Ten homes that make a feature of their corridors

This article compiles a visual lookbook featuring ten residential staircases that incorporate contemporary and non-traditional balustrades. Balustrades, which are railings designed to prevent falls, are traditionally characterized by their bulbous, lathe-turned balusters. However, the featured examples deviate from this conventional form, introducing innovative designs that serve as statement focal points within their respective homes. The collection begins with a Private House in Cologne, Germany, designed by SMO Architektur. This home features a seamless, perforated balustrade made from a single sheet of material. Its circular perforations create a striking contrast with the staircase's rigid, angular profile, aligning with the house's cubic form and a design informed by Le Corbusier's Plan Libre. Next is the Mo-tel House in London, UK, a Georgian townhouse renovated by Office S&M. This residence showcases a brightly colored, geometric staircase. The balustrade consists of vertically slatted balusters painted pink, complemented by a bright yellow handrail that integrates seamlessly with the staircase's end post, contributing to the home's vibrant interior scheme. A Tel Aviv townhouse designed by architect David Lebenthal presents a unique steel rod balustrade. The staircase is suspended behind a wall of vertically arranged steel rods that extend between floors, fixed to and intersecting with the metal-folded treads. This design is integrated with an exposed concrete party wall, forming a central element of the home. Gundry & Ducker's White Rabbit House in London features a cantilevered staircase with a balustrade made of green-painted vertical rods. A single-piece wooden bannister is positioned atop these balusters, piercing through an overhanging lip on the base step's tread, adding a distinct architectural detail to the 1970s house. Bonhôte House, also in London, designed by AOC, incorporates angular brass rods arranged in a zigzag pattern. These rods flank the staircase, which ascends above an open-plan living and kitchen area. The brass-wrapped staircase also functions as a visual divider for the ground floor spaces within this contemporary family home. AOC's Hearth House in Golders Green features a negative relief-style balustrade. Plywood sheets are laser-cut with the silhouettes of traditional spindle balusters, creating voids where ornamental spindles would typically be found. A lamp extending from the handrail further enhances the unique design. In Berlin, Germany, architect Philipp von Matt designed O12, an artist's home with a golden-hued, perforated-brass bannister. This mesh brass element zigzags along a solid concrete staircase, allowing light to filter through its perforations and illuminate the monolithic stairwell. Ash House in Lewisham, London, by R2 Studio, features a full-height ash bannister with circular cut-out openings. These openings are strategically sized, with larger holes at eye level for both adults and children, and a groove on the opposite side forms an inset handrail, connecting two storeys of an Edwardian house. Maryland House in London, the home of designer Remi Connolly-Taylor, includes a red metal staircase with a seemingly weightless appearance. A tubular, pipe-like handrail and balustrade follow the profile of the red folded treads, and the staircase is encased within a glass block-clad stairwell, designed to maximize light while maintaining privacy. Finally, Coastal House in Devon, UK, renovated by 6a Architects, showcases a wooden staircase with thin, tapering spindle-shaped balustrades. These are arranged at alternating angles, creating a wave-like rhythm. Made from oak, the balustrade and bannister have an unfinished, rustic quality that complements the home's original beams and stone walls. This lookbook aims to provide visual inspiration, highlighting innovative approaches to staircase balustrade design that move beyond traditional forms to create striking and functional architectural features within residential settings. The examples demonstrate diverse material choices, structural designs, and aesthetic considerations, showcasing how balustrades can be transformed into key elements of interior design. #HomeInteriors #StaircaseDesign #Balustrades #ContemporaryDesign #ArchitecturalDetails #ResidentialDesign #InteriorInspiration #ModernHomes #DesignInnovation

This article presents a curated selection of ten residential interiors, meticulously designed to highlight and integrate significant art collections. It serves as part of the Dezeen Lookbooks series, offering visual inspiration for individuals interested in design. The featured homes range from minimalist, gallery-like spaces that provide a neutral backdrop for art, to more eclectic and busy environments where the art is woven into the overall aesthetic. Each example demonstrates unique approaches to displaying various forms of art, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and even bespoke furniture. The Former Artists Studio in the UK, transformed by Rodić Davidson Architects, showcases an eclectic mix of furniture and art within whitewashed brick walls and an open-plan layout, illuminated by a glass sloped roof. Alison Brooks Architects extended a Georgian farmhouse in the UK to create Windward House, featuring a double-height gallery space with niches specifically designed for particular art pieces, and a staircase integrating a mini-gallery of 100 small works. In Canada, Ali Budd Interiors designed Muskoka Cottage with pure white walls, stained wood floors, and wood-lined ceilings to serve as a backdrop for a client's art collection. Noteworthy pieces like Faye Toogood's Roly Poly chair and Paul Rousso's graphic art are strategically placed. John Wardle Architects renovated Kew Residence in Australia, his own home, incorporating Victorian ash on walls, ceilings, and floors to create a neutral setting for his collection of Japanese sculptures, ceramics, and vibrant artworks. Built-in shelving and cabinetry discreetly store collections without detracting from views. i29's Home for the Arts in the Netherlands displays an extensive art collection across two levels of a loft-style apartment. Double-height larch wood and grey HPL shelving conceal a staircase while housing books and sculptures, with grey resin floors providing a blank canvas. The Artery Residence in the US, designed by Hufft, was conceived around its owner's vast art collection, featuring expansive wall spaces for paintings, photography, and sculpture, complemented by specialized lighting and climate control systems akin to those found in art galleries. Stern McCafferty Architects renovated a 20th-century country home in Massachusetts, the Cambridge Residence, to better exhibit art. White matte walls with large baseboards and pale wood floors evoke a gallery aesthetic while maintaining country heritage. Casa Salvatori in Milan, Italy, by Elissa Ossino Studio, is situated in a 200-year-old palazzo and features marble and stone furnishings, sculptures, and artworks set against original rippled terrazzo floors. A green-stained wood-lined ceiling complements the stone palette and green-hued artworks, with woven wicker and brown butterfly chairs offering textural contrast. Magdalena Keck's Four Seasons Residence in Tribeca, Manhattan, is a two-bedroom home characterized by a minimal, monochromatic design. Its pared-back material palette, high ceilings, and large windows create a sophisticated, gallery-like environment for displaying art, softened by herringbone floors and a mix of vintage, contemporary, and custom furnishings. Finally, the Residence for Two Collectors in Chicago, US, by Wheeler Kearns Architects, is a penthouse apartment designed for an art collector couple. The open-plan space with walnut flooring functions both as a welcoming home and an event venue, showcasing a range of artworks, including a George Nakashima bench, Harry Bertoia sculptures, and Paul Evans furniture. #ArtFilledInteriors #HomeDesign #InteriorDecoration #ResidentialArchitecture #ArtCollectionDisplay #GalleryLikeHomes #ModernInteriors #ArchitecturalDesign #DesignInspiration

