In the first of a trio of spring lookbooks this Easter weekend, we’ve selected ten bright kitchens that are flooded with light from wide windows, skylights and full-height glass doors.
This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series feature inspiring outdoor living spaces, calming green kitchens, and living rooms with beautiful statement shelving.
Tibur House, UK, by Paul Archer Design
This 15-square-metre addition to the rear of a house in north London contains a bright, open-plan kitchen and dining area.
Architecture studio Paul Archer Design topped a side extension with a skylight that runs the length of the kitchen while full-height glass doors let light into a dining area.
Find out more about Tibur House ›
Akari House, Spain, by Mas-aqui
Mas-aqui renovated an apartment near Barcelona into a light-filled home named Akari House after a Japanese term for light.
The apartment has a large skylight built into a roof terrace above that provides the kitchen with light.
Find out more about Akari House ›
Overcast House, UK, by Office S&M
Designed for a colour consultant, this kitchen extension by Office S&M in London combines several on-trend colours including Millennium Pink and Mint Green.
The space also doubles up as an area for the consultant to work and meet with clients, so it was essential that the kitchen was evenly lit.
Find out more about Overcast House ›
Vikki’s Place, Australia, by Curious Practice
Curious Practice used birch plywood throughout the interiors of this multi-generational home in the Australian city of Newcastle.
In the kitchen, which is bookended by sliding glass doors, birch plywood was also used to make simple open-face cabinets that were paired with countertops clad in stainless steel.
Find out more about Vikki’s Place ›
House in Los Vilos, Chile, by Office of Ryue Nishizawa
Designed as a retreat on the Chilean coast by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Ryue Nishizawa, House in Los Vilos has a spectacular kitchen flanked on both sides by full-height glass walls.
Set under the home’s wavy concrete roof, the kitchen has expansive views of the Pacific Ocean.
Find out more about House in Los Vilos ›
Brasília apartment, Brazil, by Bloco Arquitetos
Brazilian studio Bloco Arquitetos stripped back this 1960s apartment in Brasília and divided it up using translucent partitions.
At the front of the apartment, the kitchen is backed by a lattice-like wall with square cutouts that provides natural light and air to the apartment.
Find out more about Brasília apartment ›
Casa Aguantao, Chile, by Guillermo Acuña Arquitectos Asociados
This rural house in Chile occupies a pair of structures elevated on stilts and topped with grooved-metal roofs.
Placed at the end of one of the raised buildings, the long kitchen is enclosed by a wall of full-height glazing to give views across the surrounding countryside.
Find out more about Casa Aguantao ›
AR Residence, UK, by DeDraft
Architecture studio DeDraft added a kitchen extension clad in green aluminium panels to this house in London.
The compact addition contains a small dining area alongside large windows and a glass door next to a kitchen that is topped with a skylight.
Find out more about AR Residence ›
Wyoming house, USA, by Olson Kundig
In Jackson Hole, Wyoming, US studio Olson Kundig designed a house with large windows that can be covered in wooden shutters.
On the ground floor, the kitchen was positioned alongside one of the large windows so that it receives plenty of light.
Find out more about Wyoming house ›
Burrows Road, UK, by Rise Design Studio
Rise Design Studio created a large kitchen-cum-dining room at the rear of this mid-terrace house.
To bring plenty of light into the space, an extension made almost entirely of glass was added to the side of the home with full-height glass doors at the rear.
Find out more about Burrows Road ›
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 peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.
In the third of a trio of spring lookbooks this Easter weekend, we’ve rounded up ten verdant rooftop gardens including a penthouse garden in Australia and a stepped vegetable garden in Vietnam.
This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series feature terrazzo kitchens, stylish home offices, children’s bedrooms and inspiring outdoor living spaces.
Sydney penthouse garden, Australia, by CO-AP
The luxurious garden of this penthouse in Darlinghurst, Sydney, is made up of raised beds filled with indigenous plant, tree and shrub species.
Designed by landscape architect Matt Dillion, the plants were carefully selected to suit harsh rooftop conditions. The garden surrounds a pavilion-inspired penthouse with large windows.
Find out more about Sydney penthouse garden ›
Casa Verne, Mexico, by Zeller & Moye
This Mexico City rooftop garden was created as a getaway within a crowded neighbourhood in the bustling city.
Walkways made from white marble pebbles meander through different leisure areas, which feature plots of vegetation carefully planted to make the space seem bigger. Curved lines, artificial hills and dense planting add to the spacious feel.
Find out more about Casa Verne ›
San Francisco Residence, US, by Jamie Bush
A series of rooftop gardens were added to this stepped San Francisco building.
Los Angeles architect Jamie Bush used a landscape firm to choose plants to suit the California climate, which can quickly change from very hot to very cold. Among these are ornamental grasses, which are both attractive and hardy enough to thrive in windy conditions.
Find out more about San Francisco Residence ›
Veranda Roof Studio, India, by Studio Course
Studio Course revived this penthouse in Pune, west India, which opens up to a rooftop space. The local studio connected the apartment’s library with its courtyard garden where a raised patio makes for a perfect space for reading and relaxing.
Practical gravel lines the ground while shrubs and trees in wide terracotta pots add touches of green to the stone walls and floor.
Find out more about Veranda Roof Studio ›
The Red Roof, Vietnam, by TAA Design
This house in Vietnam is named after the large red bricks that make up its stepped roof, which is covered in an abundance of roof planters filled with vegetables for the local community.
The garden was designed to function as a closed cycle of growth, harvest and consumption, and grows a number of different vegetables in its raised plant beds and a number of terracotta pots.
Find out more about The Red Roof ›
Forest House, Thailand, by Shma Company
Bangkok’s Forest House has over 120 trees planted on its green roofs. As the roof terrace receives the most sunlight, it has also been planted with fruits, herbs and vegetables for the family who lives here.
Shma Company, which designed Forest House, believes that plant-covered buildings can help to mitigate many of the effects of climate change.
