section:interiors Archives

Erik Bratsberg fills Persona restaurant with tactile materials

Interior designer Erik Bratsberg has created unique artwork for the interior of the Persona restaurant in Stockholm, which also features asymmetrical terrazzo and patinated brass details.

Bratsberg, who worked in finance before moving into interior design, wanted the fine dining restaurant in Stockholm’s upmarket Östermalm neighbourhood to have a warm and welcoming feel.

Terrazzo floor at Persona — Persona is located in Stockholm’s Östermalm area

“The inspiration is drawn from a mix of personal experiences, subconscious imprints from admired styles, particularly mid-century Italian design, and a desire to integrate a homely warmth into a hospitality environment,” he told Dezeen.

“The design philosophy centres around creating a timeless, inviting space that enhances the dining experience while maintaining a sense of personal touch and intimacy.”

Bar in Stockholm restaurant — Green tones feature throughout the interior

Green hues are used throughout Persona‘s 120-square-metre interior, complementing its cream-coloured walls and numerous wooden furniture pieces and panelling.

“Green is my go-to when I want to arouse a sense of calmness and comfort,” Bratsberg explained.

Soft white chairs in front of curtained window — Designer Erik Bratsberg used furniture pieces with rounded and organic shapes

“It’s a tertiary colour, a mix of a cold and a warm colour, which allows it to go well with both warmer and colder hues and materials – a yin and yang of colours somehow,” he added.

“Green also brings the mind to nature and I guess my love for green relates to the joy of seeing the leaves back on the trees after a long Swedish winter.”

Wood-panelled wall in Östermalm restaurant — “Honey-tinted” oak shelving is filled with crockery and art

The restaurant, which feels more like a living room than an eatery in parts, also features plenty of natural materials such as stone and wood, which are interspersed with terrazzo and brass to create tactile interest.

This material mix was chosen to evoke a sense of “casual elegance”, Bratsberg said.

“For the floor I played around with the possibilities of terrazzo, using shades of green and warm greys and whites forming an asymmetrical pattern,” the designer explained.

Bratsberg clad the walls of the Persona restaurant in an off-white plaster with a mottled surface, designed to contrast the “silky honey-tinted oak” used for the wall shelving and tables.

“Patinated brass together with details in yellow ochre acts as an accent,” Bratsberg added. “Sheer curtains, patinated leather and textured textiles round it all off.”

Living-room like corner in Persona eatery — Bratsberg created his own artworks for the restaurant

Custom-made abstract artworks also decorate the interior. Bratsberg made these himself from watercolour paintings that he had made, which were then screen-printed onto acoustic panels.

“In my multidisciplinary practice I strive to interrelate my art, design and interior work – why not make a lamp into sculpture, or a bar front as a painting, or a plain wall a relief?” Bratsberg said.

Jagged shapes decorate Stockholm restaurant — Cut-out geometric details add extra interest to the bar

Also notable in the interior is the variation of shapes, with the angular tables and counters contrasting against round and jagged lamps, cut-out geometric details and smaller tables made from organically shaped burl wood and stone.

“Perfectly straight lines and symmetry bring order and calmness for the eye, but never have I been particularly intrigued by squares and straight lines,” Bratsberg said.

“On the other hand, too much asymmetrical geometries and organic shapes can bring the feeling of disorder. But balancing the two – as with many opposites or contrasts – can create an interesting harmony,” he added.

Bathroom of Persona restaurant — The bathroom features undulating mirrors and a mix of different shapes

In the bathroom, undulating mirrors match a wavy sink and are juxtaposed against square wall niches and angled, jagged cut-out wall decorations.

“Forms, lines, colours and materiality speak to us in mysterious ways, but an interior without any sculptural form and asymmetries is like a language without exclamation marks, gestures or emotional expression to me,” Bratsberg concluded.

Other Stockholm restaurants with interesting interiors featured on Dezeen include an “unexpected” restaurant in a historic food hall and a decadent Italian restaurant located in a former cinema.

The photography is by Erik Lefvander.

Reference

Interior Design

Lucas y Hernández Gil adds multi-use greenhouse to Casamontesa

By Zarkon Group,06/03/2024

A renovated 1970s bungalow with “kitsch character” and a greenhouse that doubles as a living room feature in Casamontesa – a weekend home designed by Spanish studio Lucas y Hernández Gil.

