Is This the Most Beautiful Architecture School Project Ever Designed?
CategoriesArchitecture

Is This the Most Beautiful Architecture School Project Ever Designed?

“Artisanal” is a word one hears a lot these days, especially in Brooklyn. Consumers are getting tired of the same old same old and long for one-of-a-kind products, preferably those made by hand. Artisans themselves are looking to escape a mainstream workforce where workers rarely get to take ownership over their own projects.

When she was an architecture student, Joanne Chen seized on this trend in an imaginative manner, designing a factory where master craftsmen could work alongside one another. Her drawings are the kind that would be perfect for Architizer’s inaugural Vision Awards, a competition that gives talented creators — including architectural photographers, filmmakers, visualizers, drawers, model-makers and more — a chance to showcase their work. With categories for students and professionals, the awards recognize emerging and established talent.

Pre-launch Registration is open today — sign up for the Vision Awards to be the first to receive updates and begin preparing your entries:

Register for the Vision Awards

In Chen’s vision, artisans would not only ply their trades but would also have access to recreational and educational facilities. It is a unique facility designed for those who wish to find enjoyment in their work.

“The project raises a critique on the contemporary view of work as compensatory toil rather than fulfillment and pleasure,” said Chen. “The building adopts an interwoven spatial language, interspersing production spaces with gardens and waterscapes to create a multi-orientational experience while preserving the building’s sense of transparency.”

The proposal places the factory on the picturesque banks of the river Thames in London and includes workshops for stained-glass-makers, weavers, furniture designers and more. Courtyards featuring pensive lily ponds are laced throughout the scheme. Although this is a workplace, beauty is integrated into the functional spaces. Decorative doorways connect rooms with stunning glazed ceilings, and walls are lined with wallpaper featuring intricate vegetal motifs.

“The ornate design is a reaction against the minimalist Scandinavian design that is ubiquitous in today’s homes thanks to furniture manufacturers like Ikea,” explained Chen.

Readers might be surprised to learn that disenchantment with mass production is nothing new. In Victorian England, members of the Arts and Crafts movement called for an integration of the arts with everyday life.

They privileged the handmade over the factory-made and wrote treatises that romanticized the medieval guilds of centuries past, an age in which the products of daily life were built by master craftsmen who honed their skills over a lifetime.

One of the most interesting figures of the Arts and Crafts movement was the writer, textile designer and socialist thinker William Morris (1834–1896). In essays like “Art and Life,” Morris outlined his proposal to transform society in a way that would eliminate drudgery.

His dream was a world in which work was a sphere of life where people could feel independent, creative and fulfilled. “The true secret of happiness,” he once wrote, “lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”

Morris’s idealism was a major inspiration for Chen, whose factory is modeled on design principles set down in one of Morris’s texts. Like Morris, Chen wishes to reimagine the factory as a space for joy and exploration, rather than mere industrial efficiency. Many of the details of her proposal — including the striking wallpaper designs — are inspired by Morris’s own sketches and textile designs.

In terms of architectural inspirations, the project possesses a resemblance to Carlo Scarpa’s Brion Cemetery, a moving project defined by pristine concrete forms and reflecting pools.

Chen’s project was completed as part of her Masters program at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London. She worked in collaboration with the architect Niall McLaughlin as well as Michiko Sumi and Yeoryia Manolopoulou.

Architizer’s Vision Awards seeks to honor theoretical works that, like Chen’s imaginative drawing, might never result in a built project, but deserve recognition for the inspiration they spark. From fantastical renderings to intricate drawings, conceptual works tell powerful stories about architecture and form a creative catalyst for the profession:

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All images courtesy of Bartlett School of Architecture

Reference

Eight practical and beautiful concrete bathrooms around the world
CategoriesInterior Design

Eight practical and beautiful concrete bathrooms around the world

Our latest lookbook explores eight bathrooms with striking concrete interiors, ranging from a Mexico City bathroom that also features a rough-hewn stone bathtub to a UK bathroom built around a “concrete sculpture”.

Concrete is a practical choice for bathroom interiors since the material is water-resistant, hardwearing and easy to clean. It can also be a decorative option – the material has a rugged, industrial look that gives bathroom interiors a brutalist feel.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors that prove beige doesn’t have to be boring, tidy kitchens with slick storage solutions and save-saving pocket doors.


