Interior Design Archives

Destudio inverts day and night zones at redesigned Valencia apartment

Architecture office Destudio has remodelled an apartment in Valencia for a couple of empty nesters, swapping the positions of the living and sleeping areas so they perform better for the owners’ lifestyles.

The clients, who recently worked with Destudio to design their pharmacy in the Spanish city, invited the studio to oversee the renovation of the 150-square-metre apartment that had been their home for two decades.

The couple’s grown-up children no longer live with them and Destudio saw this change in circumstances as an opportunity to create an entirely new and more appropriate layout.

Interior of Casa Inversa by Destudio — Destudio swapped the positions of living and sleeping areas in Casa Inversa

“We worked with the owners to convince them to make a ‘tabula rasa’ of how they lived in this house for the last 20 years and find a better distribution for their actual needs,” Destudio creative director Gabi Ladaria told Dezeen.

“It was tough for the family to recognise that every wall had to be demolished,” he added, “but when they saw the first plans and 3Ds they realised there were better ways to live in their house, being more honest with their needs in the coming years.”

An initial survey of how the existing spaces were used informed the decision to switch the position of the private and communal areas so the main living space receives the best of the available sunlight. This act gave the project its name, Casa Inversa.

Dining room in Casa Inversa by Destudio — The dining area was positioned in the corner of the living room

Conversations with the clients revealed that they wanted the kitchen to be the heart of the house as this is where they spend a lot of time preparing and eating meals throughout the day.

This informed the decision to reduce the size of the dedicated dining area by incorporating it into a corner of the living room.

Grey kitchen in a Valencia home — The kitchen was designed as the heart of the home

A cantilevered bench minimises the floor area used so the adjacent lounge feels more generous.

“We use this strategy in our restaurant projects to maximise the number of diners,” Ladaria pointed out, “but here it is used to maximise the space in the other part of the corner bench where the living room is located.”

The studio added that the table is likely to be used infrequently, mostly when friends or family come to visit, so it was designed like a restaurant booth to make the dining experience feel like eating out.

The kitchen opens onto a terrace with outdoor seating, while on the opposite wall a wine display backed with semi-opaque glass provides a visual connection with the adjoining utility space. Sliding glass doors can be closed to separate the kitchen and the adjacent sitting room if required.

Living room in Casa Inversa with a glass partition wall — Sliding glass doors separate the living area and kitchen

The apartment’s three bedrooms were relocated to the opposite end of the floor plan, where they overlook the building’s internal courtyards.

The principal bedroom and one of the guest rooms are accommodated in an angular corner that previously housed the living room. The main bedroom’s dressing area features cupboards that extend along one wall, making the most of the space.

A material palette consisting of clay-rendered walls, oak joinery and porcelain tiles acts as a warm backdrop for the clients’ art collection.

Bedroom in Casa Inversa Valencia apartment — Clay render covers the walls

Where possible, Destudio specified furniture from local brands, including the sofa, armchairs and the living room’s library shelving.

Destudio was founded in 2014 by architects Gabi Ladaria and Nacho Díaz, who studied together at Valencia’s Polytechnic University.

Other recent residential projects in Valencia include the renovation of a former fisherman’s house using geometric blue-and-white tiling and a copper-toned home in an olive grove.

The photography is courtesy of Destudio.

Reference

Interior Design

Portal House by Svima features brass details and curved oak ribbons

By Zarkon Group,31/03/2024

Brass ribbons line the asymmetric portals that connect the kitchen and dining room of this Toronto residence, renovated by local architecture and art studio Svima.

The Portal House was designed for a couple who had wanted to refresh their home for 10 years, but have very different aesthetic tastes.

Portal House by Svima — Two portals connect the renovated kitchen and dining areas of this Toronto home

Toronto-based studio Svima found a compromise by combining his desire for “tenebrous minimalism” and her love of “bright French country kitchens” into the design.

The resulting “denlike cosiness” pairs dark oak across the lower half of the ground-floor spaces and clean white surfaces on the upper half.

Brass-edged asymmetric portal looking into a kitchen — The curved, asymmetric portal over the deep counter acts as a pass-through

The snaked kitchen layout is tight, so Svima curved the corners of cabinetry and counter surfaces to steal extra space for circulation.

This theme continues to the living room millwork: a bookcase is filleted at the corner and meets the wall at an angle, while a built-in sofa beneath the window also softly angles inward.

Open doorway with brass edges looking into the kitchen — The other portal, mirrored in shape, forms a doorway between the two spaces

“The design hinges on ‘ribbons’ flowing through the space, guiding the motion through the rooms,” said Svima.

“The ribbons curve in areas where sharp corners would not fit, or would stop the flow of movement.”

