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    Loewe store in Seoul designed as “art collector’s home”

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    Spanish fashion house Loewe paid homage to its own craft history in this Seoul store, which features artwork including a multi-level bamboo sculpture and a basket woven entirely from horse hair.

    The store is located in Seoul’s Gangnam district and is the first Casa Loewe branch in South Korea.
    Loewe has opened a new shop in Seoul’s Gangnam districtA gleaming monolithic facade characterises the exterior, covered in handmade ceramic tiles in a verdant shade of green.
    “With tiles crafted in Spain, the facade is a bold volume of colour and texture that sits in dialogue with the store’s urban context and surrounding greenery,” said Loewe.
    Tile-clad plinths and shelving features insideThe interior spans three floors and also features a selection of brown, green and blue tiles, which clad blocky plinths and shelves displaying garments, bags and footwear.

    By incorporating art throughout the store, Loewe aimed to reference its origins as a leather-making collective in the 19th century, as well as nodding to its annual craft prize.
    Eclectic artwork characterises the storeThe collection of pieces includes a multi-level bamboo sculpture by Japanese artist Tanabe Chikuunsai IV. The bamboo was used to form a duo of cylinders resembling tree trunks, which stretch from the ground floor’s central atrium up onto the first floor, where they intertwine.
    Among the other artwork on show is a delicate vessel by 2022 Craft Prize winner Dahye Jeong, who wove an intricate basket out of wispy strands of horse hair.
    The collection includes a multi-level bamboo sculpture by Tanabe Chikuunsai IVAccording to Loewe, the brand conceived the store as “a place where a blend of fashion, art, craft and design furniture creates the eclectic feel of an art collector’s home”.
    Furniture pieces are finished in a selection of materials ranging from custom felt to black walnut and canvas.

    Loewe presents 24 lamps characterised by “unexpected interactions” with light

    Bespoke Loewe leather benches provide seating for trying on shoes, while black terrazzo and burnt wood were used to create tables and podiums respectively.
    Artisanal wool carpets were patterned with abstract interpretations of tapestries by British textile artist John Allen that depict expansive landscapes.
    Wool carpets were finished with abstract interpretations of tapestries by John AllenThe rest of the interior is defined by swathes of concrete that contrast with the eclectic artworks on display, as well as oak, brass and marble accents.
    This May, Mexican ceramicist Andrés Anza was named the seventh winner of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize for her “arresting” human-sized ceramic sculpture. Elsewhere in East Asia, the fashion house recently opened a store in Osaka, Japan, specifically dedicated to the repair and preservation of Loewe leather goods.
    The photography is courtesy of Loewe. 

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      Aesop clads London store with tactile bars of soap

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      Skincare brand Aesop has opened a minimalist store in London’s Knightsbridge, featuring a “soap corridor” created with uniform tiles made from the everyday bathroom product.

      Set within a slim and narrow room on Brompton Road, the Aesop outlet is characterised by a floor-to-ceiling installation made of cream-coloured soap bars.
      Aesop has opened a store in London’s KnightsbridgeThe installation, created by architect Nicolas Schuybroek, was transferred from an Aesop store in Milan, where it was temporarily on display for the city’s design week in April. Slabs of soap were arranged in a gridded layout and supported by a subtle timber structure, designed to be disassembled and installed at different locations.
      “Schuybroek had taken one of the most fundamental, functional household items – a bar of soap – to create an unconventional sculpture,” reflected Aesop.
      It features an installation by Nicolas Schuybroek made of bars of soapAccording to the skincare brand, the architect was informed by the simplicity of Arte Povera – an Italian art movement from the 1960s to the 1970s that favoured using unconventional everyday materials instead of more traditional ones such as oil paint or carved marble.

      “Just as practitioners of the Arte Povera movement restricted themselves to simple and everyday materials in their poetic compositions, the spatial restriction of the store enforces a streamlined design in the form of a soap corridor,” said Aesop.

