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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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    Eight living spaces with industrial Crittal-style windows

    Industrial-looking living spaces with Crittal-style windows and doors are the focus of this lookbook, which includes an apartment in Israel and a rural Chinese house.

    Crittal-style windows and doors are characterised by their gridded metal frames, traditionally made of steel with a bold black finish.
    They are modelled on the iconic Crittal windows by ironmonger Francis Henry Crittall, which were developed in the late-19th century and became a feature in many art deco and modernist buildings.
    Today they are seeing a resurgence in popularity, with their clean graphic lines bringing an industrial quality to contemporary homes around the world.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring striking accent walls, stylish bookshelves and tranquil sunken baths.

    Photo is by Felix MooneeramGhost House, UK, by BPN Architects
    This double-height Crittall-style window doubles as the wall to an open-plan living and dining room in an industrial concrete house in Warwickshire, England.
    It is one of several steel-framed windows that enclose the home, which was designed by BPN Architects to have an “ethereal presence” – leading to it being named Ghost House.
    Find out more about Ghost House ›
    Photo is by 181Tel Aviv apartment, Israel, by Maayan Zusman and Amir Navon
    Interior designer Maayan Zusman and architect Amir Navon opted for gridded black window frames when renovating this apartment in Tel Aviv.
    Complemented by other delicate black furnishings, the windows form part of a wider design strategy that centred on creating an interior that felt “airy yet framed”.
    Find out more about the Tel Aviv apartment ›
    Photo is by Wu Yong-ChangReturning Hut, China, by Xu Fu-Min
    The Returning Hut is a two-storey home just outside the city of Xiamen in China, designed by Xu Fu-Min to offer their client a peaceful retreat where they can connect with nature.
    Among its key features is an open living room with a giant wall of glazing. Lined with gridded metal frames, it slides open to create a seamless connection to the garden. 
    Find out more about Returning Hut ›
    Photo is by Johan DehlinDitton Hill House, UK, by Surman Weston
    Surman Weston honoured its “client’s love for all things industrial” when creating the Ditton Hill House, a London residence with an exposed steel frame that nods to mock-Tudor homes nearby.
    This steel framework enabled the studio to create spacious, column-free interiors, such as this open-plan living area. Here, Crittal-style windows overlook the garden and are paired with exposed steel floor decks for a warehouse-like aesthetic.
    Find out more about Ditton Hill House ›
    Photo is by Greta RybusLittle Peak, USA, by Berman Horn Studio
    Black gridded windows and doors puncture the facade of Little Peak, a holiday home that the founders of Berman Horn Studio, Maria Berman and Brad Horn, built themselves on an island in Maine.
    According to the duo, they were chosen for their industrial look and to help “bring focus onto the textures and colours of the stone, huckleberry, bay and lichen that surround the house”.
    Find out more about Little Peak ›
    Photo is by Ståle EriksenBurnt House, UK, by Will Gamble Architects
    These Crittal-style windows and doors help to create a minimalist aesthetic for the Burnt House, a residential extension that Will Gamble Architects has modelled on a Japanese tea house.
    They are intended to evoke a shoji screen and were complemented by a large window seat finished in blackened wood that sits up against the glazing.
    Find out more about Burnt House ›
    Photo is by Trieu ChienBinh Thuan House, Vietnam, by MIA Design Studio
    MIA Design Studio used white gridded frames on the sliding doors at the Binh Thuan House in Vietnam.
    The steel frames were complemented by its industrial all-white structure, which is modular and designed for easy modification or expansion in the future.
    Find out more about Binh Thuan House ›
    Photo is by William AbranowiczHarrison Residence, USA, by Jeffrey Dungan Architects
    These black Crittal-style windows form the focal point of the living space at the Harrison Residence, a home in Florida designed by Jeffrey Dungan Architects.
    Framing the surrounding tall trees, the windows help bring colour into the otherwise monochrome interior, which features black shelving and a coffee table, and white walls and sofas.
    Find out more about Harrison Residence ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring striking stylish bookshelves and tranquil sunken baths.