This lookbook showcases ten homes that incorporate decorative and ornate ceilings, featuring elements such as plasterwork mouldings, ceiling roses, cornices, architraves, and coving. These architectural features, often associated with historical periods like Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian eras, draw inspiration from classicism and ancient Greek and Egyptian architecture. Traditionally crafted from plaster and timber, the 20th century saw the introduction of alternative, more durable, and cost-effective materials. The featured homes demonstrate how these traditional elements are integrated into modern residential design, sometimes being restored to their original glory, and other times being reinterpreted with contemporary touches like bold paint colors or innovative material applications. One example is a Stockholm apartment by Note Design Studio, which transformed an office into a vibrant home using pastel hues on its 19th-century mouldings and window frames. Each room is painted in a single color, highlighting the historical features. Another instance is the Historic Schoolhouse in Williamsburg, where White Arrow restored original decorative tin ceiling tiles in a bathroom, an American innovation offering a durable alternative to plasterwork. Färg & Blanche's Bakers House in Sweden, a residence with four generations of family history, boasts extravagantly ornate interiors with intricately detailed furniture and gilded frames complementing decorative ceiling mouldings. The ceiling details are painted in bold colors and incorporate fresco-like paintings. In Lithuania, ŠA Atelier renovated a 19th-century apartment in Vilnius, preserving and restoring original plasterwork mouldings and ceiling roses while maintaining a minimal aesthetic. Jeanne Schultz Design Studio in Barcelona's Passeig de Grácia apartment incorporated and re-energized period features by painting stepped coving in a vibrant green that extends to doors, window frames, and skirting. Freaks, a French studio, renovated a Paris apartment, retaining period mouldings and architectural features while adding modern elements such as fluorescent lighting and freestanding angular volumes. Similarly, Toledano + Architects' Wood Ribbon apartment in Paris features ornate plasterwork that subtly defines spaces, contrasting with contemporary decor. In areas requiring a more modern feel, false polycarbonate ceilings were installed over the original decorative ceilings. Vives St-Laurent, a Canadian interior design studio, renovated a Montreal home, highlighting existing architectural elements including original plaster mouldings. Coving informally zones the dining room from the kitchen, and a ceiling rose anchors a pendant light above the dining table. David Kohn Architects' renovation of a Barcelona apartment focused on revealing and emphasizing large windows, high ceilings, and ornate mouldings, with coffered ceilings stretching across living areas and ceiling roses serving as focal points without light fixtures. Finally, DG Arquitecto's Casa Cas 8 in Valencia, Spain, a 1920s penthouse, celebrates its original features, including mosaic floors, mouldings, and arched doorways, with panel moulding and corbels protruding from the ceilings. These projects collectively illustrate the enduring appeal and versatile application of decorative ceilings and ornate plasterwork in contemporary home design, showcasing how these historical elements can be preserved, restored, or reinterpreted to create unique and visually rich interiors. #DecorativeCeilings #OrnatePlasterwork #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #ArchitecturalMouldings #HistoricalInteriors #ResidentialRenovation #CeilingRoses #Cornices

This article compiles a selection of ten distinctive residential staircase designs from the Dezeen archives, highlighting their role as significant architectural features rather than mere functional elements for vertical movement. These examples demonstrate how staircases can become central design statements within a home, often sparking discussion among design enthusiasts. One featured project is the Kappa House in Japan by Archipelago Architects Studio, where three central staircases, finished in greenish-blue resin, serve to divide the internal spaces. The uppermost staircase extends to the ceiling, functioning as a seating area for various activities, thereby challenging the conventional purpose of a staircase. Similarly, Nendo's Stairway House in Tokyo incorporates a large faux staircase that spans from the garden through a glazed facade and up to the roof. This dominant structure ingeniously conceals a cats' playroom, bathroom facilities, and a functional staircase for accessing upper levels, showcasing a multifaceted approach to staircase integration. In Japan's Hiroshima Prefecture, Kazunori Fujimoto Architect & Associates designed a guardless cast-concrete spiral staircase for a seaside house. This staircase, notable for its seamless transition without a central pillar, creates a visually striking element. The Escher House in Montreal, renovated by Naturehumaine, features an angular steel staircase inspired by MC Escher's trompe l'oeil art. This staircase acts as the central organizing element, around which all other spaces within the residence are arranged. Tato Architects' House in Takatsuki, Japan, a compact three-storey residence, utilizes 16 different floor levels instead of traditional staircases. Residents navigate these split levels using wooden blocks, shelves, and furniture, creating a unique and open flow within a small footprint. In a renovated east London terraced house, Paolo Cossu Architects designed an extra-wide oak staircase with varying tread sizes, allowing it to function as both a passage and a seating area. This design is complemented by adjacent bookshelves and wooden blocks that define the walking path. Tommy Rand's self-built house in Denmark features a helical staircase crafted from 630 computer-cut plywood pieces, meticulously assembled on-site to achieve precision and a sculptural form. In Chile, Guillermo Acuña integrated a wide, guardless wooden staircase into an old boathouse, transforming it into a holiday home. This trapezoidal staircase not only connects two terraces but also serves as elevated seating, offering views of the surrounding landscape. The X House in Madrid, designed by Beta Ø Architects, includes a black metal 'staircase' that is, in fact, a non-functional sculpture. Composed of staggered rectangular frames within a void, it facilitates air and natural light circulation throughout the house. Finally, Jac Studios' renovation of a Copenhagen apartment features a smoked-oak staircase suspended by steel poles, creating an illusion of levitation. This lightweight structure, combined with tapered terrazzo steps, presents a clean and modern aesthetic. These projects collectively demonstrate how architects are reimagining staircases as pivotal design components that can define space, serve multiple functions, and contribute significantly to the aesthetic and experiential quality of residential architecture. #ResidentialArchitecture #StaircaseDesign #InteriorDesign #ArchitecturalFeatures #HouseDesign #HomeRenovation #InnovativeStaircases #ModernArchitecture #SpaceUtilization

