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    Bude Architects uncovers historic clay bricks for Kyiv cosmetics showroom

    Ukrainian studio Bude Architects has designed a minimalist showroom and salon for cosmetic company Pleka in Kyiv.

    As the first step in a brand transformation for Pleka, the studio designed the showroom in an early 20th-century building to showcase natural materials with a neutral and inviting colour palette.
    Bude Architects has taken a minimalist approach to the showroom interiorHistoric yellow bricks made from local clay, which are characteristic of architecture in Kyiv during the 19th and early 20th century, were exposed throughout the interior.
    The studio showcased the material as it was keen to create a space that resonated with the architecture of the building, with other materials selected to complement this brickwork.
    Exposed yellow brick has been incorporated as a key feature throughout the interior”The choice of materials was influenced by the space background,” Bude Architects co-founder Julia Shataliuk told Dezeen.

    “We wanted to showcase the historic yellow brick, so we were looking for good companions for it.”
    The multifunctional showroom incorporates a retail space and a beauty salonThe studio combined the brickwork with natural woods, travertine and an earthy shade of decorative plaster, with the aim of creating a warm environment to reflect Pleka’s brand identity.
    “The brand’s core value is a careful and attentive attitude towards its customers,” Julia Shataliuk explained. “They manifest the importance of each person taking care of themselves.”
    “It was important for us to create a space that would convey the brand’s openness, create a special atmosphere, and improve the customer experience,” she continued. “This is reflected in the spatial solutions and materials.”
    Pared back, neutral tones have been used throughout the space to create a calming environmentBude Architects designed the space to encourage customers to interact with staff and test the products as well as utilising the beauty services on offer.
    “Pleka had a request to give customers more attention and an individual approach,” said Julia Shataliuk. “The result of the cooperation is a hybrid space where they comfortably unite a store and an express beauty salon in a small area.”
    Designated seating areas were incorporated into the scheme to create a comfortable customer experienceSet in a sunken ground floor, the showroom’s entrance space has a large reception desk, a client meeting area and a large, feature shelving unit. The studio designed the space to draw people in from the busy street.
    “It was crucial for us to use the shape of the room and its content to attract the attention of passers-by from the street through the windows,” explained co-founder Denys Shataliuk.
    A large dining table adds a homely element to the interiorThe shelving unit on the far wall functions as a focal point within the space to highlight the retail products – made from aluminium and mounted onto a mirrored surface, the unit was intended to contrast with the earthy tones of the interior.
    This section also contains a large meeting table, which acts as a designated area for clients to meet with staff and emphasises Pleka’s aim of building lasting customer relationships.

    Glass bricks divide spaces in Suprematism apartment in Kyiv

    “When we researched the brand to reflect its identity in the interior, we learned that the company establishes warm and long-term relationships with its customers,” said Denys Shataliuk.
    “It was important to express this friendliness through the space by creating an atmosphere of trust and comfort.”
    The large shelving unit acts as a focal point to showcase Pleka’s cosmetic productsAt the rear of the showroom, the second room has a more private atmosphere, with “a functional double-sided island with a built-in-sink” utilised for product testing and Pleka’s beauty salon services.
    Small hearts have also been incorporated throughout the interior scheme to reflect the brand identity, featured on custom clothing hooks and metal inlays in the worktops.
    The double-sided island is used for product testing and beauty salon servicesBude Architects was founded by Ukrainian couple, Denys and Julia Shataliuk. Originally from Kharkiv, the architects were forced to relocate to Kyiv due to the ongoing conflict. Other recently completed projects in Kyiv include a Nastia Mirzoyan’s renovation of a Stalinist-era flat and a colourful industrial-style interior created by design studio Dihome.

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    Eligo Studio creates homely Milan showroom for winemaker Masciarelli

    A display unit wrapped in burgundy-coloured leather forms the centrepiece of this apartment-style showroom in Milan, designed by local firm Eligo Studio for Italian winemaker Masciarelli Tenute Agricole.

