Eight living rooms where wood-clad ceilings add a sense of warmth

As the northern hemisphere experiences a rapid cool-down, a lookbook featuring eight distinctive fireplaces installed in living spaces from diverse locations such as Lithuania and Chile is presented. These fireplaces are chosen for their striking visual appeal and their function in anchoring and warming interior spaces as winter approaches. The compilation is part of a broader series that offers visual inspiration from the publication's archives, including previous features on double-height living rooms, homes in former factories, and Halloween-themed bedrooms. One featured project, The Cornwall Retreat in the UK by De Rosee Sa, showcases a coastal house designed with barn-like volumes. Its sandy-hued living area is defined by a central Portland stone fireplace, complemented by oak carpentry and timber ceiling beams, contributing to a tranquil color scheme. In Chile, Casa Malalcahuello, designed by Guillermo Acuña Arquitectos Asociados, is situated on a mountainside and constructed from CNC-cut wood. The living space features a conical fireplace partially clad with stones, creating a dramatic chimney that extends to the roof's height. Queen's Park House in London, renovated by Daytrip, an Edwardian property, includes a unique geometric glass box topped with a chunky chimney flue, which is partially camouflaged to blend with the white walls. A thick shelf next to the fireplace provides space for logs. Melina Romano's Hygge Studio in São Paulo, Brazil, incorporates gentle terracotta flooring and tan brick walls, contrasting with a black floating fireplace suspended from the ceiling. The living space also features a decorative block screen, a cobogó, functioning as both artwork and room divider. El Aguacate, a house in northern Mexico by Práctica Arquitectura, is constructed almost entirely from concrete. The interior, including the open-plan living and dining area, maintains this material theme, with a monolithic concrete fireplace seamlessly integrated into the walls. In Lithuania, After Party designed House and the River, a creekside home featuring a boulder at the base of a black fireplace set within a gold alcove, reflecting the dwelling's characterful design. The Yellow House in the Apple Garden in Oslo, Norway, by Familien Kvistad, showcases a blocky mustard-yellow fireplace clad in fluted Kaufmann tiles. This sculptural element complements the interior's solid ash joinery and speckled terrazzo surfaces. Lastly, The Garden House in West Hollywood, USA, designed by Olson Kundig and furnished by ATRA, features a large bronze fireplace as the focal point of the living space, which includes a green-brown velvet sofa and a stone coffee table. This lookbook highlights how fireplaces can serve as significant design elements, enhancing the aesthetic and comfort of various living environments. #Fireplaces #LivingSpaces #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #ArchitecturalDesign #Lookbook #ResidentialArchitecture #ModernInteriors

This article showcases eight living rooms that utilize low-slung furniture to create a relaxed and informal ambiance. Low-back sofas and armchairs are highlighted as key elements in achieving this aesthetic, often offering a more generous width and a less upright sitting position, making them feel similar to beds. The article emphasizes that this furniture style is effective in various interior designs, from open-plan spaces where it can subtly divide areas without creating separation, to softening heavily decorative rooms. It draws examples from Dezeen's archive, providing visual inspiration through a lookbook format. The featured examples include a London loft renovation by Emil Eve Architects, where an L-shaped low-slung sofa complements exposed brickwork walls, maintaining the industrial character while adding comfort. Another instance is Casa Vasto in Barcelona by Mesura, a converted factory apartment and art gallery, where low-lying furnishings enhance the high, vaulted ceilings and provide an optimal backdrop for displaying art. The modular sofa system and a coffee table made from construction waste contribute to the adaptable and art-focused environment. Of Architecture's House by the Sea in Cornwall demonstrates how a low-back modular L-shaped sofa in a beige marl fabric creates a casual lounge area that connects with the adjacent kitchen and allows for expansive views of the Newquay coastline through large sliding windows. In Sausalito Outlook, USA, Feldman Architecture renovated a 1970s house, incorporating iconic Michel Ducaroy-designed Togo chairs and sofas by Ligne Roset. These slouchy, foam-filled pieces offer supportive comfort and establish two distinct seating zones for various activities, all while maximizing the San Francisco Bay view. Woods + Dangaran's Twentieth house in Santa Monica, USA, consistently features generous, low furniture pieces across its three stories, designed for both daily living and hosting gatherings. A notable example includes four club chairs with swivel bases arranged around a polished stone coffee table. Auba Studio's NZ10 Apartment in Palma de Mallorca, a converted bakery, illustrates how low-back furniture seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor spaces. The apartment's full-height sliding doors open to a patio, and a casual, extended low sofa lines one side of the lounge, promoting a relaxed connection with the exterior. Rodolphe Parente's Apartment Canal Saint-Martin in Paris showcases a sculptural vintage sofa upholstered in mustard-yellow velvet within a renovated Haussmann-era apartment. Its formal yet low-profile design complements the historical architecture while introducing a contemporary feel, echoed by other playful artworks. Finally, KOS+A's Sag Harbor 2 in the Hamptons prioritizes sunset views from a waterfront house. To maintain unobstructed views through the largely glazed facade, a low-slung L-shaped sofa and a curved club chair were chosen for the family lounge, emphasizing an unobtrusive furniture approach. #LivingRooms #LowSlungFurniture #InteriorDesign #ResidentialInteriors #Sofas #Armchairs #ModernDesign #HomeDecor #InteriorArchitecture