Find out more about Forest Roof ›
Maggie’s Centre Leeds, UK, by Heatherwick Studio
Heatherwick Studio’s design for Leeds’ Maggie’s Centre for cancer patients has a grassy rooftop garden as well as a plant-filled interior.
The studio wanted to immerse the building in “thousands of plants” to make it feel soulful and welcoming. The rooftop garden uses species native to Yorkshire’s woodlands, with evergreen shrubs and trees to provide colour throughout the year.
Find out more about Maggie’s Centre Leeds ›
Tokyo home, Japan, by Suzuko Yamada
Permanent scaffolding containing garden spaces encapsulates this Tokyo home.
Though it’s not a traditional rooftop garden, the different levels of the scaffolding allow the owners to experience a wide variety of plants, from a large tree on the ground to smaller potted plants higher up.
Find out more about Tokyo home ›
Rooftop garden, USA, by Piet Oudolf
Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf, the designer of the High Line in New York, used herbaceous perennials ranging from flowering plants to decorative grasses for this rooftop garden.
The plants are placed in fibreglass planters with built-in benches and were used to frame four different zones on the rooftop, including a piazza and a dining area.
Find out more about Rooftop garden ›
House in Nha Trang, Vietnam by Vo Trong Nghia
The roof of this house in Vietnam is formed by a large tiered garden that was created to offer the owners as much outdoor space as possible. Trees, plants and flowers have been planted in rows on the staggered roof.
“The client wanted a large house with a large garden,” architects Vo Trong Nghia and Masaaki Iwamoto said. “Answering this request, a single roof is designed as a hanging garden to plant numerous trees and plants on.”
Find out more about House in Nha Trang ›
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 peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.
For this lookbook, we’ve rounded up ten home interiors decorated in pastel tints that show how ice-cream colours can give spaces a fresh, calming look.
The selection from our archive, which includes bathrooms to bedrooms and kitchens, shows how pastels – made by adding white to pure colours to make them more luminous and less saturated – can create a spring-like feeling.
Never really out of fashion, pastels have strong psychological associations with new life with their pale, cheery tints representing a midway stage between the darkness of winter and the full-blown colour of summer.
This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series feature rooftop gardens, bright kitchens, interiors with statement plants, terrazzo kitchens, and stylish home offices.
Hidden Tints, Sweden, by Note Design Studio
A warm, yellow tint covers the walls of this Stockholm apartment designed by Note Design Studio, which is filled with different pastel colours. A pale, spring-like green complements the yellow and is picked up in the plants dotted around the space.
Wooden furniture matches the gleaming wooden floors, while a pale orange Mango lounge chair by Note Design Studio for Wendelbo adds a touch of colour. The light above the table is SILO Trio by Note Design Studio for Zero.
Find out more about Hidden Tints ›
Longhouse, Australia, by Partners Hill
The dining room of this shed-style home in Australia has been decorated in a pale blue colour that contrasts with its wooden floor and wooden door frame, as well as the rolling plains of bushland outside the windows.
Tomato-red dining chairs give the room a contemporary, vibrant feel and stand out against the soothing blue walls.
Find out more about Longhouse ›
Suburban Canny, Australia, by Tribe Studio
Each bathroom in this Sydney home is tiled in a different colour – pink, teal and blue. The almost apricot-pink shade of the tiles is matched with a pale pink, wall-hung basin as well as the door and door frame.
The geometric shapes of the small tiles create a graphic pattern on the wall that adds interest to the monochrome interior.
Find out more about Suburban Canny ›
Co-working space, US, by Beauty Shoppe
While the walls have been kept a discrete grey colour, pastel colours were used for other parts of the interior in this Cleveland co-working space. A Tulip side table by Eero Saarinen for Knoll sits between two of West Elm’s Thea chairs in a very pale pink shade.
Green and pink is used throughout the space, on a reception desk in pistachio green and the apricot-coloured curtains, as well as a comfy green sofa accessorised with a pink pillow.
Find out more about the co-working space ›
Melbourne extension, Australia, by Dan Gayfer Design
A banana-leaf ficus (ficus maclellandii) peaks in from the courtyard at this tile-clad blue bathroom in Melbourne. The tiles match the exterior of the house, which is also clad in pale blue tiles.
White-tiled walls and wooden drawers complete the clean, simple interior of the bathroom.
Find out more about the Melbourne extension ›
Skyhouse, US, by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas
This comfy sleeping nook in a Manhattan penthouse has been livened up with a very pale, almost pear-green colour that creates a peaceful feeling.
Light streaming in from a large window in the slanted wall adds to the fresh, crisp feel of the space which has been decorated with a small, practical stool as well as selected art pieces.
Find out more about Skyhouse ›
Paris apartment, France, by Les Ateliers Tristan & Sagitta
Colour was used generously throughout this Paris flat and used in a clever way to divide the children’s room for two brothers.
One side of the space has pale blue paintwork and beige carpet, while the other has white walls and wooden floorboards laid in a zigzagging pattern. The same pale blue was also used on the side with white walls to create a decorative geometric design on the wall.
Find out more about Paris apartment ›
A Brockley Side, UK, by CAN
Architecture studio CAN added a blue and white striped extension to a Victorian terrace in London and used a pastel pink curtain to give added privacy to the kitchen and dining space inside.
Pale turquoise Eames DSW chairs are set around a white dining table, with the colour picked up by the speckled sink splashback and the blue accessories on the shelves above it.
Find out more about A Brockley Side ›
London flat, UK, by Nimtim
Hans J Wegner’s sculptural Wishbone chair for Carl Hansen & Søn functions almost as a piece of art in this bedroom in a London flat, which has wooden fitted wardrobes and a fold-down bed.
The kitchen and dining space next to it has colourful turquoise cabinetry and a grey marble wall, which adds a luxurious touch to the space.
Find out more about London flat ›
Leman Locke, UK, by Grzywinski + Pons
Pale blue was used in this bedroom of the Leman Locke hotel in London, which was designed to bridge the gap between a home and a hotel stay.
Sami Kallio’s In Between chair for &Tradition matches the elegant wooden bed, and the natural wood – which is also used on the bedside table – gives the sleek space a more organic feel.
