Category: Home & Kitchen

Arched doorways and a rooftop studio feature in the Y.27 House, which has been overhauled by architecture firm Estudio Estudio in a way that honours the historic building’s original character.

Located on a 195-square-metre site in Mexico City‘s Hipódromo Condesa neighbourhood, the project serves as a full-time residence for a client who is a social entrepreneur and collector of Mexican craftwork.

Originally built in the 1930s, the stucco-clad dwelling had endured years of neglect, said local firm Estudio Estudio.

The design team set out to revamp the home’s interior, aiming to restore its original charm while enhancing its functionality.

The project involved removing walls, reconfiguring the layout and making structural improvements, in addition to adding new finishes. Moreover, a small storage room on the roof was replaced with a 43-square-metre studio building.

“The main goal was to unveil the hidden architectural treasures beneath layers of past modifications, meticulously restoring them to their original state to reveal the essence of the time,” the team said.

“Architectural interventions aimed to preserve the authentic character of the house, rejuvenating ornamental elements while avoiding unnecessary embellishments.”

Rectangular in plan, the home has a mix of communal and private spaces spread across three levels. Curves and arches – many of them original – create a “harmonious flow”.

On the ground level, the layout “seamlessly integrates daily living requirements”. The front portion holds an entry hall, garage and office, while in the rear, one finds a kitchen, dining area, service rooms and a patio.

At the heart of the ground floor is an airy living room with a 5.9-metre-high ceiling. A tall shelving system with a metal-and-wood ladder acts as a focal point.

A gently curved, skylit staircase leads to the first floor, where the team placed a primary bedroom, two bedrooms and a family room.

Atop the building is the new studio, which was constructed using pine. In addition to the studio, the building contains an onsen room with a barn-style door.

The studio opens onto a terrace with terracotta flooring. Rainwater is collected on the roof and channelled to a reservoir below.

“The roof terrace serves as a space to gather but also works as a rainwater collector, where rain travels throughout the house into a water reservoir and filter system beneath the back patio,” the team said.

Throughout the home, the team used earthy materials and neutral colours. The lighting design – created in collaboration with lighting expert Luca Salas – is meant to balance “ambiance, functionality and aesthetics”.

Notable finishes include oak parquet flooring and closets faced with cotton-canvas. Oak was used for window frames, kitchen cabinets and other elements.

In the kitchen, the team took a sample of existing checkered tiles, made of pigmented concrete, to a local craftsman, who then replicated them.

This style of flooring – called pisos de pasta – is very common in older homes in Mexico City and southwest Mexico, said Estudio Estudio.

Overall, the house is meant to balance historic elements with a contemporary lifestyle.

“This house proudly stands as a harmonious blend of past and present, inviting residents to embark on a captivating journey of refined and simple ways of living,” the team said.

Other projects in Mexico City’s Condesa district include a renovated house by Chloé Mason Gray that embraces its lack of natural light, and an apartment block covered in small, wooden squares that were inspired by vegetable crates.

The photography is by Zaickz Moz Studio.

Just because something isn’t trending doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value. In the ever-evolving world of home design and remodeling, trends come and go faster than seasons.  

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Dark kitchen cabinets have exploded in popularity, providing a stylish option for those who want to steer clear of traditional white.

Homeowners who’ve never had dark cabinetry might be intimidated by the backsplash choice. Since backsplashes influence the overall look of a kitchen, much consideration is needed. We’ve found 17 backsplash options for all dark cabinet colors and styles.

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1. Glossy Grey Subway Tile

Kitchens with dark cabinets and countertops can benefit from a lighter backsplash to soften the room. The cabinets pictured are navy/teal, the counter is black soapstone, and the backsplash is a 2.5″ by 8″ glossy ceramic tile in Bedrosians Cloe Gray. You can find a source list for this kitchen at Room for Tuesday.

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2. Marble Slab Backsplash

No matter the color of your dark cabinets, you can’t go wrong with a marble slab backsplash. If you have a kitchen with dark cabinets and marble or quartz countertops, continue your countertop material up the wall for continuity.

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3. Classic White Subway Tile

Classic white subway tile matches every cabinet color from light to dark. It also works well with most countertop choices. You can alter how your white subway tile backsplash looks by picking a complementary grout color or a high-sheen tile.

