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    Australia bans engineered stone due to silicosis risk

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    Australia has become the first country in the world to ban engineered stone, following rising cases of silicosis among workers who handle the material.

    The ban was agreed at a meeting of Australian federal and state workplace ministers on Wednesday, and will come into place across the country from 1 July 2024.
    The ban targets engineered stone, also known as agglomerated stone – a type of material made by mixing crushed stone with a resin binder.
    “This is a dangerous product”
    While it is valued as a durable and affordable alternative to natural stone for kitchen benchtops, the material can be dangerous while being cut because it releases a fine silica dust into the air.

    Australia has recorded rising cases of the lung disease silicosis in stonemasons who have handled the product, leading it to be dubbed “the asbestos of the 2020s” by union leader Zach Smith.
    “This is a dangerous product that’s known to cause the potentially fatal disease silicosis, and it has no place in our workplaces,” said Queensland industrial relations minister Grace Grace in a statement following the meeting.
    “The rate of silicosis illness in Australia for those working with engineered stone is unacceptable,” said her Western Australian counterpart Simone McGurk. “This prohibition will ensure future generations of workers are protected from silicosis associated with working with engineered stone.”
    Ban follows report finding no safe level of silica in engineered stone
    The move comes nine months after an investigation by three Australian news outlets accused supplier Caesarstone of not doing enough to warn people of the dangers of working with the material and the country’s construction union launched a campaign calling for the ban.
    A subsequent report by the national policy body Safe Work Australia found that engineered stone workers were significantly over-represented in silicosis cases and were being diagnosed with the disease at much younger ages than workers from other industries, with most being under the age of 35.

    Australia moves to ban engineered stone due to silicosis danger

    It also found that the risk from engineered stone was distinct from that of natural stone due to the material’s physical and chemical composition, and that this was likely contributing to more rapid and severe disease.
    The report concluded that no level of silica was safe in engineered stone and that the material should be prohibited in its entirety.
    Silicosis is caused by tiny particles of silica becoming embedded in the lining of the lungs and manifests in symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, weakness and fatigue.
    The condition is life-altering and potentially fatal, with many formerly healthy young sufferers describing being unable to work or play with their kids.
    Caesarstone commits to supplying Australia with “alternative products”
    In response to news of the ban, Caesarstone commented that while it disagreed with the decision, it is taking the necessary steps to ensure supply of alternative materials to Australian consumers.
    “The Caesarstone brand is well known in Australia and its products have earned tremendous success over the years,” said Caesarstone CEO Yos Shiran. “We are already taking steps to supply our Australian market with alternative products while maintaining our strong market presence.”
    It has previously argued that its material is safe if handled correctly and that the silicosis danger was the fault of employers and work safety bodies.
    Other companies including Ikea and Bunnings had already committed to phasing out the material in the Australian market.
    The ban will apply to the manufacturing, supplying, processing and installing of engineered stone but not its removal, repair, disposal or minor modifications.
    Australia’s workplace ministers will meet again in March 2024 to finalise details of the ban, including the transition period for contracts that have already been implemented and the precise definition of engineered stone.
    The country’s Model Work Health and Safety Regulations currently exclude concrete and cement products, bricks and pavers, porcelain, ceramic tiles, roof tiles, grout, mortar and render, and plasterboard from the definition of engineered stone, but ministers have indicated that additional products would be added to the exemptions.
    This may allow future engineered stone products to be exempted from the ban if there is “compelling evidence” that they can be used safely.

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      Traditional Korean pavilions inform open-sided Aesop store in Seoul

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      Skincare brand Aesop has collaborated with designer Samuso Hyojadong to create a store in Seochon, Seoul, that features an open facade and an oversized stone plinth.

