Ten homes with French doors that bring an airiness to the interior

French doors, characterized by their panels of glass, are presented as an elegant and effortless architectural feature that can significantly enhance the light and ambiance of a home. Inspired by European chateaus and balconies, these doors are not only suitable for heritage homes but also make a beautiful statement in modern new builds. Their primary function is to filter natural light into a room, create definition between internal spaces, and improve indoor-outdoor flow, adding sophistication to any design. The article showcases 22 diverse homes that effectively integrate French doors into their design, highlighting their versatility and aesthetic appeal across various styles. For instance, a grand neo-colonial home in Adelaide's southwest utilizes French doors to flood rooms with light, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. In Buckland, Tasmania, a historic stone cottage at Twamley Farm features powder blue French front doors, contributing to its colourful country style. Further examples include an uplifting Victorian semi in Sydney, which uses French doors alongside original sash windows and skylights to maximize natural light and create seamless living spaces with a gelato-inspired palette. A country-coastal cottage in Keppel Sands incorporates salvaged French doors in its bedroom, flanked by linen curtains, to enhance its serene and relaxed vibe. A restored 1880s cottage in country Victoria features custom glass French doors, adding old-world glamour to its dining space, library, and sunroom. Another historic Sydney home's thoughtful restoration benefits from French doors on both sides of its dining area, ensuring cool breezes and abundant light. The article also illustrates how French doors can introduce a splash of color, as seen in Ventnor, one of Sydney's oldest homes, where Banksia yellow shutters provide both protection and a vibrant aesthetic to external French doors. A renovated 1880s homestead in the Adelaide Hills leverages French doors and quaint windows for natural light. Modern interpretations are shown in a Melbourne Italianate villa, where black steel-framed French doors connect a modern living room to a formal dining area, blending heritage with contemporary design. A luxurious Regency-style home uses French doors with a striped awning to open to a pool area, evoking a European feel. Other examples include a resort-style home by Three Birds Renovations, which strategically places multiple French doors to offer constant views of the natural surroundings and a pool. Melissa Penfold's French-inspired country house in the NSW Southern Highlands features French doors in the bedroom for streams of light. The Quarters in Jugiong, a converted shearing shed, uses numerous French doors to create an ideal indoor-outdoor flow. A contemporary Sydney terrace, following a makeover, connects its sophisticated upstairs bedroom to a balcony via classic French doors. A Hamptons-style home in Sydney's eastern suburbs received a facelift with new timber balconies and French doors painted in 'Timeless Grey' and 'Milton Moon' to achieve a crisp, classic look. Darren Palmer's family home uses antique French doors in a retreat space leading to a private balcony. A family farmhouse in the Macedon Ranges and a modern Australian farmhouse both feature antique French doors connecting indoor spaces to outdoor decks and gardens, complementing high truss ceilings. Finally, a renovated inner-city Sydney terrace defies the typical darkness of terraces by incorporating original sash windows, skylights, and French doors to ensure rooms are flooded with light, alongside elevated ceilings and enlarged living spaces for seamless flow. These examples collectively demonstrate the significant impact French doors have on a home's aesthetic, functionality, and connection to its surroundings. #FrenchDoors #HomeRenovation #InteriorDesign #NaturalLight #ArchitecturalFeatures #HomeDecor #IndoorOutdoorFlow #HeritageHomes #ModernHomes

This lookbook presents a curated selection of 10 residential interiors where corridors transcend their utilitarian function to become distinctive and celebrated spaces. Often regarded as mere transitional areas, or even undesirable in contemporary open-plan designs, these examples demonstrate how corridors can be intentionally designed as integral and aesthetically pleasing components of a home. The featured projects highlight various design strategies employed by architects and designers to elevate corridors. These approaches include the deliberate use of color palettes, unique flooring materials, and architectural elements that define and enhance these passageways. The aim is to showcase that with thoughtful design, corridors can offer more than just circulation; they can provide visual interest, spatial