This lookbook showcases eight living rooms that utilize board-marked concrete to introduce textural interest and a unique aesthetic. Board-marked concrete, or board-formed concrete, is a technique where timber boards are used during the casting process, imprinting the wood's pattern onto the concrete surface. This method results in a more organic and less industrial appearance compared to smooth concrete. The featured interiors demonstrate the versatility of board-marked concrete as a stylish backdrop. One example is Casa Meco in Portugal, designed by Atelier Rua. This holiday home features a large living room with board-marked concrete walls and ceiling, complemented by a stone floor and furniture in earthy tones, creating a natural ambiance. In Mexico, Ludwig Godefroy's Casa Alférez is a brutalist holiday home constructed entirely from board-formed concrete. The material defines a double-height living space that surrounds a green conversation pit. Similarly, the Pedro Reyes House in Mexico City, designed by architect Pedro Reyes, incorporates coarse concrete for a staircase and library within the living room, alongside an irregularly paved stone floor and abundant greenery. OFIS Arhitekti's Villa Eternal Way in Slovenia features an entire entrance floor dedicated to a living room with board-formed concrete walls and ceiling. This grey concrete is juxtaposed with black cupboards and soft textures from a boucle sofa and leather dining chairs. IGArchitects in Japan designed the Building Frame of the House, where exposed board-marked concrete walls support stepped mezzanine levels, allowing for flexible living and working spaces within what is conceived as "one big room." The AT House in Oaxtepec, Mexico, by Laurent Herbiet, is characterized by 10 glazed sections separated by board-marked concrete walls. The living room maintains a warm, muted palette, enhanced by wooden furniture. Design ni Dukaan's "citadel-like" house in Gujarat, India, features a board-formed concrete ceiling in its formal living and dining room, which opens to a central courtyard. This tactile ceiling is paired with a polished floor and a sculptural coffee table. Finally, Casa Golf in Argentina, by Luciano Kruk, presents a living room dominated by a pale grey palette. Board-marked concrete covers the ceiling and walls, harmonizing with a polished stone floor and mid-century modern furniture, including an Isamu Noguchi coffee table and Eames chairs. These diverse projects illustrate how board-marked concrete can be integrated into various residential designs to create distinctive and visually engaging living environments, moving beyond its industrial connotations to offer tactile and aesthetic depth. #BoardMarkedConcrete #LivingRoomDesign #ConcreteInteriors #ResidentialArchitecture #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #ArchitecturalDetails #TactileMaterials

Plywood, an engineered wood product made from multiple thin layers of wood veneer bonded together, is gaining increasing popularity as a decorative element in residential interiors. Traditionally used for its structural integrity, plywood is now being embraced by designers for its ability to create uniform, tactile, and warm spaces. The inherent wood grain and organic texture of plywood bring a natural aesthetic to interiors, contrasting effectively with other materials and design elements. One prominent example is the Torö summer house in the Swedish archipelago, designed by Atelier Heyman Hamilton with interior design by Matsson Marnell. Here, plywood walls and ceilings are paired with bespoke wooden furniture and soft natural textiles in the bedroom, establishing a serene and cohesive environment. The extensive use of wood throughout the home emphasizes a connection to nature and promotes a sense of tranquility. In London, Nimtim Architects utilized plywood for multifunctional partitions in the Curve Appeal house. These partitions, adorned with decorative arch and circle motifs, ingeniously conceal structural components, services, and sliding doors, thereby maximizing space and adding visual interest. This application highlights plywood's versatility in creating both functional and aesthetically pleasing architectural features. Northcote House in Melbourne, by LLDS Architects, showcases plywood in a more sculptural capacity. A distinctive curving plywood staircase serves as a focal point, leading to the lower levels of the home. The adjacent walls feature swooping plywood panelling that forms a cozy nook for relaxation, demonstrating plywood's potential for dynamic and ergonomic design. Intervention Architecture's renovation of a 24-square-metre micro-apartment in London exemplifies plywood's utility in compact living spaces. Bespoke plywood joinery effectively hides furniture, including a fold-out bed, and provides ample storage, contributing to a more spacious and organized feel. This project underscores plywood's role in optimizing small areas through clever, integrated design solutions. Timjan Villa in Lund, Sweden, an extension by Johan Sundberg Arkitektur, features pale plywood lining the interior walls, which provides a gentle contrast to the grey stone floors. This material choice helps create a bright and airy atmosphere, further enhanced by the presence of green plants and views of the surrounding garden, linking the interior with its natural setting. Workshop Architecture Inc.'s Unfinished House in Canada integrates plywood panelling in its natural hue with light-blue kitchen cabinets and tiles. The exposed Douglas fir plywood and pine wood framing add visual interest and offer practical small storage shelves, showcasing how plywood can contribute to a raw, honest aesthetic while serving functional purposes. Finally, Tikari Works' Pocket House in London, a compact 35-square-metre residence, extensively uses plywood panelling in its bedroom, complemented by a matching bedframe and an adjoining terrace. Plywood also forms a practical kitchen unit, illustrating its adaptability for various functions within a small footprint and its ability to create a cohesive, minimalist design. These projects collectively demonstrate plywood's versatility and aesthetic appeal in contemporary home design, ranging from creating warm, uniform interiors to sculptural elements and ingenious space-saving solutions. #PlywoodPanelling #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #ResidentialArchitecture #WoodInteriors #SustainableMaterials #MicroApartments #CustomJoinery #ModernHomes

