Bold Archives

Showers enclosed in dichroic glass and wrapped in speckled terrazzo are featured in our latest lookbook, which showcases eight unique showers that bring a touch of colour to the bathroom.

Bathtubs often hold the spotlight in a bathroom, but this round-up proves showers can be just as showstopping – and luxurious.

From an all-pink shower in Taiwan to a minty-green shower in an Antwerp apartment, these colourful showers add a bold touch to brighten up the surrounding space.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring pared-back loft conversions, lattice screens and outdoor showers.

Crosby Studios apartment, USA, Crosby Studios

Crosby Studios founder Harry Nuriev and partner Tyler Billinger outfitted their New York City apartment in a palette of purple and grey.

The bold colour scheme was carried into the bathroom, where the shower was clad in grey tile and enclosed with a purple shower screen.

Find out more about the Crosby Studios apartment ›

The Siren Hotel by ASH NYC — Photo is by Christian Harder

The Siren Hotel, USA, Quinn Evans Architects

The Siren Hotel in Detroit was originally built in 1926 by architect Robert Finn before being refreshed by design development firm ASH NYC with the help of Quinn Evans Architects in 2018.

The renovation included the addition of pastel hues and an assortment of rich textiles, while the hotel’s showers were updated with red-speckled terrazzo and a glass-brick divider.

Find out more about The Siren Hotel ›

Concrete bathroom in Habitat 67 building — Photo is by Maxime Brouillet

Unit 622, Canada, Rainville Sangaré

Unit 622 by Rainville Sangaré is located inside architect Moshe Safdie’s famous brutalist Habitat 67 in Montreal, Canada.

Sangaré updated the apartment to include walk-in showers enclosed in dichroic glass that appears to change colour when viewed from different angles.

Find out more about Unit 622 ›

A bathroom with pink tile — Photo is by Hey! Cheese

Cats’ Pink House, Taiwan, KC Design Studio

Not only does the Cats Pink House by KC Design Studio include an entire room dedicated to the owner’s cats, but it also contains a spacious pink bathroom.

Large pink tiles cover the walls and floor of a walk-in shower, which is also outfitted with a stand-alone tub.

Find out more about Cat’s Pink House ›

Spinmolenplein apartment by Jürgen Vandewalle — Photo is by Karen Van der Biest

Spinmolenplein penthouse, Belgium, Jürgen Vandewalle

Located on the top floor of the tallest residential building in Ghent, Belgium, the 60-square-metre Spinmolenplein penthouse updated by Jürgen Vandewalle was designed to maximize space.

A bathroom unit clad in white wood panels opens to reveal a colourful shower stall finished with a micro-cement in a muted red.

Find out more about Spinmolenplein penthouse ›

A bathroom with shower and bathtub clad in blue tile — Photo is by Luis Díaz Díaz

Ready-made Home, Spain, Azab

Located in an apartment building in Spain built in the 1960s, the Ready-made Home by Azab features a colourful palette of soft pinks, blues and yellows.

A corner bathroom in the main bedroom is partitioned by a light blue curtain, while a deeper shade of blue was carried into the tiles that cover the floor and walls of the bathtub and shower.

Find out more about Ready-made Home ›

Apartment A by Atelier Dialect — Photo is by Piet-Albert Goethals

Apartment A, Belgium, Atelier Dialect

While an en-suite shiny steel tub makes quite the statement in this Antwerp apartment updated by Belgian design studio Atelier Dialect, the shower is equally intriguing.

Contrasted by the stark white and black palette of the surrounding bedroom, the shower was wrapped in minty green, with a single shelf cut into the wall for toiletries and a bench installed opposite.

Find out more about Apartment A ›

Louisville Road house designed by 2LG — Photo is by Megan Taylor

Louisville Road house, England, 2LG Studio

Located in Tooting, south London, interior design studio 2LG overhauled a period home with blue tilework and coral-orange cabinetry.

The walk-in shower features baby blue floor tiles and matching hardware, as well as sky-blue bordering that surrounds the fluted-glass shower screen.

Find out more about Louisville Road house ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring basement apartments, mid-century homes and textural kitchens.

Reference

Interior Design

India Mahdavi enlivens Rome’s Villa Medici with bold geometric furnishings

By Zarkon Group,06/06/2023

Architect India Mahdavi has updated six rooms within Rome’s 16th-century Villa Medici to feature an array of contemporary and colourful furniture.

