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      Ten homes with welcoming terraces to spend a summer night on

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      For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up 10 homes from the Dezeen archive with inviting, inventive or unusual terraces each offering a pleasant place to while away a warm evening.

      Terraces can be an effective, low-maintenance way to provide an outdoor spot for relaxing or entertaining without requiring an abundance of space. Typically they take the form of a raised, flat outdoor area adjoining a building.
      The examples collected below range from the fairly familiar to the distinctly unconventional, including roof terraces, back garden terraces and enclosed terraces.
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing homes centred around interior courtyards, interiors with conversation pits and buildings that make use of Mediterranean-style tiling.
      Photo is by Alex Shoots BuildingsTerrace with a House by the Lake, Poland, by UGO

      Sliding doors open onto a 120-metre-long wooden terrace enclosed by this U-shaped holiday home, designed by Polish architecture studio UGO to create the feeling of being immersed in the rural surroundings.
      “Its slightly raised platform was intended to allow the household members to commune with nature, without interfering with it,” UGO said of the terrace, which is lined with Siberian larch.
      Find out more about Terrace with a House by the Lake ›
      Photo is by Markus LinderothVilla MSV, Sweden, by Johan Sundberg Arkitektur
      This T-shaped house in southern Sweden, designed by Lund-based studio Johan Sundberg Arkitektur, has not one but three terraces around its living spaces so its users can follow the sun throughout the day.
      They are shaded by canopies made from zinc and larch with varying sizes and forms to respond to the direction of the sun, some with timber slats to filter light and others blocking it out completely.
      Find out more about Villa MSV ›
      Photo is by Marie-Caroline LucatMaison 0.82, France, by Pascual Architect
      A huge, round hole punctures the concrete roof above this terrace at a villa in southern France by Pascual Architect, causing a shaft of light to move across the space during the day.
      Wooden benches and a dining table occupy the patio, which wraps around the southern side of the house and is accessed by floor-to-ceiling glass doors.
      Find out more about Maison 0.82 ›
      Photo is by Ståle EriksenNorth London House, UK, by Cathie Curran and O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects
      As part of their overhaul of this house in north London, Cathie Curran and O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects added a roof terrace connected to the kitchen and dining room on the first floor.
      In order to retain privacy from the windows of neighbouring houses, the 18-square-metre terrace is lined on three sides with a series of solid-ash posts supporting opaque glazing.
      Find out more about North London House ›
      Photo is by Filippo PoliFuzzy House, Thailand, by SO
      Architecture practice SO topped this bunker-like concrete house in the Thai city of Chiang Mai with a stepped terrace where residents can sit and look out over the square below.
      Inside, the shape of the rooftop terrace forms a stepped ceiling peppered with skylights above the living area and bedroom.
      Find out more about Fuzzy House ›
      Photo is by Yasuhiro TakagiWeather House, Japan, by Not Architects
      External staircases wrap around two sides of this three-storey corner house in Tokyo designed by Not Architects Studio, creating multiple terraces linked to the home’s open-plan living areas by sliding doors.
      These outdoor living spaces are screened with chain-link wire mesh, up which plants will eventually climb to form a layer of vegetation offering privacy from the outside world.
      Find out more about Weather House ›
      Photo is by French + TyeAmott Road house, UK, by Alexander Owen Architecture
      Alexander Owen Architecture added a colourful terrace to the back garden of this house in London, attached to the kitchen by arched double doors.
      It was informed by the owners’ love of modernism and pop art including Jasper Johns, Peter Blake and Terry Frost, with geometric shapes and bold pigments.
      Find out more about this Amott Road house ›
      Photo is by Ivar KaalVilla Aa, Norway, by CF Møller Architects
      Villa Aa, designed by Danish studio CF Møller Architects, is a 375-square-metre home half-buried in a shallow hill on a Norwegian farm overlooking a nearby fjord.
      A pair of stepped terraces with almost double the footprint of the villa’s entire interior sit alongside the house. One is occupied by planted beds and seating and the other, lower terrace comprises a rainwater pool and a swimming pool.
      Find out more about Villa Aa ›
      Photo is by ONI StudioPortable Cabin, Poland, by Wiercinski Studio
      This 25-square-metre roof terrace emerges out of a portable house made from two shipping containers stacked on top of another two containers used for garden storage.
      Polish practice Wiercinski Studio decked the terrace, which has views over a nearby river, and wrapped it in a curved metal balustrade.
      Find out more about Portable Cabin ›
      Photo is by Adriâ Goulá.Curved House, Menorca, by Nomo Studio
      Architects Nomo Studio suspended this terrace in the top of a cube-shaped Menorcan villa which is arranged over six stepped levels on a small footprint.
      Two sides of the terracotta-tiled patio are fully glazed, allowing sunlight to flood down into the home’s interior while keeping the outdoor space sheltered enough to use for stargazing or open-air film screenings.
      Find out more about Curved House ›
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing homes centred around interior courtyards, interiors with conversation pits and buildings that make use of Mediterranean-style tiling.