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      As per every Aesop branch, the store includes a central basin for skin consultations. At the Knightsbridge store, every piece of furniture was repurposed from the Aesop furniture collection, including the basin and the grey geometric display shelving.
      In one corner of the room, more bars of soap were piled into a sculptural heap, adding a playful touch to the otherwise “muted calm” of the interior.
      The skincare brand explained that Schuybroek’s installation is intended to travel to numerous Aesop stores, with Brompton Road being its second home.
      The installation was previously on display during Milan design week in AprilKnown for its varied store designs that often reference their specific locations, Aesop has nearly 400 outlets around the world.
      These include a brick-clad branch in Copenhagen that pays homage to the nearby Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and an open-sided shop in Seoul that was informed by traditional Korean pavilions.
      The photography is by Alixe Lay.

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      Beacon House extension by Office S&M features bubblegum pink tiles

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      A London house extension designed by Office S&M features a ceramic facade with the same pink glaze used for Tube station tiles on the Hammersmith and City Line.

      Office S&M designed Beacon House, a single-storey rear extension, for a Victorian terraced house in Tottenham, north London.
      Pink “pillow-shaped” tiles clad the extensionIt creates a larger kitchen and dining space for a couple and their two young children.
      The architects chose “pillow-shaped” tiles for the extension’s facade, giving the structure a puffy aesthetic.
      The pink glaze is the same used for tiles on Hammersmith and City Line stationsThe bubblegum pink glaze is specifically used on Hammersmith and City Line station tiles, to match the colour that indicates the line on the London Underground map.

      Here, it was selected to complement the original brickwork and reflect the clients’ love of municipal architecture.
      Pale green window frames contrast the pink”Alex and Ella showed us examples of public buildings they grew up with and ones they visited on their travels, which included sun-bleached climbing frames, tiled swimming pools, leisure centres and stations,” said Catrina Stewart, co-founder of Office S&M along with Hugh McEwen.
      “Just like with these buildings, they wanted their home to be both robust and joyful,” Stewart told Dezeen.
      The extension creates a generous kitchen and dining areaThe extruded clay tiles, handcrafted by manufacturers Materials Assemble and Teamwork Italy, contrast with the pale green colour of the window frames and downpipe.
      “Ella grew up in west London and her dad used to take the Hammersmith and City line every day; the pink tiles reminded her of home,” added Stewart.
      Curved details include a kitchen island and the wall wrapping a downstairs WCThe renovation also involved improving the building’s performance, making it better insulated and ventilated, and bringing a contemporary feel to the interiors throughout.
      The design features the bold colours and graphic style that have become Office S&M’s calling card, as previously seen in projects like Mo-tel House and Graphic House.
      As with Graphic House, the interior features several bespoke elements that inject a sense of the owners’ personality. Stewart points to the kitchen island as an example.
      Bold colours feature throughout the houseThe central focus of the extension, it features a resin and timber worktop made by surface design studio Mirrl, using a technique inspired by Japanese lacquer craft Tsugaru Nuri.
      “A bespoke pattern was created, referencing the clients’ memories of pastel hues and fading colours found along the British seaside,” Stewart said.
      The hallway includes monochrome tiles and a round yellow mirrorTiled surfaces and curved details feature all over, continuing the aesthetic of the building’s exterior.
      Examples of tiles include a yellow-grouted kitchen splashback, the monochrome flooring in the entrance hallway, and the soft yellow and pink surfaces in the first-floor bathroom.
      Pale pink and yellow tiles were installed in the first-floor bathroomProminent curves include the kitchen island, as well as a rounded wall framing the downstairs toilet and a yellow-framed hallway mirror.
      “Many of the municipal buildings that they showed us were associated with a story or a memory,” said Stewart.
      “The subtle references in their home serve as a reminder of these stories and experiences.”
      The three-bedroom property is home to a couple with two childrenThe colour scheme naturally progresses through the building, with richer tones at the front of the house and lighter tones as you move through to the top-lit extension.
      Local craft makers were involved in many of the smaller details, from the baby blue banquette upholstery in the kitchen, to the hand-painted gold number fixed to the front door.
      The photography is by French + Tye.
      Project credits
      Architect: Office S&MStructural engineer: Foster StructuresContractor: YG BuildersFurniture build: YG BuildersKitchen surfaces: MirrlGlazed pink external tiles: Materials Assemble, Teamwork ItalyGlobal paints: YesColoursUpholstery: Studio SwadeGold number sign: Mark Errington