      Positioned in one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Seoul’s Jongno-gu district, the Seochon outlet was created to “fit harmoniously within its local context”, according to Aesop’s design team.
      Aesop designed the Seochon store with Samuso HyojadongWhen designing the store, Aesop and Hyojadong took cues from the architecture of jeongjas – traditional Korean pavilions with no walls, which serve as spaces for resting and taking in the surrounding views.
      The street-facing facade was created with mesh metal screens that can open out entirely to create a storefront with no walls. Once closed, the woven metal backing creates translucent windows through which passersby observe the softly lit silhouettes of uniform rows of bottles.
      Reclaimed timber features on the interior”Samuso extended the floorplate outwards to create a threshold that conveys a generous sense of hospitality,” the Aesop design team told Dezeen.

      “One [jeongja] in particular that inspired us was the Soswaewon in the Damyang region, which was built in the sixteenth century and is surrounded by a verdant garden.”
      An oversized stone plinth displays Aesop productsFor the store’s material palette, the designers referenced the timber and stone that are typically used to build traditional Korean houses known as hanoks.
      A large, rough-edged stone plinth displaying clusters of products was positioned at the entrance while various wooden accents were created with timber reclaimed from salvage yards and an abandoned house.
      Copper was used to create geometric cabinetsThe store was also built on a raised stone platform, which nods to the traditional architecture.
      Hanji paper created from mulberry tree bark sourced from South Korea’s Gyeongnam province features on the store’s walls, which frame central geometric cabinetry and sleek taps made of locally produced aged copper.

      Aesop store in south Seoul is a cosy red-brick retreat

      The designers were restrained in their use of sanding, sealants and coatings when treating the materials, opting to embrace their “natural imperfections”.
      “Sensitivity to texture in this store is superlative,” reflected the design team. “Samuso wanted each material to express itself directly, without too much human intervention,” it continued, referencing the roughness of the stone and the reclaimed timber’s undulating texture.
      The metal was also used to design sleek tapsRosewood was used to create the store’s signature fragrance armoire, which is hidden from view until opened out and was conceived as a traditional Korean jewellery box, according to the design team.
      “Throughout the store, we were compelled by a desire to dissolve the boundaries between inside and outside, between the naturally occurring and the human-made,” concluded the designers.
      The store’s signature fragrance armoire was informed by Korean jewellery boxesKnown for stores that pay homage to their varied locations, Aesop has an outlet in Cambridge defined by handwoven bulrush shelves that nod to the nearby River Cam and a Sydney store furnished with domestic items to evoke 1960s Australian homes.
      The photography is courtesy of Aesop.

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      Eight textural kitchens that combine stone and wood surfaces

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      For this lookbook, we’ve collected eight kitchen interiors that marry the natural textures of wood and stone to create visual interest while remaining practical.

      Stone is a hardwearing and durable material, making it a popular choice for kitchen worktops, while wood adds a sense of warmth to interior spaces when applied to walls, floors or kitchen cabinets.
      In these kitchens, the natural grain of wood is complemented by striking stone surfaces, including cool-toned limestone, travertine, and a range of dramatically veined marble.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring mid-century home renovations, interiors centred around dining tables and spaces finished in reclaimed materials.
      Photo by Lorenzo Zandri and Christian BraileyMuswell Hill house, UK, by Architecture for London

      English studio Architecture for London renovated and extended this Edwardian home in London using natural materials in a bid to keep embodied emissions to a minimum.
      In the kitchen, cabinets were lined with oak wood while pale grey limestone was used for the floors, worktops, prep counter and a chunky window seat.
      The studio also exposed the original timber roof beams and complemented the minimal material palette with lime plaster on the walls, forming an airtight layer to mitigate heat loss.
      Find out more about the Muswell Hill house ›
      Photo by Daniëlle SiobhánZwaag family home, Netherlands, by DAB Studio
      For the kitchen renovation of this home in Zwaag, the Netherlands, Dutch interiors practice DAB Studio covered the walls and cabinets in Afromosia wood, and the floors and ceilings in smoked black-oiled oak.
      The Afromosia wood was quarter-sawn to reveal a decorative grain pattern and add a sense of playfulness to the space, while an Arebescato Orobico marble kitchen island acts as the room’s centrepiece.
      Find out more about Zwaag family home ›
      Photo by David Dworkind1980s Quebec home, Canada, by Ménard Dworkind
      A sculptural travertine island sits at the centre of the kitchen in this 1980s home in Quebec, which was renovated by Canadian architecture studio Ménard Dworkind.
      The studio also used a travertine slab to create a sliding backsplash, inserted into the warm oak cabinetry to conceal additional storage space.
      Find out more about the 1980s Quebec home ›
      Photo by Joe FletcherTwentieth, USA, by Woods + Dangaran
      For this kitchen in a Santa Monica home, Los Angeles studio Woods +Dangaran used a dark grey marble with bold white veining to form the island worktop and the surrounds of a recessed space in the wall units.
      White oak lines the floors, while a darker shade of walnut was used for wall panelling, cupboards and the sides of the island.
      Find out more about Twentieth ›

