A Family Home Evolves Through Adaptation

Australian studio Austin Maynard Architects unveils a new residence, titled Clarke, for a family confronting the limits of their long-loved home. After more than a decade, especially after enduring the isolating lockdown, its interiors no longer served the daily needs of two adults working from home and two teenagers. The solution was to expand the home with a space that is layered and considered.

Clarke began as a single-story weatherboard cottage in need of breathing room. Instead of erasing the past, the team worked with it, retaining the home’s bones while reimagining its function. The result is an intricately stepped extension unified by a rhythm of timber battens that blur the thresholds between architecture and utility, form and privacy, old and new.

The home’s overlapping forms, stepped and irregular, are brought together by a facade of rhythmic battens that trace the pitch of the original roof. Clarke’s visual identity emerges through coherence rather than contrast. The battens serve to unify the spaces, shade interiors, and create layered thresholds between inside and out. The pavilion-like lounge room is subtly elevated, opening outward onto the garden through a corner of full-height sliding glass.

images © Derek Swalwell

Celebrating Indoor-Outdoor Life

For the owners of Clarke, the mandate for Austin Maynard Architects was both emotional and practical. ‘Alone together’ became the guiding ethos, a desire for connectedness without constraint. The brief balanced the need for social openness with the essential solitude of retreats, home offices, and teenager-scale autonomy. Inspired by their time in Japan, the family sought simplicity and a fluid choreography of indoor-outdoor life.

Circulation is carefully recalibrated. The reconfiguration of the entry bypasses private zones and leads instead to a light-filled heart. Three pocket gardens fracture the plan, enabling a series of layered views and natural cross breezes. Rooms unfold deliberately, moving from practical ground-floor functions to a light-footed upper volume: a self-contained apartment for the teens, complete with a hammock and a hidden pink retreat tucked beneath the original roof.

Clarke by Austin Maynard Architects reconfigures a suburban cottage into a layered and light-filled family home

Nature is Invited Inward

No element in Clarke is overlooked by Austin Maynard Architects. From hot water tanks and heat pumps to bike sheds and trash bins, necessary services are embedded within the architectural envelope. Sliding batten screens conceal and clarify, maintaining visual coherence while allowing access when needed. Even these moments of pragmatism feel resolved and purposeful.

Where many additions open out to the backyard, Clarke lets the garden enter from all sides. Three strategically placed light wells act as small lungs, breathing light and green into the depth of the plan. This breaks down the traditionally linear logic of the central hallway, ensuring that every interior view reconnects with nature.

Here, individuality is acknowledged and spatialized. The teenager’s spaces accommodate difference with ease, offering quietude and color. The secret Pink Room, requested by one daughter and realized behind a discreet panel door, exemplifies the studio’s thoughtful delight in bespoke gestures. These surprises are never arbitrary, always informed by lived experience.

the design responds to a need for togetherness and retreat with spaces that support both privacy and connection

a new side entry and series of pocket gardens introduce light air and views deep into the plan

the layout avoids cavernous open plans by creating distinct yet fluid zones

Conclusion

Austin Maynard Architects has successfully transformed the Clarke residence into a vibrant and adaptable family home. By prioritizing the needs of the family and incorporating elements of nature, the studio has created a space that is both functional and beautiful. The use of timber battens, pocket gardens, and natural light wells has resulted in a home that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also sustainable and environmentally conscious. The Clarke residence is a testament to the power of thoughtful design and its ability to improve the lives of those who inhabit it.

Introduction to Casa Sofia

Amasa Estudio renovates a long-abandoned 1940s house in Colonia Roma, just six blocks from Parque México in one of Mexico City’s most sought-after neighborhoods. Originally used as office space, Casa Sofia sat empty for over ten years. Rather than demolish or replace it, the architects preserved the structure and gave it new life. The result is a compact, flexible home that respects its past while making room for new ways of living.

