decorative Archives

For our latest lookbook, we have gathered eight examples of serene living rooms where well-curated artworks add a touch of creativity.

Paintings, sculptures and other art pieces can add a more personal feel to interiors, as seen in these eight art-filled living rooms.

While some have gone all in on the art, others chose just one or two signature pieces to create a creative atmosphere.

Either way, smartly placed artworks can enhance an interior and give homes a more personal feel.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring living rooms with cowhide rugs, monochrome interiors and basement apartments.

Amagansett house, US, by Athena Calderone

Plaster walls, marble details and linen fabric were used to decorate this renovated mid-century home in Long Island, New York.

Owner and designer Athena Calderone also added plenty of sculptures and paintings to the interior, including in the living room where white artworks with playful textures and shapes add interest to the pale walls.

Find out more about the Amangansett house ›

Living room with mosaic and gallery walls — Photo by Fran Parente

Gale Apartment, Brazil, by Memola Estudio

Brazilian studio Memola Estudio aimed to balance natural and industrial materials in this apartment in São Paulo, which has a double-height living room.

The owners took advantage of the height to create a gallery wall on one side of the living room. Artworks also decorate an adjacent mosaic wall, giving the whole room a gallery-like feel.

Find out more about Gale Apartment ›

Vasto gallery by Mesura apartment interior — Photo by Salva López

Casa Vasto, Spain, by Mesura

Designed to be both an apartment and an art gallery, this home in a former factory in Barcelona features an exquisitely curated living and exhibition space.

A large abstract blue-and-beige painting sits on top of a low bookshelf, which also displays a sculpture and multiple smaller paintings.

Find out more about Casa Vasto ›

Living room in Kew Residence by John Wardle Architects in Melbourne, Australia — Photo by Trevor Mein and Sharyn Cairns

Kew Residence, Australia, by John Wardle Architects

A large contemporary painting in a bright green hue decorates the living room of this house in Melbourne, the home of architect John Wardle.

Other artful details include playful side tables held up by mannequins, a sculptural wooden coffee table and numerous small vases and sculptures.

Find out more about Kew Residence ›

Living room in Riverside Tower flat — Photo by Olmo Peeters

Riverside Tower, Belgium, by Studio Okami Architecten

Located inside the brutalist Riverside Tower in Antwerp, this pared-back apartment has made a feature out of its original concrete structure.

In the living room, the material is juxtaposed with a dark blue wall and a large painting in green and blue hues. Cosy leather sofas and green plants add a homely feel.

Find out more about Riverside Tower ›

Photograph showing large sofa in living area looking into dining area — Photo by Andrey Bezuglov and Maryan Beresh

Log cabin, Ukraine, by Balbek Bureau

This house in Ukraine, a modern interpretation of a log cabin, features a number of striking and strategically placed artworks in the open-plan living room and dining room.

Above the dining table hangs a large painting in a neo-expressionist style, integrating turquoise, white and pink to create an eye-catching focal point among the room’s more neutral colours.

Find out more about the log cabin ›

Malibu Surf Shack by Kelly Wearstler — Photo by by Ingalls Photography and Mark Durling Photography

Malibu Surf Shack, USA, by Kelly Wearstler

Designer Kelly Wearstler created Malibu Surf Shack, a renovated 1950s beachfront cottage, as a bohemian retreat for herself and her family.

Its wood-clad living room has been enhanced by artworks in tonal colours that match the warm panelling, as well as tactile timber sculptures and geometric stone tables.

Find out more about Malibu Surf Shack ›

Canal Saint-Martin apartment by Rodolphe Parente — Photo by Giulio Ghirardi

Paris apartment, France, by Rodolphe Parente

This apartment in a Haussmann-era building in Paris was given a makeover by interior designer Rodolphe Parente.

Parente played with contrasting materials and colour palettes in the apartment, which was designed around the owner’s “radical” art collection. In the living room, a framed photo print hangs on an otherwise empty wall overlooking two sculptural coffee tables.