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    Twelve forest houses in deep woodland from Dezeen's Pinterest

    Over the last two weeks searches for “forest house” have doubled on Pinterest, so we’ve rounded up twelve woodland architecture projects. Follow Dezeen on Pinterest!

    These popular forest homes – including cabins, hotels and private houses – are located in secluded areas, surrounded by woodland and incorporating large windows to maximise the proximity to nature.
    A stone-clad home in Belgium, built around a pond, stood out due to having its own underground parking area so that not even parked cars can disrupt the views of its natural environment.
    Scroll down to see twelve popular projects pinned on Dezeen’s Pinterest and browse our popular woodland architecture board to see more.

    Trakt Forest Hotel, Sweden, by Wingårdhs

    Locally-grown wood was used by Swedish architecture studio Wingårdhs to create five suites for the Trakt Forest Hotel.
    The cabins are accessed via long ramps and large windows provide residents with elevated views of the forest.
    To preserve the surrounding environment, the studio raised the cabins on metal stilts.
    Find out more about Trakt Forest Hotel ›

    Looking Glass Lodge, England, by Michael Kendrick Architects
    Timber covers this forest house, a holiday let in East Sussex designed by Michael Kendrick Architects. Made without felling any existing trees, the home sits on a sloping site.
    Located within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the studio was tasked with creating a lodge that is eco-friendly and respects its surroundings.
    Find out more about the Looking Glass Lodge ›

    Hitherhouse, Canada, by Ménard Dworkind
    Architecture studio Ménard Dworkind designed a holiday home with a matching sauna on a forested hillside in Quebec, Canada.
    The studio used white cedar to clad the exterior and red pine planks, that have been oiled white, for the interior. Polished concrete covers the floors of the home.
    Ménard Dworkind created shutters that slide open to allow light in and enable views of the surrounding Mont-Tremblant valley.
    Find out more about Hitherhouse ›

    Minimod Curucaca, Brazil, by MAPA
    Minimod Curucaca, designed by Brazil and Uruguay-based firm MAPA, can be found in a forest clearing in the Curaca Valley, located in a mountainous region of Southern Brazil.
    Blackened wood and a grassy roof were incorporated by the studio to seamlessly blend the project with its environment. Elevated on stilts, timber boards were used on the floors, walls and ceiling of the interior.
    Find out more about Minimod Curucaca ›

    House Bras, Belgium, by DDM Architectuur
    Muschelkalk stone clads this forest house in woodland close to Antwerp, designed by DDM Architecture.
    Overlooking a pond, the home has its own underground parking area that can be accessed via a concrete ramp.
    Find out more about House Bras ›

    Apus House, Chile, by Aguilo + Pedraza Arquitectos
    Glass, concrete and wooden-log cladding were used by Aguilo + Pedraza Arquitectos to design this elevated house in Chile.
    Surrounded by oak trees, a lake and five volcanoes, the home (above and main image) is raised on concrete stilts to provide views of the Chilean landscape.
    Find out more about Apus House ›

    Indigo, Netherlands, by Woonpioniers
    Indigo is a modular dwelling made from a prefabricated laminated-timber structure for clients who wanted a sustainable but affordable home.
    The fourth of its kind, Indigo is tailored to each individual and can be duplicated at any location.
    Find out more about Indigo ›

    Dans l’Escarpement, Canada, by YH2
    Weathered steel wraps the exterior of this vacation home located in a concealed woodland area in Canada.
    To fit its landscape, the studio chose mahogany for the interiors of the forest house. It added full-height windows to provide panoramic views.
    Find out more about Dans l’Escarpement ›

    Little House, USA, by MW Works
    Little House is a small cabin located in a Washington forest made from weathered cedar and blackened cement. Seattle-based studio MW Works aimed to design a home that was easy to construct and efficient.
    The bottom floor of the two-floor residence contains a mudroom, a kitchen and an open-plan living and dining area. Upstairs, the studio added two bedrooms and a shared bathroom.
    Find out more about the Little House ›