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      Ten residential interiors showcasing exposed plaster walls

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      An award-winning council house renovation and homes with curved design elements feature in our latest lookbook, which collects ten interiors that celebrate the versatility of plaster walls.

      Plaster is a protective building material traditionally used to coat walls and ceilings, which are often then covered with decorative paint or wallpaper.
      But architects and designers can also leave a room’s plaster exposed to reduce the cost of a project or create a more rugged visual effect.
      From a bright cottage extension in Australia to a renovated rooftop apartment in Israel, here are ten examples of residential projects with textured plaster walls that complement the rest of their interior designs.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing compact bedrooms, white kitchens and escapist holiday homes.

      Photo is by Eric StaudenmaierRadius House, USA, by Pentagon
      Curved plaster walls create a sculptural composition in Radius House, a residential project in Los Angeles’ Venice Beach designed by local studio Pentagon.
      Pared-back in colour but dynamically shaped, the walls intend to create an eye-catching backdrop for more contrasting interior elements, such as a walnut grand staircase.
      “The Venetian plaster walls give the residence a luminous continuity and a handcrafted quality throughout,” said Pentagon.
      Find out more about Radius House ›
      Photo is by Nicole FranzenLong Island home, USA, by Athena Calderone
      Walls covered in plaster by Kamp Studios join linen fabric and marble finishes to create this mid-century Long Island home’s pale interior palette.
      New York designer Athena Calderone owns and lives in the dwelling, which she updated to showcase a mixture of contemporary and vintage furniture.
      “The walls were just crisp white, and I wanted to make them plaster and a bit warmer and creamier, so that really changed the house a lot,” explained Calderone.
      Find out more about this Long Island home ›
      Photo is by Jim StephensonCouncil House Renovation, UK, by VATRAA
      Architecture studio VATRAA added dusty-pink plaster walls to this council house renovation in London that won a Don’t Move, Improve! award for its design.
      The warm-hued, textured walls feature British Gypsum Multifinish – a plaster that the studio defined as “banal” – which saved on the cost of paint and created an eclectic canvas for the occupant’s collection of art and design objects.
      Find out more about Council House Renovation ›
      Photo is by Tash McCammonPlaster Fun House, Australia, by Sans-Arc Studio
      Another residential project that celebrates white plaster walls, Plaster Fun House is a south Australian cottage with an extension characterised by terrazzo and playfully-arched windows and doors.
      Sans-Arc Studio took cues from the aesthetic of 1930s cruise liners by incorporating art deco and P&O architecture-style design elements into the extension, which intends to stand out against the neighbourhood’s more commonplace brown-brick houses.
      Find out more about Plaster Fun House ›
      Photo is by Karin MatzHB6B, Sweden, by Karin Matz
      Peeling plaster walls and crumbling bricks were left deliberately exposed during the renovation of HB6B, an apartment in Stockholm measuring just 36 square metres.
      Swedish architect Karin Matz refurbished the open-plan space for herself. It fits a kitchen on one side and a bedroom on the other, interrupted only by a central bathroom.
      According to Matz, HB6B’s peeling walls were designed to maintain “the previous layers and stories” of the apartment, which also features low-hanging lights at different levels.
      Find out more about HB6B ›
      Photo is by Gonzalo ViramonteMaricel’s House, Argentina, by Edgardo Marveggio