The intervention comes as part of a three-year project called Re-enchanting Villa Medici, which was launched in 2022 to amplify the presence of contemporary design and craft within the Renaissance palace.

While the first phase of the project saw fashion brand Fendi revamp Villa Medici’s salons, Mahdavi was asked to freshen up rooms on the building’s piano nobile or “noble level”, where the main reception and the bedrooms are housed.

She worked on a total of six spaces including the Chamber of the Elements, Chamber of the Muses and Chamber of the Lovers of Jupiter, which once served as an apartment to Cardinal Ferdinando de Medici.

The three other rooms – titled Debussy, Galileo and Lili Boulanger – were formerly used as guest quarters.

In the Chamber of the Muses, which is topped with a dramatic coffered ceiling, Mahdavi inserted sea-green editions of her Bishop stool alongside an enormous hand-tufted rug by French workshop Manufacture d’Aubusson Robert Four.

Its geometric design features green, purple, red, and rosy pink shapes, recalling the flowerbeds that appear across the villa’s sprawling gardens.

Only subtle alterations were made to the Chamber of the Elements and Chamber of the Lovers of Jupiter, where Mahdavi has repositioned an existing bed to sit against an expansive wall tapestry.

Some of the chairs here were also reupholstered in raspberry-hued velvet.

A cluster of bright yellow sofas and armchairs sourced from the French conservation agency Mobilier National was incorporated into the Lili Boulanger room, named after the first female composer to take up residence at the villa.

The furnishings sit on top of a blush-pink rug by French manufacturer La Manufacture Coglin and are accompanied by octagonal tables designed by Mahdavi.

A Renaissance-style four-poster bed was added to the room named after astronomer Galileo Galilei, who reportedly visited Villa Medici twice in his lifetime.

The bed’s tiered wooden base and headboard were inlaid with graphic, berry-toned marquetry by cabinetmaker Craman Lagarde. The pattern, which also appears on the curtains that enclose the bed, takes cues from the design of the villa’s flooring.

A similar bed can be seen in the room named after French composer Claude Debussy. But this time, the marquetry done by French furnituremaker Pascal Michalon is executed in more “acidulous” colours that Mahdavi said reminded her of Debussy’s piano piece Clair de lune.

Mahdavi has lent her distinctive colour-rich aesthetic to a number of significant venues. Recent examples include the lavish London restaurant Sketch, to which she added sunshine-yellow and golden furnishings.

The photography is by François Halard.

Reference

Architecture

Material Trends: “Eunomia” Depicts a Bold Future of Design in Balance With Nature

By Zarkon Group,03/11/2022

A new series of reports on macro design trends reveals fascinating insights into the direction in which architects and designers are traveling — and harmony lies at the heart of the first publication. In collaboration with The Prospectivists and Broadside Studios, material research and resource platform Material ConneXion has released its first major trend report, entitled Eunomia, which can be interpreted as “Fair Measure or the Good Norm.” Originally coined for a period of societal reform in Ancient Greece, Eunomia aimed to impose harmonic rules to counterbalance the consequences of human excess.

Learn More and Access the Full Report

This macro trend has clearly been catalyzed by the global pandemic. “As a reaction to months of lockdown, the fascination for the great outdoors, wellbeing and extreme sports have become deeply rooted in urbanized populations that increasingly aspire to experience a very specific and direct relationship to Nature,” states the report.

This phenomenon is linked with a rise in subcultures that recognize and embrace society’s interdependence with the natural world, developing new systems and products that are deeply informed by biological systems. Eunomia presents a diverse range of case studies to illustrate how this trend can be seen in action, from tree-bark-inspired wearables and moss-covered furnishings to bacteria-grown paint and 3D-printed waste wood tiles — complete with in-built planters.

Eunomia’s themes evoke images of numerous projects from last season’s A+Awards, including The Living’s “Alive” installation, which won a Finalist accolade in the Experimental Design category. “Alive” is an experiment in multi-species architecture: a room made of porous, organic material with both macro-spaces for humans and micro-spaces for microbes, with interfaces for exchanges among different species. Photos courtesy of The Living

For architects, the report is a veritable goldmine of inspiration. Biophilic design, resilient architecture, eco-conscious materials and sustainable construction processes are all touted within the ‘Innovation Concepts’ section, with stunning case studies of these concepts being put into practice. Standout examples include Casa Merida, a house designed by Ludwig Godefroy to “withstand the local climate, using locally sourced materials and traditional Mayan features: tall air paths and punctual green areas freshen the circulating air, providing a natural cooling sensation.”