The material palette reinforces the spatial mood. A muted green saturates the metal elements, stairs, railings, doors, and furniture, while textured gray plaster walls create a neutral backdrop and allow these features to pop.

all images by Zaickz Moz, unless stated otherwise

Flexible Setup and Design

What began as a plan for a single-family home evolved into something more adaptable. In the Casa Sofia project, the Mexican architects of Amasa Estudio fit a ground-floor one-bedroom apartment, a garage that doubles as a small commercial unit, and a main residence located above. All three have separate entrances from a shared vestibule, making it possible to rent or work from parts of the property while maintaining privacy.

Inside the main residence, the layout flips the usual logic. Bedrooms are tucked away on the first floor, and a spiral staircase leads up to a second level with the kitchen, living room, dining area, half bath, and open terrace. This entire floor is open-plan, wrapped in folding windows. A circular skylight over the staircase floods the vertical core with daylight, pulling light down into the more enclosed floors below.

Amasa Estudio renovates a long-abandoned 1940s house in Colonia Roma

Historical Context and Original Use

The building was originally used as office space and sat empty for over ten years before Amasa Estudio took on the renovation project. By preserving the structure, the architects aimed to respect the building’s past while adapting it to modern needs.

the building was originally used as office space

Casa Sofia sat empty for over ten years

Conclusion

The renovation of Casa Sofia by Amasa Estudio is a testament to the potential of preserving and adapting existing structures to meet modern needs. By combining a respect for the building’s past with innovative design solutions, the architects have created a unique and functional space that not only honors its history but also provides a flexible and comfortable living environment. The result is a successful blend of old and new, demonstrating that with careful consideration and creativity, it’s possible to breathe new life into abandoned buildings and give them a vibrant future.

Studio Saransh’s MS House in Ahmedabad, India

Studio Saransh’s MS House in Ahmedabad, India, is a brutalist home that revolves around the nine mature neem trees of the site, preserving them as central elements that shape the spatial layout, architectural form, and material palette. The influence of nature is evident from the moment one approaches the site. The boundary wall winds around a tree trunk to preserve its growth, and a downward-curving branch near the entrance lobby makes this connection stronger. The brutalist aesthetic manifests strongly in the exterior, where bold geometries of the concrete facade disappear quietly within the green foliage. Square punctures within the shell of the residence and deep chamfered window sills further maximize this effect, allowing diffused light to cast playful shadows. The wooden-strip textured concrete mirrors the textures of the trees, softening the visual presence of the structure.

all images by @ishifishy

Nature Softens the Brutalist Form

At the heart of the house is a double-height central bay that embraces a neem tree. This space, oriented East-West, is where the family gathers for morning tea and meals under the canopy. ‘The central bay is more than just a design element—it is the soul of the house,’ explains Malay Doshi, principal architect at Studio Saransh. It anchors two wings: the front housing the living room, verandah, and garden, and the other accommodating the guest room, kitchen, and ancillary spaces. ‘Every element of this house is shaped by the site’s natural context and the family’s needs, embodying our belief that a good design must seamlessly integrate function, individuality, and environment,’ adds Kaveesha Shah, the principal interior designer of the Ahmedabad-based studio.

Upper Floor and Social Spaces

On the upper floor, the central bay transitions into a study area overlooking the dining space below. Each space establishes its own relationship with the trees outside. The architects position the master bedroom directly above the living room, opening to a shaded balcony that overlooks the trees. Occupying the quieter rear wing, the daughters’ bedrooms offer views of the backyard. The second floor serves as a social terrace with a family lounge, bar, and powder room, creating an inviting space for gatherings above the neem canopies.

wooden-strip textured concrete mirrors the textures of the trees

Materials Connecting Inside and Out

Concrete and lime-plastered walls combined with grey Kota flooring create a cohesive design that ties the interior and exterior of the MS House together. The living room incorporates smooth-polished plywood cast concrete surfaces and ethically sourced Valsadi teak paneling, with ribbon windows framing the views of the foliage outside.