This lookbook explores how flooring details and materials can create the impression that a living space extends beyond a house's exterior walls. Various techniques are employed to achieve a continuous floor surface, ranging from using identical or similar flooring materials for both indoor and outdoor areas to leveraging level thresholds and floor-to-ceiling glazing. The article highlights that a consistent surface, even with differing materials, can evoke a sense of continuation. The featured examples demonstrate diverse applications of these methods across different residential settings. Casa Mola in Mexico, designed by Estudio Atemporal, connects indoor large-format tiles with outdoor brickwork paving through sliding glass doors and level thresholds, encouraging a more organic way of living in its forested environment. The Saddlery in the UK by Studio Octopi utilizes continuous terrazzo flooring from interior to exterior in a Georgian house extension, with the material's speckled colors complementing the building's mint-green metal walls. Proctor & Shaw's Dulwich House in the UK integrates its kitchen and terrace into a single space, divided only by subtle level changes. Flush thresholds are achieved with continuous porcelain tile flooring and glass doors that slide away, completely opening up the corner of the building. Maison Hercourt in France, renovated by Studio Guma, uses minimal glazing to merge a kitchen with an adjoining patio, despite a transition from concrete to stone flooring, creating a visual flow from the former cart shed space. Norm Architects' Fjord Boat House in Denmark incorporates handmade ceramic bricks for flooring that extends from the interior living spaces to an outdoor terrace, fostering a rustic, casual atmosphere. Ederlezi in Mexico, a low-cost infill house by Práctica Arquitectura, cleverly uses saltillo tiles on the edges of its landscaped courtyard to visually extend the interior living space outdoors without the need for extensive tiling. Hutch Design's The Maker's Barn in the UK, a rural holiday rental, features full-height glazing that connects end-grain timber flooring indoors with outdoor paving tiles, particularly effective in the primary bedroom with its sunken bath. Mossy Point in Australia, by Edition Office, uses frameless glazing to merge distinct interior blue tiles with outdoor wooden decking, creating a seamless visual connection despite different materials. Shift House in Spain, designed by Nomo Studio, employs roughly polished white concrete flooring throughout its interior and exterior, providing continuity from the top-floor entrance to a balcony terrace. Finally, A Modern Oasis in the UK by Richard Parr Associates achieves a visual link between indoor polished concrete and outdoor paving tiles by carefully matching their colors and maintaining level thresholds. This collection of homes illustrates various design strategies to blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces through thoughtful flooring choices and architectural elements, enhancing the overall living experience and connection to the surrounding environment. #Flooring #IndoorOutdoorLiving #HomeDesign #ArchitecturalFeatures #MaterialSelection #SeamlessTransitions #ResidentialArchitecture #ContinuousSurfaces #ModernHomes

This lookbook showcases ten residential projects that effectively incorporate French doors, highlighting their versatility and aesthetic appeal in various home designs. French doors are typically characterized as a pair of doors featuring glass panes that extend their full height, often used to connect indoor and outdoor spaces while maximizing natural light. Their largely glass construction allows for significant light ingress, making them suitable as exterior doors, but they also serve as effective interior partitions, dividing spaces without sacrificing openness or brightness. The featured projects demonstrate diverse applications of French doors within home renovations, extensions, and new builds. One example is the Tower House in London, designed by Dominic McKenzie Architects, where black, glass-panelled French doors, situated beneath a rectangular skylight, open onto a sunken garden from a brick extension. The interior of this project features chevron flooring, drawing the eye towards these doors. In Shanghai, Atelier Tao+C renovated a top-floor apartment to feature a study as its central element. Here, white French doors are oriented towards a white modular sofa and lead to an L-shaped balcony. These doors are framed by floor-to-ceiling smoked oak bookshelves that line the entire apartment. Studio Schicketanz’s Tehama One in California utilizes extensive panelled glass, including large French doors, to integrate indoor and outdoor living areas around a landscaped courtyard. The design emphasizes textural materials throughout the interior, and the French doors offer serene views of the central courtyard. Casa Mami, a holiday home in the Californian desert by Working Holiday Studio, draws inspiration from Japanese and Scandinavian design and the work of Luis Barragán. French doors in this project frame the desert landscape from within the minimalist interior, which includes a sculptural Cylinder Back Armchair. Gundry & Ducker’s White Rabbit House in London, a neo-Georgian home, features green-painted double doors in the kitchen that open to a garden. A skylight above the kitchen and its island-cum-breakfast bar complements these doors, contributing to the bright and open feel of the space. Amott Road in East Dulwich, London, by Alexander Owen Architecture, is characterized by curving timber, geometric shapes, and vibrant colors. Arched French doors, leading to the garden from a wood-lined kitchen, enhance the home's modernist and pop-art aesthetic. Kilburn Nightingale's renovation of a Victorian property in Hackney, London, includes a double-height library with pale-wood-lined glazing and French doors that open to the garden. This design visually connects the outdoor space and an upper-level living room with a mezzanine-style railing. An Antwerp apartment designed by Bovenbouw Architectuur, located in a converted 19th-century building, features large French doors that extend high into the interior. The design incorporates classical elements like parquet flooring and decorative marble panelling, reflecting 19th-century design ideas. Maison 0.82 in France, by Pascual Architect, is a single-storey home where an open-plan kitchen, lounge, and dining area are positioned on the southern side. Floor-to-ceiling glazing, doubling as large French doors, provides extensive views and access to the exterior. Finally, Lucas y Hernández-Gil’s overhaul of a 19th-century apartment in Madrid involved reconfiguring the layout, adding new kitchen features, and incorporating oak and stone surfaces. Original joinery was restored, and French doors from the open-plan kitchen and living area can be covered by bi-folding shutters to control light. These projects collectively demonstrate how French doors can be a key architectural element, enhancing light, space, and connection to the outdoors in diverse residential settings. #FrenchDoors #HomeDesign #InteriorArchitecture #NaturalLight #ResidentialProjects #ArchitecturalFeatures #ModernLiving #DesignInspiration #Lookbook