Find out more about Leman Locke ›
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 peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens
For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up ten outdoor seating areas that incorporate stylish fireplaces and roaring fire pits to warm yourself on chilly spring evenings.
This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home.
Previous articles in the series featured pastel interiors, bright kitchens, living rooms with statement shelving and interiors with statement plants.
House of the Big Arch, South Africa, by Frankie Pappas
Built within a South African nature reserve, House of the Big Arch was designed by architecture collective Frankie Pappas to avoid existing trees.
Supported on an arch that gives the house its name is an outdoor patio that contains a circular brick hearth, an oven and a small pool.
Find out more about House of the Big Arch ›
Guadalajara House, Mexico, by Alejandro Sticotti
Argentinian architect Alejandro Sticotti created a covered outdoor lounge and dining area alongside this house in the Mexican city of Guadalajara.
Connected to the home’s indoor, open-plan kitchen and dining room, the sheltered area contains a seating area with a timber-framed sofa and a dining table alongside an outdoor chiminea set against a wall.
Find out more about Guadalajara House ›
AutoCamp, USA, by Anacapa Architecture
Created to be the social hub of a luxury campground in California designed by Anacapa Architecture, this open-air clubhouse is used for guest check-in and socialising.
Within the clubhouse, chairs are gathered around a square floor-level hearth similar to a Japanese irori beneath a suspended conical steel flue.
Find out more about AutoCamp ›
Butterfly House, USA, by Surface Design
Landscape architecture studio Surface Design created a series of planted terraces at this house in San Francisco to be “a serene respite from the city”.
A raised concrete hearth hosting an ethanol fire anchors the ground floor courtyard, which is completed with benches, ferns and anemones and pots containing agaves and euphorbias.
Find out more about Butterfly House ›
Equinox Hotel, USA, by David Rockwell and Joyce Wang
Designed by Rockwell Group and Joyce Wang Studio, the Equinox Hotel occupies 14 floors of a skyscraper designed by architecture firm SOM in Hudson Yards.
The hotel has two large terraces – one with a pool overlooking Thomas Heatherwick’s Vessel, and one containing seating arranged around a water feature and a decorative ethanol fire.
Find out more about Equinox Hotel ›
Minimalist Urban Residence, USA, by Anacapa Architecture
Anacapa Architecture designed this home for a residential neighbourhood in the Californian city of Santa Barbara.
The open-plan living space and main bedroom in the L-shaped house both open onto a backyard that has an outdoor fireplace set in a wall and a seating area arranged around a raised rectangular concrete fire pit.
Find out more about Minimalist Urban Residence ›
Ravine House, USA, by Wheeler Kearns
American studio Wheeler Kearns Architects designed this single-storey house on a wooded site on the outskirts of Chicago.
At the rear of the home is a seating area enclosed by a low, curved gabion wall made from rubble found on the site. A fireplace is integrated into this gabion wall.
Find out more about Ravine House ›
Midden Garden Pavilion, South Africa, by Metropolis
This concrete outdoor dining pavilion was designed by Metropolis as part of a renovation of a house in the Cape Town suburb of Constantia.
Designed to take advantage of views over nearby Table Mountain, the open-sided pavilion includes a square concrete hearth topped with a suspended funnel-shaped flue surrounded by concrete seating.
Find out more about Midden Garden Pavilion ›
Yō no Ie, Japan, by Muji
This single-storey prefabricated home designed by Japanese retail company Muji is fronted by three full-height doors that open onto a large wooden deck.
The outdoor terrace contains a sunken seating area with a fire pit.
Find out more about Yō no Ie ›
Casa SS, Chile, by Pablo Saric and Cristian Winckler
Designed by architects Pablo Saric and Cristian Winckler Perched, Casa SS is a blackened pine house perched above the Pacific Ocean in Chile.
The main living area has large glass windows facing the ocean and opens out onto an enclosed sandy courtyard with deck chairs arranged around a circular steel fire pit at the rear of the home.
Find out more about Casa SS ›
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 peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.
For our next lookbook, we’ve selected ten courtyards and enclosed outdoor spaces where the designers have created inviting places to sit and relax.
Courtyards are areas that are enclosed by walls yet open to the sky. They allow natural light and fresh air to enter buildings with deep plans and can also serve as gardens or patios if designed well.
These ten projects have made the most of these outdoor spaces to create calm seating areas to hang out in.
This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series feature plant-filled interiors, lush rooftop gardens and spaces for outdoor dining.
Casa Octavia in Mexico City, Mexico, by PPAA
Casa Octavia, a hotel opened by a fashion brand in Mexico City, has a gravel-lined outdoor space down one side.
A polished concrete bench that doubles as a fern-filled planter provide a place to sit with your back against the wall and catch the sun. Smooth wooden stools provide additional seating for groups to gather and chat.
Find out more about Casa Octavia
House for a Ceramic Designer in Ljubljana, Slovenia, by Arhitektura d.o.o
Angular black ceramic sculptures made by the occupant decorate this courtyard at the centre of a house and studio built for a ceramicist living in Ljubljana.
A looping chair by Zett made of fibre cement matches the concrete walls and floors and provides another sculptural element when not in use. White curtains can be used to screen off the glass walls from the outdoors for privacy.
Find out more about House for a Ceramic Designer
Fairfield Hacienda in Melbourne, Australia, by MRTN Architects
A patio at the front of this home in Melbourne acts as an outdoor living room for the family that lives there.
Windows and doorways are formed by the simple breeze-block walls, which also form a wood-topped bench down one side. Bright red metal chairs and grey bar stools provide extra seating around the outdoor dining table.
Find out more about Fairfield Hacienda
Martinez 3458 in Mendoza, Argentina, by Primer Piso Arquitectos
A patch of grass has been planted in a section cut away from the tiled floor of this walled patio on the ground floor apartment of this brick building in Mendoza.
A pair of acid-yellow Original Acapulco Chairs by OK Design sits on the lawn, and an outdoor fire shelf with a chimney provides a spot for an outdoor barbeque that won’t bother the upstairs neighbours.