The dining area houses a custom wooden table by TDW with rosewood detailing that mirrors the linearity of the concrete and Kota pattern, while teak and wicker chairs from Mistry at Finest pair with a parametric suspension lamp designed in collaboration with Andlabs. The living room is designed to function as two seating clusters: one featuring a custom sectional sofa set and an iconic Eames chair with the Arco lamp from Flos, and the other with a more formal setup featuring custom-designed fabric lamps and an abstract art rug from Jaipur Rugs.

square windows puncture within the shell of the residence

Personal Spaces with Distinctive Characters

The bedrooms reflect the personalities of their occupants, with the master bedroom, finished in ply cast concrete and Kota flooring with terrazzo detailing, featuring a custom four-poster bed with stone pedestals and wooden posts. Contrasting tones saturate the daughters’ rooms—one with graphite shades, the other with sage green walls and green marble-infused terrazzo flooring.

The bathrooms introduce their own design narratives. The master ensuite is bathed in natural light from two skylights: a circular one above the sink and a square one hidden in the shower. The black powder room on the terrace, featuring full-height glazing, overlooks an array of Champa trees, creating an illusion of a private courtyard.

the boundary wall winds around a tree trunk to preserve its growth

May 7, 2025

Historic Preservation Through a Maximalist Lens

A boutique hotel that brings new life to an historic 1880s mansion, Urban Cowboy Denver settles into its new home with maximalism and reverence. Set in the heart of Capitol Hill, the George Schleier Mansion — once nearly lost to redevelopment — now stands firmly in the present, revived through a renovation project by founders Jersey Banks and Lyon Porter. The original sandstone structure was designed by architect Frank Edbrooke for German immigrant and silk-hat magnate George Schleier. Now it stands as a rare survivor of the city’s Victorian boom and a landmark of the Colorado city’s eclectic architectural past.

The original building’s carved Bavarian staircase, Lincrusta wall coverings, and elaborate plaster ceilings remain intact, bearing the fingerprints of Denver’s Gilded Age. ‘The building itself was kind of a masterpiece,’ Lyon Porter tells designboom during a visit to the hotel. ‘There are details you can’t recreate — hand-carving, original hardware, and coffered ceilings.’ For co-founder Jersey Banks, who grew up in the city, the project was also personal. ‘This was a dream come true,’ she notes. ‘To be able to bring Urban Cowboy out west is something we’ve thought about since the inception of the brand, and the opportunity to reimagine this historic mansion in my hometown.’

Urban Cowboy Denver is a boutique hotel set inside a restored 1880s mansion | image © Brandon Lopez

Unique Rooms Curated with Collected Antiques

Urban Cowboy’s expansion west demonstrates a commitment to Denver’s built heritage. Without landmark status, the mansion was under threat of demolition. Working with GBX Group, a real estate firm that salvages historical properties, and Historic Denver, Cowboy Creative Founders Banks and Porter ensured its long-term preservation through an historic easement agreement. The approach highlights the value of adaptive reuse — choosing to restore rather than rebuild, and placing heritage at the center of contemporary hospitality in a show of true sustainability.

Each of the sixteen bedroom suites are distinct. Each reads like a spatial collage, assembled from road trips, antique fairs, and sourcing epiphanies. ‘I look at it like collage art,’ says Porter, who heads Cowboy Creative, the in-house design studio behind the hotel. ‘I never know where something will fit. Then a little magic happens.’ Every room features hand-hammered copper soaking tubs, maximalist wallpapers, and unexpected vignettes, from Swedish leather sofas to fur-and-horn couches.

the George Schleier Mansion was saved from demolition and adaptively reused | image © Ben Fitchett

Navigating Complex Victorian Architecture

Recalling the process of curating the Urban Cowboy Denver interiors, Porter and Banks emphasize that furnishing a Victorian mansion presents its own rhythm and rules. ‘These rooms are impossible to furnish,’ Porter laughs. ‘They’re all doors and windows — everything is asymmetrical. But we’ve kind of made that our thing.’ Through layered patterns and rich textures, symmetry is reimagined. Even the wallpaper, with each room’s print custom-designed for the Denver location, draws from a 1700s block print and Western motifs, balancing nostalgia and a frontier aesthetic.