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      Tile mural fronts Cult Gaia Miami boutique by Sugarhouse

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      A hand-painted tile mural covers the front of this Miami Design District boutique designed by New York studio Sugarhouse Design and Architecture for fashion brand Cult Gaia.

      Sugarhouse Design and Architecture designers Jess and Jonathan Nahon followed up their New York City store for Cult Gaia founder Jasmin Larian Hekmat with a flagship in Miami intended to align with the brand and the location.
      The gabled front of the Cult Gaia boutique in Miami is covered in a hand-painted tile muralThe duo “sought inspiration from temple architecture, Larian Hekmat’s Persian heritage and iconic historical archetypes” for the 1,502-square-foot (140-square-metre) retail space, and also modelled the building on local casitas.
      To cover the gabled front facade, Design and Architecture commissioned artist Michael Chandler to create a mural using ceramic tiles.
      The mural by artist Michael Chandler is titled Tree of Life and references Henri Rousseau’s painting The DreamThe resulting 1,800-piece Tree of Life mural is based on French post-impressionist artist Henri Rousseau’s painting The Dream.

      “The hand-painted ceramic mural depicts a silhouetted tree with its branches extending across the storefront, featuring stylised vegetation, birds and flower-crowned nymphs,” said Sugarhouse Design and Architecture.
      In the centre of the store’s first space is a concrete sculpture by Angela LarianPainted in blue “lapis lazuli” hues, similar to those that decorate Persian mosques, the artwork references everything from Indian textiles to botanical illustrations.
      A trio of arched openings in the facade contain windows and a larger, recessed entryway that holds wood-framed glass doors and aligns with the store’s central axis.
      The 12-foot sculpture of the Greek goddess Gaia stands below an oculusThe first in a series of interiors spaces is an open room decorated in creamy Bianco Avorio limestone and Bianco Santa Caterina travertine.
      Unlacquered brass rods, designed to mimic Cult Gaia’s jewellery, drop from behind ceiling coves to display garments and custom amorphous mirrors by New Vernacular Studio hang on the walls.

      BoND’s PatBo Miami boutique features soft curves and floral touches

      On both sides of the central axis, sandstone blocks are stacked into vertical checkerboard grids that allows accessories to be displayed in the gaps.
      These partitions enclose the fitting rooms, which can be illuminated from within so that light glows through a translucent membrane and the grid holes.
      “Designed to reference rock-cut cave temples, the structures provide privacy while also allowing merchandise to be displayed within their illuminated niches,” said the team.
      In the second space is a banyan tree that grows from a pale-green sofaA second space identical to the first is reached past the threshold created by the fitting rooms, and a bar is hidden beyond a brass door on the far wall.
      Over each of the two main rooms presides a domed ceiling and a seven-foot-wide oculus, based on the roof of the Pantheon in Rome.
      Brass rods drop from behind ceiling coves to display garments and custom amorphous mirrors hang on the wallBelow the first is a 12-foot-tall concrete sculpture of the Greek goddess Gaia – after whom the brand is named – by Larian Hekmat’s mother, artist Angela Larian.
      “An elongated, Giacometti-like female nude that soars toward the heavens, the work is a foil to the nymphs from the facade and her angularity is intentional: like the brand, this is a fully composed, confident, and in control Gaia,” said the team.
      The banyan tree also sits below a domed ceiling and oculus, which are based on the roof of the Pantheon in RomeIn the second room, a large banyan tree reminiscent of the facade decoration is planted within a serpentine sofa designed by Brandi Howe.
      “Like the sacred tree from Buddhism, it invites visitors to sit and achieve their own awakening within this temple of fashion,” the team added.
      Sandstone blocks are stacked around the fitting rooms, which glow from within, and are used to display accessoriesMiami Design District is home to a host of luxury fashion brands, which have each taken a unique approach to designing their stores both inside and out.
      Brazilian brand PatBo recently opened a flagship in the neighbourhood with a pink slatted facade by BoND, while Kengo Kuma and Associates is set to create a sculptural block of buildings nearby that will also serve as retail locations.
      The photography is by Kris Tamburello.