The project began when a couple asked the studio to overhaul a single-storey house that was once part of a hotel complex on the outskirts of Madrid.

Kresta Garden House doubles as home office — The renovated bungalow and a multifunctional greenhouse (above) make up Casamontesa

The brief later expanded to include a multifunctional greenhouse that can be used as a workspace, a guest bedroom, a gym or simply as a garden room.

Lucas y Hernández Gil, led by architects Cristina Domínguez Lucas and Fernando Hernández-Gil Ruano, developed a distinct character for each building.

Casamontesa renovation of 1970s bungalow — The main house is a bungalow built in the 1970s

Casamontesa’s renovated bungalow has a warm, playful style that draws on the 1970s aesthetic while the garden pavilion has a more utilitarian feel.

“The owners, a young urban couple who love design and live and work in the centre of Madrid, were looking for a functional and compact getaway within a fantastic garden,” Lucas told Dezeen.

“They wanted a very comfortable and flexible home that would be useful for both working and getting together with friends.”

Casamontesa house kitchen island — The interior centres around a new kitchen island

The bungalow renovation involved simplifying the interior layout to create a combined kitchen, dining room and living room, with a bedroom and bathroom off to one side.

“The house, in addition to being small, was very compartmentalised,” explained Lucas.

To unify the newly open-plan living space, the designers installed an island that serves as a worktop, dining table and social gathering place.

This island features a countertop made from Portuguese pink marble while its sides are covered in the same handmade burgundy tiles that line an adjacent window recess.

Casamontesa house with arched fireplace — An arched fireplace provides a focal point in the living room

“The rest of the surfaces – Campaspero stone floors and waxed tinted plaster walls – establish a dialogue by contrast with the colourful and shiny surface of the tiles,” added Lucas.

Key details in the living room include an arched fireplace and a tadelakt plaster coffee table, while the bedroom features semi-circular marble nightstands.

For Casamontesa’s garden room, the design team customised a prefabricated greenhouse.

A pergola extends the building volume outwards in a bid to blur the boundary between inside and out, and is topped with wooden blinds to provide shade.

Kresta Garden House greenhouse with pergola — A pergola extends the width of the greenhouse

A wooden box on wheels provides an additional bedroom, described as a “small Shigeru Ban-style mobile room”.

Other additions include thermal curtains and an automatic shading and ventilation system, which allow for versatile use of the space throughout the year.

Kresta Garden House creates extra living room with mobile sleep space — A “Shigeru Ban-style mobile room” provides an additional sleeping space

“By complementing the programme of the original bungalow, a more complete and flexible program is achieved, overcoming the limitations of a weekend house,” added Lucas.

Other recent projects by Lucas y Hernández Gil include a bar featuring extreme colour blocking and an apartment with a hidden closet.

The photography is by José Hevia.

Reference

Interior Design

Kingston Lafferty Design includes “sensual” red kitchen in home renovation

By Zarkon Group,05/03/2024

Dublin studio Kingston Lafferty Design has transformed the architecture and interiors of this family home in Cork, Ireland, which features 1970s-style shapes and colours informed by the work of designer Verner Panton.

Positioned on Lovers Walk hill overlooking the city of Cork, the townhouse – called Lovers Walk – was renovated by Kingston Lafferty Design.

Living space with a green marble feature wall — Kingston Lafferty Design completed the renovation in Cork

The studio originally planned to just update the interiors, but decided that a more extensive architectural transformation was needed after discovering structural instabilities in the home.

Kingston Lafferty Design removed all of the floors, which lacked foundations and insulation in their concrete slab, and completely reconfigured the two-storey property’s layout.

Oak-lined hallway with colourful accents — Rooms on the ground floor were designed around an oak-lined hallway

“As the building was originally built in the 1970s, we wanted to return to its roots,” studio founder Róisín Lafferty told Dezeen.

“We thrived on inspiration from Verner Panton with his use of strong clashing colour, playful shapes and oversized elements,” she added.

Quartzite-clad kitchen by Kingston Lafferty Design — One of these spaces is a “sensual” red kitchen

The ground floor was adapted to include an open-plan kitchen defined by a counter, island and splashback finished in veiny red quartzite.