      Sydney Palm Beach house, Australia, by YSG
      Informed by the rustic beach clubs of Ibiza and Cancun, Australian interiors studio YSG overhauled a holiday home in Palm Beach, Sydney, with a mix of sunny colours and textures.
      In the kitchen, the studio sanded down the wooden floorboards to achieve a warmer tone and added an island made from two types of stone – Giallo Siena marble and travertine – to recall “the ombre shades of a freshly poured tequila sunrise”.
      Find out more about the Sydney Palm Beach house ›
      Photo by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm ArchitectsForest cabin, Sweden, by Norm Architects
      Danish studio Norm Architects kept the material palette minimal and rustic for this holiday cabin in a Swedish forest.
      Handleless kitchen cupboards are finished in oak to match the floors, complemented by a stone worktop that extends up into a short backsplash.
      Find out more about the forest cabin ›
      Photo by Daniel SalemiBrooklyn Loft, USA, by Dean Works
      White marble with grey-and-blue veining provides an eye-catching worktop, backsplash and shelving in the kitchen of Brooklyn Loft, an apartment designed by local studio Dean Works.
      Surrounding the marble is a large Baltic birch plywood storage unit that doubles as a room divider to separate the kitchen from the bedroom. A dark stone kitchen island was added to contrast the otherwise light-toned interior.
      Find out more about Brooklyn Loft ›
      Photo by Megan TaylorForest Hill house, UK, by 2LG Studio
      Playful pastel colours characterise the interior of this Edwardian home in London, which was renovated by 2LG Studio.
      The local firm aimed to balance Italian influences – in the form of the marble backsplash and kitchen island – with Scandinavian design elements such as the arched cabinets and grooved wood siding.
      Find out more about the Forest Hill house ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring mid-century home renovations, interiors centred around dining tables and spaces featuring reclaimed materials.

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      Ten contemporary interiors with innovative stone furniture

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      Spinning top-shaped granite chairs, marble shelves and a candy-coloured onyx counter are among the stone furniture pieces used for the interiors in our latest lookbook.

      Stone, especially marble, has long been used for dining and coffee tables, as well as for countertops. But a number of contemporary designers are now experimenting with bolder and more unusual stone furnishings.
      The examples in this lookbook range from a stone seat in a rural home built for an older couple to a striking granite counter in a Finnish clothing store and multicoloured swivelling marble chairs.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring ten interiors that make use of the colour of the year, homes with sliding doors and lounge areas with suspended fireplaces.
      Photo is by Margarita NikitakiEsperinos, Greece, by Stamos Michael

