peaceful Archives

A floating sauna and a cavernous coastal grotto feature in our latest lookbook, which collects eight sauna interiors that provide a warming antidote to colder months.

Usually contained within a single room, a sauna is a sealed place where visitors experience dry or wet heat produced through a variety of mechanisms that are designed to clean and refresh the body – a ritual that is reported to date back to as early as 4000 BC.

Saunas are typically made of wood due to the material’s ability to absorb heat but remain cool to the touch. The following projects demonstrate how architects and designers have interpreted this longstanding practice in contemporary settings.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring cosy living rooms, retro eateries and dining rooms with built-in seating.

Big Branzino, Sweden, by Sandellsandberg

The Big Branzino is a floating sauna by Swedish studio Sandellsandberg that was topped with a distinctive bow-shaped roof.

Designed to drift against the shifting backdrop of the Stockholm archipelago, the sauna features a red cedar-clad interior including a bespoke stove flanked by two-tiered seating.

Find out more about Big Branzino ›

Grotto sauna by Partisanas — Photo is courtesy of Partisans

Grotto, Canada, by Partisans

Canadian studio Partisans designed a cavernous cedar interior for a private burnt-timber sauna that was created to emulate a seaside grotto.

Situated on a craggy spot on the shore of Lake Huron, north of Toronto, the structure features skewed porthole windows and a curvy alternative to traditional geometric stepped sauna seating.

Find out more about Grotto ›

The Bands sauna — Photo is by Jonas Aarre Sommarset

The Bands, Norway, by Oslo School of Architecture and Design students

A trio of staggered timber bands forms this student-designed sauna, which also functions as a picnic terrace and has a sunken hot tub on its exterior.

The building has three different gabled roof profiles, as well as glass and translucent polycarbonate plastic windows that illuminate the larch-clad interior.

Find out more about The Bands ›

Haeckels-designed sauna in Margate — Photo is courtesy of Haeckels

Sauna, UK, by Haeckels

Skincare brand Haeckels took cues from traditional Victorian bathing machines – wooden carts that provided privacy for people to change clothes at the seaside – when creating this sauna on the beach of southeast England’s Margate.

The brand used materials that were as close as possible to those that would have been used to design original bathing machines. A wood-burning stove features inside, while timber benches provide seating with a sea view framed by an external wax-cloth awning.

Find out more about this sauna ›

Tullin Sauna by Studio Puisto — Photo is Riikka Kantinkoski

Tullin, Finland, by Studio Puisto

Finnish practice Studio Puisto paid tribute to the concept of the late nineteenth-century korttelisauna, or neighbourhood sauna, when designing this communal complex in the city of Tampere.

Throughout the complex, the interior is characterised by rough concrete finishes layered with warm local pine – a material used in saunas all over Finland.

Find out more about Tullin ›

Löyly, Switzerland, by Trolle Rudebeck Haar

Designer Trolle Rudebeck Haar built a prefabricated floating sauna on Lake Geneva while studying at the Lausanne University of Art and Design.

Created to explore the concept of micro-architecture, Löyly spans 2.2 square metres and features a Japanese sliding door – known as a shōji – made from ribbed translucent glass.

Find out more about Löyly ›

Timber-lined sauna interior in Gothenburg, Sweden — Photo is by Raumlabor

Gothenburg Public Sauna, Sweden, by Raumlabor

German studio Raumlabor worked with local residents in Gothenburg to design this public sauna, which is raised over the water in the Swedish city’s Frihamnen port and accessed via a wooden bridge.

Thin larch strips line the interior and create texture across the curved and angular surfaces of the ceiling and walls.

Find out more about Gothenburg Public Sauna ›

A black timber sauna — Photo is by Riikka Kantinkoski

Saunaravintola Kiulu, Findland, by Studio Puisto

Studio Puisto designed the Saunaravintola Kiulu wellness centre to combine a duo of saunas and a restaurant.

Characterised by dark wood cladding and red epoxy flooring, the smaller of the two saunas is contained within its own independent timber cabin.

Find out more about Saunaravintola Kiulu ›

Reference

Studio Cottage by Sun Min and Christian Taeubert

Interior Design

Ten cottage interiors that offer a place for peaceful reflection

By Zarkon Group,21/11/2022

A renovated dwelling in rural China and a converted stable in Ibiza feature in our latest lookbook, which collects 10 cottage interiors that promise rest and relaxation.