This article highlights five modern homes that showcase impressive and distinctive door designs, curated from the Dwell community. The featured homes, submitted by members through Dwell's 'Add a Home' feature, exemplify various approaches to integrating functional and aesthetic doorway solutions within contemporary living spaces. Each project offers unique insights into how doors contribute to the overall design, flow, and character of a residence. The first home, Quarry Bay Residence in Hong Kong Island, designed by Lim + Lu, features an entryway with a full-height oak slat shoe closet that includes a brass-finished cutout. The interior designers aimed to create sweeping views between rooms and maintained the building's original chipped concrete beams, juxtaposing them with new white walls and a warm palette of oak and brass accents. Materials like woven wicker and volcanic slate contribute to an island getaway aesthetic, reflecting the nature-loving owners' appreciation for relics. Next, the Renton Hill Residence in Renton, Washington, by Citizen Design Collaborative, presents a dining room that opens to an expansive outdoor area through a massive metal door. The architects focused on blending original traditional details with modern indoor and outdoor spaces to accommodate the homeowners' evolving needs and social lifestyle, intending for the home to age gracefully and be passed down through generations. The third project, Chocolate Loft in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by PLANT Architect Inc., demonstrates a flexible living solution. Here, a wall with a gentle dogleg trajectory and a series of sliding doors allows the 900-square-foot loft to transition between a two-bedroom and a one-bedroom configuration. The doors are designed with a combination of glazing at the street edge and wood veneer closer to the entry, providing both privacy and light control for the mathematics professors who use it as a pied-à-terre. Virginia House in Santiago, Chile, by 2712 / Asociados, features exterior walls on the first floor painted in a dark, neutral color that sharply contrasts with the bright, illuminated interiors and a striking sunny yellow front door. This house is located in a social housing neighborhood from the early 1960s, originally constructed with prefabricated concrete panels. The project showcases an intervention that updates one of the few remaining original constructions in an area experiencing significant economic growth and continuous home improvements. Finally, MG House in Hod HaSharon, Israel, renovated by Maya Sheinberger, emphasizes indoor/outdoor connection. Sheinberger redesigned the first floor and outdoor areas, incorporating new windows and a large front door to maximize this connection. The renovation transformed the house from a dark, old-fashioned country-style residence by changing the first-floor layout and adding a second-floor attic bedroom. The interior color scheme utilizes calm tones, combining wood with shades of blue and gray to create a serene atmosphere. #ModernDoorways #HomeDesign #InteriorArchitecture #ResidentialDesign #ArchitecturalFeatures #SlidingDoors #ExteriorDesign #InnovativeDoors

This blog post compiles a selection of 10 residential projects that effectively utilize colour blocking to enhance their interiors. The collection, derived from popular images on Pinterest, showcases how architects and designers employ distinct blocks of colour to introduce personality, define spaces, and create visual interest within homes. The first example, House for Agnes in the UK by Tigg Coll Architects, features exposed I-beams painted bright red, injecting a playful character into an otherwise traditional London house. R2 Studio's Kennington House, also in the UK, incorporates blue, green, and yellow elements in its kitchen and a stairwell that transitions from red to orange, brightening a previously dark Victorian property. Apartment AB in Austria, designed by Kombinat, uses coloured tiles to delineate storage areas, with pastel green tiles in the kitchen and blue and pink tiles in a hallway. In Mexico, Studio Jakob Gomez's Chipinque Monterrey apartment features a bold yellow storage unit that acts as a focal point and transition between living spaces. RA Projects introduced a striking blue steel staircase in the Fin House for Roksanda Ilincic in the UK, creating a vivid contrast with the minimalist interior. Studio Alexander Fehre's Apartment Filippo in London includes a fixed dining area with crimson seating that stands out against monochrome wallpaper. Piso Pereiv44 in Spain, by Miel Arquitectos, is characterized by various bold colour accents and a continuous wall punctuated by fluorescent green storage spaces. AKTA's Basanaviciaus apartment in Lithuania showcases colourful furniture, such as green kitchen cabinets, a blue velvet sofa, and a red textured chair, all complemented by black-metal details. Henning Stummel's self-designed Tin House in the UK features warm-hued rooms illuminated by skylights, with rich orange cabinetry and walls that harmonize with the home's russet steel cladding. Finally, Naturehumaine's Canari House in Canada, a transformed 1930s building, uses a dramatic black and yellow staircase with geometric cut-outs as a central, colour-blocked circulation element. #ColorBlocking #InteriorDesign #ResidentialArchitecture #HomeDecor #ModernInteriors #ArchitecturalDesign #VibrantHomes #DesignInspiration #ContemporaryDesign