In the former carriage house, the two-story Urban Cowboy Public House draws inspiration from Denver’s 1880s streets, once lined with saloons. Award-winning cocktails are mixed alongside wood-fired pizza and seasonal plates by Little Johnny B’s, a new concept from the team behind Denver local restaurants Dio Mio and Redeemer Pizza. This anchors the hotel as both a guesthouse and a neighborhood gathering place. Upstairs, the space hosts private events, echoing the mansion’s legacy of celebration and community.

The mansion’s original residents are never far from mind. Hanging in the parlor is a portrait of Rachel Schleier, the original owner’s wife and an avid hostess. Here, the founders say, her ghost still watches over the festivities. ‘We like to think she’s happy it’s full of people again,’ Porter says. In this sense, the mansion’s reincarnation is about continuity — an honoring of its roots as a social space.

Jersey Banks and Lyon Porter curated the interiors as a collage of found antique pieces | image © Ben Fitchett

Preservation as Progress

The mansion joins a dwindling league of preserved Victorian structures in the city’s core. The city was once filled with unique, 1800s-built homes — including the Molly Brown House which now stands as a museum and beloved landmark. Many of these homes, however, have been replaced by corporate towers as the city grew with the 20th century. Most notably, the boutique hotel’s neighbors include modernist titans like I.M. Pei’s Mile High Center and Philip Johnson’s Wells Fargo Tower. As Denver’s skyline rises, buildings like the Schleier Mansion offer texture, and a reminder of the city’s mining-town origins, immigrant narratives, and evolving urban fabric.

Urban Cowboy Denver is a case study in preservation as progress. In an age of carbon-intensive construction, the decision to adapt rather than demolish is itself a form of sustainability. The project invites travelers to dwell among the creaks of history, the wallpapered nostalgia, and the future of Denver, carried forward one restored room at a time.

the hotel’s carriage house is home to a public bar and Little Johnny B’s wood-fired pizza | image © Brandon Lopez

May 6, 2025

Introduction to HATA Dome

The HATA Dome stands quietly at the edge of California‘s Sawtooth Mountains, its curved form emerging from the rocky terrain like a relic of both past and future. Designed and built by Anastasiya Dudik — a self-taught designer without formal architectural training — the structure is a gesture toward resilience, intuition, and an architecture that grows out of landscape and circumstance rather than trend.

Embracing what Dudik calls a ‘future primitive’ sensibility, the architecture draws from ancestral forms and elemental materials to meet contemporary environmental demands. The dome’s form is a performative design decision. The thermal mass moderates temperature, its sealed envelope resists fire and earthquakes with a gesture that echoes the earth’s own curves. Shotcrete over rebar, wrapped in foam insulation, and finished in stucco, the structure evokes both the logic of survival and the poetry of shelter. The HATA Dome is available for rent as a holiday retreat through Airbnb — find the listing here.

images © Natasha Lee, Shannon Moss, Brandon Stanley

Reframing Brutalism

In California’s High Desert, the HATA Dome speaks a language of concrete, but softly. While its exterior silhouette nods to Brutalism and the monolithic legacy of Soviet-era design, Anastasiya Dudik reinterprets these precedents with empathy. The shell encloses a space of refuge, not imposition. Sixteen-foot ceilings soar, but the acoustics remain hushed. Natural light slides across plaster walls. Edges soften into curves. Even the furnishings, carved from boulders and integrated into the interior architecture, follow the same continuous gesture.

The dome’s form dissolves the familiar architectural boundaries of floor, wall, and object. Inside, there is no separation between the landscape and the home. It is a continuum of matter and space. The built-in furniture seems to rise organically from the ground. Niches emerge like eroded pockets. Even the circular saltwater pool outside mirrors the shape of the dome, drawing the eye back to the silhouette that anchors this sculptural oasis in the desert expanse.

