Interior Design Archives

PlayLab Inc centres “space for conversation” in Los Angeles retail store

LA studio PlayLab Inc has created a flagship store that contains a sky blue conversation pit at its centre for local clothing brand MadHappy.

PlayLab Inc split the West Hollywood store into two distinct zones – one for retail space and the other for “intimate gathering spaces”, including a cafe and a courtyard.

a retail store in LA with large windows — PlayLab Inc has created a flagship store for LA clothing brand MadHappy

“Our collective goal with the design was to put space for conversation at the heart of the retail experience, creating a place that is equal parts for community dialogue and product,” PlayLab Inc co-founder Jeff Franklin told Dezeen.

“To do this we split the space down the middle, making one half a clear utility for shopping and the other a collection of intimate gathering spaces.”

a conversation pit made of light blue seating — The space was divided into separate zones for gathering and retail

Visitors enter the 2,800-square-foot (260-square-metre) store through a glass facade, which leads into a large open space with powder blue concrete flooring running throughout.

At the entrance, a blue bench emerges from a small exterior porch, while a boulder sits opposite.

a courtyard with large sliding glass doors and various stools — A cafe and courtyard were placed at the back of the store

Towards one side, the store contains a 70’s style conversation pit underneath a large skylight. Plush, sky-blue couches line the seating area, with satin aluminium side tables by Berlin-based studio New Tendency placed alongside them.

Along an adjacent limewashed wall, the studio installed built-in shelving flanked by large custom wooden speakers by New York music studio designer Danny Keith Taylor of House Under Magic.

small light green stools and tree with blue floor — The courtyard was populated with a single tree and green-stained plywood stools by Waka Waka

The social area leads into a small open-air courtyard populated by a single Tree Aloe installed by Cactus Store and green-stained plywood stools by LA studio Waka Waka.

The same green plywood was used to line the takeout window of the store’s Pantry cafe, which sits in an enclosed corner and serves local and global cuisines from brands including Japanese-based café Hotel Drugs and LA bakery Courage Bagels.

a cafe space in a retail store — Custom signage was installed along the cafe’s takeout window

A custom lightbox and a large standing menu were installed next to the takeout window to display the cafe’s signage and goods.

In the remaining interior, PlayLab Inc created a large metallic “retail bar” that spans the shop’s length for “open views of the product”, according to Franklin. The studio also dispersed custom Lego-like benches around the space, which were covered in a candy apple red gloss.

an illuminated cube sign — The store will act as a retail space and venue

Faux-stone stools and a bench were installed throughout the space.

The store also contains a multimedia room, called the Local Optimist Space, a creative venue that will host audio and visual artwork.

“The design was inspired by the concept of conversation between things – a balance of scales, materials and textures,” said Franklin.

This is the first flagship store for the clothing brand MadHappy, which previously operated from a host of pop-up concepts and stores.

wooden speakers — Local designers worked on furniture and other pieces for the store

“From the beginning, physical retail has been essential to Madhappy and its success. We’ve always viewed our shops as spaces that go beyond something purely transactional – we want them to allow our community to engage with Madhappy beyond what’s possible digitally,” MadHappy co-founder Mason Spector said in a statement.

Other recent projects by PlayLab Inc also include a plexiglass skatepark for Vans and a lifesize toy racetrack set for a Louis Vuitton menswear show.

The photography is by Sean Davidson.

Reference

Interior Design

Ménard Dworkind outfits Montreal restaurant with custom wine storage

By Zarkon Group,02/01/2024

Canadian studio Ménard Dworkind has created an intimate French restaurant in the Villeray neighborhood of Montreal complete with warm interiors and a custom white oak wine cellar.

Known as Casavant, the 850-square foot (80-square metre) brasserie-style restaurant was completed in September 2023 on the ground floor of a 1920’s residential building, replacing a sandwich shop.

View of Montreal restaurant with white brick — Ménard Dworkind has created a restaurant in a 1920s Montreal building

Ménard Dworkind (MRDK) designed the small restaurant – which seats 45 patrons – to bring diners together in a space that combines art deco influences with Montreal’s vibrant culinary scene. It was designed to “blend timeless elegance with a contemporary twist”.