    Rural Montana cabin, USA, by Andersson-Wise
    Six steel columns carry this single-storey cabin by Texas firm Andersson-Wise. Due to it being designed without a heating or cooling system, it can only be used temporarily and at certain times of the year.
    The cabin’s cladding and structure are made entirely of wood.
    Find out more about the Montana cabin ›

    The Corbett Residence, USA, by In Situ Studio
    The Corbett Residence is constructed of glass and darkened wood. Located along a country road, designers In Situ Studio split the home into three sections.
    The interior features concrete flooring and wooden cabinetry.
    Find out more about The Corbett Residence ›

    The RoadRunner Residence, USA, by North Arrow Studio
    North Arrow Studio took cues from Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House when designing this glazed forest house in Texas.
    Raised on stilts, the one-storey home features glass walls to open up the interiors to the surroundings.
    Find out more about The RoadRunner Residence ›
    Follow Dezeen on Pinterest
    Pinterest is one of Dezeen’s fastest-growing social media networks with over 1.4 million followers and more than ten million monthly views. Follow our Pinterest to see the latest architecture, interiors and design projects – there are more than four hundred boards to browser and pin from.
    Currently, our most popular boards are offices and concrete.

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    Eight bedrooms featuring regal four-poster beds

    There’s no symbol of luxury more universal than the four-poster bed. In this lookbook, we select eight bedrooms elevated by their presence.

    Beds with vertical columns in each corner supporting an upper panel date back to the medieval period.
    Originally built with wraparound curtains to keep out the cold and provide privacy, they have historically been associated with highly ornate designs for nobility.
    Today the four-poster bed remains an unmistakable statement piece of furniture, and the list below sees the concept applied to a variety of bedroom settings, from the traditional to the contemporary.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with wood panelling, lounges with suspended fireplaces and homes with vaulted ceilings.

    Photo by Adolf BereuterHouse on the Schopfacker, Switzerland, by Bernardo Bader Architects
    Austrian studio Bernardo Bader Architects created this reinterpretation of the traditional Alpine chalet in the Swiss village of Trogen for an art and antique furniture collector.
    In the bedroom, a grand carved four-poster bed contrasts with contemporary chrome-edged furniture, as well as the concrete ceiling and the pale larch walls and floor.
    Find out more about House on the Schopfacker ›
    Photo courtesy of Soho HouseThe Ned, UK, by Soho House and Sydell Group
    The Ned is an upscale hotel formed out of a historic London bank originally designed by British architect Edwin Lutyens.
    Soho House worked with New York-based Sydell Group to give the bedrooms a 1920s feel, with large, mahogany four-poster beds bearing richly patterned curtains and set among other lavish details like walnut panelling and restored chandeliers.
    Find out more about The Ned ›
    Photo courtesy of StudioWTA and ASH NYCHotel Peter and Paul, USA, by StudioWTA and ASH NYC
    Crucifixes top the black four-poster beds inside the rooms of this New Orleans hotel as a nod to the building’s past as a church, rectory and convent.
    New York Design firm ASH NYC continued the religious iconography with paintings of saints on the walls, while traditional furniture and furnishings give the space a sense of timelessness.
    Find out more about Hotel Peter and Paul ›
    Photo by Rafael GamoVilla Pelícanos, Mexico, by Main Office
    This thatch-roof seaside villa overlooking the Pacific Ocean features a rustic four-poster bed hung with gauzy white curtains.
    Part of a 1980s holiday village renovated by architecture studio Main Office, the interior marries Mexican materials with South African elements – parota wood furniture sitting among a bright, blank backdrop delivered by the white walls and smooth concrete floor.
    Find out more about Villa Pelícanos ›
    Photo by Nicholas WorleyThe Tri-Pod, UK, by Scott Whitby Studio
    Designed for a polyamorous throuple, this bespoke boudoir by London-based Scott Whitby Studio has enough space for three people to sleep together comfortably.
    The architects chose to reimagine the traditional four-poster as a divider of space as well as a piece of furniture. Above the closable walnut sleeping space is a mezzanine for reading and relaxation.
    Find out more about The Tri-Pod ›
    Photo by Travis Williams/Travis MarkSackett Street townhouse, USA, by The Brooklyn Home Company
    The wooden four-poster bed in the main bedroom of this Brooklyn townhouse was designed and hand-crafted by Fitzhugh Karol, a sculptor-in-residence at The Brooklyn Home Company.
    It sits in the middle of a bright and airy bedroom with white oak floors, white-painted walls and an adjacent private terrace.
    Find out more about this Sackett Street townhouse ›
    Photo courtesy of Hunter Mabry DesignHenry Howard Hotel, USA, by Hunter Mabry Design
    Another New Orleans hotel renovation, this time with a sleek black metal four-poster bed that adds a gently modern touch to the rooms.
    New York studio Hunter Mabry Design juxtaposed the contemporary bed with antique furnishings and vintage brass instruments that reference the city’s jazz heritage.
    Find out more about Henry Howard Hotel ›
    Photo courtesy of Claesson Koivisto RuneXiang Jiang House, China, by Claesson Koivisto Rune
    Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune included a modern take on the traditional four-poster bed in this Beijing house that was designed to have a Scandinavian feel.
    An oversized plinth provides room for a bedside table lamp, enhancing the sense of tranquility and cosiness in the bedroom among the extra-wide floorboards and pale-wood wall panelling.
    Find out more about Xiang Jiang House ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with wood panelling, lounges with suspended fireplaces and homes with vaulted ceilings.

