Architecture firm K.A Studio has designed the remodel of an apartment building in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, that included the addition of green space.
In an area filled with concrete and hard lines, this updated apartment building, which is now used for staycations, has been designed as an oasis in the city, with the curved balconies creating a soft edge on the facade.
Overhanging plants cascade down the side of the building, while taller plants add different layers and grow up between the voids created by the balconies.
The underside of the balconies is lined with wood, adding to the natural look of the building.
At night, uplighting creates shadows on the balconies above.
The balconies overlook a pool that’s located on the ground floor and has curves that mimic the exterior of the building.
Throughout the building materials like woods, local split stones, concrete, terrazzo, and rattan are featured.
Bright hallways with lighting embedded in the concrete floors, and in the ceiling, guide guests to their private apartments.
The apartments are minimal in their design, with simple wood furniture in the living room, and a kitchenette.
In the bedroom, a horizontal wood accent above the bed hides LED Lighting, which also complements the lighting on the opposite wall. There’s also a floating wood desk that lines the wall, and a sliding door opens to a balcony.
Photograph: Hiroyuki Oki | Architects: K.A Studio | Lead Architects: Doan Quoc Khanh | Design team: Dang Anh Khoa, Hoang Anh Dung, Tran Quoc Nhat, Le Duc Duy | Construction: La Maison Du K
Architect Arnaud Behzadi and artist Florence Bamberger have combined French and Brazilian influences to create interiors for a pair of adjoining restaurants.
Located in Paris’ 17th arrondissement, Oka Fogo is the latest eatery from Raphael Rego, a Michelin-starred chef who is originally from Rio de Janeiro.
Behzadi designed interiors that aim to capture the spirit of Rego’s cuisine, while Bamberger painted wall and ceiling murals that bring an extra spark of energy.
Bamberger reinterpreted Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe on the wall of Fogo
The two restaurants each have a distinct character.
Oka, which means “house” in the language of Brazil’s indigenous Tupi people, is an intimate 16-seat dinner-service restaurant with the feel of a grand yet cosy lounge.
The neighbouring Fogo, which translates as “fire”, is a less formal space that offers a sense of dining al fresco. With an adjoining bar and grill, this 40-seat space is open for lunch and dinner.
Oka is a 16-seat restaurant with the feel of a grand but cosy lounge
“I approached the project as a journey through a house,” Behzadi told Dezeen.
“I see Oka as a prestigious living room and Fogo as an interior garden.”
A ceiling mural incorporates references to Brazil’s flora and fauna
Bamberger’s expressive murals reinforce this approach.
In Fogo, she has painted a reinterpretation of the Édouard Manet artwork, Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe. The work takes cues from the free-flowing lines of Brazilian artist José Francisco Borgès, resulting in a vibrant style.
The Oka mural features on the ceiling rather than a wall. This more abstract work is based on Brazil’s flora and fauna, along with objects that represent the nation’s culture.
The facade combines Jatoba wood with striated marble
Behzadi chose richly toned woods and highly textural marbles for the interior design palette, in a nod to materials favoured by Brazil’s prolific mid-century designers.
This partnering of stone and wood begins with the facade, where panels of Jatoba wood from the Amazon sit above a plinth of striated Iranian marble.
“I decided to interpret a classical style for the storefront,” said Behzadi.
“It’s a very Parisian approach, using an exotic material to start evoking the interior that you will discover inside.”
Fogo’s floor is a grid of green marble and travertine tiles
Inside, decorative wooden furniture and joinery are accompanied by a mix of different stones, including white travertine and various green-toned marbles.
Other eye-catching details include sculptural wall lights by Behzadi’s former business partner, designer Cathy Crinon, and chairs by the late Brazilian designer Sergio Rodrigues.
“There is a clear Brazilian inspiration,” added Behzadi.
Additional spaces include a private alcove
The venue also includes an alcove dining space with room for six, featuring a mirrored ceiling and curved banquette in red velvet, and a wine and champagne tasting room with a vaulted ceiling.
Oka Fogo opened earlier this month. Other recent openings in Paris include Moët Hennessy’s Cravan cocktail bar and oyster bar Citrons et Huîtres.
