textural Archives

From a ranch in Colorado to a treehouse in Australia, the living spaces in this lookbook are united by the grounding presence of cowhide rugs.

Animal skins have been used in dwellings for warmth and decoration for thousands of years. More recently, cowhide rugs – which were popularised in America – have become a common sight in interiors around the world, thanks to their recognisable pattern, outline and durability.

Each hide has unique colourations and patterning, with variations in texture depending on the breed of the animal. One side features the hair, while the reverse is plain leather – the result of the tanning process.

Cowhides imbue a cosy cabin-like feel, and can both blend into rustic homes and add timeless contrast in more minimalist interior schemes.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring underground bedrooms, kitchens that combine stone with wood and interiors with bright yellow accents.

Bully Hill House, USA, by Studio MM

A tan and white cowskin rug adds warmth to this lofty living space in a rural house in upstate New York.

The skewbald floor covering lends a rustic edge to the living space, and is bolstered by the saloon-style bar stools and a fire surround clad in Corten steel with a niche for storing chopped firewood.

Find out more about Bully Hill House ›

Seating area with cow hide rug and book shelves — Photo by Fernando Marroquín, Jaime Navarro and Beto Lanz

Mexican house, Mexico, by Amezcua

A dappled cowskin rug adorns the volcanic stone floor of the living room in this modular holiday house in Mexico.

The brown and white rug zones the seating area, which comprises two chairs and a side table made from wood and leather and is flanked by a simple bookshelf in matching hues.

Find out more about the Mexican house ›

Open-plan living and dining room in a timber farmhouse with open walls — Photo by Christopher Stark

Sonoma farm house, USA, by Tyreus Design Studio

Nature is ever-present in this house in California, thanks to its expansive sliding doors as well as the earthy elements of the interior scheme, including a pale cowskin rug.

The lightly dappled coat appears to glow in the sunlight and echoes the striated white marble kitchen counter on the other side of the interior.

Find out more about Sonoma farm house ›

Seating area in front of large window overlooking trees — Photo by Matthew Millman

Paintbrush Residence, USA, by CLB Architects

A vast picture window and a cylindrical log burner flank the cowhide floor covering in this contemplative seating area in a house in Wyoming.

The curving outline of the grey and white hide provides a textural contrast to the regular linear shapes in the timber wall and ceiling cladding that encloses the area.

Find out more about Paintbrush Residence ›

Photograph showing loft room with skylight and chair — Photo by BoysPlayNice

Czech house, Czech Republic, by Atelier SAD and Iveta Zachariášová

This gabled living space in the ceiling of a house in the Czech Republic is dominated by a large brindle cowhide.

The rug’s naturally irregular patterning is offset by the geometric floor lamp and a ribbed seat covered in black-and-white zigzag upholstery.

Find out more about the Czech house ›

Interior of Pepper Tree Passive House by Alexander Symes — Photo by Barton Taylor

Pepper Tree Passive House, Australia, by Alexander Symes

A cream cowhide with a pronounced brown stripe running down its centre straddles two types of flooring in this unique house in New South Wales, Australia.

Built around a 60-year-old pepper tree, the interior has a fundamentally neutral colour palette punctuated by plants.

Find out more about Pepper Tree Passive House ›

Living room and kitchen with brown cow hide rug — Photo by Cristóbal Palma

LBS house, Chile, by Umberto Bonomo and Felipe Alarcón

Overlooking a V-shaped wall made from cinder blocks, the industrial-style living space in this Chilean house is softened by the presence of a glossy brown cowhide.

The use of concrete and metal throughout the interior is offset by the rug’s organic feel.

Find out more about LBS house ›

Reforma Alas by OMCM Arquitectos — Photo by Leo Mendez

Reforma Alas, Paraguay, by OMCM Arquitectos

A classic black-and-white spotted cowhide lines the floor in the airy open-plan living room of this house in Paraguay.

The rug provides a focal point in the otherwise minimally decorated space, which is defined by the use of grey and white hues on the walls and floors.

