US studio Michael Hsu Office of Architecture has designed the common areas and amenity spaces for a residential skyscraper in Austin, Texas, which include a circular outdoor swimming pool.
The 51-storey 44 East Avenue development on the city’s riverfront was designed by Page Architects, and includes 330 condominiums and a variety of shared amenities for residents.
The ground-floor lobby of 44 East Avenue includes a glazed atrium that divides the space
Local studio Michael Hsu Office of Architecture took an organic approach when designing the communal spaces, introducing soft shapes and natural materials to the glass and concrete structure.
“44 East combines nature and design with the idea of home,” said studio founder Michael Hsu. “It’s an unexpected expression of what beautiful, livable, modern spaces can be.”
Michael Hsu Office of Architecture has layered a variety of vintage and custom furniture in the lobby
The bright lobby features light colours, curved surfaces, and a blend of hard and soft materials.
Poured concrete terrazzo floors are intended to echo the gravel of the nearby riverside trail, while plaster ceilings are subtly smooth-edged to mimic the undersides of boats.
A rounded mint-green reception desk sits in front of a white tambour wall
A glazed atrium with curved corners divides the ground floor and brings the landscaping by DWG further into the building.
Lounges on either side are furnished with a mix of vintage and contemporary pieces, which add colour and texture.
On the 11th floor, spaces feature pastel tones to match the interiors of the residences
The reception desk has rounded edges and sides, and a glossy mint-green finish. It sits on a chrome base that matches a custom pendant light over a nearby seating area.
“[The communal areas are] a completely designed experience, one that allows for a multitude of ways of living,” Hsu said. “It represents creativity and design without pretension.”
A circular outdoor swimming pool has loungers and pebble-shaped islands at its shallow ends
On the 11th floor, a series of spaces are oriented towards views of the Colorado River and the leafy neighbourhoods to the south.
A circular outdoor swimming pool features loungers dipped into the shallow water and a series of pebble-shaped islands.
A tree grows through a hole in the canopy that covers a patio area for grilling
Adjacent is a partially covered patio for barbecuing and dining al fresco, oriented around a planter with a tree that grows up through a hole in the slatted canopy.
Indoor spaces on this level are decorated in pastel hues to match those found in the residences, which were designed by Page.
Further amenity areas on the 37th floor feature jewel tones and darker materials, such as the stone flooring, as well as fixtures including a large moon-like pendant light above a circular sofa.
“We hope that this space feels both fresh and welcoming, a place that has new moments to discover, but that is comfortable and familiar,” said Hsu. “Design here is part of the resident’s everyday experience, rather than reserved for a special occasion.”
Another lounge on the 37th floor has darker decor and a view of the Austin skyline
Austin continues to grow as a desirable place to live and work, and has seen a boom in development across residential, commercial and hospitality sectors as a result.
Plans for a supertall skyscraper in the city were unveiled in November 2022, although cut back significantly six months later, leaving another supertall by KPF in the running to become Texas’ tallest building.
44 East Avenue is located beside the Colorado River, east of Downtown Austin
Meanwhile, a concrete office complex, a sculptural tower, and a technologically advanced sports arena have all been completed in Austin over the past year.
Michael Hsu Office of Architecture has also wrapped up a string of projects in its home state, from converting a 1930s Austin church into a design office to designing a cosy Japanese restaurant in Houston.
For our latest lookbook, Dezeen has selected eight examples of rustic yet contemporary interiors, including but not limited to an apartment in Sao Paulo and a Tuscan boutique hotel.
Rustic interiors have a strong focus on natural and aged materials as well as traditional wooden or stone furnishings.
These material choices are often used to create a homely and welcoming atmosphere that is somewhat reminiscent of a farmhouse style.
From an inn with nautical-leaning decor to a mid-century home in Joshua Tree, here are eight examples of how interior designers are bringing rustic design tropes into the 21st century.
This is the latest in our lookbook series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring wood-panelled dining rooms, statement headboards and homes with pergolas.
Photo is by Stanley Yang
Villa Kurno, US, by Mini Inno
Los Angeles interior design studio Mini Inno renovated this mid-century ranch-style home in Joshua Tree National Park and converted it into a holiday home.
The studio opted for a neutral interior scheme that serves as the background for various wooden furnishings and fixtures.
Wood beams were left exposed across the ceiling of the living area while wooden barstools, shelving and cupboard doors are contrasted against the white-painted walls and floors.
Find out more about Villa Kurno ›
Monteverdi Hotel, Italy, by Michael Cioffi
Located in a hamlet in Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tuscany, Monteverdi Hotel was transformed from a crumbling building to a 29-room hotel over a 14-year renovation.
Materials and finishes throughout the interior were chosen for their textural quality and walls feature uneven surfaces with indents and niches. Salvaged wood was used for ceiling beams, timber archways and closet doors, which were constructed from old farm doors.
Find out more about Monteverdi Hotel, ›
Photo is by Alexander Ribar
Whidbey Inn, US, by Mike and Matt French
Mike and Matt French collaborated with friends and local designers to update this historic inn on Widbey Island near Seattle.
The team renovated the property, which was built in 1907, and decorated the interior with a contemporary yet rustic approach with subtle nautical influences. Wood panelling in various shades was used across the interior and paired with timber furnishings.
Find out more about Whidbey Inn ›
Photo is by Jeff Holt
Carriage House, US, by Workstead
This home is set inside a converted kitchen house in South Carolina – a small outbuilding that was originally used to prepare food for the main residence.
Workstead decorated its interior using an imperfect approach that saw the US studio make a feature of exposed, paint-splattered brickwork and crumbling plaster walls.