This lookbook showcases ten residential interiors that feature exposed wooden beams, highlighting how these structural elements can add a rustic yet industrial aesthetic to a living space. The article compiles diverse examples from various international locations, demonstrating how designers have incorporated exposed beams into both modern and traditional settings. In Morehouse, US, renovated by Stewart-Schafer, the home in Connecticut was designed to reflect its woodland surroundings. The integration of Japandi-style decor and a natural, woody color palette complements the existing wooden floors, ceilings, and exposed joinery, creating a cohesive and natural interior. The Barn in Canada, transformed by Louis Beliveau of La Firme studio, is a three-storey holiday home converted from a dilapidated building. Its interior is characterized by white oak floors, white-washed wood walls, and exposed wood beams, which were intentionally preserved to maintain the property's rustic character while infusing it with light. Nook Architects refurbished a Barcelona apartment, creating a space where light flows freely. Original colorful tile flooring and exposed timber beams, uncovered during the restoration, were preserved. Crittal glass partitions for the master bedroom and a central lightwell are modern additions that harmonize with the historic elements. In New York City, Worrell Yeung renovated a Manhattan loft for an artist, leaving timber columns, beams, and ceiling joists raw and exposed. This industrial backdrop is complemented by new Cassina furniture, white walls and ceilings, and reclaimed pine wood floors, forming an eclectic yet sophisticated living area. Danish design company Vipp's showroom-cum-apartment in Tribeca, US, embodies a pared-back aesthetic within a former factory dating back to 1883. Exposed wooden elements blend with a neutral grey-beige palette and functional living spaces, serving as a New York pied-à-terre for the founder. Jonathan Tuckey Design's Collage House in England is an architectural designer's home created from a 19th-century steel workshop. Jonathan Tuckey chose simple materials, restoring original ceiling beams and leaving bare brick walls with black marks, contributing to a weathered and characterful London home. Another project by Nook Architects, End of the Roc in Barcelona, features original wooden ceiling beams, geometric patterned floor tiling, and a 40-year-old wall covering. The designers utilized oak and black-painted furnishings to create a sense of cohesion among these diverse elements. General Assembly's Gowanus Loft in Brooklyn, US, saw chunky timber columns and beams deliberately exposed and sanded to highlight the original woodwork of a former textile mill. Modern touches include grey kitchen tiling, polished concrete flooring, and rift white oak cabinetry, balancing industrial heritage with contemporary design. In Japan, Studio Kwas designed the Y House with angular spruce wood columns resembling tree trunks. These structural elements divide the open-plan living area and continue on the second floor, where pine beams and diagonal columns playfully partition sleeping and play areas for a family of five. Finally, the Calistoga Residence in Napa Valley, US, designed by Wade Design Architects and Geremia Design, draws inspiration from local vineyards and farmhouses. This wood-clad home features white walls, pale tones, dark tiled flooring, black window frames, and a collection of antique furnishings, integrating rustic charm with elegant design. These projects collectively demonstrate the versatility and aesthetic appeal of exposed wooden beams in residential architecture and interiors. #ExposedBeams #WoodenInteriors #ResidentialDesign #InteriorRenovation #RusticIndustrial #ModernDesign #ArchitecturalElements #HomeDecor #WoodArchitecture

This article explores a collection of 10 homes that successfully integrate traditional architectural styles with modern interior design, showcasing a growing trend in home aesthetics where these historically distinct approaches are celebrated together. The examples provided demonstrate how various architects and designers have navigated the challenge of blending old and new, creating spaces that respect historical context while embracing contemporary living. The first example features an 1850s schoolhouse in Milford, Pennsylvania, transformed by Andrew Magnes and Koray Duman. Their design philosophy centered on mirroring the simplicity of the historic white clapboard exterior with a contemporary yet understated interior, preserving the building's historical integrity while introducing modern elements. Bookcases set back on the upstairs landing contribute to an open and spacious feel. Next, a writer's coach house in Birmingham, England, designed by Intervention Architecture, seamlessly blends with its Victorian surroundings through a brick facade and faux timber doors. Inside, the kitchen highlights modern finishes with a porcelain tile backsplash and quartz countertop. Troppo Architects' renovation of an 1880s bungalow in Adelaide, Australia, left the sandstone and brick Victorian exterior largely untouched while introducing a modern window seat in the northeast corner, strategically placed to capture natural light. In Lake Ontario, Canada, Drew Mandel Architects updated a traditional Edwardian home. Mandel's design included a blackened-steel framed fireplace echoing the new facade's window and door treatments, alongside a six-by-eight-foot ground-floor extension. Kirkwood McCarthy reimagined an old furniture workshop in London, England. The home's facade respects its conservation area setting with red bricks and sash windows, subtly hinting at the modern interior. The kitchen, located in a sunken basement, features walnut steps, white cabinetry, Silestone countertops, and integrated appliances. Tribe Studio's project in Sydney, Australia, involved a 1920s bungalow. While the decorative facade remained intact, a dramatic contemporary extension was added to the back. The architect, Hannah Tribe, describes this as "suburban uncanny," where modernism is clean, blunt, and yet familiar. The bathroom showcases custom wooden cabinetry and Brodware faucets. Cousins & Cousins Architects worked on a glass and brick house in The London Borough of Hackney. The modern addition, characterized by a glass wall, uses repurposed bricks from the original Victorian home's demolition. The dining area, featuring Eames fiberglass chairs, benefits from pale finishes and wood flooring, enhancing a sense of airiness. SHH Architects developed a sophisticated townhouse in London. Behind a traditional facade, the interior was rebuilt with a timber and steel frame and a rear extension. A notable feature is a five-story double-sided aluminum bookcase and a kitchen with a Bulthaup island. Blouin Tardif Architecture Environment renovated a historic duplex in Le Plateau Mont-Royal, Canada. The front of the home retained its original design, including the duplex's stairs, with everything restored respectfully. Inside, uniformity was achieved with a white-painted steel staircase and walnut steps matching the home's wood elements. Finally, +tong tong gave a Victorian home in Toronto, Canada, a modern makeover. A triangular bedroom window with a custom blind and a zinc awning over the front door define the exterior. The interior boasts a vent-free fireplace in the dining room from EcoSmart Fire. These projects collectively illustrate a harmonious coexistence of traditional exteriors and contemporary interiors, offering diverse approaches to achieving this design synergy. #HomeDesign #TraditionalArchitecture #ModernInteriors #ArchitecturalRenovation #HistoricHomes #ContemporaryDesign #InteriorDesign #HomeRenovation #DesignFusion