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      Eight interiors embellished with imperfect zellige tiles

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      Our latest lookbook rounds up eight projects where handmade Moroccan tiles cover everything from chimney breasts to mini-bars, adding a sense of traditional craftsmanship to otherwise modern interiors.

      Zellige tiles are traditional glazed terracotta tiles, originating from the 10th century in Morocco, that are made using unrefined local clay that is kneaded, shaped and cut by hand.
      As a result, every tile is unique, with slight variations in shape and colour that reveal the hands of their maker.
      In recent years, interior designers have liberated zellige tiles from the confines of the kitchen or the bathroom and used them to bring depth and texture to modern interiors.
      Among the projects featured below are a members’ club in Nashville, the renovation of Ibiza’s first hotel and a Sydney penthouse belonging to a couple of empty nesters.

      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring platform beds, living rooms with 70s furnishings and bathrooms that combine colours and patterns.
      Photo by Karel BalasMontesol Experimental, Spain, by Chzon
      French interiors studio Chzon aimed to bring “a bohemian overtone” to her renovation of the 1933 Montesol Experimental in Ibiza, widely credited as being the island’s first hotel.
      A hand-made theme threads throughout the rooms, as seen in the irregular Moroccan tiles that wrap the mini-bars and the shell-patterned walls, created by pressing individual seashells into fresh lime plaster.
      Find out more about the Montesol Experimental ›
      Photo by Megan TaylorDesign House, UK, by 2LG Studio
      Pastel hues were mixed with whimsical details such as scallop-edged doors and a pale-pink tiled chimney in the London home and workspace of 2LG Studio, founded by Russell Whitehead and Jordan Cluroe.
      “The glaze is uneven and so the tiles create a stunning dappled light bouncing off them,” the duo said.
      Find out more about Design House ›
      Photo by German SáizConde Duque apartment, Spain, by Sierra + De La Higuera
      With many of the dividing walls in this apartment removed to usher in more natural light, Spanish architecture studio Sierra + De La Higuera relied instead on emerald, ruby and mustard-yellow tiles to define different spaces.
      The home in Madrid’s bohemian Conde Duque neighbourhood belongs to a well-travelled couple that wanted to fuse its Galician and Mexican heritage in the interior.
      Find out more about this Conde Duque apartment ›
      Photo by Prue RuscoeDream Weaver penthouse, Australia, by YSG
      Glossy off-white zellige tiles cover an entire wall inside this Sydney penthouse, helping to bounce light around the home belonging to a couple of empty nesters.
      Local studio YSG was brought on board to reflect the owners’ post-lockdown joie de vivre in the interior, incorporating an eclectic mix of references from surrealist artworks to tiled Spanish tapas bars.
      Find out more about the Dream Weaver penthouse ›
      Photo by Sean RobertsonThe Malin Nashville, USA, by The Malin design team
      The design team of The Malin designed the Nashville outpost of the work-oriented members’ club to feel more like a hotel than a traditional co-working space.
      The rooms feature an eclectic mix of vintage and contemporary furniture alongside a rich material palette including tasselled velvet upholstery, four different types of marble and Moroccan tiles offset with white grouting.
      Find out more about The Malin Nashville ›
      Photo by Francis AmiandBeefbar Milano, Italy, by Humbert & Poyet
      Interior design duo Humbert & Poyet created a new home for the Beefbar steakhouse inside the former chapel of a 500-year-old seminary on Milan’s Corso Venezia.
      Glossy oxblood-red tiles provide a subtle splash of colour atop the restaurant’s wooden wall panelling and a more dramatic focal point at the back of the space, where they clad a curved wall.
      Find out more about Beefbar Milano ›
      Photo by Megan TaylorRixo Marylebone, UK, by Cúpla
      Interiors studio Cúpla sought to reflect the hand-painted prints that decorate Rixo’s fashion collections when designing the London brand’s Marylebone boutique.
      This idea was realised via colourful murals and illustrations by artist Sam Wood and a mosaic of tiles, accentuating the interior’s classical archways and mouldings.
      “Every line of the mural or the ‘random’ coloured zellige tile layout was methodically composed to ensure a right balance between the colours was struck,” Cúpla founder Gemma McCloskey told Dezeen.
      Find out more about Rixo Marylebone ›
      Photo by The IngallsAustin Proper Hotel, USA, by Kelly Wearstler
      Different types of tiles, from simple to ornate, feature throughout the public spaces of the Austin Proper Hotel designed by Kelly Wearstler.
      This includes The Mockingbird cafe, where Moroccan tiles are arranged into a chequered pattern across the walls, providing a counterpoint to the dramatic stone counter.
      Find out more about the Austin Proper Hotel ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring platform beds,  living rooms with 70s furnishings and bathrooms that combine colours and patterns.