Meanwhile, Tanya Rey’s Verdant Project presents 3D-printed ceramic columns that are designed to allow moss to grow across every surface, forming a new type of architectural ‘coating’ that blends manmade materials with nature. Additionally, Brigitte Kock and Irene Roca Moracia’s “bio concrete” material is made from invasive species such as Japanese knotweed and American crayfish, providing an “example of how polluting building materials can be transformed into new ‘economic and ecological’ value enhancing natural aesthetics, while helping to restore local biodiversity.”

The report brings to mind projects such as Querkraft Architekten’s A+Award-winning Austrian Pavilion for the 2020 Dubai Expo. Combining local building traditions and intelligent Austrian climate engineering, a series of 38 clay plaster cones enables conventional air conditioning technology to be largely avoided, saving three quarters of the energy needed for a comparable building. Photo by Dany Eid/Expo 2020 Dubai

The report wraps up with ‘Design Ideations’, a series of vibrant, complex mood boards tied together along both aesthetic and thematic lines. These diverse yet cohesive palettes should provide architects and designers with fertile ground for continued exploration of the concepts found throughout the report. The biggest takeaway? The power of Nature is only building, and creatives must surely work with it — rather than against it — in order to thrive in the upcoming decade.

To see the full trend report and receive new material insights each month, become a member of Material ConneXion. Learn more >

Top image: Austrian Pavilion for the 2020 Dubai Expo by Querkraft Architekten

Reference

Interiors of Polychrome House, designed by Amber Road

Interior Design

Ten colourful living rooms that make a statement with bold hues

By Zarkon Group,25/09/2022

Flamingo pink walls in a Greek seaside apartment and a living space in Italy defined by primary colours feature in our latest lookbook, which collects colourful living rooms that are designed to stand out.

From the pastel colour palette used in a Tokyo dwelling to the clash of reds and greens seen in an Athens apartment, these 10 living rooms from across the world are defined by their colourful interiors.

While using strong colours in a living room can seem like an intimidating prospect, these examples show how even just a few splashes of colour can create a warmer atmosphere and work as a contrast against traditional white walls.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing brutalist interiors, terrazzo eateries and residential atriums.

Polychrome House, Australia, by Amber Road and Lymesmith

Pops of colour feature in every room of Polychrome House, a 1960s property in Sydney that was renovated by architecture studio Amber Road and colour consultants Lymesmith.

“Bright primary colours, which were layered throughout the interior, became the heartbeat of the joyful experience we were all committed to creating,” Amber Road co-director Yasmine Ghoniem told Dezeen.

Find out more about Polychrome House ›

Waterfront Nikis Apartment by Stamatios Giannikis — Photo is by Kim Powell

Waterfront Nikis Apartment, Greece, by Stamatios Giannikis

Flamingo pink walls and accents take centre stage in the living room of Waterfront Nikis Apartment, a Greek seaside dwelling set within a 1937 listed art deco building.

Architect Stamatios Giannikis paired a neon-pink hammock with a soft fluffy rug and rosy plant pots in the living room that overlooks the sea.

Find out more about Waterfront Nikis Apartment ›

Nagatachō Apartment by Adam Nathaniel Furman — Photo is by Jan Vranovsky

Nagatachō Apartment, Japan, by Adam Nathaniel Furman

Designer Adam Nathaniel Furman used a sugar-sweet colour palette to liven up a Tokyo apartment he renovated for a retired expat couple.

Located opposite the open-plan kitchen, the combined living space and dining area features a plush lilac carpet that was chosen to contrast a bold green and blue chair and footrest, which Furman said “has the feel of sponge cake and looks like icing”.

Find out more about Nagatachō Apartment ›

Levine by Hendricks Churchill — Photo is by Tim Lenz

Connecticut house, USA, by Hendricks Churchill

American firm Hendricks Churchill sought to combine the aesthetic of a traditional farmhouse with more contemporary details at this Connecticut house.

Dusty blue cabinetry meets reddy orange furniture in the home’s living room while a textured blue rug was placed on neutral wooden floorboards.