      Greek designer Stamos Michael designed the Esperinos guesthouse in Athens with a mix of furniture classics and his own designs. These include a small stool the designer made from two blocks of stone found in a quarry in Tinos, a Greek island in the Aegean sea.
      The stool’s rough texture matches the house’s structural stone shell, which Michael has displayed by carving out small sections of the walls.
      Find out more about Esperinos ›
      Photo is by Rory GardinerArmadillo showroom, Australia, by Studio Goss
      This Sydney showroom has a sparse, simple material palette of concrete, plaster and tiled surfaces that designers Studio Goss created to function as a backdrop to the rugs on show.
      In front of a tiled wall, a chunky stone table is surrounded by graphic black chairs, while an oversized paper lantern adds another geometric touch to the interior design.
      Find out more about Armadillo showroom ›
      Photo is by Ed ReeveSwivel, UK, by Sabine Marcelis
      Rotating chairs made from natural stone including granite, quartzite, marble and travertine make up the Swivel furniture installation by designer Sabine Marcelis.
      The colourful chairs were installed in St Giles Square as part of this year’s London Design Festival. “The main concept was to inject some colour, fun, lightheartedness and liveliness into the square – in an adult playground way,” Marcelis said.
      Find out more about Swivel ›
      Photo is by Simone BossiMA House, France, by Timothee Mercier
      A ruined farmhouse in France was turned into an “intimate refuge” named MA House by architect Timothee Mercier for his parents.
      In the peaceful white living room, white cushions were inserted into a blocky stone plinth to form a minimalist sofa with an angular shape.
      Find out more about MA House ›
      Photo is by Thibault De Schepper&C office, the Netherlands, by Anne Claus Interiors
      Pastel-hued onyx slabs decorate the stripy bar counter in Dutch media company &C’s hybrid office, store and cafe in Amsterdam, which was created by designer Anne Claus Interiors.
      The studio also used the material for display plinths in the shop, round tabletops in the cafe and for the boardroom’s table. The colours of the joyful stone furniture were chosen as they suit the &C brand.
      Find out more about &C office ›

      The Audo, Denmark, by Menu and Norm Architects
      The interior of Danish boutique hotel The Audo, designed by local studio Norm Architects as the headquarters for design brand Menu, features multiple elegant coffee tables made from black and white marble slabs.
      These veiny marble tables complement tactile white boucle sofas and the terracotta plaster walls in the earth-coloured bedrooms.
      Find out more about The Audo ›
      Photography is by Mikko RyhänenNanso, Finland, by Studio Joanna Laajisto
      Studio Joanna Laajisto’s interior design for the Nanso womenswear store in Helsinki, Finland, features plenty of natural materials, including a chunky service counter made from red granite from the nearby town of Mäntsälä.
      The studio also used the same stone to create a display stand, placing a slab atop a small metal box to form a sculptural and practical furniture piece.
      Find out more about Nanso ›

      Casa Salvatori, Italy, by Elissa Ossino Studio
      This Milanese apartment, filled with marble artworks and furniture, is fittingly owned by the head of Italian stone brand Salvatori. Designer Elissa Ossino Studio transformed the white apartment by using the brand’s own marble collection in creative ways.
      A Colonnata oak bookshelf features veiny marble shelf dividers in different colours, creating a sculptural piece that is as eye-catching when it’s empty as when it’s filled with books.
      Find out more about Casa Salvatori ›

      Spun chair, Singapore, by Heatherwick Studio
      London-based Heatherwick Studio reproduced its spinning top-shaped Spun chairs in marble for the garden of the brand’s EDEN skyscraper in Singapore.
      “As gardens are places for rest and contemplation, a seat seemed like a natural solution that would encourage people to either sit for a moment of quiet contemplation or to perhaps engage in a conversation with a neighbour,” Tom Glover, project leader at Heatherwick Studio, told Dezeen.
      Find out more about Spun chair ›

      Glogauer apartment, Germany, by White Arrow
      A circular travertine table in a decorative beige hue is matched with cane dining chairs inside the Glogauer apartment in Berlin, which New York studio White Arrow renovated for a young family.
      The flat was gutted to create more living space, though the designers preserved its existing high ceilings, ornate doorframes and coving. Vintage furnishings were used to decorate the new interior.
      Find out more about Glogauer apartment ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring ten interiors that make use of the colour of the year, homes with sliding doors and lounge areas with suspended fireplaces.

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      AIA Estúdio designs cave-like interior for clothing store in Rio de Janeiro

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      Organic shapes and stone-like surfaces characterise the interior of the Haight clothing store in Rio de Janeiro, which was designed by interior and landscaping design practice AIA Estúdio.

