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    General Assembly creates “comforting and quiet palette” for Manhattan apartment

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    Design studio General Assembly has used a wide material palette to transform an apartment on New York City’s Upper West Side, decorating it with marble and travertine stone and adding wood for a lighter feel.

    The studio completely transformed the layout of the 3,050-square-foot (284 square metres) flat, which was designed for a young family.
    Social spaces are located at the centre of the home”The floorplan has been completely reimagined,” General Assembly co-founder Sarah Zames told Dezeen.
    “We moved all the walls and most of the plumbing in order to better accommodate the needs and lifestyle of the clients – we felt it was important to organize the spaces based on the way they used the space.”
    A travertine side table contrasts a wooden table in the living roomOne side of the flat was designed to be quieter and family-focused and houses the bedrooms and family room, while social areas can be found at the centre of the apartment.

    Guest spaces are contained in a third area, which was designed using warmer materials and has a more intimate scale.
    The bedrooms are located on a “quieter” side of the flatLocated in an early 20th-century stone building by Italian-American architect Gaetano Ajello, the studio drew on the surrounding architecture when designing the apartment interior.
    “We were inspired by the grandness of the New York pre-war building,” Zames said.
    “We loved its deep columns and beams and wanted to work in a way that honored these kinds of details while balancing them with softer textures and quieter moments.”
    The kitchen features a marble islandGeneral Assembly worked with many different materials for the apartment, whose walls are clad in Venetian plaster in a nod to the fact that it’s the material that would have been used for the original walls.
    “We chose to finish many of the spaces with Venetian plaster because it created a subtle shadow and depth on the walls and ceilings,” Zames explained.

    General Assembly upgrades apartment inside brutalist Manhattan tower

    “We liked the way it reflected the natural and decorative lighting without overwhelming the space – the movement and texture of the wall is so minimal, that on first glance you may not realize that it is even plaster,” she added.
    “But, as you watch the day progress, the light shifting becomes more apparent.”
    Wood was used throughout the flatThe studio decorated the kitchen and bathrooms with dramatic marble surfaces and also placed a side table in solid travertine in the living room.
    “We felt that stone, a material that lends itself to the nature of the pre-war building, was such a natural choice for this project,” Zames said.
    “We wanted to emphasize its weight, designing voluminous pieces and detailing to emphasize these qualities.”
    Brass and metal details add texture to the living roomTo contrast the stone, wood was used for much of the furniture and for the sliding doors leading into the kitchen.
    “The wood was just as important in the design because it provided a counterpoint to the heaviness of the stone and the architecture of the building,” Zames said.
    “Not only was the wood lighter in color, but the details in the wood finishes feel lighter to the touch and slightly more delicate.”
    General Assembly added built-in features to the apartmentThroughout the flat, built-in shelves and cabinets maximise storage and reference the original design of the flat.
    To create the right ambience within the apartment, General Assembly used earthy colours for the interior.
    “We drew predominantly on earthy hues complimented by jewel-toned accents,” Zames said.
    “We wanted to go with a comforting and quiet palette that evoked feelings of permanence. We always use natural and living materials in our projects, wherever possible – so many of these finishes will patina over time and add further to the depth of the design.”
    Swirly marble clads one of the bathroomsPieces by independent designers were also used for the space to give it more character and personality.
    “The clients were really open to bringing in more independent designers, many of whom we also carry at our shop, Assembly Line,” Zames said.
    “That gave us the ability to do a lot of customization and freedom in how we designed and outfitted the space.”
    General Assembly has previously updated an apartment inside a brutalist Manhattan tower and decorated a Bergen Street apartment with brass.
    The photography is by William Jess Laird.
    Project credits: 
    General contractor: ALL ConstructionStructural engineer: Jim Moore and AssociatesA/V and lighting: Fiks Consultants for AV and Lighting InfrastructureUpholstery & window treatments: Fernando Guaman for Custom Upholstery and Window treatments

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      Video reveals Austin guesthouse perched above existing family bungalow

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      This exclusive video produced by Dezeen features The Perch, architect Nicole Blair’s elevated house extension in Austin, which was designed to maximise living space.

      As its name suggests, the structure is perched just two feet above the roof of the existing home to minimise disturbance to the residence below.
      Blair clad the guesthouse in weathering-steel panels and added wood-framed windows provided by Windsor Windows & Doors. The Burnt Pumpkin colour of the windows was selected to complement the Corten-steel exterior.