Concrete bath and Crittal screen in bathroom of Untiled House extension by Szczepaniak Astridge in London
Photo by Nicholas Worley

Untitled House, UK, by Szczepaniak Astridge

This residential extension in south London was designed around a “concrete sculpture”, a concrete-walled void that travels through the house from the kitchen up to the bathroom.

Here, concrete was poured in situ to form the foundations, floors, walls and ceilings. A monolithic bathtub, also made from concrete, adds to the brutalist feel of the bathroom.

Find out more about Untitled House ›


Concrete bathroom in Cloister House
Photo by Givlio Aristide

Cloister House, Australia, by MORQ

The almost-windowless Cloister House in Perth surrounds a plant-filled courtyard and was designed to have a sense of privacy.

Made from thick concrete, its interior walls only have thin, arrow-slit openings. In the home’s bathroom, the rammed-concrete finish of the walls was left exposed and softened with a floor made from wooden slats and a red hardwood ceiling.

Find out more about Cloister House ›


Sunken Bath by Studio 304
Photo by Radu Palicica

Sunken Bath, UK, by Studio 304

Sunken Bath is a glazed bathroom that local studio Studio 304 designed for a London flat to create space for Japanese ritual bathing – a relaxation practice.

The shower and toilet are separated from the concrete bathtub, which is enclosed by glass walls and a glass roof and offers views of the peaceful bamboo-filled garden.

Find out more about Sunken Bath ›


House and Studio Lambeth by Carmody Groarke
Photo by Gilbert McCarragher

House and Studio Lambeth, UK, by Carmody Groarke

Architecture office Carmody Groarke designed House and Studio Lambeth to slot inside the fabric of an old warehouse. Its design combines a brick “skin” with a smooth concrete interior.

A concrete bathroom unit finished with a large shadow gap underneath the ceiling divides one of the home’s four bedrooms. This is contrasted with a decorative marble sink and copper-hued taps and details.

Find out more about House and Studio Lambeth ›


Concrete bathroom in Habitat 67 building
Photo by Maxime Brouillet

Unit 622, Canada, by Rainville Sangaré

Moshe Safdie’s famous brutalist Habitat 67 in Montreal is home to this apartment, which is one of 158 homes in 354 stacked, prefabricated concrete “boxes”.

Its bathroom features a shower fronted by dichroic glass that changes colour depending on which angle it’s viewed from. Vertical concrete wall tiles were designed in a nod to the brutalist building’s structure.

Find out more about Unit 622 ›


Bathtub in Mexico City concrete bathroom
Photo by Edmund Sumner

Pedro Reyes House, Mexico, by Pedro Reyes and Carla Fernandez

This Mexico City home was made primarily from concrete, applied in varying degrees of coarseness, and was designed for and by a Mexican sculptor and fashion designer.

In the bathroom, the sink was moulded into a shape that resembles pottery and the bathtub is made from stone to look like a rock pool. The rough-hewn shapes match the rough feel of the concrete walls and ceiling.

Find out more about Pedro Reyes House ›


Concrete bathroom in Costa Rica
Photo by BoysPlayNice

Art Villa, Costa Rica, by Formafatal and Refuel Works

The Art Villa is nestled into the Costa Rican jungle and was designed to reference the tropical landscape and buildings by architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha, which are known for their monolithic concrete forms.

The concrete walls and ceilings in its bathroom match the large stone bathtub and contrast the wood used for the floor. Large floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of the verdant countryside.

Find out more about Art Villa ›


Concrete bathroom in New York apartment
Photo by Amy Barkow

S-M-L Loft, US, by BC–OA

Located in a cast-iron building dating from 1880 in New York’s Soho district, the S-M-L Loft draws on its past as a warehouse.

The functional, industrial vibe of the flat can also be seen in the bathroom, which has solid walnut millwork paired with raw concrete panels and white porcelain tiles.

Find out more about S-M-L Loft ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors that prove beige doesn’t have to be boring, tidy kitchens with slick storage solutions and save-saving pocket doors.