Ruby-toned timber was used to create the geometric cabinets. When layered with the quartzite, “it sounds like a disaster, but it’s a delight,” said the designer.

Living space with floor-to-ceiling curtains — The living room follows a similar design to the kitchen

The space, described by the studio as a “sensual red-toned jewel kitchen”, is one of several rooms on the ground floor of Lovers Walk that were designed around the central, oak-lined hallway.

“We used the hallway as the core of the house, which grounded the space with pops of colour stemming from it. Each room leading from the core appears like a framed view or window of colour,” explained Lafferty.

Marble feature wall designed by Kingston Lafferty Design — It includes a green feature wall that takes cues from Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Barcelona Pavilion

The living room includes blue velvet sofas and a green feature wall clad in swirly book-matched marble, which was fitted with an alcove reserved for a subtle fireplace.

When creating the polished stone wall, the studio took cues from the seminal Barcelona Pavilion, completed in 1929 by modernist architect Mies van der Rohe.

Green headboard in the main bedroom — A floor-to-ceiling headboard takes centre stage in the main bedroom

“We used green as an overall thread throughout the house, inspired by the surrounding landscape,” added Lafferty.

“Although depending on the time of year, the colours tend to change and so we were able to add in other rich colours that anchor the green such as burgundies and bright oranges,” she added.

En-suite marble-clad bathroom — Stonework also defines the en-suite bathroom

“One would assume this mix of colours would clash, but we choose the tones and textures of each to ensure that all of them would blend harmoniously,” Lafferty said.

Upstairs, the main bedroom and en-suite bathroom were dressed in the same eclectic interiors as the communal spaces. A floor-to-ceiling headboard, finished in diamond-shaped green tiles originally designed by 20th-century architect Gio Ponti, frames the bed.

Playful bed design in Lovers Walk by Kingston Lafferty Designs — A playful bed was added to the bedroom created for the occupants’ child

Balloon-like coloured glass vases were positioned on two bedside tables, which were topped with the same slabs of Rosso Levanto marble as the geometric vanity desk.

The bedroom designed for the occupants’ child features an alternative bed – a playful green structure with two stacked levels and half-moon openings that reveal a cosy sleeping area on the bottom level.

Other accents featured throughout the home include burl wood, terrazzo, plaster and brass. The repetition of 1970s-style thick pile carpets emphasises the dwelling’s textured material palette.

Lovers Walk is the studio’s “closest nod” to the work of Panton, explained Lafferty – “down to the selection of every tile, light fitting and exquisite piece of designer furniture”.

Deep blue-coloured guest bedroom by Kingston Lafferty Design — Deep blues characterise the guest bedroom

“Although there is such an array of materiality, it is balanced by repeated colour, shape and form,” she said.

“Every space in this house is an assault on the senses, in the best way possible.”

Lovers Walk by Kingston Lafferty Design — Lovers Walk was informed by the work of Verner Panton

Founded in 2010, Kingston Lafferty Design has completed projects ranging from a Dublin restaurant with oversized lollipop-like lamps and a co-working office in Belfast that includes a yoga studio.

The photography is by Ruth Maria Murphy.

Project credits:

Interior architecture and design: Kingston Lafferty Design
Woodwork: DFL
Stonework: Miller Brothers

Reference

Interior Design

American interior designer Iris Apfel dies aged 102

By Zarkon Group,04/03/2024

American interior designer, fashion influencer and “geriatric starlet” Iris Apfel has passed away at the age of 102.

The death of the multidisciplinary creative, who was recognised for her flamboyant personal style, was announced on her Instagram account with an image of Apfel in her trademark oversized glasses.

Apfel, who worked in the interiors and fashion industries throughout her career, shot to international fame in her 80s and 90s after New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibited a show of her eclectic clothes and accessories in 2005.

Titled Rara Avis: Selections From the Iris Apfel Collection, it was the first time the museum had dedicated an exhibition to someone’s wardrobe.

Born Iris Barrel in 1921 in Queens, Apfel studied art history at New York University and art at the University of Wisconsin.

After graduating, she worked for fashion magazine Women’s Wear Daily before interning for interior designer Elinor Johnson.