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    Dezeen's Pinterest roundup features nine saunas in touch with nature

    Saunas are trending on Pinterest and Dezeen has featured some of the best, including a floating sauna in Stockholm and a three-storey, outdoor sauna in the USA. Follow Dezeen on Pinterest and read on to discover the projects.

    Pinners have been attracted to Dezeen’s sauna board. The most popular saunas are inspired by their natural surroundings and have cosy and relaxing interiors.
    An out-building sauna in Canada, up a slope behind the main cabin, stood out due to its miniature size and unique shape.
    Scroll down to see nine popular projects pinned on Dezeen’s Pinterest and browse our sauna Pinterest board to see more.

    Ambassador Crescent, Canada, by BattersbyHowat Architects

    This detached sauna, built on the property of a mountainside home in Whistler, British Columbia, was designed by Vancouver-based studio BattersbyHowat Architects.
    Clad in standing seam metal, the small sauna mimics the design of the nearby holiday home.
    Find out more about the Ambassador Crescent ›

    The Big Branzino, Stockholm, by Sandellsandberg
    Pine planks clad the exterior of a floating sauna by Swedish studio Sandellsandberg, which they designed to blend in with the surrounding forests.
    For the interior, the studio used red cedar and added a fireplace, meaning that the central space can be heated for overnight trips when not used as a sauna.
    Find out more about The Big Branzino ›

    Bademaschinen, Norway, by ACT! Studio and Borhaven Arkitekter
    ACT! Studio and Borhaven Arkitekter designed a collection of floating red and orange buildings in Oslo harbour to be a playful and relaxing space sauna.
    For the project, the studio covered the floors with red vinyl. Birch plywood was used for the walls, tiered seating and changing rooms.
    Find out more about Bademaschinen ›

    Löyly, Switzerland, by Trolle Rudebeck Haar
    Graduate Trolle Rudebeck Haar designed another floating sauna in Switzerland to fit up to three people. It has a sloped roof, wooden stove, bench, translucent glass windows and an exterior deck.
    Löyly sits on a floating pontoon deck which allows it to be placed on any water with low-wave motion.
    Find out more about Löyly ›