In one of the home’s living areas, cypress and woven cane cabinets with an integrated window seat were built around a window, extending from the wooden floors up to the white-washed ceilings.
Find out more about Carriage House ›
Photo is by Carola Merello
La Ganea, Italy, by Studio Mabb
A material palette of plaster, timber and iron defines the rustic interiors of this restaurant in Brescia, Italy, which was designed by interiors practice Studio Mabb.
The former farmhouse dates back to the 16th century and was renovated to have a simple aesthetic with earthy components. Large wooden beams stretch across the ceiling above a tiled floor and grey-washed walls while dark wood and iron furnishings complete the moody atmosphere.
Find out more about La Ganea ›
Photo is by Giorgio Marafiot
Japanese tea house, Italy, by Lorenzo Guzzini
At this home on Lake Como, which was informed by Japanese architecture, materials were chosen for their likeness to the surrounding nature and the vernacular architecture of the historic village of Dizzasco.
Textural wall finishes in earthy tones and stone-lined floors were combined with exposed wooden ceilings, pine skirting boards and doors in an effort to reference the rustic look of traditional tea houses.
Find out more about Japanese tea house ›
Photo is by Matej Hakár
House V, Slovakia, by Martin Skoček
Slovakia-based architect Martin Skoček used salvaged and time-worn materials in the interior of this gabled home near Bratislava.
Bricks walls are exposed in the open-plan living area at the centre of the home beneath a wood-gabled ceiling that spans the entire length of the space.
Contemporary additions such as a steel breakfast island and oak storage wall anchor the kitchen area, providing a contrast with the raw brick walls and wooden ceiling.
Find out more about House V ›
Photo is by Fran Parente
GM Apartment, Brazil, by Nildo José Architects
Brazillian studio Nildo José Architects highlighted many of the existing architectural features when renovating this two-bedroom apartment in a condominium tower in Sao Paulo.
The interior scheme draws on a more contemporary idea of rustic, using exposed concrete elements combined with bleached wood and glazed tiles.
“The kitchen is open and funky, blending rustic and modern with colours, design and materials,” the studio said.
Find out more about GM Apartment ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring wood-panelled dining rooms, statement headboards and homes with pergolas.
Following the release of American filmmaker Wes Anderson’s eleventh motion picture Asteroid City, we have collected eight interiors that embody his distinctive cinematic style for our latest lookbook.
Anderson is known for his retro pastel colour palettes and use of symmetry, as seen in the sets from his latest feature film that are currently the subject of an exhibition at London’s 180 the Strand.
From a Milanese cafe designed by the director himself to a quirky makeup store in China that was styled to mimic 1970s offices, here are eight interiors that were either directly influenced by Anderson or look as if they are taken straight out of one of his films.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with bathtubs, Parisian apartments and striking art gallery interiors.
Photo is by Ye Rin Mok
Boisson, USA, by Studio Paul Chan
Local firm Studio Paul Chan took cues from the opening scene of Anderson’s 2021 film The French Dispatch when designing the interiors for this bottle shop by non-alcoholic drinks brand Boisson in Los Angeles.
Elements of mid-century Hollywood design and art deco were combined in a space that includes walnut-stained wooden wall panelling, dusty green accents and a bespoke glass-block counter.
Find out more about Boisson ›
Image is courtesy of AIM Architecture
Harmay store, China, by AIM Architecture
A colour palette of muted yellow, orange and brown characterises this shop by makeup brand Harmay, which is set across the renovated second floor of a business park in Hangzhou.
Chinese studio AIM Architecture designed the space to mimic a 1970s office by using rows of yellow desks to display stock and incorporating a retro woollen carpet and frosted-glass sliding “meeting room” doors.
“Creating an ‘old fashioned’ physical retail experience in an actual office space just seemed a fun way to translate this duality of space and time,” the studio’s founder Wendy Saunders told Dezeen.
Find out more about this Harmay store ›
Photo is by Alex Lysakowski
The Annex, Canada, by Superette
The vivid colour palettes and geometric shapes often associated with Anderson’s cinematography also feature at The Annex, a marijuana dispensary in Toronto that was modelled on Italian delis.
Green and beige checkerboard flooring was paired with deli props, tomato-red stools and hanging pendant lights while various cannabis paraphernalia was laid out like groceries.
Find out more about The Annex ›
Photo is by Roland Halbe
Bar Luce, Italy, by Wes Anderson
Created by Anderson himself, Bar Luce is located within the OMA-designed Fondazione Prada in Milan.
Pastel colours and veneered wood panelling were applied to the space, which was designed to reference iconic city landmarks and cafes – particularly those dating back to the 1950s and 60s.
“I tried to make it a bar I would want to spend my own non-fictional afternoons in,” said the filmmaker, who stressed that the bar was not designed as a set but rather as a “real” place.
Find out more about Bar Luce ›
Photo is by Mikael Lundblad
Cafe Banacado, Sweden, by ASKA
Cafe Banacado is an all-day breakfast cafe in Stockholm designed by local architecture studio ASKA.
ASKA followed “a strong symmetry” when creating the interiors, which feature checkerboard flooring, arched mirrors and a sunny colour palette that was specifically chosen to evoke the dreamlike atmosphere of Anderson’s films.
Find out more about Cafe Banacado ›
Photo is by Derek Swalwell
The Budapest Cafe, Australia, by Biasol
Local studio Biasol designed this salmon-hued cafe in Carlton, Melbourne, to reference Anderson’s 2014 feature film The Grand Budapest Hotel – in particular its symmetrical compositions and “nostalgic” colour palettes.