Detail of a brass-lined portal with a kitchen counter behind — Brass edges around the portals were artfully installed to perfectly fit the curved drywall

In the kitchen, the curved oak doors were handmade by a cabinetmaker who created a special jig to kerf-bend the oak into a radius.

Tiles that offer a contemporary take on Dutch Delft porcelain form the backsplash, adding small touches of blue to the otherwise neutral space.

Kitchen with white upper cabinets, blue and white tiled backsplash, and dark oak lower cabinets — To add touches of colour to the dark oak and bright white palette, tiles influenced by Delft porcelain were added to the backsplash

Two portals provide connections between the kitchen and adjacent dining room, both with a mirrored asymmetric shape and edged in brass.

One acts as a doorway, while the other over the deep counter is used as a pass-through for food, drinks and tableware.

“It was an artful process for the contractor to lay the brass into the wall, as it had to fit into the curved drywall perfectly with no tolerance for error,” the architects said.

The living room, located at the front of the house, was furnished with mid-century pieces such as a chair, a coffee table and a media console.

Hallway with dark oak flooring and a staircase — Dark oak flooring throughout the home’s ground floor matches the other millwork

The closed and open shelving unit organises the family’s books and possessions, and its shape allows more light to enter from a side window.

Opposite, the built-in sofa helps to resolve an awkward space under a bay window and orients the sitter towards the TV to one side.

Living room featuring a dark oak storage unit with a filleted side — In the living room, the curved kitchen cabinetry is translated as a storage unit with a filleted side

“The custom sofa sweeps into the space to provide seating at precisely the right sideways angle for viewing the media unit, for lounge reading, and for gathering,” Svima said.

The floors throughout the home match the other millwork, grounding the spaces with a rich dark hue.

A built-in sofa under a living room bay window — A built-in sofa under the living room’s bay window similarly features softly curved angles

Svima, founded by architects Anamarija Korolj and Leon Lai, is not the only studio that’s had to get creative with a tight Toronto floor plan.

When Studio Vaaro overhauled a house in the city, the firm created a series of volumes with minimally detailed millwork to form kitchen cabinetry, the staircase and a feature bookcase in the living room.

The photography is by Scott Norsworthy.

Reference

Interior Design

Rockwell Group creates “cathedral of fried chicken” for NYC restaurant

By Zarkon Group,30/03/2024

Arches of light warmly illuminate this Korean fried chicken restaurant in New York’s Flatiron district, designed by Rockwell Group.

Coqodaq is the brainchild of restauranteur Simon Kim’s Gracious Hospitality Management, the group behind the Michelin-starred and James Beard-nominated COTE Korean Steakhouse.

Glass and bronze modules form an arch of light over a dining booth — At Cododaq, glass and bronze modules form arches of light over diners

The new restaurant offers an elevated take on traditional Korean-style fried chicken, encouraging diners to indulge in nuggets topped with caviar and to pair its “bucket” dishes with champagne.

“Designed by Rockwell Group as ‘the cathedral of fried chicken’, the restaurant design delivers a daring, yet refined dining experience that skillfully integrates Korean and American influences, placing them at the forefront of this enticing culinary adventure,” said the restaurant team.

Restaurant interior with moody material palette and warm lighting — The restaurant’s moody material palette and warm lighting set the tone for an elevated take on Korean fried chicken

To create the right atmosphere for this experience, Rockwell Group opted for a dark and moody interior of rich materials and low, warm lighting.

“Our goal was to capture the essence of this unique concept and innovative approach to fried chicken and translate it into a memorable dining experience,” said founder David Rockwell.

Booth seating with crackled plaster wall panels above — Plaster wall panels feature a crackled effect akin to fried chicken skin

Upon entry, guests are invited to wash their hands in leathered soapstone basins, above which a row of pill-shaped light bands glow within a bronzed mirror that also wraps onto the side walls.

Past the host stand, an area with four high-top tables offers a space reserved for walk-ins in front of garage-style windows.

A long bar topped with black soapstone and fronted with tambour wood — The long bar is topped with black soapstone and fronted with tambour wood

The main dining area is formed by a series of green leather and dark walnut booths on either side of a central walkway.

A series of illuminated arches soar overhead, formed from rippled glass and bronze modules that resemble bubbling oil in a deep-fat fryer.

Champagne collection displayed in glass cases with bubble-like lighting — The restaurant’s extensive champagne collection is displayed in glass cases with bubble-like lighting

At the end of this procession, a mirrored wall reflects glowing arches and creates the illusion of doubled space. Meanwhile, plaster wall panels feature a crackled effect, nodding to the crispy skin of the fried chicken.

“The material palette was driven by a desire to surround diners in an envelope of warmth, creating a joyful place to be at any time,” Rockwell said.