      A large pillar with a rough, textured surface dominates the 110-square-metre shop interior, expanding as it ascends before merging into the ceiling to create a cave-like space.
      A pillar transforms into a cave-like structure”Its height starts small and in the back part it ends higher in a nonlinear form, just like a cave,” AIA Estúdio founder Alice Tepedino told Dezeen.
      “The infinite and diverse processes of erosion that form cliffs, caves, stalactites, sands, stones and the movements of water with its tracks and shapes led to our creative process being part of the concept developed for the store’s spatiality.”
      Stone slabs around the pillar are used to display objectsRather than being a cumbersome obstacle, the pillar helps organise the shop’s circulation and movement of shoppers, according to the studio.

      “It is from the occupation around the pillar that the space fluidity is achieved. This disposition is enhanced by curved lines that define the path inside the store,” said Tepedino.
      Curved stone plates balance on rocksSlabs of soapstone and Bahia beige marble encircle the pillar at different heights and are propped up by Bahia beige marble rocks that create a display surface and a place for shoppers to sit.
      On the perimeter walls, niches with stainless steel bases display Haight’s clothing on brushed-brass rails.

      Fabric arches divide Jonathan Simkhai store in SoHo by Aruliden

      The metallic surfaces and straight edges of the niches contrast with the organic shapes and materials in the centre of the shop, which is located in the Shopping Leblon retail centre.
      Tepedino used indirect lighting in the niches to illuminate the space, mimicking cracks in cave walls where sunlight can seep through.
      Clothing is displayed on brushed-brass rails”The exhibition interspace was thought of as a cut in the walls, an operation emphasised by the transition of materiality,” said Tepedino.
      “Inside, there are exhibition racks in brushed brass, which, with their more solar aspect, contribute to subtly warming up the store’s ambience, together with the soapstone and its greyer tone.”
      The bottoms of wall niches are lined with steelTepedino’s design is the first of Haight’s stores to be located inside a shopping centre, which prompted the designer to approach the project in a different way.
      The entrance to the shop is a large opening that provides open access from the shopping centre to the nature-inspired shop interior.
      It is the first Haight store to be located in a mall”The design adopted a contrasting strategy between the store and mall, which, despite the rigid and controlled environment, offers opportunities such as the possibility of not having a door,” said Tepedino.
      “The brand’s conceptual basis is related to natural landscapes but when you are inside the mall, you find a language that is the opposite of Haight’s conceptual basis, with artificial elements and cold materiality.”
      Natural materials and surfaces were used throughout the shop interior”Once you’re inside the store you get disconnected from the artificial atmosphere of the rest of the building,” Tepedino continued.
      The project has been shortlisted in the small retail interiors category of Dezeen Awards 2022, alongside a surfaces showroom in Helsinki with colourful terrazzo-like walls and an oxblood red shop interior with walls decorated with Victorian-style balusters.
      The photography is by Maira Acayaba.

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      Ten contemporary living rooms with cool stone surfaces

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      Rough-hewn granite and smooth marble are among the materials chosen for the living rooms in this lookbook, which use stone to create elegant interiors.

      While stone surfaces can help rooms feel cooler during hot summer days, they also create a warm, organic atmosphere in modern interiors – especially when contrasted against glass surfaces and other natural materials, such as wood.
      For our latest lookbook, we’ve chosen 10 living rooms from the Dezeen archive in which different types of stone add textural interest and bring a touch of the outdoors into the home.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks on light-filled glass extensions, exposed wooden floorboards and timber-clad bathrooms.
      Photography is by Timothy KayeGrange Residence, Australia, by Conrad Architects