Together with her late husband Carl Apfel, whom she married in 1948, she set up the brand Old World Weavers – a company that specialised in striking textiles informed by things found on the Apfels’ travels.

Under Old World Weavers, the duo completed high-profile projects such as restoring the White House interiors for nine presidents including Harry Truman and Bill Clinton.

The designer became a visiting lecturer at the University of Texas in 2011, where she taught fashion students about textiles and crafts.

In later life, Apfel became a staple of the fashion industry. In 2018, toy manufacturer Mattel created a Barbie doll in the designer’s image, although it was not for sale. At the age of 97, she signed a modelling contract with IMG Models.

Apfel playfully called herself a “geriatric starlet” and described the prospect of retirement as “a fate worse than death” shortly after turning 100.

Following the news of her passing, designers around the world paid tribute to Apfel’s legacy. “Iris Apfel has become a world-famous fashion icon because of her incredible talent not only as an artist but as an influencer,” said fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger.

The photography is by Ron Adar courtesy of Shutterstock.

Reference

Interior Design

StudioTwentySeven opens “monumental” flagship gallery in Tribeca

By Zarkon Group,03/03/2024

Collectible design gallery StudioTwentySeven has taken over a huge space in a Tribeca textile building, creating a warm and serene environment to present museum-sized, limited-edition pieces.

The gallery’s New York City flagship at the corner of Church and Leonard Streets covers 7,000 square feet (650 square metres) across the ground floor of a 1901 neoclassical building by architect Henry J Hardenbergh.

Double-height gallery space viewed through arched opening — StudioTwentySeven founders Nacho Polo and Robert Onsuka introduced curved walls and archways to the interior of their flagship gallery

Formerly Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Restaurant 66, the grand space benefits from double-height ceilings and eight 16-foot-tall windows on two sides, overlooking the mirrored Anish Kapoor sculpture squashed beneath Herzog & de Meuron’s “Jenga Tower”.

StudioTwentySeven founders Nacho Polo and Robert Onsuka, who started their venture in Miami in 2018, chose this location for the New York flagship for its “monumental scale” and ability to showcase huge sculptural works.

Gallery with hanging bear sculpture by Italian artist Paola Pivi in the background — The double-height ceilings allow large-scale pieces to be displayed, like a hanging bear sculpture by Paola Pivi

“The building’s elaborately carved facade, and its stone entry staircase leading to beautifully restored original triple doors, set the tone for what clients of StudioTwentySeven will experience inside – a space that is sophisticated yet genuinely welcoming,” said the duo.

Led by Polo, the renovation of interiors involved the introduction of curved walls and a rotunda, along with an archway fitted with a 12-foot-tall, hand-carved chestnut door.

Giant bronze and glass chandelier above an organic-shaped dining table — A giant bronze and glass chandelier hangs above an organic-shaped dining table

The team worked with lighting specialists L’Observatorie to design a custom system that imbues the space with a warm atmospheric quality, complementing the pieces on display.

A massive bronze and glass chandelier comprising hundreds of individual petals is suspended above an organically shaped French oak and waxed bronze dining table.

Pale oak floors run throughout the gallery, in places separated from the walls by glowing bands of light, and sheer curtains diffuse the abundance of natural light that enters during the day.

Other architectural details include a tall fireplace shaped into the hand-plastered walls and a chestnut-lined library hidden behind a pair of discreet doors, designed to “create moments of surprise”.

Dimly lit rotunda for displaying collectible design — The founders also created a rotunda space for displaying specific pieces

For the gallery’s opening in February 2023, several museum-sized works from Polo and Onsuka’s private collection were installed in the space.

These include a hanging bear by Italian artist Paola Pivi, which had to be transported from the Aspen Art Museum in a special truck, and a bronze sculpture titled Owl and Boy by Japan-based Otani Workshop.

Hidden library lined in chestnut — “Moments of surprise” include a hidden library lined in chestnut

Polo and Onsuka, who were judges for Dezeen Awards 2023, also have gallery spaces in Miami’s Little River and London’s Mayfair – open by appointment only.

Their new flagship in Tribeca joins a multitude of collectible design galleries in the Downtown NYC neighbourhood, like R & Company and Egg Collective, where expansive former industrial lofts provide ideal settings for presenting furniture, lighting and art.