Metal furniture, typically associated with industrial applications, is increasingly being integrated into home interiors, offering a unique blend of rawness and refinement. This trend is explored through eight diverse living spaces from around the world, showcasing how steel, aluminium, and chrome furnishings can complement various design aesthetics, from rustic log cabins to minimalist apartments. The growing interest in industrial metals among young designers highlights a movement towards sustainable practices, often involving the use of a single material left raw and unfinished to facilitate recycling. Designers such as Paul Coenen, Annie Paxton, and David Taylor are at the forefront of this trend, creating pieces like Coenen's steel furniture that folds from a single sheet, Paxton's unique chainmail-fringed side table, and Taylor's award-winning Knuckle light made of bent aluminum tubing. One example is the Relogged House in Ukraine by Balbek Bureau, which reimagines the traditional log cabin. Here, warm timber paneling is juxtaposed with an industrial palette of concrete and metal, featuring custom stainless-steel consoles in the bedroom that frame a low-lying bed. This project demonstrates how industrial elements can be harmoniously integrated with natural materials. In London's Highbury House, a renovated Victorian terrace by Daytrip, a vintage zinc-plated lamp and a brushed aluminum console by American sculptor Jane Manu introduce a gallery-like minimalism. This setting artfully contrasts modern metallic furnishings with organic textures and forms, achieving a refined yet edgy interior. The Frederic Chopin Apartment in São Paulo, designed by Tria Arquitetura, features an entire column enveloped in stainless steel sheets. This striking element provides a cool, sharp contrast to the apartment's warm wood tones and serves as a backdrop for the owners' extensive art collection, allowing the artworks to define the space. Studio Okami Architecten's renovation of a duplex apartment in Antwerp's brutalist Riverside Tower showcases a blend of different metal finishes. The exposed concrete structure of the building is complemented by sleek metal surfaces, including a baby-blue painted spiral staircase and raw metal cabinets and a sculptural kitchen island, creating a dynamic interplay of textures. In Melbourne, the Kerr Street apartment by SSdH, located in a former chocolate factory, uses eclectic metal furniture as a focal point. Pieces like folded aluminum stools, an armchair with an undulating frame, and Annie Paxton's chainmail-fringed side table add a distinctive character to the industrial-inspired space. Apartment A in Antwerp, by Atelier Dialect, adopts a more subdued approach, combining a chromed metal floor lamp with a steel-bottomed, velvet-upholstered daybed. The bedroom features a unique mirrored steel-wrapped bathtub, adding an unexpected, luxurious industrial touch to the mint-green room. The Canal Saint-Martin apartment in Paris, designed by Rodolphe Parente, extensively uses metal, particularly in the kitchen. The living room includes an unlacquered aluminum stool, and the bathroom features an aluminum chair polished to a mirror-like shine, reflecting light and expanding the space. Finally, the Gale Apartment in São Paulo by Memola Estudio integrates a custom metal bar in a converted balcony area. This element, matching the kitchen cabinetry, introduces an industrial edge to the lounge area, balanced by soft furnishings. These projects collectively demonstrate the versatility of metal furniture in contemporary home design, proving its ability to add industrial flair, modernity, and a touch of refinement to diverse living environments when contrasted with natural materials or used to highlight architectural features. #MetalFurniture #IndustrialDesign #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #SustainableDesign #ModernInteriors #ArchitecturalRenovation #ContemporaryLiving #DesignTrends

The mid-century modern aesthetic is characterized by clean lines, warm woods, and muted colors, effectively merging retro appeal with modern functionality. While iconic designs like the Eames chair are frequently associated with this style, this article demonstrates that it is not essential for achieving the look. The piece presents eight different living rooms that embody the cool, timeless essence of the mid-century modern era through various approaches. One example is the Mid-Century Modern Living Room With a New England Lean, a 1968 home in Vermont known as BauschausVT. Designed by Carl L. Bausch Jr., this home features signature elements of the decade, such as cantilevered skylights, extensive custom bookshelves, and a freestanding fireplace which serves as the primary heat source, illustrating a blend of design and practicality unique to its regional context. The Manifested Mid-Century Modern Living Room highlights how marketing executive Erin Starkweather furnished her Los Angeles apartment, located in a building by modernist architect Craig Ellwood. She filled her living room with vintage pieces she had collected, including Wassily chairs, a Noguchi table, and a custom Donald Judd–inspired daybed, showcasing a personal curation of period-appropriate furniture. Patrick O’Neill, creative director and owner of the Richard Neutra–designed Hailey Residence, undertook a significant restoration to return his home to its original mid-century grandeur. His team revitalized mahogany and redwood elements and integrated glass panels, while O'Neill added his own "Pop-infused" inspirations. A 1968 TV built into the den wall further serves as a vintage screening room, contributing to the authentic retro atmosphere. Another example is the Hawaiian Mid-Century Modern Living Room, a stilted house built on an Oahu mountain slope in 1960. Designed by architect Stephen Oyakawa, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, for floral designer Ren MacDonald-Balasia’s grandparents, James and Tomi Kaizawa Knaefler, this home utilizes redwood, mahogany, teak, and knotty pine. This design choice celebrates natural materials and reflects the family's Japanese heritage, offering a distinct cultural interpretation of mid-century modernism. The Chromatically Remixed Mid-Century Modern Living Room, designed by Pamela and Ramin of Shamshiri Studio, presents a revitalized 1961 mid-century modern residence. The designers stained posts and beams an almost-black hue to emphasize the architecture, installed an off-white stone floor to enhance light, and painted the walls with Benjamin Moore’s Turtle Green to connect the interior with the outdoors, fostering a sense of calm. The Art-Filled Mid-Century Modern Living Room showcases designer Robin Heller’s Baltimore home, which acts as a gallery for her and her husband’s art and furniture. The space features auction-sourced fireplace pieces, vintage mid-century chairs, a custom coffee table by Sherwood Kypreos, and a 46-inch Noguchi lantern as a central light fixture, highlighting the integration of art and design. The Fashion-Forward Mid-Century Modern Living Room is found in a 1963 Robert Lee–designed home. Owner Brynn Jones, a vintage fashion retailer, collaborated with Frances Merrill of Reath Design to refresh its features. They retained the dark wood paneling and brickwork, adding color and pattern influenced by fashion icons like Gloria Vanderbilt, Diana Vreeland, and Diane von Furstenberg to infuse a 1960s charm. Finally, The Decade-Melding Mid-Century Modern Living Room, located in Julia Rouzaud’s family home near Paris, combines a Napoleonic hunting lodge with 1950s reinforcements. Rouzaud extended the mid-century lines of a nearby steel-framed sunroom by cladding the original fireplace with a walnut flue and concrete hearth, typical of the 1940s, successfully merging disparate historical styles into a cohesive mid-century aesthetic. #MidCenturyModern #LivingRoomDesign #InteriorDesign #VintageHome #ArchitecturalRenovation #HomeDecor #DesignInspiration #EclecticStyle