Reference

Villa FZ: The Extraordinary Materials Behind Italy’s Most Beautiful New Residence
CategoriesArchitecture

Villa FZ: The Extraordinary Materials Behind Italy’s Most Beautiful New Residence

Tucked away in the province of Ferrara lies a private residence designed, built and decorated by a collaborative team of architects and stoneware experts. The visionary Sergio Bizzarro, Principal of Studio Bizzarro & Partners, worked with architect Simone Savio to realize the design. Meanwhile, FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti and Iris Ceramica were brought in to decorate the home’s interior and exterior with high-performing and aesthetically-pronounced Italian stoneware. This project is a true celebration of Italian architecture, craft and culture.  

Villa FZ sits on a small plot of land in a relatively built-up neighborhood. Due to its location,  ensuring privacy was at the forefront of the design. At the same time, the design team was cognizant of creating an open, breathable space connected to the outdoors. In order to accommodate the need for both privacy and breathability, the design team settled on the concept of an inverted structure.

Rather than opening to the outside, the home is oriented inwards. Large French windows overlook an enclosed patio and swimming area and work to connect the interior to a private, outdoor living space. The site’s perimeter was heavily landscaped to further enclose the space, maximize privacy and create a green oasis. The result is a clean, contemporary design that promotes relaxation and comfortable living.

Completing the space with durable and quality materials was of importance to the design team, along with maintaining a cohesive visual language. In order to do so, FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti’s MaxFine collection was chosen to finish the villa. MaxFine is revered for its ability to blur the lines between surface and furniture and was the perfect fit for this house. Several slabs from the collection were used throughout the home, adding textural and visual depth to the interior space.

The dwelling’s entrance consists of a small externally-covered atrium leading to the front door. The property’s atrium was covered in FMG’s Marmi MaxFine slabs in the color Statuario Light. These slabs have a crisp off-white, marble-esque quality which contrasts the dark-colored door and simultaneously blends with the external façade.

The home’s muted palette consists of shades of gray, black and white. To enhance the visual language, stoneware with decorative qualities was chosen. FMG’s MaxFine slabs in the color Black Marquinia, were used to create an accent wall that runs from the first floor to the second.

Finished in a Silky texture, this wall stands pronounced within the home, with its rich dark hue and contrasting white veiny lines. This striking backdrop serves as a focal point of the home and can be appreciated in many spots due to the interior’s relatively open plan. The stoneware’s veiny appearance provides a sense of tactility and movement against the muted interior design while still maintaining visual continuity.

To complete the floors, a stone effect was chosen to ensure it could withstand foot traffic and maintain visual continuity with the rest of the space. FMG’s Pietre MaxFine slabs in the color Lavica Grey cover the interior floors and fit seamlessly with the home’s aesthetic. This stoneware is built to last and is resistant to chemicals, which makes for an easy-to-clean surface.

To complement the charming interior space, Iris Ceramica’s Pietra di Basalto panels in the color Grigio were chosen to pave the exterior patio. The Pietra di Basalto stoneware has a slipperiness coefficient of R11, which ensures a high grip and safe walkway and is ideal for spaces with a pool. Moreover, both the interior and exterior floors are UV-resistant which helps maintain the stoneware’s rich color over time. The color gray was chosen for both the interior and exterior flooring and works to create a cohesive visual language throughout the entire property.

All the stoneware chosen to complete this seaside oasis boast high technical performance and pronounced aesthetics. It was important to the design team to choose durable and practicable stoneware, and both FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti and Iris Ceramica’s products deliver just that. Both the MaxFine and Pietra di Basalto collections demonstrate that quality stoneware can serve two purposes, both functional and decorative. Villa FZ truly exemplifies that when thoughtful architecture and superior quality stoneware merge, the result is an unparalleled living experience.

To learn more about the remarkable materials used throughout the project, visit the websites of FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti and Iris Ceramica.

Reference

Tiny Timber: 6 Small-Scale Retail Designs With Beautiful Wooden Interiors
CategoriesArchitecture

Tiny Timber: 6 Small-Scale Retail Designs With Beautiful Wooden Interiors

How can architecture be a force for good in our ever-changing world? During Future Fest, we’re pose this question to some of the world’s best architects. We’re hosting daily virtual talks from September 12th to 30th, which are 100% free to attend.  Check out the full schedule!

Shops can provide impressive shopping experiences even with limited floor areas. Instead of using shiny and luxurious materials that crowd the space, wood can easily bring intimacy and coziness to compact spaces. This collection includes six examples of retail designs that smartly employ wood in small store spaces. They demonstrate the possibility of timber-clad interiors, revealing how wood can evoke a range of atmospheres from quiet calmness to bright warmth to intimate mystery and more.