    The showroom on Corso Magenta was conceived by Eligo Studio as a warm and welcoming space, where visiting clients and members of the press can sample Masciarelli’s wines and experience the brand’s culture in an informal yet professional setting.
    Masciarelli has opened a showroom in Milan”We strongly believe that retail spaces should have a domestic, experiential and welcoming atmosphere,” Eligo Studio founder Alberto Nespoli told Dezeen.
    “We look to avoid cliches and fashions and instead create a timeless aesthetic.”
    A display unit wrapped in burgundy-coloured leather forms its centrepieceThe studio worked together with Masciarelli to define a brief for the project that reflects the winemaker’s passion for art, as well as ideas around local culture and tradition.

    The interior comprises different functional areas including a kitchen, dining and living room, connected by passages and unified by a consistent, tannin-rich colour palette.
    The showroom was designed to resemble an apartmentThe domestic feel results from the size of the spaces and the treatment of elements such as the exposed ceiling beams, which were sandblasted and carefully restored.
    The rooms feature rich tones and tactile materials such as the lime plaster on the walls and lacquered woods in burgundy, chocolate and cream that are complemented by furniture upholstered in soft leather.

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    At the centre of the 120-square-metre floor plan is a display unit wrapped in burgundy-coloured leather that provides functional storage as well as displaying a collection of Masciarelli bottles in backlit niches.
    Flooring throughout the showroom is made from resin, which provides a practical and neutral backdrop for the more colourful and textural surfaces.
    The kitchen features an island that functions as a chef’s table for tastings, cooking displays and presentations. Its tapered outline was designed to reference the iconic Pirelli Building designed by Milanese architect Gio Ponti.
    The kitchen features an island informed by Gio Ponti’s Pirelli BuildingIn the dining room, a large oval table and leather chairs by Mario Bellini provide a relaxed setting for hosting press events, tastings and meetings.
    The showroom also features an informal living room with a sofa, armchairs and a large artwork by painter Nicola Troilo. Eligo Studio and Masciarelli worked together to select the art in the showroom, with a focus on artists from the Abruzzo region where the winery is based.
    To maintain a minimal aesthetic throughout the spaces, bespoke joinery was crafted to conceal functional areas including workstations hidden within cabinets in the entrance hall.
    Art by Nicola Troilo hangs in the living roomA mirrored door slides open to reveal the WC, where walls are painted in a colour chosen to evoke wines from the famous Montepulciano region in Tuscany.
    Nespoli founded Eligo Studio with Domenico Rocca to offer clients an “Italian interior design couture approach”.
    Similar shop interiors that have recently been featured on Dezeen include a wine cave in Valldolid, Spain, and a Williamsburg wine bar with “soothing” interiors.

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    ANY designs New York showroom and research library for Vowels

    New York studio ANY has designed the first physical retail space for streetwear brand Vowels, including an 18-metre-long “library” that holds a rotating collection of design books.

    The appointment-only showroom at 76 Bowery in Manhattan opened to coincide with the launch of Vowels’ debut “made in Japan” capsule collection.
    The Vowels showroom in Manhattan contrasts raw concrete and crisp white wallsCreative director Yuki Yagi worked with ANY co-founder Nile Greenberg to create a multi-functional environment that can display apparel, host events and offer customers access to a curation collection of books.
    The narrow space features exposed concrete surfaces and exposed services, contrasted by a minimalist white volume inserted on one side.
    The space includes a compact exhibition area called the Study that will feature rotating displaysAt the front, this box forms an exhibition space named the Study that’s visible from the street through the fully glazed facade.

    Hosting a rotating display of objects and artworks, the exhibitions will inform the collection of printed materials displayed in the store.
    The opening exhibition features Edo-period Japanese furniture sourced in the Yamanashi PrefectureA large wooden door swing over a hole in the clean white wall that allows access into the showcase, while the same richly grained material forms a sales counter at the other end of the showroom.
    Meanwhile, the rare books, magazines and periodicals are stored and presented within a long, glossy black case that stretches 60 feet (18 metres) through the centre of the showroom.
    A custom case filled with hundreds of rare design books stretches through the centre of the showroom”The curated selection, categorised by the Vowels team of researchers and designers, is organised using a system that follows the letters A, E, I, O, and U,” the team said.
    “This archive of printed materials is part of Yagi’s personal collection, serving as reference and inspiration throughout his career.”

