Perched on the central cliffs of Santa Cruz, this 1930s fisherman’s cottage looks straight out over the ocean. Its architecture is humble, which is much of its charm, but its position is exceptional. The brief for San Francisco studios Chroma and McGriff Architects was to resolve what they call “light tension”: keeping that intimate, nostalgic charm intact while doing justice to such a prime location. Today, it serves as a lively weekend and holiday house for a couple with four young boys.

What makes the modern home all the more special is its storied past, reflected in its aesthetic and overall feel. It has served as a Dirty Harry film set, appeared in a murder mystery novel, and hosted generations of visiting artists in the Casita. “Neighborhood homes, especially storied ones, can feel like public property,” says Lean Conquer of Chroma.

On the morning after the sale, a passer-by congratulated the new owner: the purchase had made the front page of the Sentinel. Neighbors have since knocked on the door with old postcards. A novelist who set part of her book in the guest cottage returned four years later to hand over the published copy, inscribed.

For Benjamin McGriff, founder of McGriff Architects, this coastline holds a place in his heart. “My wife is from Santa Cruz, and I’ve spent many Thanksgiving afternoons walking off the meal along it, making room for pie with the extended family,” he says, smiling: “I’ve always seen this house as an icon, the lone coastside residence on the city’s most picturesque promenade. It’s a place that inspires wonder.”

After a few conversations, the brief was clear: the house should feel classic but never stuffy, light, open, and airy. It called for a cottage of intimate rooms that could still absorb four boys and a full house of friends, so built-ins do the work: banquettes, bunks, window seats. Conquer: “Every inch had to earn its place.” The color conversation changed the team’s thinking. The family’s primary home is entirely neutral.

First off, the ambition was to create a greater sense of space without adding square meters. The cottage would in essence stay as it was, but the layout needed rethinking. “Rooms didn’t engage with the views, circulation lacked access to daylight, and there wasn’t much of a cohesive narrative, because the house had been haphazardly modified over the previous century, diluting its historic poetry,” explains McGriff.

That poetry has roots in Bay Area modernism. The coastal massing nods to William Wurster, the Californian architect who defined the Second Bay Tradition, and to his Clark Beach House in particular. The cropped eaves and shed roofs come from the Third Bay Tradition, as seen at Sea Ranch, the 1960s coastal community in Sonoma County shaped by architects Charles Moore and Joseph Esherick.

"The house sits between two worlds, and it now mimics just that,” explains Conquer. “On one side is open ocean, on the other one of Santa Cruz’s most loved promenades. Inside, it's so well insulated that the street disappears and it feels like being aboard a ship." Throughout the long renovation, the owner kept stitching nautical needlepoints. One of them, an abstract view of Chris’s Cove seen from a gull’s perspective, now hangs in the kitchen. Before the couple had even decided to look for a waterfront home, she was stitching a crab shack on the water. “She says she manifested the house,” says Conquer, “and we believe her.”

“Somewhere in the middle, we discovered that a house of many blues can be as expressive as a house of every color, as long as each blue comes from something real,” says Conquer: the cove at noon, the bay at dusk, the deep water beyond the kelp. The main house became a study in blue, while the Casita kept the full sunset palette. Conquer: "What still makes us laugh to this day is that the owner now calls us MonoChroma. We're keeping it!"

As you move through the house, it continues to surprise you. The reconfiguration pulls visitors through it with focal points and framed views; the rooms alternate between compression and release.

Naturally, the design also needed to suit the owners’ lifestyle. “Life here is set by the sun,” muses Conquer, who designed custom pieces that echo fashion detailing (Jil Sander is a favorite of the owners) as well as the family’s own playful quiddities, such as a breakfast table shaped like a surfboard.

The daily rhythm that shaped it all: mornings are coffee in bed, watching the sunrise from the primary bedroom and terrace; evenings are s’mores by the fire. In between, everyone watches the water for whales, dolphins, sea lions, and surfers; the family record is fifty in front of the house at once.

They swim in the cove in wetsuits, walk West Cliff Drive to the lighthouse for fish tacos and Turkish coffee, and on most Saturday nights finish with fried chicken and pizza from up the street, then stargaze from the hot tub. With four boys, life is hectic, and this place is supposed to be a real respite.

Upstairs, the blues deepen, from the primary bedroom to the mosaic shower lit by clerestory windows. Each boy’s room has a nook he curled into immediately. The windows act as theatrical lenses on the changing coast. McGriff: “The landscape, its colours and its textures are the home’s primary art.”

Outside, the Casita flanks the courtyard and shelters the dining space from the breeze. It turns warm and golden in the late light, and from one spot, between shots at the pool table, you can see north to Natural Bridges and south past Lighthouse Point to Pleasure Point, a view usually only possible from a boat. The rugged outdoors also played an important role in both stylistic and practical decisions. Every material was chosen to age well in salt air: oak, walnut, rattan, ceramic, copper.

Restoring it was quite the decision. “When a new homeowner takes over a near 100-year-old home that has never been properly refurbished, they either live with a lifetime of continuous repairs or refurbish at large and extend its life another 100 years,” concludes McGriff. “Our clients chose the latter.” That doesn't mean it was an easy feat to take on, also for the designers. He laughs: “People have switched careers over much less. They are architectural angels for having the vision and stamina to see it through.”

Just last weekend, the client spotted a painter out front and asked what drew him to the cottage. “Just look at it,” he said to her. “It’s beautiful.”

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When the only limit to its interior design is the imagination, a home becomes far more than a quiet backdrop for daily family routines. It takes on its own distinct identity, acting as a lead character that instantly captivates anyone who steps inside.

And it was this unbridled creative ethos that drove interior designer Roelfien Vos's latest new-build project, set near the northern coast of the Netherlands — turning a completely blank canvas into a wonder-filled modern home.

"The clients told me, we want you as an artist and want you to have no boundaries from us. It was a complete exploration," says Roelfien. This freedom becomes immediately legible in a house where each of its many rooms is conceived as a distinct environment, yet remains part of a continuous spatial narrative.

Revealing itself like a magical mystery tour, the house evokes the wonder of Charlie exploring the chocolate factory. It is like an immersive, highly tactile artwork that envelops guests in pure sensory delight.

"The foundation of my approach is placing unexpected choices into a balanced composition," Roelfien explains. This balance is not only decorative but structural: ceilings become active surfaces through the use of moldings, color, and wallpaper, while transitions between rooms are handled as calibrated shifts, rather than interruptions. "Every space has been designed down to the centimeter. It feels natural precisely because nothing has been left to chance," she adds.

Despite its recent construction, the house looks timeless. Roelfien draws extensively from early 20th-century architectural language, embedding historical references into the project's DNA. "I wanted to avoid any sense of newness," she says. "The interior is heavily influenced by historical detailing, drawing on elements from the early 20th century, notably the Art Deco period. My guiding principle was to create a space that feels as though it has evolved over time, rather than newly built."

For its owners, the house is a multifaceted wonder that adapts itself for all seasons. "At the push of a button the floor of the swimming pool can be raised up to make a large terrace. The tiles are the same as above so it makes a continuous entertaining space perfect for dancing," Roelfien reveals.

But it's at Christmas that the house comes into its own. "The clients love hosting and they extend the festive season as long as they can, so decorating starts in November and even in January you'll find touches of Christmas," says Roelfien. "When we planned the electrics, we made sure that you could plug in the tree lights anywhere."

A house of wonder, it really is an expression of pure, unbridled creativity. And, like any great work of art, it leaves a lasting impression on all who experience it — whether during the festive season or beyond.

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For all the character and beauty provided by a period property, there are some drawbacks too. And in this updated Victorian home, the outdated bathrooms were the last remaining hurdle to jump over.

Untouched for over 20 years, it would be fair to say these bathrooms were in pretty desperate need of a little makeover. While the period features of this Victorian townhouse provided character and charm to the rest of the home, in these rooms, the lack of modernisation wasn't exactly working in its favor. "They felt quite dated and didn't really reflect the grandeur or character of the house," explains interior designer Laura Low.

Having worked as an interior designer for over twenty years, tackling a blank slate renovation project was nothing new for Laura; what was novel, however, was the opportunity to design something according to her own tastes, rather than the desires of another. Taking on the role of both client and designer, Laura was able to completely reimagine these four bathrooms, bringing them into the modern day, aesthetically and practically.

These four bathrooms acted as a project in exploration for Laura, allowing her to fully flesh out the idiosyncrasies of her style, finding a way to create four distinct spaces with one shared aesthetic, and what she landed on was something a little bit retro, a touch playful, and undeniably chic.

The Brief

With over twenty years of build-up and damage, there was no salvaging any part of these bathrooms — it was going to be a complete renovation, leaving Laura with a blank slate to work from.

The only confines she had were of the physical variety, needing to work within the limited proportions typical of Victorian homes. However, while the age of the property does come with some potential for complications, it also carries its own unique benefits, too, carrying the unique architectural features and level of craftsmanship you can only find in homes from this era.

There's a tricky balance to be found in period homes as a result of this, with homeowners having to establish how to maintain as much character as possible, while ensuring their home is up to modern living standards. In homes of a certain era, be it Victorian, Edwardian, or Georgian, there will always be some unique, distinctive characteristics, specific to that time, and finding a way to protect and maintain those can often come into conflict with the desire for a luxurious, trendy bathroom design.

This was the challenge Laura faced with this project: "I wanted to make the most of the proportions and architectural character of the original rooms, but give them a completely new lease of life," Laura tells me. "It was important that the new designs felt in keeping with the age and elegance of the townhouse, while bringing a fresh, more contemporary and playful feel."

While for many, the bathroom doesn't exactly inspire feelings of great excitement, for Laura, the opportunity to blend creativity with functionality makes these rooms uniquely enjoyable to work with. "Bathrooms are my favorite spaces to design," she says, "so the initial brief was to create something truly special and give each room the attention it deserved."

With over two decades of experience as an interior designer under her belt, Laura had grown accustomed to catering her designs to the specifications and tastes of others, making the level of control she was given over this project all the more exciting. "It was a chance to be a little more adventurous, to trust my instincts and create something completely unique for me and my family."

With no clear, strict interior design style to follow, Laura was able to follow the lead of the home itself, finding inspiration in the original architecture of the space, and allowing this to inform the rest of the design.

"I wanted to be creative and adventurous with the design, while remaining sympathetic to the grandeur and architectural character of this beautiful Victorian townhouse," she explains. "The aim was to create bathrooms that felt luxurious, individual and full of personality, yet complemented the elegance and history of the property."

The Process

There's always an element of fear when embarking on a renovation, especially in a period property. The suspense of the unknown and the potential for what you may discover along the way.

Luckily, in this project, the renovation process was surprisingly smooth-sailing.

"The house had very good bones, which certainly helped, and things generally went pretty smoothly," explains Laura. Of course, there were the slight shifts and little adjustments that become an inevitable part of any project, but without any major surprises or setbacks, Laura was able to focus her attention almost entirely on the creative side of things, fully immersing herself in the process of bringing her vision for the home to fruition.

Although the bathrooms were tackled as a project in and of themselves, Laura didn't want this reality to bleed through into the design. "I wanted the bathrooms to feel very much part of the home, rather than spaces that had been designed in isolation," she explains.

The home already had a clear, cohesive visual language, characterized by an emphasis on color, material and character, so the challenge lay in finding a way to translate that existing aesthetic into these bathrooms.

However, alongside this desire for cohesion, Laura was also grappling with the idea of these rooms as an opportunity to introduce a little more playfulness into her home. For many, the bathroom presents the perfect space to step outside your comfort zone, opting for something a little more bold than you would otherwise consider.

"I love the idea that each room can have its own identity while still feeling connected to the rest of the house," says Laura. "For me, it was about creating a home that feels cohesive but not predictable."

The Design

"I wanted to create a bathroom that felt a little different — somewhere with personality, color and a real sense of joy," says Laura.

It was with this in mind that she found herself drawn to the colorful fittings of Water Monopoly's Rockwell range. Having paid the London showroom a visit towards the beginning of the design process, it was love at first sight for Laura; "The colors were just so uplifting, and there was something wonderfully playful about them," she says.

And it wasn't just her who felt this way about decorating with color; Laura's son was equally enamored with the bold and bright toiletware, and in her family home, finding a way to make these spaces feel as special for the whole family as they did for her became an integral aspect of the design process.

They also offered another way to bring that extra touch of playfulness to the space, showing that design doesn't have to take itself too seriously to look good. "I was drawn to the idea of bringing that sense of fun into a space that could still feel luxurious and beautifully designed," she explains. "I think bathrooms can sometimes be a little too safe, and I wanted to be a bit braver and have some fun with it."

Other design decisions came from a more logistical place. With limited proportions to work with in these small bathrooms, Laura had to find a way to squeeze in as much functionality as possible, without making the space feel cramped. "One of the decisions I made was to leave a loo out of the main bathroom, which allowed us to make much better use of the space and create a more generous, relaxing feel," Laura shares.

From there, Laura made thoughtful choices to help introduce as much light as possible, creating the illusion of a greater amount of space. Mirrors played a key role in this, introducing more reflective surfaces to help the light bounce around the room.

The bathroom tiles also played a significant role in developing the aesthetic, with a set of marble tiles acting as the starting point for the designs. Laura explains, "I came across a beautiful marble mosaic range and absolutely fell in love with them, so I knew I wanted to use it in both the main bathroom and the powder room."

The addition of a natural stone finish helped to elevate the feel of these rooms, bringing that gorgeous spa bathroom atmosphere to the space. "I've always loved the marble tiles from Mandarin Stone, and wanted to create a really luxurious feel by cladding the entire shower room in them."

For the downstairs bathrooms, Laura wanted to go for a more playful vibe, fitting with the toilets' proximity to the playroom. For this, the checkered tiles felt like the perfect choice, introducing a bit more personality and boldness to the designs.

"My aim was to keep a few common threads running through the spaces." By sticking with the same unlacquered brass hardware and similar tiles, Laura created visual links to the bathrooms spread across the home, while still establishing four distinctive designs.

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These bathrooms do a beautiful job of blending traditional bathroom features with a more modern, contemporary design spirit, making for a finished result that feels both true to the character of the home and the style of the homeowners.

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What's harder than coordinating a colorful interior palette? Coordinating a colorful palette in a space with an awkward layout. It takes planning and a keen eye, but with the right applications, color can make those difficult layouts sing with personality. Need further proof? Interior designer and founder of Plural by Design, Ada Wrońska, masters the art of color mixing in this modern home in Warsaw.

Like most great design, the decision to decorate with color tenfold was inspired by the owners' personalities, lifestyles, and interests. Ada explains, "We weren't interested in creating a home that followed one particular style or trend. Instead, we wanted it to feel collected, personal, and a little unexpected — a place where different references could coexist naturally." The idea was to create something expressive and full of life, but still warm, comfortable, and genuinely enjoyable to live in.

Downstairs, the kitchen, dining room, and living space blend into one another — each area bursts with bright hues, yet they all coexist in harmony. Throughout the home, there are little moments of personality to uncover, which influenced the design as well. Ada shares, "The owners are passionate about traveling, food, Italy (they own a couple of renowned Italian restaurants in Warsaw), and discovering new places, and we wanted the interior to carry some of that energy for discovery."

Beyond just color, one of the main interior design style references in this Warsaw home was modernism, particularly in the shapes and proportions of the furniture. "The house itself has its own architectural history, being constructed in the 60/70s as a typical Polish rowhouse, so we wanted to acknowledge that rather than impose an entirely unrelated aesthetic," says Ada Wrońska.

To experiment with this style in a contemporary space, Ada introduced rounded silhouettes, geometric forms, and some retro-inspired pieces. At the same time, "we mixed these references with contemporary elements and more playful, almost Mediterranean design influences," says Ada.