definition, and even an emotional experience within a residence. One example is the Upper Wimpole Street apartment in the UK, designed by Jonathan Tuckey Design. This project features an elliptical corridor with pastel pink walls and contrasting black and white triangular floor tiles. These elements work together to establish the corridor as a distinct space while simultaneously building anticipation for the areas beyond, illustrating how color and pattern can transform a hallway. StudioAC's Candy Loft in Canada introduces arched corridors with pale Douglas fir floors, subtly illuminated by warm inlaid LED lights. The upward glow emphasizes the architectural curve, creating an intimate and immersive experience as one moves through the thresholds. This showcases the power of lighting and form in shaping the perception of a corridor. In Belgium, Bovenbouw Architectuur's Weekend House transforms a corridor into a journey. The front door opens to a curving hallway with wooden steps, designed to evoke the sensation of walking up a path. This concept integrates the corridor with the natural surroundings, offering views of the garden and challenging traditional notions of internal circulation. Format Architecture Office's Riverside Apartment in the USA incorporates a translucent glass section into the pale hardwood wall of its corridor. This design allows light to permeate the space, preventing it from feeling enclosed, while integrated millwork provides discreet storage. The corridor itself serves to clearly delineate different functional zones within the compact New York apartment. Hiha Studio's renovation of Montcada house in Spain features an inward-curving wall defining a long, narrow corridor. This design choice disrupts the linear layout and creates a dynamic visual element. The continuation of a slightly lower ceiling and light-grey color into adjacent living areas further integrates the corridor's design with the broader interior scheme. Jean Verville Architectes' MB House in Canada utilizes recesses and passageways to sculpturally define the space. The corridor, like much of the house, is constructed from plywood, contributing to a minimalist aesthetic and cleverly concealing storage, demonstrating how materials and hidden functions can enhance corridor design. Civilian's Bed-Stuy Townhouse renovation in the USA involved creating a new corridor using a full-height maple millwork block, which serves as both a divider and storage. Lined with aluminum laminate and framed by parquet-styled American oak flooring, this corridor section demonstrates how new additions can thoughtfully integrate with existing structures while adding practical value. In the Trikoupi Apartment in Greece, Point Supreme Architects highlight the role of flooring in defining a corridor-like space within an open-plan layout. A long strip of oak parquet laid perpendicular to the entrance hall visually extends from the dining area to the balcony, acting as a clear central axis for the interior without physical walls. Azab's Inner Home in Spain, constrained by a tight budget, ingeniously enlivened a long central corridor with bold bubblegum-pink paint and a matching carpet. A gabled glazed doorframe at one end, fitting into the pitched ceiling, further accentuates the space, proving that impactful design can be achieved even with limited resources. Finally, S\_estudio's Casa Genaro in Argentina, designed with accessibility in mind, features a wide, central entrance hallway that provides direct access to every room. Generous skylights illuminate this spacious corridor, demonstrating how inclusive design principles can lead to open, bright, and functional passageways that are central to a home's layout. These examples collectively illustrate that corridors, when approached with creative design solutions, can transform from simple connecting paths into significant architectural and aesthetic features within a residential interior. #HomeDesign #InteriorDesign #ResidentialCorridors #ArchitecturalFeatures #SpacePlanning #HomeRenovation #Lookbook #DesignInspiration #ModernInteriors

This lookbook explores homes where pivot doors serve as significant architectural features, either creating dramatic entrances or seamlessly connecting indoor and outdoor environments. Pivot doors distinguish themselves from traditional side-hinged doors by utilizing hinges fixed to the top and bottom, allowing them to swing around a single vertical axis. This design places the pivot point inset from the side, resulting in an asymmetric opening that makes the door appear to peel away from the wall in opposing directions. The aesthetic of pivot doors is often minimal and sleek, as their external frames can be hidden behind wall finishes. Their unique pivoting mechanism also supports larger and heavier constructions than conventional doors, enabling grander