Find out more about Martinez 3458
Palma Hideaway in Palma, Mallorca, by Mariana de Delás
Glazed green tiles on a planter filled with crotons (Codiaeum variegatum) provide a pop of colour against the white-painted walls and terrazzo floor of this courtyard for an apartment in Mallorca.
A pair of HAY’s Hee Lounge White chairs match the backdrop and are draped with mismatching cushions.
Find out more about Palma Hideaway
Pointing House in Rome, Italy, by Studio Strato
This 110-square-foot one-bedroom apartment overlooking a park in Rome wraps around this small outdoor space with a tiled floor.
The wooden sliding door is painted a deep teal, providing a backdrop for a pair of bamboo and rattan chairs and a table holding a baby blue glazed ashtray. A wild banana plant (Strelitzia nicolai) in a terracotta pot adds a splash of greenery.
Find out more about Pointing House
House in Sonobe, Sonobe, Japan, by Tato Architects
A corrugated polycarbonate door slides open to reveal the wedge-shaped atrium of this house in the town of Sonobe.
A simple wooden swing hangs from a steel beam. A sink in one corner serves the downstairs bathroom while a circular table with a chair and an articulated task lamp provide a semi-outdoor workspace.
Find out more about House in Sonobe
Casa Piraja in São Paulo, Brazil, by Estúdio BRA Arquitetura
This narrow courtyard to the rear of a slim house in São Paulo features an outdoor kitchen and bar tucked against the back wall.
A Nature Tri Bistro Table and a pair of Cascade Stools from Brazilian brand Cremme complete the outdoor setup, turning it into a private bar for the residents.
Find out more about Casa Piraja
House of Reticence in Shiga, Japan, by Formkouichi Kimura Architects
This tranquil courtyard in a house on an 18-metre-wide plot in Shiga provides a meditative space with plain rendered walls and square white tiles on the floor.
A built-in bench made of long glazed bricks sits below a glazed wall that lets in soft diffuse light while maintaining privacy.
Find out more about House of Reticence
Wall House in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, by CTA
Walls of punctured bricks create an intriguing pattern and let breezes waft through the courtyard of this multi-generational house in Bien Hoa.
A wooden-topped table provides a sunlit dining area surrounded by vegetation planted in the earth between the exposed-aggregate concrete floor.
Our latest lookbook takes a look at interiors that have been filled with printed wallpaper to create playful, colourful spaces and bring a sense of joy to the rooms they’re in.
Patterned, printed wallpapers are an easy way to revive tired rooms and create interesting designs for everything from guest bathrooms to main bedrooms.
Here, we have gathered inspiration from ten projects, including an architect-designed hotel interior and a Milanese apartment where the patterned wallpaper creates a decorative clash with printed curtains.
This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series feature plant-filled interiors, lush rooftop gardens and spaces for outdoor dining.
Hotel Les Deux Gares, France, by Luke Edward Hall
British designer Luke Edward Hall went all in when it came to the interior design of this French hotel, mixing pea-green walls, leopard-print furnishings and candy-striped beds for a vibrant, colour-clashing design.
While it has an intricate pattern of branches, flowers and people, the colours of the printed wallpaper are more subdued, with its pale blue tone creating a calm counterpoint to the bright green panelling.
Find out more about Hotel Les Deux Gares ›
Teorema Milanese, Italy, by Marcante-Testa
There’s a retro feel to the bedroom of this renovated Milanese apartment where design studio Marcante-Testa juxtaposed a variety of materials and colours. In the bedroom, a wallpaper with a geometric pattern sits next to sheer, polka dot curtains.
An orange night table from Meridiani adds a splash of colour, as does a blue border on the floor around the decorative herring-bone patterned floorboards.
Find out more about Teorema Milanese ›
Austin Proper Hotel and Residences, US, by Kelly Wearstler
A hotel in Downtown Austin, Texas, was given an interior design that revolves around local art and textiles. Designer Kelly Wearstler covered the walls throughout the hotel in eye-catching printed wallpapers, including a botanical wallpaper that was used in one of the restaurants.
Mid-century modern-style chairs and a delicate geometric lighting fixture complement the abundant floral patterns on the wall.
Find out more about Austin Proper ›
Cats’ Pink House, Taiwan, by KC Design Studio
A terrazzo-patterned wallpaper makes this guest bathroom in a Taiwanese holiday home feel both luxurious and playful at the same time.
The recessed sink has been painted in a pale pink hue that matches the terrazzo flecks of the wallpaper and picks up the pink colours of the rest of the flat.
Find out more about Cats’ Pink House ›
Chloe Hotel, US, by Sara Ruffin Costello
The Chloe Hotel in New Orleans’ picturesque Uptown neighbourhood has moody, dark colours in many of its rooms.
In the hotel’s restaurant, designer Sara Ruffin Costello eschewed the plain paint used elsewhere in favour of a dramatic blue wall with a pattern of Egret birds amongst tree branches.
Find out more about Chloe Hotel ›
Mrs and Mr Bateman, UK, by Selena Beaudry, Clemmie Myers and Natalie Tredgett
Printed wallpaper was used for both the walls and display plinths in this West London pop-up shop, informed by an eccentric fictional family.
The pattern has a vintage feel that is enhanced by the swirly psychedelic sculptures on the plinth and by London-based artist Margit Wittig’s Bateman 21st Century chandelier, which features colourful resin pieces.
Find out more about Mrs and Mr Bateman ›
Post House Inn, US, by Basic Projects
Floral-print wallpaper decorates the living area of this hotel room at boutique hotel Post House Inn in South Carolina. A rhomboid-patterned carpet and pillows decorated with a floral print create a playful mish-mash of patterns.
A comfortable lounge chair in a warm red velvet lends colour to the room and matches the red bedframe, while a wooden coffee table adds to the laidback vibe.
Find out more about Post House Inn ›
Apartment Filippo, UK, by Alexander Fehre
There’s an op art feel to the dining area in this small London flat, which Alexander Fehre renovated to make it feel more spacious. The black-and-white printed wallpaper contrasts against the tomato red sofas and table to create an intimate seating area in the white kitchen.