Rockwell Group creates atmospheric interiors for Perelman Center in New York

Additional booth seating to one side is followed by the long bar, topped with black soapstone, fronted by tambour wood and backed by a luminous black liquor shelf.

The restaurant’s extensive champagne collection – which it claims is the largest in America – is displayed inside glass cabinets installed with globe-shaped lights that look like giant bubbles.

Area with high-top tables reserved for walk-in diners — At the front of the restaurant is an area with high-top tables reserved for walk-in diners

“Simon and I share the belief that the most important thing about restaurants is how they ritualise coming together for a shared, celebratory experience and Coqodaq provides the perfect template for that,” said Rockwell.

Since Tony Award-winning designer founded his eponymous firm in New York 40 years ago, the studio has grown to a 250-person operation with additional offices in Los Angeles and Madrid.

Hand-washing station with leathered soapstone basins and rings of light above — Upon arrival, guests are encouraged to wash their hands in leathered soapstone basins

Among Rockwell Group’s recent hospitality projects are the Metropolis restaurant and lobby spaces at the Perelman Arts Center (PAC NYC) and Zaytina inside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

We’ve featured a few fried chicken restaurants recently, including a 1960s-influenced spot in Los Angeles and a neon-illuminated eatery in Calgary.

The photography is by Jason Varney.

Reference

Interior Design

Collcoll hides stairs in pixellated wooden structure at Pricefx office

By Zarkon Group,29/03/2024

Thousands of wooden cubes inspired by the computer game Minecraft conceal utilities and create casual seating areas at this office in Prague designed by architecture studio Collcoll.

Having previously designed one floor in the Meteor Centre Office Park for pricing software company Pricefx, Collcoll was tasked with outfitting the floor below as part of the client’s commitment to flexible and creative working practices.

Pixelated wood interiors Pricefx office by Collcoll in Prague — Collcoll has added a pixellated wooden structure to the Pricefx office in Prague

“The management and employees of Pricefx use their offices primarily for meetings that stimulate creative dialogue,” said Collcoll.

“By their very nature, they are an open space for variable use, not subject to the stereotypes of work cubicles or traditional open space.”

Minecraft interiors of Pricefx office by Collcoll in Prague — The wooden feature was informed by the computer game Minecraft

The need to link the two levels presented an opportunity to do something interesting with the circulation and service core at the centre of the floor plan.

Collcoll chose to enclose the staircase with a wooden structure that conceals staff lockers, changing rooms and utility spaces. It also contains a slide that can be used as an alternative to the stairs.

Pixelated wood interiors in Pricefx office by Collcoll in Prague — Collcoll concealed utilities behind the “pixels” and created casual seating areas

“Vertically connecting two floors tends to be problematic if the natural flow of the space is to be maintained,” Collcoll explained.

“The two floors are tectonically connected by a structure composed of thousands of wooden pixels, which modulates the space around it and becomes its internal landmark.”

Pricefx office by Collcoll in Prague — A slide can be used instead of the stairs

The composition of 40-centimetre-wide cubes references the blocky, pixellated world of the video game Minecraft. Its external surfaces form semi-enclosed alcoves and amphitheatres that can be used for informal work and presentations.

The cubes are wrapped in wood veneer that intentionally does not align so the pixels can be arranged in a completely random configuration.

The pixel motif is continued by a lighting grid that covers the entire office ceiling and by a projection screen incorporated into a bar counter that also functions as a reception desk.

The LED light fixtures, which are clearly visible from the street, can be dynamically adjusted to provide optimal lighting during working hours or create a party atmosphere for events.

Wood structure and LED lighting in Pricefx office by Collcoll in Prague — The pixel motif continues into the office’s lighting grid

The entire office floor can operate like an open conference hall containing pockets of dedicated functional space such as the cafe with its professional kitchen, bar counter and informal seating.

A large conference room at one end of the space is equipped with a long table that can seat up to 50 people. The table and the room itself can be divided to form smaller hot-desking spaces or meeting rooms.

Lighting on the wood structure of Pricefx office by Collcoll in Prague — Lighting can be adjusted to create a party atmosphere for events

A sliding acoustic partition enables the space to function as a recording studio, while transparent walls along one side can be turned opaque to provide privacy.

The office has no corridors and instead includes various unprescribed zones and circulation areas containing casual seating or lounges with amenities such as a pool table and a punchbag.

Table and concrete interiors in Pricefx office by Collcoll in Prague — A large conference room integrates with a table for up to 50 people

A range of presentation spaces are scattered throughout the floorplan. These include dedicated conference rooms and tiered amphitheatres with retractable screens.

Collcoll chose a neutral material palette comprising concrete, grey carpet tiles, light-grey plasterboard and black-painted ceilings to lend the office a modern, industrial aesthetic.