This blog post highlights ten exemplary buildings that seamlessly integrate indoor and outdoor living through the use of courtyards. Each project showcases a unique approach to this architectural feature, demonstrating its versatility and benefits across various contexts and design philosophies. First, Hiiragi's House in Japan, designed by Takashi Okuno, centers around a beloved family tree within a courtyard. This design ensures that the significant tree is visible from every room, creating a constant connection to nature and family heritage. The courtyard acts as the heart of the home, providing both visual access and a tranquil focal point. Next, MIA Design Studio's The Drawers House in Vietnam utilizes plant-lined courtyards and hanging greenery to open up the family home while maintaining privacy. The design, composed of three single-story segments, strategically places these green spaces to offer outdoor access and a sense of openness without compromising seclusion, crucial in dense urban environments. In Seattle, MW Works' Laurelhurst Residence, an update to a 1960s home, features a garden courtyard as its primary focal point. The architects removed internal walls to create a more open layout, making the courtyard visible from the living room and other areas, thus blurring the lines between the interior and the natural surroundings. DCPP's Casa Campestre 107 in Mexico City is a T-shaped house that incorporates two courtyards—one at the front and one at the rear. All downstairs rooms open directly onto these paved stone courtyards, enhancing natural light and ventilation while providing private outdoor spaces for relaxation and entertainment. Bak Gordon Arquitectos transformed a traditional Lisbon house into two apartments for different generations of a family, separated by a secluded shared courtyard. This design not only provides privacy for each living unit but also creates a communal yet intimate outdoor space for the residents to enjoy. Amin Taha Architects reconfigured a 1950s terraced house in London's Bayswater by adding a courtyard garden. Lightwells extend down to the central courtyard, illuminating the underground spaces and bringing natural light deep into the building, a common challenge in urban terrace housing. dRMM's Maggie's Oldham Centre in the UK, a cancer care facility, incorporates a courtyard with undulating glass walls that descends from the stilted wooden structure. This accessible courtyard garden, reached via a wood and steel staircase, provides a peaceful and therapeutic outdoor environment for patients and visitors. Mariposa1038 in Los Angeles, designed by Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects, introduces a curvilinear courtyard within a multi-story apartment building in a densely populated neighborhood. This open-air, landscaped courtyard features an integrated bench and doubles as a rainwater-collection system, offering both aesthetic and functional benefits in an urban setting. Finally, The Guild in Jakarta by RAW Architecture, led by Realrich Sjarief, is a geometric house built around a rectangular central courtyard. This building serves as both Sjarief's studio and a library dedicated to architectural works. The courtyard acts as a central organizing element, bringing light and a sense of tranquility to the workspace and library. #CourtyardArchitecture #ResidentialDesign #IndoorOutdoorLiving #SustainableDesign #ArchitecturalInnovation #UrbanHousing #ModernArchitecture #PrivacySolutions #GreenSpaces

This article highlights the increasing rarity of dedicated entryways in modern Singaporean homes due to shrinking unit sizes, with many new launch units opening directly into the kitchen. Despite this trend, for homes that still feature an entryway, the article emphasizes the importance of this space in creating a positive first impression for guests. It then presents a curated list of ten items designed to enhance the style and functionality of an entryway. The first item discussed is an Umbrella Stand. Given Singapore's frequent heavy rainfall, an umbrella stand is presented as a practical necessity. The Umbra Holdit Umbrella Stand, made of rust-resistant metal with a resin base, is recommended for its simple, all-black design that complements various home aesthetics. Next, the article introduces a Bench, specifically a 2-in-1 shoe rack and seating bench. The Hipvan Promenade Bench, with its 1-meter length, Scandinavian-inspired design, and robust capacity of up to 115 kg, is suggested as a space-saving and convenient option for sitting while putting on shoes. A Clothes Rack is also included, although acknowledged as a more unconventional choice for Singapore's climate. It is primarily suggested for those who wear suits daily or wish to display accessories like hats. The Andersen Furniture Clothes Rack is mentioned as a suitable option for this purpose. For smaller spaces, an Entryway Hook is proposed as a practical alternative. The Umbra Cubiko Entryway Hook is highlighted for its compact design, multiple hooks for bags and keys, and an integrated mirror for last-minute appearance checks. For those who prefer not to drill into walls, a Side Table is offered. The HAY Bowler Side Table is presented as an elegant and minimalist piece with a powder-coated steel top and a stable granite base, available in various colors. A Mirror, specifically the Pond Mirror by Ferm Living, is recommended for its ability to make an entryway appear larger. Its unique shape adds a distinctive design element to the space. The article also suggests a Mini Greenhouse for those seeking a unique touch. The Design House Stockholm Greenhouse Mini, featuring an ash frame and tempered safety glass, is presented as an item that introduces greenery and a homely feel, despite requiring more maintenance. For organization, an Astro Tray by Normann Copenhagen is recommended. This item serves as a convenient spot for keys, coins, and other small items typically emptied from pockets upon returning home. Another Bench, the Baenk Bench by Woud, is featured for its aesthetic appeal. Made from solid oak with an upholstered center seat and cup holder, it is praised for its design, though noted for being less functional than the previous bench option. Finally, a simpler Wall Hook, the Northern Nest Wall Hook, is suggested. Made from aluminum and steel, it offers a practical solution for hanging coats or ties, with a dedicated 'nest' holder for small items like keys and cards. The article concludes by encouraging readers to visit the Stacked Store for more home products and offers consultation services for property-related inquiries. #HomeDecoration #EntrywayDesign #InteriorDesign #HomeAccessories #SpaceSaving #ModernLiving #HomeFurnishings #SingaporeHomes