Stylised steps to nowhere decorate the walls, while a curved archway frames a glossy point-of-sale counter with a tubular base finished in terracotta.
Find out more about The Budapest Cafe in Melbourne ›
Photo is by James Morgan
The Budapest Cafe, China, by Biasol
Biasol also designed another outpost for The Budapest Cafe in Chengdu, China, that references the titular film.
Here, Biasol combined pastel shades and marble surfaces with similar chunky elevations to those found in the Melbourne cafe. The centrepiece of the room is a tiered terrazzo seating area topped with a pink ball pit and an original Eero Aarnio Bubble chair.
Find out more about The Budapest Cafe in Chengdu ›
Photo is by Romain Laprade
Hotel Palace restaurant, Finland, by Note Design Studio
When Note Design Studio renovated a restaurant within Helsinki’s Hotel Palace, the Swedish firm set out to honour the history of the modernist building, which was opened in time for the city’s 1952 Summer Olympics.
Teak panelling, luxurious teal carpet and expansive windows lend themselves to a cinematic atmosphere, while white tablecloths add a touch of glamour to the space, where visitors can imagine Anderson’s characters dining.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with bathtubs, Parisian apartments and striking art gallery interiors.
A one-room hotel kitted out with a miniature nightclub and twin dwellings with labyrinthine staircases informed by MC Escher are among the guesthouses featured in our latest lookbook.
Guesthouses are accommodations for travellers, including cabins, rental cottages and private rooms, sometimes located in close proximity to permanent structures such as homes or offices.
Despite their temporary nature, guesthouses can feature distinctive designs created to be remembered for longer than just during their occupants’ stay.
From a bird nest-style retreat in Namibia to a micro dwelling in South Korea, here are eight guesthouses with impactful interiors from across the globe.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring gardens with swimming pools, cave-like interiors and striking accent walls.
Top image: Trunk House in Tokyo features a miniature nightclub. Above: Photo by José Hevia
La Hermandad de Villalba, Spain, by Lucas y Hernández-Gil
Spanish studio Lucas y Hernández-Gil sought to honour the original architecture of this eighteenth-century building, which was renovated to feature decorative doorways and original arched ceilings.
Nestled in a wine-growing town in Spain’s Extremadura region, the guesthouse takes visual cues from its site, with hues of deep red and pale green that nod to the town’s natural terrain and surrounding vineyards.
Find out more about La Hermandad de Villalba ›
Photo is courtesy of Den Outdoors
Den Cabin Kit, USA, by Den Outdoors
Prefabricated in New York, Den Cabin Kit is a flat-packed kit-of-parts for a steeply pitched cabin that is designed to be assembled in a few days.
Cabin-design company Den Outdoors created the structure to cater to a guesthouse, study or yoga studio. Slanted wooden walls and a single triangular window create a cosy atmosphere inside.
Find out more about Den Cabin Kit ›
Photo is by Katinka Bester
The Nest at Sossus, Namibia, by Porky Hefer
The Nest at Sossus is an off-grid guesthouse in Namibia with a thatched facade informed by the amorphous shape of bird nests.
Thatching also features on the interior, which South African designer Porky Hefer created with bulbous protrusions and built-in furniture to mimic the stacked components of a nest.
Pieces include a sunken Chesterfield-style sofa upholstered in oxblood-coloured leather.
Find out more about The Nest at Sossus ›
Photo is by Chao Zhang
Dream and Maze, China, by Studio 10
Shenzhen-based Studio 10 designed a pair of guest rooms in Guilin, China, which take cues from the optical illusions of the seminal Dutch graphic artist MC Escher.
Called Dream and Maze, the rooms feature colour-coded arched doorways and disorientating anti-gravitational staircases built within a seven-metre-high structure with a pitched roof.
“The challenge was in keeping the balance between the practical need of a hotel suite and the illusionary, spatial effect we wanted to achieve,” the studio told Dezeen.
Find out more about Dream and Maze ›
Photo is by José Hevia
Alfondac, Spain, by Aixopluc
Catalan studio Aixopluc filled a guest apartment above its offices with modular furniture that can be assembled using DIY techniques.
Named after an Arabic word describing a place for both guests and for storing goods, Alfondac features various exposed appliances and living areas amalgamated into one space.
“This iteration is an exploration of the potential benefits of having different activities and their smells – shit, lavender soap, pee, escudella [a type of Catalan stew], incense, linen sheets after sex, hyacinth flowers, baby’s poo and half-full glasses of Priorat wines – coexist rather than being segregated,” said Aixopluc.
Find out more about this apartment ›
Photo is by Texture on Texture
Nuwa, Korea, by Z_Lab
Nuwa is a tiny guesthouse in northern Seoul that measures under 30 square metres. Local studio Z_Lab renovated a traditional Korean home, known as a hanok, to create the apartment out of a single room.
A porthole window inserted next to the bed provides views of the surrounding garden, while a sunken bath and walnut and stone accents define the rest of the space.
Find out more about Nuwa ›
Photo is by Tomooki Kengaku
Trunk House, Japan, by Trunk and Tripster
Hailed by its designers as containing Tokyo’s smallest disco, this one-room hotel in the city’s Kagurazaka neighbourhood features a miniature nightclub with a bright red interior, a curved bar and an illuminated dance floor.
Hotel brand Trunk collaborated with design studio Tripster to create the interiors within a traditional 70-year-old geisha house. Living spaces are characterised by muted palettes, including a tearoom with tatami mats arranged around a sunken fireplace.