“The heavy black-metal tubular furniture corresponds with the concept of technological wiring,” Collcoll suggested.

“In contrast, the ephemeral changing grid of light chips and sensor systems embodies the direction of industrialism towards the world of software and information.”

Pixelated wood in Pricefx office by Collcoll in Prague — The studio added amenities such as a pool table and a punchbag

Collcoll’s name stands for “collaborative collective” and reflects the collaborative approach of its team of architects, designers and researchers.

Other recently completed office interiors featuring wooden structures include a workspace in Edinburgh by Kin and a design office in Melbourne that aims to be zero-waste by using recycled materials.

The photography is by BoysPlayNice.

Reference

Interior Design

Linehouse creates greenhouse-informed food market in Shanghai

By Zarkon Group,28/03/2024

Architecture studio Linehouse has wrapped a food market in a Shanghai laneway neighbourhood around a central atrium informed by Victorian greenhouses.

Named Foodie Social, the 2,000-square-metre food market is located within the Hong Shou Fang community – a residential area in Shanghai’s Putuo district known for its classic “longtang” laneway architecture.

Linehouse Foodie Social — The food market is in a two-storey grey brick building in Shanghai

The entrance to the two-storey market was framed by a double-height arrangement of stacked recycled red bricks, with a corten steel canopy added to provide shelter.

The same recycled red bricks sourced from demolished houses in China can also be found on the interior walls, stacked to create three dimensional patterns.

A large glass door can be pulled open on warm days, with patterned paving from the laneway outside extending to the interior of the market, fully connecting the interior and exterior.

The interior of the market was designed to resemble a greenhouse, with shops and cafe’s arrranged around a central, double-height atrium.

The glass pitched roof above the atrium was lined with gently curved metal truss, in reference to Victorian greenhouses, with three large fans hanging from the metal truss to improve the air circulation.

A cafe in the atrium, which contains an olive tree planted into the ground, integrates a metal staircase that leads to the upper floor.

A area describes as a “stage” is located by the staircase with a series of undulating balconies wrapped around the atrium on the upper floor.

Various typologies of food vendors are arranged in the open atrium on the ground floor, some of which are designed to be retractable, allowing flexibility for different types of vendors as well as a large open event space to be formed at the centre.

“This new typology brings together the local with more curated food offerings in a contemporary yet humble and sustainable way,” explained Linehouse‘s Shanghai team who are responsible for the design.

Smaller snack shops were positioned on the ground floor, while larger restaurants occupy the upper floor.

Each stall was assembled from a kit of parts, so that the vendors are able to create their own signage and layout, but maintain a consistent material and lighting palette.

Linehouse is a Hong Kong and Shanghai-based architecture and interior design studio established in 2013 by Alex Mok and Briar Hickling. The duo won the emerging interior designer of the year category at the 2019 Dezeen Awards.

The studio has also recently designed the facade of a shopping centre in Bangkok and the interiors for a Hong Kong residence that respond to coastal views.

The photography is by Wen Studio.

Project credits:

Design principal: Alex Mok
Associate-in-charge: Cherngyu Chen
Design team: Yeling Guo, Fei Wang, Wang Jue, Norman Wang, Aiwen Shao, Mia Zhou, Yunbin Lou, Xiaoxi Chen, Tom Grannells

Reference

Interior Design

Pearce+ create temporary sub-zero restaurant in Canada

By Zarkon Group,27/03/2024

UK architecture studio Pearce+ and Canadian designer Joe Kalturnyk have created a temporary inflatable restaurant for subzero temperatures in Winnipeg, Canada.

The barrel-vaulted restaurant has space for 48 guests dining in temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius during the 10th annual RAW:almond fine dining food festival, which celebrates both Canadian cuisine and the harsh winter.

Inflatable restaurant in Winnipeg — The temporary restaurant was designed by Pearce+

Each year, the food festival commissions the construction of a temporary structure that responds to its environment and incorporates sustainable reuse.

“[The shelter] mirrors the ethos of the food served within by minimizing waste, discovering elegance in simplicity, creatively celebrating local identity, and incorporating a global outlook,” said the team.

Vaulted dining room — It featured a vaulted dining room

Pearce+, based in Herfordshire and London, constructed the 220-square metre (2,370-square foot) restaurant in just a few weeks, and it was in use for 22 days early in 2024.

The snow-surrounded structure had a cruciform plan with a 140-square metre (1,500-square foot) vaulted dining room that contained two linear tables.

Custom inflatable restaurant — Pearce+ developed custom inflatable panels

Employing a Diagrid framework, the vault was constructed from 18-meter-long, 15-millimetre reinforced steel bars.