Mi Pan

By Concentrico, Mexico City, Mexico

Popular Choice Winner, 10th Annual A+Awards, Retail

mi pan_interior_1mi pan_interior_2The bakery Mi Pan celebrates bakers’ hard work in making delicious bread. Metal trays reoccur on the shelves, wall cladding and ceiling decorations. These are the same type of tray used for bread production, reminding people of the heart of Mi Pan – the kitchen.

Instead of regular shelves, the design team uses trays and timber frames to hold freshly-baked bread. The trays emphasize the fact that the bread comes straight out of the kitchen as they are ready. Timber frames extend onto the walls and ceiling, breaking the boxy space into rhythmic fragments. The trays that hang from the ceiling hide cables from customers’ sight while making the bakery cozier by lowering the space.


Haregino Marusho

By Tsutsumi And Associates, Yokohama, Japan

haregino marusho_interior_1haregino marusho_interior_3The design team refurbished the floor of the wedding Kimono in the traditional Japanese clothing shop Haregino Marusho and themed it with wood. Many spatial components, including display shelves, partitions and the ceiling, are in warm-color wood of similarly soft patterns. The space becomes an elegant wooden display box that does not take any spotlight from the kimono fabrics.

The ceiling panels are cut strategically to create a layering effect that resembles the Kasane (layering) of the Kimono. They also bring subtle changes in the ceiling height, making the monochromatic space more interesting to wander through.


Blackhills Cafe

By Mora + Suksumek, Lat Phrao, Bangkok, Thailand

blackhills cafe_interior_1blackhills cafe_frontIn the coffee bar Blackhill, smooth wooden surfaces are put in conjunction with rough concrete surfaces. They together create a zen space for enjoying a moment away from the busy central Bangkok. In contrast to the colorful urban environment outside, the materials used in the coffee shop are limited to only wood and concrete. The simplicity of the design makes it almost a meditative space.

The coffee shop has a large, glazed front that welcomes late afternoon sunlight into the shop. Natural light gets through the open-plan interior. A few seats are available by the window and by the counter. Sunset, the visual and smelling experience of coffee-making are presented all at once.


Tsubomi House (Tokyo Bud House)

By FLAT HOUSE, Tokyo, Japan

This small house has a footprint of only 280 square feet, yet it accommodates a biscuit shop and the shop owner’s family. Tsubomi House has seven different levels with no solid partitions between them. Each level is half a story higher/lower than the next one. Without walls separating each functional area, residents can move quickly from one space to another.

The interior finishing is largely in plywood which produces a gentle reflection of light. Natural light, therefore, comes in through openings on different levels and travels in the whole space. Paired with ivory steel, the light-color plywood makes the compact interior bright and continuous.


Sandra Weil Store

By Zeller & Moye, Mexico City, Mexico

sandra weil_interiorsandra weil_detailInstead of presenting the garments all at once, Sandra Weil Store’s design gradually reveals the collections as customers walk around. Floor-to-ceiling slats made of local tropical wood stand in line with equal intervals between them. They form rhythmic partitions that are visually permeable only from certain angles. This allows a comfortable level of privacy in the shop without cutting the small store space into tiny fragments.

Garments hide between the slats, not showing themselves fully until the customer is in front of them. Meanwhile, the light and view change as well from one rack to another. The shopping experience in Sandra Weil is all about exploration.


RE x SUGAR

By CHINA ONDO Studio, Nanjing, China

re sugar_frontre sugar_interiorThis community bakery uses large areas of warm-color timber to create a relaxing atmosphere. Like Blackhills Café, RE x SUGAR also has a transparent shop front that embraces the sunlight. A large folding window connects indoors and outdoors while the window sills become seats.

Woods of different textures create a harmonic yet interesting space. Some wooden surfaces are smooth, for example, the front door, walls, window frames and chairs. Cupboards, the display area of bread and the floor around it are covered in rather rough and pattern-intensive wood.

How can architecture be a force for good in our ever-changing world? During Future Fest, we’re pose this question to some of the world’s best architects. We’re hosting daily virtual talks from September 12th to 30th, which are 100% free to attend.  Check out the full schedule!

