revamps Archives

Interiors practice Sundholm Studio has refreshed the 30-year-old Nanas restaurant in Durham, North Carolina, with strong colours, bespoke timber joinery and metalwork.

Previously named Nana’s, the restaurant was renamed Nanas, in tribute to “not one nana, but rather the entire genre,” Sundholm Studio creative director Shaun Sundholm told Dezeen.

The space – intended to capture the hospitable “spirit of grandmothers” – comprises a bar, salon, dining room and an outdoor patio.

Sundholm’s aim was to update the space with “modern details that bring the outside in”.

The existing curved walls in the entryway were retained and reworked with wooden slats, which light passes through to evoke “a walk through the woods”.

Wooden window blinds and sheer drapes in the dining room help with acoustic absorption and adjusting the natural light levels.

Restaurant and bar interiors in Durham, North Carolina — The seating is a mixture of banquette booths and chairs

The dimly lit entrance was contrasted with the bar, dining area and salon, where jewel-toned colours like emerald green, sapphire blue, and rich amber orange have been used.

“I aimed to pay homage to aspects of the previous design where possible, accentuating some of the interesting bits of the existing physical space, such as the curved wall at the entrance and the hints of orange throughout – recalling the bright, blaze orange walls of the past,” Sundholm explained.

In line with the jewel-toned colour palette, Sundholm selected a variety of textures to use across the restaurant, including glossy green handmade Italian tiles and brass finishes.

Blue velvet upholstery covers the banquettes in the bar, while “vintage luggage” orange leather covers the banquettes in the salon and dining area.

Nanas, Durham, North Carolina, USA, by Sundholm Studio — The dark entrance leads into a curved passage, through to the dining room

Brass archways designed by local metal art studio Andrew Preiss Designs feature across the restaurant, including as a portal between the salon and dining area. This arch motif is echoed in the bathroom mirrors.

Earth-toned grasscloth wallpaper and a plaid-patterned carpet contrast the solid colours and textures.

“For this restaurant, our initial mood boards culled from a diverse range – from The Golden Girls and vintage Ralph Lauren textiles to 1970s Cadillacs and abstract impressionist art inspired by the Smoky Mountains,” Sundholm said.

Nanas bar and restaurant in Durham, North Carolina, USA — Bold colour is used for the restaurant seating

The studio’s goal was to “distill these inspirations into their core elements” and use them to inform the interiors in a “non-gimmicky” way.

A collection of mixed-media artworks by local artist Jason Craighead featured across the restaurant add to this aesthetic.

Tartan carpet introduces a pattered counterpoint to the block colours

Other recently renovated restaurants featured on Dezeen include Aino and Alvar Aalto’s Savoy restaurant in Helsinki restored after 80 years and The Bird in Montauk designed by Home Studios.

The photography is by Lissa Gotwals and D L Anderson.

Reference

Interior Design

Rooi revamps post-war Chinese apartment for modern life

By Zarkon Group,07/07/2021

Multifunctional plywood structures that create spaces for sleeping, storage and drinking tea feature in this compact apartment in Beijing designed by Rooi.

Rooi aimed to create a unique apartment in the block of thirty-six identical units that was built in 1950 to provide accommodation for the families of workers employed at a nearby research institution.

At the time the apartment was built, China faced an influx of people moving to its cities, meaning that living spaces were often tight.

“There was no living room, no dining room or shower in each household,” Rooi explained.

“This type of layout represents the standard post-war Chinese apartment.”

Open-plan room with kitchen and plywood unit holding a kayak in interior by Rooi — Rooi created an open-plan area for cooking and dining with a work table at its centre

As the cost of tearing down old buildings is so high in Beijing, Rooi was tasked with coming up with a modern but economical apartment concept, called T101, that could be replicated in each of the 36 units to make them more private, functional and livable.

“The project’s core was to find a way to adjust the old collective residence into modern city life and retain its previous structure, recovering the degraded green areas,” said ROOI.

“The budget was limited to ¥150,000 [£16,800] per apartment and T101 would be the first experimental renovation example.”