Located on the corner of the block, the guests enter the rectangular interior through a white brick facade. Natural light comes in from multiple directions through large, black-framed storefront windows.

Monttreal restuarant with wine cellar — Large windows let in plenty of light

The floor is speckled with 3D-patterned matte tiles by Daltile arranged in a custom mosaic, while beige tile climbs up the walls.

Burnt orange corduroy banquette seating wraps around the two outside walls with two linear high-top tables floating freely in the space. The vintage French bistro chairs were acquired from another restaurateur.

Vintage furniture in Montreal restaurant — Vintage furniture was used

The party wall serves as the focal point with the bar and custom white oak wine cellar and displays a selection of natural wines in raw wood cabinetry with rounded corner glass-front doors.

“The wine cellar has been the focal point as soon as we started discussions with the clients,” said partner Guillaume Ménard. “It was important to be able to see it from everywhere you sit or stand.

“Since it’s wall mounted, it attracts the eye pretty quickly with action going on behind the bar as well as the light coming out of it,” he said.

The compact kitchen – with an open pass-through window into the dining space that shows off the lively action of cooking – and the dark blue restroom corridor are tucked at the back of the restaurant.

“The ceiling boasts a unique, funky patterned alcove made from colorful acoustic panels, contributing to the restaurant’s eclectic and inviting character while helping with the acoustical comfort,” the team told Dezeen, referencing the tray-like inset with a blush, maroon and peach abstract graphic.

Montreal restaurant — It has a ceiling clad with acoustic panels

“We really like the addition of the patterned acoustical panels on the ceiling,” Ménard noted.

“It adds depth, comfort and colors to the space. It also acts as a lantern since it is lightened up by a dissimulated LED strip.”

Wine cabinet — A custom wine cabinet was installed

In addition to the locally crafted and sourced materials, artistic details occur throughout the space like a painting from local artist Nicolas Grenier and a vintage Medusa pendant light by Carlo Nason, which displays the restaurant’s charm through the glazing to passers-by.

Two of Ménard Dworkind’s previous restaurant interiors in Montreal include the Italian 1960’s-inspired design for Tiramisu with a chrome service counter and large leafy plants and the retro-themed design for Caffettiera Caffé Bar with a checkerboard floor and teal accents.

The photography is by David Dworkind.

Project credits:

Team: Guillaume Menard, Fabrice Doutriaux
Contractor: Avodah Construction
Ceramic floor and wall tile: Daltile
Lighting: humanhome
Stools: Uline
Upholstery: Bisson Bruneel
Acoustic panels: Akustus

Reference

Interior Design

Happy new year from Dezeen!

By Zarkon Group,01/01/2024

Happy new year from Dezeen! We’ll be back tomorrow, but in the meantime, you can read about the biggest design and architecture stories of 2023 and our full review of the year.

The review looks at the most interesting architecture, design and interior stories from 2022. It includes roundups of the the year’s rebrands, innovative materials, restaurant and bar interiors, controversies, US architecture, cabins and more.

Read the review of 2023 ›

The photo of the Las Vegas Sphere is by Sphere Entertainment.

Reference

Interior Design

Australia bans engineered stone due to silicosis risk

By Zarkon Group,31/12/2023

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.

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.

Reference

Interior Design

Puerto Rico guesthouse features retro-modern interiors

By Zarkon Group,30/12/2023

Four vacation rental apartments within a green-painted building in San Juan, Puerto Rico, are each designed with a slightly different take on “minimalism meets retro-chic”.

Verde contains four minimalist apartments: two studios and two one-bedroom apartments, all a 10-minute walk to Ocean Park Beach.

Studio apartment with vintage floor tiles, central bed and blue-beige walls — Each of the four apartments in Verde has a different interior, including the cool-toned Verde 1

The units were designed and are operated by LGBTQIA-owned hospitality group Dreamers Welcome, which manages over 60 rentable rooms across hotels, multi-unit properties and single-family dwellings in Puerto Rico and North Carolina.

All of the spaces at Verde are designed to create a “cohesive contrast where minimalism meets retro-chic charm”, according to the owners.

