More stories

  • in

    Seven transparent bathrooms for households who share everything

    In this lookbook we collect bathrooms with see-through walls, best suited to those who take a more relaxed attitude to privacy in the home.

    In most homes the bathroom is designed as a private space. But as the interiors listed below demonstrate, deciding against encasing the washroom in opaque walls can bring in natural light, act as a space-saving device or even create an unusual focal point in the home.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring bathrooms with sunken baths, subway tiles and double sinks.
    Photo by Yosuke OhtakeHouse in Kyoto, Japan, by 07Beach
    The bathroom inside this house in Kyoto, designed by architecture studio 07Beach, sits alongside a skylit central courtyard-like living space to give the residents the feeling of “open-air bathing”.

    “The house was designed as one big space, placing the double height living room at the centre so they can see who does what,” said the studio. “Although a curtain rail was set up in the bathroom just in case, it seems the family got used to the exposed bathroom, and still use it without a curtain.”
    Find out more about House in Kyoto ›
    Photo by Miguel de GuzmánBathyard Home, Spain, by Husos
    Madrid architecture studio Husos went further than merely making the bathroom visible in this apartment, instead removing partition walls to make it the main communal area of the home.
    “The bathyard is a space whose character can be negotiated and altered by the users by sliding transparent partitions and opening out a folding bench,” the studio said.
    Find out more about Bathyard Home ›
    Photo by Hey! CheeseCats’ Pink House, Taiwan, by KC Design Studio
    This holiday home in Taiwan was designed by KC Design Studio as a place for the owner to have fun with her three cats.
    The bathroom adjoins the cats’ playroom via a wall composed of a terrazzo plinth topped with pink glass, affording a view of what’s going on next door. For moments when additional privacy is desirable, the glass can be dimmed.
    Find out more about Cats’ Pink House ›
    Photo courtesy of Suppose Design Office (also top)House in Nagoya, Japan, by Suppose Design Office
    This house was completed by Japanese architecture studio Suppose Design Office all the way back in 2009 but is too good an example of a transparent bathroom not to be included on our list.
    The main living space looks straight through glass walls to the bathroom via a landscaped area filled with rocks and plants.
    Find out more about House in Nagoya ›
    Photo by Tomooki KengakuThe Life, Japan, by I IN
    Tokyo studio I IN overhauled an apartment for Japanese developer Smarg in an attempt to change perceptions of renovation projects.
    The flat has an open-plan layout and a restful ambience. Reeded glass partition walls allow light to penetrate into the windowless bathroom, as well as distorted view of the other side.
    Find out more about The Life ›
    Photo courtesy of Blueberry NightsBlueberry Nights, Georgia, by Sandro Takaishvili
    Georgian architect Sandro Takaishvili wanted this hotel in Tbilisi to make guests feel like they’re inside a movie.
    In the bedrooms, designed to evoke David Lynch’s visual style, the bathrooms are only separated by a slight change in level and the introduction of white tiles.
    Find out more about Blueberry Nights ›
    Photo by Torben EskerodVibo Tværveh, Denmark, by Valbæk Brørup Architects
    The bathroom at this summer cabin designed by Copenhagen studio Valbæk Brørup Architects takes the form of a tiled wet room that can be opened up to the elements.
    Located at one end of the long building, it opens through glass sliding doors onto an outdoor bathing area – which is fenced to avoid giving any passers-by a nasty shock.
    Find out more about Vibo Tværveh ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring bathrooms with sunken baths, subway tiles and double sinks.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Eight London house extensions that maximise space and light

    For our latest lookbook we’ve gathered eight London homes that have traded in unused garden space for contemporary and light-filled living areas.

    Rear extensions are a popular option for transforming the pokey side returns and galley kitchens of Victorian and Edwardian housing, abundant in many areas of London.
    The eight examples below showcase how extensions can bring contemporary flair to a more traditional home and optimise living space for entertaining, relaxing and cooking.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring soothing cabin interiors, kitchens with sleek metal details and living rooms with warming fireplaces.
    Photo by Jim StephensonVictorian terrace house, UK, by Oliver Leech Architects