This lookbook presents a curated selection of eight living rooms that embody the opulent and distinctive design characteristics of the 1970s. These spaces draw on retro aesthetics, featuring rich, vivid colors, diverse textures, and period-appropriate furnishings to create decadent interiors. The collection showcases various residential projects, from urban apartments to renovated townhouses, illustrating how designers and homeowners have embraced and reinterpreted 1970s style. The featured designs include Helios 710, a London penthouse by Bella Freud and Maria Speake, which incorporates striking hues like glossy black sofas with burnt orange cushions and an emerald-green carpet, aiming to evoke 1970s glamour. Univers Uchronia, a Paris apartment by Julien Sebban, highlights an eclectic approach with oversized flower-shaped cushions, low-slung coffee tables, bold colors, and shiny surfaces, reflecting the Uchronia studio's signature style. Another example is the Oscar Freire apartment in São Paulo, reconfigured by Claudia Bresciani and Júlia Risi for an illustrator. This space utilizes black-and-white geometric flooring and orange-hued furniture to integrate the kitchen, lounge, and studio areas, drawing inspiration from classic 1970s interiors. In Ireland, the Lovers Walk townhouse, renovated by Kingston Lafferty Design, features blue velvet sofas and a green swirly book-matched marble wall in its living room, influenced by Verner Panton's use of playful shapes and clashing colors. The Mossel Bay home in South Africa, designed by architect Yvette van Zyl for her own residence, employs a curved and sculptural approach for its tactile 1970s-style interior. This design includes custom-framed glass louvres, paper lanterns, and orange seating, completing a modernist-informed aesthetic. Ben Garrett and Rae Morris's Zero House in the UK pays homage to its mid-century origins with a dark red and brown color palette inspired by Stanley Kubrick's films, incorporating a geometric maze-patterned rug and reeded 1970s-style glass for windows. Club Unseen, an immersive installation by Studiopepe during Milan Design Week, presented three chic living spaces that captured the essence of 1970s nightclubs through graphic shapes, grid patterns, pastels, and metallic finishes. Lastly, the Primrose Hill townhouse in London, refurbished by Studio Hagen Hall prior to Zero House's transformation, adopted a 1970s California modernism approach. Its open living area features bespoke velvet sofas on a raised conversation platform with hidden storage and custom-made elm recesses, showcasing classic 1970s materials. These projects collectively demonstrate a contemporary appreciation for the distinctive and often extravagant design elements of the 1970s, applying them to create visually rich and characterful residential interiors. #ResidentialInteriors #RetroDesign #1970sStyle #LivingRoomDesign #InteriorDecor #Lookbook #MidCenturyModern #HomeFurnishings

This lookbook explores eight diverse living spaces that incorporate industrial Crittall-style windows and doors, showcasing their enduring appeal and versatility in contemporary home design. Crittall windows, characterized by their gridded metal frames typically made of steel with a bold black finish, originated in the late 19th century and became prominent in Art Deco and modernist architecture. Today, they are experiencing a revival, valued for their clean graphic lines that inject an industrial aesthetic into modern residences worldwide. The featured projects highlight various applications of Crittall-style elements. The Ghost House in the UK, designed by BPN Architects, features a double-height Crittall-style window that serves as a wall to an open-plan living and dining area within a concrete house, contributing to its "ethereal presence." In Tel Aviv, interior designer Maayan Zusman and architect Amir Navon utilized gridded black window frames to create an "airy yet framed" interior in an apartment renovation, complemented by other delicate black furnishings. Xu Fu-Min's Returning Hut in rural China offers a peaceful retreat with a living room featuring a giant wall of glazing framed by gridded metal, which slides open to connect seamlessly with the garden. Surman Weston's Ditton Hill House in the UK integrates Crittall-style windows with exposed steel floor decks, overlooking the garden in an open-plan living area, reflecting the client's preference for industrial aesthetics and nodding to nearby mock-Tudor homes. Little Peak in the USA, a holiday home designed by Berman Horn Studio, features black gridded windows and doors that punctuate its facade. These elements were chosen for their industrial look and to draw focus to the natural textures and colors of the surrounding landscape. Will Gamble Architects' Burnt House in the UK, a residential extension inspired by a Japanese tea house, employs Crittall-style windows and doors to achieve a minimalist aesthetic, reminiscent of a shoji screen, paired with a blackened wood window seat. The Binh Thuan House in Vietnam by MIA Design Studio uses white gridded frames on sliding doors, harmonizing with its industrial all-white, modular structure designed for future modification. Finally, the Harrison Residence in Florida, designed by Jeffrey Dungan Architects, showcases black Crittall-style windows as a focal point in its living space. These windows frame the surrounding tall trees, introducing color into an otherwise monochrome interior with black shelving and a coffee table, and white walls and sofas. Collectively, these examples demonstrate how Crittall-style windows and doors can be adapted to various architectural styles and interior design visions, enhancing spaces with light, connection to the outdoors, and a distinct industrial character. #CrittallWindows #IndustrialDesign #InteriorDesign #HomeRenovation #ArchitecturalFeatures #LivingSpaces #WindowFrames #ModernHomes