Studio apartment with giant keyhole that leads to an outdoor shower — Verde 1 studio features concrete furniture and a giant keyhole that leads to an outdoor shower

The loft-like Verde 1 studio boasts 12-foot (3.7-metre) ceilings and opens onto a private terrace, complete with a water feature and hammock.

Inside, antique checkerboard tiles cover the floor and polished concrete furniture elements including a table-cum-counter and a centrally positioned headboard add Brutalist touches.

Apartment with honey-toned floors and colourful accents — Verde 2 has a warmer palette, with honey-toned floors and colourful accents

Walls are painted pale blue until halfway up, then replaced with beige that continues across the ceiling.

A giant keyhole behind folding glass doors provides access to a small outdoor pool with a shower.

Outdoor pink concrete tub and rain shower — Verde 2 has access to two outdoor spaces, including one with a pink concrete tub and rain shower

Verde 2 features a warmer palette, with honey-toned floor tiles and pink concrete surfaces including the outdoor shower and soaking tub.

This one-bedroom apartment has access to an additional terrace, wrapped with wood slats for privacy, and has colourful accents throughout.

Tinted glass creating an amber glow in a bedroom — In Verde 3, tinted glass gives the room an amber glow

“The oversized windows overlook a verdant plant enclosure allowing for plenty of natural light to pour in,” said Dreamers Welcome.

Upstairs, Verde 3 is another studio unit, where retro-tinted glass gives the whole space an amber glow.

Neutral-hued bedroom with a hammock — Neutral hues are used through the majority of one-bed Verde 4

A compact kitchenette opens onto a balcony enclosed by concrete blocks and more tinted glass.

“Midcentury modern pieces like lamp fixtures, peacock chairs, and wood panelling create a unique contemporary vibe rooted in the past,” Dreamers Welcome said.

Bathroom featuring olive green walls and a pink vanity and shower — In contrast, Verde 4’s bathroom features olive green walls and a pink double vanity and shower

The final one-bedroom apartment, Verde 4, is decorated in neutral tones apart from the bathroom, which has olive green walls and pink concrete double vanity and shower.

A hammock is installed in the bedroom and a corduroy sofa in the living area can sleep a third guest.

There’s a full kitchen for those who wish to cook for themselves, and a balcony for eating and relaxing outside.

Two of the four apartments also have access to a secret room, which is lined entirely with silver foil as an homage to Andy Warhol’s Factory in New York City.

Warhol-themed secret room lined with silver foil — Two of the units have access to a Warhol-themed secret room

Guests won’t know if the space they’ve booked is one of those with access until they arrive and discover the room by exploring for themselves.

Dreamers Welcome was founded by entrepreneur Stephan Watts and artist Roy Delgado, and the duo design the interiors for each of their properties themselves.

Green building in San Juan — The apartments are housed within a green-painted building 10 minute’s walk from Ocean Park Beach

Puerto Rico’s Caribbean climate makes it a popular tourist destination, particularly for American tourists, and the island has a wealth of accommodation options to cater to them.

A 1920s residence that was destroyed by Hurricane Maria and then converted into a luxury holiday home in Dorado, and pairs of apartments stacked in rectangular concrete blocks to form a self-sufficient guesthouse are among other choices for holiday makers.

Reference

Interior Design

Space Projects creates Amsterdam store with thatched hut for Polspotten

By Zarkon Group,29/12/2023

A curvilinear thatched hut has been paired with terracotta-hued tiles at the Amsterdam store for homeware brand Polspotten, which was designed by local studio Space Projects.

The studio created the store to straddle a shop and an office for Polspotten, a furniture and home accessories brand headquartered in the Dutch capital.

Triangular archway in the Amsterdam Polspotten store — Visitors enter the Polspotten store via an oversized triangular entranceway

Characterised by bold angles and arches, the outlet features distinctive terracotta-coloured walls and flooring that nod to traditional pots, Space Projects founder Pepijn Smit told Dezeen.

“The terracotta-inspired colours and materials refer to the brand’s first product, ‘potten’ – or pots,” said Smit, alluding to the first Spanish pots imported by Erik Pol when he founded Polspotten in the Netherlands in 1986.