    Saunaravintola Kiulu, Finland, by Studio Puisto
    Simple and traditional materials such as black wood and red epoxy flooring were used by Studio Puisto to create a sombre and crisp atmosphere for this sauna at a lakeside wellness centre in the town of Ähtäri, Finland
    Located in its own independent wooden cabin, the studio added a large window with the aim of connecting with the surrounding environment.
    Find out more about Saunaravintola Kiulu ›

    Sauna Tower, USA, by BarlisWedlick
    This treehouse-style, three-storey outdoor sauna in New York’s Hudson Valley was designed by American studio BarlisWedlick.
    A concrete sauna acts as the base for stacked-timber platforms made from Alaskan yellow cedar, topped with a viewing platform.
    Find out more about the Sauna Tower ›

    The Arctic Sauna Pavillion, Finland, by Toni Yli-Suvanto Architects
    The surrounding natural environment inspired the design of the Arctic Sauna Pavilion by Tony Yli-Suvanto Architects in Lapland, Finland.
    Inside, both bathing and relaxation take place in the same space, in accordance with an ancient arctic tradition. The walls of the building tilt outwards in the local custom to prevent the timber wall construction from getting wet.
    Find out more about The Arctic Sauna Pavillion  ›

    Atmosphere, Australia, by Studio Rain
    Studio Rain created a temporary sauna that is prefabricated and off-grid. Polycarbonate panels clads the walls and ceilings and it is heated by a wood-burning stove.
    Made of reclaimed timber, it can be built, disassembled and reused without the need for any equipment.
    Find out more about Atmosphere  ›

    Dark Spa, UK, by Neil Dusheiko Architects
    This spa was built in the garden of a renovated Victorian semi-detached home by Neil Dusheiko Architects. Inside the spa, the studio added a Japanese soaking tub, sauna, shower, gym and relaxation room with a fold-down bed.
    With walls clad in Sapele timber and black slate flooring, the Dark Spa is intended to be “silent and mysterious”, the studio told Dezeen.
    Find out more about the Dark Spa ›
    Follow Dezeen on Pinterest
    Pinterest is one of Dezeen’s fastest-growing social media networks with over 1.4 million followers and more than ten million monthly views. Follow our Pinterest to see the latest architecture, interiors and design projects – there are more than four hundred boards to browser and pin from.
    Currently, our most popular boards are retail interiors and staircases.

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    Eight warm and natural restaurant interiors popular on Pinterest

    Restaurant interiors with natural finishes have been popular on Pinterest this week, including a beach club restaurant in London and a Japanese restaurant in Canada featuring paper lanterns. Follow Dezeen on Pinterest and read on to find out more about the projects.

    Pinners have been predominantly drawn to the Dezeen’s boards that feature restaurant interiors. The most popular have soft, warm lighting schemes and make use of natural materials and wooden furniture.
    A sushi restaurant in Dubai stood out due to its black tiles, grey plaster and dramatic lighting.
    Scroll down to see eight popular projects pinned on Dezeen’s Pinterest and browse our restaurants Pinterest board to see more projects.

    Ikoyi restaurant, UK, by David Thulstrup

    Copenhagen-based designer David Thulstup carried out a complete renovation of the interiors of London’s Ikoyi restaurant.
    Informed by spices from sub-Saharan Africa, he created a warm and earthy colour palette featuring a variety of materials including copper and oak.
    Find out more about the Ikoyi restaurant ›

    Milk Beach Soho, UK, by A-nrd
    Natural materials feature in this eatery designed by London design office A-nrd to resemble an Australian beach club.
    The restaurant’s seating is made from timber and rattan, while sandy-hued Palladian terrazzo covers the floor.
    Find out more about Milk Beach Soho ›

    Hello Sunshine, Canada, by Frank Architecture
    Japanese design elements like paper lanterns and ceiling-hung textile artworks feature in the interiors of the Hello Sunshine bar and restaurant in Alberta, Canada.
    The studio incorporated plaid curtains, stone and wood to suit the restaurant’s mountain location.
    Find out more about Hello Sunshine ›