      Designed by architect Edgardo Maraveggio for his ex-wife, the thick, textured plaster that covers Marciel’s House in Córdoba also forms its brightly-coloured interior canvas.
      Vivid artworks and furnishings complete the living space, which reveals the yellow waffle-slab roof that tops the dwelling and extends over its front patio.
      Find out more about Maricel’s House ›
      Photo is by Dan BronfeldJaffa Roofhouse, Israel, by Gitai Architects
      The ancient limestone buildings of the Israeli city Jaffa informed this rooftop apartment renovated by Gitai Architects, which is characterised by three curved plaster walls that blend into pale floors.
      The walls were covered in plaster and shaped to soften Jaffa Roofhouse’s existing boxy shell. Their appearance changes from shades of gold to lavender as the sun rises and sets across the city.
      Find out more about Jaffa Roofhouse ›
      Photo is by Simone BossiHouse in a Park, Switzerland, by Think Architecture
      House in a Park is a collection of stone and plaster-lined volumes created by local studio Think Architecture atop a hill in Zurich.
      The home has lime-plaster walls designed to provide a minimal interior setting and focus attention on the surrounding forest views, which can be seen from rectilinear glass windows.
      Find out more about House in a Park ›
      Photo is courtesy of Antonio CardilloHouse of Dust, Italy, by Antonio Cardillo
      A band of craggy, textured plaster lines the upper walls and ceilings of this apartment in Rome to create an unusual visual effect.
      Italian architect Antonio Cardillo used the geometric ratio of the golden section to design a horizontal division that separates House of Dust’s living spaces with contemporary furniture from its statement plaster features.
      Explaining what informed the project, Cardillo said, “[I was] craving for primordial caverns, for Renaissance grotesques, for nymphaeums in Doria Pamphilj, for faintly Liberty facades in the streets off Via Veneto”.
      Find out more about House of Dust ›
      Photo is by Jack HobhouseSkip Stop House, UK, by Design Haus Liberty
      A group of London apartments was completed on a low budget by “using the palette that was already there”, according to Dara Huang of local studio Design Haus Liberty.
      Layers of paint and wallpaper were removed to expose patinated plaster, while the studio also used off-the-shelf materials to create industrial-looking but affordable interiors.
      “We used the palette that was already there but was hidden, so if we uncovered a wall and there was brick behind it we left it and tidied it up,” added Huang.
      “The things that were already there just needed to be uncovered and paired with the right materials.”
      Find out more about Skip Stop House ›
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing plant-filled hotels, self-designed studios by architects and designers and interiors with room dividers in place of walls.

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      Ten home interiors animated by sculptural winding staircases

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      Sculpture-like concrete steps and a curving stair suspended above ground feature in this lookbook, which spotlights ten residential interiors with standout spiral or helical staircases.

      Winding stairways are found in two styles known as spiral or helical stairs. Though they appear similar and both make use of tapered treads, spiral staircases are arranged around a central column, while helical staircases encircle voids.
      Spiral staircases are also typically round in shape and used in interiors with limited space because they require less space than traditional linear stairs.
      Meanwhile, helical stairs require a larger floor area and are therefore more suitable when making a staircase the focal point of a room. These systems commonly have wider elliptical shapes than the spiral versions.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing bedrooms with clever storage solutions, homes with decorative vaulted ceilings and offices with wooden bleachers.