“These bars were bundled in groups of three, with varying plywood spacers, to create exceptionally lightweight trusses,” the team said.

Reflective foil interior panels — Interior diamond-shaped panels featured a reflective foil layer

The team – with the help of inflatable specialists at Inflate Ltd – developed custom inflatable panels that mitigated the potential pressure to decrease the cold temperature’s lower air density. It was stretched over the framework.

The diamond-shaped panels featured a gold-coloured foil layer that reflected heat into the space.

Restaurant entrance — Festival goers entered through a smaller vaulted lobby tunnel

Along the ridge line, the gold panels were swapped with transparent ones, offering a view to the snowy sky.

The panels were connected with Velcro – rather than glue due to the extreme temporal variation – and were disassembled and stored for future uses.

Rectangular kitchen — Directly across from the entrance was the rectangular kitchen

Capping each end of the dining area were trapezoidal buttressing structures, designed to resist strong winds and offer emergency egress.

Festival goers entered through a smaller vaulted lobby tunnel at the centre of the plan. A gabled wooden vestibule transitioned into the dining area.

Directly behind the structure was the rectangular kitchen.

Separated by a small hallway, the kitchen was constructed with a Structurally Insulated Panels (SIP) flat-pack and outfitted with high-quality appliances.

Rectangular dining tables featured inside

The structure was meant to be a demonstration of ways to conserve space by utilising temporary structures.

“I think it’s necessary to start re-envisioning how we use space, for what and for how long,” said RAW:almond co-founder Joe Kalturnyk.

“In the beginning I was interested in seeing if you can temporarily build a city within a city – and what better way to test the idea than with food? RAW:almond was a huge leap – would people embrace the winter and eat outdoors? Would they do it on a frozen river? And ultimately, could we even pull this off?”

In 2015, the RAW:almond pop-up restaurant was constructed on the surface of a frozen river with an X-shaped plan lying over the connection between the Assiniboine and Red rivers.

Pop-up restaurant interior — The restaurant was designed for subzero temperatures

Also in Winnipeg, Canadian studio KPMB revealed a horticultural centre with a Fibonacci spiral roof.

The photography is by Simeon Rusnak.

RAW:almond 2024 took place from 24 January to 18 February. For more events, talks and exhibitions involving architecture and design visit Dezeen Events Guide.

Project credits:

Project founders: Joe Kalturnyk & Mandel Hitzer
Architect/designer: Pearce+ and Joe Kalturnyk
Architect of record: AtLrg Architecture
Project management: Joe Kalturnyk
Structural engineers: Wolfrom Engineering
Inflatable specialists: Inflate
Visualisations: Pearce+
Construction: RAW:Almond team, Pearce+ and Hi-Rise

Reference

Interior Design

Multipurpose rooms optimise Ulli Heckmann’s Rotterdam apartment

By Zarkon Group,26/03/2024

A bedroom incorporating a bathtub and a window bench is one of several versatile spaces architect Ulli Heckmann created when renovating this compact apartment in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Heckmann and his partner, the designer Nienke Bongers, bought the apartment in the Delfshaven neighbourhood in 2020 with the aim of refurbishing it to suit their personal tastes.

Living room and windows at Ulli Heckmann's compact apartment in Rotterdam — Multipurpose rooms were used to optimise space at Ulli Heckmann’s Rotterdam apartment

The 100-square-metre property is spread across the ground floor and basement of a brick apartment building dating from 1935 that stretches along a dike on the river Schie.

Previous renovations in the 1980s had stripped away all of the interior’s original features, so the couple decided to completely gut the spaces and rebuild them using a modern and affordable material palette.

Kitchen and stairs at Ulli Heckmann's compact apartment in Rotterdam — The open-plan kitchen and living area receive daylight from the garden

The existing layout did not make the best use of the garden access, so Heckmann moved the bedrooms upstairs and created a large living space below with direct access to the outdoors.

“The original downstairs plan showed one room facing the garden and one towards the street, which was quite gloomy and dark,” the architect told Dezeen.

“Since the new downstairs is basically mono-orientated, an open layout with the kitchen cupboard as a room divider seemed the best solution in terms of space with an option for privacy.”

Kitchen and wooden fixtures at Ulli Heckmann's compact apartment in Rotterdam — Heckmann completely rebuilt the interior spaces using affordable materials. Photo is by Yuta Sawamura

The largely open-plan configuration creates a space for cooking, eating and socialising that receives plenty of daylight from the large windows at one end.

Freestanding cupboards screen a small private space that Heckmann explained can be used for “reading a book, inviting friends to stay over or simply drying the laundry without putting it in the middle of the living room.”