The photography is by William Jess Laird.

Reference

Interior Design

Gensler redesigns its own LA office to have “warmth and comfort” of home

By Zarkon Group,02/03/2024

The team at global architecture firm Gensler’s Los Angeles office has redesigned a floor of its workspace with a hospitality approach, as a pilot for the remaining spaces.

The Gensler LA team’s renovated its space to give it more of the “warmth and comfort” that its staff became used to during its time working from home.

Workspace in the Gensler LA office with a banquette around a black circular table — The team at Gensler LA redesigned the third floor of their offices to better suit their current workplace needs

The studio’s return to the office post-pandemic came seven years into a 15-year lease of its spaces in Downtown Los Angeles, the firm had converted from an empty bank building in 2011 then expanded to two floors in an adjacent, connected structure.

With a growing workforce and a desire to rethink the layout, functionality and appearance of the office, a group of the studio’s “next generation” of designers and strategists led an effort to redesign the interiors of the third floor.

Open shelving with colourful books displayed — The pilot project incorporates several products from Gensler collaborations, including open shelving and communal tables

“The look and feel of our space, though contemporary, lacked the warmth and comfort of the hospitality touches we integrate for our clients’ workspaces and that we had become accustomed to while working from home,” Gensler senior strategist Sarah Koos told Dezeen.

“Coupled with the changing nature of hybrid work, the space necessitated a transformation that would support a renewed sense of a work-lifestyle.”

Communal table in wood-lined room — A warm aesthetic that captures the essence of Los Angeles was chosen for the interiors

The group spent a year listening and learning from surveys, workshops and feedback sessions in which each of the 500-plus employees was able to have a say about their future work environment.

Many team members had been highly mobile even before hybrid working became popular, so the previous dedicated desk system seemed redundant.

“Working from home for two years effectively rewired peoples’ expectations of their work environments, a sterile, single-use corporate office no longer spoke to the warmth, variety, and comfort they were afforded in their own homes,” said Koos.

Lounge area with comfy seating, plants and a guitar — Plenty of lounge areas with comfy seating were created for employees to use

They therefore set about redesigning the offices with a focus on flexibility, communal work areas and presentation spaces.

“Rather than confine our designers to a desk or a conference room, we developed a kit-of-parts inclusive of typical sit-stand workstations, communal tables, focus pods, booths, material layout islands, and more,” said Gensler senior designer Kirk Bairian.

“Gensler is built on a studio system which is critical to our design culture, and each studio was able to use this kit-of-parts to customise their space to reflect the specific ways in which they work.”

Workspace with glass meeting room, privacy booth and shelving for pin-ups — The team devised a “kit of parts” for the different studios to customise their own workspaces

A warm, hospitality-forward aesthetic that mirrors the “informal but elevated, casual but curated” essence of Los Angeles was chosen.

Materials including maple plywood, blackened metal and subtle textiles provide a backdrop for more colourful additions in the form of ever-changing pin-up display boards, styled shelving, artwork by local students and books from local creative businesses.

Lounge-style furniture and jewel-toned textiles are placed in the co-working areas to evoke a hotel lobby or coffee shop vibe.

Several of Gensler’s furniture and fixture collaborations were also introduced, among them the communal tables and open shelcves from a product line created with Fantoni and custom focus pods from a partnership with Tangram’s Studio Other.

Conference room behind glass wall — Traditional conference rooms are available alongside more flexible spaces for group work

Since the project completed in 2023, the data from badges suggest that employee office attendance has increased by 35 per cent for the studios located in the renovated pilot space, according to the firm.

“Studios in the new space shared that they felt that working in the renovated space made them more productive, enabled more effective collaboration, and overall, greatly improved their in-office experience,” the team added.

Wood-lined workspace with private booths and open Zoom areas — Maple plywood and blackened metal were among the materials chosen to give the space more of a hospitality feel

Gensler is the world’s largest architecture firm and has locations 53 locations globally. Its European head offices in Wapping, London, was longlisted in the business building category of Dezeen Awards 2020.

In 2022, co-CEO Andy Cohen told Dezeen in an exclusive interview that architecture should abandon “top-down” management to improve working conditions.