      The structure spans 660 square feet and consists of an irregularly shaped steel volume supported by four columns.
      The assembly of the steel structure took place offsite, in order to minimise disruption to the mature vegetation on the premises and reduce on-site material storage.
      The wood-clad windows were provided by Windsor Windows & DoorsThe architect designed the interior of the guesthouse to have a bright, airy atmosphere and adorned it with colourful accents.
      It features wood flooring supplied and installed by local company Artisan Hardwood Floors, which was complemented with pink cabinetry and exposed plumbing fittings throughout the home.
      The materials used for the wood flooring were a mix of pre-finished plain and rift-sawn white oak, along with excess wood recycled from a larger project by the company.
      The wood flooring was supplied and installed by Artisan Hardwood FloorsThe first floor of the guesthouse encompasses an open-concept kitchen, living room and dining area with compact footprints and vaulted ceilings for an increased sense of space.
      The upper level includes a room facing the street and another overlooking the backyard, designated for use as a guest bedroom and a hair salon for one of the hairstylist owners.
      The photography is by Casey Dunn.
      Partnership content
      This video was produced by Dezeen for Windsor Windows & Doors and Artisan Hardwood Floors as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Home Studios revamps Nantucket bar and restaurant using maritime references

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      Brooklyn-based Home Studios has refreshed a trio of hospitality spaces on Nantucket that includes a bright restaurant and a subterranean lounge that immerses guests in an “cinematic” underwater scape.

      The Pearl restaurant, The Boarding House bar and Below the Rose lounge are all located under one roof at 12 Federal Street, Nantucket – an island off the coast of Massachusetts that is popular with summer vacationers.
      The Pearl is one of three hospitality spaces renovated by Home Studios at 12 Federal Street, NantucketAfter 30 years, the establishment changed hands and was in need of updates, so Home Studios was enlisted to rethink the interiors while retaining some familiarity for regulars.
      “The Pearl and its offshoot spaces are beloved Nantucket institutions, so Home Studios identified the goal as continuing the existing story and tradition: to reinterpret it, not rewrite it; polishing and refining its origin story,” said the studio, which took two years to complete the project.
      The restaurant features white oak tables and chairs, shaped to contrast the colonial-era architectural detailsThe aim of the interior design was to create an individual look and feel for each of the three spaces, yet keep a level of visual cohesion across the connected rooms.

      “There’s an immersive, cinematic experience across the board,” studio founder Oliver Haslegrave told Dezeen. “However, each space is distinct in its material and colour scheme choice.”
      Floral patterns by two different artists decorate the perimeter of the back barRenovating The Pearl involved “polishing” the main restaurant, private dining rooms and patio area.
      In the light-filled restaurant, warm white and beige tones are complemented by cooler blues, and glossy tiles that clad the chimney stacks introduce texture and sheen.
      The Pearl’s private dining rooms were also updated, including this earth-toned lounge areaThe white oak tables and chairs have soft, contemporary shapes that contrast the rigid, colonial-era architectural details.
      Behind the stone-topped bar, floral patterns including a mural by Lukas Geronimas Giniotis and mirror art by Paul Clifford add flourishes.
      The private dining rooms include a selection of vintage furnitureDarker earth tones decorate one of the private dining spaces, which includes a lounge area with leather and bouclé seating, and a selection of vintage furniture pieces.
      For The Boarding House revamp, Home Studios looked to the island’s maritime history for influences.

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      Many of its original elements were kept, including the bar, back bar, and stone floors, while the interiors were updated to present a contemporary take on the building’s federal-style architecture.
      “With The Boarding House, we sought to create a space built to withstand the trials of life at sea, and the place to host the exuberant celebration of one’s return,” Haslegrave said.
      Home Studios also created a dark and moody subterranean lounge, Below the Rose, as part of the projectHis studio also designed a new dark and moody lounge in the basement, named Below the Rose, where a different take on the oceanic theme was applied.
      Envisioned as an underwater scape, the deep blue hues across the walls and ceilings feature a mural of aquatic creatures – also by Geronimas Giniotis – to make guests feel like they’re submerged below the waves.
      The dark blue space starkly contrasts the restaurant upstairs”We approached the spatial design as if it were an ocean filled with unfamiliar creatures, textures, and forms,” said Halsegrave. “It’s dark and moody, and full of character and unique detailing.”
      Richly grained wood wraps the cased openings and the base of columns, and forms arches across the back bar that frame more mirror artwork by Clifford.
      A mural of aquatic creatures allows guests to feel as if they’re underwaterRust-coloured bar stools, dark brass sconces and champagne-toned glass flush mounts all stand out against the darker hues.
      The lounge is starkly different in atmosphere to the dining spaces above, but together they bring a storied local institution back to life.
      Details like rust-coloured stool and dark brass lighting stand out against the blue surfacesHome Studios has multiple hospitality projects under its belt, ranging from the refresh of the Daunt’s Albatross motel in Montauk to the design of the Laurel Brasserie and Bar in Salt Lake City.
      Founded by Halsegrave in 2009, the studio has also created a Mediterranean-influenced hotel in Los Angeles and converted a Wisconsin train station into a restaurant.
      The photography is by Matt Kisiday.