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4. A Geometric Patterned Tile

Add interest to your kitchen with a geometric patterned tile. The 3-D patterned tile in this example lends a mid-century modern look, but there are plenty of options to fit other design styles. Light patterned tile on dark cabinets makes the kitchen appear more bright and cheery.

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5. Large White Picket Fence Backsplash

Picket fence tile is making its rounds as a trendy backsplash option. Depending on the tile choice, this design can add texture and pattern. A light tile, like the one pictured, looks fresh and modern against dark cabinetry. For a more moody look, go with a darker hue.

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6. Stacked Stone Backsplash

Stacked stone is suitable for rustic, cabin, and traditional kitchens. It comes in many colors, sizes, and variations, so you can find an option to coordinate whether your cabinets are dark wood or black.

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7. A Light Textured Tile

A simple backsplash idea for dark kitchen cabinets and light countertops is to keep the backsplash tile a similar color to the countertop. You can go a shade or two lighter or darker, but the tile should have the same undertones as the counters. A pairing like this will give your kitchen a modern feel.

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8. Black Backsplash over Black Cabinets

A tone-on-tone cabinet and backsplash is a luxurious style. Pull this look off by breaking up the darkness with a light countertop. These designers chose black wood grain lower cabinets, a white marble counter, and a textured black tile for the backsplash.

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9. Counter to Ceiling Boho Tile

Give your kitchen life with a patterned tile that goes to the ceiling. The designers chose a sunburst tile for this modern farmhouse kitchen with dark gray cabinets. The boho style pattern adds interest without being overpowering.

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10. A Rustic Brown Backsplash

Some architectural styles, like authentic farmhouses or log cabins, benefit from more rustic backsplashes like this one. The warm mosaic stone tile complements the wooden log walls, while the black cabinets add contrast for a more modern element.

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11. Wavy White and Blue Tile

Aside from white, navy blue is one of the top kitchen cabinet colors of the year. Many backsplashes complement navy blue, including this wavy tile pattern. The blue shade in the tile matches the cabinets for a cohesive look.

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12. Neutral Greige Tile

Greige is a blend of gray and beige – it can pull more warm or cool depending on the ratio of colors. This greige backsplash tile is on the warmer side and works well against the cool blue cabinets and wood range hood. If you want a neutral backsplash that isn’t white, greige is a good choice.

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13. Shiplap and Quartz Backsplash

Thanks to Joanna Gaines, it’s hard to find a modern farmhouse without shiplap. If you love the look, consider bringing it to your kitchen. These designers continued quartz behind the stove as a splash guard and installed white shiplap planks everywhere else.

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14. A Brick Backsplash

An industrial-style kitchen with dark cabinets has a few backsplash options, including concrete tile, glossy tile, and brick. The brick in this kitchen adds interest and texture and coordinates with the warm wood floors. The designers added black cabinets, gray concrete counters, and metal stools to break up all the warm tones.

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15. Glossy Dark Blue Tile

An easy way to pick the perfect backsplash is to choose a tile a few shades darker than your cabinets. In this kitchen, the homeowners selected a medium blue for the cabinets and a dark blue for the tile. The combination creates a sophisticated look.

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16. A Punch of Pattern

The most common backsplash option for dark cabinets and light counters is to continue the countertop material up the wall. Mix it up if you want more interest, and add a patterned tile behind the stove or sink. Doing so allows you to experiment with your design without taking a big risk.

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17. Wood Tile Backsplash

Black and wood is a popular combination that can look modern or rustic, depending on the material choices. The designers of this contemporary-style kitchen installed sleek black cabinets with wood drawer pulls. They then incorporated the same wood tone with a tile backsplash.

Arched niches provide stations for tattoo artists at Atelier Eva, located in a former Brooklyn hardware store transformed by designer Alp Bozkurt.

The Atelier Eva Grand Street parlour is the second in Brooklyn run by tattoo artist Eva Karabuda, who is renowned for her detailed, micro-realism tattoos.

“Created with an ambitious vision to reimagine tattoo culture following Eva’s own experiences feeling uncomfortable and unsafe as a woman in her early work environments, Atelier Eva offers a new kind of tattooing experience with the goal of providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all people,” said the studio.