Find out more about Reforma Alas ›

Rockham House is a house in Devon that was designed by Studio Fuse — Photo courtesy of Studio Fuse

Rockham House, UK, by Studio Fuse

The laid-back living room in this house in Devon centres around a pale cowskin that sprawls across the concrete floor.

The room’s broad picture windows frame views of the countryside, with the hide retaining the space’s cosiness with help from a suspended fireplace.

Find out more about Rockham House ›

Goatbarn Lane by Renee Del Gaudio — Photo by David Lauer

Goatbarn Lane, USA, by Renée del Gaudio Architecture

An orange leather sofa, a side table made from gnarled wood and a light-coloured brindle cowskin rug huddle around a fireplace in the corner of the living room in this house in the Rocky Mountains.

Despite the rugged setting, warmth and comfort are instilled in the interior through the use of soft furnishings and warm-toned wooden floors.

Find out more about Goatbarn Lane ›

Reference

Interior Design

Eight textural kitchens that combine stone and wood surfaces

By Zarkon Group,02/09/2023

For this lookbook, we’ve collected eight kitchen interiors that marry the natural textures of wood and stone to create visual interest while remaining practical.

Stone is a hardwearing and durable material, making it a popular choice for kitchen worktops, while wood adds a sense of warmth to interior spaces when applied to walls, floors or kitchen cabinets.

In these kitchens, the natural grain of wood is complemented by striking stone surfaces, including cool-toned limestone, travertine, and a range of dramatically veined marble.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring mid-century home renovations, interiors centred around dining tables and spaces finished in reclaimed materials.

Muswell Hill house, UK, by Architecture for London

English studio Architecture for London renovated and extended this Edwardian home in London using natural materials in a bid to keep embodied emissions to a minimum.

In the kitchen, cabinets were lined with oak wood while pale grey limestone was used for the floors, worktops, prep counter and a chunky window seat.

The studio also exposed the original timber roof beams and complemented the minimal material palette with lime plaster on the walls, forming an airtight layer to mitigate heat loss.

Find out more about the Muswell Hill house ›

Wood-lined kitchen interior with a marble island by DAB Studio — Photo by Daniëlle Siobhán

Zwaag family home, Netherlands, by DAB Studio

For the kitchen renovation of this home in Zwaag, the Netherlands, Dutch interiors practice DAB Studio covered the walls and cabinets in Afromosia wood, and the floors and ceilings in smoked black-oiled oak.

The Afromosia wood was quarter-sawn to reveal a decorative grain pattern and add a sense of playfulness to the space, while an Arebescato Orobico marble kitchen island acts as the room’s centrepiece.

Find out more about Zwaag family home ›

Travertine stone kitchen island and backsplash with oak cabinets — Photo by David Dworkind

1980s Quebec home, Canada, by Ménard Dworkind

A sculptural travertine island sits at the centre of the kitchen in this 1980s home in Quebec, which was renovated by Canadian architecture studio Ménard Dworkind.

The studio also used a travertine slab to create a sliding backsplash, inserted into the warm oak cabinetry to conceal additional storage space.

Find out more about the 1980s Quebec home ›

Kitchen in Twentieth house by Woods and Dangaran — Photo by Joe Fletcher

Twentieth, USA, by Woods + Dangaran

For this kitchen in a Santa Monica home, Los Angeles studio Woods +Dangaran used a dark grey marble with bold white veining to form the island worktop and the surrounds of a recessed space in the wall units.

White oak lines the floors, while a darker shade of walnut was used for wall panelling, cupboards and the sides of the island.

Find out more about Twentieth ›

Palm Beach house in Sydney by YSG with stone kitchen island

Sydney Palm Beach house, Australia, by YSG

Informed by the rustic beach clubs of Ibiza and Cancun, Australian interiors studio YSG overhauled a holiday home in Palm Beach, Sydney, with a mix of sunny colours and textures.

In the kitchen, the studio sanded down the wooden floorboards to achieve a warmer tone and added an island made from two types of stone – Giallo Siena marble and travertine – to recall “the ombre shades of a freshly poured tequila sunrise”.