Architecture firm K.A Studio has designed the remodel of an apartment building in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, that included the addition of green space.
In an area filled with concrete and hard lines, this updated apartment building, which is now used for staycations, has been designed as an oasis in the city, with the curved balconies creating a soft edge on the facade.
Overhanging plants cascade down the side of the building, while taller plants add different layers and grow up between the voids created by the balconies.
The underside of the balconies is lined with wood, adding to the natural look of the building.
At night, uplighting creates shadows on the balconies above.
The balconies overlook a pool that’s located on the ground floor and has curves that mimic the exterior of the building.
Throughout the building materials like woods, local split stones, concrete, terrazzo, and rattan are featured.
Bright hallways with lighting embedded in the concrete floors, and in the ceiling, guide guests to their private apartments.
The apartments are minimal in their design, with simple wood furniture in the living room, and a kitchenette.
In the bedroom, a horizontal wood accent above the bed hides LED Lighting, which also complements the lighting on the opposite wall. There’s also a floating wood desk that lines the wall, and a sliding door opens to a balcony.
Photograph: Hiroyuki Oki | Architects: K.A Studio | Lead Architects: Doan Quoc Khanh | Design team: Dang Anh Khoa, Hoang Anh Dung, Tran Quoc Nhat, Le Duc Duy | Construction: La Maison Du K
For our latest lookbook, Dezeen has selected eight examples of interiors that were created with reclaimed and recycled materials, including a restaurant in Bangalore and a brick house in Ghent.
Recent decades have seen more awareness and reflection on environmental and sustainable issues both inside and outside the design world, leading a number of designers and architects to choose sustainable design for their projects.
From the use of unwanted items to the application of reclaimed bricks and recycled plastics, the eight projects in this lookbook present ways in which designers have rediscovered the value of waste.
This is the latest in Dezeen’s lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring sunny yellow interiors, beds that have been built into interiors and tiled kitchen worktops.
Photo by Ishita Sitwala
Circus Canteen, India, by Multitude of Sins
Bangalore studio Multitude of Sins designed this restaurant interior, which was shortlisted in the sustainable interior category of Dezeen Awards 2022, to showcase a collage of unwanted objects.
The salvaged objects were sourced locally from a donation drive in a few weeks. The studio categorised them, then organised them into a colourful, stylish interior.
Find out more about the Circus Canteen ›
Kamikatsu Zero Waste Centre, Japan, by Hiroshi Nakamura
The Kamikatsu Zero Waste Centre (above and main image) was created as an eco-friendly community and educational space for recycling activities, and features a facade made of 700 windows donated by the local community.
Architect Hiroshi Nakamura attached harvesting containers from a mushroom factory to the wall to be used as bookshelves. Unwanted objects were also collected from abandoned houses, previous government buildings and schools in the local area.
Find out more about the Kamikatsu Zero Waste Centre ›
Photo by Sam A Harris
Silo, UK, by Nina+Co
The dining tables of this zero-waste restaurant in London consist of flecked recycled-plastic tops and sustainably-sourced ash wood legs, with mycelium pendant lamps dangling above.
The dining space also features a long bar counter made from recycled plastic packaging.
Find out more about Silo zero-waste restaurant ›
Photo by Magdalena Gruber
Urselmann Interior’s office, Germany, by Urselmann Interior
The renovation of the ceiling in this Düsseldorf office was completed using poplar wood sourced from a tree felled in the nearby city of Krefeld. The studio preserved the existing wooden and terrazzo flooring.
The refurbishment of the office, which is the studio’s own, also included the use of biodegradable materials, glueless joinery and cellulose-based cladding.
Find out more about Urselmann Interior’s office ›
Photo by Syam Sreesylam
Wendy House, India, by Earthscape Studio
This vaulted residence in Bangalore, which sits among eight acres of dense forests, was covered with recycled mudga tiles. Its glass walls were framed with recycled rods.
Earthscape Studio also constructed the building with sithu kal bricks, a traditional technique that is currently not in use. This design revisited the neglected technique to help bring work opportunities to the local community.