A copper kitchen lamp and oversized cabinet handles add to the almost childlike charm of this kitchen nook.
Find out more about Apartment Filippo ›
Lamorna, UK, by Charlie Luxton Design
When designer Charlie Luxton refurbished this bungalow in the Cotswalds, he decorated the children’s bedrooms with a jungle theme.
A tiger wallpaper extends out into the corridor and was chosen to “bring some life and fun and sunshine into that area of the house”. It matches an art print featuring a tiger in one of the rooms and creates a bright, fun hallway.
Find out more about Lamorna ›
Arcade by Calico Wallpaper and Workstead
Brooklyn studios Workstead and Calico Wallpaper teamed up to create this installation inside New York’s Arcade Bakery, which was also designed by Workstead. The abstract Relic wallpaper was used to decorate the bakery’s cosy alcoves and features a mixture of sheer tissue paper and metallic and matte elements.
Contrasted against the bakery’s marble floors and wooden panelling, the wallpaper adds a sunny splash of colour that is still in keeping with the historic 1929 building.
Find out more about Arcade ›
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 peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.
For our latest lookbook, interiors expert Michelle Ogundehin has selected ten examples of interiors with glazed internal windows, doors and partitions that create clever zoning and add privacy while still letting the light through.
“In the ongoing search for work-from-home space, walls are making a return as open-plan layouts are found wanting,” writes architect, author and TV presenter Ogundehin, who has curated this selection of images from Dezeen’s archive.
“But walls block out natural light as well as potentially making spaces feel poky and claustrophobic,” adds Ogundehin, who joins Dezeen’s lookbooks team as occasional guest editor.
“Instead, consider an internal window or semi-glazed partitioning. The latter could be fixed or moveable, in the form of concertina partitions or pocket doors, so they can be slid or folded away at the end of the working day.”
“Either way, this selection of projects proves that zoning the contemporary home for work, rest and play doesn’t necessarily mean creating solid walls.”
This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series feature interiors with printed wallpaper, spa-like bathrooms, inviting courtyards, outdoor spaces with fireplaces and fire pits, and pastel-hued interiors.
Read on for Ogundehin’s selection of great examples of internal glazing:
Minsk apartment, Belarus, by Lera Brumina
Interior designer Lera Brumina chose to use internal glazing as a clever solution to a problem with the light in this Minsk apartment, where one side is extremely bright and the rear half is much darker.
Instead of walls, she used sliding glass doors to separate the rooms, letting the light from the windows on one side of the apartment flow through the whole space. Colourful furniture and details also make the rooms brighter.
Find out more about Minsk apartment ›
Beaconsfield Residence, Canada, by StudioAC
The renovation of this Victorian-era house in Toronto entailed overhauling and opening up the interior, including creating a glassed-in office at the rear of the house.
Located next to the kitchen, the office is shielded from it by a simple glass wall in a black frame, which is both decorative and creates a second room without making the kitchen feel smaller.
Find out more about Beaconsfield Residence ›
Teorema Milanese, Italy, by Marcante-Testa
A rich mix of materials and colours, including green and grey marble, feature in this luxurious-looking Milanese apartment by Marcante-Testa.
A partition wall was knocked out to create an open-plan living and dining room, with the different rooms demarcated by a golden metal frame that holds decorative glazed windows. This also separates the dining area from the hallway.
A lens table by McCollin Bryan with a glass tabletop picks up both the glass and the gold colour of the frame.
Find out more about Teorema Milanese ›
Makepeace Mansions, UK, by Surman Weston
In rooms with high ceilings, such as this London apartment that was given a refresh by Surman Weston, using glazed internal windows above doors is a clever way to let more light into the room.
A number of the rooms in the 1920s residential block feature these windows, which are both decorative and practical.
Find out more about Makepeace Mansions ›
Lostvilla Qinyong Primary School Hotel, China, by Atelier XÜK
Atelier XÜK has turned a former primary school in China into a boutique hotel, with guest bedrooms that feature wooden floors and beds.
Wood-clad bathroom cubes hold showers and other facilities, which sit within wooden frames that have been glazed in some places to protect from the water. This creates a light-filled bathroom that still has a sense of privacy.
Find out more about Primary School Hotel ›
Riverside Apartment, US, by Format Architecture Office
A small glazing solution shields the kitchen from the dining space in this New York apartment, adding a restaurant-like feel to the kitchen design.
Ribbed glass has been inserted into a wooden frame, hiding the prep-work space in the kitchen from the more relaxed living space and adding a nicely textured detail to the pared-down aesthetic of the flat.
Find out more about Riverside Apartment ›
Lawyer’s office, Belgium, by Arjaan de Feyter
Professional spaces can also benefit from internal glazing, such as in this lawyer’s office in Belgium. Large glazed internal walls and windows help break up the rooms while making sure the moody colour palette doesn’t feel too dark.
Partition walls of glass and blackened steel create closed-off meeting rooms and contrast against the whitewashed walls.
Find out more about Lawyer’s office ›
LIFE micro-apartments, South Korea, by Ian Lee
This co-living building in Seoul has micro-apartments that tenants can customise however they want, with interiors that were designed to feel simple and timeless.
Sliding glass partitions have been used to divide the rooms in some of the apartments, with frosted glass to add more privacy between bedrooms and social spaces.
Find out more about LIFE micro-apartments ›
Botaniczana Apartment, Poland, by Agnieszka Owsiany Studio
Designer Agnieszka Owsiany aimed to create a tranquil apartment for a couple with high-pressure jobs, and used a simple material palette and natural colours to do so.
A floor-to-ceiling glass wall between the apartment’s hallway and the bedroom has a white frame that matches the plain white walls and has been hung with white curtains, a clever way to create a more intimate space when desired.
Find out more about Botaniczana Apartment ›
Mews house, UK, by Hutch Design
Even without glazing, internal windows help open up adjacent rooms and create a sense of space. Hutch Design’s renovation of this London mews house includes a side extension with a concertina partition in the upper section of the dividing wall.
