Thought Portal

Situated on the ground floor of a terraced Victorian home, this once dark and run-down maze of walls is now a bright, open space with transformative sub-dividing elements and a playful combination of natural materials and colours. Designed by the talented duo at Studiomama, stand-out elements include the two pink sleeping cubes with integrated storage and the bespoke Douglas fir-clad study with the option for both sitting and standing workstations. The compact home features a full-sized living and dining area achieved by way of a custom-designed L-shaped sofa and diamond-shaped dining table that maximise both floor and seating space. The striking green and wood kitchen echoes the warmth of the studio with its curved wood cabinetry and unique custom-made splashback.

Set in Tokyo’s Suginami-ku neighbourhood, home to many manga artists, Open Sky House is home to artists and architect Zajirogh, his wife, and their three children. Having always dreamed of living in a camper or a ship, Zaijrogh designed a large central open-air courtyard and covered it with a retractable sail-like sheet. The family uses the courtyard as a living room which is furnished with camping furniture that can get wet or be moved quickly if needed. A series of colourful walls line the courtyard, with precious items that need to stay dry kept behind a set of glass and steel sliding doors with another set connecting to the fully equipped L-shaped kitchen. The second story features space for the family to sleep, work and play and includes a 1sqm (small closet-sized) study that Zajirogh refers to as “his little sanctuary”. A door leading onto the balcony wraps around the open roof, this provides access to open and close the roof as well as an area for Zajirogh to paint freely without concern about mess.

Within the tranquil mountains of Taipei's Wenshan District lies a light-filled space completely reimagined by interior designer Anny Hong of AODA Interior Design. Inspired by a minimalistic Japanese lifestyle and materials, light wood and rattan elements add a delicate touch to the navy blue accented apartment. A terrazzo kitchen island divides the kitchen from the living area while providing ample storage for appliances. A large moveable desk and an expandable coffee table can be easily adjusted to suit the homeowner's needs. A subtle wooden grill sliding door opens up into a walk-in wardrobe that cleverly acts as the base for the loft-style bedroom, accessed via a minimalist iron staircase. Sleek raw concrete flooring, curved walls, and raised ceilings create a sense of spaciousness within the apartment’s small footprint.

In Schöneberg, Berlin, interior decorator Kateryna has transformed a cosy 1912 apartment into an intensely personalised space without making any major structural changes. Creating separate living, dining and sleeping spaces within the apartment's largest room has been neatly accomplished with the addition of a set of large IKEA cabinets that split the space in half between living and sleeping, allowing for a large amount of extra storage and display shelves, as well as serving as a bedroom closet. The entire room has also been painted beige to create a sense of openness, with tiled mirrors across the cabinetry to enlarge the space; an approach that also elongates the home's entryway, where a vintage writing desk serves as both cat bed and additional storage. This vintage aesthetic continues into the kitchen and bathroom, where unique pieces complement Ikea cabinetry fitted with custom doors. For Kateryna, storage space and a sense of personality were key to living in a small home, achieved with patience and the right selection of furniture.

Inspired by Italo Calvino’s novel The Baron in the Trees, architect Mariana de Delás’s treehouse-like apartment is a playful experimentation of height, light, colours and material. Removing the original low gypsum (plasterboard/drywall) ceiling, de Delás added metal gangways suspended from a tubular stairway, gaining an additional 15sqm of floor space. The mezzanine houses a bedroom nook tucked away under a large skylight and a long orange plexiglass study table overlooking the open living, kitchen, and dining area, which is filled with carefully curated artwork, plants and custom cabinetry. Pops of green throughout the space bring a connection to nature, with green metal used for the gangways and staircase and green and white tiles in the bathroom imitating the lush leaves of the forest canopy.

Set inside a 1960s building in the bohemian Paris neighbourhood of Montmartre, this now bright and airy apartment features a light colour palette, curved features and smart built in furniture and cabinetry throughout. By removing all of the internal walls and enclosing one of the apartment’s two terraces, architect Bertille Bordja of ovo/ studios expanded the floorplan, creating space for a separate bedroom and a more contemporary and functional living space. The compact but fully equipped kitchen is finished in Okoume wood, chosen for its interesting grain and featured in other cabinetry throughout the apartment. A built-in L-shaped sofa bench with integrated storage wraps around the corner of the living room and doubles as an extra bed when needed. In summer, The glass sliding doors of the remaining terrace are opened creating an extension of the living space.

Brazilian architect Franco Luiz Faust and the team at Solo Arquitetos transformed this once-incomplete “skeleton” apartment into a comfortable, personalised retreat for him and his wife, Maria, with the goal of maximising storage and practicality without compromising on style. Keeping the existing floor plan intact and removing only the existing kitchen wall, replacing it with a large double-sided custom wooden joinery unit, serving both the kitchen and living/dining area. A built-in storage bench and oblong table in the dining area have an extra touch of comfort and colour in the form of a padded backrest finished in moss-green linen. The bedroom features a custom L-shaped wardrobe designed for maximum space efficiency, whilst the second bedroom, currently set up as an office, has been designed to easily be converted into a second bedroom in the future.