Reference

Ten beautiful brutalist interiors with a surprisingly welcoming feel
CategoriesInterior Design

Ten beautiful brutalist interiors with a surprisingly welcoming feel

For our latest lookbook, we’ve collected 10 brutalist interiors from the UK to Brazil and Indonesia that show how textiles, plants and colours can be used to soften monolithic concrete spaces and create a cosy atmosphere.

Brutalism as an architectural style often makes use of concrete to create large, sculptural buildings. These interiors in brutalist buildings feature plenty of concrete and hard angles but still manage to feel both warm and welcoming.

Colourful tiling, wooden details and tactile textiles as well as an abundance of green plants were used to create inviting living rooms, bathrooms and even workspaces in these brutalist buildings, which include the Barbican in London and Riverside Tower in Antwerp.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring granite kitchens, terrazzo eateries and atriums that brighten up residential spaces.


A Brutalist Tropical Home in Bali by Patisandhika and Daniel Mitchell
Photo is by Tommaso Riva

A Brutalist Tropical Home, Indonesia, by Patisandhika and Dan Mitchell

Designer Dan Mitchell worked with architecture studio Patisandhika to create this brutalist home in Bali, which features a double-height living room filled with books, records and green plants.

The house has a split-level design that was modelled on modernist architect Ray Kappe’s Kappe Residence. Inside, colourful objects, textiles and furniture draw on the work of Clifford Still, Ellsworth Kelly and the Bauhaus movement to make the house feel homely.

Find out more about A Brutalist Tropical Home ›


Large living room with concrete ceiling
Photo is by Niveditaa Gupta

House of Concrete Experiments, India, by Samira Rathod

As the name suggests, House of Concrete Experiments features sculptural concrete walls. Warm wood detailing offsets the grey hues, while the concrete floor has been inlaid with black stones to create an interesting pattern.

Large windows and geometric skylights help make the room feel bright and inviting.

Find out more about House of Concrete Experiments ›


Turquoise table in room with concrete walls
Photo is by Olmo Peeters

Riverside Tower Apartment, Belgium, by Studio Okami Architecten

Studio Okami Architecten stripped the walls of this flat in Antwerp’s Riverside Tower to let its original structure take centre stage.

Colourful details such as a turquoise table and baby-blue spiral staircase and a playful, sculptural lamp make the home feel contemporary, while plenty of green plants give more life to the otherwise grey interior.

Find out more about Riverside Tower Apartment ›


Light-filled atrium in brutalist home
Photo is by Photographix

Beton Brut, India, by The Grid Architects

Designed as a “neo-brutalist” house, Beton Brut in India has a number of dramatic features, including a skylit atrium that extends through the home.

The Grid Architects described the home as “typified by bare concrete, geometric shapes, a monochrome palette and a monolithic appearance”. Wooden flooring and furniture and plenty of textiles soften the house’s brutalist interior and potentially stern appearance.

Find out more about Beton Brut ›


Shakespeare Tower apartment by Takero Shimazaki Architects
Photo is by Anton Gorlenko

Barbican flat, UK, by Takero Shimakazi Architects

This flat in the Shakespeare Tower of London’s brutalist Barbican estate was overhauled by Takero Shimakazi Architects in a nod to the client’s strong ties to Japan.

Details such as gridded timber panels and timber joinery were added throughout the flat, which also features Japan-informed details including an area lined with tatami mats.

Find out more about the Barbican flat ›


Debaixo do Bloco Arquitetura
Photo is by Joana França

Concrete home, Brazil, by Debaixo do Bloco Arquitetura

Debaixo do Bloco’s design for this sculptural house in Brazil is divided into three sections to provide a clear distinction between the various programmes.

Inside, the interior has a mid-century modern feel, with gleaming wood parquet flooring and a glass PH table lamp by Danish designer Louis Poulsen decorating a side table.

Find out more about the concrete home ›


An office table and chairs inside the office
Photo is by Lorenzo Zandri

Smithson Tower office, UK, by ConForm

The brutalist Smithson Tower in Mayfair is the location for this “homely” office designed by ConForm Architects. The studio split the space into eight zones defined by the strong structural grid of the existing building, and added low-level joinery.

The result is a design that softens the stark office spaces and makes the rooms feel more intimate.

Find out more about the Smithson Tower office ›


The Standard hotel in London by Shawn Hausman Design
Photo is courtesy of The Standard

The Standard London, UK, by Shawn Hausman

Designer Shawn Hausman created the colour-drenched interior of hotel The Standard in London, which is located in a brutalist building, to contrast “the greyness of London”.