      Photo is by Cristiano BauceLoft Diego, Brazil, by Arquitetura Nacional
      Arquitetura Nacional suspended this sculptural black staircase from the upper floor of an apartment in Porto Alegre so that its base doesn’t touch the floor.
      Crafted from folded steel and finished with plastic covering, the helicoidal structure helped the studio to transform the duplex into a more “fluid space”.
      Find out more about Loft Diego ›
      Photo is by Olmo PeetersRiverside Tower apartment, Belgium, by Studio Okami Architecten
      While renovating a duplex apartment in the brutalist Riverside Tower in Antwerp, Studio Okami Architecten introduced a pastel blue staircase between its two levels.
      The position and form of the spiralling stair were chosen to help maximise floor space in the dwelling, while its bright finish creates a striking contrast to the exposed concrete behind it.
      Find out more about Riverside Tower ›
      Photo is by Leonardo FinottiCasa Thomé Beira da Silva, Brazil, by Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos
      Wooden panels line this helical staircase, which Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos created as a sculptural centrepiece for the double-height living room at Casa Thomé Beira in the south of Brazil.
      Visible from the outside of the home, the staircase leads up to a series of bedrooms and is complemented by a wooden material palette that runs throughout.
      Find out more about Casa Thomé Beira da Silva ›

      Haus JJ, Germany, by NOWlab
      Colourful flooring and a rope balustrade animate this compact spiral staircase, which NOWlab designed to save valuable floor space in a small two-storey apartment in Berlin.
      Enclosed by walls at the centre of the dwelling, the structure has slender wooden treads that fan out from a central column and complement the surrounding herringbone floors.
      Find out more about Haus JJ ›
      Photo is by Juan SolanoCasa Blanca, Peru, by Martin Dulanto
      This self-supporting, fluorescent orange staircase twists up through the centre of the Casa Blanca residence in Lima to connect all three of its levels.
      Made from reinforced concrete with a concealed iron core, it is designed by Martin Dulanto Sangalli as the focal point of the house that has an otherwise muted colour scheme.
      Find out more about Casa Blanca ›
      Photo is by Mia MortensenTommy Rand’s House, Denmark, by Tommy Rand
      More than 600 pieces of CNC-cut plywood were glued together by hand to build this spiral staircase, located in the house that architect Tommy Rand designed for his family in Denmark.
      Visible from the exterior of the dwelling, the curved form has been placed against a concrete backdrop that draws attention to the intricacy of its design and adds warmth to the home.
      Find out more about Tommy Rand’s House ›
      Photo is by Ben HoskingOgimachi House, Japan, by Tomoaki Uno Architects
      A helical staircase with petal-shaped wooden treads breaks up the gridded layout of this skylit house in Japan.
      Resembling a flower when viewed from above, its form helps to save floor space while also providing access to four private rooms on the top floor.
      Find out more about Ogimachi House ›
      Photo is by Tim Van de VeldeHouse Dede, Belgium, by OYO Architects
      This wood-lined staircase sits at the heart of the cross-shaped plan of House Dede, which OYO Architects completed on the site of an old barn in Drongen.
      Winding upwards through a circular hole that punctures a board-marked concrete ceiling, it forms a sculptural yet functional centrepiece for the house.
      Find out more about House Dede ›

      Sacha, France, by SABO Project
      Thin slats of plywood and a bespoke baby gate that can be easily removed are key features of this cylindrical staircase, which is located in a refurbished apartment in Paris.
      It was designed as part of a quirky yet “child-proof” renovation project that was carried out by SABO Project for a young couple expecting their first child.
      Find out more about Sacha ›
      Photo is by Kazunori FujimotoHouse in Akitsu, Japan, by Kazunori Fujimoto
      This guardless staircase juxtaposes the cubic concrete forms of the House in Akitsu, which overlooks a seaside spot near the city of Higashihiroshima.
      The twisting form, which links the home’s bedrooms and living spaces, was engineered to negate the need for a central pillar and in turn, offers a sculptural look.
      Find out more about House in Akitsu ›
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing bedrooms with clever storage solutions, homes with decorative vaulted ceilings and offices with wooden bleachers.

