Mumbai: This apartment is a fusion of contemporary earthiness and tropical prints

OBRIY.architects has completed the 'PORTAL' apartment in the center of Kiev, Ukraine, an ample residence designed to maximize natural light and offer stunning city views. The design approach emphasizes a harmonious blend of natural materials and a warm-toned color palette, creating an organic and earthy atmosphere throughout the 1130 sq ft (105 m2) space. A key design element is the intentional emphasis on the apartment's windows. To highlight these openings, OBRIY created a gallery feature with timber-covered shelves and walls, strategically positioned between the windows. This gallery serves as a visual connector, linking the kitchen and dining areas with the lounge zone. Further enhancing the clean lines of this gallery, heating elements beneath the windows are concealed within custom-built wooden boxes, which also integrate additional storage drawers. The material selection extends to the flooring and walls, where a warm grey concrete floor complements decorative plaster applied to effect walls. The remaining walls are painted in an off-white hue, contributing to the overall organic and earthy color scheme that pervades the apartment. The kitchen, a creation by Steininger, presents a monolithic aesthetic with precise lines. A distinctive feature of this kitchen is a stainless steel element incorporating a herb garden. The designers opted for a white finish for the kitchen island, introducing a pure accent that seamlessly integrates with the apartment's broader color palette. The dining area is furnished with a large table crafted from bleached American ash, accompanied by minimalist chairs that echo the table's clean lines. Lighting fixtures in this area are sourced from Australian designer Amee Allsop. In the lounge zone, a modular sofa by Paola Lenti offers versatility, with independent units allowing for various layout configurations. The television stand is uniquely fashioned from substantial wooden beams with natural edges, while the wall behind the television is treated with natural plaster to create a textured, organic backdrop. This plaster effect is consistently applied in the bedroom, fostering a cozy and relaxing ambiance. The bedroom also incorporates the same design principle of boxing heating elements and integrating drawers for a cohesive look. The master bathroom, adjacent to the bedroom, features walls adorned with tiles from Sant’Agostino Ceramics' ‘set’ collection. The flooring utilizes the same microcement found in the kitchen and living room. Washbasins by Ceramica Galassia, with their cylindrical shape and thin edges, offer a blend of geometrical precision and elegance. All ceramic fixtures in the bathroom are rendered in black, serving to emphasize their forms against the neutral backdrop. The project was conceived and executed by OBRIY.architects, reflecting a thoughtful integration of natural aesthetics and functional design. #apartmentDesign #naturalMaterials #warmTones #KievArchitecture #interiorDesign #modernLiving #timberElements #concreteFlooring #minimalistDecor

The "resortcore aesthetic" offers a way to infuse homes with the luxurious and relaxing atmosphere of a tropical island resort, providing an escape without the need for travel. This design philosophy emphasizes natural textures, a breezy color palette, tropical accents, and an overall sense of elevated simplicity and relaxation. The core principles of resortcore align with creating a serene and inviting space that evokes a vacation-like feeling. A key element in achieving the resortcore aesthetic is the use of light, neutral tones for the color palette. Warm whites, sandy browns, and various light wood tones are central to creating an airy and sophisticated foundation. Designers advise against stark white in favor of warmer hues to ensure the space feels both cozy and luxurious. While neutrals form the base, strategic pops of color are encouraged, drawing inspiration from nature with warm, citrusy tones like orange, yellow, and coral, as well as coastal blues and muted, earthy greens. The specific regional influence, such as Hawaiian or Balinese resort styles, can guide color choices. Natural materials and textures are paramount to resortcore. Wood furniture, particularly teak, is prominent, alongside materials like rattan, wicker, linen, seagrass, and bamboo. These elements are crucial for blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor living, grounding the space in relaxed luxury, and promoting a sense of wellness and calm. Examples of incorporating these materials include rattan accent chairs, linen curtains, jute rugs, and rattan baskets for storage. Tropical houseplants, such as palms, further enhance the island ambiance. Maintaining a clean and simple environment is vital to achieving the desired effect. The goal is to cultivate a fresh, elegant, and effortless look that evokes an escape. Designers caution against overly literal interpretations of the tropical theme, stressing the importance of avoiding kitschy decorations. This means keeping tropical prints and motifs to a minimum, reserving them for subtle accent pieces. Busy floral or formal patterned fabrics should be used sparingly, if at all, and preferably in muted, low-contrast variations. Resortcore shares principles with minimalism, focusing on elevating essential items and minimizing visual clutter to create calming interiors. This involves limiting decor to one or two pieces per surface and achieving visual interest through varied textures and materials. Finally, the sensory experience, particularly scent, completes the resortcore aesthetic. Tropical-scented candles or diffusers featuring notes of sea salt, warm amber, or coconut contribute significantly to the resort atmosphere. Soft, dimmable lighting further enhances the mood, mimicking a golden hour glow. The overall aim is for the space to feel unforced, sensual, and serene, shifting the focus from a specific theme to an overarching feeling of tranquil escape and relaxation within the home. #ResortcoreAesthetic #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #TropicalStyle #NaturalMaterials #BreezyColorPalettes #MinimalistDesign #HomeGetaway #RelaxingSpaces

