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    Six of the best restaurant interiors in California

    From rustic fine dining to colourful ceilings designed to “stimulate the appetite”, here are six top examples of interior design for restaurants from California.

    Loqui in Downtown Los Angeles, California, by Wick Architecture & Design
    Los Angeles studio Wick Architecture & Design looked to materials more commonly found on construction sites when designing Loqui, the second location of a “mom and pop” taqueria in Downtown Los Angeles.

    Concrete floors and exposed pipes from the renovation have been left in situ while walls and surfaces are clad with terracotta brick and olive-pained stucco. Tables, chairs and benches are made of stained oak and the facade is made of patinated steel.
    Find out more about Loqui ›

    Madison in San Diego, California, by Archisects
    California studio Archisects designed bright-blue alcoves and cedar-clad walls and ceilings for Madison, a restaurant and cocktail bar built in a former nightclub in San Diego’s University Heights neighbourhood.
    The designers used wood and geometric shapes to create a warm and welcoming space, with nautical light fixtures that nod to the city’s coastal location.
    Find out more about Madison ›

    Bavel in Los Angeles Arts District, California, by Studio Unltd
    Los Angeles-based Studio Unltd turned a former warehouse in the Los Angeles Arts District into a Middle Eastern restaurant called Bavel (pictured top and above).
    Plants trail down whitewashed walls and banquettes are upholstered with geometric-patterned fabric. The bar area draws inspiration from Casablanca, Morocco, with pink metal seats and gold-and-turquoise shelves set in arched niches.
    Find out more about Bavel ›

    Auburn on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue, California, by Klein Agency
    Jon and Maša Kleinhample, a husband-and-wife design team from Belgium, wanted to create a homey aesthetic for Auburn, a fine-dining restaurant on Melrose Avenue.
    The kitchen is open to the dining area and crockery is stored in open-faced cupboards. Rustic ceiling beams project from the inside through to an outdoor dining area where a tree grows through a hole cut into the roof.
    Find out more about Auburn ›

    Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura in Beverly Hills, California, by Gucci
    The Gucci store in Beverly Hills has its own Italian restaurant on the top floor. The intimate 50-cover eatery is designed to look like the fashion house’s restaurant in Florence, with a marble entrance and tapestry rugs spread over wooden parquet flooring.
    An outdoor terrace has a mosaic floor patterned with stars and a retractable awning that is supported by steel beams painted jade green.
    Find out more about Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura ›

    The Salted Pig in Riverside, California, by Project M Plus
    Project M Plus, a Los Angeles-based collective of architects and designers, used a palette of warm tones to “stimulate the appetite and the senses” for this restaurant in Riverside.
    The ceiling and exposed ducts are brick red, with sage-green accents in the dining space below. Banquettes upholstered in leather are wrapped in wooden louvres and illuminated with domed copper lights.
    Find out more about The Salted Pig ›

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    Ten loft conversions by architects that add extra space to homes

    Our latest lookbook shines a light on residential loft conversions from Dezeen’s archive, including rooftop extensions on existing dwellings and apartments built in underused attics.

    Opening up the volume beneath the roof is a popular way of squeezing more space out of a dwelling or building. The new spaces often feature unusual geometries, which a skilled architect can exploit to create dramatic and characterful new rooms.
    This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series feature plant-filled interiors, colourful kitchens and stylish home-working spaces.

    West Heath Drive, UK, Alexander Martin
    London architect Alexander Martin converted the disused loft of an Arts and Crafts-style house in Hampstead to create this pared-back and light-filled guest room and study.
    It has a T-shaped plan and was therefore divided into three rooms – one of which is hidden behind a moving wall that is disguised as an integrated bookcase. The guest room is finished with white walls, a dark wooden floor and a vintage Greaves and Thomas teak sofabed.
    Find out more about West Heath Drive ›

    House for a Sea Dog, Italy, by Dodi Moss
    While renovating the loft of a 17th-century apartment block in Genoa, architecture and engineering studio Dodi Moss inserted a mezzanine floor that serves as a bed deck to maximise usable floor space under the eaves.
    It has a rustic finish, characterised by an exposed wooden roof structure, unvarnished wooden floors and a rough plaster wall, and is furnished with a simple IKEA stool for use as a bedside table.
    Find out more about House for a Sea Dog ›

    Dormore, UK, by Con Form Architects
    Dormore is a bright home office nestled within the small attic of a house in London, which was converted for a client who needed a space to work from home. A large slice was cut out of the original roof and filled with glazing and a large dormer window to bring light inside.
    It is accessed by a compact folded steel staircase and finished with oak joinery and a whitewashed floor, alongside exposed brick walls and a Hans Wegner Wishbone Chair.
    Find out more about Dormore ›