The article presents a lookbook showcasing eight living rooms where oversized sofas serve as the central design element. These living rooms feature couches that are significantly larger than standard furniture, often making a bold design statement within their respective spaces. This collection is part of a series that provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive, building on previous lookbooks that explored paper lamps, sculptural furniture, and 1970s decor in living spaces. The first example is the DN Apartment in Brazil, renovated by BC Arquitetos. It features an olive-green, sickle-shaped sofa by Jader Almeida in an open-plan living room, set against a backdrop of classic Brazilian art and furniture. This apartment, part of a 1970s building, also includes a Petala coffee table by Jorge Zalzupin and a bronze head sculpture by Florian Raiss, blending modern design with historical context. Next, the Canal Saint-Martin apartment in France, designed by Rodolphe Parente, showcases a sculptural vintage sofa that wraps around a pearlescent coffee table. This Parisian apartment, a Haussmann-era classic, integrates contemporary art with original architectural features. A black-and-white graphic rug completes the living area, highlighting the juxtaposition of styles. From Scottsdale, Arizona, the Hotel Valley Ho, renovated by 3rd Story, incorporates generous U-shaped sofas with colorful upholstery in its suites. Anissa Mendil's design aimed to complement the hotel's modernist architecture with contemporary furniture, creating inviting and comfortable spaces. The Gale Apartment in Brazil, by Memola Estudio, uses a super-long sofa to anchor a living room with double-height ceilings, a mosaic wall, and an extensive art collection. Despite vibrant wall hangings, the sofa maintains a neutral color palette for the room, balancing various design elements within the São Paulo apartment renovation. Gabriele Salini's G-Rough hotel in Rome, located in a 17th-century palazzo, merges historic elegance with Italian modernism. The entertaining spaces feature an extra-deep sofa that can also function as a spare bed, serving as an intriguing focal point that reflects the hotel's rough-yet-refined aesthetic. In Madrid, the Radikal Klassisk apartment by Puntofilipino offers an unconventional take on Danish design with an intense color and material palette. A curving NORR11 couch, composed of three separate parts upholstered in different fabrics, dominates the sparsely furnished living room, contributing to a brooding atmosphere. The Breezeway House in Australia, designed by David Boyle Architect, features a built-in sofa that lines the living room wall. This design, reminiscent of patio furniture, blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces, a theme continued throughout the holiday home on the Australian east coast. Finally, the Design Space AlUla 2024 exhibition in Italy, a collaboration between Sabine Marcelis and architecture studio Cloud for Milan design week, presented a massive modular seating area by Hall Haus. This piece, which bears similarities to Pierre Paulin's Ensemble Dune, was one of several large-scale sofa installations seen in Milan that year, including a yellow sofa platform by Panter & Tourron, demonstrating contemporary trends in flexible and expansive seating designs. #LivingRoomDesign #OversizedSofas #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #ModernLiving #FurnitureDesign #ApartmentLiving #ArchitecturalInteriors

This article explores the use of clerestory windows in residential architecture, highlighting eight distinct projects that demonstrate how these high-level glazed strips enhance natural light, privacy, and ventilation within home interiors. Clerestory windows, traditionally found in churches and cathedrals, are increasingly integrated into modern residential designs, positioned just beneath the roofline to maximize daylight penetration. The featured projects showcase diverse applications and aesthetic outcomes. In Australia, Architecture Architecture's 'Sunday' cottage extension in Melbourne incorporates large, translucent clerestory glazing above a mono-pitched roof, blending indoor and outdoor spaces with hollow breeze-blocks and drawing ample light into the home. Proctor & Shaw's 'Heath House' in north London, an extension to a Grade II-listed villa, uses clerestory glazing alongside floor-to-ceiling openings in its kitchen and dining areas to optimize natural light, complementing a material palette of wood and white brick. Denis Joelsons' renovation of 'Sítio Rio Acima' in Brazil, a residential complex near São Paulo, includes the addition of a vaulted ceiling with an arched clerestory window in the main home, which transforms into a luminous 'lantern at night.' In Fukushima, Japan, IGArchitects' 'Forest of Pillars' homes utilize a ring of clerestory windows beneath the roof to ensure privacy from surrounding properties while still allowing light to enter through their slender timber column frames. K59 Atelier's 'Di Linh House' in Vietnam, constructed with local rammed earth and timber, features a strip of clerestory glazing on its west facade positioned above smaller windows. This design strategically enhances privacy and provides effective sun shading in the remote location. Sam Crawford Architects' renovation of the 'Hidden Garden House' in Sydney, Australia, aims to brighten a previously dark interior. The ground floor kitchen features a concrete ceiling that curves upwards, coupled with operable clerestory windows, to draw in winter sun and offer shading. In Hyderabad, India, Kiron Cheerla Architecture designed 'Pott House' with a lantern-like roof that draws both light and natural ventilation into the timber-gridded home. The design centers around a full-height living and dining space beneath exposed timber trusses. Finally, IGArchitects' '2700' in Japan, a two-story home on a narrow plot, uses clerestory windows to increase privacy on the ground floor while simultaneously drawing light into its layered living spaces, defined by exposed concrete walls. These examples collectively illustrate the versatility and functional benefits of clerestory windows, demonstrating their capacity to transform residential spaces by providing optimal daylight, improving natural ventilation, and offering privacy solutions without compromising illumination. The article compiles these projects as visual inspiration from Dezeen's archives, emphasizing the architectural and interior design trends that leverage these specific glazing elements. #ClerestoryWindows #ResidentialArchitecture #HomeInteriors #NaturalLight #ArchitecturalDesign #ModernHomes #ResidentialExtensions #PrivacySolutions #SustainableDesign