Cottages are small dwellings that are traditionally characterised by a sense of comfort and cosiness. However, interior designers are increasingly pushing the boundaries of how to dress the insides of these homes, as seen in these innovative examples.

As the weather cools down in the northern hemisphere, here are 10 calming interior spaces in cottages by architects and interior designers 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 neutral living rooms, homes in converted warehouses and Bauhaus-informed interiors.

Hai Zhen cottage, China, by Sun Min and Christian Taeubert

Located in Hai Zhen, a village just outside of Beijing, this previously neglected cottage was renovated by fashion designer Sun Min and architect Christian Taeubert.

A large, open-plan lounge area displays a mixture of rustic features such as the original roof and timber beams, which are presented alongside more contemporary elements including stainless steel and spindly, wireframe lighting.

Find out more about this Hai Zhen cottage ›

Barwon Heads House, Australia, by Adam Kane Architects

Barwon Heads House is a renovated cottage by Melbourne-based studio Adam Kane Architects with a barn-style extension defined by an open-plan living area.

Shortlisted for the 2022 house interior of the year Dezeen Award, the cottage interior features a monochrome interior palette and statement geometric furniture, such as a pair of Kangaroo Lounge Chairs by designer Pierre Jeanneret.

Find out more about Barwon Heads House ›

House in Hampshire — Photo is by Jim Stephenson

English cottage, UK, by Invisible Studio

Architecture practice Invisible Studio added a double-pitched extension to this cottage that is located on the borders of Hampshire and Surrey in England.

Exposed concrete accents contrast with rectilinear sliding glass doors in the living space, which cantilevers over the sliding patio doors below with the support of a concrete chimney.

“All the materials are fair-faced so had to be perfectly made,” explained studio founder Piers Taylor. “Nothing is covered up and everything exposed.”

Find out more about this English cottage ›

Ibiza Campo by Standard Studio & Ibiza Interiors — Photo is by Youri Claesens

Casa Campo, Ibiza, by Standard Studio

Casa Campo is a cottage in Ibiza that Standard Studio converted from a 200-year-old stable to an off-grid showroom and home for the owners of an interior design shop.

Original beams crafted from Ibiza’s native Sabina pine trees are paired with contemporary low-slung furniture in the double-height living space that is illuminated by bright white walls.

Find out more about Casa Campo ›

Artist retreat — Photo is by Jim Stephenson

Made of Sand, UK, by Studio Weave

Architecture office Studio Weave designed a wooden extension to a stone cottage in Devon’s Blackdown Hills in the English countryside, which was created as a creative workspace for its owners and visiting artists.

Called Made of Sand, the extension’s interior is defined by built-in timber window seats and wall storage that is framed by large glass windows.

“The contrast between materials, old and new, in and out, are foregrounded to create a distinct sense of rest and relaxation in the new spaces,” said studio director Je Ahn.

Find out more about Made of Sand ›

Naturehumaine La Breche — Photo is by Ronan Mézière

La Brèche, Canada, by Naturehumaine

Two volumes connected by a walkway make up La Brèche, a ski cottage in Quebec by Montreal studio Naturehumaine that features facades informed by the area’s vernacular architecture.

Floor-to-ceiling corner windows illuminate the living space, which is characterised by a polished concrete floor and minimal accents of colour and texture.

Find out more about La Brèche ›

Muskoka Cottage, Canada, by Studio Paolo Ferrari

Named after its location in Canada’s Muskoka region, this cottage interior features exposed finishes informed by the surrounding natural forests and the area’s geological details.

These include sandy-hued, Douglas fir exposed ceilings and large slabs of granite that make up various statement islands throughout the home, as well as a large fireplace in the living space.

“The granite is coarse-grained and hard,” noted Studio Paolo Ferrari. “It references the minerality of the site and imbues the interiors with a sense of ruggedness.”

Find out more about Muskoka Cottage ›

Marlboro Music Cottages by HGA — Photo is by Paul Crosby Photography

The Marlboro Music Cottages, USA, by HGA Architects and Engineers

The Marlboro Music Cottages are a series of cabin-style dwellings by HGA Architects and Engineers (HGA) for musicians staying in New England over the summer during the Marlboro Music School and Festival, an annual event.