Plush cream sofa within Amsterdam homeware store — The interconnected spaces are delineated by cutouts

Located in Amsterdam’s Jordaan neighbourhood, the store was arranged across a series of open-plan rooms, interconnected by individual geometric entryways.

Visitors enter at a triangular opening, which was cut away from gridded timber shelving lined with multicoloured pots that mimic totemic artefacts in a gallery.

Curvilinear thatched hut — A curvilinear thatched hut provides a meeting space

The next space features a similar layout, as well as a plump cream sofa with rounded modules and sculptural pots stacked in a striking tower formation.

Travelling further through the store, molten-style candle holders and Polspotten furniture pieces were positioned next to chunky illuminated plinths, which exhibit amorphously shaped vases finished in various coral-like hues.

Accessed through a rectilinear, terracotta-tiled opening, the final space features a bulbous indoor hut covered in thatch and fitted with a light pink opening.

The hut provides a meeting space for colleagues, according to the studio founder.

“The thatch, as a natural material, absorbs sound as well,” explained Smit.

Clusters of pots next to a circular table — The store provides an art gallery-style space for homeware

Next to the hut, Space Projects created an acoustic wall illustrated with “hieroglyphics” of Polspotten products, which references the gallery-like theme that runs throughout the outlet.

“The store was inspired by Polspotten’s use of traditional techniques combined with a collage of their reinterpreted archetypes,” said Smit.

Office space at Polspotten — It is also used as an office space

Elsewhere in Amsterdam, Dutch practice Studio RAP used 3D printing and algorithmic design to create a “wave-like” facade for a boutique store while interior designer Linda Bergroth created the interiors for the city’s Cover Story paint shop to streamline the redecorating process for customers.

The photography is by Kasia Gatkowska.

Reference

Interior Design

Dezeen readers name Casa Tres Árboles best home interior of 2023

By Zarkon Group,28/12/2023

As part of our review of 2023, Dezeen readers have voted Casa Tres Árboles by Direccion the best home interior of 2023.

After 400 votes, the project in Mexico was the clear winner, with almost 35 per cent of people picking it from the poll that ran throughout December.

Lounge with red sofa, Casa Tres Árboles in Valle de Bravo by Direccion — Dezeen readers named Casa Tres Árboles best home interior of 2023. Photo by Fabian Martinez

Informed by “monastic sanctuaries” and designed to celebrate light and shadows, Casa Tres Árboles is a weekend home in Mexico’s Valle de Bravo.

Mexican studio Direccion, used combined natural materials and an earthy colour palette for the interiors of the split-level home.

Dezeen readers picked the home form a shortlist that included projects from Spain, The Netherlands, UK, Australia, Japan, South Africa and USA.

The rest of the vote was pretty evenly split, with the Hiroo Residence in central Tokyo, the second most popular choice – receiving 12 percent of the vote.

Designed by architect Keiji Ashizawa, the 200-square-metre apartment features numerous wooden finishes combined with subtle tones of grey and beige.

Living room in Hiroo Residence by Keiji Ashizawa — Hiroo Residence was readers second favourite project. Photography by Tomooki Kengaku

Four further projects were joint third most popular – Dumbo loft by Crystal Sinclair Designs, House by the Sea by Of Architecture, Torres Blancas apartment by Studio Noju and Domūs Houthaven apartment by Shift Architecture Urbanism – each receiving nine per cent of the vote

2023 review

This article is part of Dezeen’s roundup of the biggest and best news and projects in architecture, design, interior design and technology from 2023.

Reference

Interior Design

Get listed in Dezeen’s digital guide for Stockholm Design Week 2024

By Zarkon Group,27/12/2023

If you’re hosting an event during Stockholm Design Week, you can get listed in Dezeen Events Guide’s digital guide, which highlights the key events taking place during the week.

Stockholm Design Week runs from 5 to 11 February 2024 and includes exhibitions, installations, talks, fairs and open showrooms.

One of the largest events taking place during the week is Stockholm Furniture Fair, which takes place from 6 to 10 February 2024, showcasing furniture, lighting, technology and textiles from over 150 brands.

The event welcomes designers, architects, journalists and purchasers, as well as design enthusiasts.