architectural statements. The lookbook showcases various applications of pivot doors across different residential projects. For instance, Cork House in the UK, designed by Nimtim Architects, features a pink-framed pivot door that provides a striking contrast against a cork-clad rear extension. This large glazed door, alongside an adjacent window, offers residents expansive views of the patio and garden, enhancing the ground floor living spaces' connection to the outdoors. In Indonesia, Tamara Wibowo's self-designed House of Inside and Outside employs rows of pivoting glass doors to facilitate natural airflow through its living areas. These doors open onto both a garden and a pool area from the open-plan kitchen and dining room, blurring the lines between interior and exterior spaces. Herne Hill House in the UK, an extension by TYPE, integrates a glazed pivot door framed in Douglas fir wood, aligning with the timber-clad facade. Situated in the open-plan kitchen and dining room, the door is positioned next to a built-in bench under a large window, offering residents extensive garden views. In upstate New York, JacobsChang's Half-Tree House, a blackened timber cabin, features three glazed, floor-to-ceiling pivot doors that frame the surrounding forest, creating an immersive natural experience. This project was notably constructed on a modest budget by its owners with community assistance. Atelier du Pont, in collaboration with Aru Arquitectura, converted dilapidated stone farm buildings in Menorca into Estancia San José, a summer house. They incorporated arched glass pivot doors in the barn, designed to match an existing doorway's shape, thereby flooding the living space with natural light while preserving the original character of the structure. The Roofless House in California by Craig Steely Architecture showcases a main entrance marked by a glazed pivoting door within a curvilinear timber-clad wall. This doorway leads into a corridor that borders a spacious courtyard with sliding glass doors, emphasizing an open and fluid architectural plan. Unknown Works' CLT House in east London features a distinctive bright yellow entrance and a bespoke timber pivot door, left exposed to complement the cross-laminated timber structure of the rear extension. This design choice highlights the material honesty and modern aesthetic of the home. CasiTa in Phoenix, Arizona, designed by The Ranch Mine, boasts an exceptionally large 3.7-meter-wide floor-to-ceiling pivot door. This impressive door connects an open-plan kitchen, living, and dining area with a covered patio, establishing a strong indoor-outdoor link. CasiTa functions as a guesthouse in the backyard of another project, Foo House. Casa Tres Árboles in Mexico, revitalized by Direccion, integrates a pivoting wooden door at its entrance, located below street level via a sunken courtyard. This design decision aims to create a dramatic sense of arrival, leading to a double-height entrance hall and playing with contrasts of light and shadow throughout the home. Finally, Cast House in London by EBBA Architects features a glass pivot door that connects the concrete extension's conservatory to an outdoor terrace, which are both floored with brickwork. The design utilizes a utilitarian material palette and wood-paneled windows, ensuring a cohesive and textured aesthetic. These examples collectively demonstrate the versatility and visual impact of pivot doors in contemporary home design. #PivotDoors #HomeInteriors #ArchitecturalDesign #IndoorOutdoorLiving #ContemporaryHomes #ResidentialArchitecture #GlazedDoors #ModernDesign #ArchitecturalFeatures

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

French doors, with a history spanning back to the 16th century in Italy and France, are experiencing a resurgence in popularity for modern extensions and renovations, offering a timeless aesthetic that can integrate seamlessly into both old and new properties. While contemporary patio door options often lean towards large sliding or bifold doors, French doors present a compelling alternative, particularly when space is at a premium. Their simple hinge system allows for smooth operation without requiring extensive room for folded panels, a common necessity for bifold systems. This makes them a practical and stylish solution for tighter spaces, while also preventing encroachment on patio areas. Architects and designers emphasize several advantages of French doors. One key benefit is their ability to significantly enhance natural light and external visibility, especially when complemented by sidelights or fanlights. Full-height fanlights, for instance, can visually double the amount of light drawn into a space, a feature particularly beneficial for rooms with high ceilings or those at semi-basement levels, as demonstrated in a kitchen extension designed by Studio Bark. Another