Reference

Interior Design

“Subtle luxury” defines Rachel Boston jewellery store

By Zarkon Group,01/03/2024

Interior design studio Hollie Bowden Interiors has created fine jeweller Rachel Boston’s flagship store and showroom in London.

Located in Shoreditch’s Redchurch Street, the store is split into four main areas – the retail space, private appointment area, workshop and office space for the jeweller’s team of 12.

Wood panelled walls and display cases — The space blends a neutral palette of glass, steel and sycamore wood veneer

The store aims to blend a neutral material palette of glass and steel with sycamore wood veneer and velvet mohair upholstery.

“Jewellery stores can be read as quite uninviting and exclusive,” Hollie Bowden Interiors founder Bowden told Dezeen. “I wanted to create the opposite experience to that, something that felt open and un-intimidating, yet special and elevated.”

Cantilever display case — Bowden and designer EJR Barnes have created bespoke displays from mirror polished steel

Placing the jewellery centre stage was a key objective for Rachel Boston when briefing Bowden’s team.

“Even though our pieces are striking, they are ultimately small objects by nature, so I didn’t want a huge amount of fussy furniture or bold colours to detract from the experience of customers viewing our pieces,” Rachel Boston told Dezeen.

In response to the brief, Hollie Bowden created a compact 19-square-metre front retail space “inspired by the concept of a jewellery box that draws your attention into the small, intricate objects within”.

jewellery retail space — The store on Redchurch street is split into four main areas

Sycamore veneer wall-cladding, limestone flooring and lining the display cases with ivory silk combine to create the jewellery-box effect, “emphasising this feeling of being cocooned in the space” Bowden told Dezeen.

“I wanted to focus on materials that have a quiet beauty about them, that you have to get up close to really appreciate,” she continued.

Steel window display — Bowden employs a refined approach to materials for this retail project in London

This process of refinement has been a hallmark of Bowden’s style since establishing her London-based studio in 2013.

“Not over-designing projects with too many materials is very important – to give objects the space to sing,” she explained. “I’m always trying to reduce and simplify.”

Jewellery is displayed in floating window vitrines and a cantilever display desk, designed in collaboration with London-based artist and designer, EJR Barnes.

Made from mirror polished steel, these bespoke displays introduce a “vertiginous moment that makes the space feel unique,” according to Bowden.

For these cabinets, Bowden and Barnes drew on the utilitarian design language of archives which “display, protect, and organise what they contain in quite a neutral way”.

A shop front — Hollie Bowden’s retail space in Shoreditch has been designed in reference to jewellery boxes

Rather than using big ornamental gestures more common in jewellery retail, Bowden says this approach “represents a unique and original way of presenting jewellery”.

“The idea of ‘subtle luxury’ feels like a great counterpoint to retail design at the moment that can feel like you’re in a casino,” she added.

The frames of the cases are simple and uninterrupted, maximising the display of the jewellery and encouraging guests to roam freely around any area.

Red chair — The red cab chair placed at the front of the store is by Mario Bellini

A Mario Bellini Cab Chair in a deep wine red, placed at the front of the store, works along the lines of the unexpected-red-theory interior trend, featured in our recent lookbook.

Through a stainless steel-lined open doorway, the rear space is curtained off for private appointments. This larger 42-square-metre showroom in the back has a more relaxed and intimate feel that mirrors the art-deco style of Boston’s jewellery.

Four chairs around a carpeted floor — The rear of the store is reserved for private appointments

Upon entering the rear space, a brown short-pile carpet and bespoke sofa upholstered in Claremont mohair signals the transition from the storefront.

“We wanted to create two distinct spaces, independent of each other yet with a subtle link that reflects Rachel’s jewellery,” Bowden said.

“While the spaces contrast, the continuations of steel and limestone allow for a striking continuity throughout.”

A brown mohair velvet sofa — The rear showroom features a bespoke sofa upholstered in Claremont mohair

Other projects by Hollie Bowden Interiors featured on Dezeen include a pared-back jewellery showroom and a London office space inspired by the sultry lighting of gentlemen’s clubs.

The photography is by Richard Round-Turner.

Reference

Interior Design

ORA creates modern home in 500-year-old Czech Renaissance building

By Zarkon Group,29/02/2024

Czech architecture studio ORA has renovated a Renaissance-era house in the town of Český Krumlov, preserving original features like its carved wooden beams while adding free-standing contemporary furniture.

