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Aro Archive store features pastel-coloured rooms and industrial control station

 

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The Aro Archive store is a captivating blend of modern aesthetics, showcasing pastel-colored rooms that seamlessly intertwine with an industrial control station. Walking into the store feels like stepping into a realm where contemporary design meets industrial functionality.

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The pastel-colored rooms create an atmosphere of tranquility and sophistication. Each room is carefully curated with a distinct color palette, ranging from soft pinks to calming blues, creating a visually pleasing and harmonious environment. The choice of pastel tones adds a touch of elegance and modernity to the overall ambiance, making it a unique and inviting shopping experience.

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Contrasting with the soft hues of the pastel rooms, the industrial control station introduces a bold and dynamic element to the store. This juxtaposition of styles creates a striking visual impact, capturing the essence of both modern and industrial design. The control station serves not only as a functional element but also as a focal point that adds an edgy and innovative character to the space.

 

 

 

The thoughtful integration of pastel-colored rooms and an industrial control station at Aro Archive creates a shopping environment that is both chic and cutting-edge. It is a testament to the store's commitment to providing a unique and immersive experience for its patrons, where style meets functionality in a harmonious blend. Whether you are a fashion enthusiast or design aficionado, Aro Archive's innovative approach to retail is sure to leave a lasting impression.

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The photography is by John Munro.

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Caribbean holiday home by Rick Joy allows coastal breezes to pass through

 

Concrete forms and outdoor passageways define this waterfront dwelling in the Turks and Caicos islands, which was designed by US studio Rick Joy Architects to embrace the natural landscape.

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The project called Le Cabanon is located in the southwest part of Providenciales, an island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago.

Designed to offer privacy and serenity, the family vacation home embraces its natural setting, which features verdant native plants and jagged ironshore rock.

"On approach from the adjacent road, the multipartite complex appears to organically grow out of the site's natural coastline, its subtly textured eggshell concrete contrasting the bright turquoise water in the same way as the white sand that lines the shallow inlet," said Rick Joy Architects, which is based in Tucson, Arizona.

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Stretched across the waterfront site, the low-slung home consists of distinct concretevolumes separated by open-air passages, which allow coastal breezes to pass through the complex while also acting as framing devices.

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"From the corridors, the concrete walls create shallow view-angles that reveal glimpses of each subsequent space and simultaneously frame the sky above," said the team.

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Private functions are found in the front of the home, while the gathering areas are situated in the rear overlooking the water. Sometimes fishermen pull up to property's wooden docks, "offering the day's catch", the team described.

The front portion of the dwelling consists of a long, slender bar with a flat roof. Punctured with only a few tiny windows, the street-facing elevation blocks out movement and noise.

"The strategy works," said the studio. "From the interior, the spaces feel secluded and protected, and the ocean views from the kitchen pavilion seem entirely exclusive."

In the rear, a pavilion-like block houses an open-plan kitchen, living room and dining area. Rectangular in plan, this area is topped with an asymmetric single-hip roof sheathed in wooden shingles. An aperture in the roof assists with ventilation and cooling.

"A single operable triangular window at its leeward tip creates gentle airflow, supplementing the deliberately designed cross-breezes that negate the need for air conditioning," said the team.

The pavilion has retractable glass walls that help eliminate the division between inside and out. On the northwest side, the room connects to a sheltered patio, a generous terrace and a narrow swimming pool.

"Just outside, a shallow pool cuts a line between the sand and the adjoining terrace, bringing the expanse of ocean water ever closer to the living spaces," said the team.

Inside, the home features rooms with concrete walls and flooring, and minimal decor. In one bedroom, dark wood was used for the ceiling and for a built-in storage unit and desk

"Mahogany doors, windows and ceilings capture the warmth of the surroundings," said the team. "Natural linen curtains billow in the ocean breeze and let through just the right amount of sunlight."

Sustainability was a concern for the design team. The home was constructed by local builders and entailed the use of local materials, including sand, which minimised the need for imported labour and materials.

"In a similar resource-conscious spirit, the architects placed a large cistern beneath the main terrace to harvest water and topped the flat sections of the roof with photovoltaic panels," said the team.

Other projects in the Caribbean islands include an off-the-grid guesthouse designed by architect John Hix, which features six apartments stacked in pairs of rectangular concrete blocks.

Photography is by Joe Fletcher.

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Pattern Studio creates rose-tinted interior for The Daily Edited boutique in Melbourne

 

Blush-tone walls and rose-hued marble feature in this Melbourne accessories shop, designed by Pattern Studio to suggest a "new kind of femininity".

Pattern Studio – which is headed up by Australian designers Lily Goodwin and Josh Cain – were given free reign on this branch of The Daily Edited (TDE), which is located in the southeast Merbourne suburb of Malvern East.