Find out more about Trunk House ›
Photo is by Piet Albert Goethals
The Olive Houses, Mallorca, by Mar Plus Ask
Architecture studio Mar Plus Ask designed a pair of guesthouses in the Mallorcan mountains to celebrate the craggy boulders that jut through their walls.
The Olive Houses are off-grid dwellings created for solo creatives as a silent refuge. Sloping cave-like walls were rendered exclusively in blush-pink stucco to complement the pale green shade found on the underside of an olive tree leaf.
“To us, the [boulders] became a piece of art – suddenly the house was more about sculpting its backdrop and being its lightbox,” explained the studio.
Find out more about The Olive Houses ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring gardens with swimming pools, cave-like interiors and striking accent walls.
The ancient Acropolis of Athens is in full view from the rooftop of this boutique hotel, which design studio House of Shila has housed in a former factory building.
Mona Athens is located in the city’s lively Psirri district, within an eight-storey 1950s building that once served as a textile factory.
The Mona Athens lobby features an eclectic mix of furniture and decor
House of Shila, led by New York-based entrepreneur Shai Antebi and Greek photographer and creative director Eftihia Stefanidi, chose to keep as much of the building’s bones as possible when converting it into a 20-key hotel.
This meant retaining its original dramatic iron staircase, terrazzo flooring, metal window frames and marble facade.
The spilt-level communal space houses a lounge and cafe
“We designed Mona with great respect for the building’s 1950s architecture,” said Stefanidi.
“The structure itself remains unchanged, revealing 70 years of history. Emphasis was given to preserving original features.”
House of Shila retained as many of the building’s original details as possible
Layering over industrial materials like exposed concrete and weathering steel, the team added wooden furniture and textured fabrics to bring warmth and tactility to the spaces throughout.
Accessed from the street, the 200-square-metre split-level lobby serves as a lounge and a cafe that can host pop-up events and installations.
A variety of textured materials are layered over the building’s industrial bones
An eclectic mix of furniture and decor populate the space, which can be opened to the outside via full-height folding glass doors.
The hotel’s six different room categories range from intimate rooms of around 16 to 20 square metres all the way up to the 55-square-metre penthouses and Mona’s Suite, with some of the larger rooms providing access to private balconies and patios.
Wash areas are open to the sleeping quarters in many of the rooms
All feature a similar sultry-meets-industrial aesthetic, which House of Shila compares to a “sensual refuge”, characterised by curtains of sheer cotton and richly-coloured velvet, low minimalist beds, custom-knitted carpets and soft lighting from bespoke fixtures.
In the majority of the guest rooms, the washing areas are open to the sleeping quarters – with separate water closets for privacy – and some feature comfy lounge seating.
Larger suites have access to porches, balconies and patios
White freestanding Corian bathtubs and industrial-style rain showers are shrouded by translucent curtains, creating a “certain balance of comfort and drama”, according to the design studio.
The open rooftop offers a direct view of the Parthenon and other structures atop the Acropolis, the UNESCO-listed epicentre of Ancient Greece, while the tourist entrance to the site is a 15-minute walk from the hotel.
Reserved for Mona Athens guests and members, this outdoor space includes a long glass-and-metal communal table, cushioned sofas, outdoor showers, lush planting and a bar that serves cocktails and “eclectic fare” with ingredients sourced from the local food market.
There’s also a speakeasy venue in the basement, where pop-up exhibitions and private events can take place.
Freestanding Corian bathtubs are set against weathering steel
All of the decorative items in the rooms are available for guests to purchase, from the organic cotton bedsheets to the ceramic coffee cups.
Antebi’s background is in real estate development while Stefanidi was previously the creative director for immersive entertainment company Secret Cinema.
The rooftop is reserved for hotel guests and members
The duo founded House of Shila after working together on their first hospitality project Shila – another boutique hotel-cum-arts venue in Athens’ Kolonaki neighbourhood.
Once a quick stopover for tourists on the way to the Greek islands, the capital is becoming a popular destination for city breaks in its own right, thanks to its rich history, growing culinary scene, year-round fair weather and relative affordability.
A prime view of the Acropolis can be enjoyed from the roof
The owner of Carwan Gallery described Athens as “the new Berlin” when the contemporary design gallery relocated there from Beirut in 2020.
Several boutique hotels have opened or undergone renovation in the downtown area over the past few years, including the neo-modernist Perianth Hotel and the Evripidis Hotel, which received a new rooftop bar and breakfast room.
For our latest lookbook, we’ve picked eight interiors that are blanketed in shades of red that include an office in Belgium, a bar toilet in London and a mansion in Mexico.
The colour red is most commonly associated with activity, passion, sexuality, love and joy. In this lookbook Dezeen has highlighted ways in which interior designers and architects have used the colour in different interior settings.
Red terracotta tiles cover the interior of a home in Barcelona and red-tinted glass creates a glowy magma-like hue within the interior of a home located at the base of a volcano.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring terraces and balconies, marble-lined bathrooms and cave-like interiors.
Photo by Knut Bry
Barn House, Norway, by Jon Danielsen Aarhus
Oslo based-architect Jon Danielsen Aarhus designed a gabled shed that sits on the grounds of a retired couple’s home in Lillehammer, Norway, which is used for painting, sculpting, craft and as additional living space.
The entrance hall of the gabled shed was covered entirely in red, including its window frames. The colour was chosen specifically to contrast against the structure’s raw timber exterior.
Find out more about Barn House ›
Photo by Hannelore Veelaert
AEtelier office, Belgium, by Studio Anton Hendrik Denys
In Belgium, Studio Anton Hendrik Denys and Steen Architecten transformed an industrial office building and added colourful graphics and bold hues to define areas across the interior.