Find out more about this Connecticut house ›

Trevi House apartment in Rome designed by Studio Venturoni — Photo is by Michele Bonechi

Trevi House, Italy, by Studio Venturoni

Thick bands of terracotta and sand-coloured paint wrap around the walls of Trevi House, a one-bedroom apartment in Rome that is defined by warm, earthy hues.

The living room includes a contrasting rectilinear blue and cream rug, which is positioned underneath a statement oversized sculpture, reminiscent of traditional marble statues.

Find out more about Trevi House ›

The Karine Vilas Boas Apartment, Brazil, by Studio Julliana Camargo

A large rug with a bright geometric pattern by Portuguese brand Punto e Filo features in the living space of this large apartment in downtown São Paulo.

Studio Julliana Camargo placed a crescent-shaped pink sofa and vivid green armchairs around the rug, emphasising its bold, technicolour appearance.

Find out more about the Karine Vilas Boas Apartment ›

Trikoupi apartment by Point Supreme — Photo is by Yannis Drakoulidis

Trikoui apartment, Greece, by Point Supreme Architects

Local firm Point Supreme Architects designed this vibrant Athens apartment to include a single open-plan space combining the living, dining and kitchen areas.

To make up for the absence of partition walls, the apartment includes colourful built-in custom furniture to help delineate spaces, including a stained-green plywood storage wall and a table with a bright red top.

Find out more about this Trikoui apartment ›

House for Booklovers and Cats by BFDO Architects — Photo is by Francis Dzikowski

House for Booklovers and Cats, USA, by BFDO Architects

American studio BFDO Architects added splashes of pink, orange and blue to the living room of House for Booklovers and Cats, a Brooklyn home designed to include various nooks for a pair of shy cats to retreat to.

A higgledypiggledy bookshelf featuring brightly painted alcoves was built into one of the room’s walls, which was designed to house the owners’ extensive reading collection.

Find out more about House for Booklovers and Cats ›

Retroscena apartment renovation by La Macchina Studio — Photo is by Paolo Fusco

Retroscena, Italy, by La Macchina Studio

Retroscena is a distinctive 1950s apartment renovation in Rome, completed by Italian architecture office La Macchina Studio to reveal the home’s original terrazzo floors.

Primary colours were celebrated in the interior design, where the living room can be screened off by a yellow curtain and is decorated with a circular red wall hanging and a squidgy blue sofa.

Find out more about Retroscena ›

Husos Arquitectos Madrid apartment — Photo is by José Hevia

Madrid apartment, Spain, by Husos Arquitectos

Playful lime green deck chairs and bold yellow and orange accents feature in the large living room of this Madrid apartment by Spanish studio Husos Arquitectos.

While its plywood-board cabinetry and pinewood floors mean that natural hues dominate in the room, the studio painted some of the shelves in vibrant colours to brighten up the wood.

Find out more about this Madrid apartment ›

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 green bedrooms, gardens with swimming pools and homes with glass extensions.

Reference

Architecture

The Architecture of Escapism: 8 Dreamlike Renderings That Showcase Bold Utopian Environments

By Zarkon Group,25/02/2022

Send Us a Rendering. Tell Us a Story. Win $2,500! Architizer’s 3rd Annual One Rendering Challenge is open for entries, with a Regular Entry Deadline of March 11th, 2022. Submit a rendering.

Renderings are more than simple computer-generated images; they tell a story and help us envision how a space feels, is used and interacts within the surrounding environment. Architizer’s annual Rendering Competition the inspiring and striking architectural ideas made possible by architectural visualization. This rendering challenge provides designers with an opportunity to showcase their individual talents and distinctive imaginations.

At its best, ArchViz allows designers to explore the expansive potentiality of what architecture can be through surreal imageries that engage with the absurd, the paradoxical, and escapism. Each of the eight renderings offers a dreamlike vision. Whether it be an idyllic setting, a fascinating paradox, or a dream-like scene, each rendering highlights the fantastical possibilities of bold utopic environments and pushes the boundaries of what an architectural rendering can be — a chance to escape reality.

Floating Vestiges by Timlok Li

Timlok Li’s rendering takes the viewer off-ground and into the sky. His rendering challenges the notion of architecture as permanent and site-specific, encouraging us to engage in the idea of impermanence. Floating Vestiges is hard to categorize as it flees from a defined architectural style. Instead, it embraces various styles and practices from different eras and periods. From American roadside architecture to imperial China, this floating structure is an amalgamation of historical periods and thus creates an inviting space for all walks of life.