“I would say with this property we were a bit more colourful than usual, and I think part of that is acting in contrast to the brutalist building that the hotel’s in,” explained Hausman.

In the bathrooms, stripy pink-and-black tiled walls and pops of pale mint green give the room a fun, playful feel.

Find out more about The Standard London ›


The Preston Hollow by Specht Architects
Photo is by Casey Dunn

Preston Hollow, US, by Specht Architects

The long corrugated concrete volumes of Preston Hollow in Dallas were designed to reference brutalist Texan architecture from the 1950s and 60s, but the house was built to wrap around courtyards, creating a lively, open impression.

Inside the low-slung buildings, mid-century modern-style furniture nods to the home’s architectural references but the interior is brought up-to-date with the addition of modern art.

Find out more about Preston Hollow ›


Barbican apartment designed by John Pawson
Photo is by Gilbert McCarragher

Barbican apartment, UK, by John Pawson

British architect John Pawson created this flat in London’s Barbican building using his signature minimalist aesthetic.

The flat, which overlooks central London and has a small concrete balcony, has been kept almost empty with just a smattering of furnishings and pale wooden surfaces. Three artworks, a Buddha sculpture and a grandfather clock are the only decorative elements in the space.

Find out more about the Barbican apartment ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring granite kitchens, terrazzo eateries and atriums that brighten up residential spaces.

Reference

Ten living rooms with practical and beautiful built-in storage
CategoriesInterior Design

Ten living rooms with practical and beautiful built-in storage

For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up ten living rooms that have solved the storage dilemma with bespoke shelving that define the room.


This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbook series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series showcased designer bathrooms, colourful kitchens and living rooms with calm interiors.

Whether they’re used as room dividers, to show off the owners’ book collection or as a hiding place for shy pets, built-in or custom-made shelves create a design statement.

Read on for our round up of the ten best from Dezeen’s archives (plus a bonus eleventh one, above, which features the spectacular floor-to-ceiling bookcases at Olson Kundig’s Wasatch House in Salt Lake City):


Mermaid Beach Residence by B.E. Architecture

Mermaid Beach Residence, Australia, by B.E. Architecture

The living room of Mermaid Beach Residence in Queensland’s Gold Coast region is a study in clever material use, with its concrete surfaces and timber flooring.

The monolithic built-in wooden shelving that fills one wall creates a decorative grid-effect on top of the concrete. It rests on a stone slab above wooden storage units at floor level.

Find out more about Mermaid Beach Residence ›


Artist's studio with large plywood partition

Artist’s studio, Russia, by Ruetemple

Architecture studio Ruetemple looked to “drawing and architecture” when designing this artist’s studio in Moscow, which is dominated by a large plywood partition that incorporates both furniture and shelving.

As well as separating the lounge area from a workspace, the partition works as both storage space and furniture. It has a built-in sofa, shelving, and a set of steps that lead up to a suspended sleeping platform.

Find out more about Artist’s studio ›


Pastel yellow built-in shelves in living room with concrete-style fireplace

Spear Building Loft, US, by Ravi Raj and Evan Watts

This former factory in New York was renovated to create a bright, open living space. In the living room, simple built-in shelves were painted in a creamy pastel-yellow hue that harmonises with the white storage units and the fireplace.

Rather than building the shelves into a separate wall panel, they have been attached to the white wall on one side, which creates an airy feel and helps open up the room.

Find out more about Spear Building Loft ›


Sierra Negra by Hemaa

Sierra Negra, Mexico, by Hemaa

Two built-in shelves with wooden panelling serve a decorative function in this Mexico City living room, which has matching wooden floorboards and wood-clad walls.

Its minimalist interior and simple colour palette, which blends beige, brown and grey hues, means the books in the shelves stand out as a splash of colour. The shelves also hold speakers and picture frames, helping to keep the rest of the room free from clutter.

Find out more about Sierra Negra ›


Sausalito Outlook by Feldman Architecture

Sausalito Outlook, USA, by Feldman Architecture

In the living room of this hillside home in Sausalito, California, Feldman Architecture added plenty of storage space for the owners’ book collection, while the white panelling in the middle hides the TV from sight.

The walls and kitchen space next to the storage wall have been painted a matching glossy white, complemented by more natural hues such as a beige rug and brown Ligne Roset Togo seating.