The kitchen-cum-bar of the office was blanketed in an orangey-red hue, including its floor, walls, ceiling, fixtures and furnishings, which signifies and zones areas of the interior without the need for partition walls.
Find out more about AEtelier office ›
Photo by Tim Van de Velde
Social House, Brussels, by WAW Architects
A vibrant red covers cabinet doors, drawers, floors, walls and the ceiling of a shared staff kitchen at a social services centre in Brussels, which was designed by WAW Architects.
The centre is located within a former orphanage and was converted into offices by the architecture studio. Bright hues were used throughout the interior to colour code the office space with red extending from a kitchen to an adjoining corridor.
Find out more about Social House ›
Photo is by Felix Speller
SOMA, UK, by Cake Architecture and Max Radford
Located within a basement in London’s Soho, speakeasy-style bar SOMA was designed by Cake Architecture and Max Radford.
The restroom of the underground bar was painted bright red and paired with wooden fixtures and trimmings that were used to surround doorframes and recessed shelving in each of the cubicles.
Find out more about SOMA ›
Photo is by José Hevia
House in Sant Antoni de Vilamjor, Spain, by Arquitectura-G
Red was used as a running theme across this family home on the outskirts of Barcelona. It was designed by local studio Arquitectura-G and sits directly on top of a pre-existing garage.
Red features both inside and outdoors with many materials used across the exterior similarly used to decorate the interior, such as red bricks, red corrugated panelling and clay tiles.
Find out more about House in Sant Antoni de Vilamjor ›
Photo is by Genevieve Lutkin
Collective/Collectible, Mexico, by Masa
Rich tones of red blanket the walls and floors of this abandoned mansion in the Lomas neighbourhood of Mexico City, which was used as the setting for an exhibition by gallerist Masa.
The 1970s home was decorated with furniture designed by 16 Mexico City-based designers and architects, including Esrawe, EWE Studio and Frida Escobedo. The interior features a grand staircase that was topped with a red runner.
Find out more about Collective/Collectible ›
Photo is by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House, US, by Faulkner Architects
Although this room has no physical red elements Lookout House was fitted with red-tinted glass that provides the interior with a glowing red hue when light penetrates through the home.
The home is located in Truckee, California at the foot of Lookout Mountain volcano. It was designed by Faulkner Architects who wanted to mimic the colour of cooling magma within the home.
Find out more about Lookout House ›
Fox Head Inc, US, by Clive Wilkinson Architects
A bright red interior was selected as a focal feature for the offices of a motocross apparel company in California. The headquarters was designed by Clive Wilkinson Architects which transformed a 7,600-square-metre warehouse into a flexible workplace.
A conference room at the headquarters was enclosed with red-tinted glass and fitted with a deep red carpet. A large white table and matching chairs, which have a bright red upholstered seat, were placed at the centre of the space.
Find out more about Fox Head Inc office ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring terraces and balconies, marble-lined bathrooms and cave-like interiors.
For our latest lookbook, we’ve gathered ten minimalist bedrooms with peaceful designs, ranging from a Mexican bedroom with a concrete bed to a cosy space in a former girls’ school in Puglia.
Natural materials including wood and stone were used to finish these eight bedrooms, which also feature muted colour palettes and little in the way of decoration.
Leaving walls bare and keeping the amount of artworks and personal items to a minimum can help create a more soothing and clutter-free bedroom.
Beige, grey and warm brown hues, meanwhile, make for relaxing spaces free from eye-catching colours.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring terraces and balconies, marble-lined bathrooms and cave-like interiors.
Photo by Fabian Martinez
Casa Tres Árboles, Mexico, by Direccion
Designed to resemble a “monastic sanctuary”, this weekend retreat in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, aims to celebrate the contrast between shadow and light in its interior.
In the pared-down bedrooms, the walls were painted in dark colours to contrast the warm wooden ceiling beams. A wooden bench at the end of the bed and tactile linen textiles give the room a slightly rustic feel.
Find out more about Casa Tres Árboles ›
Photo by Aaron Chapman
Cabin House, India, by Taliesyn
Cabin House’s interior was informed by the vernacular architecture of its location in south Bangalore’s Jayanagar neighbourhood.
Earthy finishes were used for the home, which features bare concrete walls and plenty of wood details. A wooden bedframe and flowers create a friendly atmosphere in the mezzanine bedroom.
Find out more about Cabin House ›
Photo by Anson Smart
Pacific House, Australia, by Alexander & Co
Australian studio Alexander & Co aimed to create contemplative spaces inside Pacific House in Sydney.
In the minimalist bedroom, walls were rendered in concrete and matched with carpet in a darker grey colour. Sculptural bedside lamps and transparent floor-to-ceiling curtains add a softer feel to the spartan interior.
Find out more about Pacific House ›
Photo by Tomooki Kengaku
Hiroo Residence, Japan, by Keiji Ashizawa
Custom-made wooden furniture and art pieces are dotted throughout Hiroo Residence. Designer Keiji Ashizawa used muted tones to make the most of the sunlight in the central Tokyo apartment, which has several large windows.
In the bedroom, wood panels cover entire walls and hide away technical functions behind the beds. Organically shaped ceramics add discrete decorative touches.
Find out more about Hiroo Residence ›
Photo by Gavin Green
Fisherman’s Cottage, Australia, by Studio Prineas
The bedroom in this Australian home is located inside a concrete extension to an old fisherman’s cottage.
Here, a solid-stone bath doubles as a bedhead and mirrored walls were used to make the small room feel bigger. To not clutter the space, accessories were restricted to a few glass trays and vases as well as a striped throw.