A mix of styles and designs typically creates a more layered and true-to-life aesthetic; individuality is found in experimentation. Ada adds, "We didn't want to recreate a specific period; it was more about taking elements we liked from different eras and seeing what happens when we mix them."

Still, color was obviously one of the starting points of the entire project. Each room sports a joyful color palette complete with bold prints and finishes. This was led by the homeowners' desire to move away from the neutral, safe interiors they "felt surrounded by every day." At home, they wanted more energy, warmth, and a sense of joy.

"A lot of the inspiration came from Italy, especially the landscapes of Liguria — the contrast between the sea, the mountains, the colorful buildings, and the slightly faded tones of Mediterranean architecture," explains Ada. Italian color palettes have a unique way of blending heritage shades with pastels and rich saturation.

The starting point was the kitchen color palette, which combines many different colors, materials, and textures throughout the carpentry and finishing materials. "My client was very decided on what kind of vibe she wanted to capture there, and came to me with some really nice reference pictures. From there, we did endless color samples before finding the perfect palette of dusty pinks, burgundy, shades of blue, and touches of yellow." The end result built upon the idea of unexpected color combinations, but somehow made complete sense together.

"For me, color isn't just decoration. It's a way of creating atmosphere and expressing personality. We wanted the house to feel alive, rather than perfectly coordinated," says Ada.

Despite the expert use of space in this small living room layout, Ada shares that the renovation itself was quite challenging. "We basically gutted the house and rethought the entire ground floor." What was originally divided into several small, conventional rooms became one open living space.

The open-plan concept also required being comfortable with taking a few risks, as to avoid any common open-plan layout mistakes. One example was the decision not to install a railing along the staircase — "something that might seem controversial to some, but was important for maintaining the openness and visual flow we wanted," shares Ada.

The different shapes that the riskier choices created in the room help visually divide the open layout as well. The staircase, the wall-to-wall bookcase, the colorful kitchen design, the terrace that bleeds into the living space — all of these choices give each moment its own space to exist within the open concept while still staying in conversation with one another.

As Ada says, "The combination of softer shades with stronger color accents, graphic elements, rounded furniture, and different materials creates depth and keeps the spaces visually interesting." A color palette doesn't have to be loud everywhere to have personality, "sometimes the quieter moments are what allow the bolder ones to really stand out," Ada adds.

During the design process, Ada shares that there were a few moments of tension that also forced creativity. For instance, "The stone we knew we wanted for the kitchen worktop seemed impossible to find, some furniture arrived looking completely different from what we had imagined, and not everything went according to plan. Sometimes we had to be patient, and sometimes we simply had to embrace what was happening and make the best of it," shares Ada.

Where this small kitchen might lack in square footage, it makes up for in clever design choices. The color palette, for example, plays with saturation and contrast to feel as stylish as it does comforting. "We didn't want the softer, pastel-leaning colors to become too sweet or predictable, so we constantly played with their relationship to deeper, more saturated tones," says Ada.

Dusty pink in the kitchen, for example, takes on a completely different character when placed next to burgundy or cobalt blue. "We also paid a lot of attention to the shapes, textures, and finishes surrounding the colors," Ada adds.

Any time there is an internal glass door, it becomes an attention-grabbing part of the home. These red doors, specifically, serve as a design element in this home, but they also carry a little piece of Ada's own story.

"My clients and I share a passion for traveling, and we often exchanged recommendations about places we'd visited. One city that's particularly close to my heart is Mexico City. During one of my trips there, I came across these beautiful glass doors framed in red metal at the entrance to a restaurant. I remember thinking, 'One day, I'm going to create something similar for one of my projects,'" shares Ada.

Finally, the right project came along. When looking for a fun way to separate the entryway of the home from the living area, these red doors became the perfect solution.

As for the rooms, "my absolute favorite is actually the upstairs bathroom, which we created as a little sanctuary for my client and her daughter." And the secret that helps this bathroom pack a design punch is that they broke quite a few bathroom 'design rules' in this tiny space. First of all, "we used real wood flooring — something many people would consider unthinkable in a bathroom, although it's quite commonly found in Italian and Spanish interiors," says Ada.

"And we also covered the ceiling and a large part of the walls in dusty pink microcement, pairing it with very subtle white and light beige square tiles, which isn't so common either," adds Ada. The blue vanity cabinet and playful custom red mirror provide essential contrast in the design. "I love how all these seemingly unrelated elements come together. And then there's the crystal chandelier, which is the cherry on top!" says Ada.

A home shouldn't look as though everything was purchased at the same time or from the same collection. "A little contrast and imperfection make a space feel more human," says Ada.

There is definitely a certain tension between the interesting layout and different elements: soft and graphic, vintage and contemporary, understated and expressive. "We wanted the materials and patterns to add layers to the interior, rather than compete for attention," says Ada. And ultimately, color becomes the common thread. Ada says, "It allowed us to experiment with different textures, decorative elements, and furniture styles without losing the sense of cohesion."

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"I'd say this house is full of experiments, unexpected turns, and what I like to call fortunate mistakes. The little accidents that we managed to turn into some of the nicest stories of the project," says Ada. But that's also part of what makes a home feel authentic. Not everything has to go exactly according to plan — sometimes a little whimsy brings your room to life.

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There's no denying the allure of a 'home in the sky'. A penthouse — renowned as an exclusive, luxurious residence on a building's top floor — is both intrinsically linked to its surroundings and serves as a cocooning retreat from them, especially amid the bustle of a busy city. A framed view, a moving work of art, a life among the clouds.

Whether a full-floor space, a duplex, or a triplex, these premium modern homes offer a breadth of creativity in design, from restrained to eclectic, and gestalten's latest book, Penthouse Syndrome: Interiors Above the City, displays an array of breathtaking properties from Tribeca to São Paulo that offer a fresh take on elevated living, literally and figuratively.

From maximizing space and light to harnessing the beauty of the intersection between exterior and interior worlds, these nine penthouses are my favorites from the book, offering a snapshot of the wealth of design in this collection of truly showstopping properties, whether you're looking for inspiration for your own or want a taste of what the high life might look like.

1. A Stunning Departure From the Day-to-Day

Tribeca Penthouse — Hines Collective — New York

Throughout the apartment, rather than providing rooms for living, working, and entertaining, the design has crafted distinct emotional atmospheres — from the dark, enveloping “vampire speakeasy” media room to the serene, ethereal primary bedroom. Architectural elements and bespoke finishes blur the line between art and architecture, making the home feel less like a typical residence and more like a lived-in work of curated artistry.

2. A Measured Relationship Between Inside and Out

Penthouse PH8 — 5 Sólidos — Medellín, Colombia

The effect of this measured relationship between inside and out keeps the apartment feeling urban but contained, more cinematic stage set than lookout tower. Life here is less about spectacle and more about atmosphere: a layered composition of wood, stone, glass, and light, yielding a residence both luxurious and intimate, an inward-looking retreat that elevates the rituals of urban living above the restless city beyond its walls.

3. A Vibrant and Unconventional Kreuzberg Marvel

Chroma Penthouse — Studio Bosko — Berlin, Germany

Studio Bosko used bold primary color zones to anchor daily rituals within the open-plan apartment: yellow for the kitchen’s energy, red for communal dining, and green for relaxed living. Every element — custom fittings, layered lighting, iconic and offbeat furniture — was curated to reflect the inhabitants’ personalities and to support their lifestyle. The result is a dwelling that subverts the traditional neutral-coded idea of a “calm” home, showing instead that domesticity can be vibrant and unconventional, and that color can be both functional and emotional.

4. Dynamic, Collaborative, and Deeply Personal

Superlofts Houthavens Plot 1 — Marc Koehler Associates — Amsterdam, The Netherlands

One of 70 units within the building’s wider structure, life here feels dynamic, collaborative, and deeply personal, less about conforming to a standard and more about shaping one’s own idiosyncratic way of life within a larger interconnected system. According to Koehler, “In designing and living here, we’ve created more than just a home: it’s a living lab for how architecture can grow with us, build community, and remain sustainable over time."

5. A Village in the Heart of the City

The Village — Gisbert Pöppler — Berlin, Germany

The apartment features windows on three sides and is surrounded by outdoor decking with views across Berlin’s streets and the Alexanderplatz skyline. Back inside the apartment, the walls, cupboards, cornice, and baseboard follow a strict pattern of recurring grooves and lines that establish the heights of doors, cupboards, and worktops — an echo, perhaps, of the urban grid just outside, and a reminder that, although the apartment has the feel of a discreet, self-contained village, it is still part of a metropolis.

6. A Life Shaped By Light, Curves and Curated Views

Whitlam Place — Freadman White & Anon Studio — Melbourne, Australia

The focus is the living area, in which a wall of curved glass wraps around a private rooftop courtyard, itself screened by the silvery foliage of the eucalyptus trees lining the park. When the sliding doors are open, this outdoor space expands an already generous living area, eliminating any remaining boundaries and extending the living space into the open air. The styling of the apartment prioritizes the experience of living within its walls, yet the architecture is focused on the inhabitants’ experience of the outside.

7. The Dance of Preservation and Origination

OR23 — Estudio Reciente — Madrid, Spain

The building itself dates to the 1960s, with the penthouse occupying a prized corner position. In reconfiguring the space for contemporary living, Estudio Reciente established one clear intention: not to erase the apartment’s past or its place in the city, but to amplify it. They retained many of the original materials and finishes, grounding the home in its historical context, while their new interventions have helped to create a refreshed, open environment.

8. Building Atop a Home in the Heart of Berlin

Zander Rooftop — Studio Bosko — Berlin, Germany

“Vast open spaces with lots of visual openness often have an effect of generic coldness,” explains Kronberger. A diverse choice of materials and textures, in close conversation with the materiality of the surrounding buildings, contributes great warmth and personality despite the apartment’s uncommonly high ceilings. All in all, this is a space that feels elegant, lived-in, and flexible: a place where cooking with kids, hosting friends, working from home, and finding quiet pockets for reading can coexist without conflict.

9. An Exercise in Spatial, Material, and Visual Continuity

Zagal Loft — Arquitectura Tangible — Medellín, Colombia

Throughout, a soft, warm palette combines with the lush green vegetation to echo the colors of the city landscape and the mountains beyond. The Zagal Loft ultimately redefines the duplex not as a stack of separate levels but as one continuous living space. By weaving together landscape views, an open plan, natural textures, and a strong material coherence, the architects have created a home where city and mountain, private and social, structural and natural, all converge into a unified whole.

Despite their altitude, these penthouses are deeply grounded in design and are a masterclass in crafting interiors that are physically and emotionally connected, indoors and out. To see the penthouses in all their glory, plus the many more included in the collection, order your own copy of Penthouse Syndrome: Interiors Above the City on Amazon, or directly at gestalten.

And if you like these penthouses, then you'll love this 5,000-square-foot pre-war penthouse in NY's Upper West Side, which had custom furniture craned in over Manhattan.

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There's been a lot of talk about the return to 90s minimalism recently, a move towards more muted palettes, with straight lines and stronger silhouettes dominating design. It's an aesthetic defined by restraint, by knowing how to make an impact without doing too much. And this Parisian apartment might just make the strongest case for it we've seen yet.

Positioned on rue du Mont-Thabor, in Paris' 1st arrondissement, this modern home benefited from the luxury of location, only steps away from many of the city's most attractive landmarks, including the Louvre, Place Vendôme and the Tuileries. It made for a logical setting for the owner of this property, a passionate collector of both art and design.

But while the owner had a vast collection to furnish his home with, the original apartment wasn't yet in a suitable state to give these pieces the background they deserve. This is where the team at Le Cann came in. "The brief was to completely rethink the space," explains Guillaume Fantin, co-founder of the Parisian design firm. The owner wanted this small apartment to function as his pied-à-terre, with an atmosphere that would feel "both theatrical and intimate," with his collection of art functioning as the beating heart of the home.

This collection of iconic pieces of art and design is the foundation around which the rest of the design was created. Much like the city itself, in this home, it creates the flow of the space and how you exist within it. It's the ultimate Parisian pied-à-terre, not just for the owner, but for anyone who chooses to rent the stunning home on Airbnb, too.

The Brief

Working from effectively a completely blank canvas, Guillame had the freedom to cast a wide net of inspiration, looking across various eras and styles, developing a healthy arsenal of references.

The visual language of brutalism, both in architecture and design, functioned as one of the primary reference points, with all its coldness and minimalism. But so too did the Viennese Secession movement, with its highly gilded, immersive style, a stark contrast to the reticence of brutalism.

They were drawn to the simplicity in the architecture of Adolf Loos and his pared-back, unadorned buildings, as well as the refined luxury in the designs of Jean-Michel Frank and Marc du Plantier.

These icons of the modern era were certainly crucial to the design process, but the influences were by no means limited solely to this period of history. Their style also draws from the masterful understanding of proportion and symmetry found in the buildings of Ancient Greece and Rome.

For the team at Le Cann, there are no limits to where inspiration can be drawn from. They don't confine themselves to one specific time or culture, instead opting for a global, all-encompassing approach to design, drawing from "Italian design for its boldness, and Japanese art for its philosophy of emptiness and embrace of imperfection."

All these various details and styles are poured over and distilled into a new idiosyncratic approach that is distinctly their own. As Guillame explains it, "Our own signature is simple volumes and pure lines with an obsession for symmetry — what we call a 'neoclassical reminiscence'."

In blending these various styles and references, Guillame was able to develop a truly transitional style, making for a timeless approachability to the design.

This approachability became particularly important to the home. Although it wasn't the initial intention, as the project progressed, it became apparent that this home would function not solely as a pied-à-terre for the owner, but for the public too, listed for rentals via Airbnb.

Although the home was not initially designed to function as an Airbnb, there was a degree of hospitality integral to the original brief that translated naturally to this new use.

As Guillame explains, "The project was conceived from the outset to host guests generously: three independent suites and a fluid circulation path around an octagonal vestibule." There is a sense of flow to the space, as well as an emphasis on privacy, allowing guests to retire to their own distinct suites and gather again in the central living space once recharged. "It is a space designed to be lived in and shared."

The Process

Positioned on the first floor of a late-19th-century townhouse, this building fits into a category of Parisian homes known as 'Hôtel Particulier'. In their original forms, these buildings would have functioned as private residences, housing one family across their many floors. But over the years, many of these impressive townhouses have been converted into flats, allowing the opportunity to maximize the real estate in this desirable part of the city.

But as a result of this, the individual lots can often be characterized by an awkward, fragmented layout. Instead of viewing this as an issue to solve, Guillame allowed this reality to lead the way in the design of this home. "That fragmentation actually became our starting point," she explains. "We wanted to undo the cellular plan and create fluidity."

To introduce a better flow to the home, Guillame went about building a new floor plan, rethinking how each space related to one another, and finding a way to create an essential link between them all.

"The octagonal entry hall with faceted panels became the pivot that distributes the living room, dining room, kitchen, and the three suites — a strong geometry serving a new sense of openness," explains Guillame. This new layout modernized the space, introducing a degree of connection that didn't exist before.

But beyond the fragmented layout, Guillame's primary challenge revolved around the relative lack of direct light that the apartment received. "Light is quite rare there, so we also worked hard to amplify it." In this task, stainless steel plays a key role.

Repeated across the kitchen and the living room, this material acts as one of the most distinctive features of the home, dominating the material palette with its cool, chromatic shine.

For the team at Le Cann, decorating with stainless steel was a no-brainer. Not only does it create a visual connection to the brutalist designs they've long admired, but in smaller, dark spaces, it helps create the illusion of more space. "We love the visual vibration that this material brings," Guillame explains. "Since the apartment lacked natural light, we multiplied perspectives and reflections — using acid-etched glass partitions, light cream-colored curtains, and lacquered ceilings — complemented by brushed stainless steel, which captures and diffuses light."