Inside of modular plywood unit in post-war Beijing apartment — A modular birch plywood unit can act as a reception, tea room or temporary guest room

Rooi came up with a floor plan that incorporates a bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining room and bathroom all within the unit’s tight 50-square-metre footprint.

Designed to appeal to the city’s college students and white-collar workers, the layout features an open-plan area for cooking and dining with a work table at its centre.

This area provides enough space for residents to receive guests, work from home, relax in an armchair or exercise.

Modular plywood storage unit in apartment interior by Rooi — Bulk items such as sports equipment can be stored on top of the plywood module

An original column is positioned in the centre of the space and has been clad in stone to protect it and turn it into a design feature.

Running along one side of this flexible space, an enclosed north-facing structure made from birch plywood serves as a reception, tea room or temporary guest room.

Above the wooden enclosure, a large storage area can hold suitcases, outdoor sports equipment and other bulky items. A small toilet and a shower room are located on the opposite side of the space next to the apartment’s entrance.

The bedroom is separated from the rest of the apartment and features a custom plywood bed with shelving built into its tall headboard, while a compact desk is located next to the window. The walls are lined with slim cabinets for additional storage.

Neutral colours and materials were chosen throughout so that the owners can put their own stamp on the interior.

Bed with integrated bookcase in backrest in interior designed by Rooi — A bookcase is integrated into the head of the bed

“The apartment was designed as open as possible and functionally very compacted,” the architecture studio told Dezeen.

“Natural materials and colour have been used throughout the design to create a comfortable and peaceful feel in contrast with contemporary city life.”

Bed with tall plywood backrest in white-painted room of post-war Beijing apartment — The bedroom is separated from the rest of the flat

Elsewhere, design studio I IN has created concept apartment in Tokyo to reframe the way that Japanese homeowners perceive renovated apartments.

Photography is by Weiqi Jin.

Reference

Interior Design

I IN revamps Tokyo apartment to change Japanese view of renovations

By Zarkon Group,21/06/2021

Reeded glass partitions, stucco walls and red walnut joinery feature in this renovation of a compact apartment in Tokyo by local studio I IN.

Created for Smarg, the renovation arm of Japanese real estate firm Goodlife, The Life concept apartment was designed to reframe the way that Japanese homeowners perceive renovated apartments.

“There is a common image of renovated apartments in Japan, which is not always positive,” said I IN.

“The majority of people prefer new buildings and spaces because of their appearance and reinforced structures as we have earthquakes.”

Kitchen with walnut wood shelves in Tokyo flat interior by I IN — The kitchen cupboards are rendered in the same wood

To combat this preconception, I IN was commissioned to turn a 56-square-metre one-bed in a 1980s residential building into an understated luxury residence.

Set within Tokyo’s eastern Suitengūmae neighbourhood, the flat features an open-plan layout with the kitchen, living room and bedroom all located in one connected space.

Reeded glass partitions and wood cupboard in The Life concept apartment — Reeded glass partitions separate the bathroom from the living area

The kitchen sits at one end of the flat while the bedroom sits at the other, with the bed hidden from view behind a built-in walnut sideboard that the architects said serves as a “soft separation”. To separate these two domains, the living area was placed at the centre of the space.

I IN incorporated a palette of neutral colours and subtle textures throughout to create a light, restful and calming ambience.

Bathroom entrance with glass walls and decorative vases in The Life concept apartment — The screens allow light to filter into the windowless bathroom

Reeded glass partition walls allow light to penetrate into the windowless toilet and bathroom while red walnut joinery, polished chrome lighting fixtures and off-white stucco walls were chosen to evoke a sense of luxury.

“We wanted to show the wooden architectural essence from old Japan through the texture of the wood and the three-dimensional layers of light, which you see in sci-fi movies,” I IN told Dezeen.

“The soft ambience from the slit light and textured glass was also important.”

In the future, the studio says the plan is to roll the design out to other buildings in central Tokyo.

I IN, which was founded by interior designers Yohei Terui and Hiromu Yuyama in 2018, was previously shortlisted for small retail interior of the year at the 2020 Dezeen Awards.