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      Perron-Roettinger clads Kim Kardashian SKKN pop-up store in raw plaster and cement

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      Design studio Perron-Roettinger has created a pop-up shop for Kim Kardashian’s skincare and homeware brand SKKN in Los Angeles that showcases its products in a physical space for the first time.

      The minimalist pop-up store, which is located inside Los Angeles shopping mall Westfield Century City, was designed using a limited material palette in a nod to the brand’s pared-back design.
      Perron-Roettinger has created a pop-up shop for Skkn”The SKKN [store] is about raw materials – bold, big blocks of stacked raw material – which is inspired from an inactive quarry that I visited once,” Perron-Roettinger cofounder Willo Perron told Dezeen.
      “All different plaster and cement finishes echo the emphasis on the raw natural materials.”
      The walls and counters are made from concrete and plasterIn the 1,330-square-foot (123 square-metre) space, homeware and skincare products are presented within curved wall alcoves or on top of sculptural counters made from grey concrete and plaster. The room is framed by two large portrait photos of reality television star Kardashian.

      “Just in time for the holiday season, the pop-up will offer customers a luxurious in-person shopping experience with the entire SKKN By Kim collection – from skincare to home decor,” said the brand.
      Skincare items are displayed in alcovesThe use of raw materials references Perron’s partner Brian Roettinger’s packaging for SKKN products, as well as Kardashian’s recently launched concrete homeware collection called Home Accessories Collection.
      All the materials come in varying shades of Kardashian’s signature beige and grey colour palette, which she has used in her home and her shapewear collections.

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      According to Perron, the brand’s packaging and the store interior are united in their reliance on simple shapes and raw materials.
      “The throughline idea is materials untouched, most primary and elemental state,” he explained. “Simple geometry is important to add a recognizable component to both the space and the packaging.”
      Perron–Roettinger was also responsible for SKKN’s creative direction, brand identity and art direction.
      The store mirrors the brand’s minimalist packagingThe SKKN pop-up shop is open until the end of the year in Westfield Century City, Los Angeles.
      The longtime collaboration between designer Willo Perron and Kim Kardashian has seen Perron design other pop-up stores for the American reality star’s brands.
      For Kardashian’s shapewear company Skims, Perron created a beige coloured pop-up shop in Paris with chunky display units and partitions.
      Los-Angeles based Perron-Roettinger has also completed other pop-up shops for brands including Stüssy.
      The photography is by Gray Hamner.

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      Norman Foster creates angular retreat in Martha's Vineyard for “friends of the Foster family”

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      Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Norman Foster has designed the Foster Retreat in Martha’s Vineyard as a holiday home for his friends and those of the Norman Foster Foundation, which features furniture designed by the architect for Karimoku.

      Named the Foster Retreat, the mono-pitch roofed building in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, was built opposite Foster’s US home.
      The building draws on traditional wood structuresThe home was formed from a series of angled steel beams that are connected by timber beams with smooth timber louvres enclosing an outdoor patio space.
      According to Foster, the holiday home’s shape was informed by North American barn structures, with large amounts of timber chosen to reference Martha’s Vineyard’s traditional wood-boarded structures and its sustainability credentials.
      Pale wood was used inside Foster Retreat”The retreat takes inspiration from the generous wooden barn structures of North America and combines that tradition of timber construction with a small amount of steel in the form of skinny portal frames which touch the ground lightly,” said Foster, who is the founder of UK studio Foster + Partners.

      “Wood was the obvious choice not only for reasons of sustainability but also as a direct reference to the traditional buildings that characterise the island.”
      The building has a visible gridThe site levels around Foster Retreat, which will be used as a private residence for friends of Foster’s family and of the Norman Foster Foundation, were contoured to hide the building from the roadside and situate it within the landscape.
      The studio also added indigenous plants to the site, as well as a bank of solar panels that together with “a high level of insulation and shading” helps the building be more sustainable, according to Foster.
      Norman Foster designed the NF Collection for KarimokuInside the building, the holiday home has white walls with pale wood panels and wooden floors.
      To match the pared-back material palette of the house’s exterior and interior, Foster designed a wooden furniture collection named NF Collection together with Japanese furniture brand Karimoku.