This year, Dezeen published digital guides to Stockholm Design Week, Milan design week, Salone del Mobile, NYCxDesign, 3 Days of Design, London Design Festival and Miami art week, contributing to Dezeen Events Guide’s success in generating 800,000 page views for the section.

Get listed in Dezeen’s digital Stockholm guide

Dezeen offers standard and enhanced listings in its Stockholm guide.

Standard listings cost £100 and include the event name, date and location details plus a website link. These listings will also feature up to 50 words of text about the event.

Enhanced listings cost £175 and include all of the above plus an image at the top of the listing’s page and an image in the listing preview on the Dezeen Events Guide homepage. These listings will also feature up to 100 words of text about the event.

For more information about partnering with us to help amplify your event, contact the team at [email protected].

About Dezeen Events Guide

Dezeen Events Guide is our guide to the best architecture and design events taking place across the world each year.

The guide is updated weekly and includes virtual events, conferences, trade fairs, major exhibitions and design weeks.

For more details on inclusion in the Dezeen Events Guide, including in our guide to Stockholm Design Week, email [email protected].

The illustration is by Rima Sabina Aouf.

Reference

Interior Design

Dezeen’s top 10 hotels of 2023

By Zarkon Group,26/12/2023

Already thinking about your next getaway post-Christmas? Here is Dezeen’s pick of 2023’s top 10 hotels, put together as part of our review of the year.

Our selection of the most popular and noteworthy hotels featured on Dezeen this year includes what is possibly the world’s skinniest in Indonesia, the grand conversion of a 1940s bank building in Rome and a place in Tbilisi that aims to make guests feel like they’re inside a movie.

Read on for the full list:

Exterior of PituRooms in Indonesia by Sahabat Selojene — Photo by David Permadi

PituRooms, Indonesia, by Sahabat Selojene

This seven-room hotel in Central Java is just 2.8 metres wide. Each compact room contains a double bed and bathroom pod with a toilet and shower.

“Aside from the technical difficulties, the biggest challenge was the typical mindset surrounding the hospitality industry that is used to superlative words: biggest, tallest, most luxurious,” Sahabat Selojene studio founder Ary Indra told Dezeen. “Here we are skinniest.”

PituRooms was not the only skinny hotel to capture readers attention in 2023, with 324Praxis’ Sep’on Heartfulness Centre in Vietnam similarly slender.

Find out more about PituRooms ›

The Rome Edition hotel — Photo by Nikolas Koenig

The Rome Edition, Italy, by The Edition

Dramatic seven-metre-high ceilings, full-height windows with green curtains and travertine surfaces grace the lobby of The Rome Edition.

Created by Amercian entrepreneur Ian Schrager’s hotel group The Edition, the 91-room hotel opened this year in a 1940s bank building. Other highlights include the intimate Jade Bar, which is fully lined in deep green antique marble and furnished with emerald-coloured velvet seating.

Find out more about The Rome Edition ›

The interior of a bedroom in Blueberry Nights — Photo courtesy of Blueberry Nights

Blueberry Nights, Georgia, by Sandro Takaishvili

Georgian architect Sandro Takaishvili wanted Tbilisi’s Blueberry Nights to make guests feel “like they’re inside a movie, where everything feels slightly familiar but otherworldly at the same time”.

With a theatrical colour scheme and cinematic moody lighting, its design evokes the visual style of directors such as Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch, while film projectors feature in all 16 rooms.

Find out more about Blueberry Nights ›

Boca de Agua de Taller Frida Escobedo — Photo by César Béjar

Boca de Agua, Mexico, by Frida Escobedo

Wooden guest quarters perched on stilts characterise Boca de Agua, a resort in the Yucatán Peninsula designed by Mexican architect Frida Escobedo

The villas – including one with a private pool and terrace – were raised up to reduce the environmental impact of the ground plane and to raise guests into the leafy jungle landscape.

Find out more about Boca de Agua ›

Borgo Santandrea hotel — Photo by Adrian Gaut

Borgo Santandrea, Italy, by Bonaventura Gambardella and Nikita Bettoni

Overlooking the historic fishing village of Conca dei Marini on the Amalfi Coast, the 1960s Borgo Santandrea hotel was restored by architect Bonaventura Gambardella and interior designer Nikita Bettoni.