Bedroom with built-in wooden wardrobe and reeded glass partitions in interior by I IN — The bedroom is hidden from view thanks to another glass partition

Other renovated Tokyo flats featured on Dezeen include an overhauled 1960s apartment by design studio Minorpoet, which has its kitchen hidden behind folding wooden doors, and a refurbished flat by architect Masatoshi Hira where a family of four shares one bedroom, living space and wardrobe.

Photography is by Tomooki Kengaku.

Reference

Interior Design

David Thulstrup revamps Donum Home at Sonoma County winery

By Zarkon Group,20/06/2021

Granite, oak and rattan are among the materials found in a California winery’s hospitality building that has been refurbished by Danish designer David Thulstrup.

The Donum Home facility is part of the 200-acre (81-hectare) Donum Estate, which sits within the rolling hills of Sonoma County, just north of San Pablo Bay.

Founded in 2001, the winery is well known for its pinot noirs, along with the dozens of distinctive sculptures that dot its estate. The collection features work by famed artists such as Doug Aitken, Yayoi Kusama and Ai Weiwei.

Donum Home – which functions as a venue for tastings, dining and entertainment – opened in 2017 with a design by Matt Hollis of MH Architects in San Francisco. The modern-style building has a crisp profile and white cladding.

Oak features in the project — Sonoma County’s hills can be seen from the winery

In advance of the winery’s 20th anniversary this year, designer David Thulstrup – who leads an eponymous studio in Copenhagen – was brought in to freshen up the interior.

The project entailed adding new finishes and decor, along with reconfiguring the space to form three new tasting rooms. The aim was to create an environment that felt refined yet relaxed through a careful use of light and local materials.

“The outcome is an honest, simple and not over-designed place that reflects its surroundings, while also paying an ode to my Scandinavian roots without any Nordic clichés,” said Thulstrup.

Rooms feature neutral colours and earthy materials, such as oak-and-rattan screens designed by Thulstrup, and walls and floors covered in oak.

Rooms in the Donum Home feature earthy tones — A rounded walnut table is surrounded by woven chairs in a tasting room

In one room, a rounded walnut dining table by e15 is surrounded by woven chairs by Thulstrup. An exuberant light fixture from Louis Poulsen hangs overhead.

In another room, a streamlined walnut table by Thulstrup is paired with a row of simple pendants designed by architect Peter Zumthor for Viabizzuno.

Pendant lights are part of the home's design — Original artworks feature all through the building

For the building’s great room, where skylights usher in soft daylight, Thulstrup created a table made of California granite.

Floating near the ceiling are three mirrored-glass balloons that were created by Danish artist Jeppe Hein. The sculpture, called Three Colours for Donum, moves gently with the wind and refracts sunlight.

Skylights feature in the Donum Home's great room — Skylights bring soft light into the building’s great room

“Their mirrored surfaces reflect the surroundings and you at the same time, so you become a part of the artwork,” said Hein.

The Donum Home also features a custom, hand-blown-glass vase by Danish artist Lene Bødker, and artwork by Chinese artists Yue Minjun and Liu Xiaodong. There also is a neon piece, titled Surrounded by You, created by UK artist Tracey Emin.

A neon artwork by Tracy Emin — A neon work by Tracy Emin can be seen through a doorway

Studio David Thulstrup has designed a wide range of spaces and decor, including a photographer’s studio inside a former factory building and the Michelin-star Noma restaurant in Copenhagen.

Last year, the studio teamed up with Danish furniture brand Møbel to create a pair of tables – one made entirely from ceramic and the other from powder-coated steel.

Photography is by Eric Petschek.

Project credits:

Designer: David Thulstrup
Styling: Dung Ngo
Client: The Donum Estate

Reference

revamps

North Carolina practice Sundholm Studio revamps Durham restaurant

Rooi revamps post-war Chinese apartment for modern life

I IN revamps Tokyo apartment to change Japanese view of renovations

David Thulstrup revamps Donum Home at Sonoma County winery

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