Entryway flooring, often an overlooked aspect during home renovations or new builds, plays a crucial role in establishing the initial impression of a home's interior. This article highlights ten distinct entryway flooring ideas, emphasizing their aesthetic appeal and functional benefits. One approach is to use vibrant color, exemplified by a Dublin home's cobalt-drenched stairwell featuring Mortex micro cement flooring and Pantone-matched walls. This creates a dramatic yet calming atmosphere, drawing inspiration from installation art and the Light and Space Movement. Another idea involves incorporating tactile terracotta flooring, as seen in a Melbourne pied-à-terre that preserved its heritage with original 1970s terracotta tiles. The preference for tiles with an antique, worn-in feel adds warmth and earthiness, while also ensuring robustness. Marble flooring offers elegance, with a Sydney family home showcasing oceanic Verde Antigua marble for the floor and a sophisticated Elba marble staircase. The subtle contrast between the two marbles creates a sense of calm and intricate detail. The designer recommends honed or 'leathered' marble over polished finishes for a more elegant look, and suggests exploring patterns like checkerboard or inlays for decorative effects. For a lighter and more playful ambiance, Palladiana terrazzo, made from marble and white aggregate, can bring texture and movement, as demonstrated in an inner-city house embracing the Wabi Sabi philosophy. The article advises creating samples to find the perfect combination of infill color, aggregate, and marble piece sizes. Parquetry flooring, using dark engineered oak in a unique geometric pattern, can offer both classic and contemporary appeal, as seen in a glamorous penthouse. This option provides durability and aesthetic sophistication, working well in both modern and traditional settings. A bespoke wool and natural silk runner can further enhance the entryway's texture and luxury. For a personalized touch, mosaic-style tiled floors with geometric marble patterns, drawing from the client's feminine and colorful style, can transform a space into a vibrant and whimsical area, as illustrated by a London pied-à-terre. This approach emphasizes layering textures, colors, and antiques for a 'more is more' aesthetic. Another idea focuses on injecting personality through green Palladiana terrazzo, which can reflect contrasting personalities within a household, making a bold, artistic, and unexpected statement. This type of flooring, crafted in situ, allows for custom patterns and seamless integration with the surrounding architecture. Industrial finishes, like hardworking flagstone entryway flooring, pay homage to historical aesthetics while balancing raw industrialism with refined elegance, as observed in a Georgian manor's contemporary renovation. Brass accents and art-like lighting provide complementary contrast. For entryways with staircases, a playful approach involves using timber hardwood flooring in the entryway and a striking patterned stair runner. This elevates the space, making a bold statement with pattern and color. Finally, a contemporary take on the classic checkerboard pattern, utilizing oversized designs and wide borders with Verdi Alpi and Fior Di Pesco terrazzo, offers both traditional connotations and modern appeal. This choice is practical for high-traffic areas and more economical than pure marble. When choosing entryway flooring, designers suggest open-mindedness towards various materials like crazy pave, travertine, timber, and interesting tiles. Timber can be laid in unique patterns like parquetry or 'French Versailles' for a distinct look. Cork flooring is highlighted for its insulating qualities, soft feel, and eco-friendliness. While vinyl flooring has improved in design, its durability for high-traffic, wet areas remains a concern, making harder-wearing options preferable for entryways that endure heavy use or exposure to moisture. #EntrywayFlooring #HomeDesign #InteriorDesign #FlooringIdeas #MarbleFlooring #TerracottaTiles #Parquetry #PalladianaTerrazzo #CheckerboardPattern #HomeRenovation

This article highlights ten unique and inspiring interior design features observed in various Singaporean homes, drawing examples from a YouTube series. It demonstrates how homeowners have incorporated distinct elements to personalize their living spaces, ranging from HDB flats to penthouses and landed properties. The first design explored is a walk-up apartment featuring a pottery studio within the living area and a sizeable balcony transformed into an outdoor hangout spot. This setup challenges conventional dining room usage in Singaporean homes and encourages dedicated spaces for hobbies, even in urban environments. Following this, the article examines a "greenhouse" dining room in an older 1970s unit, showcasing how to leverage elongated layouts to create visual connections with a garden and maintain sunlit, yet cool, interiors by working with the climate rather than against it. This design also highlights a creative use of partitions as visual features rather than complete flow blockers. The third feature discusses an HDB flat where a balcony has been converted into a sky garden with movable glass panels, effectively expanding the living space and demonstrating the potential for sophisticated design even in public housing. This contrasts with a penthouse featuring a playful "treehouse" loft, complete with skylights and an accessible roof area for relaxation and dining, emphasizing the concept of a penthouse as an appended house rather than just an upper-floor unit. Next, the article delves into an Indochine-inspired living room that masterfully employs different tiles to subtly demarcate areas without relying on walls, preserving spaciousness and natural ventilation. This design underscores the importance of historical understanding when executing themed interiors. Another outdoor design, a Zen garden in a terrace house, is presented as an alternative to traditional potted plant arrangements, offering a rustic and natural feel in shaded areas, contrasting with the common practice of creating indoor Zen spaces. The seventh design marvel is a second-story lap pool with an underwater window, suggesting a unique architectural element that adds visual interest both to the pool and the room below, with potential applications for aquatic enthusiasts. This emphasizes an organic approach to pool design, integrating it more seamlessly with the surrounding environment. An unconventional ramp around the exterior of a bungalow is featured, created to provide children with ample play space on a smaller outdoor plot, thereby making the most of limited outdoor areas and offering a dynamic, multi-level play environment. This innovative solution provides an alternative to conventional grassy play areas. The penultimate design is a split-coloured kitchen, which embraces individuality by using contrasting color palettes to create a visually dynamic space that appears different from various angles, avoiding uniformity without expensive gimmicks. This kitchen also features a rounded island that softens the room's overall aesthetic. Finally, an HDB flat owned by an architect showcases an entryway carved out to serve as a balcony, bringing a touch of landed living to an apartment. This feature, combined with an industrial-themed interior and street art collection, illustrates how extensive personalization can be achieved in public housing for long-term residents. The article concludes by encouraging readers to explore more design ideas and property reviews for inspiration. #InteriorDesign #HomeTours #SingaporeProperty #ArchitecturalInnovation #SpaceUtilization #CondoDesign #HDBDesign #LandedHomes #HomeDecorIdeas