Wood staircase at Ulli Heckmann's compact apartment in Rotterdam — The kitchen is divided by a wooden cupboard unit for privacy. Photo is by Yuta Sawamura

Throughout the property, built-in storage helps to optimise and organise space, allowing the interior to be used in different ways at different times. Examples include a hidden desk in the children’s bedroom and a window bench in the main bedroom.

“Most of the rooms are not limited to only one purpose throughout the day and night,” said Heckmann, “which helps tremendously for the use of the space – especially as a family.”

The layout of the upper floor is more compartmentalised than the basement level; however, a full-height mirrored door at the end of the hall can be left open to ensure the spaces feel connected.

The two bedrooms at either end of the plan are separated by a walk-in wardrobe and a shower room hidden behind cupboard-like doors.

Bedroom bath at Ulli Heckmann's compact apartment in Rotterdam — The main bedroom integrates a bathtub that can be hidden behind a curtain

In addition to the bed and window bench, the main bedroom contains a bathtub set on wooden blocks that can be screened off using a curtain.

“The need to create multifunctional spaces is one of the reasons why we decided to have the bathtub in the bedroom,” Heckmann explained. “Also, we quite like that it becomes an object in our daily life instead of hiding it away.”

Bookshelf in Ulli Heckmann's compact apartment in Rotterdam — Most of the furniture was built by Heckmann and Bongers with stained or dyed plywood and MDF

The couple had wanted to use natural materials where possible to completely revamp the interior, but the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic caused prices to soar and subsequent lockdowns made commissioning specialist trades much more difficult.

Heckmann and Bongers therefore designed and built most of the furniture themselves, using plywood or MDF that they stained or dyed to give the materials a more unique finish.

The bedroom shelf and the hall cupboards are made from eucalyptus plywood tinted with an earl-grey mixture, while the bedhead is MDF with a hardwax finish.

Bedroom unit in Ulli Heckmann's compact apartment in Rotterdam — The bedhead unit is made from MDF with a warm-toned hardwax finish

Lime plaster was used on the walls throughout the apartment. The downstairs spaces were left raw and natural, while the bedroom has green pigment added to give it a subtle hint of colour.

For the kitchen, Heckmann used MDF boards with oak veneer and a countertop with a dark Forbo linoleum surface. The cupboard under the stairs features an oak frame surrounding polycarbonate panels, while the staircase podium is made from painted MDF.

Computer nook at Ulli Heckmann's compact apartment in Rotterdam — A hidden desk in the children’s bedroom helps to optimise space usage

Ulli Heckmann completed his Diploma studies at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, in 2006 and worked for several years for agencies in Germany and France, including Maison Edouard François.

He founded his architecture and design studio in Paris in 2013 and now works on projects across Europe, ranging from object and interior design to private housing and architectural competitions.

Other recent Rotterdam projects featured on Dezeen include a floating cross-laminated timber office and a multi-faceted auditorium designed using computer modelling.

The photography is by Ulli Heckmann unless otherwise stated.

Reference

Interior Design

Apparatus updates Los Angeles showroom to include a “modernist grotto”

By Zarkon Group,25/03/2024

New York-based studio Apparatus has redesigned its Hollywood showroom with multiple material schemas and a range of its lighting and furniture products to evoke a feeling of “discovery” for visitors.

The 5,000-square-foot (464 square metres) Hollywood showroom first opened in 2018 in a former warehouse. Apparatus redesigned the interiors – which previously consisted of bold geometric and neoclassical elements – opting for an experience featuring a progression of materials that create distinct experiences for each room.

Heavily textured walls with hanging pendants — Apparatus has redesigned the interiors of its LA showroom

Its three adjoining rooms were transformed with distinct finishes and reconfigured displays.

The first room’s walls and adjoining archways were covered in a coarse rock aggregate. Beds of similar stones fill small recessed gaps between the floor and the walls and a large circular mirror sits behind an installation of the Trapeze light configured as a mobile.

Heavily textured walls of Apparatus LA showroom — The entry program features wall with a rough texture

“Upon entering, you find yourself in our version of a modernist grotto,” said Apparatus.

“Here lights are relatively low, allowing you to experience our collections with slightly subterranean undertones.”

Apparatus trapeze chandelier — The “grotto”-like room features an installation of the Trapeze chandelier

The pre-existing archways were left intact and lead into the next space, which was finished in a silver-toned plaster custom produced by New York outift Kamp Studios. This surface treatment has a reflective quality meant to contrast the first space.

It has an installation featuring multiple of Appratatus’ iconic Cloud chandeliers that give the space an airiness when contrasted with the earthy textures of the first.

Apparatus LA showroom — The second room has a smooth, silvery finish on the walls

“Silvered walls reflect without revealing, giving the impression of being inside a Renaissance coffer,” said the studio. “After the grounding of the first space, this functions as a release.”