Find out more about the Wendy House ›
Photo by Stijn Bollaert
GjG House, Belgium, by BLAF Architecten
Built without supporting interior walls, this house was constructed with reclaimed bricks and features a curved form and brick bonding.
BLAF Architecten designed the unusual curvilinear walls in order for the house to fit in between surrounding trees on the site in Ghent.
Find out more about GjG House ›
Photo by José Hevia
10K House, Spain, by Takk
In the context of global climate change and the energy crisis, 10K House was built on a material budget of only 10,000 euros and features rooms built inside each other to maximise insulation.
Spanish Architecture studio Takk used recycled white table legs to lift one of the interior rooms in the Barcelona apartment, creating space for water pipes and electrical fittings without the extra cost of adding wall grooves.
Find out more about 10K House ›
Photo by Agnese Sanvito
Rylett House, UK, Studio 30 Architects
Studio 30 Architects transformed an old carpenter’s bench into a kitchen island for this London house extension, which includes a living, kitchen and dining area.
The extension was built on the site of a previous conservatory and overlooks the garden through a timber window decorated with plants.
Find out more about Rylett House ›
This is the latest in Dezeen’s lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring sunny yellow interiors, beds that have been built into interiors and tiled kitchen worktops.
For those who don’t want to keep their wine collection hidden away, our latest lookbook showcases some of the most inventive ways of showcasing wine bottles within a contemporary home interior.
Wine storage solutions can be created in homes of any size, by cleverly integrating shelving into wall niches or built-in furniture.
For those with enough space for a wine cellar, or even just a dedicated wine fridge, well-designed glazing and lighting can turn these spaces into focal points.
A more casual wine drinker could simply slot a small wine rack into a kitchen island or bookshelf.
Read on for 10 examples to suit homes of any size, including a wine cellar that doubles as a lightbox and a blue wine-rack wall.
This is the latest in Dezeen’s lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from our archive. Other recent editions showcase serene bedrooms and wood-panelled dining rooms.
Photo by Maxime Brouillet
Maison du Parc, Canada, by La Shed Architecture
Visible from both the staircase and a grand basement bathroom, this wine room was designed to be a key feature in a three-storey home in Montreal.
With frosted glass walls and stark lighting, it makes the bottles visible but partially obscured. They appear as a grid of spots across the surfaces of the bright white volume.
Find out more about Maison du Parc ›
Photo by Pedro Kok
AML Apartment, Brazil, by David Ito Arquitetura
Bright blue wine storage extends floor to ceiling in this apartment in São Paulo, lining up exactly with a doorway in front.
The wine rack sits alongside a utility area but it is also visible from the living and dining room, so it made sense to make it a feature. It offers space for 108 wine bottles.
Find out more about AML Apartment ›
Photo by Agnese Sanvito
Gallery House, UK, by Neil Dusheiko
Wine bottles are not the primary focus in this kitchen extension in north London, which features an entire wall of treasured objects including ceramics, glassware and framed pictures.
Instead, they neatly slot into 10 circular cubby holes within the oak kitchen island. These holes extend through, creating room for two bottles in each opening.
Find out more about Gallery House ›
Photo by Nelson Kon
Casa em Cotia, Brazil, by Una Arquitetos
The kitchen of this family home in São Paulo centres around a full-height glass-fronted pantry, offering plenty of storage space for food and crockery.
Wine storage is located within the front cupboard, slotted in underneath shelves for mugs and glasses. This places it within easy access of the adjacent dining room.
Find out more about Casa em Cotia ›
Photo by Jack Lovel
City Beach Residence, Australia, by Design Theory
Hexagonal terracotta modules are stacked up to create storage space for 50 wine bottles in this renovated 1960s beach house in Perth.
The arrangement slots into a niche in the wall, with the clay-based material helping to keep the wine at a stable temperature.
Find out more about City Beach Residence ›
Photo by Mark Wickens
Raft Loft, USA, by Dash Marshall
There is plenty of space for storing wine in this two-level home in New York’s Tribeca, which was converted from two previously separate apartments.
In addition to the main kitchen, the residence has a kitchenette that features both a wine fridge and a wine rack that slots in above the wall-mounted high cupboards.