HGA took cues from the single-storey boxy dwellings with gabled roofs that populate Cape Cod for the cottages’ architecture. Cedar plank cladding and pitched roofs were used to embrace the homes’ natural setting.

Inside, the cottage interior features exposed timber ceilings, pine-sheathed walls and slate flooring, adding to this pared-back approach.

Find out more about The Marlboro Music Cottages ›

Birdseye Lathouse — Photo is by Michael Moran

Hamptons cottage, USA, by Birdseye Design

A double-height living space offers views of the surrounding Hamptons at this cottage by architecture studio Birdseye Design, which is wrapped in thin wooden slats that nod to local traditional buildings.

Eclectic geometric furniture makes up dining and living areas that anchor the west side of the property and open out onto an outdoor dining space.

“Operable glass walls open to a large stone terrace off the living room and the kitchen opens to a wood-slatted, pergola-covered porch,” said Birdseye.

Find out more about this Hamptons cottage ›

Captain Kelly's Cottage by John Wardle Architects — Photo is by Trevor Mein

Captain Kelly’s Cottage, Tasmania, John Wardle Architects

Australian studio John Wardle Architects has repaired this weatherboard cottage in Tasmania, which originally belonged to its architect, harbourmaster Captain Kelly, in the 1840s.

Furniture created from materials left over at the end of the project’s renovation feature in its updated design, while a focus on wooden interiors maintains a sense of the dwelling’s history.

“Over 175 years there had been many unsympathetic alterations to the small cottage,” said the studio. “Part of our work involved the removal of these non-original works, to respectfully return the cottage to its original form.”

Find out more about Captain Kelly’s Cottage ›

Reference

Interior Design

Ten peaceful Scandi living rooms that feature minimalist design

By Zarkon Group,03/07/2021

For this week’s lookbook, we have picked ten Scandi-style living rooms from the Dezeen archive that play with textures and showcase natural materials, elegant accessories and muted colours.

Scandi style is a term used to describe designs from the three Scandinavian countries – Sweden, Denmark and Norway – but has also become a catchphrase that denotes minimalist interior design that uses plenty of natural materials, especially wood.

Wooden floors are traditional in Scandinavian homes, where they are often matched with wood details such as panelling and classic mid-century modern furniture.

Scandi living rooms often feature white or pale walls, which are common in the Nordic countries where the long, dark winter months mean people tend to choose light colours for their interiors.

Many of the ten interiors below also play with textures, adding fluffy throws to simple sofas, tactile rugs to wooden floors and rattan and leather seating.

This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous roundups include L-shaped kitchens, interiors that use internal glazing and inviting courtyards.

Gjøvik House, Norway, by Norm Architects

Located an hour outside of Oslo, Gjøvik House comprises six interconnected blocks with interiors featuring mottled grey walls, earthen textiles and warm wooden panelling.

Pale grey hues were used for the living room, which has a soft Bollo chair designed by Andreas Engesvik for Foglia and a modular sofa in a neutral grey tone.

According to the architect, the spaces were designed to have a “cosy and inviting feel, where you can truly hibernate while taking shelter from the frigid days of Nordic winter.”

Find out more about Gjøvik House ›

TypeO Loft, Sweden, by TypeO

The living room area of creative studio TypeO’s guest loft in southern Sweden features floor-to-ceiling glazing that opens up onto a large balcony.

A coffee table by Isamu Noguchi for Vitra matches the wooden floor and beams and is complemented by Ligne Roset’s Togo armchairs in black leather. Sculptural decorative details add an art gallery-like feel to the bright living space.

Find out more about TypeO Loft ›

Living room of 20 Bond apartment by Home Studios

20 Bond Apartment, US, by Home Studios

Design firm Home Studios filled the 20 Bond Apartment in New York with bespoke furniture and vintage finds, including a leather Safari chair by Danish designer Kai Winding.

An entire wall is taken up by a bespoke shelving unit that the studio made from oak wood and brass, adding another Scandinavian-style feature to the room. A rattan table and a pink resin side table by Sabine Marcelis add a tactile touch.

