glass bricks.
      The photography is by Jan Voigt.

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      Ten bold statement rugs that liven up the living room

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      Boldly patterned and colourful rugs characterise the living rooms of these apartments and houses around the world that we have collected for our most recent lookbook.

      From historic French apartments that have been filled with eccentric art to a New York Long Island house that was revamped in a neutral palette, these statement rugs complement and contrast the furniture under which they sit.
      The ten rugs found below directly reflect the colour shades around them with a colourful pattern, or, in the case of a black and white rug below found in a small California living space, contrast them completely.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring living rooms dominated by giant sofas, rooms divided by storage units and wooden kitchens.
      The photo is by Matthieu SalvaingVersailles townhouse, France, by RMGB

      RMGB refreshed this apartment across from the Chateau de Versailles, preserving the original parquet flooring and mouldings before outfitting the space with bespoke and vintage furniture, including a star-burst patterned rug in a living space.
      “The idea was to integrate colours and materials in small touches, such as the pinkish-orange of the sofa or the blue shade of the rug,” the studio said.
      Find out more about Versailles townhouse ›
      The photo is by François CoquerelParis apartment, France, by Hauvette & Madani
      Local design studio Hauvette & Madani restored this Paris apartment to its former Haussmannian state, recreating intricate mouldings and cornices on largely white walls.
      The neutral backdrop offset the resident’s considered and colourful selection of artwork and furniture, including an assortment of boldly patterned rugs throughout the space.
      Find out more about Paris apartment ›
      The photo is by Maira AcayabaKarine Vilas Boas Apartment, Brazil, by Studio Juliana Camargo
      In this Brazil apartment for a fashion editor, a large, geometric living rug by Brazilian brand Punto e Filo takes centre stage.
      Its pink and green shapes are reflected in two bright green armchairs and a light pink sofa that sit on top.
      Find out more about Karine Vilas Boas Apartment
      The photo is by Joe FletcherGenesee Residence, USA, by Síol Studios
      This Spanish colonial revival-style house in Los Angeles received a colourful interior revamp by San Francisco-based Síol Studios in contrast to its white walls and original arched windows.
      In the living room, the studio layered a dark green floor pillow over a black rug, which offset a range of colours found in the boulders encased in a translucent coffee table.
      Find out more about Genesee Residence ›
      The photo is by Madeline TolleCumberland Hideaway, USA, by Nwankpa Design
      A bold, black and white striped rug by fashion designer Ralph Lauren contrasts the light orange, blue and pinks of the surrounding furniture in this studio space in California.
      Designed by studio Nwankpa Design, the space was broken into blocks of colour to create variety within its small footprint.
      Find out more about Cumberland Hideaway ›
      The photo is by Fran ParenteFrederic Chopin Apartment, Brazil, by Tria Arquitetura
      A number of area rugs complement the green, orange and white furniture found in the large living room of this renovated São Paulo apartment.
      “In the living room there were three large main volumes that should be highlighted to bring texture and more cosiness,” Tria Arquitetura said.
      Find out more about Frederic Chopin Apartment ›
      The photo is by Nicole FranzenAmagansett house, USA, by Athena Calderone
      The den of this Long Island home features a sconce by Calderone with Simone Bodmer-Turner, a 1960s French walnut table and a wooden block by Milo Baughman set atop a rug that New York designer Tali Roth created with Empire Collection Rugs.
      Owner Athena Calderone recently revamped the interiors of the mid-century house in a pale palette after purchasing it and renovating it ten years ago.
      Find out more about Amagansett house ›

      Courtyard House, USA, by No Architecture
      Located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley wine country, this house was organised around a central “fully-glazed courtyard” planted with native trees.
      Patterned rugs of various sizes were placed throughout the home, the largest of which is a warm-toned area rug in a sitting area, which was paired with a navy blue couch and wooden coffee table.
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      The photo is by Prue RuscoeDream Weaver penthouse, Australia, by YSG 
      Quirky fixtures and furnishings were added to this Sydney penthouse for an empty-nester couple, which was informed in part by Spanish tapas bars and the colour palette of surrealist artworks.
      As frequent entertainers, the living room received a number of unique pieces, including fluffy pink and patchwork armchairs which are offset by geometric rugs in similar hues.
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      Photo is by Adam ScottTsubo House, UK, by Fraher & Findlay
      A shaggy rug sits at the centre of the living home in this London home, surrounded by velvet furnishings and an assortment of planters and vintage pieces.
      The surrounding walls were stripped of decades-long paintwork, revealing original detailing around the ornate moulding, ceiling roses and skirting boards.
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      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring living rooms dominated by giant sofas, rooms divided by storage units and wooden kitchens.

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