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      The collection comprises a dining chair, two stools, a lounge chair, a sofa, and a dining table, all of which feature pale “skeletal” timber frames and padded upholstery.
      “The wood-based furniture I designed for Karimoku is an extension of the philosophy behind the building,” Foster explained.
      “lt has always seemed to me that there is a commonality between the American Shaker Movement and traditional Japanese furniture. Given my own admiration for the qualities of historic Japanese architecture, there are evident cultural links.”
      The furniture has skeletal frames and white padding. Photo is by Chuck ChoiThe collection was developed as Foster had trouble finding suitable furniture for the space.
      “When we started to think about what type of furniture could best fit in the spaces created in the Foster Retreat, Martha’s Vineyard, we realised that there was no single specific collection in existence that could be used for the different uses of the building, so I decided to develop a bespoke family of furniture,” Foster explained.
      “Timber was a natural choice to match the spirit of the building.”
      Foster Retreat was designed as a private residenceFoster Retreat is Karimoku’s seventh case study project, which sees the studio work together with architects on bespoke furniture collections.
      “I see the collaboration with NF as an important step for us as a brand – not only do we venture into a new area with the case at Martha’s Vineyard, but we also show how the brand can accomodate a more diverse furniture collection, showcasing the unique design languages of the individual studios, yet still maintaining a red thread throughout the collection in the use of materials, excellent craftsmanship and high quality,” Karimoku creative director Frederik Werner told Dezeen.
      The collection marks Karimoku’s seventh case study. Photo is by Chuck ChoiThe NF Collection will also be shown in an exhibition at Karimoku Commons in Tokyo, the brand’s retail and showroom space. Karimoku was one of a number of Japanese brands that showed at this year’s Salone del Mobile furniture fair as the focus on the European market grows.
      One of the world’s best-known architects, Foster leads the UK’s largest studio Foster + Partners. The studio’s recent projects include 425 Park Avenue, which is the “first full-block office building” to be built on Park Avenue in over 50 years, and the tallest building in the EU, the Varso Tower in Warsaw.
      The photography is by Marc Fairstein unless stated otherwise. All photography courtesy of the Norman Foster Foundation.
      The Norman Foster x Karimoku exhibition is at Karimoku Commons from 21 October to 9 December. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Frederick Tang Architecture turns Brooklyn building into restaurant celebrating owners’ Lebanese roots

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      Architecture and interior design studio Frederick Tang Architecture has transformed a 19th-century building into a Lebanese restaurant in Brooklyn with “an abundance of textures”.

      Named Nabila’s, the restaurant opened in May 2022 and was designed in collaboration with restaurant co-owner Mike Farah. The renovation transformed a formerly dark, segmented space into a restaurant that aims to reflect the heritage of its owners – a mother and her son.
      The renovation transformed the old building into a bright, colourful space”The client wanted to create an authentic food experience, one that reflected his Lebanese background and that evoked the spirit of his mother’s dinner parties.” Frederick Tang Architecture (FTA) director of interior design and branding Barbara Reyes told Dezeen.
      “The result is an abundance of textures, patterns, lush colours, and hints of Middle Eastern moments while celebrating his mother’s home cooking.”
      Accents of colour and patterns call upon Middle Eastern designNabila’s takes up the ground floor of an 1886 Queen Anne corner building in Cobble Hill, a Brooklyn neighbourhood where restaurant co-owner Farah grew up.

      Frederick Tang Architecture transformed the existing structure into a bright space with curving architectural motifs.
      Through the use of rich materials and colour palettes, the studio sought to nod to the Lebanese roots of the owners whilst embracing aspects of the existing building that would work with the new design.
      The restaurant was renovated from an existing corner building in Cobble Hill”Our favourite projects are ones with some historic contexts when we can create something that’s both old and new,” said FTA director of design Frederick Tang. “We loved playing with some original details and inventing new ones that work with them.”
      “Before we started the project, the space was occupied by a popular gastropub style restaurant,” Tang told Dezeen.
      “It was a neighbourhood staple, so the client felt pressure to maintain some history while being true to the roots of this project,” Reyes added.
      FTA painted the timber-clad ground floor black and added green awnings”The interior was more like a moody library with lots of dark wood and it had a lot of character but we knew we wanted to make it feel much lighter,” Tang continued.
      The upper floors of the Cobble Hill building are made from brick, whilst the ground floor is clad in timber with ornamental mouldings. The facade has now been painted black, with curved forest green awnings referencing the interior.