Find out more about 20 Bond Apartment ›

The Sculptor's Residence installation by Norm Architects at Stockholm Design Week

Sculptor’s Residence, Sweden, by Norm Architects, Menu and Dux

Norm Architects, Menu and Dux collaborated on this installation that was designed to resemble the “eclectic living quarters of a creative.” Muted brown and beige hues lend the interiors an earthy, organic feel, which is contrasted by the elegance of the black marble table and black sculptures.

Menu’s Hashira floor lamp adds a subtle nod to Japanese interiors, and its sleek surface offsets the knobbly texture of the brand’s Eave Dining Sofa Bench.

Find out more about Sculptor’s Residence ›

Villa Weinberg by Weinberg Architects and Friis and Moltke

Villa Weinberg, Denmark, by Mette and Martin Weinberg

Wienberg Architects collaborated with fellow Danish architects Friis & Moltke to overhaul the 1940s Villa Weinberg. The result is a warm, inviting home lined with oil-treated oak walls.

The wood-clad living room also has a simple wooden coffee table and poufs for lounging on, as well as a built-in leather-clad bench. A rice lamp and sheepskin throw add texture to the wooden interior.

Find out more about Villa Weinberg ›

Summerhouse Solviken by Johan Sundberg Arkitektur

Solviken, Sweden, by Johan Sundberg

Scandi living rooms tend to have very neutral colours, but in this space in a Swedish holiday home, two comfy sofas in a calming seafoam green create a bright focal point in the room. The hue is picked up by a painting at the end of the large, open-plan kitchen and living room.

Small unpainted wooden coffee tables match the floor and the wooden storage cabinets alongside one wall.

Find out more about Solviken ›

London townhouse, UK, by Daytrip

Design studio Daytrip’s renovation and expansion of an east London townhouse includes a living room with white walls, a wooden floor and furniture in muted colours.

A textured “Banana” sofa designed by Danish Cabinetmaker, contrasts with the glass Trebol side table by Oscar Tusquets Blanca.

Numerous ceramics and sculptures surround the open fireplace and add life and interest to the sleek white interior.

Find out more about London townhouse ›

Lyceum apartments by Andreas Martin-Löf Arkitekter

Lyceum Apartments, Sweden, by Andreas Martin-Löf Arkitekter

The Lyceum Apartments in Stockholm are located in the Old Technical College’s Pharmaceutical Institute and feature light-filled rooms with clean designs and historical details.

In the living room, a curved white sofa contrasts against the angular shapes of Pierre Jeanneret’s wood and cane Easy Chairs, Soft beige curtains match the neutral hues of the rest of the room.

Find out more about Lyceum Apartments ›

Sommarhus T, Sweden, by Johan Sundberg

This summer house by Johan Sundberg features a green sofa and a matching armchair. Both are from Danish brand &tradition and match the verdant greenery outside the large glass windows.

A practical wooden table holds globe-shaped glass vases matching the slightly uneven glass lamps in the ceiling. The entire room is clad in pale wood, including the spruce floors, creating a calm, peaceful interior. The fixed furniture in the home was made from oak.

Find out more about Sommarhus T ›

Birkedal, Denmark, by Jan Henrik Jansen

A circular holiday home on the island of Møn in Denmark features a playful living room with white-panelled walls and a floor covered in small white pebbles collected from the beach.

A built-in curved sofa has brown leather seats that have been made cosier with added throws and pillows, and a small circular side table provides space for books, magazines and snacks.

Find out more about Birkedal ›

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 colourful interiors, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

Reference

Interior Design

Ten peaceful bedrooms designed by architects

By Zarkon Group,24/06/2021

A Shaker-style sleeping space and a bed chamber with a colour scheme informed by California deserts are among the ten serene, architect-designed bedrooms in our latest Dezeen Lookbook.

This is the latest in a series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series showcased visually inspiring dining rooms, cosy living rooms, domestic bathrooms designed by architects and colourful kitchens.

Guadalajara House, Mexico, by Alejandro Sticotti

Architect Alejandro Sticotti designed Guadalajara House around two existing trees, and closeness to nature was an important aspect of its layout.

This can be seen in the master bedroom suite, which has large floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open up onto a private deck on the northern side of the house. Wooden panelling and a soft grey and white colour scheme create a relaxing place for sleep.

Find out more about Guadalajara House ›

Pound Ridge House bedroom by Tsao & McKown

Pound Ridge House, US, by Tsao & McKown

This house in upstate New York was designed with an open layout, but its master suite is separated from the more public areas by a private sitting area.