design approach involves strategic placement, such as positioning matching sets of French doors opposite one another across an internal courtyard or within a garden room. This creates pleasing symmetry and helps to visually connect disparate elements of a building, forming dramatic glazed features that amplify the sense of space. The versatility of French doors extends to material choices and design adaptations. While timber remains a classic choice, offering elegance and better handling of timber movement compared to sliding or bifold mechanisms, modern advancements have also popularized aluminium frames. Aluminium frames can mimic the aesthetic of Art Deco-style steel systems, like Crittall doors, with slim sightlines and excellent thermal properties, while requiring less maintenance. Steel French doors also maintain their appeal for their elegant design and thin sightlines, effectively maximizing light and views in striking spaces like double-height dining areas. French doors can also be customized in shape and size, moving beyond standard designs. Arched French doors, for example, can be fitted into period homes with tall arched openings, adding an elegant touch. For period properties, timber French doors can be designed to perfectly match existing windows, often a requirement in Conservation Areas. Furthermore, French doors are being increasingly utilized as internal door systems, allowing light to flow between rooms and creating better connections in open-plan living spaces. They can also transform bedrooms, providing access to balconies and a sense of connection to the outdoors, while still allowing for internal dressing with curtains. From a cost perspective, French doors are generally the most affordable option compared to bifold and sliding doors, making them an attractive choice for those managing renovation budgets. The cost varies depending on size and material, with uPVC being the least expensive and hardwood at the higher end. Despite the rise of other patio door systems, French doors continue to offer a timeless, stylish, and often more practical and cost-effective solution for various architectural contexts, proving their enduring relevance in modern home design. #FrenchDoors #HomeDesign #InteriorDesign #ExtensionIdeas #ArchitecturalDesign #PatioDoors #NaturalLight #GlazingSolutions #Renovation

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 article highlights how custom windows and doors can transform homes, emphasizing the role of natural light in creating a brighter and lighter atmosphere. It counters the common use of standardized window sizes by showcasing five distinct residential projects that leveraged custom solutions from Kolbe Windows & Doors to achieve unique aesthetic and functional goals. The overarching theme is that custom fenestration can elevate a home from standout to truly one-of-a-kind. The first project, a 1960s San Diego home, underwent a contemporary renovation by Will & Fotsch Architects. The homeowners sought to maximize a spectacular view and an active lifestyle. Principal Andy Fotsch reframed the great room, adding 14 inches to its height, to accommodate 8-foot-tall Kolbe multi-slide doors with transom windows, specifically to enhance the ocean views. The original screened-in porch was replaced with a large deck, extending the living space and strengthening the indoor/outdoor connection. The black extruded aluminum exterior of the Kolbe VistaLuxe Collection, paired with a dark ebony stain on the interior wood frames, was chosen to match the home's contemporary style and complement its casual coastal feel. The second featured home is a seaside renovation in New England. Alex and Nicole Bender transformed a 1970s property into a contemporary dwelling with a calming ambiance and a strong connection to its natural surroundings. They utilized the VistaLuxe Collection by Kolbe Windows & Doors to create an airy atmosphere suitable for entertaining and withstanding harsh Northeast winters. The family room boasts unobstructed water views through a large sliding door and casement windows, while clerestory windows bring light to the beamed ceiling. The kitchen also incorporates large picture windows instead of upper cabinetry to frame waterfront views and enhance brightness. The third project, the Wood Screen House in Nashville by architect Michael Goorevich, explores the interplay between opacity and transparency. It features wood screen walls alongside extensive floor-to-ceiling windows and doors. General contractor Shawn Keen installed Kolbe VistaLuxe WD LINE windows, emphasizing their low-profile stiles and rails to maximize glass exposure. The contrast between the windows and Kebony slats, a naturally modified wood suitable for humid environments, contributes to the home's elegance. Frosted glass was strategically used in bathrooms for privacy