While her first location on Havemeyer Street was designed in house, Karabudak turned to Alp Bozkurt for the Grand Street space – which at 3,000 square feet (280 square metres) is almost twice the size.

The building dates back to 1895 and was originally constructed as a hardware store, occupying a single story space that extends 115 feet back from the street facade.

Original features such as large roof trusses, skylights and brick walls were all restored and highlighted during the renovation work.

The trusses are painted black, drawing the eye up to the ceiling, while the remaining structural elements are whitewashed for a clean look.

“A distilled material palette is deployed to create a warm and calming environment from otherwise industrial materials retaining the building’s original ethos,” said Bozkurt.

Wrapping the perimeter of the interior are translucent polycarbonate panels that sit a few inches in front of the brickwork, unifying the sequence of spaces.

All the way around, arches puncture the panels to frame original corbeling, and reveal other historic elements.

In the front of the studio, beside the floor-to-ceiling glass facade, one arch provides a backdrop for a seating area with boucle-covered chairs, and pendant lights by Apparatus above.

Behind a pink-concrete reception counter is a consultation area, shrouded by a sheer curtain suspended from a curved metal track.

“Visitors are offered glimpses of activity in the studio flooded by natural light while the artists and their clients maintain privacy,” Bozkurt said.

The group of artists offering a range of tattoo styles and piercings work in the large space beyond, where each is allocated a station aligned with an arch.

Foldable padded tables for clients to lay on, stools for the artists and cabinets for storing equipment all tuck neatly into these niches when not in use.

The open space – which also hosts creative gatherings and events – is sparsely populated, other than a central pink-concrete planter that matches the consultation table and the counter.

Together, Bozkurt’s interventions create “a carefully choreographed sequence of experiences through varying degrees of transparency offered by various design elements”.

Other tattoo parlours with unconventional interiors include a minimalist space in Kyiv with holes slashed through its walls, a stark monochromatic space in New York and a studio in Paris featuring curtains printed with Hieronymus Bosch paintings.

The photography is by Atticus Radley.

Porcelain countertops cost $2,900 on average to install, taking labor and materials into account. The typical range for most projects is $1,000 to $4,000, but some higher-end projects may cost over $8,000.

More specifically, you should expect to pay $48 to $103 per square foot, depending on the quality and design. Since most projects occupy 30 to 40 square feet, your project will likely cost $1,440 to $4,120. Nonetheless, multiple factors influence costs, so let’s break them down.

Factors Affecting Porcelain Countertop Cost

Beyond materials, there are other factors affecting porcelain countertop installation costs.

Materials

Most porcelain slabs cost about $50 to $70 per square foot. Porcelain slabs usually come with some edge work, so you’ve already paid for them, but extra edge work by your contractors costs around $10 to $25 per linear foot.

As for the finish, it can be polished or unpolished. Polished finishes cost more because they require more work to get the signature shiny porcelain look. Polished finishes cost $9 to $12 per square foot, and unpolished finishes cost $8 to $11 per square foot.

Countertop Size & Type

Porcelain countertops come in two types: slabs and tiles. Slabs are a single, very large tile that is 12 mm thick. However, this is still relatively thin, making slabs fragile in inexperienced hands until installed. They create a seamless look that is very appealing to some homeowners.

Porcelain tiles, on the other hand, are much simpler to work with. They’re thinner than slabs at 6 to 10 mm thick but easier to manipulate because they don’t have to move a large piece of porcelain.

Slabs generally cost less per square foot but require more specific experience from your contractor to install.

Location

Prices vary depending on where in the house you’ll install your countertop: outdoors, in the bathroom, or the kitchen. Bathroom installations will generally involve the least material, so they will likely be the cheapest place to install porcelain countertops.

Installation and Labor

Installing a porcelain countertop requires specialized hands to bind the porcelain to your underlying surface properly. Labor costs usually range from $20 to $100 per square foot, depending on whether you opt for prefabricated or custom slabs.

Some contractors charge an hourly rate for their labor, ranging from $50 to $100 per hour. This method is more common for complex or custom installations.

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Additional Costs to Consider

Other details affect the final cost of installing porcelain countertops.