The House of the Rising Sun by Bogdan Begmat

Bogdan Begmat’s paradoxical rendering is seemingly warm as it is brutalist. Made of poured concrete, this monolithic design boasts a warm brutalist aesthetic with a reflective façade. The rounded structure is at once muted through its monochrome appearance and, yet, defiant as it stands tall within the skyline. The building reflects onto the water surface below in what amounts to an almost subliminal effect. The juxtaposition of harsh and warm effects speaks to a surrealist aesthetic. Still, with the help of the surrounding peaceful landscape, a warm and inviting atmosphere is imagined.

Joint Structures by Nash Hurley, Jean-Pierre Monclin and Sonja Guth

A collaborative effort by three architects produces a rendering that responds to society’s ever-changing work culture. Remote work currently dominates over the traditional office space, and this change has required designers to pivot and evolve their practices. This rendered design concept imagines a healthy, functional, and environmentally-conscious workspace. It consists of a skyscraper made of a cluster of separate volumes, all of which are attached in a motif that creates a tree-like design. The workspaces within the structure offer ample daylight and access to fresh air, which encourages good work habits and good health. Moreover, the separated volumes are ideal for small workgroups while equally remaining connected to the others and thus creating a sense of communal belonging.

The Oasis by Nuno Salgueiro

Nuno Salgueiro’s rendering features a pyramid within the middle of a desert and reveals a surreal and oxymoronic design. It employs the traditional tomb structure — a space once used to commemorate the dead — but instead designs an environment for the living. The Oasis is a structure that provides shelter, rest, and a chance to appreciate the surrounding desert topography. The interior is a light spectacle, a space where visitors can appreciate the radiating sunlight that shines through a series of intricately-cut openings. The focal point is the grand staircase, which leads guests to the top of the pyramid and where they can contemplate the surrounding desert landscape.

ISAURA, A city that moves entirely upward by Maria Karim

Maria Karim’s city design takes inspiration from the works of Italian writer Italo Calvino. His imaginative writing and description of cities influenced Karim to design ISAURA, a city that is oriented upwards. Karim’s city design is built above a subterranean like — just as Calvino describes it to be. The lake provides residents with fresh drinking water and also houses many of the city’s gods. This unconventional city organization speaks to Calvino’s vivid imagination and excites our surreal senses.

The Crevasse by Yeong Joon Ko

Yeong Joon Ko’s light-filled gallery was intended for Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea. The space is cubic, boxy and exudes a tranquil morning atmosphere. A series of box-shape volumes were assembled in such a way that creates an arched path that leads visitors to a public space below. A sequence of crevasses and cut-outs connect the space with the outdoors and allows streams of sunshine to brighten the interior space. The rectangular shapes work together with the soft beams of lights to create a calm and warm gallery space.

Enter the Garden by Zana Bamarni

Zana Bamarni’s rendering invites the viewer to a light-filled haven. Enter the Garden is designed to be a tranquil space where for those in need to escape their chaotic and often frustrating work lives. The structure consists of a rounded archway that is deeply ornamented and stands with grandeur. Shining through the archway is a radiating, almost blinding light. What lies beyond the archway is unknown, but the fierce light and large scale create a sense of mystery and a deep urge to explore what may be lying ahead.

Solivagant No More by Joe Parayno

Joe Parayno rendering embodies the widely-felt fear of the pandemic, the intense fatigue of isolation and the desperate desire to travel. This design consists of a home hitched on a giant balloon, which allows the structure to fly freely in the sky. This illustrative rendering depicts a hiker who comes across the flying house and joins the owner of the home on a traveling adventure. Both individuals connected over their shared urgency to travel and see the world. The home is a surreal take on the human necessity for freedom and mobility.

Send Us a Rendering. Tell Us a Story. Win $2,500! Architizer’s 3rd Annual One Rendering Challenge is open for entries, with a Regular Entry Deadline of March 11th, 2022. Submit a rendering.

Reference

Interior Design

Eight bold bathrooms that make use of more than just white tiles

By Zarkon Group,26/06/2021

Bathrooms can easily be dismissed as the dullest room of the house, but there’s plenty of opportunity to play around with material and colour. Interiors reporter Natasha Levy has selected eight striking bathing spaces to learn from.

Unit 662 by Rainville Sangaré

A statement shower screen adds interest to the otherwise greyscale interior of this bathroom, which sits inside a brutalist Montreal apartment.