Circular motifs, symbols of unity, infinity, balance, perfection, and the cosmos, are increasingly integrated into modern home architecture. These elements, including portholes, overhead oculi, rounded doorways, wall cutouts, and window nooks, serve to enhance natural light, improve sight lines, and foster stronger connections between living spaces and their occupants. This exploration showcases various homes that effectively utilize these geometric features. In Mexico, the 5,920-square-foot UC House by Daniela Bucio Sistos features a foyer with a raised, circular ceiling and a central tree growing through a floor opening. A large glass wall separates the atrium from a library, which also incorporates a circular cutout among its built-in bookshelves. Similarly, architect Rachel Nolan's family beach house on Australia's Mornington Peninsula, designed with passive principles, includes a sunken living room with an unpainted circular brick portion on one wall, showcasing the material's original state. In southeastern Spain, Estudio JI Arquitectos transformed a shed into a 430-square-foot retreat, 'Las Cuadras,' featuring portholes in a yellow-tiled patio wall, allowing the resident to observe horses in the corral. An ultramodern home in Malibu, California, designed by Ellis David Gelman and featured in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,' incorporates dramatic circular windows to frame ocean views. In Kerala, India, Nufail Shabana Architects designed an industrial-style home with a 36-foot-long cantilevered concrete expanse at the entrance, punctuated by circular openings that provide ventilation and natural light. A former garage in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris, was converted into an 807-square-foot apartment by Pierre Louis Gerlier and Eleonore Satger. Its living room wall now conceals storage and features four circular built-ins, one of which functions as a cozy reading nook. In Melbourne, Australia, Austin Maynard Architects added a compact rear extension to an existing home, including a blue-painted living space with a large circular window that floods the area with natural light. Architect Paul Elliott built a new cork and timber-clad house in Cape Town, South Africa, adjacent to his family home. This residence embraces traditional Japanese architectural styles, evident in its circular windows and doorways. In Abilene, Texas, the 1959 Eagle residence was modernized by architect Erling Berg, who introduced a circular cutout wall at the entryway to separate living spaces while maintaining sight lines from the front door to the backyard, creating a playful area for children. S-AR, a firm from Monterrey, Mexico, designed an 850-square-foot beach retreat near Puerto Escondido. This concrete structure features an indoor/outdoor plan based on a square 3-D grid, with circular motifs recurring throughout, from rounded windows and wall cutouts to a cylindrical staircase leading to a rooftop 'water mirror.' Israeli architect Pitsou Kedem's family home, composed of two stacked concrete squares, includes silicate-brick walls with circular holes that visually connect the various rooms. In Fitzroy North, Melbourne, Australia, Atlas Architects renovated a Victorian terrace house, 'Dots House,' incorporating a porthole window in the living space with a timber shelf, providing a lookout for the owner's cat and adding an irregular, interesting feature. Madrid-based firm Delavegacanolasso transformed a former painting studio into 'La Madriguera' (The Burrow), a 538-square-foot kitchen/dining/living/office space, with round windows chosen to bring the outside in and enhance the garden. Jane Macrae of Nine Muses Design created 'The FUN House' in Point Lonsdale, Australia, with a porthole near the entrance to the kitchen, referencing the seaside location and welcoming guests. In the remote mountains of Palmichal de Acosta, Costa Rica, Mazpazz Arquitectura designed an autonomous, off-grid home with a poured-concrete entrance, dubbed 'the vortex,' featuring two prominent circular cutouts and an overhead oculus that allows sunlight and moonlight to reflect off floor-encrusted crystals. Artist Shawn Button transformed a midcentury cabin in Joshua Tree, California, into a rental with playful arches and circular openings in both indoor and outdoor spaces, balancing the existing square forms. In Asheville, North Carolina, Assembly Architecture and Build's 3,000-square-foot Westwood House features a central atrium, Spanish terra-cotta floors, sweeping arches, and a keyhole opening, optimizing views, sunlight, ventilation, and privacy. Architect Murray Barker renovated a 1,180-square-foot bungalow in Clifton Hill, Melbourne, for Fleur Glenn, incorporating a round window on the narrow stairway to frame a eucalyptus tree and enhance the journey to the main bedroom. Finally, Atelier Du Pont designed a French holiday home in Cap Ferret, consisting of connected cabins, with one guest bedroom featuring built-in bunk beds that include playful circular openings. #CircularMotifs #ArchitecturalDesign #HomeInteriors #GeometricShapes #NaturalLight #ModernArchitecture #InnovativeDesign #RenovationIdeas #SustainableDesign