Prefabricated vs. Custom Porcelain Countertops

Prefabricated countertops are generally less expensive because they are mass-produced in standard sizes. The installation process is usually faster, saving you time or labor costs. Plus, these are readily available at home improvement stores, making purchasing and installing them convenient. Expect to pay between $1,500 to $3,300 for a medium-sized kitchen.

On the other hand, custom countertops can be tailored to fit your space’s exact dimensions and design specifications. With these, homeowners have more control over the quality of the material and can opt for higher-end finishes. Custom options allow for a unique design that can serve as a focal point in the kitchen or bathroom. Expect to pay between $3,000 to $7,000 for a medium-sized kitchen.

Permits

You may need a permit to remodel your kitchen or bathroom, depending on your location. You probably won’t need it if the remodeling process doesn’t involve structural changes, like changing the entire layout or removing or adding walls. Regardless, any reputable contractor will be aware of and acquire all necessary permits, which cost between $50 and $500.

Old Countertop Removal

If you have an old countertop you want to remove, it’ll usually cost an extra $100 to $300 to dispose of it.

Sink and Cooktop Installation

Adding an under-mounted cooktop separate from an oven will cost you around $500-$1,000, and an additional $100 to $200 for each cutout necessary to accommodate fixtures.

A gauged porcelain sink costs $250 to $1,000. Gauged porcelain sinks create a seamless look that makes the sink blend perfectly into the countertops. You can always opt for a regular metal sink, though, or continue to use the old one.

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Porcelain Countertop Cost: DIY vs. Hiring a Professional

A conservative estimate for a medium-sized kitchen might be around $2,000 to $4,000 if you do most of the work yourself. However, this can easily go upwards of $5,000 if you opt for higher-end materials or professional help.

Hiring a professional can cost around $3,000 to $7,000 for a medium-sized kitchen. So, the savings aren’t as significant as with other home improvement projects.

While DIY projects can offer significant cost savings, they’re not for everyone. Porcelain countertop installation requires time and skills. A DIY project could be rewarding if you’re confident in your abilities and are looking for ways to save. However, hiring a professional is the way to go if you’re looking for a hassle-free, high-quality finish and are willing to pay for it.

Chinese studio Neri&Hu has completed a store interior for Ms MIN in Shanghai, China, to showcase the fashion brand’s diverse use of materials.

Located at the Taikoo Li shopping complex in central Shanghai, the 195-square-metre store was designed to evoke a sense of traditional home-based atelier that places materials and craftsmanship at its centre.

“Before the Industrial Revolution, textiles were made by hand in villages across China by individual families; carding, spinning and weaving all took place in farmhouses, indeed a loom could be found in every well-conditioned homestead,” Neri&Hu explained.

“We harken back to the notion of a traditional fabric atelier, showcasing craftsmanship, rich materiality, and a domestic sensibility.”

The space was divided into several zones by a series of floor-to-ceiling open grid wooden structures.

White fabric sheet was hung in between a wooden grid to serve as lightweight semi-transparent partitions situated on left and right side of the shop. These were designed to allow plenty of natural daylight into the store.

“Natural daylight and the chaos of the shopping mall are filtered by the sheer fabric screens, giving the space an overall sense of calmness,” Neri&Hu said.

The same wooden structures with overhanging eaves to the right side of the shop form a series of more private rooms.

These are used as a reception at the front of the store along with a VIP lounge, VIP fitting room and studio area at the rear of the shop.

The central display area was arranged by a series of panels, either made with micro-cement or marble and framed in brass, which form an internal courtyard that can be used as an exhibition space.

These panels can be re-arranged and interchanged to suit the changing fashion trends in motifs every season.

The entire shop was paved with curved roof tiles stacked and inlaid, a traditional pavement commonly found in the region.

Neri&Hu also created custom mannequin figures for Ms MIN. According to the studio, the linen-made mannequins have a skin-like subtle texture.

Neri&Hu was founded by Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu in 2004 in Shanghai. Other recent interior projects completed by the studio include cafe brand Blue Bottle’s latest shop and a flexible office space, both in Shanghai.

The photography is by Zhu Runzi.