Designer Anastasiya Dudik executed every aspect of the project — from structural engineering and material procurement to interior detailing — without a studio, a contractor, or a team. It’s a solitary vision made real, uncompromised by committee or convention. Her process, like the dome itself, reflects resilience: the capacity to adapt, endure, and self-define.

the monolithic concrete home is designed and built by Anastasiya Dudik

Living Within the Elements

The HATA Dome stands as a model of self-reliance in California. The structure’s thick concrete walls regulate internal temperatures, reducing dependence on artificial heating or cooling. With solar-ready systems, fire resistance, and durability against earthquakes and wind, it reimagines sustainability not as add-on, but as embedded logic. Its survivalist DNA does not exclude beauty. Instead, it makes room for it.

A familiar material palette of concrete, steel, stone is re-contextualized through personal memory. Dudik, who grew up surrounded by concrete structures in Ukraine, infuses the dome with a different emotional register. Where Brutalism once communicated austerity or control, here it becomes something protective and personal. A concrete dome becomes a kind of body that is resilient, curved, and embracing. Overall, the space invites a slowing down of time. From the acoustic hush to the careful modulation of light, the project encourages stillness and presence.

the HATA Dome reflects the designer’s Ukrainian roots and reclaims concrete as a poetic material

curved forms and thermal mass support off-grid and climate-resilient living

the dome is constructed with rebar shotcrete, foam insulation, and hand-applied stucco

Conclusion

In conclusion, the HATA Dome is a remarkable example of innovative design and sustainable living. Anastasiya Dudik’s vision for a ‘future primitive’ architecture has resulted in a unique and breathtaking structure that not only blends seamlessly into its surroundings but also provides a tranquil and self-sufficient living space. The dome’s curved form, thermal mass, and use of natural materials make it an exemplary model of eco-friendly design, while its beauty and poetic character invite occupants to slow down and appreciate the simplicity of life. As a holiday retreat, the HATA Dome offers a rare opportunity to experience the perfect

Gathering Gallery Reopens Cologne’s Iconic Café

Gathering gallery reopens the legendary Central, reviving one of the most important cultural sites in Cologne. Once a meeting point for the city’s radical thinkers and artists, the café-bar returns with a fresh look, a new bar, and artworks, but the same spirit. Central is a former home to the German painters Martin Kippenberger and Jörg Immendorff, among others, who shaped Cologne’s 1980s art scene. Now, it comes back as both a tribute and a reboot, still at the center of the city’s creative life, this time alongside Gathering’s recently opened gallery just down the street.

The relaunch includes the return of Kippenberger’s mirrored panels and original caricatures of guests from the café’s fifth anniversary in 1991. These hang alongside new site-specific works by Mexican visual artist Stefan Brüggemann and British artist Tai Shani. Brüggemann’s aluminum bar installation sits at the center of the redesigned space. In the corner, the newly built Peters Bar, named after Dr. Werner Peters, who once ran the café, offers a quieter space, with deep red velvet, warm light, and a carpet designed by Shani.

Central Returns as a Meeting Point for Artists

In 1980s Cologne, Central was a place where artists, musicians, and philosophers crossed paths. Kippenberger lived upstairs at Hotel Chelsea. Peter Sloterdijk and Johan Galtung gave talks. The space became part of Kippenberger’s work. Now, as new galleries open and Cologne’s art scene picks up momentum again, Central returns as a space for art, food, and conversation. The new menu focuses on German and Northern European cuisine with Mediterranean touches, led by chef Sigfredo Scuticchio.

Gathering’s founder Alex Flick says the move is about building on what’s already there. ‘After meeting Werner Peters, the owner of Hotel Chelsea and Central, I was deeply moved to walk the same halls as many of my artistic heroes. Our expansion here is about tapping into that legacy and contributing to its next chapter,’ he shares. ‘The energy is here, the history is undeniable, and the appetite for something new is palpable. With Central and our new gallery space, we want to be part of Cologne’s cultural revival, creating a place where art, ideas, and community come together in a way that feels both forward-looking and deeply rooted in the city’s artistic heritage.’ The reopening of Central happens alongside Gathering’s Cologne gallery debut, a solo show by late German artist Sibylle Ruppert, her first exhibition in the city since 1971.