This article showcases ten welcoming living rooms where the fireplace serves as the central design element, providing visual inspiration for home interiors, especially relevant during colder months. The featured projects highlight diverse architectural styles and material choices, all unified by their focus on creating cozy and inviting spaces around a fireplace. The first example is 116 Sorauren Street in Toronto by Ancerl Studio, where a black steel fireplace on a cast concrete plinth creates a comfortable nook within a living room that emphasizes natural materials and textiles. Next, the Three Chimney House in the US by T W Ryan Architecture features a modernist white-brick structure with an elegant, brick-clad fireplace. This fireplace is integrated into one of the house's three prominent white chimneys, contrasting with tall white walls and ceilings while complementing upholstered furniture in warm colours like aubergine purple and mustard yellow. Pound Ridge House by Tsao & McKown in the US draws inspiration from Japanese architectural principles, incorporating a pared-back fireplace on a square stone hearth positioned between the living and dining areas, reminiscent of a traditional Japanese irori. A bronze pyramidal flue extracts smoke, and the room is detailed with wood and cream-coloured textiles, enhanced by a generous skylight. Teton House in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, by Olson Kundig, features a substantial black fireplace that almost upstages the floor-to-ceiling views of the mountainous landscape. The fireplace's simple form is complemented by leather chairs in warm browns and various wood and woven textures. House for Grandparents in California, renovated by Dash Marshall, integrates a broad brick fireplace into its living room. The design, informed by Spanish missions, combines geometric forms and spartan materials with vibrant elements like a colourful painting and rug, along with cylindrical metal coffee tables that reflect the fire's glow. The Smith Residence in Canada by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple features a massive granite fireplace, sourced from a nearby quarry, in its living room. This holiday home's fireplace includes both a fire aperture and a log storage space, situated beneath black steel trusses and complemented by a high-pile rug and brown leather sofas. Wasatch House in Utah, another project by Olson Kundig, includes a library with a large bronze flue and an unusual portrait-shaped fireplace. The room, designed with a colour palette of dark browns and greys, creates a relaxed atmosphere, flanked by ceiling-height bookcases and furnished with a wide leather sofa and cognac-coloured leather chairs. The Lincoln project in Belgium by Notan Office, a rooftop extension, features a fireplace inspired by Alvar Aalto. This fireplace, made from concrete and ceramic construction blocks in warm orange and pale grey, wraps around a corner and is described as an "artifactual element" with an organic, rough feel. Little Peek, a holiday home in Maine by Berman Horn Studio, includes a built-in fireplace within a narrow stonework flue in its open-plan kitchen and living room. Designed for all seasons, the house combines a light interior and numerous windows with the practical warmth of the fireplace for New England winters. Finally, Casa Prè de Sura in Italy by Casati showcases a freestanding, trapezoidal prism-shaped white fireplace in a gabled house with rough limestone interior walls. The fireplace serves both as a heat source and a decorative element, featuring a side ledge for wood and a colour palette of beige and cream to match the limestone walls. #LivingRoomDesign #FireplaceInteriors #CozyHomes #InteriorDesignInspiration #ArchitecturalFireplaces #HomeDecor #WarmInteriors #ModernLivingRooms #RusticFireplaces

The living room, often considered the heart of the home and the most visible space to guests, serves as a canvas for both functionality and style. This article presents eight inspiring ideas to transform a lounge room into a beautiful and inviting area. As new interior design trends emerge, influenced by the changing seasons, a warmer color palette incorporating green and earthy tones, alongside layered natural materials and softer, 80s-inspired furniture shapes, is gaining prominence. Interior design experts provide insights and tips for achieving a stylish lounge room. First, understanding the intended use of the living space is fundamental before delving into decor. This foundational step guides all subsequent design decisions. For those considering a significant living room overhaul, starting with a statement sofa is recommended. Current trends favor curvy, plump shapes for sofas and occasional chairs, as their sculptural forms can instantly modernize a room. Velvet and velour fabrics remain popular choices, and even minor updates like adding velvet cushions in rich earthy colors or a velvet ottoman or armchair can refresh the space. Second, texture plays a crucial role in creating a modern living room design. Incorporating a variety of textures can make a space feel comfortable and contemporary. Experts suggest focusing on natural materials such as rattan and cane for furniture, and flatweave rugs made from blends of wool, jute, cotton, and silk, which are expected to be key elements in upcoming seasons. Third, colorful clashes can inject life into a room. The current color palette leans towards warmer, richer tones, including various shades of blue (from cobalt to denim), sage and deeper greens, terracotta, and a diverse range of timbers. For individuals hesitant to introduce bold colors, starting with smaller elements like a floor rug, a piece of artwork, or cushions and throws allows for experimentation and assessment of the color's impact in different lighting and settings. Fourth, mixing materials and textures contributes to an eclectic and modern aesthetic without requiring extensive or costly changes. This can be achieved simply by adding a textured rug in a neutral color or introducing a new material, such as a matte black marble coffee table, to create visual interest. Fifth, incorporating natural-looking ceramics can add character and a homely, lived-in feel. Opting for organic shapes in ceramics ensures a timeless appeal that remains fashionable and can be styled in various ways throughout the room. Sixth, maintaining proper proportions is especially vital in smaller living rooms. While a compact space can present challenges, thoughtful decoration can make it feel stylish and inviting. Balancing the size and placement of key furniture pieces, such as sofas, media units, and storage, and ensuring ease of movement within the room, are crucial. Neutral-colored flooring can enhance the sense of spaciousness, while pops of color in soft furnishings can add interest without clutter. Seventh, mirrors are effective for creating the illusion of a larger space and can serve as quirky wall decor. Eighth, removable wallpaper offers a bold yet practical and affordable way to decorate living room walls, particularly beneficial for renters due to its easy installation and removal. The article emphasizes that these tips are regularly updated to ensure currency. #LivingRoomIdeas #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #ModernLiving #TexturalElements #ColorTrends #EclecticStyle #SmallSpaceSolutions #RemovableWallpaper