Find out more about Sausalito Outlook ›


Built-in wooden panelling in white open-plan living room

Mayfair apartment, UK, by MWAI

In small apartments, built-in shelving can be the perfect space-saving solution. For MWAI’s design of a 37-square-metre home in London’s Mayfair area, it covered one wall of the open-plan kitchen and living area in a pale-wood storage unit that also includes a desk.

Colours were kept neutral to reinforce the studio’s idea to look at the design as that of a hotel room where “all functions are carefully and discreetly planned to provide a functional response.”

Find out more about Mayfair apartment ›


Study lined with wood in Kew Residence by John Wardle Architects in Melbourne, Australia

Kew Residence, Australia, by John Wardle

Architect John Wardle renovated his own Kew Residence home to make its wood-lined first-floor study the focal point of the house. Built-in shelves hold books and bric-a-brac on one side of the room and the architect’s art collection on another.

Neutral wood colours were used for the shelves and the built-in reading nook in the room, where the architect said he spends “just about all his daylight hours.”

Find out more about Kew Residence ›


White shelves with a staircase for cats and colourful furniture

House for Booklovers and Cats, USA, by BFDO Architects

The built-in storage in this colourful home lives up to the project name – it doesn’t just have space for books and art, but also for the owners’ two cats to hide away from visitors.

The custom-made shelf has dozens of cubby holes while projecting shelves form a staircase for the cats to ascend to the ledge at the top, where they can sit and observe the goings-on below.

Find out more about House for Booklovers and Cats ›


Walnut reading nook and white bookshelf in Frank Gehry house

The Hide Out, US, by Dan Brunn Architecture

Dan Brunn Architecture renovated The Hide Out, which was originally designed by Frank Gehry in the 1970s, to pay homage to its initial simple material palette.

In this living room and bedroom overlooking a meditation garden, the lush walnut seating nook is complemented by a built-in white bookshelf that also hides a fold-out bed.

Find out more about The Hide Out ›


Roksanda Ilincic renovation by RA Projects

Fin House, UK, by RA Projects

The blue steel staircase in the middle of the living space in this home designed for fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic was designed to look “like a sculpture in a gallery.”

As well as a staircase, the piece functions as a shelving system with multiple shelves in different sizes. Its back wall is broken up rather than solid, which lets light pass through and stops the colourful piece from feeling too solid.

Find out more about Fin House ›


This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

Reference

Ten beautiful and practical combined kitchen and dining rooms
CategoriesInterior Design

Ten beautiful and practical combined kitchen and dining rooms

For our latest lookbook, we’ve found ten projects in the Dezeen archive where kitchens and dining rooms have been combined into one practical and sociable space.


Most homes around the world traditionally had separate areas for preparing and eating food but over the last few decades, the popularity of combined kitchen dining rooms has soared.

These are more informal spaces capable of hosting a variety of activities including entertaining, home-working as well as cooking and eating.

Kitchen dining rooms can also save space in smaller homes.

The ten examples below show some of the best examples from Dezeen’s archive and feature a variety of kitchen layouts including kitchens with islands, peninsula kitchens and kitchens with breakfast bars.

This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous kitchen-related roundups include compact kitchens and terrazzo kitchens.


Lover's House in Spain

Lover’s House, Spain, by Isla Architects

Local studio Isla Architects adapted and improved this holiday home on the Spanish island of Mallorca, using a minimalist material and colour palette to “reveal the simple geometry of the building”.

In the kitchen and dining space, matte white cabinets and countertops complement the off-white walls.

A tiled floor picks up the warm terracotta hue of the house’s exterior while utilities such as the sink and hob have clean, unadorned designs that contrast against the rustic wooden dining table and chairs.

Find out more about Lover’s House ›


The Cedars by Michael Yarinsky Studio

The Cedars, US, by Michael Yarinsky

The Cedars on Long Island, New York, has a light, open kitchen and dining area with a kitchen corner that features a tiled back wall to demarcate it from the rest of the room.

As well as the larger dining table, the kitchen nook has a breakfast bar for more informal eating that has been painted in a dark petroleum blue to match the cabinetry.

Danish furniture brand Hay’s black J1110 chairs add an eyecatching graphic touch to the room, while a playful light by Ladies & Gentlemen Studio hangs above the table.