The hotel incorporates the atmospheric medieval stone fortifications carved into the cliff below, with some of the guest rooms built into the old ramparts.

Find out more about Borgo Santandrea ›

Maison Brummell Marrakech by Bergendy Cooke — Photo by Emily Andrews

Maison Brummell Majorelle, Morocco, by Bergendy Cooke and Amine Abouraoui

Located next to the famous Majorelle Gardens in Marrakech, this boutique hotel was designed by New Zealand studio Bergendy Cooke in collaboration with Moroccan architect Amine Abouraoui.

With its sculptural, monolithic aesthetic and recurring arched openings inside and out, it was intended as a playful contemporary twist on the site’s history and the city’s traditional architecture.

Find out more about Maison Brummell Majorelle ›

The Lodge hotel in Mallorca by Único Hotels and interior designer Pilar García-Nieto — Photo by Montse Garriga

The Lodge, Spain, by Pilar García-Nieto

From Único Hotels, The Lodge occupies a 500-year-old farmhouse in Mallorca on a 157-hectare estate filled with almond and olive trees, lavender fields and hiking trails.

Interior designer Pilar García-Nieto kept the interiors mostly clean and minimal but left traces of the building’s agricultural past visible – most spectacularly an old stone mill for pressing olive oil, which stands in what is now the hotel reception area.

Find out more about The Lodge ›

"Garden hotel" in singapore — Photo by Darren Soh

Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore, by WOHA

Large, elevated garden terraces are cut into the form of this tall hotel building in Singapore designed by architecture studio WOHA, including one 18 floors up.

The studio wanted the hotel to have verdant views on all storeys despite its urban location, while the terraces also provide passive cooling in the humid climate.

Find out more about Pan Pacific Orchard ›

monkey table at vermelho hotel — Photo by Ambroise Tézenas

Vermelho, Portugal, by Christian Louboutin and Madalena Caiado

Fashion designer Christian Louboutin teamed up with architect Madalena Caiado to create this 13-room hotel in the Portuguese village of Melides.

Its traditionalist architecture meets maximalist interiors, with the rooms containing furniture from Louboutin’s personal collection as well as objects produced by local craftsmen. Louboutin talked to Dezeen about design process behind the hotel in an exclusive interview.

Find out more about Vermelho ›

Château Royal hotel in Berlin by Irina Kromayer, Etienne Descloux and Katariina Minits — Photo by Felix Brueggemann

Château Royal, Germany, by Irina Kromayer and others

Berlin’s renovated Château Royal references the German capital’s heyday at the turn of the 20th century through abundant oak panelling, art nouveau tiles, sisal carpets and hardware in brass and nickel.

The 93-room hotel comprises two buildings dating from 1850 and 1910, in addition to a newer building and roof extension designed by David Chipperfield Architects.

Find out more about Château Royal ›

2023 review

This article is part of Dezeen’s roundup of the biggest and best news and projects in architecture, design, interior design and technology from 2023.

Reference

Interior Design

Dezeen’s top 10 lookbooks of 2023

By Zarkon Group,25/12/2023

Continuing our 2023 review, we revisit the most popular lookbooks of the year – from minimalist bedrooms and biophilic homes to marble-lined bathrooms and kitchens with tiled worktops.

This year, the most-read lookbooks included wood-panelled dining rooms, homes with space-saving pocket doors and rooms with beautiful and practical bookshelves.

Read on to discover 10 of our most popular lookbooks of 2023:

Home with bookshelves in Spain — Above: photo by Imagen Subliminal. Top: photo by Edmund Sumner

Eight homes with beautiful and practical bookshelves

This lookbook for booklovers was our most-read lookbook this year. It showcased homes where designers have created stylish bookshelves – both wall-mounted and built-in.

Among the projects on show is an apartment in Madrid, Spain, which was designed by Spanish studio Zooco Estudio and features white shelving units that span two floors and provide plenty of space to store reading materials.