This can be open or closed as needed, creating a room that can be adapted depending on its usage.
Find out more about Mews house ›
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 printed wallpapers, contemporary bathrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.
Not everyone has room for a huge kitchen so for our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up ten designs with a small footprint.
One solution is a single-wall kitchen, in which everything is arranged in a single run against a wall.
Other more creative designs feature kitchens tucked in nooks, hidden behind doors or even pop-up kitchens that fold away when not in use.
This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous kitchen-related posts feature breakfast bars, kitchens with islands, green kitchens, terrazzo kitchens and kitchens with skylights.
Pocket House, UK, by Tikari Works
Aptly named Pocket House, this London extension measures just 35 square metres. Designers Tikari Works fitted the compact kitchen along a wall, with a skylight above providing natural light.
Custom-made plywood cabinets by Uncommon Projects provide storage including a run of units above the counter with sliding doors that hide everything from gadgets to plug sockets, allowing the counter to remain clutter-free.
Find out more about Pocket House ›
LIFE micro-apartments, South Korea, by Ian Lee
Like the walls in this tiny apartment in Seoul, South Korea, the storage spaces in this small kitchen have been lined with pale birch wood.
The kitchen has a stainless steel sink and a miniature hob beneath a small steel extractor. Two of the birch shelves have been left open, giving the owner space to display their earthenware.
This creates a simple, decorative touch and breaks up the streamlined design of the wooden cabinets.
Find out more about LIFE micro-apartments ›
Studio apartment, France, by Pierre-Louis Gerlier
A curved wall with scalloped wood panelling decorates this Parisian studio apartment where space is at a premium. Designer Pierre-Louise Gerlier built it into a partition to save space in the open-plan interior.
Cabinets in a bright, springlike green sit above a sink and small hob. The wall behind the kitchen area has been rendered in concrete that contrasts with the brass electrical sockets.
A vintage campaign chair in bright orange adds another touch of colour to the space.
Find out more about the studio apartment ›
Casa Mami, USA, by Working Holiday Studio
Holiday homes often need functional but space-saving kitchens and this one in the California desert is no exception. Designers Working Holiday Studio took cues from Japanese and Scandinavian design when creating this pale-wood kitchen.
Cabinets and drawers have holes instead of handles. A small black cafe table and slender chairs pick up the black colours of the mismatching sink, fridge and cast-iron cooking utensils.
Find out more about Casa Mami ›
El Camarin, Argentina, by IR Arquitectura
Bright white cupboards and shelves give this small Argentine kitchen a light, relaxing feel. Built-in furniture adds plenty of storage space to the small kitchen next to a caged balcony.
A small table can be folded out to create a dining space, and the fridge and washing machines are also hidden behind the doors.
Find out more about El Camarin ›
Minimal Fantasy Apartment, Spain, by Patricia Bustos Studio
The only minimal thing in the Minimal Fantasy Apartment is the footprint of the kitchen, which has been built against one wall in the completely pink apartment.
Colourful cabinets have geometric shapes and blue hues that break up the monotone pink. A small pale-pink sink sits on a pink-tiled countertop. Spherical wall lights add a festive feel.
Find out more about Minimal Fantasy Apartment ›
Majamaja, Finland, by Pekka Littow
Majamaja is an off-grid cabin in the Finnish seaside that was created as a holiday home by architect Pekka Littow.
He added clever space-saving tricks such as fold-down furniture and a kitchenette that can be hidden behind birch plywood doors when not in use.
The doors have matching shelves above the stainless-steel sink, hob and splashback.
Find out more about Majamaja ›
Brooklyn Loft by Dean Works
This former studio apartment in Brooklyn was reorganised around a multi-functional plywood volume. In the kitchen, where it has been lined with grey and white marble, it forms cabinets and countertops.
The module holds both the since and a gas hob, as well as a built-in oven. Open shelves lend the feel of a display case and allow the owners easy access to crockery and cooking utensils.
Find out more about Brooklyn Loft ›
Sanwa kitchen, Japan, by Sanwa
Japanese brand Sanwa designed this tiny kitchen, which is made from bamboo, especially for micro-homes. When closed, the kitchen doubles as a compact work desk.
An inbuilt electric motor opens the lid up to turn it into a fully functional kitchen with kitchen and washing facilities in one single unit.
The kitchen is one of a range of compact kitchens by the brand.
Find out more about Sanwa kitchen ›
Tiny Holiday Home, The Netherlands, by Chris Collaris and i29 Interior Architects
Pale wood meets black wood to create a sculptural, striking kitchen design in this Dutch holiday home.
The house was designed to be “spatially efficient” and make use of every centimetre. This can also be seen in the wardrobe-like kitchen, which features bespoke full-height cabinetry designed by i29 Interior Architects and Chris Collaris to echo the graphical form of the house.
Find out more about Tiny Holiday Home ›
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 peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.
An aquarium designed to protect marine biodiversity and a healing centre using horticultural techniques to help treat mental illness are included in our latest school show by architecture students at the Academy of Art University.
Other projects include a “public living room” that blends neighbourhood life with areas for privacy and a residential hub designed to enable economic self-sufficiency for residents.
School:Academy of Art University, School of Architecture Courses: M.Arch M.Arch2 B.Arch MA and BA Tutor: Mark Mueckenheim, David Gill, Nicole Lambrou, Sameena Sitabkhan, Eoanna Harrison, Philip Ra and Mini Chu
School statement:
“We are a progressive design laboratory of highly passionate students and a distinguished faculty of practising architects who work together to explore the boundaries of architecture. Our interactive onsite and online studio experience harnesses digital tools to mentor students throughout our rigorous curriculum.
“We offer an excellent design education by developing each student’s capacity to synthesise critical thought, architectural vision, and technical comprehension. Our programmes engage with current global issues, empowering students to be change-makers and leaders advocating for social equity. Our diverse international community enables us to propagate a unique cultural response to build a better world.”