There's a contemporary, almost futuristic feel to the shiny material, especially when combined with a sculptural quality, as with the kitchen island, but there's also something timeless about it, working beautifully alongside the softer, antiqued finishes.

The Design

There's a clear emphasis on neutral tones in this home, with scarcely a pop of color visible across the entirety of the apartment. But the decision to move away from decorating with color is not a sign of blandness; in fact, it was quite the opposite. Guillame chose to create depth "by layering materials and intricate details rather than relying on color."

A richly textural material palette provided all the degrees of contrast and warmth the home needed. It's a more complex take on depth, relying on the tactility of the materials rather than the brightness of the color palette. Faceted panels and acid-etched glass sit alongside sumptuous velvets and slick leather, building up a layered, dimensional effect.

This neutral color palette further reflects the important role the client's own collection played in the development of the design. "A neutral foundation in shades of cream allows the owner’s key pieces to fully express their character," explains Guillame. These treasures of design were always intended to act as the focal points of the home, with the rest of the design acting as a supporting player, elevating these pieces to their best. Bold colors or eye-catching print would only serve to detract from these designs.

Across the home, the team at Le Cann allowed this collection to lead the way, shaping the rest of the design around these items. For example, Guillame shares, "The primary suite was built around the client’s large copper bathtub, which had been sourced in Spain." The leather living room furniture by Jean-Michel Frank, coffee tables by Maria Pergay, and a dining table by Luigi Saccardo also each played key roles in the design.

"We enriched this collection with artworks, ceramics, bronzes, and objects discovered at flea markets or acquired at auctions — an eclectic style that marries the radical boldness of the 1980s with the elegance of the 1990s."

If this neutral color palette works to create a sense of cohesion, this is only emphasized by the physical layout of the apartment.

"The octagonal entrance hall serves as a structural core; the geometry, symmetry, materials — stainless steel, lacquer, and fabrics in cream tones — as well as a consistent attention to detail, carry through from one room to the next," says Guillame. It's a thoughtful, considered construction, a clear journey that allows the home to unfold and reveal itself to you.

This narrative structure reflects the home's theatrical concept; it's what Le Cann refers to as 'scenography': "a theatrical, guided journey through the space".

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If this home has made you fall back in love with the 90s aesthetic, these interior lessons from Tate Britain's 90 exhibition will fill you with inspiration.

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When architect Karen Karapetian of Alexander Tischler was approached by the owners of this 84-square-meter apartment, they weren't sure it was going to be a natural fit.

"They already knew exactly what they wanted their future interior to look like and couldn't find projects with a similar aesthetic in our portfolio," he explains. Nevertheless, when presented with their detail-rich, retro-inspired vision, Karen's answer was, simply, "Absolutely".

A new development, the modern home was not without constraints — and this was no cosmetic proposal. "It was a rather inconvenient three-room layout with strict structural limitations: relatively low ceilings, a massive load-bearing pillar right in the center, and a dark hallway with awkward geometry connecting the rooms," explains Karen. The solution? An end-to-end re-imagination.

Occupied by a creative couple with two daughters, the plan was to bring light to the living areas, push the girls' bedroom to a spacious 18-square-meters, design a primary bedroom with workspace and en suite, and integrate a separate home office for the father — a poet. While the bones were there, Karen worked within the compact perimeter to recreate the home's floor plan with only minimal, but impactful, changes.

Where color was concerned, the client's had one non-negotiable: no gray. "They were averse to the predictable, cold monochrome so ubiquitous in modern interiors, opting instead for lively colors and smooth lines that evoke warm, sunny memories of their Soviet childhood," explains Karen.

With a clear list of their favorite colors, the studio's task was to translate them. Rich and warm, the palette comes through in every space: the pistachio kitchen joinery against amber tiles, terracotta guest bathroom, olive-green sofa, and turquoise entryway all playing their part to create one cohesive tapestry of retro sophistication.

"Color is inseparable from texture here: the dimensionality of the plaster panel, the fluted glass, and the quartz herringbone parquet, where the planks refract light differently."

Allowing light to contribute to the textural palette, the clients had also expressed a specific wish for glass bricks. A typical architectural element of older Soviet buildings, Karen says many people are reluctant to bring them back. But here, bringing late 19th century dialogue and brightening up the spaces, they are the perfect fit.

"In the primary en-suite, part of the wall is made of glass blocks: they run along the ceiling and turn the corner all the way down to the floor, filling the bathroom with natural light and the texture of reflections. A fluted glass partition stands right next to it."

Beyond color and materiality, Karen says the brief centered on "complex engineering, preserving the ceiling height, and custom zoning" — and sound-proofing was essential.

Functionality is embedded into the architecture, freeing the spaces from visual clutter. In the kitchen, for example, recessed cabinetry hides two built-in refrigerators, while above-counter cabinets were kept below ceiling height to make it "more decorative". Elsewhere, custom-designed built-in furniture makes the home extremely functional, while allowing Karen and his team to add playful design touches.

The project, which came to be known as 'Back in the U.S.S.R.', gives an "ironic" nod to the nostalgic 1968 Beatles track of the same name. It's a bridge to the childhood memories of its owners, where history and personal references are layered into a contemporary setting without making the space feel like a pastiche.

"Opposite the sofa is a display cabinet — a modern interpretation of the classic childhood sideboard... The nostalgic mood is further supported by the herringbone parquet, glass blocks, small tiles, and, in the primary en suite, brass-finished sanitary-ware," explains Karen.

Throughout, retro silhouettes of rounded furniture, tactile fabrics and the visually striking glass blocks sit comfortably alongside clean architectural lines. Advanced technology, such as climate control with air purification, soundproofing and integrated storage, hides behind vintage coziness.

"The memory of the place and personal history infuse the interior with character and warmth, while modern technology delivers uncompromising everyday comfort."

For Karen, the home's success lies in this balance. For the owners, though, it's about moments in the kitchen basking in softly-filtered light coming through the glass blocks, an organically-integrated art collection, and, most importantly, anything but gray.

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Color has the power to transform a space. Something old becomes renewed; something general becomes specific. And in this Milan apartment, color tells the story of the owners' lives, personalities, and histories. With over 15 different hues coexisting throughout the home, the challenge was finding the harmony between the 'new' and working with the shapes and layout that already existed in the space. Mosaic, parquet flooring, integrated furnishings, and custom sliding doors...Chroma Studio has mastered small space living.

Though the modern home is based in Milan, a lot of the design scheme was inspired by the owners' experience of living in Paris. "We didn't want to translate this into literal references, but rather into subtle elements within the project, such as the system of arches in the large glass partition between the living room and kitchen," interior designer at Chroma Studio, Giuseppe Albanese, tells me. From there, the overall idea was that decorating with color could become "a kind of invisible architecture, organizing the home without constantly relying on additional walls," he continues.

The starting point was the desire to create a home with a very distinct identity without completely overturning its original layout. "We therefore focused on the relationships between spaces, using color, thresholds, materials, and bespoke elements as true architectural tools," says Giuseppe. And the result is a collection of rooms to inspire all of us looking for more colorful apartments.

The large collection of joyful colors in this Milan project wasn't born out of a desire to create the most saturated space, but rather to experiment with color harmony and how different design elements speak to one another.

Elga Ancona, the other designer at Chroma Studio involved in the Residance B05 project, explains, "We didn't begin with a predefined palette, but with a system of relationships." As mentioned, around fifteen different shades coexist throughout the home, and "each one was selected in relation to natural light, materials, the function of the room and the colors that come before and after it."

For example, mint contrasts with a bold purple in the apartment kitchen, while shades of peach lead into bold oranges and reds in the living area. To avoid saturation overload and clashing color pairings, the key was to establish hierarchies, pauses, and continuity. "For us, saturation is not really about how much color you use, but about how those colors relate to one another," explains Elga.

The shapes throughout the space follow the same logic. "The rounded corners in the corridor guide movement through the space, while the arches of the glass partition introduce a Parisian reference, reinterpreted in a more graphic and contemporary way," adds Elga. The designers wanted the renovation to feel fresh without completely changing the apartment's flow.

This meant working much more precisely with what was already there. "The corridor, for example, rather than being treated simply as circulation space, became a room in its own right through the burgundy ceiling, rounded corners and integrated bespoke cabinetry," says Elga.

The bathrooms and powder rooms throughout the apartment use color to allow the small spaces to have a large design impact — the colors become deeper and more intimate. In one of them, "we also designed a bespoke bathroom partition screen that creates privacy without blocking light or visual depth, allowing us to reshape the proportions of the room without fully enclosing it," says Elga.

This is just one example of how furniture was also selected to become part of each room's composition rather than a collection of standalone objects. "Color, material, and proportion all needed to tell the same story," says Elga.

The relationship between the dining room and kitchen through the yellow-framed glass partition is one of the standout design moments of the home. Elga shares, "It is one of those moments where function, memory, and graphic language come together very naturally."

When closed, the two rooms remain visually connected; when open, the partition almost disappears. Elga adds, "We were very interested in this ambiguity between separation and continuity."

Plus, the kitchen belongs to a large open-plan space shared with the dining and living room, but Giuseppe says, "We wanted it to retain its own identity without becoming isolated." Therefore, they defined it through color, flooring, and the large glazed threshold. Rather than opting for a single 'hero color', the designers were more interested in creating tension and contrast in design between the different shades.

The sage green has a calm, tactile presence, the purple introduces depth, and the peach ceiling brings warmth and lightness. "They are quite different colors, but it is precisely their relationship that creates balance," explains Giuseppe. "The minty, sage green kitchen relates to a deep purple, while the peach ceiling of the living area introduces a warmer and brighter tone, creating a chromatic transition between the two spaces."

And, of course, you can't look away from the unique tile on the kitchen floors. "The pattern brings several colors from the project together within a single surface, almost like a condensed version of the overall palette," says Elga.

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Small homes and apartments often benefit the most from bold design. When done well, creativity showcases your personality and sense of curation — whether you are renovating a space you own or trying to make the most of your rental.

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In the world of home renovations, there are few things more coveted than the discovery of original hardwood floors hidden beneath ugly carpets. But in this Lisbon apartment, that was just the beginning of the process. Located in the historic center of Lisbon, right next to Avenida da Liberdade, this apartment building had all the markers of traditional Portuguese architecture. There were the high ceilings and dramatic wooden shutters, and expansive views looking across the terracotta rooftops of the city.

But with years of modern home interventions and a constant rotation of renters, much of the character had been hidden beneath stained carpets and peeling tiles. So the owner called on designer Lana Vakhtina from design firm Sveta Vakhtina not only to modernize and update the home, but also to bring it back to its roots, paying homage to the beauty and the originality of Portuguese design. The client had an image of what this looked like, a vision of the quintessential Portuguese home; what she didn't realize, however, was just how true this vision was to the apartment she had purchased.

"Back at the concept stage, the designer proposed a terracotta-and-light checkerboard tile — a pattern well suited to the old Portuguese aesthetic she was aiming for," Lana tells me. But when the renovation process began, and the old linoleum was torn back, what they found underneath were tiles practically identical to those the client was describing. This serendipitous discovery set the tone for the renovation. Not only were these original tiles restored, but so too were the parquet floors and the intricate crown molding. What started as a renovation project quickly became a historic restoration, and the final result is a home that couldn't feel like a much better fit for the historic heart of Lisbon.

The Brief

Purchased as an investment property, the original brief for this home was to build a welcoming rental property without breaking the bank. Having worked with the client on a previous project, there was already a basis of trust, leaving Lana with more space for creative freedom when designing this apartment.

The main goal was creating a space that was catered to renters, while still maintaining a certain level of character and identity. "I wanted to create something that would stand out on the rental market and feel more expensive than it actually was," explains Lana.

In a rental market dominated by beige, formulaic homes designed for mass appeal, Lana knew that what would make this home stand out would be a focus on thoughtful, intentional design. "The goal here was to create a space that people would genuinely want to live in for a long time: functional, comfortable, and with a character of its own."

But with a minimal budget to work with, Lana was forced to think more creatively for this project, bringing together affordable pieces and antique finds to forge a design style that appears more expensive than the reality would suggest.

The Process

Renovating an older home can carry real risks, but there's also the possibility of some major rewards, and in this home, Lana was lucky enough to find the latter. "We found beautiful wooden floors beneath the carpets and original tiles under the linoleum," she says. "For me, that was probably the most exciting part of the renovation."

Finding original features lying beneath the modern interventions offered Lana a foundation of beauty to build on, making her job easier. The design was informed by these original features, taking the home's history and character as a source to refer back to, letting the design follow in a natural continuation of the original space.

Maintaining as much of the home's history as possible not only added to the character of the space, but it also helped to keep costs down. Whatever could be salvaged was, even if it meant reimagining it in a new way. One particularly clever example of this resourceful approach: instead of disposing of the original kitchen countertops, Lana repurposed them in the bathroom, giving them a new life and allowing them to remain a part of the home's visual language.

"I always try to see what can be preserved before deciding what needs replacing," Lana explains. It's one of the greatest parts of working with period properties: "Older apartments often have wonderful details that would be incredibly expensive to recreate today."

Due to the property's location in the historic center of the city, planning permission was not easy to come by, making the possibility of any significant structural changes relatively slim. But although the general structure of the apartment had to remain the same, Lana still found ways to make the space flow better for modern living.

Prior to the renovation, this home followed a pretty standard layout for older Portuguese buildings, with one long corridor running along the length of the space, with small, pass-through rooms jutting out from this central pathway.

The key was finding the small changes that would make a big impact, knocking through walls and opening spaces up to forge a more open-plan, contemporary space. Two smaller rooms were combined in order to create two full bedrooms, and the central corridor was divided into two, with one small entryway and an additional, transitional zone between the rooms.

The area that required the most thought was the central living area. Having to combine the functionality of a kitchen, a dining room, and a living room in one small space, every square inch mattered. By opening it up and creating a flow between the functions, allowing the kitchen to lead naturally into the dining room, and the dining room to lead on to the living room, Lana was able to create a space in which everything feels accounted for. These changes allowed the space to feel far more liveable, adapting to the needs of modern life.

"The project's most interesting decisions weren't found in new materials, but in what was already inside the apartment," Lana tells me. Old carpets were lifted to reveal original wood flooring, which was then stripped and restored, providing a warm, organic base to the apartment. On the ceilings, crown molding that had not quite stood the test of time was lovingly reconstructed and restored to its original state, using photographs of the original home as a reference for craftsmen to recreate, bringing the home back to its former glory.

The old stove and chimney provide a sense of history in the space, while the original wooden shutters were modernized with a lick of red paint. The paint shade was in itself a reference to the history of the home, explains Lana, saying, "They were repainted in a rich terracotta shade — the very color that recurs throughout the interior and appears outside the window."

Smaller features too, like the stone details leading on to the balcony, were also carefully preserved. "This became something of a guiding principle for the project," explains Lana, "not erasing traces of the past where they can still go on living."

The Design

"I wanted to keep the Portuguese spirit of the apartment while introducing something more contemporary and a little unexpected," explains Lana.

This idea functioned as the essential guideline for the design. The spirit of the home's Portuguese identity and history runs across the space, but it is intertwined with a transitional style, blending features and designs that encompass various eras and styles. The 1970s in particular became a major reference point for Lana, with many of the details taking inspiration from this period of time.

In developing a rich, layered design, free from the tight boundaries of sticking within one specific style, Lana was able to elevate the space, making her vintage finds and affordable buys appear more expensive and intentional. "I love mixing different eras, textures, and price points," says Lana. "Some of the furniture here is very affordable, but when everything is carefully put together, the result can feel quite special.