    Checkerboard walls wrap Awake NY store by Rafael de Cárdenas

    Visitors are encouraged to peruse the collection, and use computers equipped with high-resolution scanners to make digital copies of materials.
    “The space at once recalls both a clean working environment and a comfortable reading room,” said the brand.
    Vowels’ debut capsule collection is displayed towards the rearTowards the back of the showroom is a wider area where a platform with bleacher seating and speakers built into mesh boxes is used for programming like film screenings, talks, panel discussions and music performances.
    Coffee service with beans sourced from Japan and the Vowels capsule collection are also accommodated in the rear space, while photos of the campaign shot by renowned Japanese photographer Takashi Homma are displayed alongside the library.
    Both the showroom and exhibition space are visible through the fully glazed facade on BoweryThe Vowels showroom borders the Lower East Side neighbourhood, where many streetwear brands have physical shops and showrooms.
    Other recent additions to the retail scene in the area include the yellow-hued Le Père store by BoND and the checkerboard-wrapped Awake NY space by Rafael de Cárdenas.
    The photography is by Dean Kaufman.

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    Max Radford Gallery opens London showroom to get people “in front of real objects”

    Max Radford Gallery has opened a permanent space in east London that shows collectible designs from its past shows, including pieces by Carsten in der Elst and Amelia Stevens.

    Located in Hackney Downs, the showroom displays works that the gallery first showed at Belgium’s Collectible design fair, as well as pieces from earlier exhibitions.
    The showroom is located in east LondonBy combining works from different stages of its designers’ careers, the gallery aims to showcase how the artists it works with have developed over the years.
    “It’s a privilege to be able to track a designer’s development and change in their practice across a few pieces in the same space,” founder Max Radford told Dezeen.
    It features pieces by 15 designersThe gallery, which launched in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, focuses on emerging artists. By opening a physical space, it hopes to also help them reach a bigger audience.

    “The Max Radford Gallery seeks to platform emerging creatives who are working in the grayscale between art and design with a London-centric focus,” Radford said.
    “This has always been the particular area that the gallery has been engaged with and stems from a need for physical spaces to see these types of works in London, rather than just on social media – as the only option was when the gallery was beginning.”
    Collectible furniture designs are on display at the galleryAmong the artists showing in the space are In der Elst, whom the gallery had previously included in its Hard Knocks show, and Stevens, who took part in Max Radford Gallery’s exhibition at the Aram Gallery.
    The new space also showcases furniture and accessories by designers Georgia Merritt, Fred Thompson, Grace Prince, Nic Sanderson, Inga Tilda, Eddie Olin, EJR Barnes, Ty Locke, LS Gomma, Natalia Tifantilyi, Andrew Pierce Scott, Louie Isaaman-Jones and Matthew Verdon.

    Aram and Max Radford Gallery showcase emerging designers in Now 4 Then exhibition

    Max Radford Gallery is now located in a minimalist studio, which its founder intends to keep as a paired-back space.
    “The showroom is a beautiful white-painted studio space with just over half of the floor plan having triple height up to skylights, producing beautiful changing light across the day,” Radford said.
    “We haven’t made any architectural changes to the space and are not sure that we will, potentially with the exception of some sort of temporary mezzanine in the triple height space for an exhibition-specific installation,” he added.
    Max Radford Gallery focuses on emerging designersBy opening a permanent gallery, Radford wants to support London’s community of emerging designers.
    “It’s for the community aspect that is introduced by the communal use of creative space; there is a burgeoning community of designers and artists in London with lots of crossovers through universities and workshops that support and raise up its members,” he said.
    “Facilitating a space for communities like this to express and interact seems like a key aspect to supporting what is going on here in London currently,” he added.
    The showroom features pieces from previous exhibitionsHe also hopes that the physical aspect of the space will encourage people to see design pieces in person.
    “It’s as simple as getting people in front of real objects, not just heavily retouched or rendered images of them,” Radford concluded.
    The photography is by Richard Round Turner.

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    Sabine Marcelis creates colour-blocked scenography for VitraHaus loft

    A mint-green lounge pit and custard-yellow home office are among several colourful set pieces installed by designer Sabine Marcelis on the top floor of Vitra’s Herzog & de Meuron-designed flagship store in Weil am Rhein, Germany.