Made from diochroic glass, the screen casts the cubicle behind in shifting shades of green, coral-orange and aqua-blue. The vanity stand has also been completed in navy blue.

Find out more about Unit 662 ›

Bold bathrooms: San Francisco Residence by Jamie Bush

San Francisco Residence, USA, by Jamie Bush

Blue, gold and white wallpaper printed with aqueous bubbles and streaks covers the bathroom of this San Francisco home, which belongs to a tech entrepreneur.

The rest of the home has been completed in a similarly bold aesthetic to avoid seeming “too done and perfect” – its secondary bathroom boasts ombre walls which fade from pink to blue.

Find out more about San Francisco Residence ›

Bold bathrooms: And Y cafe by Eduard Eremchuk

And Y, Russia, by Eduard Eremchuk

In a nod to the aesthetic of subway stations, architect Eduard Eremchuk used different tiles to deck out this Russian cafe: floor tiles in the main eating area are white, and those in the kitchen are pale blue.

A surprise is offered in the tiled bathroom, where every surface – including the sink – features a crazy black-and-white cow print. Simple white tap faucets finish the space.

Find out more about And Y ›

Bold bathrooms: The Siren Hotel by ASH NYC

The Siren Hotel, USA, by ASH NYC

Bathrooms are just as striking as the guest suites inside The Siren Hotel, which ASH NYC designed to “call people back” to the city of Detroit.

Flecked, cherry-red terrazzo covers the walls, clashing against the diamond-pattern monochrome floors and veiny marble shower stools.

Find out more about The Siren Hotel ›

Saku, Canada, by Rane Interiors

Vintage wallpaper originally produced in Italy during the 1970s covers the surfaces of this bathroom, which sits inside Vancouver restaurant Saku.

The room’s yellow hue is meant to emulate the “light, inviting and soothing” ambience of traditional Japanese eateries.

Find out more about Saku ›

Bold bathrooms: Annabel's by Martin Brudnizki

Annabel’s, UK, by Martin Brudnizki

The bathrooms that designer Martin Bruznizki created for Annabel’s – an affluent members-only club in London – offer a perfect lesson in opulence.

Walls are upholstered in chintzy wallpaper, while the ceiling is lined with thousands of hand-made silk flowers. Pink onyx washbasins and gold-framed vanity mirrors add an extra dose of decadence.

Find out more about Annabel’s ›

Bold bathrooms: Canari House by Naturehumaine

Canari House, Canada, by Naturehumaine

To “energise” this compact bathroom, Naturehumaine completed all of its surfaces in a hard-to-miss hue of neon-orange. Graphical interest is added by the micro-hexagonal tiles that cover the floor and splashback.

The vivid space is in perfect keeping with the rest of the Montreal home, which also features a canary-yellow staircase.

Find out more about Canari House ›

House P, China, by MDDM Studio

Sunny yellow walls run throughout the living spaces of this Beijing home, which MDDM Studio wanted to reflect the liveliness of its occupants – a young family.

This bright aesthetic extends into the bathrooms, which feature terrazzo surfaces inlaid with large chunks of peach, yellow and dark-green aggregate. An extra splash of colour is provided by translucent blue screens that separate the bathtub from the sink.

Find out more about House P ›

Reference

Interior Design

Ten bright and bold interiors that make use of colour theory

By Zarkon Group,18/06/2021

For our latest lookbook we’ve selected ten examples of interiors enlivened by contrasting or analogous hues and colour-blocked walls.

The chosen projects all make use of colour theory, some by using analogous colours – colours that are close or next to each other on the colour wheel – while others use complementary colours, which are on opposite sides of the wheel.

The latter approach is often referred to as colour-blocking, a technique first attributed to Dutch artist Piet Mondrian and which later spread to fashion and interiors.

This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series feature interiors with internal glazing, relaxing courtyards, outdoor seating areas with firepits and decorative printed wallpaper.

Bun, Italy, by Masquespacio

This Milanese burger restaurant was created by Valencian creative studio Masquespacio, which used a lilac and avocado-green colour scheme to give it a youthful feel.

The colour-blocked interior features two complementary colours which were cleverly used to mark different functions. The purple colour is used for the serving area and the pale green for the restaurant’s dining space.

Find out more about Bun ›

Colour theory defines these interior spaces

Haussmann-era apartment, France, by Sophie Dries

Designed for clients who are “really into colour,” French architect Sophie Dries chose strong colours as the backdrop for this Paris apartment filled with street art.