while still allowing light. The fourth example, a New Jersey lake home named "La Clairiere" by Studio PHH, centers around a light-filled glass cube. This central volume connects two monolithic brick structures, allowing nature to permeate the space. Pierre-Henri Hoppenot selected large-format glazing solutions from Kolbe’s Ultra Series, including a 5-panel Lift & Slide door, to create a seamless connection between the public space and the exterior. When open, the door effectively dissolves the barrier between indoors and outdoors. Finally, the Cloud Forest House in eastern Minnesota, a 1990s property, underwent a renovation by Imprint Architecture and Design, LLC. Inspired by the owners' travels to Ecuador's cloud forest, the project focused on expansive window views, a more spacious floor plan, and a stylistic update. The great room was revamped using Kolbe Windows & Doors’ VistaLuxe AL LINE, combining lift-and-slide doors with large direct sets and clerestory windows to create the impression of entire walls of glass. Operable windows were strategically placed for natural ventilation. These projects collectively demonstrate the versatility and impact of custom window and door solutions in modern residential architecture. #CustomWindows #CustomDoors #HomeRenovation #ArchitecturalDesign #NaturalLight #IndoorOutdoorLiving #ModernHomes #KolbeWindowsAndDoors #ResidentialArchitecture

French patio doors offer a solution to enhance the indoor-outdoor connection of a home, providing both functional benefits and aesthetic appeal. These doors are designed to lighten and brighten a space by acting as windows, thereby enhancing views and architectural interest. Experts in interior design, such as Joshua Smith and Mark Lavender, emphasize the classic look and versatility of French doors, recommending their use in various rooms like living rooms, dining rooms, and areas leading to terraces or Juliette balconies. Brad Ramsey highlights their ability to create an open flow between indoor and outdoor environments. Selecting the right French patio door style is crucial for maintaining consistency with the home's overall design. Designers often opt for simpler versions with clean lines to achieve a timeless feel. Beyond style, paint choice plays a significant role; for instance, Benjamin Moore White Dove is a popular selection for its ability to shift colors with natural light. The exterior facade should also be considered when choosing paint colors for the outward-facing side of the doors, as demonstrated by using Benjamin Moore Middleberry Brown to complement a Spanish Revival home's creamy exterior and terracotta roof. French doors are not limited to traditional settings and can be integrated into contemporary designs, such as a four-paneled French door connecting a living room and patio in a modern residence. The interior framing of these doors is also important, with light-filtering linen drapery and wooden doors adding charm and character while embracing an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. For specific applications like poolhouses, French doors provide flexibility, allowing spaces to be closed off while maintaining a connection to the outdoor area. Design considerations extend to the door's shape, with rounded French doors offering a clean, modern aesthetic for backyard seating areas. Utilizing multiple French doors can create expansive, open spaces ideal for entertaining, enabling seamless movement between indoor rooms and outdoor patios. Contrasting trim colors, such as bright white French doors against a warm dining room, can add an elegant touch. Incorporating extra windows above French doors in double-height rooms maximizes natural light. Finally, ensuring the French doors match the exterior paint, such as a creamy Glidden white, maintains a cohesive look, and their application indoors can provide sound privacy while still inviting ample light, as seen in a breakfast room offering privacy to an adjacent den. #FrenchPatioDoors #HomeDesign #InteriorDesign #ArchitecturalInterest #IndoorOutdoorLiving #DesignInspiration #RoomDecorating #HomeRenovation #ExteriorFacade #PaintColors