The newly built Peters Bar offers a quieter space, with deep red velvet, warm light, and a carpet designed by Shani. Brüggemann’s aluminum bar installation sits at the center of the redesigned space, and the relaunch includes the return of Kippenberger’s mirrored panels May 5, 2025

Looking to revamp your interior spaces for winter but feeling a lack of inspiration? Here we look at the chic colour combos stylists are choosing this season.

Don’t get overwhelmed trying to makeover your entire home’s colour scheme – it’s easier than you think to add some on-trend elements using a few simple expert tips. Interior stylist Jason Grant shared his top tips for creating cosy spaces this winter, focusing on perfect colour pairings that can elevate your home’s ambiance.

Jason Grant, an interior stylist, emphasized the importance of choosing the right colours to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. According to him, the key to a successful winter interior design is to focus on a few statement colour combinations that can be incorporated through accessories, furniture, and decor.

1. Burgundy and Charcoal in the Bedroom

Creating a cosy haven in your bedroom this winter can be as simple as incorporating luxurious tones of burgundy and charcoal, which are currently trending. These rich colours can add depth and warmth to your bedroom, making it the perfect retreat from the cold winter weather.

Pair burgundy and charcoal for the ultimate in on-trend cosiness.

For easy updates, Jason suggests incorporating these shades with accessories, cushions, and throw rugs. Another popular bedroom colour trend this season is rust, mulberry, and mustard. Jason notes, “Things should be serene in the bedroom; think texture and soft materials, for example, velvet immediately adds an easy-luxe feel, while jersey bed linen adds a cosy and comfortable place to rest.”

This rust-coloured bedroom is totally on point this winter. Picture: Adairs

2. Blonde Wood and Matte Black in the Kitchen

Matte black and blonde wood are a match made in style heaven.

Timber is the perfect natural material, according to Jason: “It’s so earthy and grounds any space, it’s honest and has an ease.” He suggests setting your table, ideally a timber one, with matte black ceramics, tableware, and cutlery for a modern edge.

Update your table settings with some classic colours.

Jason also emphasizes the importance of textiles and layers, suggesting to mix these two contrasting materials to create a modern, utilitarian table setting.

3. Mist and Gold for Living Spaces

Be inspired by nature and a little bling. By mixing these two looks together, you can add a touch of luxe to your space, suggests Jason. This combination creates an easy, everyday luxe feel and can be achieved by adding a collection of decorative yet practical gold objects to your living space, mixed with soft-mist shades in cushions and throws.

Wonderfully wintry, mist tones match beautifully with gold.

Jason advises remembering that less is more, so keeping things simple and grouping a few favourite gold objects together can create the ultimate Instagram-worthy vignette.

Images: Courtesy of Country Road.

This article was originally published on 17 Jul 2019 at 9:43am but has been regularly updated to keep the information current.

In conclusion, revamping your interior spaces for winter doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By incorporating the chic colour combinations suggested by Jason Grant, such as burgundy and charcoal, blonde wood and matte black, and

NOT A HOTEL Toji: A Boutique Guest House in Minakami

NOT A HOTEL opens its Toji complex in Minakami, designed by Japanese studio Suppose Design Office. The boutique guest house rests at the summit of a mountain in Gunma Prefecture, where the ridgelines of Minakami open into uninterrupted sky. From this quiet vantage point, the new complex of five villas and a restaurant frames the passage of seasons in stillness — snow drapes the landscape in winter, cherry blossoms in spring, deep greens in summer, and ochre foliage in autumn. The project deepens the ongoing collaboration between the practice and NOT A HOTEL, bringing architectural clarity to a remote, water-rich site.