Find out more about the Paris apartment ›

Reference

MA House by Timothee Mercier from Studio XM

Interior Design

Eight serene interiors with decorative lime plaster walls

By Zarkon Group,05/08/2023

For our latest lookbook, we have gathered eight examples of homes where tactile and practical lime plaster walls give the interiors a natural, calming feel.

Lime plaster is a traditional wall coating typically made from sand, water and lime. It is often used in heritage buildings, since it is a breathable material that can be a good choice for damp spaces.

It also has a natural look and feel that can help to create a more rustic and peaceful atmosphere in modern homes.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring clever wine storage solutions, space-efficient bedrooms and Mediterranean-style interiors.

MA House, France, by Timothee Mercier

Architect Timothee Mercier turned a rural farmhouse building in southeast France into a home for his parents that aimed to respect both the site and the region’s architectural history.

Inside, he went for a pared-back, spartan interior, where some of the house’s stone exterior was left exposed. Walls were white-washed with chaux – a local lime plaster – to create a clean backdrop for the living room’s wooden furniture.

Find out more about MA House ›

Polysmith house, London — Photo by Lorenzo Zandri

Cork House, UK, by Polysmiths

Cork-clad living spaces feature in this east London home, which architecture studio Polysmiths’ director Charles Wu designed for himself and his partner.

Wu used locally sourced timber and lime plaster for the house. A lime-plastered wall divides the main bedroom from its en-suite bathroom, which is lit by a corner lightwell.

Find out more about Cork House ›

Window seat in Herne Hill House extension by TYPE — Photo by Lorenzo Zandri

Herne Hill House, UK, by TYPE

The Herne Hill House extension replaced an existing conservatory at a south London terrace house, creating a bigger kitchen and dining room.

A peaceful window nook gives views out of the garden from the open-plan kitchen, which features walls covered in lime plaster. Their pale beige hue contrasts the warm terracotta-coloured quarry-tile floor.

Find out more about Herne Hill House ›

Interior by Menard Dworkind — Photo by David Dworkind

Québec home, Canada, by Ménard Dworkind

This home in Montréal centres around a lime-plastered, curved central block that sweeps around a staircase and forms a mezzanine level that overlooks the living room.

Here, the rounded wall holds a terracotta fireplace. A geometric steel table adds a more modernist and industrial feel to the organic interior.

Find out more about the Québec home ›

Plywood kitchen inside Iceberg apartment by Laila Architecture — Photo by Mikaela Burstow

Iceberg apartment, Israel, by Laila Architecture

Natural lime plaster covers the walls in this Israeli apartment, which gets its name from a large birch plywood storage volume resembling an iceberg.

In the kitchen, the plaster walls were complemented with birch plywood cabinetry and sunny pastel-hued chairs.

Find out more about the Iceberg apartment ›

Kitchen inside Low Energy House designed by Architecture for London — Photo by Lorenzo Zandri and Christian Brailey

Low Energy House, UK, by Architecture for London

The minimalist interior of this energy-saving home in north London was designed using wood, stone and lime plaster by studio Architecture for London.

Designed as a home for its founder, Ben Ridley, it had some problems with dampness. To help solve this, walls were coated with lime plaster to form an airtight layer, mitigating any heat loss.

Find out more about Low Energy House ›

Living room in Casa Soleto — Photo by Salva López

Casa Soleto, Italy, by Studio Andrew Trotter and Marcelo Martínez

Studio Andrew Trotter and Marcelo Martínez renovated this 17th-century Puglia house, using natural materials and colours wherever possible.

Earth-coloured lime plaster decorates the walls, adding to the rustic feel of the space and matching the tactile and rough-hewn materials and furniture used for the interior.

Find out more about Casa Soleto ›

Church Street extension by Whittaker Parsons — Photo by Jim Stephenson

North London home, UK, by Whittaker Parsons

A home in London’s Stoke Newington was given an additional storey made from copper, larch and structural insulated panels, which houses a bedroom suite.

Architecture studio Whittaker Parsons chose lime plaster for the walls of the space, which was designed to have a serene feel.