This article explores the use of skylights in residential interior design, highlighting ten projects that demonstrate their aesthetic and functional benefits. Skylights, defined as windows placed on a roof, are typically angled to allow natural light to penetrate interior spaces, serving as an alternative to traditional windows. Their application can provide privacy, introduce decorative lighting, or compensate for a lack of conventional window openings. The article presents a curated selection of residential projects, each showcasing a unique approach to incorporating skylights. The Oculi House in New York City, by O'Neill Rose Architects, exemplifies how elliptical skylights can transform dark brownstone interiors into airy, bright spaces, complemented by rectilinear glass doors. This project was a Dezeen Award shortlist in 2019 for house interior of the year. In Norway, Line Solgaard's Weekend House Fredrikstad features a pyramid-shaped skylight that brightens the entire holiday home, including an oak-lined dining room. The natural light creates dramatic shadows and contrasts with darker kitchen elements. Branch Studio Architects' Casa X in Australia's Phillip Island integrates clerestory windows and large skylights, with three 'pop-up' high-level windows designed to draw northern light deep into the house throughout the day. Fala Atelier converted a windowless garage in Lisbon into a vibrant living space by incorporating strategically placed skylights and painting the walls white, using pops of color like a teal-hued extractor fan to enhance the spacious interior. Yoshihara McKee's Photographer's Loft in Chelsea, New York, despite its ground-floor location, maximizes natural light through an angled skylight. The architects removed internal partitions to optimize the light's distribution, highlighting sculptural furniture in neutral tones. Tres Birds Workshop created an innovative operable skylight from dichroic glass in an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in the Rocky Mountains. This multicolored glass casts dynamic, vibrant light patterns across the interior, changing with the sun's angle and season. In Santiago, Chile, Rodolfo Cañas's Mogro House, also known as Skylight House, features a prominent stainless steel volume topped with an oversized skylight. A floating metal staircase within this volume leads to the roof, while monochrome furniture mirrors the house's steel and exposed concrete palette. FujiwaraMuro Architects designed the House with a Light Void in Japan, achieving privacy through geometric skylights instead of traditional windows. These openings are positioned above five cement-clad volumes, contributing to the minimalist aesthetic. Casa Boavista, a Porto townhouse renovated by Pablo Pita Architects, incorporates skylights on multiple levels to enhance privacy on a busy street. An extension and new storey were added, with a trio of skylights illuminating the neutral interiors. Lastly, R2 Studio's renovation of a Victorian London home uses a skylight to accentuate a bright orange central staircase, adding warmth and vibrancy to the already colorful interiors. The article emphasizes that skylights are versatile architectural elements that can solve practical challenges like privacy and natural light distribution, while also serving as significant decorative features, demonstrating their capacity to profoundly influence the ambiance and functionality of residential spaces. #Skylights #ResidentialInteriors #ArchitecturalDesign #NaturalLight #HomeRenovation #InteriorLighting #ModernArchitecture #DesignInspiration #Lookbooks

The article discusses the declining popularity of bifold doors in modern home design and explores various stylish and practical alternatives. For years, bifold doors, often seen in glass box extensions of period terraces or 1930s semis, have been a hallmark of 21st-century domestic design in the UK. They were intended to foster open-plan living, 'bring the outside in,' and add property value. However, the practical realities often fell short of this aspiration. Many homeowners found bifold doors to be inefficient, making rooms too cold in winter and too hot in summer due to thermal bridging from their numerous frames, leading to higher heating bills. Additionally, they often presented issues with privacy and practicality, as they consume significant space both indoors and outdoors when fully open and are rarely used to their full extent. Design experts confirm this shift away from bifolds in high-end residential projects, citing a preference for cleaner lines and a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor spaces, even when doors are closed. This preference is particularly relevant in the UK, where doors remain closed most of the time. The article highlights several alternatives that address these shortcomings. Crittall or Crittall-style doors are presented as a top choice, featuring elegant black steel frames and slim profiles that allow ample light while making a strong industrial statement. However, genuine Crittall doors are noted for their high cost, though more affordable alternatives exist. Sliding doors have also made a stylish comeback, offering slimline updates with large glazed panes that can be fitted without visible frames at the base or head, creating an uninterrupted view. These are particularly suitable for homes with smaller gardens. A more advanced option is pocket doors, a type of sliding door that disappears completely into a wall cavity, offering maximum openness. Picture windows, characterized by their larger size