    Sahbi Sahbi, Morocco, by Studio KO
    Influenced by female chefs and Morrocan cuisine, Studio KO used earthy colours and natural materials like wood to create a warm and inviting space for guests at Sahbi Sahbi (above and top).
    Finer details include rust-coloured ceramic urns, clay pots and pans and orange-brown paint used for an alcove above a sink.
    Find out more about Sahbi Sahbi ›

    Saga Hirakawaya restaurant, Japan, by Keji Ashizawa
    Materials “with a sense of simplicity” including wood and concrete were used to create minimalist interiors for a tofu restaurant in Japan’s Saga prefecture.
    Wood was used for the entrance, windows and undersurface of eaves to match the wood from Ariake, a furniture brand also based in Saga. To complement its stripped-down interior, Japanese designer Keji Ashizawa added wooden furniture and pale grey walls.
    Find out more about The Saga Hirakawaya restaurant ›

    Bao Express, France, by Atelieramo
    Traditional Hong Kong diners informed the design of Bao Express, Paris.
    To recreate the 1970s Hong Kong urban atmosphere, the studio included celadon-green walls and curvaceous wooden booths. Pastel colours and neon lights also feature.
    Find out more about Bao Express ›

    Bacchanalia London, UK, by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio 
    Martin Brudnizki Design Studio was informed by classic Greek and Roman mythology when designing the interiors of this London restaurant.
    Sculptures more than 2,000 years old can be found at the bar and five specially-commissioned monumental statues by Damien Hirst dominate the main dining room.
    Find out more about Bacchanalia London ›

    Origami, Dubai, by VSHD Design
    A moody and dark interior was created for a sushi restaurant in The Dubai Mall, United Arab Emirates.
    To replicate the atmosphere of Japanese underground sushi bars, VSHD Design used textured grey plaster, matte-black tiles and dramatic low lighting.
    Find out more about Origami ›
    Follow Dezeen on Pinterest
    Pinterest is one of Dezeen’s fastest-growing social media networks with over 1.4 million followers and more than ten million monthly views. Follow our Pinterest to see the latest architecture, interiors and design projects – there are more than four hundred boards to browser and pin from. Currently, our most popular boards are Apartments and Concrete houses.

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    Eight residential interiors with sociable split-level living areas

    Our latest lookbook collects eight homes that feature split-level living areas, from a humble apartment in Mexico to a vast brutalist-style house in Bali.

    Split-level areas are often seen in residential homes, where architects separate different spaces using short flights of steps to make interiors feel expansive and interesting, whatever their size.
    Listed below are eight examples of the technique from around the world.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with broken-plan layouts, atriums and sliding doors.
    Photo by Rasmus NorlanderHaus am Hang, Germany, by AMUNT