    Oliver Leech Architects retained this late 19th-century building’s character while opening up the “disconnected and dark” interior of this Victorian terrace house in Herne Hill.
    Prioritising natural light, the studio expanded the ground floor to include an open living, dining and kitchen space, meeting the existing building with a large skylight and window seat.
    Find out more about Victorian terrace house ›
    Photo by Jae W V KimSunny Side Up, UK, by THISS Studio
    THISS Studio approached this extension in east London as though it were a piece of furniture rather than a conventional structure.
    “We wanted to think of the new addition at a domestic scale and more like a piece of furniture that you can sit within and enjoy, rather than a typical extension of the existing spaces,” THISS Studio told Dezeen.
    The practice reconfigured the dark interior of this interwar house which features timber joinery and a light-filled dining space.
    Find out more about Sunny Side Up ›
    Photo by Helen LeechMoroccan inspired house, UK, by Merrett Houmøller Architects and All & Nxthing
    The client’s extensive travels to Morocco and the Mediterranean inspired this rear extension in London.
    Merrett Houmøller Architects and interior designer All & Nxthing renovated and extended this Victorian home with clay-plaster walls, exposed brickwork and tile floors to evoke the feeling of a Moroccan home.
    Find out more about Moroccan inspired house ›
    Photo by Ståle EriksenHeath House, UK, by Proctor & Shaw
    A dilapidated conservatory and awkwardly sized rooms were swapped for a light, wood-filled interior at this Grade II-listed villa in Highgate, north London.
    Architecture studio Proctor & Shaw prioritised natural light and a natural material palette of wood and white brick for the above and below-ground extension in north London.
    Find out more about Heath House ›
    Photo by Tim CrockerMagpie House , UK, by DGN Studio
    DGN Studio extended the kitchen of this east London terrace house by three metres to create “a more cohesive and seamless sequence for living, dining and cooking”.
    The extension is illuminated by skylights between wooden beams and features a concrete window seat overlooking the garden with the client’s furniture and fittings incorporated throughout.
    Find out more about Stoke Newington house ›
    Photo by Jim StephensonVictorian maisonette, UK, by Nimtim Architects 
    Douglas fir timber screens, exposed brickwork and rough plaster characterise this extension of a Victorian maisonette in Camberwell, south-east London.
    Nimtim Architects responded to a brief calling for greater connectivity and openness in the home to create a “place of reflection and sanctuary from the city”.
    Find out more about Victorian maisonette ›
    Photo by Lorenzo Zandri and Christian BraileyEdwardian home, UK, by Architecture for London 
    Architecture for London transformed this Edwardian home in Muswell Hill, which had been untouched for 40 years, using only sustainably minded interventions and natural materials.
    Created for the studio’s founder Ben Ridley, the house was renovated and extended to create a minimal interior characterised by oak wood, stone and lime plaster.
    Find out more about Edwardian home ›
    Photo courtesy of AOCForest House, UK, by AOC
    Gillian Lambert and Geoff Shearcroft of architecture firm AOC wanted to add personality and a connection to nearby Epping Forest when designing the front extension of their Victorian house in north London.
    A single-storey garage was removed to create a series of interconnected, playful living spaces featuring tactile materials, exposed block work and bold colours.
    Find out more about Forest House ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring characterful kitchens with sleek metal details, soothing cabin interiors and living rooms with warming fireplaces.  

    Read more: More

  • in

    Eight eclectic pizzerias that take the slice-shop to the next level

    For our latest lookbook, we look at the interiors of contemporary pizzerias across the globe, including a pink vegan restaurant in London and a Mexico City space informed by a neighbouring church.

    From New York City to Italy, its country of origin, pizza is a beloved delicacy across the world. As a result, the humble pizzeria is trafficked by many, with some visitors whisking away a two-dollar slice and others packed into a booth to convene around a shared pie.
    The pizzerias below showcase a wide variety of styles, each boasting unique and eclectic features that display a careful consideration for a space often held in high regard by its customers.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring soothing cabin interiors, versatile futons and daybeds and stylish shower curtains.

    Humble Pizza, UK, by Child Studio

    Pink tables and furniture contrasted with a dark green hue fill the interior of this vegan restaurant in London’s Chelsea neighbourhood.
    Local practice Child Studio designed the space to resemble the city’s workmen’s cafes of the 1950s, which typically featured pastel-coloured Formica surfaces and no-frills food and drink.
    Find out more about Humble Pizza ›
    The photo is by David DworkindVesta, Canada, by Ménard Dworkind
    Located in Montreal’s Villeray neighbourhood, the wood-panelled walls and marble table tops of Vesta take cues from New York pizzerias of the 1970s.
    “In its own contemporary way the design of Vesta evokes the spirit of Italian family restaurants common in North America during the 1970s,” Ménard Dworkind said.
    Find out more about Vesta ›
    The photo is by Nicholas VeneziaLala’s Brooklyn Apizza, USA, by Bench Architects
    Lala’s Brooklyn Apizza by Bench Architects is located in Brooklyn’s East Williamsburg neighbourhood, atop a brewery that was formally an industrial space.
    Lightwood picnic benches were used on the interior and attached terrace, while bright, solid-coloured tiles and magenta curtains line the space.
    Find out more about Grimm
    The photo is by Patrick SchüttlerDough Pizza, Australia, by Ohlo Studio
    The “rustic sophistication” of Italy was evoked with red-toned tiles and light woods for Dough Pizza in Perth, which sits in a shopping centre.
    “It needed to evoke a distinct atmosphere and personality reinforcing the cultural heritage behind the food,” said Ohlo Studio.
    Find out more about Dough Pizza ›
    The photo is by Simone BossiMyrto, Italy, by Studio Wok
    Studio Wok created this pizzeria on Sardinia to reflect the island’s natural surroundings, such as its earthy tones and granite rocks.
    The winds of the area erode and carve out the granite rocks, which the studio reflected in the walls covered in pink plaster, a concrete floor and arched openings.
    Find out more about Myrto ›

    The photo is by Blaine DavisSIMÒ Pizza, USA, by Büro Koray Duman
    Located in the Greenwich Village neighbourhood of New York City, SIMÒ Pizza is lined with shelving made of Italian volcanic stone and wallpaper printed with a flour graphic.
    Its pizza ovens sit in a centre block, which is lined in patterned wood and a green tiled countertop.
    Find out more about SIMÒ Pizza ›
    The photo is by Arturo ArrietaPizzeria Della Madonna, Mexico, by Sofía Betancur
    The pizza oven of Pizzeria Della Madonna sits in full view, surrounded by tiled and plaster walls and wood flooring.
    Architect Sofía Betancur took cues from the Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia church, which sits next door, for the space.
    Find out more about Pizzeria Della Madonna ›
    The photo is by Mikko RyhänenPopolo, Finland, by Studio Joanna Laajisto
    Studio Joanna Laajisto designed Popolo to be a cosy retreat on the slopes of Pyhä Ski Resort in northern Finland.
    Leather benches, wooden tables, copper lamps and candleholders were used to evoke a sense of warmth and were paired with slate flooring and dark wood panelling.
    Find out more about Popolo ›

    Read more: More