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      Ten plant-filled hotel interiors that feel close to nature

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      A greenhouse-cum-dining room and a miniature forest in a skyscraper are among the verdant hotel interiors featured in our latest lookbook.

      Whether tiny succulents or fully-grown trees, plants can help connect an interior to its surroundings, provide an oasis of calm away from city life, or act as living space-dividers to break up an open-plan interior.
      These ten hotel interiors from the Dezeen archive show how adding greenery to public spaces can help give them a friendlier, more organic feel.
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing bedrooms with clever storage solutions, escapist holiday homes and interiors by Ukranian designers.
      Photo is by Katsumasa TanakaShiroiya Hotel, Japan, by Sou Fujimoto

      Tiled floors, wooden furnishings and a plethora of plants create a piazza-like feel in the skylit atrium of this hotel in Maebashi (top and above), which serves as a reception, restaurant and lounge.
      To create the giant four-storey space, Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto dismantled all of the walls and floors of the original 1970s building, while a number of new guest suites and a Finnish sauna are housed in a grass-covered extension.
      Find out more about Shiroiya Hotel ›
      Photo is by Edmund DabneyBermonds Locke, UK, by Holloway Li
      Interiors studio Holloway Li drew on the sun-scorched landscapes of California when designing this London hotel, in order to provide guests with a sense of escapism.
      Mirrored ceilings in the reception create the impression of shimmering desert mirages, while huge planters filled with cacti and succulents separate the co-working area from the cocktail bar and restaurant.
      Find out more about Bermonds Locke ›
      Photo is by Feng ShaoIntercontinental Chongqing Raffles City, China, by CL3
      Located on level 42 of a 250-metre tall skyscraper complex, the lobby lounge of Chongqing’s Intercontinental hotel was designed to resemble a “mountain landscape in the sky”.
      Here, guests can take in views of the surrounding city from a number of curved wooden seating boots, nestled amongst the trees sprouting up from the glossy stone floor.
      Find out more about Intercontinental Chongqing Raffles City ›
      Photo is by Chase DanielLine Austin, USA, by Sean Knibb and Michael Hsu
      Architect Michael Hsu and interior designer Sean Knibb turned a mid-century tower in Austin into a modern hotel by stripping the structure back to its bones and opening it up to views of the nearby Colorado River.
      In the lobby, hanging plants are suspended from the ceiling in golden vessels and help to reinforce this connection to the outdoors, while walls and furnishings are finished in muted hues of duck egg blue and ballet-slipper pink.
      Find out more about The Line Austin ›
      Photo is by Simon UptonNoMad London, UK, by Roman and Williams
      The first international outpost from American hospitality chain NoMad is set in a former magistrates court and police station in London’s Covent Garden.
      A former yard at the centre of the building was transformed into a glass-domed restaurant, filled with freestanding trees and climbing plants that wind their way down two tiers of columns.
      Find out more about NoMad London ›
      Photo is by Spencer LowellDurham Hotel, USA, by Commune Design
      LA studio Commune Design drew on wide-ranging references when designing the retro interiors of this North Carolina hotel, ranging from the work of Bauhaus designers Josef and Anni Albers to the arts and crafts aesthetic of the state’s pioneering art school Black Mountain College.
      The converted mid-century bank now houses 54 guest suites, a rooftop lounge and an eponymous restaurant, where towering greenery surrounds leather-upholstered banquet seats.
      Find out more about the Durham Hotel ›
      Photo is by Adel FerreiraBabylonstoren, South Africa, by Malherbe Rust Architects
      Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and turmeric are among the aromatic plants found in the greenhouse-cum-dining hall of the Babylonstoren farmhouse hotel in South Africa’s Cape Winelands.
      An eight-metre-long granite dining table with water running down its centre takes up the centre of the space, where guests can sample foods infused with different spices while learning about their historical value.
      Find out more about Babylonstoren ›
      Image courtesy of Kelly WearstlerDowntown LA Proper, USA, by Kelly Wearstler
      Guest enter the Proper hotel in Downtown LA via an ornate archway, which is flanked by column-like cacti in rustic pots and decorated with a hand-painted mural designed by local artist Abel Macias that draws on the flora and fauna of Latin American folktales.
      The 148-room hotel combines 136 different kinds of tiles and an eclectic mix of stylistic references, informed by Mexican, Moroccan, Spanish and Portuguese design.
      Find out more about Downtown LA Proper ›
      Photo is by Philip VileHotel Castello di Reschio, Italy, by Benedikt Bolza
      Count Benedikt Bolza and his family lived in a 1,000-year-old castle in the Umbrian countryside for a decade while working to convert it into a sprawling hotel and creating custom furniture for its 36 suites.
      The verdant Palm Court is a new structural addition modelled on iron-and-glass Victorian conservatories, which is intended as a space for reading and conversation.
      Find out more about Castello di Reschio ›
      Photo is by Brooke ShanesyPalm Heights, Cayman Islands, by Gabriella Khalil
      Flea market finds from Paris, Los Angeles and Mexico populate this boutique hotel in Grand Cayman, including collectible design pieces like Mario Bellini sofas, Ingo Maurer lights and an Ettore Sottsass rug.
      The interior is styled to look like a 1970s-era Caribbean mansion, with verdant palm trees and other foliage brought inside in a nod to its location on the well-known white-sand Seven Mile Beach.
      Find out more about Palm Heights ›
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing bedrooms with clever storage solutions, escapist holiday homes and interiors by Ukranian designers.