Find out more about Raft Loft ›
Photo by Dror Baldinger
Ski Slope Residence, USA, by LaRue Architects and Britt Design Group
The owners of this lakeside cabin in Austin, Texas, also own a vineyard in Argentina, so they were understandably keen to put their wine collection on full display.
A wine room takes pride of place near the main entrance. It is visible behind a glass door that extends from floor to ceiling, creating an unusual backdrop to a grand piano.
Find out more about Ski Slope Residence ›
Photo by Adam Scott
Charred House, UK, by Rider Stirland Architects
In this London home, wine storage forms part of a bespoke kitchen created by Plykea, a British brand that specialises in customising IKEA kitchens.
The bottles are held in place by simple supports that sit within a series of shelves, offering space for 30 bottles.
Find out more about Charred House ›
Photo by Asier Rua
Salva46, Spain, by Miel Arquitectos and Studio P10
Storage helps to organise the floor plan in this highly compact Barcelona apartment.
A very simple wood-framed wine rack slots alongside a set of drawers, which together create a soft divide between the entrance lobby and the kitchen.
Find out more about Salva46 ›
Photo by Michael Moran and Julian King Architect
Soho Loft, USA, by Julian King
This warehouse apartment in New York offers a highly simple wine storage solution.
The living space features a series of shelves that together form a sizeable bookcase. A wooden rack slots into the bottom shelf, allowing wine to sit alongside the literature.
Find out more about Soho Loft ›
This is the latest in Dezeen’s lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from our archive. Other recent editions showcase serene bedrooms and wood-panelled dining rooms.
Our latest lookbook showcases eight home interiors that make a visual statement by revealing their services, including wires, cables, ducts and plumbing.
Stripping back interiors can expose services including pipework that runs along walls and ceilings to provide heating, water, electricity and airflow to our homes.
This roundup features homes with industrial and unfinished appearances that make a feature of exposed services, including a Parisian studio that uses copper pipework as hanging space and a stripped-back apartment in Brazil with blue-painted pipes.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring Milanese home and hotel interiors, living rooms decorated in the primary colours and terracotta-tiled kitchens.
Photo is by Fran Parente
Gale Apartment, Brazil, by Memola Estudio
Brazilian studio Memola Estudio renovated this São Paulo apartment to better suit the owner’s tastes, stripping back finishes on the walls and ceilings to expose the building’s concrete structure, piping, wiring and ductwork.
The studio contrasted the industrial look of the apartment with warm, earthy-toned furniture and contemporary artwork.
Find out more about Gale Apartment ›
Photo is by Cyrille Lallement
Shakers Studio, France, by Ariel Claudet
A network of copper pipes snakes around the perimeter of this studio apartment in a 17th-century Parisian building, which architect Ariel Claudet added to make it stand out on Airbnb.
Informed by traditional Shaker peg rails, the pipes conceal electrical cables and double as a hanging rail to display ornaments and household items.
Find out more about Shakers Studio ›
Photo is by Maíra Acayaba
RF Apartment, Brazil, by SuperLimão
Located inside a modernist São Paulo building completed in 1958, Brazilian studio SuperLimão exposed the pipes in the RF Apartment and painted them a pale shade of blue-green that was in keeping with the period the building was constructed.
SuperLimão also painted the ceiling a burnt pink colour and peeled back the edges of the entryways to reveal large chunks of plaster and brick.
Find out more about RF Apartment ›
Photo is by José Hevia
NZ10 Apartment, Spain, by Auba Studio
Spanish architecture firm Auba Studio transformed a former bakery in Palma into an apartment, stripping back the interior to reveal the building’s high ceilings and bare structure.
Auba Studio added a stainless steel kitchen island to complement the industrial look of the exposed ductwork and light fittings.
Find out more about NZ10 Apartment ›
Photo is by José Hevia
10K House, Spain, by Takk
10K House is a 50-square-metre Barcelona apartment that Spanish studio Takk renovated, adding rooms nestled inside one another to maximise insulation.
Water pipes and electrical fittings were left exposed to allow free passage between the Russian-doll-like rooms and to keep material costs down.