Find out more about Fisherman’s Cottage ›
Photo by Rory Gardiner
Casa Alférez, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy
A bedside nook sits underneath a high window inside this brutalist holiday home, which features wooden floors and walls made of board-formed concrete.
Architect Ludwig Godefroy also designed built-in concrete furniture for the house, including a concrete bed. A pale grey version of designer Verner Panton’s classic Flowerpot lamp adds a glossy detail to the room’s rough texture.
Find out more about Casa Alférez ›
Photo by Salva López
Casolare Scarani, Italy, by Studio Andrew Trotter
Architecture practice Studio Andrew Trotter converted a girls’ school in Puglia that dates back to 1883 into a grand family home with plenty of decorative arches.
In the cosy minimalist bedroom, a jute rug covers the stone floor made from crushed rocks and mortar, while the colour palette was kept to creamy whites as well as warm brown and tan hues.
Find out more about Casolare Scarani ›
Photo by Roberto Ruiz
Palau apartment, Spain, by Colombo and Serboli Architecture
“Imperfect” original features were highlighted during the renovation of this apartment in Barcelona, which features white-washed walls and wooden floors.
In the mezzanine-level bedroom (above and top image), wicker doors front an entire wall and cover the closet. An organically shaped mirror and an orange chair make the calm space feel more playful.
Find out more about Palau apartment ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring terraces and balconies, marble-lined bathrooms and cave-like interiors.
A subterranean gallery carved into a sand dune and a treehouse-style art museum feature in our latest lookbook, which collects striking gallery interiors from around the world.
Art galleries are specifically designed as spaces for showcasing artworks such as sculptures and paintings. As a result, they are often characterised by neutral and minimalist interiors so as not to divert attention from the objects on display.
However, some galleries are defined by statement designs that not only complement the artworks they house, but transform their interiors into masterpieces themselves.
From a converted Iranian brewery to a Milanese basement, read on for 10 galleries with memorable interior designs.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring inviting entrance halls, terracotta kitchens and Crittal-style windows.
Top: Helsinki’s Amox Rex museum. Above: image is courtesy of IK Lab
IK Lab, Mexico, by Jorge Eduardo Neira Sterkel
Curving cement walls and undulating vine floors provide an alternative backdrop for artwork within the gallery at the Azulik resort in Tulum.
The gallery, which visitors must enter without shoes via a winding walkway, is elevated above the ground and reaches the height of the surrounding tree canopy. Circular windows of various sizes flood the space with natural light.
The gallery was opened by the resort’s founder and designer, Jorge Eduardo Neira Sterkel, after the great-grandson of the famed American art collector Peggy Guggenheim and a Tulum local suggested the idea.
Find out more about IK Lab ›
Photo is by Wen Studio
TaoCang Art Center, China, by Roarc Renew
TaoCang Art Center is comprised of two disused granaries located in the village of Wangjiangjing in China’s Zhejiang province. Shanghai studio Roarc Renew connected the volumes with a pair of sweeping brick corridors that are lined with arches.
Functioning as distinct gallery spaces, the granaries are characterised by striking arrangements of lotus flowers on their floors – an ode to the village’s lotus-flower industry and a pond adjacent to the site.
Find out more about TaoCang Art Centre ›
Photo is by Ye Rin Mok
Maison Lune, USA, by Sandrine Abessera, Lubov Azria and Gabriella Kuti
Designers Sandrine Abessera and Lubov Azria, founders of the contemporary art gallery Maison Lune, worked with interior designer Gabriella Kuti to set it within a former private house in California.
Spread across rooms in neutral hues, the gallery is laid out like a collector’s home featuring a varied cluster of artworks and design pieces. Multiple terraces and internal stepped areas provide plinth-like display units for the objects throughout the property.
“We want to build an alternative to traditional galleries, which are often perceived as too elitist and intimidating,” explained Abessera and Azria.
Find out more about Maison Lune ›
Photo is by Tuomas Uusheimo
Amos Rex, Finland, by JKMM Architects
Finnish studio JKMM Architects designed the Amos Rex art museum in Helsinki with a series of domed subterranean galleries, which bubble up through the ground to create a sloping outdoor playground.
While a portion of the museum is housed in the renovated Lasipalatsi, a functionalist 1930s building at street level, Amos Rex was also extended underground to include the domed galleries. These subterranean spaces feature minimalist monochrome interiors illuminated by large round skylights.
Find out more about Amos Rex ›
Photo is by Sergio Lopez
Studio CDMX, Mexico, by Alberto Kalach
A multi-purpose artist residency and gallery come together at Studio CDMX, a space in Mexico City designed for Casa Wabi founder Bosco Sodi in which to work and exhibit his pieces.
Constructed on the site of a former warehouse, the building reflects its location’s industrial roots with concrete, metal and brick elements arranged in chunky formations. Sodi’s sculptural works, finished in materials including stone and ceramic, also influenced the interiors.
Find out more about Studio CDMX ›
Photo is by William Barrington-Binns
Private gallery, Thailand, by Enter Projects Asia
A winding rattan installation traces an overhead route through this private gallery in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Architecture studio Enter Projects Asia used an algorithm to design the structure, which snakes in and out of the gallery’s various indoor and outdoor spaces.
“We sought to create an immersive experience, giving the space a warmth and depth uncharacteristic of conventional art galleries,” said studio director Patrick Keane.