The 'Sun House,' located in the tropical state of Goa, India, was designed by SAV Architecture + Design, a firm with offices in London, Mumbai, and Goa. This residence draws inspiration from the sun, incorporating local red laterite stone for its exterior walls, substantial sun screens, and a double-height brick-clad entrance and living spaces. The architectural geometry is informed by the surrounding landscape, emphasizing bold, sweeping lines, fluid forms, and expansive overhangs that seamlessly extend into the interior areas. Faced with a constrained and compact site, which is unusual for a holiday home, and limited external views, the architects concentrated on creating an inward-facing dwelling. The design intentionally brings natural elements into the house, exposing them throughout its interiors. A prominent exposed brick wall serves as the central structural spine, dynamically changing its trajectory as it extends into the double-height living area, creating a sweeping effect. The curved living space is sunken, aligning with the level of the outdoor pool, establishing a visual and poetic connection with the water. This area also incorporates amphitheater-like seating. The living room's double-height doors are designed to slide and fold, allowing the interior to open directly to the pool area. The architects utilized a restrained, minimalist, and locally sourced material palette, which not only reinforced the architectural concepts but also highlighted craftsmanship and detail, fostering a strong connection to nature and the outdoors. In-situ concrete forms the exposed roof and floors, contributing to a seamless interior aesthetic while aiding in temperature regulation in Goa's tropical climate. Despite its artistic design, the house is highly responsive to its tropical environment, featuring large overhangs and shaded green courtyards. These overhangs and sloping rooflines are mirrored in the internal spaces, creating diverse spatial experiences through varying slopes and angles. The entrance is marked by a brick-lined wall alongside a shallow linear pool and large sun screens on the south wall, establishing both a reflective and functional mood upon entry. A floating teak wood open-riser staircase, complemented by brass rods as balustrades, introduces textural layers and refined materiality throughout the house. The open-plan dining and kitchen area is conceived as a vibrant, airy space that harmoniously blends local and contemporary elements. This area features Goan-Portuguese inspired traditional cement tiled flooring, local granite countertops, a modern high-specification kitchen, and brightly colored furnishings. Positioned around an internal courtyard on both sides, the kitchen and dining areas benefit from ample natural light, ventilation, and a continuous connection to the outdoors. On the first level, the staircase leads to an open-plan mezzanine overlooking the double-height sunken living area. The lighting fixtures in this space were custom-designed by the architects, drawing inspiration from the house's architectural lines. Bedrooms are accessed via fluid, sweeping white corridors that add an element of surprise. Each bedroom offers a unique connection to the outdoors, with the master bedroom featuring a large private terrace that overlooks a louvered courtyard on one side and the pool on the other. Integrated timber joinery and subtle accents of bold colors in textiles and art provide a contrasting warmth to the otherwise minimal and meditative architectural palette. The five bath spaces within the house are significant design elements, each crafted to establish a strong connection to the raw nature of materials, illuminated by top-lit skylights, and echoing the fluid spatial lines of the residence. The bar and poker room, situated by the poolside, present a blend of chic interiors with custom-crafted furniture, maintaining a strong connection to the surrounding tropical plants. Both these spaces face the pool and their respective inner courtyards. The landscape around the pool, though not expansive, echoes the dramatic architectural lines of the house, creating spaces that transition seamlessly, contributing to the dynamic and picturesque quality of the environment. #TropicalArchitecture #ResidentialDesign #IndianArchitecture #Goa #SustainableMaterials #IndoorOutdoorLiving #ArchitecturalGeometry #ModernDesign