Here, the owners’ bed sits up against a wall painted in dark, moody hues, close to a veranda that can be accessed through a set of sliding doors. A fireplace completes the bedroom.

Find out more about Pound Ridge House ›

Prism House + Terrace Room, Chile, by Smiljan Radíc

The main bedroom in Prism House by Chilean architect Smiljan Radíc overlooks a dead river of lava from a previous eruption of the nearby Llaima Volcano.

The dramatic view, seen through Prism House’s glazed rear wall, is offset by a simple interior that features a blackened Oregon pine wood floor and a wooden bed that also functions as a seat or shelf.

Find out more about Prism House ›

Xiang Jiang House, China, by Claesson Koivisto Rune

Swedish architecture and design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune went all-in on natural materials for this Beijing house, where a bedroom features timber panelling on both floor and walls as well as a large, four-poster wooden bed frame.

The pared-down colours are matched with contemporary design pieces from Scandinavia, Japan, China and Italy.

Find out more about Xiang Jiang House ›

Bedroom in holiday home by YLAB Arquitectos

Spanish holiday home, Spain, by YLAB Arquitectos

A walnut slatted ceiling decorates the master bedroom of this holiday home in southeast Spain with coastal mountain-range views.

Grey sandstone was used for the wall, and a contrasting headboard and storage unit in black behind the bed was decorated with brass accessories. “The interplay of materials and brass elements make it feel very luxurious, but it’s also cosy, almost like a wooden holiday retreat,” said the studio co-founder Yolanda Yuste López.

Find out more about the Spanish holiday home ›

Bedroom in Bermonds Locke hotel, UK, by Holloway Li

Bermonds Locke, UK, by Holloway Li

California deserts informed the design of Bermonds Locke, a hotel in London’s Bermondsey area. Colours throughout its rooms were taken from desert sunsets, as seen on the warm terracotta-hued rug and multicoloured bedspread in the bedroom above.

Bermonds Locke rooms are used to sleep in but also for eating and working, so the studio separated the bed from the rest of the room by creating bespoke black bed frames that can be enclosed using linen drapes.

Find out more about Bermonds Locke hotel ›

Forest House, Thailand, by Shma Company

The plant-filled Forest House accommodates seven people and 120 trees on just 300 metres. In this peaceful bedroom, steel louvres cover the windows to create privacy, while two narrow balconies hold an assortment of potted plants.

A wooden headboard with built-in bedside tables adds practical storage space. Colours were kept to white, with brown rugs that match the wood detailing.

Find out more about Forest House ›

Klinker Apartment, Spain, by Colombo and Serboli Architecture

Colourful tiles create a vibrant floor decoration in this bedroom in Klinker Apartment in Barcelona, where a sage border warps around the room and even envelops the headboard.

The ceiling was painted a matching green hue, and decorations kept to a minimum to allow the colours to speak for themselves – two white spherical lamps illuminate the bed and a bedside table in a darker green holds Alexander Calder-style mobiles.

Find out more about Klinker Apartment ›

Kawakawa House, New Zealand, by Herbst Architects

The dramatic bedroom of Kawakawa House is clad in dark birch panels. It features clerestory windows that let in the dappled sunlight from the canopy of pōhutukawa trees outside, as well as smaller windows next to the bed.

With such striking views, the walls could be kept empty of pictures and the only other details are hanging bedside tables in a lighter wood.

Find out more about Kawakawa House ›

Círculo Mexicano Hotel, Mexico, by Mabrosi Etchegaray

There’s a monastic feel to the Shaker-inspired Círculo Mexicano Hotel, with its white-painted floors and beds covered in beige linens with exposed seams. Barrel-vaulted ceilings clad in red tiles add a touch of colour to the serene surroundings.

“Originally all the design process was inspired by an ecclesiastical aesthetics,” architect Jorge Ambrosi told Dezeen. “With that premise, we imagined an architecture free of ornament, where the correct use of simple materials enhances the quality of the space.”

Find out more about Círculo Mexicano Hotel ›

Reference

peaceful

Eight immersive saunas in peaceful settings from Sweden to Canada

Ten cottage interiors that offer a place for peaceful reflection

Ten peaceful Scandi living rooms that feature minimalist design

Ten peaceful bedrooms designed by architects

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