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      Locally produced tiles clad walls and table in Blue Bottle Coffee shop in Nagoya

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      Japanese studio Keiji Ashizawa Design sourced local materials for the design of Blue Bottle Coffee cafe in Nagoya, Japan, which features tiles across its surfaces and lamps made from pottery plates.

      The studio used tiles across the walls, floors and tables of the cafe, which were all produced by local manufacturer Ceramic Olive Bricks.
      “This cafe is located in the Chukyo area of central Japan, an area that excels in manufacturing, so we decided to make the most of it,” Keiji Ashizawa Design’s founder Keiji Ashizawa told Dezeen.
      Tiles cover the walls in this Blue Bottle Coffee cafe in Nagoya”We used a lot of tiles on the walls this time,” Ashizawa added.
      “Inspired by Blue Bottle Coffee’s philosophy of valuing the local, we decided to use tiles that are produced in the Chukyo area,” he continued.

      “These tiles are used to cover the structural walls of the building that exist as pillars to create three frames.”
      A table at the centre of the space is also tiledAs well as cladding the walls in tiles, the studio used them to demarcate seating areas and created a tile-clad table as a centrepiece of the 311-square-metre space.
      “We designed the table specifically for the space,” Ashizawa explained. “The tiles used are different from the wall tiles but are from the same tile manufacturer, glazed for easy cleaning.”
      Wooden furniture is used throughout the space”We thought that the cafe, which often serves as a lounge in a large building, needs to have a central space where everyone can remember,” Ashizawa added.
      “When deciding to create a large centre table, we thought a tiled table would be both iconic and appropriate for this space.”
      Tiling also lines parts of the floor of the cafeThe cafe features wooden furniture throughout and is decorated with rounded wall sconces and pendant lamps made from pottery plates.
      “The pendant and wall lamps are made of pottery plates from the same region as the tiles, and are also used as tableware in the store,” Ashizawa said.
      “The surface gives a soft, diffused light, where the light hitting the slightly uneven edges of the plate adds a touch of craft.”
      Above the counter is a brass lamp that references Nagoya CastleIn addition, the studio drew on a local monument for the interior design. Above the main tiled table, a mobile adds an extra decorative touch.
      “The lighting on the counter finished in brass colour was created in homage to the famous ornaments on the top of Nagoya Castle,” the designer said.