Find out more about 10K House ›
Photo is by Tim van de Velde
De Lakfabriek apartments, the Netherlands, by Wenink Holtkamp Architecten
Eidenhoven studio Wenink Holtkamp Architecten converted a 20th-century factory in Oisterwijk, the Netherlands, into apartments that maintain the industrial character of the building.
The apartments have an open-plan layout with the building’s raw concrete structure, metal ductwork and wiring left visible.
Find out more about De Lakfabriek apartments ›
Photo is by Takumi Ota
Fishmarket, Japan, by Ab Rogers Design
Fishmarket is an artist’s studio and residence in Kanazawa, Japan, with an interior that was stripped back to its industrial shell by London-based studio Ab Rogers Design.
The studio added a series of fluorescent rotating partition walls that transform how the space is used and add bright pops of colour that stand in contrast against the grey concrete and metal pipework.
Find out more about Fishmarket ›
Photo is by Lorenzo Zandri
Earthrise Studio, UK, by Studio McW
London-based architecture practice Studio McW transformed this London warehouse into a studio and office that enhances the building’s original features.
The practice removed some of the redundant overhead services that were restricting the ceiling height. The remaining exposed services add to the industrial look of the property, while custom oak joinery adds warmth to the spaces.
Find out more about Earthrise Studio ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring Milanese home and hotel interiors, living rooms decorated in the primary colours and terracotta-tiled kitchens.
Architecture firm K.A Studio has designed the remodel of an apartment building in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, that included the addition of green space.
In an area filled with concrete and hard lines, this updated apartment building, which is now used for staycations, has been designed as an oasis in the city, with the curved balconies creating a soft edge on the facade.
Overhanging plants cascade down the side of the building, while taller plants add different layers and grow up between the voids created by the balconies.
The underside of the balconies is lined with wood, adding to the natural look of the building.
At night, uplighting creates shadows on the balconies above.
The balconies overlook a pool that’s located on the ground floor and has curves that mimic the exterior of the building.
Throughout the building materials like woods, local split stones, concrete, terrazzo, and rattan are featured.
Bright hallways with lighting embedded in the concrete floors, and in the ceiling, guide guests to their private apartments.
The apartments are minimal in their design, with simple wood furniture in the living room, and a kitchenette.
In the bedroom, a horizontal wood accent above the bed hides LED Lighting, which also complements the lighting on the opposite wall. There’s also a floating wood desk that lines the wall, and a sliding door opens to a balcony.
Photograph: Hiroyuki Oki | Architects: K.A Studio | Lead Architects: Doan Quoc Khanh | Design team: Dang Anh Khoa, Hoang Anh Dung, Tran Quoc Nhat, Le Duc Duy | Construction: La Maison Du K
New York studio Messana O’Rorke has extended its collaboration with skincare brand Malin + Goetz by designing an apartment for its founders on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where special attention was paid to the bathrooms.
After creating store interiors for the brand across the US for several years, Messana O’Rorke turned its attention to a space for co-founders Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz to live in.
Messana O’Rorke renovated the apartment in a historic building on West 76th Street
The apartment on West 76th Street was fully renovated for the couple to reflect their passions for beauty and wellness, while embracing the building’s history.
“The space creates a gentle push and pull between the comfort of the past and the vigor of the present – embedded in the architectural details,” said Messana O’Rorke.
A mixture of contemporary and vintage furniture and artworks imbue the spaces with personality
These details include a traditional baseboard that encircles the main living spaces but ends abruptly in the central vestibule, where it is replaced with a quarter-inch (0.6-centimetre) shadow gap between the walls and floor for a more modern look.
Reclaimed oak parquet flooring is laid in a herringbone pattern throughout most of the rooms, providing the air of a European pied-à-terre.
Light materials were used for surfaces in the narrow kitchen
A simplified version of a plaster relief detail – found during the demolition of a dropped ceiling in the bedroom – also wraps the wall and ceiling junctions, suggestive of crown moulding.
While these details all tie the living spaces together, it’s in the bathrooms that Messana O’Rorke has made the most dramatic interventions.