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      Ten homes with decorative parquet wooden flooring

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      Our latest lookbook highlights 10 homes with decorative parquet flooring including a Victorian terraced home and 1930s apartment feature in Portugal.

      Parquet flooring is a traditional style of hardwood flooring, that is used to create decorative and mosaic-like patterns in homes and interior settings.
      The decorative hardwood flooring is made from short wooden battens that are slotted and placed together in often intricate, geometric and mosaic arrangements.
      Parquet flooring rose in popularity during the 1600s as it became a favoured option with European aristocracy, offering an alternative to decorative marble floors that required less maintenance.
      It can be installed in a number of different patterns including, herringbone, Versailles, chevron and chantilly.

      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing cavernous interiors, bright-white kitchens and self-designed homes by architects and designers.

      1930s apartment, Portugal, by Aboim Inglez Arquitectos
      Portuguese studio Aboim Inglez Arquitectos incorporated parquet flooring, stone surfaces and a bright sunroom in its update to a 1930s apartment in Lisbon (above and top).
      Hardwood, parquet flooring uncovered during the renovation was restored across the home. The floor is comprised of blocks of different tones which are arranged to create a checkerboard-style pattern that is framed by strips of light wood.
      Find out more about the 1930s apartment ›

      Apartment Basta, Russia, by Blockstudio
      A mixture of different textures, materials and time periods were all combined within this Moscow apartment by Blockstudio, which aimed to recreate the look of a Parisian apartment.
      To create a lived-in feel within the new-build structure, reclaimed-oak parquet flooring sourced from Italy was used throughout the living and dining room.
      Find out more about Apartment Basta ›

      Charred House, UK, by Rider Stirland Architects
      Rider Stirland Architects remodelled this Victorian terraced home in south London and added an extension clad in blackened wood to the rear.
      To juxtapose with the extension’s charred exterior, materials were chosen to provide the interior with warmth. Parquet flooring stretches across the home and was paired with bespoke joinery.
      Find out more about Charred House ›

      Leith apartment, UK, by Luke McClelland
      Scottish architect Luke McCellard renovated the interior of this Georgian apartment in Edinburgh, creating a bright, light and contemporary home for a formerly dark space.
      McClelland blanketed the floors of the 19th-century apartment in warm oak parquet flooring which was arranged in a herringbone pattern. The wood complements the stark white walls throughout the property.
      Find out more about Leith apartment ›