The kitchen is a mix of grey cabinets and soft orangey-red floors, ceilings and walls. The designer used the colour-blocking technique of pairing orange with a darker colour, but swapped out the blue that is its traditional opposing colour on the wheel for the dark grey hue.

Find out more about this Haussmann-era apartment ›

Interiors which use colour theory can adopt colour-blocking

London townhouse, UK, by R2 Studio

R2 Studio transformed this 19th-century terraced house in the London area of Kennington into a set of colourful, light-filled rooms.

The London-based studio wanted to create a spacious and uncluttered living environment, livened up with splashes of blue, orange, yellow and green.

In the kitchen, the studio used colour-blocking by combining complementary bright yellow and bright blue cabinets for an example of how opposing colours can go well together.

Orange Miura bar stools take centre-stage against plainer concrete countertops and match the green colour of the floor and walls for another colour-block touch.

Find out more about this London townhouse ›

Colour-blocking explored in rooms at Yale University

Rooms for Yale University’s student-run radio station, US, by Forma

New York firm Forma used blocks of grey and orange to create colourful spaces in the Yale University rooms that house the student body’s radio station.

Forma painted its recording studio and performance space in segments of grey and vibrant orange, while bright chairs in a similar orange hue nod to the colour theme.

Find out more about the rooms at Yale University ›

Colour theory is an approach used by many interior designers

Resa San Mamés student accommodation, Spain, by Masquespacio

Another project by Masquespacio, which designed the interiors for student accommodation in Bilbao with baby pink seating and floors set against dark red walls.

Red and pink are traditionally not used together but instead of clashing, the analogous colours give the room a warm, inviting feel.

Designed as a welcoming community-led environment, the entire Resa San Mamés accommodation featuring various bright shades of colour.

Find out more about Resa San Mamés student accommodation ›

Mo-tel House, England, by Office S&M

This London townhouse by local studio Office S&M features a multicoloured staircase, complete with a bright yellow banister that complements its dark blue hue and is livened up by bold pink accents.

The studio injected an abundance of vivid hues into Mo-tel House, a property with previously dark and cramped spaces in the London area of Islington.

The use of recycled materials led the design of the project, which was completed for a client who works in sustainable fashion.

Find out more about Mo-tel House ›

Colour theory in Wine and Eggs in Los Angeles

Wine and Eggs, US, by Adi Goodrich

Wine and Eggs is a Los Angeles grocery store with a checkerboard green and blue floor, designed by Adi Goodrich.

The hardwearing floor’s tones are echoed by a bright green wall featuring a circular window, and a bold blue roof, both of which were designed “as a monument to colour,” said Goodrich. The analogous colours also pick up the greenery that’s dotted around the store in the form of plants and vegetables.

The shop’s interior was informed by eclectic European grocery stores. In particular, Italian tabacchis, or tobacco shops, and Parisian cafes and Portuguese storefronts.

Find out more about Wine and Eggs ›

Minsk workspace, Belarus, by Studio11

In a more discrete example of how you can decorate with blocks of colours, Belarusian design firm Studio11 added strips of muted colour to the interior of their own workspace in Minsk, the country’s capital.

Flashes of plum and teal blue line the architecture and design office, which also features a pale pink kitchen island and rough concrete screed floors painted in a delicate shade of grey.

Find out more about Studio11’s workspace ›

His House and Her House, China, by Wutopia Lab

Chinese firm Wutopia Lab renovated two houses in Dameisha Village, an urban slum, into pink and blue buildings designed to explore gender constructs for an architecture biennale in Shenzhen.

The houses themselves became separate blocks of colour, a theme that was also replicated in each building’s interiors. Inside the blue building, analogous green walls and blue ceilings were informed by the work of French artist Henri Matisse.

Find out more about His House and Her House ›

Nagatachō Apartment, Japan, by Adam Nathaniel Furman

A formerly “claustrophobic” Tokyo apartment was transformed by designer and colour-lover Adam Nathaniel Furman into a space defined by a sugar-sweet palette of shapes.

Complete with a lilac carpet informed by icing on a cake, the pastel apartment uses complementary colour-blocking for the bright, light yellow doors with a pale pink border.

Find out more about Nagatachō Apartment ›

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 spa-like bathrooms, terrazzo kitchens and lush rooftop gardens.

Reference

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