“Lime render is a calming tactile material, characterful and soft,” said Whittaker Parsons. “It is a low-carbon alternative to gypsum plaster. It’s also a hygroscopic material, so it naturally moderates the moisture level in the bedroom.”

Find out more about this North London home ›

Reference

Interior Design

Ten homes that feature decorative ceilings and ornate plasterwork

By Zarkon Group,08/10/2022

A home in Williamsburg with a bathroom that saw its original tin-panelled ceiling restored and intricate 19th-century plasterwork set within a modern apartment feature in this lookbook, which showcases decorative and ornate ceilings.

Mouldings are decorative architectural elements that are used as focal elements in interior spaces, contouring the corners of ceilings and light fixtures in the form of ceiling roses, cornices, architraves and coving.

These elements typically have a highly decorative and ornate finish incorporating seamless patterns, created through reliefs and recesses across their surfaces.

Mouldings and ornate plasterworks are typically associated with the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian eras and were drawn from classicism and ancient Greek and Egyptian architecture.

The architectural elements were often constructed from plaster and timber, however the 20th century saw people look to alternative materials to obtain more durable and cost-effective finishes.

This is the latest in our lookbook series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring deliberately unfinished interiors, maximalist interiors and homes with walk-in wardrobes.

Stockholm Apartment, Sweden, by Note Design Studio

Swedish design firm Note Design Studio transformed this Stockholm office into a home adding shades of yellow, green and pink across its walls and mouldings and window frames.

Rooms of the home were painted entirely in single colours adding pastel hues to its 19th-century features.

Find out more about Stockholm Apartment ›

Historic Schoolhouse by White Arrow — Photo is by White Arrow

Historic Schoolhouse, US, by White Arrow

Brooklyn-based interior design studio White Arrow’s founders, Keren and Thomas Richter transformed this landmarked building in Williamsburg into a bright and airy home while restoring some of its original features.

In one of the home’s bathrooms, the interior design duo tracked down its original decorative tin ceiling tiles and reinstated them across the vanity area. Tin ceiling tiles are an American innovation and were created as a low-cost and more durable alternative to ornate plasterwork.

Find out more about Historic Schoolhouse ›

Bakers House, Sweden, by Färg & Blanche

This residence, which has belonged to the family of Färg & Blanche co-founder Emma Marga Blanche for four generations, features a traditional and extravagantly ornate interior. The home formerly contained a traditional Swedish crispbread bakery at the rear of the building and is now mainly used to host events.

Intricately detailed furniture, such as carved-wood trimmed sofas and gilded photo frames complement the home’s decorative ceiling mouldings and ornamentation. In each room, the ceiling details are painted bold colours and incorporate frescoes-like paintings.

Find out more about Bakers House ›

Young family house by ŠA Atelier — Photography is by Norbert Tukaj

Young family house, Lithuania, by ŠA Atelier

Lithuanian architecture studio ŠA Atelier renovated the interior of this formerly dilapidated 19th-century apartment in Vilnius, Lithuania. Set within a townhouse built in 1862, the apartment has a minimal finish with some of its remaining original features restored as focal points throughout.

Expanses of plasterwork mouldings and ceiling roses stretch across the ceilings in the home while parquet wood flooring boasts a neutral, light tone.

Find out more about Young family house ›

Passeig de Grácia apartment by Jeanne Schultz — Photo is by Adrià Goula

Passeig de Grácia, Spain, by Jeanne Schultz Design Studio

Ornamental details and finishes were added to the renovation of this apartment on Barcelona’s Passeig de Grácia.

US design firm Jeanne Schultz Design Studio incorporated and re-energised the home’s period and original features. In the main living space, it painted the ceiling’s stepped coving, that runs through the interior of the home, a shade of green which was also applied to the doors, window frames and skirting of the room.

Find out more about Passeig de Grácia ›

Napoleon apartment Freaks freearchitects — Photo is by David Foessel

Napoléon apartment, France, Freaks

French studio Freaks renovated this apartment in Paris. It retained period mouldings and architectural features throughout but added modern touches including fluorescent lighting and freestanding angular volumes.