The article explores the concept and design of hearth rooms, highlighting their role as versatile spaces for both everyday living and entertaining. It features insights from three distinct interior design firms, Jane Ganz of Directions in Design, Colleen Ertl of Diane Breckenridge Interiors, and Dee Hencken of Ooh La La Home Furnishings, each offering their approach to creating inviting and functional hearth rooms. Jane Ganz from Directions in Design emphasizes creating an open and welcoming atmosphere. For one project, she transformed a hearth room by opening the fireplace on both sides and replacing the original white-painted brick with cultured stone. She removed a wall between the hearth room and the kitchen and elevated the kitchen ceiling to match the vaulted ceiling of the hearth room, expanding the overall perception of space. This design choice aims to integrate family activities, allowing individuals in the kitchen to remain connected with those in the hearth room. The design also incorporated new furniture and artwork, using a palette of various color tones, neutrals, and textures to complement the room and provide a cohesive aesthetic for the Ladue homeowners, enhancing their space for family time and social gatherings. Colleen Ertl, a senior designer for Diane Breckenridge Interiors, focused on creating a casual and intimate feel for a hearth room in the home of Lindenwood University's president. She arranged furniture around the fireplace to maximize seating, making it a comfortable spot for friends, family, and relaxation. The color scheme of blue, brown, and green, which extends throughout the home, features richer hues in the hearth room. Chocolate-toned draperies and pillows were chosen to complement the dark wood ceiling, while soft chenille and linen fabrics were used to counteract the potentially cold feel of stone and wood, adding warmth and softness to the space. The room's proximity to the kitchen and a staircase to the bedrooms ensures practical, everyday use, balancing beauty with durability and approachability. Dee Hencken, owner of Ooh La La Home Furnishings, designed a hearth room for a family in Des Peres with children, ensuring it was both upscale and family-friendly. She worked with the existing rich hues of built-in bookshelves, woodwork, and a stone hearth, incorporating a sofa, three chairs, a cocktail table, and accessories in bronze, caramel, and brown shades. The goal was to maintain a European country aesthetic consistent with the home’s Old World style, characterized by wood and warmth. Hencken prioritized functionality alongside design, recognizing the hearth room as a primary gathering space for the family. Her design allowed for relaxation and comfort, encouraging a lived-in feel while maintaining an elegant appearance. #HearthRoom #InteriorDesign #HomeDecoration #FamilySpaces #HomeImprovement #DesignTrends #LivingSpaces #FireplaceDesign

This lookbook explores ten examples of suspended fireplaces used as central design features in contemporary and cozy living rooms, ranging from rural residences to urban dwellings. These fireplaces, also known as hanging or floating fireplaces, are mounted on ceilings and lack support from below, making them a popular choice among architects and interior designers. Their appeal lies in their ability to introduce warmth into a space and transform otherwise unused ceiling areas into compelling focal points. The showcased examples demonstrate a variety of shapes, though a bold black finish is consistently favored for its versatility across different home aesthetics. The featured designs begin with Hygge Studio in Brazil, where Melina Romano integrated a striking black suspended fireplace into a São Paulo apartment's lounge, creating a rustic yet modern ambiance against brick walls and a cobogó screen. In Spain, Marià Castelló positioned a pivoting log burner at the core of the living room in Ca l'Amo, contrasting its sculptural form with the home's lightweight, exposed cross-laminated timber structure. Atelier Data's Varatojo House in Portugal utilizes a floating stove in its open-plan living and kitchen area to serve as a gathering point without obstructing the scenic valley views. Leopold Banchini Architects designed Marramarra Shack in Australia with a tall, floating fireplace as the centerpiece of a wood-lined interior, complemented by tiered seating and an industrial-style window. David Guerra employed a suspended fireplace in Valley House II, Brazil, to subtly delineate the sitting and dining areas, its vertical lines echoing the room's structural columns and the veranda. Wood Marsh incorporated a conical suspended flue over a circular firepit in the Towers Road House in Australia, enhancing a snug conversation pit with retro-inspired curved forms and polychromatic elements. ARTechnic's Shell holiday home in Japan features a winding seating area centered around a floating fireplace, whose curves harmonize with the home's distinctive oval-sectioned concrete structure. Inês Brandão Arquitectura designed the Cork House in Portugal with an open-plan living area where a suspended fireplace's black finish accentuates white walls and sliding doors, complementing dark furnishings. Villa K in Finland, by Mer Architects and Ettala Palomeras Architects, uses a log burner suspended between the living and dining rooms to add warmth and coziness, fitting seamlessly with the home's minimalist aesthetic of exposed concrete and monochrome decor. Finally, Lund Hagem's Geilo Cabin in Norway features a fireplace hanging from its sloped ceiling, creating a strong focal point in a lounge designed with blackened-timber, black concrete floors, and dark oak paneling to evoke an intimate, sheltered atmosphere. These diverse projects collectively illustrate the aesthetic and functional versatility of suspended fireplaces as a design element. #SuspendedFireplaces #LoungeAreas #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #ContemporaryLiving #ArchitecturalFeatures #DesignInspiration #ModernFireplaces #Lookbook