In the two bathrooms, Carrera marble lines the walls, floors and showers
“Given that the homeowners are the founding partners of Malin + Goetz, Messana O’Rorke paid particular attention to the design of the two bathrooms, which reflect the beauty brand’s ethos as a modern apothecary,” said the studio.
Unlacquered brass fixtures and hardware are installed against Carrera marble, which clads the walls, floors and showers to create a “spa-like” feeling.
A hidden light strip appears to wash the stone in the shower with daylight
In one bathroom, mirrors surrounded a window above the sink, where more brass is used to line the recess and forms a trim around the perimeter.
A shower is illuminated from a hidden pocket in the ceiling, giving the illusion that the stone wall is washed with daylight.
The same marble is continued in the narrow kitchen as countertops and backsplash, keeping the space light in tandem with white cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
Furniture is a blend of contemporary and vintage, mixing dark woods with sofas in muted velvet upholstery.
Unlacquered brass is used for fixtures and to line a window recess
A variety of artworks decorate the living room and den walls, while a large collection of books fills shelves in the office – both providing more colour and personality to the apartment.
“Much like the Malin + Goetz boutiques the firm had previously designed, a single vintage display element subtly offsets the taut architectural envelope; the furnishings and interior appointments bridge the traditional and the modern,” Messana O’Rorke said.
Herringbone patterned parquet was laid through the living spaces
The studio was founded in 1996 by Brian Messana and Toby O’Rorke, and has previously renovated an 18th-century home in Upstate New York.
Renovations on the Upper West Side completed by other studios include a residence by Stadt Architecture where existing brickwork walls were paired with walnut floors and a 1920s apartment overhauled with custom millwork by Format Architecture Office.
Set in a vaulted cellar in the old city centre of Brussels, Bath & Barley is an updated take on a traditional Czech beer spa from design studio WeWantMore.
Beer spas offer beer-infused spa treatments, most notably beer baths where guests soak in water mixed with hops, malt and medicinal herbs.
WeWantMore has designed the Bath & Barley spa in Brussels
Bath & Barley is the “very first” beer spa in Belgium, according to local practice WeWantMore, offering a modern take on the traditional day spas.
“Beer spas are a tradition in the Czech Republic but not in Belgium, despite our nation’s rich beer culture,” the studio explained.
Privacy screens were designed to look like stained glass
“We noticed that most Czech beer spas are more beer than spa – dark, lots of neon and an overall pub vibe,” the practice added. “This wasn’t our idea of a soothing wellness experience.”
“Instead, we decided to create a sense of relaxation and intimacy, but with a link to what distinguishes Bath & Barley: beer, bathing and Belgium’s beer.”
The spa’s reception is located on the ground floor
To realise this vision, the studio drew on a palette of raw natural materials such as lime stucco, wood and straw, alongside copper and stained glass to evoke Belgium’s medieval beer brewing culture.
The spa is split across two floors, with the oak bathtubs nestled into the vaulted basement and framed by draft beer machines, where guests can pour themselves a pint.
A stone tasting counter defines the entrance space
After the bathing ritual, guests can use the spa’s sauna or rest on a staw-upholstered lounge that allows them to “connect with nature”, according to WeWantMore.
“The design supports social wellbeing and creates a unique escape from the daily rush,” WeWantMore said.
The spa’s reception is located one level up on the ground floor and is wrapped in curved copper sheets to resemble the kettles used in traditional Belgian breweries.
Dried barley hangs from the ceiling above a stone tasting counter, where guests can taste a variety of beers and select the hops they want to add to their bath.
Steel balustrades depict the different stages of brewing beer
“The natural scent of the dried barley branches dangling from the ceiling adds to the sensory experience and sets the mood,” said the studio.
Ecclesial illustrations from Bath & Barley’s visual identity are integrated throughout the interior in the form of privacy screens, which resemble stained-glass church windows, and steel balustrades that depict the different steps of the brewing process.
Copper accents feature throughout the interior
Bath & Barley has been shortlisted in the leisure and wellness interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.
Other projects in the running include a hotel spa in the Maldives designed by Marcio Kogan of Studio MK27 and a Shenzhen cinema with a copper-lined lobby.
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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.
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 ›
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, 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 ›
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.
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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.