"For me, that’s one of the most enjoyable parts of being a designer: making simple things look beautiful together."

Working with a limited footprint, the kitchen-diner had to squeeze in as much functionality as possible while maintaining a cohesive design style.

The kitchen island acted as a way of dividing the areas, creating a partition wall between the spaces. Instead of a regular wood-clad surface, Lana chose to cover the island in a mirrored material, adding more light and dimension to the room.

The black kitchen cabinets were inspired by mid-century kitchens, and the combination of IKEA fittings and Portuguese stone helped to keep costs down, without sacrificing style.

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When decorating a home on a budget, knowing how to thrift like an expert is one of the most important skills you can have; it's what will help you build that unique, collected aesthetic, giving your home a real sense of character, without having to break the bank.

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What started with a pink Murano glass chandelier and a dream is now a playful apartment that serves as a weekend retreat for the whimsically inclined. Designed by Maria Onuchina and Ivan Minyaev of OM Studio, this St. Petersburg home in Russia transports you off its cool streets and into a technicolor haven.

Like many of our favorite modern homes, this space comfortably sandwiches handpicked design genres of the past and present, and the result is something of a dopamine decor dreamhouse.

It's not stoic or minimalist in any sense, and that's precisely what strengthens its individuality. And if it's the quirky green kitchen that roped you in, you'll enjoy sneaking a peek at the rest of these living quarters.

Although I typically reserve space on my moodboard for minimalist bedrooms designed for sleep, this fantastical candy-striped canopy, coupled with its surrounding pockets of blue, makes me feel like I'll be whisked off into a dream state before I can count the third sheep.

"We wanted to celebrate the art of mixing," says Maria Onuchina, co-founder of OM Studio. "Be it colors, textures, eras, hues, and everything in between, to create a home that feels as individual as its owner."

Where else would you find an antique china cabinet, Murano glass chandeliers, color capping, cream bouclé, and fuzzy pink textiles mingling with one another?

"The inspiration behind this interior is a blend of nostalgia for 1980s Memphis Italian postmodernism and a flurry of contemporary trends, as evidenced by the blend of pink and green, the bouclé, and posters," says Ivan Minyaev.

"It was also significantly influenced by the dopamine decor trend, where our curated use of bright colors and the interior itself has been designed to bring a smile to your face."

And how could you not grin looking at the butterscotch ceiling and feeling the soft tufts of a bubblegum carpet underneath your feet? Its playfulism instantly lets your guard down and makes you feel at home and possibly in a storybook, all at once.

However, as easily as it might seem to have come together, they explain that there was a definite challenge in combining all the colors and textures so that the interior looked cohesive.

"We spent a long time testing wall paint samples and selecting hardware, furniture, and textiles to match," Minya adds. In the end, each painstaking decision came together in one rewardingly eclectic flat that will make you want to live the rest of your weekends away, waking up to a home without an ounce of boring around.

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Another confident, space-conscious project we can't stop thinking about is this narrow Camden townhouse by Russian For Fish. It's yet another lesson in the power of bold palettes, and our newsletter holds many more virtual tours to snoop through.

"A house that is too perfect risks becoming impersonal," declares Veronica Lafleur. "I believe in spaces that evolve together with the people who inhabit them."

The real estate entrepreneur has a very precise vision of what it means to inhabit a space — not merely to live in it but to recognize yourself within it — and to translate that vision into the interiors of her own apartment, she called upon Gaia Venuti, the Milan-based interior designer known for her unmistakable chromatic design language.

The two met almost by chance during the closing of a retail property deal. "Gaia arrived wearing a combination of colors I never would have imagined putting together," recalls Veronica, "and yet it worked perfectly." From that moment, a collaboration was born that has transformed this modern home into a portrait of its owner: as the front door opens, a wave of color, warmth, and personality washes over you.

Every project Gaia — who works under GaiaHomeProject — designs has a starting point from which the rest evolves. In this case, it was a pair of Cornaro sofas designed by Carlo Scarpa for Cassina: blue velvet upholstery paired with a burgundy lacquered structure. "That contrast between the softness of the velvet and the firmness of the dark lacquer captured Veronica's essence completely: gentle in the way she approaches people, yet incredibly determined and strong-willed," says Gaia.

From those sofas, the rest of the home unfolded almost cinematically. Gaia does not think in terms of rooms, but of emotional transitions and visual flows. "I love the idea that walking down the corridor feels like discovering a chromatic plot twist behind every door." The secret to working with strong color, she says, lies in proportion. "I use intense color either as an accent or to define precise architectural volumes."

Surprisingly, perhaps, Veronica chose not to bring anything from her previous life into this home. This was intentional: a new beginning coinciding with a new professional phase. "I wanted this space to represent a complete fresh start, both personally and professionally," she says. For, while the apartment is her private residence, it is also her creative studio, workplace and meeting space for her real estate business, BetterCallVero.

"An interior designer is a bit of a psychologist," says Gaia. "You have to understand not only how people live, but how they want to feel when they close the front door behind them." Veronica already knew the answer to that question: she wanted a space capable of recharging her while simultaneously reflecting who she is. "This has become a true extension of myself," she says.

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Thomas Straker has a bit of a reputation as the 'bad boy' of London's culinary scene, and having just opened a Straker's in New York, he's a transatlantic force of nature. Westwing's Home Stories series gives us a peek inside the homes of some of our favorite design names, and this month, they're offering us a glimpse into the chef's modern home.

In full honesty, I was surprised by Thomas's home adopting a more playful and traditional style, considering how contemporary his restaurants are in comparison. However, it makes sense — our homes are a place to unwind and rest, away from the 'real world'. And his family home reflects his personal style, as well as what we can assume is the way Thomas and his family live within the home. For instance, kids' toys aren't always hidden away; rather, they become a part of the joyful interior design — toys as shelving decor, and play tables are set prominently in the living room.

But, of course, we also see Thomas' passion for food, design, and entertaining in this thoughtfully curated space. Basically, it's a home tour that offers some truly unique inspiration. So read on for a deep dive into Westwing's At Home with Thomas Straker and a glimpse into his personal style and creative process.

The colorful living room was definitely the room that stood out the most. There is such a clear sense of life and whimsy. Many factors contribute to the warmth and livability — the plethora of cushions, the pink and green color combinations, the layers of textures, and, of course, the kid-friendly elements.

Despite Thomas' busy schedule, Westwing shares that Thomas considers home an essential retreat. "With time at home increasingly precious, it is somewhere to switch off, away from the pace of professional life. It is also a space shaped by the realities of family life, where comfort and practicality take precedence over keeping everything perfectly in order," shares Westwing.

For example, next to the bench seat, there is a, dare I say, rather stylish kids' play table. Why tuck a play area like this into a clever storage idea when it so perfectly blends into the color palette and scheme of the room? These signs of life become a natural part of the eclectic decor.

Many layered textiles also make the living room feel extra cozy. Featured amongst the pile of pillows are Westwing's Laguna Cotton Cushions, along with a red patterned ottoman with a curated bit of coffee table decor, all of which provide an essential touch of color contrast. Liking what you're seeing so far?

But of course, with a name like Thomas Straker, what we are most interested in seeing is the kitchen. How does a contemporary chef decorate and live within his cooking space?

The kitchen, much like the dining area, adopts a more muted color palette with an open layout and airy feel. These characteristics feed into the mood that Thomas wanted to create. Westwing shares that hospitality and creating a welcoming environment were essential for Thomas — these needed to be spaces where Thomas and his family could relax and feel comfortable. Just like in restaurant creation, the environment influences how people feel.

Thomas unsurprisingly spends a lot of time in the kitchen, so the design is relaxed and liveable. There is plenty of open shelving with cookware and utensils, dinnerware, and even Westwing's new Victoria Beckham collaboration styled on it.

And did I spot a small coffee nook to the side? Between more design-forward elements like the Jordan Leather Dining Chairs around the breakfast nook and the curated 'clutter' of knives hanging on a magnetic strip, Thomas' home continues to be the perfect inspiration for a stylish but personal home.

It's always fun to see inside the homes of the design-obsessed, but I must say, London bistro interiors (like Thomas Straker's) are the new best place to find inspiration for your decorating plans.

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"I have a love-hate relationship with trends," says Berlin-based interior designer Kasia Kronberger. Having studied trend forecasting, which she applied to her first career in luxury retail, Kasia not only sees trends coming; she also knows what to avoid. "I gravitate away from aesthetic trends because once you can see them, it's already too late," she says. "But how culture moves more broadly influences everything, so I respond to that."

Kasia's design goal for every modern home project is to "make sure clients feel reflected in the environments we create for them". To ensure as much, she delves deep: "What's important to them, what places they're connected to, what stays with them from the past. Personal stories, translated into homes, become a meaningful anchor for aesthetic choices."

The owners of this chalet-esque house south of Berlin lived in Milan for some time and, says Kasia, "It impacted them a lot." So Kasia, who founded her own interior design firm, Studio Bosko, brought in some vintage Italian pieces and, across part of the ground floor, a striking terrazzo palladiana floor (a large, irregular mosaic of natural stone) to remind them of their time in Italy.

The house — a 1970s, partially timber-clad gabled house — was also a compelling muse. "It was very dated but had charm. The clients felt inspired, so we kept those 1970s characteristics." This inspired Kasia's use of warmer-toned woods — for example, the "almost mahogany" floor-to-ceiling cupboards in the hallway, kitchen cabinetry and oak paneling.

The 1970s palette nods to the decade: "1970s fashion had a lot of oranges, browns and yellows — that warm, autumnal palette really worked with the story here." The nature surrounding the property also influenced the design. "The clients bought the house in autumn and fell in love with the colors of the garden," explains Kasia. "This inspired the palette."

With Kasia's work, there are often deeper layers of thought beneath the surface — so it's not just about evocative colors but how color relates to the material. "They're often not independent," she explains. "Color often comes from the material" — for example, in the daughter's bathroom, the marble on the basin and the plinth on the walls. While many architects work to minimize the palette throughout a home, Kasia likes to combine different tones of wood. "Clients worry they'll clash — to me, they add depth and tension."

But how to satisfy the differing preferences of the sociable homeowners and their somewhat introverted 14-year-old? The solution was two living rooms on separate floors. "We noticed a need for a space where the daughter could withdraw and relax, and move through the space without being involved when the parents have guests," says Kasia. A trend that any teen would get behind.

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There's something about this time of year that feels particularly ripe for reinvention and change. Even if the back-to-school rush hasn't applied for several years, the invitation to reimagine yourself never quite loses its appeal. But nowadays, instead of a new backpack, we instead find ourselves fantasizing over the improvements we could make to our homes.

And this year, as we waved summer goodbye and stepped into the crispness of autumn, we found ourselves positively overflowing with inspiration. Throughout October, the team at Livingetc has explored countless modern homes, each offering its own unique charm. We explored Brutalist Milanese apartments and sprawling wood-drenched ranches in the Utah desert. We saw a Space Age garage-turned-family home in Paris and a six-storey townhouse in London. The team spoke to designers working across the globe, each bringing their own design perspective to the forefront, allowing us to get lost in the worlds they have constructed, inspiring a whole new realm of design.

If that all sounds a little intimidating to you, though, don't worry. I've done you all a favor and narrowed down these countless gorgeous homes to a mere 10, picking the spaces that I've not been able to stop thinking about. There's a little something for everyone here, with homes that encompass a wide range of styles. The one thing that they all have in common, though, is undeniably good design.

What makes each of these homes feel quite so special is just how distinct they are. Each one exists within the context of its surroundings, finding inspiration in the culture and landscape around it, as well as from the unique lives of the families living within them. These homes show that true style goes beyond following all the latest trends: the future of taste is about something personal.

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Doing something interesting with color in your home doesn't need to come at the expense of how luxurious it feels. In fact, for this property in Meppel,in the Netherlands, it's the adventurous and fun color choices that end up making it feel so elevated.

Designed by Nox Studio Interiors, this 100-year-old farmhouse keeps you on your toes with its palette. You're greeted by a botanical green entryway, moving into a bold red kitchen with tiger-print seats, and then a living room in orange, blue, and gold. The color choices make every room feel like a new chapter in the story of the home's design, yet it still hangs on a cohesive narrative.

"We were also inspired by the fact that the house used to be a farm," says Anne Van Heugte, interior designer and founder of Nox Studio Interiors. "We wanted to incorporate this aspect into the design without making it feel too much like a newly built modern home."

However, that is largely what it is. "Only the front façade of the original house was preserved; the rest was completely demolished and rebuilt," explains Anne. Still, "We really liked and appreciated the fact that the farmhouse was 100 years old, and we wanted to emphasize its history through elements such as aged-looking beams, 300-year-old bricks, wooden wainscoting, and other traditional materials," she continues. That blend of old and new informed the more maximalist, eclectic, and layered details.

Like most renovations, the inspiration for this Netherlands home revival started with its surroundings, the owner's taste, and the history of the property.

"The surroundings of the house, with all the greenery, were a major source of inspiration," says Anne. You can see this in the shades of green, blue, and teal throughout each room, but Anne explains they were also drawn to the contrasting warm tones; hence, blue and orange in different variations pop up around the house.

As mentioned, color takes the main stage in this renovation. Teals, calming blues, and green color trends account for the serene mood, and when contrasted with complementary warm tones, each room becomes more dynamic — built on both grounding earthy color palettes, but with a stylish flair.

Luckily for Anne, "The clients really liked bold, vibrant colors such as orange, blue, and green." And again, this laid a lot of the color palette groundwork. "We combined these with burgundy red and terracotta tones, bringing together both light and dark shades of blue," continues Anne. "Then we softened the tones slightly to create a more harmonious palette and ensure that the colors complemented one another."

The living rooms, dining space, and kitchen, where these colors are most prominent, lead into one another. It's a fabulous example in how color palettes throughout a home can be harmonious — and are more effective when they are.

But the jewel of the house is most definitely the red kitchen. So how did this striking design come to life? "I think every designer has a list of combinations they'd love to use and bring to life in a project," Anne shares. "A red kitchen with a Rosso Levanto marble countertop was at the top of my wish list, and this was the perfect project to make it happen."

The kitchen may not need to be the center of the home anymore, but it is still a natural hosting and entertaining space, especially when you have this amount of space to work with. Red makes an impact, and the pink and golden details bring that comforting warmth that such communal spaces demand. "I love how the red marble turned out, especially on the kitchen island. It's such a large feature and truly the heart of the house. Everything happens here," says Anne.

"The tiger-print seats add a slightly wild contrast," Anne adds, no pun intended. "But I really enjoyed pushing the boundaries here and creating a bold contrast between the different elements." Why not decorate with animal print in the kitchen?

For the home bar, "we chose shades of brown, dark blue, and green to give the space a slightly rougher, more relaxed feel without making it look too styled," explains Anne. And this choice of a more natural color palette gives the space both a moody and cozy aesthetic.

However, the expert pattern mixing steals the show in this space. The different types of marble, the tiger print pouf, the stormy wallpaper, and the tapestry print across the corner dining bench never seem like they would all work together, but they do. There are layers of undertones and hues that blend beautifully.

Yes, there are a lot of different colors going on throughout the home, but the key to all of them working together is how they move and transform from space to space. For instance, on the ground floor, there are stronger, brighter, more uplifting colors. But as you move upstairs, "In the primary bedroom and en-suite bathroom, for example, we opted for light pink and dark purple," says Anne. "We wanted these spaces to feel softer and a little cozier."