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Bright kitchen in Perth house

Marine, Australia, by David Barr Architects

Wood runs through this kitchen and dining space in an extension to a home in Perth, Australia, designed by David Barr Architects.

Wooden cabinets and a wood kitchen island covered with grey stone countertops sit next to a wood-clad wall that hides the oven and various storage spaces.

Above the sink and work areas, open shelves hold a collection of decorative ceramics, while a matching ceramic jug and bowl sit on the wooden dining table. One side of the kitchen island functions as a breakfast bar, complete with ash chairs by Mattiazzi.

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Kitchen in House for a Sea Dog in Genoa by Dodi Moss

House for a Sea Dog, Italy, by Dodi Moss

This loft apartment inside a 300-year-old building in Genoa, Italy, was designed to feel as open and spacious as possible. In the kitchen and dining room, a one-wall kitchen in a soothing dark-grey hue sits against a red brick wall.

This leaves space for a dining table and a selection of bentwood chairs with rattan seats. The oven and fridge are hidden away in white cupboards that blend into the wall.

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Three Chimney House by T W Ryan Architecture

Three Chimney House, US, by T W Ryan Architecture

A large kitchen island with a marble countertop sits in the middle of this kitchen and dining room in Three Chimney House in rural Virginia.

With a design that was informed by both modernism and Southern colonial style, the room has been given a striking material palette. A stone floor matches the stone splashback that runs along the kitchen workspaces, while a tiled wall sits below the angled white ceiling.

Mid-century modern Stick Back chairs by Thomas Harlev underline the sparse geometric design while Lindsey Adelman’s 15 Bulb Drop System chandelier, which hangs above the table, gives the room a sacral feel.

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Open plan kitchen dining space

Cabin Son, Norway, by Jon Danielsen Aarhus

The rectangular kitchen in this spruce-clad holiday home in Norway has a small dining area and a sofa for lounging.

The multiuse space features a long single-wall kitchen that holds an oven and sink as well as multiple cabinets.

Colourful shelving above the countertops adds additional storage space and a vibrant touch against the pale-wood walls. A wooden table and black chairs by Danish designer Arne Jacobsen give the kitchen an elegant, modern feel.

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Casa Meco kitchen and dining area

Casa Meco, Portugal, by Atelier Rua

A built-in kitchen clad in a decorative veiny marble, complete with a matching breakfast island, sits in one corner of Casa Meco’s enormous main room.

Wooden cupboards on either side of the kitchen hide the kitchen facilities. A long table made from pale wood with contrasting black chairs and a black bench can be used for large dinners, while a breakfast bar adds more seating options.

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House-within-a-House by Alma-nac

House-within-a-House, UK, by Alma-nac

Alma-nac’s joyful design for House-within-a-House in south London includes an extension that holds the kitchen and dining area. Here, simple white cabinetry and a jet-black kitchen island sit on one side and offer plenty of space for food preparation and cooking.

Opposite, a dining table is completed with vintage-style apple-green plastic chairs. Their bright colour picks up the yellow hue of a sofa in the raised lounge area next to the dining space.

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Mài Apartment in Vietnam designed by Whale Design Lab

Mài Apartment, Vietnam, by Whale Design Lab

Graphic terrazzo surfaces decorate the kitchen area in this Vietnamese apartment by Whale Design Lab, which has a design informed by American architect Louis Kahn.

The splashback, countertop, breakfast island and floor were all crafted from the material. The organic, curved shapes of the kitchen island and workspaces are mirrored in the grey dining table that sits underneath a small indoor tree.

Bright red Dragonfly chairs by Einrichten Design add a splash of colour to the room.

Find out more about Mài Apartment ›


Interior of kitchen in London house

Quarter Glass House, UK, by Proctor & Shaw

Proctor & Shaw’s design Quarter Glass House is an extension to a London house that holds the kitchen and dining space and was designed to have as much height and light as possible.

The studio lowered the floor to create more space, and combined exposed timber with duck-egg cabinetry and shiny copper surfaces to fulfill a request for warm and textural materials. A kitchen island with a breakfast bar has practical shelving on one side, and long floating wall shelves add storage space.

A simple white table with rattan chairs can seat six people and overlooks the garden outside the extension.

Find out more about Quarter Glass House ›


This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing peaceful bedrooms, wallpapered interiors and colourful kitchens.

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