      Blue Bottle Coffee Qiantan references greenhouses and Shanghai’s brick architecture

      “The mobile that looks like a tree branch was designed by an architect friend who also designed the Blue Bottle Coffee Fukuoka cafe,” continued Ashizawa.
      “Depending on how the light hits, it appears as if it is a lighting fixture. The delicate mobile, named In the Sky, made of brass subtly defines the place and creates a charming atmosphere.”
      A slim mobile hangs above the main tableThe interior has an earthy colour palette with pink-coloured tiles.
      “The elegant pink color of the tiles, the gray floor and walls, added with the natural wood and textiles of the furniture were chosen to work in harmony with one another,” Ashizawa said.
      The cafe is located in Nagoya’s Chunichi BuildingThe Chunichi Building, in which the cafe is located, is a well-known Nagoya landmark that was formerly a theatre and now houses a hotel. This also influenced how Ashozawa thought about the design of the space.
      “The cafe was conditioned to be on the ground floor of the building that is familiar to the locals with its historical existence and the newly constructed hotel floors,” he said.
      “I had the inspiration to somehow add value to the place by making it not just a cafe, but more of a lounge space in a hotel that provides a sense of comfort.”
      The Blue Bottle Coffee shop is the seventh designed by Keiji AshizawaThis is the seventh Blue Bottle Coffee cafe designed by Keiji Ashizawa Design, with others including a shop in Shanghai’s Qiantan area with a glazed facade and another in Kobe’s Hankyu department store that takes advantage of its display windows.
      According to Ashizawa, the studio aims to tailor the different designs to suit their surroundings.
      “For all of them, it is always a pleasure to have discussions about local, landscape, and the culture of the place and country to be utilized in designing the store,” he concluded.
      “Indeed, this is what makes them a challenging project as every store has its own character and constraints.”
      The photography is by Tomooki Kengaku.
      Project credits:
      Architect: Keiji Ashizawa DesignProject architect: Keiji Ashizawa and Chaoyen WuConstruction: TANKTiles: Ceramic Olive IncFurniture: Karimoku and Karimoku CaseLighting design: Aurora and Yoshiki IchikawaPendant, wall lamp shade and logo plate: Juzan

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      RA! clads Mexico City taco restaurant with broken tiles

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      Local architecture studio RA! took cues from Latin American art deco design when creating the tiny interior of Los Alexis, a small taqueria in Mexico City’s Roma Norte neighbourhood.

      Los Alexis is a taco eatery – or taqueria – in Roma, a famed district in Mexico City, which features examples of art deco architecture.
      Los Alexis is a small taqueriaRA! drew on the “vibrant personality” of the area when designing the single 15-square-metre room restaurant, housed within a former beer depository.
      “One of the most important requests of our client was for this tiny space to shine among the rest of the retail premises on the street,” said studio co-founder and designer Pedro Ramírez de Aguilar.
      RA! clad the floors and walls in a mosaic of broken tilesRA! clad the walls and floors in a distinctive mosaic of broken ceramic tiles with green joints as an ode to Barcelona, where chef Alexis Ayala spent time training, the designer told Dezeen.

      A curved bar finished in slabs of ribbed green material fronts the open kitchen, which is positioned on the right of the small open space.
      Utilitarian materials were selected for their resilienceUtilitarian materials, including the tiles, were chosen throughout the restaurant for their “endurance and fast cleaning processes”.
      White-painted steel breakfast-style stools line the bar, which has a bartop made of steel – selected for its resistance to grease, according to Ramírez de Aguilar.