      Australian studio Conrad Architects described its design for Grange Residence as a “split form of minimalist stone blocks.” Inside the four-bedroom home, concrete and stone were used to create a minimalist interior.
      The living room is a smorgasbord of stone detailing, with marble used for both shelves and furniture and a contrasting stone chosen for a built-in bench.
      Find out more about Grange Residence ›
      Photography is by Prue RuscoeBudge Over Dover, Australia, by YSG
      The original travertine flooring was kept in interior design studio YSG’s renovation of Budge Over Dover house in Sydney.
      The smooth, glossy floor is contrasted with an aubergine-hued plaster ceiling and a pale green statement wall, while a black marble coffee table and maroon chairs complete the interior.
      Find out more about Budge Over Dover ›
      Photography is by Joe FletcherAtherton Contemporary, US, by Pacific Peninsula Architecture and Leverone Design
      Texas split-cut limestone was used for both the exterior and parts of the interior of this house in Silicon Valley, California.
      In the living room, the chunky wall creates an interesting backdrop to a low wooden sofa and a warm wooden floor. A shaggy pillow and ridged floor mat pick up on the uneven textures to create a subtly matching interior.
      Find out more about Atherton Contemporary ›
      Photography is by Durston SaylorWriter’s Studio, US, by Eric J Smith
      Located in a forest in Connecticut, US, this writer’s studio, which was designed for a poet, has an unusual writing and living room that has seemingly been attached to the exterior of the cantilevered building.
      The house’s exterior wall, which is made from fieldstone and bluestone, forms the back wall of the glass-cube room. Rough-hewn stone walls are featured throughout the studio.
      Find out more about Writer’s Studio ›
      Photography is by Darius PetrulaitisGreetings from Rome, Lithuania, by 2XJ
      A structured stone wall with arched openings has become a decorative centrepiece in this apartment in Lithuania, designed by local studio 2XJ. The studio clad the wall in slabs of Italian travertine to turn it into an elegant feature.
      “We decided to highlight this wall and create the home around it, to separate the house into active and restful spaces,” the studio explained.
      Find out more about Greetings from Rome ›
      Photography is by Bruce ColeLoghaven Artist Residency, US, by Sanders Pace Architecture
      A decorative rustic stone wall holds the hearth in Sanders Pace Architecture’s Loghaven artist campus, nestled within a forest in eastern Tennessee.
      The rough-hewn stone contrasts against a wooden ceiling and white plaster walls, while a patterned rug and leather daybed add cosy touches to the large living room.
      Find out more about Loghaven Artist Residency ›
      Photography is by Mark Seelen, Ambroise Tezenas and François HalardChalet, Switzerland, by Liaigre
      Paris studio Liaigre refurbished this Swiss chalet in St Moritz, excavating a basement to add a sauna and a spa.
      The granite leftover from the excavation was used to line the living room walls, creating an interior that nods to the snow-capped mountains outside.
      Find out more about this Swiss chalet ›
      Photography is by Jeremy BittermannLaurelhurst, US, by MW Works
      US studio MW Works updated this 1960s home in Seattle to create a more open layout. A material palette of wood, concrete, stone and glass was used for the renovation.
      The studio aimed to create a stronger connection between the interiors and the outdoors, as seen in the living room. Here, floor-to-ceiling windows open up to the outside, while the fireplace has been re-clad in dry-stack limestone to create a decorative textural contrast.
      Find out more about Laurelhurst ›
      Photography is by David CerveraRaw House, Mexico, by Taller Estilo Arquitectura
      Located in Yucatán, Mexico, Raw House opens up towards a leafy courtyard garden. Just inside the courtyard, the living room floor is covered in smooth grey marble, creating an elegant and cooling interior.
      Dark-brown wooden and leather furniture, including a pair of classic Barcelona chairs by Mies van der Rohe, give the room an organic feel.
      Find out more about Raw House ›
      Photography is by Building NarrativesStone House, UK, by Architecture for London
      This extension to a family home in London was designed as a monolithic stone shape, with a playful interior that includes a small arched entrance for the family’s cat.
      The tiered terrace that extends from the outside to form a plinth inside was built from an agglomerate stone made from recycled waste quarried in Lombardy, Italy.
      Find out more about Stone House ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks on light-filled glass extensions, exposed wooden floorboards and timber-clad bathrooms.

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