    Designed by German architecture office AMUNT, this cross-laminated timber house on a hillside in the Black Forest is organised to maximise internal sunlight.
    The ground floor is split into three levels, with an entrance space on the top level, a kitchen and dining space on the middle level, and a lounge tucked into the lowest area.
    Find out more about Haus am Hang ›
    Photo by Tommaso RivaA Brutalist Tropical Home, Indonesia, by Patisandhika and Daniel Mitchell
    The 512-square-metre A Brutalist Tropical Home in Bali, by architect Patisandhika Sidarta and designer Daniel Mitchell, has a double-height living room flanked by split levels that were modelled on Ray Kappe’s modernist Kappe Residence in Los Angeles.
    “To be able to see spaces from angles that you could not in a conventional house with walls gives a completely different sense of space and feeling,” Mitchell said.
    The multi-level layout displays books, records and a speaker system and leads down into an open-plan kitchen/dining area.
    Find out more about A Brutalist Tropical Home ›
    Photo by Fabian MartinezCasa Tres Árboles, Mexico, by Direccion
    Mexican studio Direccion replaced walls with split levelling to make the social spaces of this weekend retreat in Valle de Bravo feel more connected in a renovation project.
    The black microcement floor of the double-height entrance hall – itself sunken from the street – gives way to soothing wooden floorboards via a single step down into the lounge, dining and kitchen space.
    Find out more about Casa Tres Árboles ›
    Photo by Gilbert McCarragherFrame House, UK, by Bureau de Change
    The ground floor of Frame House cascades down terrazzo steps, from the kitchen at the front of the home to a dining area and onto the lounge at the rear.
    London studio Bureau de Change aimed to “create a coherent journey through all spaces” in its renovation and extension of the Victorian terraced home in south London.
    Find out more about Frame House ›
    Photo by Julian WeyerVilla E, Denmark, by CF Møller
    This family home in Aarhus designed by CF Møller Architects sits on a sloping site, so it was divided into four distinct blocks separated by short flights of steps.
    A kitchen and dining room leads onto a sitting room, which in turn is adjacent to the utility areas, hobby room and garage, all connected by the same herringbone oak flooring.
    “The concept of dividing the building into ‘four small houses’ that could be moved between each other offered the solution and at the same time divided the villa into different family and living zones,” said the studio.
    Find out more about Villa E ›
    Photo by Shinkenchiku ShaHouse in Takatsuki, Japan, by Tato Architects
    Tato Architects’s House in Takatsuki takes the concept of split levels to the extreme. The three-storey Japanese home is spread across 16 different floors that residents traverse via wooden blocks, shelves and other pieces of furniture instead of staircases.
    “The idea is to create a sense of expansion inside a small house, so that you would find yourself on top of a rooftop in one moment, and tucked beneath a floor in another,” explained studio founder Yo Shimada.
    Find out more about House in Takatsuki ›
    Photo by Taran WilkhuKnightsbridge mews house, UK, by Echlin
    Three simple steps divide the living room from the kitchen and dining area in this west London mews house that was remodelled by local firm Echlin into a broken-plan layout.
    A generously sized, built-in L-shaped sofa helps to demarcate the separation, while a low wall that continues along one side of the sitting area from the kitchen floor helps to emphasise that sunken feeling.
    Find out more about this Knightsbridge mews house ›
    Photo by César BéjarDomus Peepem, Mexico, by Kiltro Polaris, WEWI, and JC Arquitectura
    Apartments inside this block, designed by Kiltro Polaris, WEWI, and JC Arquitectura and located in a traditionally working-class area of Cancún, have a compact layout that sees the kitchen, living and dining area separated from the sleeping area by a tall wooden step.
    The step stands out as a softer element among the polished concrete finishes of the walls and floors.
    Find out more about Domus Peepem ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with broken-plan layouts, atriums and sliding doors.

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    Ten residential interiors that make the most of narrow spaces

    Including tight living areas, kitchens wedged into corridors and interiors in skinny Japanese houses, this lookbook features 10 homes that make clever use of narrow spaces.

    Projects on constricted urban sites or working within historical buildings often must contend with long-and-narrow interior layouts.
    Here are 10 examples of interiors where narrow spaces have been utilised to their full potential thanks to intelligent design.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring mezzanine bedrooms, creative built-in furniture and homes that make a highlight of their corridors.
    Photo by Sobajima, Toshihiro1.8m Width House, Japan, by YUUA Architects & Associates