Local entrepreneurs Petra Hanáková and Radek Techlovský purchased the dilapidated house in the town centre in 2016 and asked ORA to oversee a modernisation process that retains the interior’s historical character.

Exterior of Masná 130 house in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic by ORA — Masná 130 is a renovated home by ORA in Český Krumlov

The 500-year-old building, now called Masná 130, had been neglected for decades and was not even connected to the town’s sewage system. It also had flood-damaged foundations and a roof in need of major repairs.

Despite its issues, the owners saw potential in the property and spent two years transforming its ground floor into a cafe that has become a gathering place for the local community.

Entrance of Masná 130 house — The architects added bespoke furniture made from dark-stained birch plywood

The latest phase of the project involved renovating the first-floor living spaces. The original intention was to redevelop them as rental flats, but Hanáková and Techlovský eventually decided to create a single apartment that they could occupy themselves.

ORA’s design for the apartment reveals aspects of the building’s past while introducing modern features that reflect the owners’ love for contemporary design and minimalist style.

Living room of house in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic by ORA — The building’s original carved wooden ceiling beams are left exposed

“We did not want to create a historical ‘museum’ interior, nor a design showroom,” said Hanáková and Techlovský. “We wanted to organically connect the historical and contemporary layers.”

The architects began by removing an existing partition wall in the main living space and reinstating the original open layout. This created a large salon that reveals the full splendour of the Renaissance-era wooden ceiling.

Kitchen of Masná 130 house — The kitchen was designed as a standalone unit that is raised above the floor

The restoration process also uncovered original stone walls that were painted a deep crimson colour. Together with the wooden rafters, this informed a material palette that complements these dark, saturated tones and creates a cosy atmosphere.

The apartment’s bedroom features a small remnant of the original ceiling fresco. The rest of the room is painted a cream colour to lend the space a calm and relaxing feel.

In the bathroom, ORA chose to combine cool colours with white tiles and large mirrors to brighten the space. Playful details such as the irregularly shaped bathtub, curved sinks and tiles with rounded edges help to soften the overall aesthetic.

Throughout the apartment, the architects added bespoke freestanding furniture that performs the necessary functions without disturbing or concealing the existing heritage features.

View to bedroom of house in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic by ORA — The bed is dominated by an oversized headboard

“The interior design is approached as a collage of motifs,” said ORA. “The furniture is inserted into the historical space in the form of separate objects that create distance from the historical elements.”

The kitchen, for example, was designed as a standalone unit that is raised above the floor and stops well short of the ceiling. Its sink, hob and countertop occupy a central void, with all other functions concealed within the cabinetry.

Bedroom of Masná 130 house — It takes pride of place in the centre of the bedroom

The bed features an oversized headboard that connects with a wardrobe on its reverse side. It is placed in the centre of the bedroom and is angled to provide the best view of the window and the original painted ceiling.

Custom-made furniture is built from dark-stained birch plywood with contrasting brass legs that help to enhance the sense of separation from the existing spaces.

Lighting is either freestanding or integrated into furniture such as the kitchen unit and bed. An overhead light above the dining table is mounted on a bracket so it does not touch the historical ceiling.

Bathroom of house in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic by ORA — ORA combined cool colours with white tiles in the bathroom

ORA, which stands for Original Regional Architecture, was founded in 2014 by Jan Veisser, Jan Hora and Barbora Hora. The studio is based in the small town of Znojmo, with previous projects including the conversion of a 16th-century home in Mikulov to create a modern guesthouse.

Other recent attempts at revamping the historical residences of the Czech Republic include a 1920s villa in Prague that was renovated by No Architects and a 100-year-old apartment in Karlovy Vary, where Plus One Architects uncovered the building’s original paintwork.

The photography is by BoysPlayNice.

Reference

Interior Design

Get listed in Dezeen’s digital guide for NYCxDesign 2024

By Zarkon Group,27/02/2024

If you’re hosting an event during NYCxDesign, you can get listed in Dezeen Events Guide’s digital guide to the festival, which highlights the key events taking place across New York City’s five boroughs.