Inspired by her time working in India, architect Clare Kennedy has based her design & practice around one Gandhi principle, build with materials in a Five Mile Radius. It’s led her to seek out salvaged materials like leftover concrete and rotten power poles, and alongside a collective of like minded designers, carpenters, and makers they’ve developed zero-footprint product lines and practical architect and design solutions that keep waste out of landfill. Developing new ways to build our homes, and the things that fill them, more sustainably; for everything from individual homes, to cafes, breweries and skyscrapers.

Co-founders & couple, Rosalie and Adam, firmly believe recycled materials should be as beautiful and desirable as anything new. Together they’ve been creating recycled and repurposed designs for more than a decade, founding Smile Plastics in 2015 to give architects & designers access to sustainable new materials. In their Welsh micro-factory they turn waste plastic into handcrafted panels that become anything from tables and stools, to kitchen benchtops and bathroom surfaces. The patented process is entirely circular, with all of their products 100% recycled and 100% recyclable, made using low temperatures & minimal energy. Their work has made its way around the world, inspiring a zero-waste future for construction & design.

Inspired by the vibrant colours of the historic district of Triana in Seville, architect and design studio Studio Noju incorporated striking shades of colour and unique textures to zone out this open-plan apartment. Each space is distinguished by a bright, monochrome shade and decorated with low-cost aluminium roof ridge panels known as Cumbreras.

Home to self taught interior designer Daphney Ho, this 48sqm apartment's diamond-shaped layout has been expertly maximized with sliding doors through-out; alongside arches and curves that soften its irregular shape.

Designed by Pigalopus architects to appear bigger than it is, but remain flexible to the owners needs, Lwowska 32sqm apartment is a breezy home for two and their dog. Located in Krakow close to the city centre, it sits within a developing neighbourhood, with large windows allowing a plentiful amount of sunlight into the home.

Designers Carla and Bruno, the talented couple behind Hum Gallery & Studio, completely transformed their standard T-shaped apartment with a unique blend of hotel aesthetics and simplicity, using a mix of second hand furniture and natural materials.

Located at the top of a heritage protected building in one of Lisbon's oldest industrial areas, the aptly named Marvila attic was completely transformed by KEMA Studio using sustainable, durable materials like fibre cement panels, metal and brick. Focusing on opening up the space and maximising natural light, KEMA removed all internal walls, creating an open-plan layout with seamlessly integrated kitchen, dining, and living areas. Nestled under the sloped roof, the living room features a full height storage wall, with a clever niche for a sofa that doubles as a single bed. A section of the kitchen is hidden within the living room storage unit and revealed by sliding pocket doors. The addition of 4 new skylights, two dormer windows and the clever placement of mirrors illuminates the space creating an open and airy atmosphere. With its clever design, this apartment optimises space and light without compromising comfort, making it a true gem in Lisbon's industrial heart.

Set in a small 70’s apartment block in the eclectic inner-city suburb of Brunswick, this charming 42 sqm apartment designed by owner and urban planner Alex Antoniadis, features a clever open-plan layout that maximizes natural light and space. By removing the internal wall between the kitchen and living area, Alex created a functional and inviting open plan space that features a retractable dining/work table built into the kitchen cabinetry. Beautiful wood features like the timber birch plywood kitchen, television unit, and timber cladding, were inspired by the colors and textures of the building’s internal courtyard and provide a natural feel to the apartment. With its simple and thoughtful design, this apartment offers a compelling example for the affordable and sustainable adaptive re-use of existing building stock.

Home to a hobby ceramist with a growing vintage furniture collection, the vibrant Koka Studio was designed by architects Kalina and Robert Juchnevic of blok585m2, for Kalina’s sister, Katarzyna. Key elements of post war apartment renovation included opening up the dark and segmented floor plan and introducing era-appropriate materials such as terrazzo tiling and herringbone parquet flooring. The hero of the new open plan living space is the full size kitchen characterised by a combination of oak veneer and pink cabinets, Katarzyna’s favourite colour. A round dining table sourced at a local flea market features three original Bruno Rey chairs upcycled by Katarzyna herself and painted a bright green that mimics the green flecks of the terrazzo tiles. A striking openwork wire structure inspired by Alexander Calder’s mobiles separates the entrance from the living room whilst still allowing light from the double balcony doors to pass through.

Faced with the challenge of an enclosed 70’s layout with several unalterable features, including low ceilings and south-facing living spaces, architect Benjamin Chan of Sam Crawford Architects breathed new life into his 42sqm Sydney apartment creating a tranquil open plan space better suited for contemporary living. Soft curves and white minimalistic surfaces were used to brighten the living areas and gently transition between spaces. The new combined kitchen and dining room feature cheerful pops of pastel blue-green laminate and terrazzo, echoed in the narrow corridor entrance for a continuous feel. A seamless piece of joinery in the bedroom provides ample storage and conceals the bathroom entrance, revealing a laundry area bathed in bright yellow laminate; a playful contrast to the rest of the apartment.