But there is still tangible personality. The bathroom is covered in a pink Zellige tile, the bedroom walls are a dusty pinkish mauve, and even the walk-in closet incorporates a tonal blend of soft pinks. Though it's all the same or similar colors, the different shades create a dynamic scheme.

Shop the Style

Joyful colors can be elevated, luxurious, expensive-looking, and dynamic — it's all in how you layer and pair shades, materials, and textures. This Netherlands home is a masterclass in expressive color and leaning into individuality in a home.

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Hollywood isn’t known for its restraint. Instead, it demands excessive luxury: cars, homes, and clothes all competing to match the surrounding multi-million-dollar movie productions. Maybe this is why Ome Dezin’s newly listed Woodrow Wilson home stands out. It doesn’t shout — this design gently sings within the noisy urban Hollywood Hills.

Enclaved by a natural canopy of trees and greenery, this property’s private surroundings provide a sharp contrast to the home’s brutalist-inspired architecture. Originally built in 1997 by architect Jeffrey Mills, the design team of Ome Dezin, Joelle Kutner and Jesse Rudolph, describe the property as “an incredible artwork at the interplay of brutalism and California ease. The structure of glass, concrete, and wood allows the building to feel at home within the forest.” On paper, the contrast between concrete brutalist design and soaring trees seems too far apart — or perhaps not in favor of the architecture. Yet, this design proves otherwise.

The studio's Woodrow Wilson property dances between design periods effortlessly to create one harmonious and incredibly visually exciting modern home.

The Starting Point

“We were immediately drawn to the home's sculptural architecture, bold geometries, and beautiful relationship to the surrounding landscape," say Joelle and Jesse. "While the renovation was extensive, the home had such incredible architectural bones that we didn't feel the need to make any major structural changes.”

At first glance, the building seems older than its years, echoing earlier mid-century homes and Brutalist design styles, but this late-90s design provided a firm foundation for Ome Dezin’s design amalgamation. The exterior’s combination of wood, concrete, and the home's exceptional light allowed the designers to draw on multiple interior design periods. Mid-century-inspired warm wood-paneled walls frame more modern, curvaceous furniture pieces, not to mention the iconic cool-toned marble slabs.

“The process took approximately two years,” say design team Joelle and Jesse. “Much of our focus was on thoughtfully refining the existing spaces, while honouring the home's original character. Our goal was simply to enhance the most beautiful parts of its original structure while emphasising its surroundings. As usual, we leaned on natural materials, incorporating over 75 slabs of marble throughout the home.”

Letting Nature Lead

Ome Dezin's designs are often led by natural materials. In Woodrow Wilson’s case, it led them straight to a stunning icy blue marble slab, which they used in abundance, understandably.

“We love materials with personality, and the whimsy blue marble felt like an unexpected counterpoint to the warmth of the wood paneling. Its natural movement and unexpected color choice introduces a sense of playfulness, while repeating it throughout the home creates a subtle connection between spaces and a good way to use all the remnants,” say Joelle and Jesse.

With a material this striking, restraint wasn’t necessary. Instead, the duo draped this iconic slab all over the main bathroom, encasing it in its dreamy dark teal veining. Here it provides a canvas for a dual shower, with tapware by Waterworks, a matching marble bath, and two vanity units.

The vast floor-to-ceiling mirrors wrapping around both opposing bathroom walls create a clever design trick too. Of course it bounces light around the room, but thanks to the room’s impeccable symmetry, it also reflects the vast wall slabs, giving the impression the material is wrapped around the entire space.

“I love this bathroom,” says the design duo. “The vintage lights, warm wood, exposed beams, and clerestory window. The stone is the perfect storm of blues and greys in a rock formation."

Stained Glass Statements

Lighting is a key pillar of this home’s design, one which design duo Jesse and Joelle intended to honor within their revival. Throughout the house, you’ll find playful ways the designers manipulate light, not just in architectural features, but also in artificial fixtures. As Ome Dezin says, “For us, lighting is much like art — it helps shape the character of a space and influences how people experience it. Lighting is the jewellery of the home”.

In the bathroom, natural light floods the space in three forms: a high-level clerestory window framed in the design’s signature warm wood; a circular porthole window; and a large overhead skylight, all offering glimpses of the exterior’s vast foliage.

Then comes the lighting design’s pièce de résistance, the stained glass. Most pantries remain hidden, concealed, and secret. Not here. Ome Dezin turned this concept around and highlighted a traditionally overlooked area. “The pantry sits within a small nook, but there’s a window at the back that brings in this beautiful natural light,” explain Jesse and Joelle.

“Rather than closing that off with solid doors, we wanted to celebrate it, so we incorporated textured and coloured glass into the doors created by a father-and-son stained-glass duo local to Los Angeles, called Sunshine Glass. When the doors are closed, the light still filters through and animates the glass. We also loved the idea of taking something very functional and giving it a more decorative, jewel-like quality.”

This design choice wasn’t made purely on light, though; it also firmly played into the design duo’s famous era-blending. As Ome Dezin explains, “There’s something almost endless about stained glass — the combinations of texture, opacity, shape, and color can completely change its character. We also love that it can reference so many different eras of design and architecture. It can feel Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, mid-century, or entirely contemporary depending on how it’s composed. In a more neutral space, it becomes this small moment of surprise and personality.”

The Art of Era-Blending

For me, Ome Dezin’s era blending is one of the most joyful parts of their designs. It means the home is never constrained by one idea, or the notion that one era’s architectural qualities must accompany its furniture. Here, the art, walls, furniture and fixings all dance in and out of multiple design eras with ease.

In one living area, mid-century wood paneling covers the walls, ceiling and bookcases, framing a built-in petrol-blue sofa. Yet when it comes to the other furniture, modernism steps in with a hint of retro style. Curvaceous abstract chairs sit next to a 70s-esque amber-toned glass side table to match the space’s warm, inviting glow, all contrasting in surprising harmony.

The modernist vibe continues in the larger seating area, where a statement navy-blue curved sofa sweeps around a post-modern glass side table, matching the home’s brutalist shapes in refined light jade glass. The vast concrete-effect fireplace surround echoes the home's brutalist materials, but turn right, and you'll be struck by an abstract monochrome seat alongside an immensely rich abstract-impressionist canvas occupying the entire back wall.

Talking about their signature design blend, Jesse and Joelle say, “We love creating a dialogue between different design periods. Woodrow's late-20th-century architecture provided a wonderful foundation for introducing elements of mid-century modernism alongside the playful, sculptural qualities of 1970s and 1980s design. We find that materiality and proportion are what ultimately bring these different influences together.”

Curating a Collection

When it comes to artwork, Ome Dezin take careful consideration. Given that the Woodrow Wilson project was formerly an art gallery, the space naturally had ample opportunities for the duo to make their artistic statement.

“Transforming the flow of the home from an art gallery into a residential space was one of our biggest challenges," say Joelle and Jesse. "We wanted to maintain its openness and architectural drama, but introduce the warmth, intimacy, and functionality needed for everyday living.”

Described by the pair as their “favorite little painting” with “the most delicious color palette,” the hallway canvas was discovered by Joelle and Jesse in an antique store by Lake Arrowhead. It's hard to deny its expressionist influences, breathing fresh air into the mid-century style panelling behind it. The work’s colors echo the surrounding home design too. The deep teal of the right figure’s jumper can be spotted in the sofa upholstery, and the copper and amber skin tones in the surrounding panelled walls.

While the furniture is mostly understated — albeit with a splash of fun in pieces like the bubble monochrome chair — the art is expressive and punchy. It immediately grabs and steers you into a less-predictable style. Take the dining room. Here, you’ll find understated warm wood wishbone-style seating nestled under a delicious glossy ink-black dining table — a bespoke design for this property. But adorning the back wall are two almost floor-to-ceiling portraits by photographer Nadia Lee Cohen, acquired through Creative Art Partners. Their almost cinematic vintage color palette contributes to the warm sepia-toned hues that saturate the Woodrow Wilson project. The perfect conversation starter over dinner with friends? I think so.

Bringing the Exterior To Life

But it’s not just the interior that strays from usual design tropes. The pair have paid exceptional attention to the property's exterior, and one outbuilding in particular.

In such an organic setting, it seemed almost certain the designers would opt for equally organic materials in their sauna design. But not so. Instead, the team chose a dark mirrored exterior finish. Much like the mirroring in the main bathroom, this material cleverly sinks into its surroundings and reflects the garden's foliage and landscape.

“We wanted the sauna to feel like a sculptural monolith that almost disappears into its surroundings,” say designers Joelle and Jesse. “The darkened mirror reflects the landscape and changing light, creating a beautiful contrast with the intimate wood interior of the sauna as well as a brightly coloured connected full bathroom.”

Elsewhere in the garden, you'll find plenty of private social pockets, all accompanied by a stand-out water feature. Running alongside the garden steps and resting next to an outdoor seating area, this feature looks like it’s been naturally carving the grey stone it runs across for centuries.

If Ome Dezin's design shows anything, it's impeccable consideration. This reimagined property is sensitive to the original design and surroundings, but breathes fresh air into traditional design tropes.

The house is a mixture of serious brutalism and warm, inviting light. Slick furniture is paired alongside cool and punchy artworks, while the overall finish still feels immensely high-end. The Woodrow Wilson project is full of surprises, none of which disappoint.

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Before transforming into the colorful Camden townhouse it is now, this tall-and-small building had an enriching past life as a record store. After a thorough renovation, its present self manifests as a beautifully layered family home where color leads the way.

An aquamarine kitchen bleeds into a granite informal room, then comes the citrine living room, a minty dining room, followed by a crisp white bedroom. But to truly understand the charm of the space, we went behind the scenes with design studio Russian For Fish.

By the end, you'll notice the power of balancing confident color and restrained decorating that this modern home presents — and wonder how it ever began as a vinyl seller.

Pereen d’Avoine, architect and co-director at Russian For Fish, tells me that finding a happy middle between restoration and modern life was the most interesting challenge that arose during the renovation of this London townhouse.

"We wanted the historic character of the building to remain legible, but without the interiors feeling constrained by it. For example, concealed within the partition between the two first-floor sitting rooms is a projection screen that drops down for film nights, transforming the space without compromising its architectural character."

And in an era of wonderfully storied spaces being stripped of their charm in the name of somewhat bleak modern builds, this is a simple example of how to find a way around preserving the history of a space while bringing your vision to life.

"We wanted to retain something of the experience of entering a record shop," Pereen tells me. "There's a particular pleasure in wandering into one of Camden's record shops, never quite knowing what you might discover. We wanted to capture a little of that sense of curiosity and surprise in the way the house unfolds."

"You enter through the shopfront into a dark, richly colored, almost cocoon-like space. It's intimate and atmospheric, with very little indication of what lies beyond. By frosting the glazing to the shopfront bay, we were able to give the room privacy while also concealing the view through the house from the street."

She explains that it's only as you move around the corner into the kitchen and its fresh colors that the house suddenly opens up. "Then revealing a long view through to the secret garden beyond. That moment of discovery feels quite magical, and is something we deliberately wanted to preserve."

Since narrow homes have a reputation for being finicky with facelifts, I asked Pereen what her biggest lesson is from this Camden abode, to which she said: "Never be afraid of darkness."

This was one of the first projects where Russian For Fish took the leap and committed to a deeply colored ground-floor living space, and Pereen deems it a wonderful success.

"Rather than feeling enclosed, the room instantly invites you in," she notes. "The darker palette creates a sense of calm and intimacy, somewhere you can curl up on the daybed with a coffee and a book, despite the front door opening directly into the space."

"Throughout the house, we mixed bespoke elements with reclaimed and new furniture, allowing natural materials, texture and moments of richness to sit alongside one another," says Pereen.

"The intention was for the house to feel layered and personal rather than overly composed — with each space having its own character, but all belonging to the same home."

And if you've found inspiration from this home, this design edit will help you enhance your home's historic bones.

Get the Look

Looking for more small space inspo? Tour this Manhattan loft by New Operations Workshop that went from a pipe dream to a mid-century modern reality. And to sneak behind the doors of other contemporary spaces, like this OM Studio flat in St. Petersburg, sign up for the Livingetc newsletter.

Step through the front door of this home in Philadelphia and the first thing that strikes you is the confident contrast between light shades and dark, pale oak and rich woods, dramatically veined stone and mellow clay walls.

Perhaps it’s little wonder, given that its owners, Brittany and Benjamin Hakimfar, made the move from the West Coast to the East Coast for this modern home, trading the sunny interiors of LA for the more grounded aesthetic of Brittany’s home turf. "Moving back to the state where I grew up, having worked both in New York and LA, was a big deal for us," says Brittany.

Brittany, who trained under designer Waldo Fernandez before she and Ben set up their own interior design practice, Far Studio, took some of LA’s understated glam — all white oak and plaster finishes — and mixed it with moodiness, conjured by materials such as black zellige tiles and plaid wallpaper. The result is an assured balance between refined design and practical living.

Though their home required little structural work, its expansive proportions needed scaling down. "It was about creating intimacy," says Brittany. "Rather than emphasizing size, we wanted the layout to encourage gathering, with spaces for entertaining, family time, reading, music and quiet retreat."

As a result, the schemes vary between embracing — such as the moodier gray-blues of the library-cum-music room or the cocooning charcoal walls of the attic den — and amplifying, including the coffee-and-cream neutrals of the sitting room and the airiness of the entry. Anchoring the living spaces, the kitchen and family room serve as relaxed hubs for the family, including Liv, nine, Leo, seven, and Lex, three.

Brittany describes the original interiors as "being so dark, they felt medieval. I thought, 'Perfect, I’m going to change everything'. I wanted to make sure that no surface went untouched." Out went the heavy window treatments and monotone interiors and in came a dynamic blend of materials and finishes. "Of course, there are still dramatically dark moments," she says, "but texture makes all the difference, whether that’s a chocolate velvet sofa, a papered ceiling, fluted cabinetry or hand-finished plasterwork."

These are the kinds of striking design motifs that Brittany says are easier to flirt with when you are your own client. "For example, it was great not to have to convince anyone to have an all-black zellige-tiled bathroom or moss-green plastered walls," she says. "The downside, of course, is that it took years longer to finish, because I kept sending the carpenters off-site to finish more important jobs."

Those delays were worth the wait, however, and now life revolves around nurturing a family while taking care of projects. "The changing seasons are a dream," says Brittany. "In winter, the neighborhood looks like a snow globe, which is magical. Home feels like a place of welcome and also a refuge."

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In New York's East Village, above the traffic and crowds of people popping into cafés or commuting to work, sits a cozy but luxurious loft apartment. It's old-school New York glamour meets the Bohemian spirit that permeates every inch of the city. The apartment feels as intertwined with its location as it does a total exhale from the hustle and bustle. As any city dweller knows, having a haven to retreat to, a space to escape the noise, is essential.

"The history of the loft itself was really our starting point," shares interior designer and co-founder of Evan Edward, Joshua Evan Goldfarb. "We first designed the apartment over 15 years ago, so coming back to it allowed us to look at the space with fresh eyes while preserving what had always made it special." The eclecticism of the East Village neighborhood is interpreted in the interior through moments like exposed brick walls and patinated materials. 70s-inspired, maximalist design calls upon retro New York nightlife, while strategic elements keep things cozy and liveable.

The modern home is unmistakably Manhattan-influenced, yet simultaneously a retreat. Basically, you don't have to compromise personality to create something cozy and serene. This East Village abode proves it pays to lean into design that reflects where and how you live.

The Inspiration and Design Scheme

When taking on the redesign of this city space, "We wanted to respect the original loft architecture and history, particularly the exposed brick, timber, and rooftop volumes, but introduce a greater sense of warmth and sophistication," says Joshua Evan Goldfarb. There are references to 1970s interiors throughout, especially in the low-slung furniture, rich woods, smoked and brushed metals, and deeper Bordeaux tones, "but we never wanted it to feel like a period piece. It is really a layering of eras that feels collected," adds Joshua.