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      The studio decided to preserve the space’s original, peeling ceiling “to create a wider contrast [within the eatery] and to remember the old premises”.
      Informal seating lines the pavement just outside of the taqueria where customers can eat and socialise.
      The one-room eatery is defined by its bar and open kitchenOther than a small bathroom at the back of Los Alexis, the one-room restaurant is purposefully defined by its bar and open kitchen.
      “Typical ‘changarros’ [small shops] in Mexico City are all about the conversation with the cookers, so we tried to have this interaction between people as a main objective,” explained Ramírez de Aguilar.
      Founded in 2017, RA! previously created the interiors for a restaurant in the city’s Polanco neighbourhood with a bar counter shaped like an inverted ziggurat.
      DOT Coffee Station is another hole-in-the-wall cafe in Kyiv, Ukraine, which YOD Group designed with a similar floor-to-ceiling mosaic of tiles.
      The photography is courtesy of RA!

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      Familien Kvistad brings colour to 1950s house in Oslo

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      Vibrantly coloured tiles and textiles feature in this house renovation in Oslo, Norway, designed by locally based duo Familien Kvistad.

      The Yellow House in the Apple Garden is a 1950s house in Oslo’s Voldsløkka area, home to a family of four and their cat, “the rambunctious Caspian”.
      Familien Kvistad has renovated a Oslo homeFamilien Kvistad founders, married couple Astrid and Ziemowit Kvistad, have completely remodelled the interior using a palette that also includes solid ash joinery and lightly speckled terrazzo surfaces.
      “When they bought the house, the family envisioned painting some walls, moving the kitchen and building two new bathrooms,” the pair told Dezeen. “Over time, things naturally escalated, resulting in a complete change of layout, roof windows, new insulation, siding… absolutely everything was replaced.”
      The kitchen features solid ash cabinetsThe three-storey house has an enviable setting in a large garden filled with fruit trees. It was this that primarily attracted the owners, rather than the building itself.

      “The house was relatively old, not architecturally distinctive and outdated inside on all levels,” said the designers.
      The house was originally built in the 1950sHowever, shortly after they bought the property, the council enforced new conservation zone restrictions that made it impossible to alter the building’s exterior in any way.
      The task for Astrid and Ziemowit was to modernise the house without changing or extending its structure.

      Mid-century Zero House in London imbued with “Kubrick feel”

      “This is obviously a costly project; it would have been cheaper to build a new house,” they explained.
      “However, the outer structure had to remain.”
      A terrazzo floor and ochre sofa are installed in the conservatoryThe renovation removed many of the old internal partitions, creating a more open layout. This gives the ground floor a broken-plan feel, made up of various separate but connected living and dining spaces.
      The old loft was also removed and replaced with small mezzanines, revealing the sloping roof beams and increasing the ceiling height in the first-floor bedrooms and bathroom to up to four metres.
      Wooden ceiling joists are exposed throughoutThe colour scheme was based on “earthy shades” of the owners’ favourite colours.
      On the ground floor, this resulted in a feature fireplace clad in mustard-yellow Kaufmann tiles, a lounge sofa upholstered in a plum-coloured Kvadrat textile and a storage bench topped by forest-green cushions.
      A storage bench topped with green cushions lines the main living spaceAn abundance of wood brings balance to this bold palette, with Douglas fir flooring from Dinesen and solid ash kitchen cabinets matching the exposed ceiling joists.
      This level also includes a sunken conservatory featuring large plants, a terrazzo floor, an ochre-toned sofa and electric-blue cushions. On the wall, an expressive painting displays similar colours.
      Custom-designed wall carpets adorn the primary bedroom”During the renovation, the family sold most of what they already owned,” said Astrid and Ziemowit. “This meant that all the furniture was purchased new.”
      “However, they did have some art from before,” they added. “Much to our delight, they fit perfectly into both the colour palette and the style.”
      In one of the children’s rooms, a staircase doubles as a shelving unitUpstairs, the primary bedroom features a pair of tufted wall carpets designed and made by Familien Kvistad, depicting abstract landscapes.
      One of the two children’s bedrooms features a playful storage unit that doubles as a staircase, while the other has a ladder to provide access to the mezzanine loft above.
      The family bathroom combines green tones with terrazzoThe bathroom has a more mellow character, combining terrazzo sanitaryware with calming green tones. The basement floor mainly serves as a utility area, although it does include an extra bathroom and a living room that doubles as a guest bedroom.
      Other recently completed homes in Norway include a “house of offcuts” by Kolman Boye Architects and a villa on piloti by Saunders Architecture.
      The photography is by Magnus Berger Nordstrand.