    As its name suggests, the rooms in this house in central Tokyo are just 1.8 metres wide, so Japanese studio YUUA Architects & Associates had to plan the interior with meticulous care.
    They used split-level floors to create natural partitions between different spaces, with a kitchen and dining area lined up along a single wall, while a dark colour scheme is intended to provide “a sense of depth”.
    Find out more about 1.8m Width House ›
    Photo by by Mariela ApollonioHorta Nord townhouse, Spain, by DG Arquitecto Valencia
    DG Arquitecto Valencia sneaked a kitchen into a passageway in this Valencian townhouse as part of a renovation project for a young family.
    White floor tiles and downlighting hanging from the high ceiling help the space maintain a sense of generous scale despite the narrow proportions.
    Find out more about this Horta Nord townhouse ›
    Photo by Colin Miller196 Orchard apartment, USA, by Alex P White
    American designer Alex P White created a model unit for a high-end condominium building in Manhattan’s Lower East Side characterised by exposed calming concrete ceilings, grey plaster walls and neutral-toned decor.
    In the narrow living room, a mix of shapes and textures combine with built-in furniture to provide added visual depth, from a series of ivory wall hangings by Los Angeles artist Mary Little to a large walnut shelving unit designed by White and a cardboard chair by Frank Gehry.
    Find out more about this 196 Orchard apartment ›
    Photography is by Lorenzo ZandriNotting Hill maisonette, UK, by Francesco Pierazzi Architects
    A petite plywood study space was nestled into a hallway in this London maisonette overhauled by Francesco Pierazzi Architects.
    To emphasise the home’s sense of height, the studio placed floor-to-ceiling doorways in all of its narrower rooms and left the brick shell exposed, offset by dark flooring.
    Find out more about this Notting Hill maisonette ›
    Photo by Texture on TextureSeochon micro guesthouse, South Korea, by Z_Lab
    Z_Lab’s serene interiors for this tiny guesthouse tucked down an alleyway in northern Seoul occupy a former traditional Korean home, otherwise known as a hanok.
    In the main space, long and rectilinear, different functions are lined up from a cosy reading area on a timber bench to a lengthy walnut table for enjoying tea that sits directly beside a sunken water bath.
    Find out more about this Seochan micro guesthouse ›
    Photo by Eric PetschekWest Chelsea Apartment, USA, by BoND
    This long and narrow apartment in New York’s Chelsea neighbourhood was overhauled by architecture studio BoND, which replaced partition walls with glass doors to allow more light to reach the middle section while also “celebrating the apartment’s elongated proportions and maximising the illusion of depth”.
    All utilities, including kitchen and bathroom fixtures, were moved to one wall to leave the other free for displaying art, while the direction of the floorboards and linear lighting fixtures help to emphasise the length of the interior.
    Find out more about West Chelsea Apartment ›
    Photo by Itay BenitBauhaus Tel Aviv apartment, Israel, by Amir Navon and Maayan Zusman
    A “safe room” was turned into a snug spare bedroom as part of a refurbishment of this Tel Aviv apartment by architect Amir Navon and interior designer Maayan Zusman, who worked alongside graduates Dana Sagive and Naama Tison Vilotsky.
    To compensate for a lack of width a light-toned oak herringbone floor was paired with pale colours, while two wooden plates with holes pierced in them to support brass hooks are a space-saving storage solution.
    Find out more about this Bauhaus Tel Aviv apartment ›
    Photo by by Koji Fujii Nacasa and PartnersLove2 House, Japan, by Takeshi Hosaka
    This Tokyo micro home designed by architect Takeshi Hosaka for himself and his wife gathers household amenities into a linear floorplan spanning just 19 square metres.
    Borrowing principles from the architecture of villas in ancient Roman villas, Hosaka divided up spaces for sleeping, bathing, eating and study using seven partitions that extend out from the concrete walls.
    Find out more about Love2 House ›
    Photo by Ståle EriksenBirch and Clay Refugio, UK, by Rise Design Studio
    By cutting shelving into one wall, retaining a generous window sill and subtly overlapping the chunky sink and bathtub, Rise Design Studio was able to make the most of limited lateral space in this bathroom.
    The room’s proportions were chosen to match an adjacent lightwell in the remodelled London flat, while the dark blue tadelakt walls and floor contrast with a birch plywood ceiling to convey an impression of solidity.
    Find out more about Birch and Clay Refugio ›

    La Odette, Spain, by CRÜ
    Architecture studio CRÜ was tasked with transforming this Barcelona apartment from a cramped three-bedroom home into a spacious two-bed while optimising the use of space.
    In the kitchen-living area, it removed the partition walls to create an open-plan space, with large terracotta floor tiles and white-painted brick walls.
    Find out more about La Odette ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring mezzanine bedrooms, creative built-in furniture and homes that make a highlight of their corridors.

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