And if you have ever taken a trip to Manhattan, the different neighborhoods on the island have tangible personalities. "The East Village has always had a certain grit and creative energy that felt important to preserve, and our clients appreciated this aspect of both the location and space," says Joshua.

"It was never our goal to take a loft like this and make it feel overly polished or pristine," he continues. The eclectic neighborhood informed the apartment: original materials are allowed to show their patina, vintage pieces sit alongside contemporary ones, and there is a sense that the space has evolved. At the same time, "Once you step inside, we wanted it to feel like a retreat from Manhattan. It is darker, warmer, quieter, and more enveloping than what is happening just outside," shares Joshua.

The design centers around this fantasy of stepping off the bustling streets and into a luxurious den that still gives you that rush of character. Dark color palettes, layered textures, and strong accent pieces like the purple or patterned sofa in the living room all bring this idea to life.

When designing these kinds of spaces — apartments, lofts, studios, and the like — the main challenge is clever configuration. For Joshua, the loft's scale was both an opportunity and a challenge. "With such an expansive space, you have to create intimacy without losing the charm and authenticity," he shares.

Rather than introducing unnecessary walls, Joshua used furniture placement, lighting, rugs, and material changes to subtly define different areas and make the open concept feel cozier. "There were also the realities that come with working in an older Manhattan building. Nothing is perfectly straight or uniform, and there are architectural conditions you have to work around rather than erase," Joshua shares. "We embraced those idiosyncrasies because they add to the energy and essence of the home."

"We love the juxtaposition of the original brick and blue-painted beams with these very sculptural, low-slung pieces meant for lounging," shares Joshua. For instance, "The Adrian Pearsall plinth sofa immediately establishes that relaxed 1970s sensibility paired with the oversized U-shaped sectional, while the Andrianna Shamaris tables bring in teak and rosewood that feel more like sculpture," says Joshua.

The wooden ceiling beams and exposed brick immediately highlight the historical charm of the space, but are balanced with contemporary elements and materials. Even the relatively small wood kitchen packs a major punch with an open-concept layout and drenched aesthetic.

"The living room probably captures the spirit of the apartment most completely," says Joshua. For such a large room, it feels remarkably intimate. "You can have groups of people in each area without feeling detached from the larger environment, but with just two people, it can also feel incredibly cozy," he adds.

Though the living room may capture the spirit most completely, the influences are clear throughout the entire house — most especially the texture design and materiality. "Materiality was incredibly important because the architecture already had so much texture. We did not want to compete with the exposed brick or original beams, so we built upon them with materials that added depth and patina," explains Joshua.

Warm rosewood and aged metals, luxurious velvets and tactile fabrics help soften the harder edges of an original New York City loft. "We were especially interested in materials that become better with age. Nothing feels overly precious or glossy. The idea was that everything should feel good to touch and live with, and that the apartment could continue to develop its own story over time," says Joshua.

Shop the Style

Designing homes that tell a story, represent your life, or the city you live in is the most fashionable way to dress an interior. Like this East Village apartment, getting more intentional means you'll be left with a space that is both design-forward and comforting.

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For seven long years, Ruby and Patrick Shields have spent their evenings and weekends building their dream house. They bought the property during their early twenties, when Ruby was working as an art director in advertising and Patrick was a second-year carpentry apprentice.

In search of a place of their own and somewhere to experiment, they found it in the hills of Australia’s Yarra Ranges, an hour’s drive from Melbourne. From the moment they stepped inside this modern home, they knew it was the one. "It felt like a treehouse, sitting above a canopy of gum trees," says Ruby. "It was so stunning we named it The View."

The early-1980s structure was far from finished. The lower level had no connecting staircase and consisted mostly of an exposed frame carved into the hillside — a deal-breaker for many buyers, but the Shields saw it as the perfect project for Ruby to express her interior design instinct and for Patrick to gain hands-on experience.

The project reached a turning point during Covid. "I took Kelly Wearstler’s masterclass and realized it was time to follow my dream," says Ruby. "I loved interior design and wanted to do it all the time." By the end of the renovation, she had launched her design practice, Studio Shields, with their own home as its strongest manifesto.

Living in the house meant tackling one room at a time. Together, Ruby and Patrick designed and made everything, from the smallest details such as the brass twisty handles to the sculptural joinery. "We had to think hard about how to make things interesting, how to elevate our budget," explains Ruby.

The challenge of making the most of limited funds was probably a blessing in disguise, as the results speak for themselves — not least in the precision of Patrick’s craftsmanship. "I call him 'Perfectionist Pat'," says Ruby. "He’s a stickler for all those fine details. I give direction, and he just makes it so much more perfect. It’s what makes us the best team."

In the main bedroom, one of Patrick’s bespoke pieces stands out: a carved headboard made from reclaimed wharf timbers. "We called it 'Where Dreams Subside,' because it’s such a beautiful backdrop to fall asleep to each night, with its little redwood flowers notched into the timber, like a meadow," says Ruby.

"I consider myself a bit of a bowerbird with objects," she adds, referencing the native Australian bird known for collecting vivid, colored items to build its courtship structure. "It’s about finding those unique, weird pieces to combine into a narrative."

Perhaps the home’s most defining element is its bold color palette, drawn from the landscape on a sunny autumn day: muddy browns, tinges of rust, shades of green and a splash of electric baby blue on the ceiling — something cool to energize the saturated tones.

Looking at the Shields in their home, there’s no doubt it’s where they belong. The warmth, the eclecticism, the layered textures all mirror their personalities. "That’s one of our key drivers," says Ruby. "A home should feel completely, unabashedly like its inhabitants."

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Walking along the tree-lined streets of the West Village on a trip to the Big Apple, I was completely blown away by the beauty of New York brownstones. With their characteristic reddish-brown sandstone façades, arched windows, and ornate details, these 19th-century properties are architectural icons — though they weren't always the highly coveted homes they are today.

Brownstone — brown sandstone — gained popularity when builders in the late 18th and early 19th centuries started using the material as a cheaper alternative to marble and limestone, making it more accessible to the middle class. Following their mass popularity, brownstones fell out of favor in the 20th century, largely due to a shift in architectural tastes, but now they're some of the most luxurious and sought-after properties in the city — the ultimate status symbol.

I was gutted not to see inside these gorgeous residences on my travels, but I've got the next best thing — the Livingetc archives. I dug deep and found gold. From Athena Calderone's Cobble Hill brownstone to a Brooklyn Heights 1845 Greek Revival home, these interior designer-styled projects blend original features with contemporary design for modern homes that embrace and build on history.

The Most Beautiful New York Brownstones

If you're keen to see what a new-build 'brownstone' looks like, the designer of this Harlem townhouse traveled all the way to Paris in search of inspiration for it, and the result is a soulful, color-drenched home filled with character and cozy elegance.

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When Emma Collet and Thomas Diettert first saw this Haussmannian apartment, it hadn’t been renovated since the 1970s. Its rooms were tightly separated, movement through the home felt fragmented, and the layout kept the light from traveling. The client wanted a brighter, more comfortable apartment while preserving the character of a traditional Parisian home.

The designers opened up the plan and brought storage into the architecture, but they weren’t trying to make the apartment feel as though it belonged to one particular period. “We prefer to blur the sense of time,” they say. Here, contemporary gestures sit alongside vintage pieces with a history of their own, giving this modern home a feeling of having evolved over time.

The first surprise is the entrance. Small and windowless, it’s painted entirely black, a bold choice that makes the living room beyond feel all the brighter by comparison. From the living room, the black entrance recedes into the background. “Dark tones don’t necessarily make spaces feel darker or smaller,” the designers explain. “On the contrary, black adds depth to a room and enhances certain architectural elements.”

The living room is the clearest expression of that idea — original features sit alongside a bespoke travertine fireplace, designed specifically for the space. The client had initially imagined a traditional Haussmannian marble mantel, but the designers suggested something more contemporary. “We felt it would be more interesting to create a dialogue between different periods rather than simply reproduce a historical element,” they explain.

The fireplace’s scale gave the client pause at first. It is imposing for the size of the room, but that was precisely what interested the designers — they wanted it to read as an architectural feature, almost sculptural in character. Mirrored panels behind the built-in shelving bring a different kind of lightness. “We treat them as an architectural surface,” say Emma and Thomas. The reflections add depth, soften the bookcase and shift as the light and the room change throughout the day.

That same confidence carries into the kitchen. Set into a recess and open to the living room, it is almost entirely black, from the cabinetry to the countertop. Rather than trying to make the kitchen disappear into the surrounding space, the designers wanted it to feel intimate and have a character of its own. They kept the wall facing the living room open, moving the upper cabinets and technical elements to the opposite side. “The best decision was precisely not to fill every available centimeter,” they say. In a compact kitchen, leaving some space clear helps the room breathe and keeps it from feeling crowded.

The apartment’s collected feel comes through in the objects, too — that dialogue between old and new feels especially personal in the red ceramic vase, a family heirloom with real sentimental value for the client. He had planned to tuck it away on a shelf, but Emma and Thomas felt it deserved to be seen, giving it a pedestal of its own. It’s a small gesture, but one that captures what they mean by letting a home blur the boundaries between periods — the vase isn’t there to match the room, but to bring a piece of the client’s own history into it.

Knowing how far to take that idea was one of the project’s biggest challenges. The designers wanted to give the apartment a distinct character without making every intervention compete for attention, and the living room — their favorite space — is where that balance feels most complete. The sculptural fireplace, mirrored shelving and vintage pieces each hold their own, but there’s still room for the eye to rest. “Each element has its own distinct identity,” they say, “yet they all coexist harmoniously without competing with one another.”

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David Hockney’s photographic collage ‘Sunday Morning’ sees a hotel room pieced together in overlapping prints — an unmade bed, a spread of papers, and the Met Opera’s 1982 season program. No two frames ever show the same perspective; the complete scene assembles countless points of view within a single picture.

Forty years on, that hotel — the Mayflower — is no longer there. But Hockney’s way of seeing has found a new home as the starting point for an apartment renovation on that same New York site. Assembled, in part, around a French family whose life unfolds between Europe and the States, this modern home revels in the grandeur of its setting, perched politely on the edge of Central Park.

Like the artist’s collage, design choices here stitch two previously independent living areas into one single-level residence and a cohesive creative whole. "I was drawn to the way Hockney constructs an image through fragments," explains architect Crina Arghirescu Rogard. "The apartment reveals itself, one lived environment after another."

At 3,000 square feet, the apartment feels more than comfortable in its well-heeled locale. Clad in an old-world Indiana limestone, 15 Central Park West plays the modern heir to New York’s great pre-war residences, pulling on the Neo-Classical and Beaux-Arts traditions that define the city’s most storied buildings.

For the home, now tucked inside that history, Crina understood that practicality mattered as much as poise. "I wanted it to feel sophisticated but very habitable," she says. "You should be able to sit comfortably, read, have a long dinner, move a chair closer to someone."

With a family spread across continents, the apartment rarely hosts the same group twice. So it’s been designed to stretch: "sometimes intimate, sometimes with several generations together."

Just past the threshold, an extraordinary tapestry takes center stage. Its makers, Belgian duo KRJST Studio, spend months embroidering each piece by hand and describe their work as moving between past and future. The piece was made for walls like this one.

It is here that Hockney’s collage begins to take shape. Art is scattered throughout the apartment, each piece seen from a different doorway or angle: a canvas by Mexico City-born Claudia Doring Baez, who reworks images from cinema and art history; neon-lit sculpture by Brooklyn artist Esther Ruiz; and luminous objects by John Junior Kim, crafted from wood, paper, and stone.

“I want those encounters to feel personal and slightly unexpected,” Crina says.

Not every encounter feels unexpected, though. Merging the two separate living spaces into one required a line of consistency to hide the seam — and dissolve any boundary. Crina’s solution was an enfilade — rooms set in a line, each opening into the next — so that one view leads into another.

Underfoot, a moss-green rug does much of the work. It runs from the living room to the library, giving the furniture "a common ground," as Crina puts it. "I like using something soft and tactile to resolve an architectural relationship."

The effect is subtle by design. "You experience the connection," she says, "without necessarily noticing how it has been made."

The living room is where the park takes over. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the skyline outside, which outranks every canvas on the walls. "The park gives the room an extraordinary horizon," Crina says, and she has been careful not to obstruct it. Almost everything here, quite deliberately, sits low.

At the center is a custom serpentine sofa in rust velvet-mohair, which curves toward the glass — "a generous, continuous gesture," she explains. Its bends make room for different ways of sitting: facing the view, or turned toward one another. "I like furniture that has a sculptural presence and also makes you want to sit down."

The palette takes from both sides of the window. "The rust brings warmth, while the moss green creates a relationship with the landscape outside," Crina says.

Above the sofa hangs Contempt, from Claudia Doring Baez’s series based on Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 film Le Mépris, starring Brigitte Bardot and Michel Piccoli. It was a late addition, though you wouldn’t guess it. "It seems to have been painted for the space."

Beyond its sofa, the apartment turns inward. Here, a wall of timber shelving holds as many bronzes as books: small heads, crouching figures, a horse mid-stride.

For Crina, this is where placement matters most. "It’s where the conversation between art and interior architecture becomes tangible," she says. She considers scale and color, but also "what happens when you encounter a piece from another room."

By the window, a black wrapped chair rises like a sculpture rather than a seat. "A sculptural chair can change a room’s entire rhythm," Crina says — and this one certainly does. Nearby hangs a painting by Gaspard Girard d’Albissin — a pair of pale boots against green — with a paper lamp by John Junior Kim glowing low on a walnut chest.

The kitchen holds the apartment’s centerpiece: a dining table designed with artist Liz Hopkins. Its resin top, a glossy blue-gray, rests on columns of lacquered red, with vintage burl-wood chairs drawn up around it. "I wanted it to have a strong presence," Crina says, "with the lacquer introducing a different quality of light alongside the softer textiles and warmer materials."

It’s built for daily use as much as display. "A sculptural table becomes especially beautiful when people gather around it," she says. It’s also tougher than it looks: "It's very sturdy, resin-finished. I have the same in our studio, and it gets better with time." With young children in the family, she adds, there’s no worry about sharp edges.

The main bedroom is pared back, though far from bare. Low sun falls across pale walls and heavy linen curtains. The palette keeps to white, charcoal, and a soft blue throw, with one exception: a violet disc hung above the bed.

By the window stands a tall black figure, crumpled and wrapped, its outline sharp against the skyline. A cast-metal bench at the foot of the bed is there to answer it, rough and pitted, catching light as the day moves around the room.

Asked to choose the one piece that sums up the project, Crina doesn’t hesitate: the serpentine sofa. "It brings together so much of the project: movement, color, a relationship with the landscape, and the pleasure of gathering," she says.

Her advice for other homes is much the same: carry a color or material from one room to the next, and "pay attention to what you see through a doorway." Even a small apartment, she says, "can offer several connected compositions."

Hockney spent his later years arguing that most people don’t look at things for long enough. This apartment doesn’t make that easy: there's always something more to notice, through the next doorway or out the next window.

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The thing about this four-storey townhouse in Tufnell Park, north London, is that it looks expensive: bespoke joinery, a clearly custom-built L-shaped kitchen island, a wet bar slathered in burl wood. But Adam Knight of Nefarious Interiors approached the modern home project with clear, strict budget limits, making clever decisions to keep it under budget.

"For a house this size, there wasn't as much money to play with as you might expect," he says. "So yes, we spent out on the parts of the design that really mattered — the kitchen being a key one — but for most areas we had to be as cost-effective as possible."