“One of the main interventions consisted of opening the new kitchen towards the dining room, while taking charge to use a contemporary architectural language,” said the studio.

Wood Ribbon apartment by Toledano + Architects — Photography is by Salem Mostefaoui

Wood Ribbon apartment, France, by Toledano + Architects

Set above a ribbon-like plywood wall and contrasting against the apartment’s contemporary decor, ornate plasterwork, which has largely remained untouched since the 19th century, subtly defines and zones this apartment.

Where French architecture studio Toledano + Architects wanted the home to feel more contemporary, it installed a false, polycarbonate ceiling over its original decorative ceilings.

Find out more about Wood Ribbon apartment ›

Montreal Home by Vives St-Laurent — Photo is by Alex Lesage

Montreal Home, Canada, by Vives St-Laurent

Canadian interior design studio Vives St-Laurent renovated and remodelled a family home in Montreal to better highlight its existing architectural elements. The studio looked to incorporate as much of the home’s original 20th-century characteristics including its plaster mouldings.

In the home’s open-plan kitchen and diner, coving informally zones the dining room from the kitchen while a ceiling rose anchors a pendant light above a light wood dining table and four Marcel Breuer Cesca chairs.

Find out more about Montreal Home ›

Carrer Avinyo 34 by David Kohn Architects

Carrer Avinyo 34, Spain, by David Kohn Architects

British architecture studio David Kohn Architects renovated this Barcelona apartment to better reveal and highlight its large windows, high ceilings and ornate mouldings.

Above the dining space, cornices bound the edges of the room while coffered ceilings stretch across the living areas. Ceiling roses throughout the home became focal points across the ceilings without light fixtures fitted to them.

Find out more about Carrer Avinyo 34 ›

Casa Cas 8 by DG Arquitecto — Photo is by Mariela Apollonio

Casa Cas 8, Spain, by DG Arquitecto

Panel moulding and corbels protrude from the ceilings at Casa Cas 8 in Valencia, Spain, which was created by Valencia-based architecture studio DG Arquitecto. The 1920s penthouse aims to celebrate its original features including its mosaic floors, mouldings and arched doorways.

“Small changes in the distribution, very limited by the initial idea of completely maintaining the original floor of the house and the ceilings with mouldings, helped us to transform the existing spaces,” said DG Arquitecto.

Find out more about Casa Cas 8 ›

Find out more about Napoléon apartment ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring deliberately unfinished interiors, maximalist interiors and homes with walk-in wardrobes.

Reference

Interior Design

Ten joyful interiors with decorative printed wallpaper

By Zarkon Group,19/06/2021

Our latest lookbook takes a look at interiors that have been filled with printed wallpaper to create playful, colourful spaces and bring a sense of joy to the rooms they’re in.

Patterned, printed wallpapers are an easy way to revive tired rooms and create interesting designs for everything from guest bathrooms to main bedrooms.

Here, we have gathered inspiration from ten projects, including an architect-designed hotel interior and a Milanese apartment where the patterned wallpaper creates a decorative clash with printed curtains.

This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series feature plant-filled interiors, lush rooftop gardens and spaces for outdoor dining.

Hotel Les Deux Gares, France, by Luke Edward Hall

British designer Luke Edward Hall went all in when it came to the interior design of this French hotel, mixing pea-green walls, leopard-print furnishings and candy-striped beds for a vibrant, colour-clashing design.

While it has an intricate pattern of branches, flowers and people, the colours of the printed wallpaper are more subdued, with its pale blue tone creating a calm counterpoint to the bright green panelling.

Find out more about Hotel Les Deux Gares ›

Teorema Milanese apartment, designed by Marcante Testa

Teorema Milanese, Italy, by Marcante-Testa

There’s a retro feel to the bedroom of this renovated Milanese apartment where design studio Marcante-Testa juxtaposed a variety of materials and colours. In the bedroom, a wallpaper with a geometric pattern sits next to sheer, polka dot curtains.

An orange night table from Meridiani adds a splash of colour, as does a blue border on the floor around the decorative herring-bone patterned floorboards.