NYCxDesign runs from 16 to 23 May 2024 and features hundreds of events including installations, exhibitions, fairs, tours, open studios and product launches.

One of the largest events taking place during the eight-day programme is the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) and WantedDesign Manhattan, located at the Javits Center from 19 to 21 May 2024. Each year the fair sees 10,000 visitors from the architecture, design and retail fields.

With 2024 marking the festival’s 12th anniversary, NYCxDesign aims for its events to target themes of sustainability, inclusivity and diversity while exploring a range of design mediums.

Get listed in Dezeen’s digital NYCxDesign guide

Get in touch with the Dezeen Events Guide team at [email protected] to book your listing or to discuss a wider partnership with Dezeen.

There are three types of listing available:

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Dezeen Events Guide is our guide to the best architecture and design events taking place across the world each year.

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The illustration is by Justyna Green.

Reference

Interior Design

Ivy Studio installs colourful marbles in Montreal’s Hayat restaurant

By Zarkon Group,25/02/2024

Montreal-based Ivy Studio has chosen a variety of dramatic marble to outfit a Middle Eastern restaurant, which features a colour palette influenced by “the earthy tones of the Syrian deserts”.

In Montreal’s Old Port neighbourhood, the 1,500-square-foot (140-square metre) Hayat restaurant is designed to reflect the cuisine served by chef Joseph Awad.

Entrance to Hayat restaurant with marble host stand in foreground — The marble host stand at Hayat sets the tone for the restaurant’s Middle Eastern-influenced colour palette

“This Middle Eastern restaurant’s colour palette was inspired by the earthy tones of the Syrian deserts and their surrounding greenery,” said Ivy Studio.

Upon entering is a screen of black hammered-glass panels, which also conceals the kitchen in the far corner.

Dining room with marble topped tables, green chairs and cream walls — In the main dining space, banquette seating runs along two walls below a fabric ceiling installation

In the main dining room, built-in benches form an L along two walls, while a pair of U-shaped booths sit against another that arches over them.

The seat backs are upholstered in mauve velvet and the cushions are wrapped in contrasting deep green leather.

Private booths positioned below an arched ceiling and behind a partition of black hammered glass — Private booths are positioned below an arched ceiling and behind a partition of black hammered glass

Closer to the kitchen is another small, semi-circular booth built into the walnut millwork.

Here the cushioned seats are covered in ruby-toned velvet, and a metallic light fixture is suspended above.

The bar counter made from teal, pistachio and cream-coloured marble — The bar is made from a dramatic marble variety with streaks of teal, pistachio and cream colours

Ivy Studio selected a wide variety of striking, richly veined marbles, “each contributing their own touch of colour into the space” according to the team.

The bar is made from a dramatic stone with teal, cream and pistachio striations, while the host stand and dining table tops in the main area are purple and white.

A red-hued semicircular booth tucked into walnut millwork — A red-hued semicircular booth is tucked into the walnut millwork close to the kitchen

The building’s exposed brickwork is painted cream to match the other walls, while the original historic stone between the large windows is left exposed.

“The ancient stone walls at the front and rear facades were left intact to showcase the building’s history,” Ivy Studio said.

Curved layers across the ceiling, which hide indirect lighting, are designed to evoke the smooth landscapes of the Middle East.

A fabric installation suspended above the dining tables curves around more strips of lighting, diffusing the light to create a warm glow.

Bar made from a dramatic marble variety with streaks of teal, pistachio and cream colours — The bar is made from a dramatic marble variety with streaks of teal, pistachio and cream colours

Walnut, stone and cream walls are also found in the bathrooms, which echo the colour and material scheme throughout the restaurant.

“The overall intention of the palette was to bring together the worlds of Middle Eastern nature and Old Montreal construction,” the studio said.

Hayat restaurant by Ivy Studio — The same material palette continues in the moody bathrooms

Ivy Studio has completed several interiors across Montreal that include colourful marble.

These include the Italian restaurant Piatti where the dark green stone contrasts the building’s rough walls and co-working office Spatial where purple surfaces pop against mint green millwork.

The photography is by Alex Lesage.

Project credits:

Architecture and design: Ivy Studio
Construction: Groupe Manovra

Reference

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Ivy Studio installs colourful marbles in Montreal’s Hayat restaurant

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