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The pair immediately decided to employ shades of pink, TDE's signature colour, throughout the 60 square-metre space.

"[It was] an exciting challenge to use this colour to create a sense of a new kind of femininity; one which reflects the qualities of a modern woman," told Dezeen.

"While pink is undoubtedly the hero, the aesthetic leans toward a refined kind of grown up-cool."

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A curved, blush-coloured partition wraps the white-painted structural walls of the space, punctuated by an arched opening that leads to a rear storage area.

Display counters are topped with large slabs of Norwegian rose marble in attempt to "suggest a sense of complexity and depth".

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Any pre-existing decorative elements were removed to allow a handful of fixtures, such as the globular pendant lamps and gridded shelving unit, to act as focal points. LED strip lighting is installed above display nooks and behind the partition wall, to give the store a slightly futuristic feel.

As well as introducing new poured-terrazzo floors, the designers added a large panel of glass at the front of the store, to make it seem more open and inviting to passersby.

TDE has several stores across Australia, including two other branches in Melbourne, and more in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Pattern Studio previously worked with the brand on its store in Sydney's Westfield shopping centre.

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"As a studio we had a solid understanding of this fairly young brand's identity, but we were also mindful that perhaps this was an opportunity for evolution, to present the brand in a new light," added Goodwin.

Pink continues to be a popular colour of choice for retail spaces.

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High-end fashion label Acne applied the shade to the ceiling of its Milan outpost, while architect India Mahdavi added bubblegum-coloured panels to a RED Valentino boutique in London.

Photography is by Sean Fennessey.

 

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Neutral tones used to create

tranquil family home in Copenhagen

 

 

Kaja Møller, head of Danish furniture brand Fredericia, opted for a Scandi-inspired colour palette of greys, whites and taupes for the interiors of her family home in Copenhagen.

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The house is situated 20 minutes outside of central Copenhagen in the coastal region of North Zealand, bordered by orchards, forests, and a nearby beach.

Originally built in 1904, since 2001 the property has undergone an extensive renovation process that has involved a number of structural changes and revival of its historic details.

Kaja Møller – who lives there with her husband and two children – took it upon herself to design its interiors, creating a series of calming, monochromatic spaces that allow the home to serve as the "perfect hideaway".

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"Besides Scandinavian, I also adore French and Italian interior design, so I tried to achieve a mix of all three," Møller told Dezeen.

"Our second home is near Nice on the French Riviera, and I get a lot of inspiration from my travels to this particular region."

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A cluster of small, cramped rooms have been knocked through on the ground floor to form an open-plan cooking and dining area. The walls have been painted a pale shade of grey, contrasting against black timber ceiling beams and burnished steel cabinetry in the kitchen.

Touches of warmth are provided by a long timber table, which sits in front of a large fireplace, and beige linen curtains that cover a set of doors overlooking the garden.

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Colour is briefly introduced in the living room, which has a slate-blue feature wall and murky green painting by artist Anette Wier.

Surfaces have otherwise been kept neutral and paired with a selection of furniture from Denmark and elsewhere. This includes a pair of black leather chairs by Danish designer Børge Mogensen, and sofa by Italian brand Verzelloni.

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"Among my favourite pieces is the doctor's chest in the living room. It took me more than two years to acquire this vintage piece from Greensquare [antique furniture store] in Copenhagen," said Møller.

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Upstairs, a wall has been moved to form a large bathroom, which now features a black tiled floor and bathtub.

Textural interest has been created in the pitched-roof master bedroom with the addition of a quilted duvet cover and shaggy fur throw.

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Norm Architects also opted for natural tones for the revamp of another family home in North Zealand, where they implemented stone-coloured furnishings and sandy-hued walls to echo the surrounding seaside landscape.

Photography is by Line Thit Klein.

 

The best artwork from Burning Man 2018, including The Orb, Odd Jelly Out and Rainbow Bridge

 

 

It's the ultimate blank canvas - seven square miles of flat, clear desert, lit by the blazing sun. Burning Man is a temporary community, a music mecca, and a place where artists go to experiment and exhibit.

Given the vast open playa which sits in front of the crescent-shaped camp site, there are few limits when it comes to the scale and scope of the projects.

Take the giant reflective mirrored sphere called The Orb, which sat atop an inclined steel mast. It was designed to inflate to 500,000th of the size of the earth's surface, and measured nearly 100 feet (30 metres) in diameter.

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It rapidly became a gathering spot for revellers, a waypoint for lost campers, and one of the most recognisable pieces of art at this year's event.

Nearby stood a 100-foot-long rainbow, with steep stairs on either side allowing people to clamber to the top for stunning views.