This lookbook compiles eight homes that feature terracotta floors, highlighting their decorative and practical qualities. Terracotta, a reddish-brown earthenware clay fired at low temperatures, has a rich history dating back to 3,000 BCE for sculptures and has experienced a resurgence in interior design for flooring and walls in various spaces, from kitchens to balconies. The material is valued for its warm, rustic aesthetic, as well as its durability and low maintenance. One example is Hacienda Granada in Los Angeles, where Working Holiday Studio infused a midcentury home with a Mexican hacienda style. The designers, Carlos Naude and Whitney Brown, aimed for a neutral, earthy, and warm interior with accent pops. Handmade terracotta tiles laid in a herringbone pattern feature prominently in the kitchen, contributing to the home's distinct character. Another featured home is Duane House in the US, designed by OWIU. This California residence, once owned by Swiss architect Pierre de Meuron, draws inspiration from Japanese ryokans, traditional inns. The original brick floors were preserved, complemented by Japanese design elements such as shoji screens and sculptural Akari lamps by Isamu Noguchi, creating a blend of cultural aesthetics. In Spain, Atelier du Pont transformed an old Menorcan farmhouse into a summer retreat, Estancia San José. The traditional stone barn was converted into a light-filled living room featuring a tactile terracotta floor. A palette of natural materials enhances the flooring, echoing the building's historical context. YSG's Budge Over Dover in Sydney, Australia, showcases a vibrant color scheme of rosy, pale pink, purple, and green. Terracotta bricks, aubergine-colored plaster, and aged brass were used to craft the interiors. The main living space is elevated on a platform of handmade terracotta tiles, which extend to the garden patio. Elemental House in London, UK, by Archmongers, is a revamped 1970s house where a terracotta floor seamlessly connects the kitchen to an outdoor terrace, fostering an indoor-outdoor feel and expanding the perception of space. Architect Johan Hybschmann selected terracotta along with concrete, galvanized steel, and softwood timber to ensure the home's robust construction. Hygge Studio in São Paulo, Brazil, by designer Melina Romano, features terracotta flooring throughout the entire apartment, including the bathroom, where a sculptural terracotta sink also stands out. Romano notes that the terracotta imparts a "rustic charm" to the space, with its red hues contrasting with a forest-green wall and abundant plant life. Farley Farmhouse in Wiltshire, UK, by Emil Eve Architects, incorporates terracotta tiles both inside and out. The exterior is clad in terracotta arrowhead tiles, while the interior boasts terracotta-brick flooring in the kitchen and dining room. Complementary clay pendant lights further integrate the material into the design. Finally, Checkmate in Byron Bay, Australia, another project by YSG, is a seaside home with 1970s-inspired retro interiors. The dining room features terracotta pavers arranged in a geometric grid, which influenced the project's name. Vintage Italian dining chairs and a colorful lounge chair contribute to the home's relaxed, surfer-style ambiance. This collection of homes demonstrates the versatility and enduring appeal of terracotta as a design element. #TerracottaFloors #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #RusticCharm #DurableFlooring #Lookbook #ResidentialDesign #ArchitecturalInteriors #MaterialHighlight

This lookbook compiles seven distinct living room designs that feature double-height ceilings, creating a sense of grandeur and openness. Each example showcases how architects and designers utilize vertical space to enhance the aesthetic and functional aspects of residential interiors. The first example is the Three Chimney House in the US by T W Ryan Architecture. This country house features a white-brick fireplace mantle that extends to the gabled roof, emphasizing the room's significant height. The mantle also functions as a partial partition, separating the sitting area from the kitchen and dining space. Next, the Pennsylvania Farmhouse by Cutler Anderson Architects in the US connects second-floor bedrooms with a narrow open corridor, allowing the living room below to boast soaring ceilings and extensive top-to-bottom glazing. For climate control, double-height rolling shutters provide shade and mitigate solar gain while still permitting natural light. Library House in Japan, designed by Shinichi Ogawa & Associates for a passionate reader, accommodates an extensive book collection with six-meter-high ceilings. One entire wall is dedicated to built-in shelving, brightly illuminated by a long, narrow skylight, showcasing how verticality can serve specific lifestyle needs. Queen's Park House in the UK, an extension to an early 20th-century Edwardian house by Daytrip, features a double-height volume combining the kitchen, dining, and living areas. A clerestory window further accentuates the lofty ceilings, and vintage cane chairs by Tito Agnoli are used instead of traditional upholstered furniture. Casa Alférez in Mexico, a holiday home by Ludwig Godefroy, is built on a challenging sloping site in a pine forest, with a design that prioritizes height over width. The living room exemplifies this approach, featuring a small wood-burning stove beneath an eight-meter-long flue pipe, drawing the eye upward. Camp O in the US, Maria Milans del Bosch's own holiday home in the Catskills, utilizes a Japanese shou sugi ban technique to char the cedar wood cladding on the upper half of the structure. This process highlights the timber's natural grain and guides the gaze towards the slanted roof, where exposed beams integrate built-in shelving. Finally, Dailly in Belgium by Mamout is a backyard house in Brussels that repurposes materials from a former warehouse on the site. Profiled bricks from the original structure form one of the walls in the double-height sitting room, which is capped with a distinctive blue-painted gabled ceiling. These diverse projects collectively illustrate the dramatic impact and design possibilities afforded by double-height living spaces. #DoubleHeightCeilings #LivingRoomDesign #ArchitecturalFeatures #InteriorDesign #ResidentialArchitecture #HomeInteriors #ModernLivingSpaces