Outer Mission Ramp Library – a knowledge connector for rapidly changing communities by Yi Hsien Rachel Wang
“The typology of library buildings has evolved throughout history, reflecting the changes in information systems and learning activities. By combining social, functional and environmental benefits, the thesis is projecting a new sustainable library typology as a prototype for a public learning infrastructure.
“The main conceptual idea is to design the library as a continuous ramp, connecting previously separated areas in the diverse local city fabric. The architectural intervention shortens the neighbourhood’s physical and social distances by combining pedestrian bridges, casual and formal learning infrastructure as a public living room for residents to gather, work, exercise and entertain.”
Student:Yi Hsien Rachel Wang Course: Master of Architecture Thesis Tutor: Mark Mueckenheim
Self-generating Architecture: Pier 28 by Valeryia Haletskaya
“The design for a hybrid aquarium and research-development centre at Pier 28 on the San Francisco waterfront employs organic, metabolic and self-generating materials. Artificial organisms – protocells that in time grow into artificial limestone – help to decrease levels of carbon dioxide while reinforcing the existing structure and building its sea-wall reef, skeleton, and envelope.
“Researchers, students and visitors share spaces for learning, interaction, and collaboration. The scheme offers protection for marine species and enhances biodiversity. The living architectural intervention is aimed as a long-term solution for coastal cities and other areas at risk from storms surges due to climate change.”
Student: Valeryia Haletskaya Course: Master of Architecture Thesis M.Arch Tutor: Mark Mueckenheim
Outer Mix Investigating mixed-use development as a means to fostering a healthy year-round community on the Outer Cape by Christian Fish
“A lack of affordable, year-round housing has become an urgent crisis on Cape Cod, afflicting low and middle-income families depending on a largely seasonal economy. Outer Mix imagines a new residential, social and economic hub on a 10-acre area in the Eastham Corridor Special District.
“Organised into four blocks repeated throughout the site, 95 residential units are combined with nearly 30,000 square feet of economic and social programming. This includes artist studios, co-working spaces, cafes, a library, daycare and community greenhouse. This programme mix enables economic and sustainable self-sufficiency and a community for residents.”
Student: Christian Fish Course: Master of Architecture Thesis Tutor: Nicole Lambrou
Eco-Tecture – Unifying Ecology with Architecture by Kevin Brady
“How can architecture enhance, improve and support educational and public awareness of the conservation and preservation of our local natural resources? Exposure and access to the elements of nature enliven the spirit, inspire curiosity, and encourages a ‘critical thinking’ response while promoting a healthy interactive lifestyle.
“This thesis seeks to determine how architecture could positively impact an ecological setting that strengthens community health, productivity, conservation and ecological awareness. This design approach engages user groups with the natural environment while preserving the ecological habitat.”
Student: Kevin Brady Course: Master of Architecture Thesis Tutor: David Gill
A Living Architecture by Aishwarya Naidu Bobbili
“This project is a healing centre incorporating earth and plants into its form and structure to create a holistic, sustainable space for wellness and rehabilitation. Farming, nature and architecture form a dialectic relationship. Horticultural techniques such as pleaching aid in the treatment of mental illness and serve as a therapeutic strategy.
“Located in Bakersfield, near Oil City in Kern County, California, the site is near the highest polluted city in the United States. The project aims to aid in healing people with a tranquil environment that incorporates sustainable and biophilic design.”
Student: Aishwarya Naidu Bobbili Course: Master of Architecture Thesis Tutor: Mark Mueckenheim
Unity Pavilion for Northridge Cooperative Housing by Naomi Rojas, Shunyi Yang, Dylan Ingle, Rhonuel Domingcil, Fabio Lemos, Corona Xiaohuan Gao, Malak Bellajdel, Kenta Oye, Jacob Delaney, Harikrishna Patel and Daniel Cervantes
“A design-build project by the B.Lab group, the pavilion fosters cooking, eating and storytelling within a community garden in the Hunters Point neighbourhood of San Francisco.
“Due to a lack of access to healthy, affordable food in the area, the pavilion integrates counters, benches, and a movable kitchen table for cooking demonstrations using produce directly from the garden, while a series of frames offer shade and a vista of the bay.
“The design was derived from several communities and youth workshops together with feedback from garden volunteers, and the pavilion was measured and tested on full-scale prototypes before construction.”
“The project investigates the relationship between the sacred and the political, and the role of the autonomous citizen therein. Sign-up sheets are simple yet contractual.
“Where public services are exchanged, they are activating devices bringing citizens together to achieve common goals. Sacred architecture has been a beacon of alternative governance by becoming places of refuge and political action.
“This thesis frames those events as distinct from the economic agenda of neoliberalism. Sign-Up Sheet reimagines the site with an urban sanctuary in San Francisco’s Tenderloin where non-profit staffs and community members live and work in a hub of collective activity.”
Student: Daniel Joonhee Lee Course: Bachelor of Architecture Thesis Tutor: Philip Ra and Mini Chu
Kid of Parts for the Bayview Commons Apartments by Adam Nuru, Markish Siojo, Dylan Ingle, Fabio Lemos, Xiaohuan Corona Gao
“Through a series of community events at the Bayview Commons Apartments, an affordable housing community in San Francisco, we learned that residents wanted an active, intergenerational, and flexible space that allowed for relaxation, interactive play and community events.
“Our final design incorporates a set of flexible, movable furniture that can be set up in different configurations. Intergenerational play, imagination, and socializing are emphasized through the design of different panels on the modular pieces. The colourful groundscape is coded to give clues for spatial use and provide a vibrant surface that complements the colours of the wall mural.”
“Urban planning in San Francisco has confined ethnic neighbourhoods to inhuman spaces. My ancestral heritage includes the repeated displacement of the Japanese community to unwanted or forgotten territories.
“The design reveals the lost layers of the site – where the first Japan town took root in 1900 – by activating the alleys, offering a cultural centre that borrows from museum and immigration centre programmes.
“The act of making was the catharsis that enabled this community to cope creatively. Ceramic, wood, and sewing galleries are paired with adjacent workshops, providing spaces to congregate, exchange ideas and share experiences through craft.”