and lack of an opening mechanism, are another alternative. They are less costly, provide better insulation, and are ideal for framing views and maximizing natural light while minimizing energy bills. Their simple frames also make them easier to maintain. A growing trend combines picture windows with separate doors, allowing for a framed view and more flexible furniture arrangements. For those seeking a dramatic effect, pivot doors are introduced as a large-scale solution. These doors rotate 90 degrees on a single point, offering a 'wow factor' with widths and heights up to 3 meters, though specialist advice is recommended for insulation and weatherproofing. Slide and stack doors provide a family-friendly option, with independent panels that slide along a track and only fold at the end, allowing for ventilation without full openness, ensuring child safety. Tilt-and-turn doors offer similar benefits, opening like a normal door but also tilting for airflow. Finally, classic French doors are still considered a viable and sophisticated option, providing a timeless charm with good space utilization, light, ventilation, and security. The article concludes with a checklist for choosing the right door, emphasizing the importance of understanding u-values for thermal efficiency, ensuring thermal breaks and weathertight seals, and considering solar reflective coatings or integral blinds to manage heat and privacy. #HomeDesign #ArchitecturalTrends #BifoldDoors #SlidingDoors #CrittallDoors #PictureWindows #PivotDoors #FrenchDoors #EnergyEfficiency

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 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

Painting a front door is highlighted as one of the most effective and affordable ways to enhance a home's curb appeal. The article emphasizes that a fresh coat of paint can convey a bold statement and significantly improve the first impression of a house. Beyond the exterior, the suggestion is made to also paint the interior side of the door to extend this impact. The article then explores various color categories, showcasing 16 different front door ideas. The 'Pinks' section presents four examples. An L.A. home designed by Lizzie Green features a fuchsia double door, setting the tone for an interior primarily in pink and green. Melissa Johnson's Sacramento Airbnb incorporates a pale pink front door with a pineapple bell, designed to be 'Instagrammable.' Geneva Vanderzeil of A Pair and a Spare blog chose an arc design in pink, preserving some of the door's original charm. Lastly, Cara Irwin's door, once showing glue marks, is transformed with a sweet shade of pink visible from both inside and out. Moving to 'The Blues,' three instances are provided. Melissa Johnson's family home exterior renovation uses a turquoise door to introduce playfulness to its mid-century modern aesthetic. Designer Andrea Van Soest's glass-panel door, though intricate, demonstrates that detailed frames can still be painted using a small brush. A soft gray-blue door on a white brick Tudor home by Studio McGee is shown to complement its traditional character. 'The Yellows' section features two vibrant examples. Natalie Myers's restored mid-century ranch home uses a zesty lemon-colored door, paired with a giant globe light, to create a glowing exterior. Michelle Nadar's extra-wide entrance is painted a canary yellow, evoking jungle vibes with surrounding potted trees. 'The Greens' offers three distinct uses of the color. A 'swampy green' door (Madras by Resene) is presented as a chic, unconventional choice for a front door. Kay Volmar's Florida home renovation includes a happy, tropical hue called Warm Springs by Benjamin Moore, chosen to signal a positive transformation. Dabito's New Orleans home features a vibrant Kelly green door, with the other side painted bright yellow for a double dose of fun. Finally, 'The Reds' and 'The Whites' sections each provide examples. In 'The Reds,' Mae House in the Hudson Valley features a merlot-colored door that complements sage green siding, creating a calm yet striking effect. Los Angeles designers Jason and Laura O’Dell painted a Dutch door in candy apple red for their Silver Lake Colonial, enhancing its fairy-tale aesthetic. Lori Paranjape's Chicago client's apartment elevator entrance is painted in a red inspired by Cubs colors with a lacquered finish, demonstrating that this concept can apply to high-rise living. In 'The Whites,' Julia O’Rourke’s Maine cabin features a white front door against a jet black facade, illustrating the dramatic impact of high contrast. The article concludes by reinforcing the idea that a simple paint job can profoundly transform a home's exterior. #FrontDoor #PaintColors #CurbAppeal #HomeExterior #DesignInspiration #DIYHomeImprovement #ColorPalette #HomeRenovation

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