Find out more about this private gallery ›
Photo is by Duccio Malagamba
Fondazione Luigi Rovati Museum, Italy, by Mario Cucinella Architects
Layered stone walls line the new basement of the Fondazione Luigi Rovati Museum, an art gallery housed within a 19th-century palazzo in Milan that was both preserved and expanded by Italian studio Mario Cucinella Architects.
The basement walls were created from overlapping layers of limestone ashlar, which curve upwards to form domed ceilings. Free-standing and wall-mounted cases designed by the architecture studio display two hundred Etruscan artifacts, including ancient jewellery and cinerary urns.
Find out more about Fondazione Luigi Rovati Museum ›
Photo is by Ahmadreza Schricker
Argo Factory Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Centre, Iran, by Ahmadreza Schricker Architecture North
US studio Ahmadreza Schricker Architecture North renovated a 1920s brewery in central Tehran to create the Argo Factory Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Centre, preserving many of the factory’s original industrial features.
Designed without middle supports, a curvilinear concrete staircase was inserted into the building to connect the museum’s lobby and its six galleries above. The staircase is one of a number of new elements with a rounded shape, created to contrast the uniform brick architecture.
Find out more about Argo Factory Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Centre ›
Photo is by Wu Qingshan
UCCA Dune Art Museum, China, by Open Architecture
Carved into a dune on a beach in Qinhuangdao, this coastal art museum is comprised of a network of subterranean concrete galleries.
Beijing-based firm Open Architecture took cues from caves for the interlinked spaces, which are illuminated by organically shaped openings and feature an irregular texture.
“The walls of ancient caves were where art was first practiced,” Open Architecture co-founder Li Hu told Dezeen.
Find out more about UCCA Dune Art Museum ›
Photo is by Kevin Scott
Mini Mart City Park, USA, by GO’C
Mini Mart City Park is a community arts centre with a gallery built on the site of a former 1930s petrol station in Seattle.
Local studio GO’C referenced the location’s history when creating the design for the centre, opting for classic signage, an overhanging roof and divided metal windows.
Inside, the gallery space is characterised by exposed wooden rafters and smooth grey-hued floors, providing a neutral backdrop for the exhibition of artwork.
Find out more about Mini Mart City Park ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring inviting entrance halls, terracotta kitchens and Crittal-style windows.
A spa with a spherical swimming pool and holiday homes with sloping plaster walls feature in our latest lookbook, which showcases eight cavernous Greek interiors.
Cave-like interior designs are becoming increasingly popular, as seen in the Gilder Center by Studio Gang – a recently completed museum extension in New York with a large grotto-like atrium.
In Greece, which is known for its caves, there is a wide variety of cave-like architecture either built from existing geological structures or designed to mimic these natural dugouts. Thick, curved walls are often chosen to protect interior spaces from the country’s Mediterranean climate.
As the weather becomes warmer in the northern hemisphere, here are eight cave-like interiors from Greece that are defined by their curved shapes.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with striking bookshelves, outdoor showers and offbeat bakeries.
Photo is by Yiorgos Kordakis
Summer houses, Santorini, by Kapsimalis Architects
Local studio Kapsimalis Architects converted two underground caves at an old property in Santorini into summer houses with bright white facades.
Inside, the homes are characterised by smoothed-out interiors finished with earthy-hued plaster, while arched doorways and niches nod to the property’s history.
Find out more about these summer houses ›
Image is courtesy of Greg Haji Joannides
Sterna Nisyros Residences, Nisyros, by Greg Haji Joannides
Designer Greg Haji Joannides renovated the interior of an earthquake-damaged house on the island of Nisyros using historic photographs as a guide.
On the ground floor, wide brick archways create an open-plan layout that allows the space to double as an exhibition site for artists in residence.
“The inspiration behind this design was to keep as much as possible of the original way the Nisyrians would build houses,” Joannides told Dezeen. “They would use the ground floor as a storage or working space.”
Find out more about this island house ›
Photo is by Spyros Hound Photography
Wooden Cave, Trikala Korinthias, by Tenon Architecture
Wooden Cave is a timber-clad suite that forms part of Hyades Mountain Resort – a hotel in the mountainous village of Trikala Korinthias.
Tenon Architecture split the suite into two sections that intend to mirror the appearance and experience of entering a cave. The front half features ashy black tiles arranged in a linear formation, while the rear half is made from almost 1,000 pieces of curved hand-cut spruce.
“This division intends to create a clear distinction between the hard, ‘protective’ shell and the curved, ‘inviting’ interior, reminiscent of the form of a cave,” explained the architecture studio.
Find out more about Wooden Cave ›
Photo is by Giorgos Sfakianakis
Saint Hotel, Santorini, by Kapsimalis Architects
Kapsimalis Architects converted a cluster of former homes, barns and cellars in Santorini into the Saint Hotel – the volumes of which are arranged in a stepped formation down a sea-facing cliffside.
Inside, smooth cavernous walls were finished in white plaster that creates a subtle backdrop for minimal fittings and amorphous furniture.
Find out more about Saint Hotel ›
Photo is by Sylvia Diamantopoulos
Retreat in Tinos Island by Ioannis Exarchou
Retreat in Tinos Island is a 100-year-old stable that was transformed into a cosy holiday home for two by architect Ioannis Exarchou.
Exarchou set large stones and thick tree branches into the dwelling’s ceiling, clad the walls in smooth white plaster and covered the floors in coloured concrete.
“My main objective was to retain and preserve the cavernous unique feeling of the space,” the architect told Dezeen.
Find out more about Retreat in Tinos Island ›
Photo is by Yiorgos Kordakis
Holiday home, Santorini, by Kapsimalis Architects
The cave-like subterranean spaces and vaulted rooms within this Santorini holiday home were renovated by Kapsimalis Architects to retain the building’s existing architecture.