Find out more about Teorema Milanese ›

Patterned green wallpaper in Austin hotel

Austin Proper Hotel and Residences, US, by Kelly Wearstler

A hotel in Downtown Austin, Texas, was given an interior design that revolves around local art and textiles. Designer Kelly Wearstler covered the walls throughout the hotel in eye-catching printed wallpapers, including a botanical wallpaper that was used in one of the restaurants.

Mid-century modern-style chairs and a delicate geometric lighting fixture complement the abundant floral patterns on the wall.

Find out more about Austin Proper ›

Cats’ Pink House, Taiwan, by KC Design Studio

A terrazzo-patterned wallpaper makes this guest bathroom in a Taiwanese holiday home feel both luxurious and playful at the same time.

The recessed sink has been painted in a pale pink hue that matches the terrazzo flecks of the wallpaper and picks up the pink colours of the rest of the flat.

Find out more about Cats’ Pink House ›

The bar inside The Chloe hotel in New Orleans

Chloe Hotel, US, by Sara Ruffin Costello

The Chloe Hotel in New Orleans’ picturesque Uptown neighbourhood has moody, dark colours in many of its rooms.

In the hotel’s restaurant, designer Sara Ruffin Costello eschewed the plain paint used elsewhere in favour of a dramatic blue wall with a pattern of Egret birds amongst tree branches.

Find out more about Chloe Hotel ›

Mrs and Mr Bateman, UK, by Selena Beaudry, Clemmie Myers and Natalie Tredgett

Printed wallpaper was used for both the walls and display plinths in this West London pop-up shop, informed by an eccentric fictional family.

The pattern has a vintage feel that is enhanced by the swirly psychedelic sculptures on the plinth and by London-based artist Margit Wittig’s Bateman 21st Century chandelier, which features colourful resin pieces.

Find out more about Mrs and Mr Bateman ›

Bedroom of Post House inn in Charleston, South Carolina

Post House Inn, US, by Basic Projects

Floral-print wallpaper decorates the living area of this hotel room at boutique hotel Post House Inn in South Carolina. A rhomboid-patterned carpet and pillows decorated with a floral print create a playful mish-mash of patterns.

A comfortable lounge chair in a warm red velvet lends colour to the room and matches the red bedframe, while a wooden coffee table adds to the laidback vibe.

Find out more about Post House Inn ›

Apartment Filippo by Studio Alexander Fehre

Apartment Filippo, UK, by Alexander Fehre

There’s an op art feel to the dining area in this small London flat, which Alexander Fehre renovated to make it feel more spacious. The black-and-white printed wallpaper contrasts against the tomato red sofas and table to create an intimate seating area in the white kitchen.

A copper kitchen lamp and oversized cabinet handles add to the almost childlike charm of this kitchen nook.

Find out more about Apartment Filippo ›

Lamorna by Charlie Luxton Design in the Cotswolds

Lamorna, UK, by Charlie Luxton Design

When designer Charlie Luxton refurbished this bungalow in the Cotswalds, he decorated the children’s bedrooms with a jungle theme.

A tiger wallpaper extends out into the corridor and was chosen to “bring some life and fun and sunshine into that area of the house”. It matches an art print featuring a tiger in one of the rooms and creates a bright, fun hallway.

Find out more about Lamorna ›

Arcade by Calico Wallpaper and Workstead

Brooklyn studios Workstead and Calico Wallpaper teamed up to create this installation inside New York’s Arcade Bakery, which was also designed by Workstead. The abstract Relic wallpaper was used to decorate the bakery’s cosy alcoves and features a mixture of sheer tissue paper and metallic and matte elements.

Contrasted against the bakery’s marble floors and wooden panelling, the wallpaper adds a sunny splash of colour that is still in keeping with the historic 1929 building.

Find out more about Arcade ›

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

decorative

Eight living rooms enhanced by decorative and striking art pieces

Eight serene interiors with decorative lime plaster walls

Ten homes that feature decorative ceilings and ornate plasterwork

Ten joyful interiors with decorative printed wallpaper

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