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      Viruta Lab blankets former fisherman’s house in Valencia with chequerboard tiles

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      Spanish interiors studio Viruta Lab has renovated a compact house in El Cabanyal, Valencia’s traditional fishing neighbourhood, using geometric blue-and-white tiling for an understated nautical aesthetic.

      Built in 1946, the humble two-storey building once belonged to the grandparents of the current owner but had been boarded up for many years.
      Viruta Lab has renovated a former fisherman’s house in ValenciaViruta Lab was brought on board to transform the small 85-square-metre home into a modern holiday residence while respecting its great sentimental value to the family.
      “Emotion was a very important starting point,” the studio told Dezeen.
      The interior is dominated by chequerboard tiles”The house is a family legacy and the image they have of it is very deep, so it was necessary for any intervention to be as respectful as possible and with a language that they understood and took as their own,” Viruta Lab continued.

      “We understood that the architecture already had a value, that we only had to beautify it, preserve it.”
      Green upholstery provides a contrast with the blue-and-white colour schemeViruta Lab uncovered the building’s original brick walls from under layers of peeling paint and carefully repaired the pre-existing mouldings “to give height and nostalgic value to the interior design”.
      Liberal chequerboard tiling provides a contrast to these traditional design details, featured throughout all the rooms from the kitchen to the sleeping quarters.
      Viruta Lab restored the home’s original mouldingsIn a suitably nautical palette of navy and off-white, the tiles reference the great variety of tiled facades found in the El Cabanyal neighbourhood.
      “The dominant colours on the facades of the Cabanyal are white, blue and green, which are associated with a lifestyle linked to the resources offered by the sea,” the studio said.

      Balzar Arquitectos nestles copper-toned home into Valencian olive grove

      “It was clear that we had to respect the local traditions, the architecture and the essence of the house and give it a maritime aesthetic, reinterpreting the Mediterranean style to adapt it to the tradition of the neighbourhood using its own materials.”
      Green shows up throughout the interior in the form of simple upholstered furniture – including a sofa, pouffe, benches and stools – all custom-designed by Viruta Lab for this compact space.
      European oak was used to form joinery detailsThe interior woodwork in European oak was stained to resemble Canaletto walnut, matching the tones of the two remaining original interior doors that were painstakingly restored and repurposed as sliding doors.
      “We wanted the woodwork to provide a quality counterpoint to the cold tones of the blues and greens, with an imprint and weight,” the studio said.
      The remaining interior doors were restored and repurposed as sliding doorsAnother key local material – esparto grass fibre – is less noticeable than the tiles but pops up throughout the house to add textural interest.
      Traditionally used to make ropes, baskets, mats and espadrille sandals, the flexible natural material was repurposed to form headboards and backrests, and even clad the suspended ceilings in the bathrooms.
      Esparto grass was used to from headboards and backrests”This material has been used because of its roots in the traditions and life in the Mediterranean area, especially in the Valencian community,” the studio said.
      “For Viruta Lab, the legacy comes from its use by men of the countryside and the sea, by the original residents of the Cabanyal, those men who used to wear espadrilles.”
      The house has a shaded outdoor dining area on the roofAs well as a clay-tiled roof terrace with a shaded outdoor dining area, the house also features a sensitively restored inner courtyard, complete with a stone water trough where the owner’s grandfather once dried his fishing nets at the end of a day’s work.
      Other projects that celebrate Valencia’s historic architecture include a 1920s penthouse that was renovated to celebrate its original mosaic floors and an octogenarian home in El Cabanyal that was updated using traditional construction techniques and local materials.
      The photography is by David Zarzoso.

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