The studio worked to simplify the complex interior layout, which features a labyrinthine arrangement of spaces that are brightened by all-white plaster walls.
Find out more about this holiday home ›
Image is courtesy of DecaArchitecture
Euphoria Spa, Mystras, by DecaArchitecture
Carved into the base of a mountain in Mystras, Euphoria Spa is made up of differently scaled elliptical spaces that are connected by a web of catacomb-style passages.
One of these areas contains an indoor spherical pool that is characterised by a dark central structure that can be accessed via curved archways.
“Floating in the centre of this dark orb there is a sense of being suspended in the void of a platonic volume, but also a sense of womb-like calmness,” said DecaArchitecture.
Find out more about Euphoria Spa
Photo is by Julia Klimi
Holiday apartments, Santorini, by Kapsimalis Architects
Arched niches and grey cement plaster floors create neutral living spaces within these four holiday apartments, which were built near Santorini’s highest point.
The complex’s terraces and retaining walls were formed from rocks excavated from the site to create a continuity between the architecture and the surrounding mountains.
Find out more about these apartments ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with striking bookshelves, outdoor showers and offbeat bakeries.
Raw concrete surfaces are softened by timber and plenty of daylight inside these Mexican houses, rounded up here as part of our latest lookbook.
Many of these brutalist interiors leave their concrete shells exposed and their cavernous rooms largely unadorned.
But freed of the constraints posed by frigid temperatures, they also create a greater connection to the outside, whether overlooking Puerto Escondido’s wave-swept beaches or nestled in the bustling metropolis of Mexico City.
Here, concrete surfaces help to create a sense of seamlessness between indoor and outdoor spaces – often separated only by removable partitions – while unfinished natural materials, such as wood or stone, are brought into the interior.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with exposed services, primary-coloured living spaces and houses with outdoor showers.
Photo by Rory Gardiner
Casa Alférez, Cañada De Alferes, by Ludwig Godefroy
Tucked away in the forest outside Cañada De Alferes near Mexico City, this brutalist holiday home has a board-formed concrete shell.
This is left on display throughout its entire interior, all the way down to the bedrooms (top image) and the double-height lounge (above).
To bring a sense of homeliness to its otherwise spartan living spaces, architect Ludwig Godefroy added warm wooden floors and lush pops of green – as seen across upholstery and lighting fixtures.
Find out more about Casa Alférez ›
Photo by Onnis Luque and Fabian Martinez
La Casa del Sapo, Playa Zapotengo, by Espacio 18 Arquitectura
The kitchen of this seafront home – set right on Oaxaca’s Zapotengo beach – can be merged with its neighbouring patio using a wide wooden folding door.
All-around concrete helps to underline this fusion, while also serving a practical function in the form of a kitchen island and matching shelves.
Find out more about La Casa del Sapo ›
Photo by César Béjar
The Hill in Front of the Glen, Morelia, by HW Studio
Reminiscent of the Hobbit houses in JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, this sunken home is nestled into a hillside in the forests of Michoacán in central Mexico.
The building’s interiors are defined by its concrete vaulted ceilings, which can be seen in every room, while log benches and full-height glazing provide a visual link to the woodland outside.
Find out more about The Hill in Front of the Glen ›
Photo by Rory Gardiner
Casa Mérida, Mérida, by Ludwig Godefroy
Mayan architecture and craftsmanship informed the design of this otherwise brutalist house in Yucatán state, which is considered the capital of the indigenous civilisation.
The home’s perimeter walls, for example, have joints covered in stone splinters that take cues from the design of Mayan pyramids and temples. These are left exposed on the interior alongside the concrete ceilings, creating a rich medley of architectural references.
Find out more about Casa Mérida ›
Photo by Rafael Gamo
Pachuca Apartments, Mexico City, by PPAA
Concrete slabs pave both the patio and living spaces in this Mexico City house to create a sense of continuity, only separated by a full-height glass wall that can be completely pushed open.
On the interior, the rough concrete finishes are contrasted with details in American white oak, among them a long dining table as well as a staircase with treads that slot into a huge bookshelf.
Find out more about Pachuca Apartments ›
Photo by Dane Alonso and Mariano Renteria Garnica
Casa UC, Morelia, by Daniela Bucio Sistos
Neutral colours and tactile materials are found throughout this home in the city of Morelia, including raw concrete ceilings and floors finished in a honey-toned tropical timber called caobilla.
In the library, the same wood was also used to form integrated shelves and a huge porthole window that can be pivoted open and closed like a door.
Find out more about Casa UC ›
Photo by Sandra Pereznieto
Casa Aguacates, Valle de Bravo, by Francisco Pardo
Mexican architect Francisco Pardo repurposed the pinewood formwork used in the process of constructing this concrete house to form a series of partition walls throughout the home.
The resulting interior layout is simple and fluid and centres on an open-plan kitchen, dining area and living room that open up onto a sunken garden.
Find out more about Casa Aguacates ›
Photo by Rory Gardiner
Zicatela, Puerto Escondido, by Emmanuel Picault and Ludwig Godefroy
Set in the small surf town of Puerto Escondido, this weekend home accommodates its main living areas inside a covered patio and is made almost entirely of concrete.
The only exceptions are the doors and sliding louvred wood screens that can be used to open the space up to the gardens on either side, as well as a few sparse furnishings such as the low-slung dining table, which is made from a cross-sectioned tree trunk.
Find out more about Zicatela ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with exposed services, primary-coloured living spaces and houses with outdoor showers.