See more homes with beautiful bookshelves ›

Tiled kitchen in East Village apartment — Photo by Nicole Franzen

Eight kitchens with tiled worktops that are pretty but practical

There’s plenty of kitchen inspiration to be found in this lookbook, which explored kitchens with tiled worktops.

Among the examples is a New York apartment that features a kitchen island covered in oxblood-coloured tiles (above), as well as a pastel-hued Belgian kitchen and a colourful Spanish kitchen in a former motorcycle workshop.

See more kitchens with tiled worktops ›

Calming minimalist bedroom — Photo by Anson Smart

Eight calming bedrooms with minimalist interiors

The bedrooms in this lookbook range from a Mexican bedroom with a concrete bed to a cosy space in a former girls’ school in Puglia, all in a colour palette that mainly features beige, gray, and warm brown hues.

To create soothing, calming bedroom spaces, walls were left bare and the amount of artworks and personal items were kept to a minimum in these projects.

See more calming bedroooms ›

Tree inside The Greenery — Photo by Delfino Sisto Legnani and Alessandro Saletta from DSL Studio

Ten modern homes with interiors informed by biophilic design

Biophilic design, which aims to create spaces in which humans are more connected to nature, has been a trend this year and looks set to continue its ascent in 2024.

Homes with indoor trees, aquaponic systems with live fish, green roofs and verdant courtyards filled with plants are among the biophilic interior design examples in this lookbook.

See more homes with biophilic design ›

YUUA Architects and Associations skinny house interior — Photo by Sobajima, Toshihiro

Ten residential interiors that make the most of narrow spaces

Narrow interior layouts can be hard to decorate, but this roundup gave plenty of examples of how to work with tight living areas, kitchens wedged into corridors and interiors in skinny Japanese houses.

Tips include adding split-level floors, using built-in furniture to add visual depth and using glass doors to allow more light to penetrate the house.

See more residential interiors with narrow spaces ›

Wooden kitchen Curve Appeal — Photo by Megan Taylor

Eight tidy kitchens with slick storage solutions

This lookbook presented eight well-organised kitchens, where smart storage solutions help to hide clutter and create a more pleasant cooking experience. The projects, which range from compact apartments to home extensions, use hooks, nooks, racks, shelves, cubby holes and display units to make the best use of space.

Featured kitchens include the above example from London, which uses multifunctional plywood partitions with arched openings and alcoves for storing belongings.

See more tidy kitchens ›

Bedroom in Casa Maiora — Photo by Salva López

Ten earthy bedrooms that use natural colour to create a restful environment

Dreamy bedrooms from Mexico to Thailand were showcased in this lookbook, which gathers interiors that use earthy colour palettes and natural materials to evoke a sense of calm and tranquility.

Earthy browns, neutral beige and tan colours are complemented by terracotta and green hues to create bedrooms with a peaceful atmosphere, while materials include stone, timber, linen, clay accents and limewash finishes.

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Marble vanity in Eastern Columbia Loft — Photo by Yoshihiro Makino

Ten bathrooms where marble lines the walls

Carrera and Verde Aver marble, as well as similar natural stones such as travertine and quartzite, decorate these 10 bathrooms.

Whether it’s a renovated 1920s Stockholm apartment clad in Swedish Ekeberg marble, or a bathroom in an art-deco building covered in green Verde Aver marble (above), this lookbook showcases how the durable material can be used to create elegant interiors.

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Ten homes with space-saving pocket doors that disappear into the walls

Pocket doors – sliding doors that are designed to slot into a wall cavity so they can stay hidden from view – were the subject of this lookbook, which was one of the most popular of last year.

The solution is especially useful for rooms where there isn’t enough space for a door to open outwards and for locations where it makes sense for the door to integrate into surrounding joinery.

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Eight welcoming wood-panelled dining rooms

The cosiness of a wood-panelled dining room was the focus of this lookbook, which collected eight examples of homes where wood took centre stage.

Among the examples is this house in Chile, above, which features an open-plan kitchen and dining room with a vaulted ceiling that is clad in laminated pine.

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2023 review

This article is part of Dezeen’s roundup of the biggest and best news and projects in architecture, design, interior design and technology from 2023.

Reference

Interior Design

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