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      Upon entering, guests are met with a curving quartz counter that arcs away from the entryway.
      The counter is used to display dishes in a way that aims to reflect the abundant spreads of food at the owner’s dinner parties which inspired the design.
      A feast-like display of food acts as a visual menuThe wall behind the counter is covered in fish scale cement tiles. Pendant-style lights from Kelly Wearstler’s Tableau collection hang from the ceiling above.
      Beyond this, patterned finishes that the studio felt reflect Lebanese art, architecture and foliage become visible.
      The studio used plants and patterned wallpaper to bring in themes of foliage”We started with some source imagery of Middle Eastern themes, and we knew we did not want to imitate or create a pastiche, but we wanted to reference it with a lighter touch – it came in the rounded corners, the arches, the colours, and the patterns,” said Tang.
      A teal and cream tile floor by French architect India Mahdavi lines the long interior, stretching through a series of arches that organise the space.
      The seating booths next to the entrance are decorated with brightly coloured accentsNext to the storefront window, seating booths are formed by two recessed arches painted with purple accents whilst additional arches on either side of the counter contain shelving.
      The booths are covered in a floral pattern by Hella Jongerius, while a patterned wallpaper coats the ceiling in the back of the restaurant.
      The colour scheme is carried into the seating area at the back of the restaurantAs Nabila’s welcomes guests, the studio envisions this back section with warm light, rich colours will host many lively neighbourhood meals.
      Other Lebanese restaurants featured on Dezeen include Studio Roslyn’s restaurant based on bad food photography in Victoria, Canada and a Lebanese snack bar by architect David Dworkind featuring an array of ash-wood furniture.
      The photography is by Gieves Anderson.

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      Meta to open first physical retail shop for virtual reality products

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      Social media brand Meta, formerly the Facebook Company, is opening its first permanent Meta Store for customers to purchase its virtual reality products as a “gateway to the metaverse”.

      The 1,550-square-foot shop will open on 9 May in Burlingame, California, near the company’s Reality Labs campus – a research and development hub for virtual reality products.
      Meta Store is the social media company’s first physical storeHead of Meta Store Martin Gilliard said that the shop will demonstrate how the brand’s products are a “gateway” to the metaverse” – a parallel virtual world where people operate as avatars.
      “The Meta Store is going to help people make that connection to how our products can be the gateway to the metaverse in the future,” he said.
      It is located in California close to the company’s Reality Labs campusIn the shop, which will be open Monday to Friday, customers will be able to try out and play games on Oculus Quest 2, an updated version of the virtual reality headset Oculus Go, in a dedicated demo area.

      A large, floor-to-ceiling LED screen will project what is being seen in the headset.
      Meta’s video-calling device Portal will be displayed on backlit wooden shelves on the main shop floor. Customers will be able to try out Portal in another demo area, as well as place video calls to retail associates to see the gadget in action.
      Customers will be able to try virtual reality productsA separate cubicle with glass walls is reserved for Meta’s selection of Ray-Ban Stories, smart glasses that allow wearers to record videos via in-built 5MP cameras. Visitors will be able to try a range of style, colour and lens variations.
      Unlike the other products in Meta Store, the glasses will not be available to purchase in-store. Customers will have to order them directly from sunglass retailer Ray Ban’s website.

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      Other accessories such as headphones, earphones and charging cables will also be on show and available to purchase in the store.
      “We’re not selling the metaverse in our store, but hopefully people will come in and walk out knowing a little bit more about how our products will help connect them to it,” explained Gilliard.
      “Once people experience the technology, they can gain a better appreciation for it.”
      The store will house virtual reality headsets, smart glasses and Meta’s video calling deviceMeta’s first physical store represents the company’s move further into what it calls a “social metaverse company” and away from its origins as a social media company. Last year the brand changed its name from Facebook to Meta.
      Gilliard also said that the Burlingame store marks Meta’s expansion further into the retail sphere.
      “Having the store here in Burlingame gives us more opportunity to experiment and keep the customer experience core to our development,” said Gilliard. “What we learn here will help define our future retail strategy.”
      The minimalist store displays products on wooden shelvingA number of brands are working on real-life and metaverse cross-over products, such as shoe brand Giuseppe Zanotti, which has released a digital edition of its Cobras trainers in the metaverse.
      Design studio Layer recently unveiled a pair of smart glasses for tech company Viture that lets the user play games or stream media via a virtual screen.
      Photos are courtesy of Meta.

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