    Rounded Loft, Czech Republic, by A1 Architects
    Czech studio A1 Architects built a two-storey apartment within the attic of an apartment block in Prague. Its living room, which occupies the lower level, is lit by windows slotted within the attic’s sloping roof and finished with tactile wooden furnishings and grey plaster walls.
    The lower level also contains bedrooms and is linked to a guest suite on the small upper floor by a staircase lined with wooden bookshelves and a steel net that takes the place of a bannister.
    Find out more about Rounded Loft ›

    Maynard Road, UK, by Widger Architecture
    A pair of minimalist bedrooms lined with plywood occupy the old attic of this first-floor flat in Hackney, which was converted by London studio Widger Architecture.
    As the attic had a sloped roof with limited head height, the architect introduced a flat roof dormer that spans the entire width of the property. While maximising headroom, it also allowed the studio to introduce more windows to invite more light inside.
    Find out more about Maynard Road ›

    Alpine Apartment, Slovenia, by Architektura d.o.o.
    This loft space was converted into a two-bedroom apartment by Slovenian studio Architektura d.o.o. for the client to use as a family holiday home in the lakeside town of Bled.
    At the centre is a kitchen, flanked by two bedrooms, a living room and an entrance hall. As the kitchen has no exposure to natural light the living room entrance has no door, in order to help illuminate the space.
    The home is complete with white custom-built furniture that aligns with the irregularly shaped attic ceiling, while pale wooden floorboards nod to the home’s Alpine setting. These finishes are complemented by wooden Wishbone Chairs by Hans Wegner and white folding chairs from IKEA.
    Find out more about Alpine Apartment ›

    Gallery House, UK, by Studio Octopi
    London architect Studio Octopi renovated and extended the dead space below the pitched roof of this terraced Victorian house in Battersea to create a separate reading room and study.
    The two rooms are unified by a perforated black steel staircase and their matching spruce plywood walls and floors. Pared-back furnishings are dotted throughout, including a pair of About A Lounge Chairs by Hay in the reading room.
    Find out more about Gallery House ›

    Attic conversion in Antwerp, Belgium, by Van Staeyen Interieur Architecten
    A dark attic that was used for storage was converted into this bright multi-functional room at a house in Antwerp. It contains a bed, seating area and bathroom defined by spruce-clad partitions with arched portals, curved seating and yellow detailing.
    It was designed by Van Staeyen Interieur Architecten for the clients to use as a guest room and a social space for their daughters to spend time with their friends as they get older.
    Find out more about Attic conversion in Antwerp ›

    Project Escape (to the Roof), UK, by A Small Studio
    Architecture practice A Small Studio created a reading room, bedroom, dressing room and bathroom for a family within the loft of their Victorian home in south-east London.
    Between the bathroom and reading room, there is also a new free-standing solid oak stair that helps bring light into the lower levels of the home. Three large dormer windows on one side of the loft frame views of the back garden.
    The conversion’s focal point is its reading room, which is complete with a Plastic Armchair RAR by Charles and Ray Eames and a black DLM side table by Hay.
    Find out more about Project Escape (to the Roof) ›

    Attic conversion, France, by F+F Architects
    This spacious light-filled apartment was built by Parisian studio f+f architects by converting the attic of an art nouveau building in Strasbourg. Over two levels, it comprises bedrooms, bathrooms and an office, alongside an open-plan living space with a kitchen, dining area and terrace.
    The attic’s original pine flooring was preserved and treated with lye, an alkali used to lighten wood, while existing trusses have been painted white and left exposed throughout.
    Find out more about this attic conversion ›
    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 colourful interiors, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

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    Ten peaceful Scandi living rooms that feature minimalist design and natural materials

    For this week’s lookbook, we have picked ten Scandi-style living rooms from the Dezeen archive that play with textures and showcase natural materials, elegant accessories and muted colours.

    Scandi style is a term used to describe designs from the three Scandinavian countries – Sweden, Denmark and Norway – but has also become a catchphrase that denotes minimalist interior design that uses plenty of natural materials, especially wood.
    Wooden floors are traditional in Scandinavian homes, where they are often matched with wood details such as panelling and classic mid-century modern furniture.
    Scandi living rooms often feature white or pale walls, which are common in the Nordic countries where the long, dark winter months mean people tend to choose light colours for their interiors.
    Many of the ten interiors below also play with textures, adding fluffy throws to simple sofas, tactile rugs to wooden floors and rattan and leather seating.
    This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous roundups include L-shaped kitchens, interiors that use internal glazing and inviting courtyards.