      Victorian terraced house, UK, by Matthew Giles Architects
      This Victorian terraced home in Wandsworth, London, was updated and extended by Matthew Giles Architects.
      On the ground floor, parquet flooring in a herringbone pattern was designed to draw the eye from the entrance through to the garden at the rear beyond the newly added dropped-level kitchen diner.
      Find out more about the Victorian terraced house ›

      Hatfield House, UK, by Archmongers
      Located on the iconic Golden Lane Estate in London, local studio Archmongers renovated the duplex flat using bold colours that aimed to complement the home’s modernist look.
      The studio uncovered parquet flooring which was restored and made a focal feature of the home.
      Find out more about Hatfield House ›

      Portland Residence, Canada, by Atelier Barda
      Black furniture and fixtures sit on top of the chevron-patterned oak parquet flooring in this Montreal home by Canadian architecture studio Atelier Barda.
      The studio added a rear extension to the existing stone house and reconfigured the floor plan to create open-plan living areas and a better flow between spaces. The home’s original rounded walls and mouldings were preserved and highlighted by the oak flooring beneath.
      Find out more about Portland Residence ›

      Dutch townhouse, The Netherlands, by Antonia Reif
      This early 20th-century townhouse in The Hague was renovated by Dutch architect Antonia Reif. The home was previously divided into two apartments which the architect reversed to reconnect the building’s four floors.
      Reif fitted the interior with herringbone-patterned oak flooring to create continuity between the home’s different spaces.
      Find out more about Dutch townhouse ›

      Apartment Vilnius, Lithuania, by Kristina Lastauskaitė-Pundė
      Original features at this apartment in Vilnius were spotlighted and paired with grey-painted joinery and brass accents.
      The overhaul was completed by interior designer Kristina Lastauskaitė-Pundė who wanted to give the home a contemporary update that still spotlighted its historic and original features. Muted chevron flooring spans the interior of the apartment to visually connect its different rooms.
      Find out more about Apartment Vilnius ›

      1970s apartment, Portugal, by Aurora Arquitectos
      Wooden panelling lines the walls and ceiling of areas of this apartment in Lisbon which was refurbished by Aurora Arquitectos.
      The home was defined by its use of wood seen through its vast pale herringbone-patterned parquet flooring and blonde panelling that frames skylights across the ceiling. Wood and marble were arranged in a herringbone pattern to define the apartment’s different zones and spaces.
      Find out more about the 1970s apartment ›
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing cavernous interiors, bright-white kitchens, and self-designed homes by architects and designers.

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      Ten cavernous interiors that swap corners for curves

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      A nursery by Junya Ishigami and MAD’s Cloudscape of Haikou feature in our latest lookbook, which highlights 10 softly contoured interiors from the Dezeen archive that were modelled on the sinuous shapes of clouds and wind-smoothed caves.

      Whether crafted from plaster, concrete or wooden panels, undulating walls can help to bring a sense of intimacy to otherwise large, impersonal spaces.
      Beyond just looking pretty, they can also be a practical solution to integrate everything from seating to storage into the fabric of the interior, while concealing unsightly mechanical and electrical systems.
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing bright-white kitchens, cosy conversation pits and self-designed homes by architects and designers.
      Photo is by Joe FletcherSoftie, USA, by OPA