That meant keeping as much as he could from the home's previous incarnation — avoiding structural work, not moving any electrics, reupholstering existing sofas, and instead splurging on bespoke cushions, "which are much more affordable than a new couch, but still help to elevate the impact of the furniture."

And he shopped savvily. "The curtain fabric was on sale at Ian Mankin for £19 a meter," Adam says proudly.

The resulting scheme is a testament to what can be done without a large price tag and with a steely interior designer in your corner. With its olive greens, rich woods, and dappled light, the home has a Tom Ford-ian charm that speaks to the owners' American heritage. "All of their references felt very US, true to the mid-century vibe that reads to us as very Californian but is actually quite easy to give a British twist to," says Adam.

"A lot of the browns came from reference shots they pulled from Americana images — you know, families going off for retro picnics in open-top cars, that sort of thing." All very Mad Men-era, and a way to lean into the mid-century vibe Adam has created here. "I looked at the ideas coming through in new furniture shapes and styles during that period," he says. "It's an aesthetic that works well in the long, tall houses we have in the UK."

What it also does is create a home that's perfect for this family to entertain in. "The owners love to host, and so lots of different seating areas — all very mid-century — were key," says Adam. There's the downstairs, with its lounge, dining, and bar; the L-shaped kitchen island "which has more surface area to get people around"; the window seat for quiet gossip.

Then there's the smart living room upstairs with its adjoining playroom, so kids and adults can be apart but near each other. "The overall effect of the colors and layouts is one of togetherness," says Adam. "It feels warm, geared towards conversation. A place where memories with family and friends can be made."

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With 1.2 million followers, 3 multi-million businesses, a podcast, and a Forbes 30 Under 30 feature under her belt, it's safe to say that Grace Beverley is no stranger to hard work. So tackling a full-home renovation while carrying her first child was just another project for her to take on head-first. But, of course, multitasking has never been much of a problem for Grace. Right from the start, when she was still known as GraceFitUK, Grace built her following by posting about her fitness journey while juggling a degree at Oxford.

Since then, Grace has pretty much become the poster girl for productivity. So much so that when she first announced her brand of daily planners, The Productivity Method, there was a 75,000-person waiting list before the product even launched. It's no surprise then that Grace approached this modern home renovation with the same focus and determination. Ever the over-achiever, Grace tells me, "I made a 60-page deck for Louise and Matt at Studio Braw, going room by room with all my visual inspiration and practical requests." Luckily, for the team at Studio Braw, this clarity only made their job easier.

Together, they set out to transform a modern, if slightly soulless kitchen into a rich, warm family space. Shiny white cabinets and straight, sharp lines were swapped out for natural materials and a vintage-inspired feel. The finished result is exactly as Grace envisioned: inviting, timeless, and cozy — another resounding success for the influencer-turned-entrepreneur to add to the list.

The Brief

When designing a space from scratch, the best approach isn't always to dive straight in with material swatches and color ideas. Sometimes, starting with a vision of the way you want to live in the space and the duties you'd like it to fulfil can be a more helpful starting point. And for Grace, that vision was clear from the jump.

"We absolutely love hosting, so I knew from the start that the kitchen and dining area had to be a really homey social space," she tells me. Even prior to the renovation, the large, open-plan kitchen layout made a natural fit for a hosting home, but with the harsh, sterile finishes and sharp corners, it wasn't exactly an ideal design for the expecting mother.

With this in mind, Grace and Louise from Studio Braw set out to find a way to maintain this large, social layout while adding all the warmth and character that the original design lacked.

Although there is certainly still an audience for the minimalist kitchen look, for Grace, it couldn't be further from her taste. "I've always been drawn to homes and hotels with character and unique pieces rather than pure minimalism, so I wanted the kitchen to feel warm and collected rather than brand new," she explains.

While kitchen trends were once dominated by the spotless minimalism of an all-white design, nowadays, people are increasingly seeking spaces with more depth, with natural materials and traditional kitchen features at the forefront.

But while these finishes are undeniably present in the design zeitgeist of today, this was not what drew Louise towards these choices. "We tried to steer away from anything too trendy or fashionable," she explains. Instead, they were looking for something a little bit more timeless.

Looking beyond their direct surroundings, when developing this design Louise and Grace found themselves drawing inspiration from their travels, taking a more global approach to the space.

Classic European-style kitchens were a definite point of reference here, as seen through the grand, impressive proportions and unique, vintage finds scattered throughout. France, in particular, provided ample inspiration, with Grace saying, "I love French design and wanted to use as many vintage pieces as possible."

Having spent months curating 60 pages' worth of ideas for Louise to draw from, Grace was able to build more clarity around her own personal style, figuring out what worked for her, even if it wasn't what everyone was doing online.

With such a large, loyal following, it can be hard not to be swayed by outside opinions, but ultimately, Grace knew that when it came to her home, the most important opinion was her own. "When I asked my Instagram followers, almost everyone told me to go for light wood, but I went with dark, and I'm so happy I did."

The Process

At first glance, this dark wooden kitchen could easily pass as a rich, storied period property, with all the detailed millwork and natural materials; the look is more Edwardian home than it is modern new-build. And when you see what the space was like before, with its glossy finishes and white cabinetry, it's hard to believe they could be the same home. This is, of course, a testament to the level of detail and care put into this design. Looking at it now, it's hard to imagine anything having come before it.

Not only does it feel like such a natural use of the space, but there's an illusion of history with this design, as if it had been there forever. And Louise agrees, "The home pre-renovation was the complete opposite of the final design."

What's most impressive is how few structural changes had to be made to accomplish such a total and complete transformation. "The location of the kitchen did not change with the exception of the cooker, as we had a very tight deadline and were unable to move multiple different services," explains the designer.

Although the modernity of the original design wasn't exactly in line with Grace's style, what drew her to the home in the first place was the open, social layout, perfect for building her family home, and this provided a strong foundation for the team to build from, without having to make too many major changes. As Louise says, "The original space, which was aesthetically very different, was a warm family home — I think that is the only element that informed the space we created for Grace."

But while the major structural works were kept to a minimum and the layout remained broadly unchanged, the same can't be said for much else in the room.

"The space was completely transformed — the only element that remained was the timber floor, and even that was stained a different color," says Louise. The kitchen island, cabinetry, and all the appliances were removed in favor of something more in line with Grace's style.

Across the design, the ultimate goal was creating a space that went beyond trends, finding a style that felt truly timeless. Grace was searching for a home that could stand the test of time, and, as Louise says, "The decorative door fronts, choice of rich dark timber, the plinth around the base of the kitchen, large farmhouse kitchen table, ticking stripe from Penny Morrison on the banquette seating and the antique Georgian glazed unit all contribute to that feeling."

The Design

"Hosting was a huge part of the brief, so the open-plan layout was designed for gathering, with a big rustic reclaimed wood table from Pepper Mill Interiors and banquette seating from The House Upstairs, so there's always room for more people," explains Grace.

But a complete home renovation wasn't the only major change Grace was going through during this period: "We were also expecting our daughter during the renovation, so we spent a lot of time thinking about our routines once she arrived and how we'd move through the space as a family." The design was, of course, informed by this new life stage, with all the appropriate additions a new baby requires. "Every room had to be baby-proofed," says Grace.

A new child and a new home would, one would imagine, be quite a lot to juggle, but now she's out the other side, Grace says, "Now we’re in, and she’s here; I’m so excited for our first Christmas here together."

An open-plan kitchen and dining room, with both bar seating and a larger, banquette-style dining table, this kitchen was thoughtfully designed to offer a number of different seating opportunities, with a communal, social feel running across the space.

Instead of a traditional, straight run of bar stools for the kitchen island seating, they opted for a more social L-formation, explaining that "for small dinners or date night this set up feels more romantic." From there, they chose to shift the dining table to sit parallel to the kitchen, allowing for open, easy communication between guests and the host, even when you're running slightly late putting dinner on the table.

The dark timber cabinetry formed the primary palette for this space. "The other materials were chosen to complement the dark timber," explains Louise. "The hardware is the Greenwich range from Hendel and Hendel, and the finish is burnished brass waxed — this is a living finish that will continue to patina over time." And this worn, rustic metallic finish is carried through to the tap and pot filler, both from family-run British business, Bidbury.

To make the traditional, vintage-inspired joinery feel cohesive, Louise sought out other vintage features. "The Georgian glazed unit was a standout piece for us," she says. "This was paired with the ceramic and silk wall lights as well as the mirror to keep the space feeling fresh and cool."

For the kitchen worktops, they chose a beautiful Taj Mahal quartzite, a robust natural stone, the same beauty as marble but with far more durability.

Though this was firmly not a minimalist kitchen, this by no means meant this was a clutter-friendly space. "We kept the surfaces clear as far as possible, as well as displaying glassware behind glass doors. We included a small shelf for Grace’s cookbooks. We also included a pantry that houses all of the day-to-day appliances — coffee machine, toaster, etc. This has bifold doors, so it can be open during the day but closed to hide everything if you're hosting."

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If you love the rich intensity of this dark wood kitchen, there's a high chance that you're going to be a fan of the espresso kitchen trend too. It's a beautiful way to get the intensity of a black kitchen, with a whole lot more warmth.

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It's the dream of anyone who buys a period property, especially one that's been unsympathetically modernized, that they find some sort of 'buried treasure' underneath those contemporary interventions.

For architect Sam Causer, those were just such the discoveries made in this grand Victorian villa in London's Blackheath, where the original character and charm of this home had been concealed by previous owners. "Decorative cornices were hidden behind plasterboard, ceilings had been covered with hardboard and timber battens, and the relationship between the principal rooms and garden had become compromised by an assortment of additions, including an unsatisfactory conservatory and garage," Sam tells us.

The project became the perfect base for Sam to explore the relationship between renovation and restoration. Authentic, original features blend with modern home additions, like the steel Fabco doors (for which Livingetc editor Hugh Metcalf voted it his project of the year at the brand's recent awards ceremony) and a new kitchen extension, in a way that never removes or overwrites the history, but builds upon it. The inherent imperfections of a historic home are exactly what make them so special for Sam.

"For us, conservation is not necessarily about preserving buildings in a fixed condition. It is about understanding their qualities and finding ways for them to continue being useful, loved and inhabited," explains Sam. "The house has an almost ruin-like quality in places, but this sits alongside warmth, generosity and considerable domestic comfort. The pleasure comes from the relationship between those seemingly contradictory qualities."

The Brief

"The original brief was surprisingly modest," shares Sam. His clients, Carol and Dave, had purchased a Victorian villa of impressive proportions. Boasting all the most enviable features typical of homes of the era, the house had generous-sized formal sitting rooms, crown molding, and gorgeous full-length windows. But for all the benefits of a period property, there are also some considerable drawbacks, too, including an awkward, disjointed layout — the primary problem in this home.

Built with the social norms of the era in mind, a Victorian home layout no longer reflects the way people live today; something Carol and Dave quickly discovered. "The kitchen was particularly small and disconnected from the sitting room and garden. Much of the domestic infrastructure remained in the basement, reflecting a period when houses of this scale were designed around a separation between family life and domestic service," explains Carol.

Despite these issues, at the beginning of the process, Carol and Dave were keen to keep the alterations to a minimum, with the exception of a new modern kitchen. However, Sam explains, "Through conversation and exploration, the project developed into a more comprehensive reorganization of the ground floor, bringing cooking, storage and everyday domestic activities together and establishing a much more generous relationship with the garden."

At the core of this project was a desire to "uncover the character of the existing house, rather than impose an entirely new identity upon it."

As much as the renovation was focused on uncovering the original character of the period property, the design was equally influenced by the history of the couple moving into the home, and the homes they'd lived in prior. "Carol and Dave have lived in several homes over more than fifty years, gradually collecting furniture, objects and artworks along the way," explains Sam. "Their approach to interiors is intuitive and personal, allowing things to find their place rather than working towards a predetermined aesthetic."

Building up a collection of pieces, both new and antique, the couple had a clear interior design style that they brought with them to this new space. It's an eclectic, collected style, with elegant details and plenty of character, which just so happened to work beautifully in this period property.

But to elevate the home even further, they chose to strip the home back to its roots, removing added coverings to reveal the history that lay beneath, "including a wonderfully distressed green finish that became the starting point for the treatment of the ground-floor interiors."

The Process

The challenge was to restore this home to its former glory, stripping back the layers of modernity and putting the original design back into the spotlight. This became the overarching theme, and informed how they approached the home. As Carol describes it, "Rather than treating these conditions simply as defects to be corrected, the project became an exercise in discovery."

Through this restoration work, they allowed the original home to lead the way for the final design. "The removal of inappropriate additions revealed the original architecture and allowed the design to develop in response," explains Dave. "Historic cornices were carefully retained and repaired, while the new architectural interventions sought to restore the generous spatial relationships that the house's original proportions suggested."

This wasn't about designing a faithful recreation of what this home would've looked like in the 1900s; it was about honoring the many lives of the property. As Sam puts it: "The intention was not to return the building to a particular moment in its history, but to allow its accumulated character to inform a new chapter in its life."

"The most significant architectural intervention was the construction of a new full-length side extension, providing the additional space needed to make the kitchen and associated domestic functions work comfortably at ground-floor level," says Sam.

Working with deVOL Kitchen, this side extension kitchen may have been a modern addition, but it was designed with the same visual language used across the entirety of the home, creating a cohesion between the original Victorian architecture and the new, contemporary additions.

"The kitchen extension was conceived as part of the architectural composition of the existing house, drawing on its material character and proportions rather than presenting itself as an entirely separate contemporary object," says Dave.

One of the most significant additions, and undoubtedly one of the standout features of the home, is the bespoke Fabco doors. The custom design was created to fit the original opening perfectly, keeping the grandness of this feature intact from the sitting room, while from the kitchen, the doors have a simpler aesthetic. A dark steel frame and aged-mirror panels bring a beautiful vintage feel to these doors, allowing them to blend in beautifully with the period architecture surrounding them.

These large doors help introduce more flow into the space, one of the major goals of this renovation. This was also what inspired the decision to remove the former conservatory, allowing for a more direct relationship between the interiors and the garden.

"These interventions are relatively modest in relation to the scale of the house," says Carol, "but they have fundamentally changed how the ground floor is experienced and inhabited."

The Design

Part of the beauty of this home is the way in which it transcends time, seamlessly blending design details of varying eras for a truly transitional style. This is an essential facet of Sam's approach when designing historic homes — instead of feeling limited or overwhelmed by the home's past, Sam chooses to embrace it.

"A historic house has always been changing," he explains. "Its architecture is the result of successive generations adapting spaces to accommodate different ways of living, and we see our work as another contribution to that continuing history."

As important as it is to honor the history of period properties, maintaining as many of the original features as possible, this should never come above designing a home that works for you. Altering and adding to your home in order to make it better reflect your lifestyle shouldn't be seen as a moral failing — it's a natural step in the lifespan of a property.

"At Blackheath, the intention was not to establish a sharp distinction between old and new, but to understand what the building already offered and where carefully considered interventions could make it more generous and comfortable," says Carol.

Sam also chose to explore the idea of authenticity within this design, looking at what the term really means, and whether authenticity can be manufactured. This is perhaps best expressed through the distressed, aged effect on the walls. Although this seems like a natural process, a product of years of abandonment and neglect, in reality, it was an entirely new addition, created with the artist John Harragan to create the illusion of an aging interior. "They are contemporary interpretations of an atmosphere discovered within the building," says Sam. "Some surfaces are genuinely old, others newly created, but together they establish a coherent sense of place."

This celebration of artistry is reflected throughout the home. An homage to the Victorian Arts and Crafts movement, this home places an emphasis on craftsmanship, materiality, and the importance of the human touch.