    Gjøvik House, Norway, by Norm Architects
    Located an hour outside of Oslo, Gjøvik House comprises six interconnected blocks with interiors featuring mottled grey walls, earthen textiles and warm wooden panelling.
    Pale grey hues were used for the living room, which has a soft Bollo chair designed by Andreas Engesvik for Foglia and a modular sofa in a neutral grey tone.
    According to the architect, the spaces were designed to have a “cosy and inviting feel, where you can truly hibernate while taking shelter from the frigid days of Nordic winter.”
    Find out more about Gjøvik House ›

    TypeO Loft, Sweden, by TypeO
    The living room area of creative studio TypeO’s guest loft in southern Sweden features floor-to-ceiling glazing that opens up onto a large balcony.
    A coffee table by Isamu Noguchi for Vitra matches the wooden floor and beams and is complemented by Ligne Roset’s Togo armchairs in black leather. Sculptural decorative details add an art gallery-like feel to the bright living space.
    Find out more about TypeO Loft ›

    20 Bond Apartment, US, by Home Studios
    Design firm Home Studios filled the 20 Bond Apartment in New York with bespoke furniture and vintage finds, including a leather Safari chair by Danish designer Kai Winding.
    An entire wall is taken up by a bespoke shelving unit that the studio made from oak wood and brass, adding another Scandinavian-style feature to the room. A rattan table and a pink resin side table by Sabine Marcelis add a tactile touch.
    Find out more about 20 Bond Apartment ›

    Sculptor’s Residence, Sweden, by Norm Architects, Menu and Dux
    Norm Architects, Menu and Dux collaborated on this installation that was designed to resemble the “eclectic living quarters of a creative.” Muted brown and beige hues lend the interiors an earthy, organic feel, which is contrasted by the elegance of the black marble table and black sculptures.
    Menu’s Hashira floor lamp adds a subtle nod to Japanese interiors, and its sleek surface offsets the knobbly texture of the brand’s Eave Dining Sofa Bench.
    Find out more about Sculptor’s Residence ›

    Villa Weinberg, Denmark, by Mette and Martin Weinberg
    Wienberg Architects collaborated with fellow Danish architects Friis & Moltke to overhaul the 1940s Villa Weinberg. The result is a warm, inviting home lined with oil-treated oak walls.
    The wood-clad living room also has a simple wooden coffee table and poufs for lounging on, as well as a built-in leather-clad bench. A rice lamp and sheepskin throw add texture to the wooden interior.
    Find out more about Villa Weinberg ›

    Solviken, Sweden, by Johan Sundberg
    Scandi living rooms tend to have very neutral colours, but in this space in a Swedish holiday home, two comfy sofas in a calming seafoam green create a bright focal point in the room. The hue is picked up by a painting at the end of the large, open-plan kitchen and living room.
    Small unpainted wooden coffee tables match the floor and the wooden storage cabinets alongside one wall.
    Find out more about Solviken ›

    London townhouse, UK, by Daytrip
    Design studio Daytrip’s renovation and expansion of an east London townhouse includes a living room with white walls, a wooden floor and furniture in muted colours.
    A textured “Banana” sofa designed by Danish Cabinetmaker, contrasts with the glass Trebol side table by Oscar Tusquets Blanca.
    Numerous ceramics and sculptures surround the open fireplace and add life and interest to the sleek white interior.
    Find out more about London townhouse ›

    Lyceum Apartments, Sweden, by Andreas Martin-Löf Arkitekter
    The Lyceum Apartments in Stockholm are located in the Old Technical College’s Pharmaceutical Institute and feature light-filled rooms with clean designs and historical details.
    In the living room, a curved white sofa contrasts against the angular shapes of Pierre Jeanneret’s wood and cane Easy Chairs, Soft beige curtains match the neutral hues of the rest of the room.
    Find out more about Lyceum Apartments ›

    Sommarhus T, Sweden, by Johan Sundberg
    This summer house by Johan Sundberg features a green sofa and a matching armchair. Both are from Danish brand &tradition and match the verdant greenery outside the large glass windows.
    A practical wooden table holds globe-shaped glass vases matching the slightly uneven glass lamps in the ceiling. The entire room is clad in pale wood, including the spruce floors, creating a calm, peaceful interior. The fixed furniture in the home was made from oak.
    Find out more about Sommarhus T ›

    Birkedal, Denmark, by Jan Henrik Jansen
    A circular holiday home on the island of Møn in Denmark features a playful living room with white-panelled walls and a floor covered in small white pebbles collected from the beach.
    A built-in curved sofa has brown leather seats that have been made cosier with added throws and pillows, and a small circular side table provides space for books, magazines and snacks.
    Find out more about Birkedal ›
    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 colourful interiors, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

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