      Design studio OPA subverted the rational modernist grid of this house near San Francisco by overlaying a series of cloud-like architectural features on top of its existing structural shell.
      Its load-bearing columns are now enveloped by bulging white walls, while ceilings droop down to form a series of intimate seating nooks as well as a cove that surrounds the freestanding circular tub in the bathroom.
      Find out more about Softie ›
      Photo is by Paola PansiniFerrari flagship, Italy, Sybarite
      Going down a sleeker, more space-age-style route, London studio Sybarite carved out a sinuous display area at the centre of Ferrari’s lifestyle concept store in Maranello to house the carmaker’s debut fashion collection.
      The otherwise open-plan interior is cast in shades of glossy red and white and also incorporates touches of mahogany, which was used to make Ferrari’s original Enrico Nardi steering wheels of the 1950s and 1960s.
      Find out more about the Ferrari flagship ›
      Photo is by Lars Petter PettersenCabin at Norderhov, Norway, by Atelier Oslo
      Curved birchwood panels engulf the walls and ceilings of this cabin, turning it into a cosy refuge on the banks of Norway’s Lake Steinsfjorden while sweeping windows provide panoramic views over the natural landscape.
      Like a winding tunnel, the interior was designed as one continuous space, with the bedroom cordoned off from the open floor plan by a heavy grey curtain.
      Find out more about the Cabin at Norderhov ›
      Photo is by Yiorgos KordakisTwo Holiday Houses in Firostefani, Greece, by Kapsimalis Architects
      Three rocky vaulted caves, which once provided additional storage space for a traditional dwelling on Santorini, were smoothed out and finished with earthy-hued plaster to create this summer house by local practice Kapsimalis Architects.
      Colours, finishes and fittings throughout the interior were designed to reflect the building’s humble origins, incorporating arched niches and doorways, flush built-in storage and furniture made by local craftsmen.
      Find out more about Two Holiday Houses in Firostefani ›
      Photo is by CreatAR ImagesCloudscape of Haikou, China, by MAD
      Designed to evoke “a wormhole that transcends time and space”, the interior and exterior of MAD’s library on Hainan Island were cast as one continuous vessel without any right angles.
      On the inside, the sinuous white concrete shell forms small reading nooks and bookcases recessed into the walls, while concealing all of the building’s electrics and plumbing.
      Find out more about Cloud of Haikou ›
      Photo is by Tom FergusonNational Museum of Qatar gift shop, Qatar, by Koichi Takada Architects
      Around 40,000 slabs of wood were stacked on top of each other and assembled by hand to form the soaring walls and built-in shelves of the gift shop in the National Museum of Qatar.
      The interior, much like the Jean Nouvel-designed building, pays homage to Qatar’s desert landscape – particularly the crystal-crusted cavern of Dahl Al Misfir, which tunnels deep into the earth outside Doha.
      Find out more about the gift shop ›
      Photo is by Simone BossiMyrto, Sardinia, by Studio Wok
      Studio Wok looked to the way that the wind carves granite rocks on the Sardinian coast into sinuous, almost architectural structures when designing this pizzeria, set in the island’s port town of Porto Cervo.
      This erosive process is referenced in the restaurant’s curved, sandy pink plaster walls and arched windows, which are complemented by custom furnishings including a tiled counter in varying shades of green that echo the colours of local shrubs.
      Find out more about Myrto ›
      Photo is by Edmund SumnerCloud Garden, Japan, by Junya Ishigami
      Rather than covering up the bulky columns found in this high-rise office block in Atsugi, Junya Ishigami converted its former cafeteria into a nursery by inserting wiggly concrete partitions, creating archways and pathways as well as various spaces for play.
      “There are crevices that only children can pass through, and absent spaces that are considered large even for adults,” Ishigami said. “It is a space that softly ties in various objects and scales.”
      Find out more about Cloud Garden ›
      Photo is by 1988 Photography StudioTT Pilates, China, by Wanmu Shazi
      Designer Wanmu Shazi used micro-cement to cover up not just the walls but also most of the windows in the TT Pilates studio, which is located in a typical high-rise office building in Xiamen.
      Only a few organically-shaped openings allow visitors to catch glimpses of the sky while letting light dapple into the interior, in a bid to shut out the usual hustle and bustle of the Chinese port city.
      Find out more about TT Pilates ›

      Grotto, Canada, by Partisans
      Cedarwood panelling creates an undulating terrain inside this sauna in Canada, curving up from the floor to form stepped seating and skewed porthole windows as well as enveloping the wood-burning stove.
      Set on a craggy outcrop on the shore of Lake Huron, it was designed to resemble a seaside grotto carved out by the water, while its exterior was moulded perfectly to the rock formation using a 3D scanner.
      Find out more about Grotto ›
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing bright-white kitchens, cosy conversation pits and self-designed homes by architects and designers.

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