    Marcelis, who is known for her work exploring colour, translucency and reflection, was invited to create a series of domestic scenes within the VitraHaus loft that feature some of the furniture company’s most iconic products.
    The scenography immerses visitors in a world of colour, with the various spaces providing a vision of domestic life that aims to be both practical and imaginative.
    Sabine Marcelis has transformed the VitraHaus loft showroom in Germany”The philosophy behind the design closely mirrors how we created our family home,” said Marcelis, who organised Vitra Design Museum’s archive into a colour-coordinated exhibition called Colour Rush in 2022.
    “It features a large open space divided into functional zones, delineated by colour. We then blended my creations with those of other designers, artists and, of course, Vitra furniture to create a cohesive whole.”

    A series of domestic scenes showcases colour-blocked furnitureMarcelis worked closely with Vitra to transform the loft of the flagship store on the Vitra Campus, also home to Zaha Hadid’s dynamic Fire Station and Frank Gehry’s swirling museum building.
    The loft, with its gabled openings framing views of the surrounding countryside, has a domestic scale that is accentuated through the choice of furnishings and the layering of colour and materials.
    Marcelis is known for her experiments with translucency”The VitraHaus loft is the perfect canvas to display the diversity of Vitra furniture,” said Till Weber, the company’s creative director of interiors and scenography. “It provides a collage where we can mix and match furniture for the characters that live within it.”
    “The tones and hues Sabine has used are recognisable from the natural, organic world and they have a rich interaction with the various spaces – things are connected but do not all perfectly match,” he continued.
    Limited edition food-inspired colours of the Panton Chair are displayed throughoutVisitors arriving via a lift enter a cool-green living area featuring a large lounge pit created using Jasper Morrison’s Soft Modular Sofa. The sofa is complemented by a green rug and Marcelis’s floor-standing Curve Light.
    “The original sofa system is generally used to create L shapes and we’ve just merged it all to form this enveloping pit,” the designer said.
    “I think it’s so important to have a good lounge. It can be really fun – I have a lounge pit at home as well and it’s the core of the house. It’s so good to just jump in there.”
    Reflective surfaces are another hallmark of Marcelis’s workThe lounge space is one of seven distinct areas, each designed to celebrate a different colour. These include a soft-pink bathroom with a custom onyx tub, sink and vanity.
    Other zones include a small seating area with caramel-coloured carpeting that matches the leather upholstery on a pair of George Nelson’s Coconut Chairs, as well as a minimalist kitchen with shelving and stools in a plum hue.
    A custard-yellow home office is also among the colour-blocked set pieces”The colours used in the VitraHaus Loft are personal favourites,” Marcelis said.
    “I like these colours and never tire of them, which makes them timeless for me. I think this attitude is important for anyone creating their own home.”
    The bathroom features a soft-pink onyx tub and vanity unitIncorporated within the scenography are iconic pieces from Vitra’s archive including two of Verner Panton’s midcentury furniture designs, which Marcelis has updated in seven new colours.
    The limited edition versions of the Panton Chair Classic and the Visiona Stool are produced in food-inspired hues including bubble gum, butter, honeydew and plum that match the colour scheme used in the VitraHaus Loft.
    Along with upholstery in the seven new colours, Marcelis specified different types of finishes for the cylindrical Visiona pouf, including faux fur and untreated leather.
    Also on show are Marcelis’s own designs including the Candy Cube side tableThe designer also selected artworks by friends and collaborators that help to create a homely feel throughout the spaces.
    Pieces by Maria Pratts, Johnny Mae Hauser and Carolijn Jacobs feature alongside printed bedsheets by Ehsan Morshed, which were created for the VitraHaus Loft and are available to purchase at the VitraHaus.
    Caramel-coloured carpeting matches Coconut Chairs in one seating areaMarcelis has worked on numerous projects in recent years that display her innovative take on colour and materiality.
    Most recently, she created colourful plinths for the match balls of the Euro 2024 football tournament and designed a conceptual version of the Renault Twingo car featuring a semi-transparent exterior and raspberry-coloured interior.
    The photography is by Clemens Poloczek.

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