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But the charm of Burning Man is unexpected discovery. Hop on a bike and pedal hard for half an hour and you might reach the very edge of 'deep playa', the stretch of desert far beyond the tents and RVs.

There, with the main Burning Man site just a speck in the distance, you can still find an array of art - ranging from a line-up of chunky, silver 'Jelly Babies' - to a full-sized cottage that you could explore.

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Prentiss Balance Wickline

selects modest materials

for Lot 6 Cabin in

Washington

 

 

Washington studio Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects has used plywood, shiplap siding and standing-seam metal to clad this compact dwelling, which sits at the base of a forested mountain.

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The Lot 6 Cabin – which won a 2018 design award from the AIA's Spokane chapter – is located near Mazama, a small village in Washington's Methow Valley. The low-slung dwelling sits at the foot of a dramatic, wooded slope and is surrounded by pine trees and a meadow.

Encompassing 1,100 square feet (102 square metres), the cabin was designed for an active couple who loves the outdoors.

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"They wanted a retreat that reflects their relationship to the surrounding land, and to that end the house is designed to break down the barriers between interior and exterior space," said Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects, a Seattle-based firm.

"The cabin is small in its enclosed square footage, but generous decks that reach out to the surrounding meadow substantially add to the experience."

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Slightly elevated above the ground, the building consists of a long portion adjoined to a smaller one – both of which are topped with a shed roof. A hallway stretches between the two bars and flows into a semi-enclosed deck.

Several materials were used for exterior walls. For the elevation that faces the forest, the team used black standing-seam metal, which wraps the facade and roof. The other side of the cabin, which overlooks the meadow, is clad in Douglas fir shiplap siding with a dark navy stain, and sanded plywood panels.

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"Cladding remains consistent from exterior to interior in order to more clearly distinguish the bars as separate volumes, drawn together yet held apart like magnets at the glassed-in void of the hall," the team said.

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Inside, the smaller bar contains a bedroom, a bathroom and a flexible space. The larger volume encompasses an open-plan kitchen, dining area and living room, along with a garage and utility room. The public area merges with a generous terrace that is sheltered by the roof.

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To accommodate a restrictive budget, the team used simple finishes, like painted drywall and concrete flooring. A two-sided fireplace that sits between the living room and the porch is faced with sheets of hot-rolled steel.

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"The team used deliberate material selections in thoughtful ways that were both budget-conscious and strengthened the underlying design concept," the studio said.

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"The design team was able to implement sustainable practises with careful consideration of balancing costs, efficiency and effectiveness," the studio said.

Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects has an extensive portfolio of residential projects in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Another project by the studio is the Bailer Hill house on San Juan Island, which consists of timber-clad volumes that step down a rocky hillside.

Photography is by Eirik Johnson.

Read more Architecture​ Residential​ USA​  Houses

 

Farm-to-table cooking informs natural colour palette of

 Maannos

restaurant in Helsinki

 

 

Finnish designer Laura Seppänen applied earthy tones throughout this restaurant in Helsinki to reflect the menu's focus on locally sourced ingredients.

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Maannos kitchen and bar – located to the south of the city centre – offers diners a seasonal menu of largely vegetable-based dishes, using produce that has been almost exclusively grown in Finland.

When translated from Finnish, the restaurant's name refers to the first and supposedly most fertile layer of soil.

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This was interior designer Laura Seppänen's starting point for establishing an aesthetic for the restaurant, which she decided to complete in colours akin to materials like soil, mud, clay, sand, and other elements of nature.

"As a designer I wanted to combine three things: the old industrial building, the owner's food philosophy, and modern Scandinavian design," said Seppänen.

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The designer decided to keep the restaurant's existing concrete floors and an exposed brick rear wall.

Remaining surfaces have been washed with plaster made from travertine, a type of limestone deposited by mineral springs, which leaves a chalky, pale grey finish. Bare pipes on the ceiling have also been freshened up with white paint.

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A fluted wood bar counter centres the room, complemented by tables that are crafted from timber felled in restaurant owner Jouni Rahikainen's own forest.

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Emerald green and deep blue Beetle chairs by Danish brand Gubi have been dotted throughout the space to reflect Finland's verdant landscape and abundance of lakes.

"The jute carpet and ochre coloured sofa remind me of a cornfield," the designer added.

 

Metallic touches are provided by the circular brass wall lamps and a chunky, mirrored coffee table that sits near the restaurant's entrance.

Recently architecture firm Woods Bagot borrowed colours from the outdoors to complete the interiors of a sky-high restaurant in Manhattan, which features cloudy grey walls and a range of blue furnishings.

Photography is by Pauliina Salonen.

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