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Project credits:

Partners-in-charge: Lyndon Neri, Rossana Hu
Associate-in-charge: Sanif Xu
Design team: Muyang Tang, Zhikang Wang, Amber Shi, Yoki Yu, Nicolas Fardet
Lighting: Viabizzuno (Shanghai)
Contractor: Shanghai Yali Design Decoration Co.

Remodeling a kitchen using simple color palettes that are appealing to a variety of homeowners can be a smart and safe way to go when considering the finished product. Neutral tones such as whites, creams, soft grays, and warm beiges are appealing to most people from a design standpoint. They provide a versatile backdrop should you decide to sell your home in the future. 

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Rental website Airbnb has designed Shrek’s Swamp, a grass-and-mud-covered hut underneath a tree in the Scottish Highlands.

The small house, which has a bare-earth floor, is described as “a stumpy, secluded haven fit for a solitude-seeking ogre”.

It is being hosted by Donkey, Shrek’s best friend, who is swamp-sitting while Shrek himself is away for Halloween, according to an Airbnb description written as if by Donkey himself.

In it, he says: “I love everything about the swamp: the boulder out front, the modest interiors, the seclusion (ideal for singing karaoke late into the night), you get the picture”.

The holiday home, which sleeps up to three guests, has an open-plan design, with a sturdy wooden bed leaning against one wall.

A matching table and two wooden chairs sit in front of an open fire on the opposite side of the house, which is held up by large tree trunks.

Shrek’s Swamp Airbnb also features decorative touches, including a green “earwax candle” – a nod to a scene in which Shrek pulls out a stick of earwax from his ear and lights it.

It also has a bedside lamp that looks like a stuffed pufferfish.

Visitors can also make use of Shrek’s outhouse, a well-known location from multiple Shrek films, which is located about 20 metres away from the swamp itself.

Located in a forest in the Scottish Highlands, the hut is surrounded by signs reading “Stay out”, “Beware Ogre” and “Danger!” though these are “probably for decoration”, according to Donkey.

The home will be available to book from 13 October for a two-night stay between 27 and 29 October and comes with an on-site concierge who will arrange meals for the guests – including morning waffles and parfaits.

“This mud-laden, moss-covered, murky-watered oasis is a perfectly snug spot to escape from village life and embrace the beauty of nature,” Airbnb said.

The company will make a one-time donation to the HopScotch Children’s Charity as part of the project.

Airbnb also recently helped Ken rent out Barbie’s Malibu Dreamhouse and listed a 1970s wood cabin located in the iconic Sea Ranch development in California.

The photography is courtesy of Alix McIntosh.

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Parisian fashion brand Coperni has collaborated with Swiss furniture company USM Haller to create its first-ever boutique, a shop-in-shop at French department store Printemps Haussmann.

The shop-in-shop, installed at Printemps Haussmann in Paris, marks Coperni’s first-ever physical retail location and will be replicated at London’s Selfridges store and China’s Duty Free Mall in Hainan Island.

Described by Coperni‘s co-founder as “techno-chic”, the interior is defined by its cubic, space-age-style look that was achieved by reinterpreting USM Haller‘s cubic storage systems as tables, walls and display areas.

The floor of the retail space was covered in Versailles parquet flooring, with each of the wooden floor panels separated by USM Haller’s silver tubing. This typically lines the corners and edges of its storage systems and furniture.

The Versailles parquet flooring was chosen for its artisanal and timeless spirit that draws on Parisian craftsmanship, which Coperni said pays homage to its ethos as a brand.

The use of USM Haller’s silver tubing within the Versailles parquet flooring system marks the first time that USM has adapted and reinterpreted its modular systems into a wooden material.

USM Hallers modular systems also form arch-shaped display units along the perimeter of the shop-in-shop, which were fitted with rails allowing Coperni’s ready-to-wear collection to be displayed.

A display table constructed from larger cubic modules was placed at the centre of the space, while a wall behind was branded with the Coperni logo.

In 2022, Coperni’s Spring Summer 2023 show during Paris Fashion Week went viral for live spraying a dress onto the body of supermodel Bella Hadid using Fabrican’s sprayable liquid fibre.

AMO recently created a terracruda-clad shop-in-shop for Parisian fashion brand Jacquemus in Selfridges, London, that was designed to have a “Provence atmosphere.”

The photography is courtesy of Coperni.