There is also something of a theatricality to this home, with age, color, and patina acting as the stars of the show. "The interiors are rich with distressed surfaces, deep greens, aged copper, antique mirrors, historic architectural details, and furniture accumulated over a lifetime," says Carol. This is particularly clear in the living room, where crown molding, distressed walls, and antiqued mirrors decorate the space.

But despite this element of theatricality, this was never in conflict with the essential, welcoming nature of the home. It was important for the couple that the home didn't feel pretentious or performative. "The furniture is there to be used, the dogs are welcome on the sofas, and the rooms are allowed to evolve," says Carol. "There is no sense that the architecture or interiors are too precious to be touched."

As decorative and eccentric as this space may appear, it is, at its core, a home, and was designed to be used as such.

"Perhaps the most successful element is the relationship between the kitchen, sitting room and garden," says Sam.

Considering how disjointed and awkward the layout felt when the couple first bought the property, this new sense of flow and continuity was quite the achievement. And while there were several changes that helped build this sense of connection, it was undoubtedly the bespoke Fabco doors that made the biggest impact.

Explaining the benefits these doors offered, Sam says, "It creates a new connection between rooms while sitting gently within an original curved niche. The aged mirrors reflect views of the garden through the historic sash windows, bringing light, movement and glimpses of the landscape further into the house."

Although it's a new addition, it appears completely natural against the original architecture. "It is both an architectural intervention and a theatrical device, changing the perception of space without competing with the character of the original building."

But, most crucially, what Carol and Dave wanted to create was a feeling of absolute comfort in their home. "We are interested in the idea that comfort is not simply a question of temperature, furniture or luxury, but also of feeling at ease within one's surroundings," they say. And in this home, despite the drama and the grandeur, at the core, it's a space that invites comfort.

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If you're interested in learning more about the architecture of your home and the homes surrounding you, our guide to understanding the differences between Edwardian, Victorian, and Georgian homes is a good place to start.

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Living in a big city is a big ask, financially, but when you're looking to live in Manhattan, specifically, it can feel like a pipe dream. But all it might take is the right project and some determination to make that dream a reality.

What was once the Florence Crittenton Mission for Women, then a furrier, and later lived through the 1970s as an artist's loft, is now the cozy home of Gabriel Yuri, designer and founder of New Operations Workshop.

"I never imagined I could afford a place in this part of Manhattan, but the previous owner's unfinished renovation presented a unique opportunity," he prefaces. "While the space needed work, it allowed me to transform it into something special that others may have overlooked."

And unlike the norm of 2026, where modern homes are racing to feel instantly finished and perfect, Gabriel professes that taking the time you need to build your design story scene by scene will always shape up to be the more rewarding path less taken.

"I knew it would be a project, and it was. I spent the better part of four years slowly making improvements on my own and with handymen when I could afford them."

Unsurprisingly, the ethos behind Gabriel's renovation was as thoughtful as the time taken to breathe life into his vision. Rather than fight the history of the building, he chose to work with architectural details from an era past and preserve the loft's true personality.

This sense of history creeps past the interior of the building and spills out onto 21 Bleeker Street, which even to this day remains a somewhat "scrappy co-op for creatives".

Small preservations like the loft's 19th-century flooring, original ceiling tiles, and transom windows give you a taste of the Manhattan apartment's past lives. And through a collection of his late grandmother's mid-century furniture, Gabriel weaves some history of his own into the space, too.

"She was not a designer but had an incredible design sensibility," he recounts. "She designed these fantastic De Stijl-inspired stained glass doors that I used as pocket doors for the bedroom.

"I also took a stained glass class so that I could create something similar for the transom window over the bathroom door. She would make simple storage for books and objects using stacked bricks and wood, and I did this on a larger scale in the bedroom."

As someone who enjoys messing with mixed materials, it's no shock that this penchant for textural experimentation is evident across the loft. You'll notice it stringing across the exposed brick walls, along the dark wood beams, down the pine floors, and up the tin ceiling tiles.

Considering Gabriel took the route of slow and steady decorating, I was curious to know just what he considers a valid splurge and a clever save. "The custom millwork was a struggle to fit into my budget, but I think it really makes the space and was absolutely worth the splurge. On the other hand, I saved a lot in the kitchen by keeping the cabinets and just changing out the fronts."

Personally, living in a London residential apartment, I've found that mastering the aged new-build look is a dicey balancing act. And Gabriel tells me that, as natural as it looks now, it was not easy straddling the line of preservation and creation.

"Sometimes I felt like the design would lean too contemporary, and others I would feel like I was being too reverent of the history," he says, hinting at an old disused chimney he almost didn't let go of.

"I think it was just about moving back and forth, stepping away and getting some perspective. In the end, I always landed back somewhere in the middle."

Amidst the cost of living crisis, so many of us face fears similar to Gabriel, wondering if we will ever be able to realize our collage of Pinterest boards in a live space. So, when it comes to refurbishing on a budget, from experience, he exclaims that his biggest lesson is to never rush.

"It's better (and cheaper) to do things slowly. During this project, I would save up a little bit of money and cross something off my list," he admits. "Did this slow things down? Yes, but by living in the space for longer, I learned what I really wanted and how I actually used the space."

Four long years, countless opposing design decisions, and a budget of around $175,000 later, he's come out on the other side with a calming oasis that softens the buzz of the city and ropes you into its quiet embrace.

And if there's one final lesson that secretly reveals itself, it's that Gabriel's loft is not easily replicable. In the age of battling copycat interiors, custom detailing, vintage decor, and furniture heirlooms save his design story from being thoughtlessly plagiarized.

You can, however, be inspired by the vibe.

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Next, step into this London loft by Palma House that feels like you've checked into a fancy hotel room. And sign up for the Livingetc newsletter to tour more of our favorite residences.

What do you get when you combine Space Age style with a family home? Well, the answer lies in this Parisian apartment, designed by Studio HA. The former can often lean into the striking and absurd, while the latter demands liveability. Yet, despite a seemingly difficult recipe, this home combines these aesthetics in a way that feels comfortable, luxurious, and imaginative.

To the outside eye, the Space Age-inspired interiors are immediately impressive; however, designers Hugo Vince and Adèle Nourry of Studio HA say the main challenge was configuring the space itself, turning a 300-square-meter garage into a comfortable, welcoming home while preserving its generous proportions. "The volume of the former garage was extraordinary, but we needed to ensure that nobody felt lost within it," says Hugo. "And above all, we wanted to create a warm family home."

The modern home is organized around a large shared living space. "We worked on how the space is perceived rather than dividing it up," Adèle explains. "For instance, the mezzanine lowers the ceiling above the kitchen, while wallpaper around the perimeter and a band of lighting at mid-height make the main living space feel more enveloping." Here's how they got there.

The Space

Space Age style from the 1960s and 1970s strongly influenced this project, particularly the lines of the furniture and other bespoke elements. Other references appear in specific areas: "Art Deco swimming pools inspired the mosaic, while Japanese love hotels of the 1960s informed the main bedroom suite," says Hugo Vince. Plus, "The clients already owned a few pieces of Space Age furniture, which provided a starting point and resonated with our own sensibility," he adds.

"We enjoy bringing these influences together rather than faithfully recreating a particular period," continues Hugo. The 70s-inspired color palette, the chrome decor, even the mid-century modern influences — mixing different styles and narratives "allowed us to create different atmospheres while maintaining a common thread throughout the home," says Hugo.

But again, the challenge was transforming such a large, open-concept layout into a place that felt warm. For Hugo and Adèle, that meant choosing to create one large living area so the homeowners' lives could revolve around a single, central room. In this configuration, the living area creates an emotional and visual anchor.

For instance, the bedrooms are organized around the living space, with different design elements helping to partition the space. Think internal glass room dividers, Venetian blinds, and subtle layered lighting schemes. "The idea was that, upon entering the home, you naturally arrive in the kitchen area, which then flows into the dining space and finally into the living room," says Adèle Nourry.

The project revolved around restructuring the flow of the space — making use of the large volume of the rooms and creating circulation throughout. "One of the key interventions was the creation of a new, curved mezzanine above the kitchen — an element that did not exist before. We designed it entirely from scratch to accommodate the client's home office, as the original layout was missing an additional room," shares Hugo.

"This led us to rethink the overall circulation, particularly the access to the bedrooms, and allowed us to create a landing that now opens onto this generous mezzanine overlooking the living space," Hugo continues. Finished with a stunning colored carpet, it brings softness and warmth to the interior, "which is essential given the scale of the space and the 6.5-meter-high ceilings," he adds.

The original industrial nature of this former garage was transformed into a much softer, more enveloping environment. "We carried this influence through to the bespoke cabinetry and furniture, using curved forms, softened edges, and materials that play with light," says Adèle.

The Kitchen

Despite the open layout, every room feels quite distinct. The kitchen, dining area, and living space are in conversation with one another, but still feel their own. But of the three conjoining spaces, the brushed chrome kitchen, full of curved lines and oversized proportions, is probably the most intriguing. Rightfully so, considering the designers shared how some materials didn't come easy.

"The kitchen, finished in hand-patinated silver leaf, was conceived as a kind of spaceship at the heart of the home," says Adèle. "We wanted the kitchen's finish to nod to the building's industrial past. We developed it with decorative painter Antonin Lamoot, whose hand-applied patina produced a nuanced surface that feels softer and more alive than a uniform metal finish."

They also had to source enough Red Hollywood stone for the entire kitchen — "a rare stone whose shades of red, brown, and black particularly appealed to us," says Hugo. In this space, the reds, terracotta shades, and orange tones bring warmth, "while the green mosaic flooring introduces a reference to Art Deco swimming pools," Hugo adds.

The Living and Dining Space

In the living and dining space, you're greeted with boundless curves and warm colors, a true nod to that 'Space Oddity' whimsy. However, the large purple rug and the velvet sofa bring comfort to the otherwise futuristic style. In the evening, "indirect lighting takes over, creating a more intimate atmosphere," says Hugo.

Despite the grand, captivating design, effort has been put in to create a truly liveable space. Choosing tactile materials and soft textures creates dimension, but more conceptual tricks are also at play. For instance, "The Élitis wallpaper around the perimeter of the room contributes to this comfortable feeling by visually reducing the apparent ceiling height," explains Hugo.

But of course, the adventurous moments are what make the room. "The monumental fireplace, developed with Staff Espace Volume using fibrous plaster, is one of the pieces we feel most attached to," says Hugo. "It anchors the living room and brings a sculptural presence to the space."

The Primary Bedroom

Finally, the primary bedroom is one of the grandest parts of the design, and really leans into that sexy, 1970s aesthetic. Let's be honest, a red bedroom is hard to pull off, but when done as well as this, it becomes an eccentric and exciting moment.

"The red lacquered platform in the main bedroom suite holds a special place for us," says Adèle. "The interplay of curves, mirrors, and light captures our desire to create a space that feels both intimate and theatrical." And again, the mixture of lacquer finishes on the furniture and other tactile elements, like the textured wall, creates exciting moments that catch the eye.

More than anything, this bedroom and en suite prove you can have fun with your sleeping space and bathroom if you dare to. It's all about the right balance of textures and color. The minimalist bedding on top of the lacquer steps and an animal-print pillow on top? The red mosaic tiles and hotel-style bathroom lighting? It's as elegant as it is exciting.

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Current interior design trends are begging us to be more experimental, but with a real emphasis on craft. This Parisian home shows how much you can do with a seemingly impossible space to design. A voluminous, open-space former garage is transformed into a home that feels both hyper-personal and extremely design-forward.

And for even more inspiration like this, be sure to subscribe to the Livingetc newsletter.

Set in Utah's high desert, this sprawling 7,000-square-foot family home sits at the end of a long, winding dirt track, immediately inviting guests into its warm, cozy embrace. Designed by Susannah Holmberg, owner and creative director of Salt Lake City-based Susannah Holmberg Studios, the home is a welcome retreat filled with character and storied elegance.

For the clients, the Jolley family — a family of five who split their time between the desert, Salt Lake City, and Australia — the brief was for a home that was "a hybrid of contemporary Australian design (curved forms), 1970s-era mountain homes, and classic ranch," says Susannah, who found the unique hybrid project really fun to execute.

Built in 1994, the home was transformed into an organic, modern home that celebrates nature and the sweeping views of the surrounding desert landscape at every corner.

Taking 2.5 years to complete, Susannah's biggest challenge in the project was how remote the area is; however, navigating the land itself became her favorite element of the design process: "How to be both reactive/in conversation with it AND create a space that is a respite from it," she explains.

The home, rich with natural materials — particularly wood, marble, and stone — is an homage to its surroundings, designed to feel as though it's always been there, full of story and cozy charm. "We wanted the home to feel like it’s been passed down over generations, gathered over time, and deeply welcoming," says Susannah.

"The color palette was influenced by the rock surrounding — the warm tones of the red rock," says Susannah, and this also informed the choice of materials. "We used a lot of wood — the previous home had very bright 90s tile vibes, and we wanted to completely counter that by creating an enveloping design with warm woods, earthen marbles and stone, and tile that feels made by hand. Handmade and 'of the earth' were important themes in this [project]," Susannah explains.

My personal favorite space in the home is the kitchen — Susannah's, too — which is a masterpiece. The marriage of colors, textures, and materials creates a considered design full of warmth and character, while also being highly practical. The custom banquette seating built into the kitchen's center island, together with the custom dining table, seats at least 10 guests and is an absolute showstopper. "I love the deep plaster tone paired with the blackened walnut," says Susannah. "I also love the curved bench covered in rose plum velvet with the texture of the alternating backsplash tiles."

Throughout the home, the wonderful mix of new and vintage furniture blends history and contemporary pieces with natural elegance. The modern living room is warmth personified — full of layers, texture, and character; everything is intentional. The earthy color palette also adds a natural, grounded feel. It's a space that calls for touch, connection, and contemplation — a retreat from the outside world and, in turn, an appreciation of its beauty.

The sleeping spaces, like the rest of the home, are filled with a sense of ease, serenity, and timelessness — transcending eras and any one specific style. The essence of Susannah's modus operandi is not purely to respect the locations of the homes she designs, but also the home's architecture, too, celebrating its 'bones', which is clearly evident throughout this project.

The mixture of tile, marble, stone, and wood in the primary bathroom is a celebration of organic materiality, bringing together the rich, earthy colors and textures into a stunning static display of nature that reflects the ardent landscape.

Despite the home's vast size, each space feels intimate and welcoming — the layered design full of intention in every nook and crevice of the property, infusing the home with endless character, personality, and depth.

The home's ADU — accessory dwelling unit — is a separate space for guests located immediately next to the main home, designed with the same tones and textures and with the same appreciation of the surrounding vistas. The built-in window seat creates an inviting space to enjoy the desert views and adds another 'boutique hotel' vibe to the home that's as welcoming to guests as it is accommodating.

In addition to the guest spaces, the home has its own wellness offering, including a sauna and a dedicated yoga studio, which the owners eventually hope to use to host retreats with visiting teachers — there couldn't be a more perfect spot to practice morning yoga.

"This was a fun and challenging project," shares Susannah. "But every time I was on site, the views alone were so calming and reinvigorating. My favorite was to watch storms literally roll across the mountains — you can see weather approaching long before it arrives. It’s a view that makes you feel small but part of something bigger all at once."

Susannah describes the home as an "heirloom", and it's an heirloom in feeling as much as in the vintage pieces and collected items inside of it. It's the warmth, the memories, past and future, and how nature's stories are entwined in ours, too.

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If you like this high desert oasis in Utah, you'll likely also love this Utah mountain retreat designed by Bloum Design, where deeply personal artwork gives it soul.

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