Find out more about the Sydney Palm Beach house ›

Minimal interiors of forest retreat designed by Norm Architects — Photo by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm Architects

Forest cabin, Sweden, by Norm Architects

Danish studio Norm Architects kept the material palette minimal and rustic for this holiday cabin in a Swedish forest.

Handleless kitchen cupboards are finished in oak to match the floors, complemented by a stone worktop that extends up into a short backsplash.

Find out more about the forest cabin ›

Brooklyn Loft by Dean Works — Photo by Daniel Salemi

Brooklyn Loft, USA, by Dean Works

White marble with grey-and-blue veining provides an eye-catching worktop, backsplash and shelving in the kitchen of Brooklyn Loft, an apartment designed by local studio Dean Works.

Surrounding the marble is a large Baltic birch plywood storage unit that doubles as a room divider to separate the kitchen from the bedroom. A dark stone kitchen island was added to contrast the otherwise light-toned interior.

Find out more about Brooklyn Loft ›

Sunderland Road house in London by 2LG — Photo by Megan Taylor

Forest Hill house, UK, by 2LG Studio

Playful pastel colours characterise the interior of this Edwardian home in London, which was renovated by 2LG Studio.

The local firm aimed to balance Italian influences – in the form of the marble backsplash and kitchen island – with Scandinavian design elements such as the arched cabinets and grooved wood siding.

Find out more about the Forest Hill house ›

Reference

Interior Design

Studio Tate creates “textural earthiness” for Relinque wellness spa

By Zarkon Group,24/11/2022

Melbourne-based Studio Tate has used raw and tactile materials to create “a soothing urban oasis” for the Relinque spa in Melbourne.

Located in north east Melbourne, the 800 square-metre space includes a day-spa, spinal clinic, pilates and yoga studios.

Local practice Studio Tate was informed by nearby parklands and waterways to create “a soothing urban oasis”.

“It was important to create a textural earthiness that evokes the senses, while striking a balance between sophistication and approachability,” explained Studio Tate senior associate Emily Addison.

Treatment room Relinque — A deep rust tone in the treatment rooms was selected to be gender neutral

The treatments rooms were located on either side of a central reception area, with the spa and yoga studio located on one side and the spinal clinic and pilates studio on the other.

Studio Tate used green marble, honed granite and hand-glazed Japanese tiles in the reception area, where visitors are encouraged to relax and browse the retail products before stepping into treatments.

Corridor Relinque — Curved corridors encourage visitors to explore the space

The yoga studio was intentionally positioned close to the entrance facing the street, which allows plenty of natural light. A timber floor and ceiling were desigend to create a sense of warmth in the room.

Moving further into the spa area, the tones get darker to provide privacy. Spaces were arranged in a circular configuration, which “encourages a continuous experience of the venue”.

Relinque spa — The design aimed to have “textural earthines”

A curved corridor finished in polished plaster leads visitors to the spa area. Five individually-contained treatment rooms feature a deep rust tone, steam showers with sage green tiles and a granite shower bench.

Above the treatment bench, a backlit ceiling creates a halo around a circular acoustic fabric panel. The gently diffused light helps calm the mind throughout treatments.

The rounded steam room is lined with mosaic tiles, facing directly onto an ice room centred around an ice well covered in Japanese ceramic tiles.

“Luxurious accents are balanced with raw and tactile materials, ensuring the space feels welcoming to all,”added Addison.

Shower Relinque — Steam showers are lined with sage green tiles and a granite shower bench

A palette of greens, greys, burgundy and earth tones were used throughout the space in response to the nature-themed design narrative, according to Addison.

Studio Tate is led by interior designer Alex Hopkins and Carley Nicholls. The studios previous work includes an open office design for Burnet Institute and a day-spa with calming interiors in Melbourne.

The Photography is by Lillie Thompson.

Reference

textural

Ten living rooms decorated with textural cowhide rugs

Eight textural kitchens that combine stone and wood surfaces

Studio Tate creates “textural earthiness” for Relinque wellness spa

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