A third room is lined with cork wall panels with intricate grain patterning and includes an unattributed bird-themed tapestry.

Natural light comes in from overhead windows casting shadows on the double-height room, and includes several products arranged sparsely across the room.

“It’s about feeling discovery and moving through layers,” said Apparatus founder Gabriel Hendifar.

Throughout, light fixtures are hung low to emphasize a dream-like characteristic of the reimagined space.

As in Apparatus’s other showrooms in New York and London, the gallery’s interior design resembles the composition of famous paintings and historical architectural styles. Italian artist Giorgio De Chirico’s Surrealist works were referenced for this room.

Apparatus showroom — The third space features cork-lined walls and a double-height ceiling

According to the company, the space was also redesigned based on a creative narrative of a hypothetical person: a woman living in New York City during the 1960s.

The hypothetical person in this case experiences the cultural tensions of the time, between old world conventions and big changes in society, such as the moon landing, embodying the “tension between modernity and the arcane”.

“What would happen if this woman moved to Los Angeles a decade later to find herself? Our Los Angeles gallery is the answer,” said the studio.

Apparatus LA — The rooms were ordered to evoke a sense of discovery

Apparatus has displayed its full suite of products in this immersive setting. Collections on view include the Cloud pendant lamp and the Episode Settee sofa.

Other recent showroom designs include the London Camper store by James Shaw and Malbon Golf Coconut Grove store by 22RE.

The photography is by Matthew Placek.

Reference

Interior Design

Timothy Godbold adorns Tribeca loft with modernist relief panels

By Zarkon Group,24/03/2024

New York interior designer Timothy Godbold has renovated an apartment in a historic Tribeca building, adding various relief treatments across its neutral walls including panels influenced by a 1970s sci-fi series.

The spacious loft is located in an 1881 cast-iron building on Franklin Street, which was formerly a textile factory and was overhauled by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban in 2019.

Double-height living room surrounded by windows — The most dramatic space in the loft is a double-height living room surrounded by windows

“The homeowners, a young family with two children, set out with the objective of creating a great home for entertaining that simultaneously utilized space efficiently to create a comfortable family living space,” said Godbold‘s team.

The designer helped to organise the layout so that it functioned optimally for the family, and despite opting for a neutral colour palette, Godbold upped the drama through the scale of the furniture and artwork.

Dining table anchored to a structural column — Rather than disguise a structural column, Timothy Godbold used it as an anchor for the dining table

A double-height living room occupies a corner flooded with light from windows on two sides, which can be diffused by drawing the sheer curtains.

To work around a large structural column disrupting the view to the living room, Godbold used the column to anchor a stone dining table to turn it into a focal feature.

Minimalist kitchen viewed from double-height living room — The kitchen is intentionally minimal, benefitting from the absence of cabinet and drawer pulls

The table references a 1930s design by Hans and Wassili Luckhardt and Alfons Anker, in keeping with the industrial style of the building.

The kitchen is very minimal, thanks to the omission of cabinet and drawer pulls, and includes an island with a waterfall stone top that creates space for a breakfast bar.

Flexible office and bar space with a brown sofa — An area behind the kitchen was converted into a flexible office and bar space

Hidden behind the kitchen is a former TV room converted into a bar room and an office “to maximise the versatility of the space and meet multiple needs”.

The walls in this flexible room are covered in geometric plaster-relief panels, which add shadows and texture, while the furniture is darker and more masculine.

Plaster relief panels based on a 1970s sci-fi series covering a curved wall — Plaster relief panels based on a 1970s sci-fi series cover the walls

A Reprise pendant light from New York design studio Apparatus hangs in a corner that has been curved to accentuate the modernist-style wall panelling.

“The wall details in this Tribeca space are inspired by a classic 1970s sci-fi series that showcases an all-Italian modern aesthetic within a futuristic environment,” said the team.

A fluted feature wall behind a bed — A feature wall behind the bed in the primary bedroom is fluted across its full width

A row of plastered arched niches separates the formal entertaining areas from a more casual seating area, where a large pale grey sofa shifts the tone from the warm whites found elsewhere.

In the primary bedroom, the built-in bed and nightstands are installed below a tufted upholstered headboard that runs the full width of the room, and a fluted wall feature that extends to the ceiling.

A sculptural sofa, large planters and a huge artwork by Etienne Moyat — The bedroom also features a sculptural sofa, large planters and a huge artwork by Etienne Moyat

Opposite the bed is a sculptural sofa surrounded by oversized planters and a large, carved relief artwork by French sculptor Etienne Moyat on the wall.

Godbold custom-designed many of the pieces throughout the home, including most of the furniture and decorative elements.