Student:Kenta Oye Course: Bachelor of Architecture Thesis Tutor: Philip Ra and Mini Chu
Urban Living Room by Zoe Qiaoyu Zheng
“The project brings neighbourhood life into public space while blurring boundaries and creating conditions of privacy. Public programmes and varied open spaces blend traditional library and private spaces with adjacent buildings.
“The design responds to natural light, wind, and views but also create opportunities to block visual contact with adjacent residences. People are welcome to celebrate their time here, and the architecture makes invisible boundaries to protect their personal space as needed.
“This is not just a library or another place to hang out; the proposal also provides opportunities for people to safely interact in acceptable proximities.”
Student: Zoe Qiaoyu Zheng Course: Bachelor of Architecture Thesis Tutor: Philip Ra and Mini Chu
Partnership content
This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the Academy of Art University. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
For our latest lookbook we’ve selected ten examples of interiors enlivened by contrasting or analogous hues and colour-blocked walls.
The chosen projects all make use of colour theory, some by using analogous colours – colours that are close or next to each other on the colour wheel – while others use complementary colours, which are on opposite sides of the wheel.
The latter approach is often referred to as colour-blocking, a technique first attributed to Dutch artist Piet Mondrian and which later spread to fashion and interiors.
This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series feature interiors with internal glazing, relaxing courtyards, outdoor seating areas with firepits and decorative printed wallpaper.
Bun, Italy, by Masquespacio
This Milanese burger restaurant was created by Valencian creative studio Masquespacio, which used a lilac and avocado-green colour scheme to give it a youthful feel.
The colour-blocked interior features two complementary colours which were cleverly used to mark different functions. The purple colour is used for the serving area and the pale green for the restaurant’s dining space.
Find out more about Bun ›
Haussmann-era apartment, France, by Sophie Dries
Designed for clients who are “really into colour,” French architect Sophie Dries chose strong colours as the backdrop for this Paris apartment filled with street art.
The kitchen is a mix of grey cabinets and soft orangey-red floors, ceilings and walls. The designer used the colour-blocking technique of pairing orange with a darker colour, but swapped out the blue that is its traditional opposing colour on the wheel for the dark grey hue.
Find out more about this Haussmann-era apartment ›
London townhouse, UK, by R2 Studio
R2 Studio transformed this 19th-century terraced house in the London area of Kennington into a set of colourful, light-filled rooms.
The London-based studio wanted to create a spacious and uncluttered living environment, livened up with splashes of blue, orange, yellow and green.
In the kitchen, the studio used colour-blocking by combining complementary bright yellow and bright blue cabinets for an example of how opposing colours can go well together.
Orange Miura bar stools take centre-stage against plainer concrete countertops and match the green colour of the floor and walls for another colour-block touch.
Find out more about this London townhouse ›
Rooms for Yale University’s student-run radio station, US, by Forma
New York firm Forma used blocks of grey and orange to create colourful spaces in the Yale University rooms that house the student body’s radio station.
Forma painted its recording studio and performance space in segments of grey and vibrant orange, while bright chairs in a similar orange hue nod to the colour theme.
Find out more about the rooms at Yale University ›
Resa San Mamés student accommodation, Spain, by Masquespacio
Another project by Masquespacio, which designed the interiors for student accommodation in Bilbao with baby pink seating and floors set against dark red walls.
Red and pink are traditionally not used together but instead of clashing, the analogous colours give the room a warm, inviting feel.
Designed as a welcoming community-led environment, the entire Resa San Mamés accommodation featuring various bright shades of colour.
Find out more about Resa San Mamés student accommodation ›
Mo-tel House, England, by Office S&M
This London townhouse by local studio Office S&M features a multicoloured staircase, complete with a bright yellow banister that complements its dark blue hue and is livened up by bold pink accents.
The studio injected an abundance of vivid hues into Mo-tel House, a property with previously dark and cramped spaces in the London area of Islington.
The use of recycled materials led the design of the project, which was completed for a client who works in sustainable fashion.
Find out more about Mo-tel House ›
Wine and Eggs, US, by Adi Goodrich
Wine and Eggs is a Los Angeles grocery store with a checkerboard green and blue floor, designed by Adi Goodrich.
The hardwearing floor’s tones are echoed by a bright green wall featuring a circular window, and a bold blue roof, both of which were designed “as a monument to colour,” said Goodrich. The analogous colours also pick up the greenery that’s dotted around the store in the form of plants and vegetables.
The shop’s interior was informed by eclectic European grocery stores. In particular, Italian tabacchis, or tobacco shops, and Parisian cafes and Portuguese storefronts.
Find out more about Wine and Eggs ›
Minsk workspace, Belarus, by Studio11
In a more discrete example of how you can decorate with blocks of colours, Belarusian design firm Studio11 added strips of muted colour to the interior of their own workspace in Minsk, the country’s capital.
Flashes of plum and teal blue line the architecture and design office, which also features a pale pink kitchen island and rough concrete screed floors painted in a delicate shade of grey.
Find out more about Studio11’s workspace ›
His House and Her House, China, by Wutopia Lab
Chinese firm Wutopia Lab renovated two houses in Dameisha Village, an urban slum, into pink and blue buildings designed to explore gender constructs for an architecture biennale in Shenzhen.
The houses themselves became separate blocks of colour, a theme that was also replicated in each building’s interiors. Inside the blue building, analogous green walls and blue ceilings were informed by the work of French artist Henri Matisse.
Find out more about His House and Her House ›
Nagatachō Apartment, Japan, by Adam Nathaniel Furman
A formerly “claustrophobic” Tokyo apartment was transformed by designer and colour-lover Adam Nathaniel Furman into a space defined by a sugar-sweet palette of shapes.
Complete with a lilac carpet informed by icing on a cake, the pastel apartment uses complementary colour-blocking for the bright, light yellow doors with a pale pink border.
Find out more about Nagatachō Apartment ›
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 spa-like bathrooms, terrazzo kitchens and lush rooftop gardens.