His references included mid-century Italian designers like Joe Colombo, whose space-age shapes are echoed in the dining chairs, sofas, and smaller lighting and decor items.

Godbold also played with proportion to add drama, as seen in the living room’s custom stone sofas that are upholstered in a “brutalist” fabric made in England, and the coffee table with an integrated planter.

Dressing room with curved metal closet doors — A variety of space-age shapes and materials can be found throughout the loft

The rugs also feature custom designs that outline the furniture in the same space.

Overall, the goal was to “marry the industrial, the art deco and the more surreal aspects of 1970s noir cult cinema for a glamorous and intriguing end product.”

Neutral-coloured nursery with soft toys on the floor — The home’s neutral colour palette continues through to the nursery

Originally from Australia, Godbold is currently based in the Hamptons, where he renovated his mid-century home to resemble a “villain’s hideout”.

He also aims to preserve other modernist dwellings built across the area through the nonprofit organisation Hamptons 20th Century Modern.

The photography is by David Mitchell.

Reference

Interior Design

Crosby Studios creates office-themed installation for The Frankie Shop

By Zarkon Group,23/03/2024

New York-based Crosby Studios has piled office equipment around a long metallic table as part of a pop-up installation for fashion brand The Frankie Shop in Los Angeles.

The month-long installation titled The Office was launched to coincide with LA Art Week and the Sag-Aftra film festival and marked the New York label The Frankie Shop‘s first presence in the Californian city.

A long, metallic conference table within an industrial-style building — A long, metallic conference table formed part of The Office installation created by Crosby Studios

The brand’s founder Gaëlle Drevet and Crosby Studios creative director Harry Nuriev met at his studio, talked for 2.5 hours and decided to work together.

The resulting installation occupies a trapezoidal building on Sunset Boulevard wrapped in metallic film on all sides.

Equipment like printers, office chairs and water coolers arranged around a room — Equipment like printers, office chairs and water coolers were arranged around the perimeter of the space

Inside, the warehouse-like space features a long table also covered in a reflective material, with matching cube-shaped stools set along either side.

Articulated desk lamps, microphones and bottles of water were arranged on the table as if set up for delegates at a convention.

Metallic table with water bottles and microphones on top — The central table featured microphones and water bottles as if set up for a meeting

Around the perimeter, Nuriev placed recycled office equipment, such as a large printer, a stack of binders and a pile of plastic-wrapped office chairs.

A row of water coolers was lined up along one end of the room, encircled with glowing light boxes to create sharp silhouettes of the equipment in front.

Pile of office chairs silhouetted against a bright light box — Light boxes that encircle the space create sharp silhouettes of the office furniture placed in front

“It’s not really about the office, it’s more about what happens after the office,” Nuriev told Dezeen. “I was thinking it’s time to officially move on from the office and consider the future. However, in this project, we’re uncertain about what the future holds exactly.”

A selection of apparel by The Frankie Shop is interspersed among the vignettes, while a “storage” area in the back serves as a fitting room.

Plastic-wrapped silver furniture — Some of the furniture is plastic-wrapped, appearing as though just installed or ready to be shipped away

Together, the industrial style of the building, the silvery materials, the lighting and the equipment served to highlight the brand’s reinterpretation of businesswear.

“The pop-up design blends a dynamic combination of fashion and nostalgia, where the power suits of the past seamlessly align with the modern attitude of The Frankie Shop,” said the team.

Metallics are commonplace in Nuriev’s interior projects, appearing prominently in a Berlin jewellery store, a Moscow restaurant and his own New York apartment amongst others.

However, he is vague about the reasons or intentionality behind this recurring theme.

Exterior of a building on Sunset Boulevard covered in reflective film — The exterior of the building on Sunset Boulevard is also covered in reflective film

“I don’t really think about ‘why’; it’s just my instincts, and I prefer to follow my feelings,” said Nuriev. “For this project, I had a vision of silver, and I think it works perfectly.”

Originally from Russia, the designer founded Crosby Studios in 2014 and is now based between New York and Paris.

Zoomed out view of The Frankie Shop building in LA — The month-long installation marks The Frankie Shop’s first presence in LA and was timed to coincide with the city’s art week

He recently completed the interiors for New York nightclub Silencio, based on the original location in Paris designed by film director David Lynch.

Nuriev frequently collaborates with fashion brands, on projects ranging from a virtual sofa upholstered with green Nike jackets to a transparent vinyl couch filled with old Balenciaga clothing.

The photography is by Josh Cho.

The Office is on show in Los Angeles from 23 February to 24 March. For more events, talks and exhibitions in architecture and design visit Dezeen Events Guide.

Reference

Interior Design

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Crosby Studios creates office-themed installation for The Frankie Shop

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