Architecture and Design

Wrapped in copper-plated facades, the lodges are defined by its sectional split across two levels, where private functions are grounded below, and communal gathering unfolds above. The bedrooms, bathrooms, and parking areas are held discreetly on the first floor, while the second opens outward — to the landscape and to the elements. A living room edged by water, a sauna lit by natural steam, and a dining space with panoramic glazing lend the feeling of being immersed in nature without surrendering to it. All five villas are designed to host up to eight guests in quiet retreat.

Toji NOT A HOTEL MINAKAMI is perched atop a mountain in Gunma Prefecture | images © Kenta Hasegawa

Copper-Clad Exteriors

Within the mountainous area of Minakami, NOT A HOTEL Toji reimagines the language of the Japanese mountain hut through contemporary detail. The roofs and exterior facades are finished in copper plating, giving each structure a subtle gleam that will darken and deepen with age. This material choice reinforces the idea of time as a design partner, an invitation to watch weather, oxidation, and season shape the project’s surface over years to come. The forms remain angular and understated, tapering into the surrounding forest without ornamental flourish.

Water Features and Sauna

The architects at Suppose Design Office organize the lodge‘s upper floor around water in its many forms: a fifteen-meter (fifty-foot) infinity pool, a natural onsen, a cold bath, and an adjacent sauna. This ring of elements encircles the living and dining space, dissolving boundaries between architecture and atmosphere. The flicker of light across the water, steam from the bath, and the play of firelight from the wood stove offer a textured sensory field. In the dining area, Noguchi’s Akari lamp and an eight-person table add sculptural presence without overpowering the quietude of the view.

Suppose Design Office frames the villas with copper facades that age over time

Inspiration from Minakami’s Hot Spring Culture

NOT A HOTEL Toji draws on Minakami’s long-standing hot spring culture by embedding a natural onsen into the private bath area of each villa. Surrounded by black plaster walls and positioned to face the mountains, the bath provides a meditative pause in the daily cycle. A single door allows bathers to open the space to the outdoors or keep it enclosed, inviting flexibility with weather and mood.

Private Sauna and Bedrooms

The project includes a private sauna built to full scale, allowing for uninterrupted views of the adjacent cold bath and infinity pool. From the sauna, visual access to water and forest extends the atmosphere of relaxation. The space flows naturally into the living room, where guests can cool down or linger in the ambient warmth, continuing the experience beyond the expected rituals of bathing.

Bedrooms are located along the lower level, away from the more theatrical views, focusing instead on intimate scale and tactile quiet. The walls are finished in hand-applied plaster, with rectangular windows framing filtered light through the trees. Tatami flooring adds softness underfoot, and the two bedrooms accommodate up to eight people with minimal distraction. It’s a space for restoration, kept close to the ground.

a 15-meter infinity pool wraps around the living space with mountain reflections

the architecture blurs indoor and outdoor through sliding glass and panoramic views

hot spring baths and saunas are integrated into each villa with open access to nature

Conclusion

NOT A HOTEL Toji is a boutique guest house that embodies the perfect blend of natural beauty, contemporary design, and traditional Japanese culture. With its copper-clad exteriors, private saunas, and natural hot spring baths, this retreat offers an unparalleled experience for those seeking relaxation and tranquility in a stunning mountain setting

New year, new you? Probably not. But your home is a far easier project to work on.

And now that we’re well and truly set into 2019, it’s time to embrace something new at your place, and avoid some of the major decorating mistakes people keep making. The start of a new year is the perfect opportunity to reassess your home’s design and make some changes to create a space that truly reflects your personality and style.

The discount chain home

I love budget homewares like I love my own mother, but let’s be clear: you shouldn’t have your entire home resemble a bargain bin. The better approach is to mix the skimp and the splurge. Invest in your larger pieces like sofas, beds, chairs and rugs, and then go cheap and cheerful on the smaller decor. And shop at a variety of stores so you have a home that feels varied and layered. This will not only add visual interest to your space but also create a unique and personalized atmosphere.

White on white on white

I just can’t with the unadventurous, all-white coastal home anymore. Far too many people are so paralysed with fear over introducing colour that they end up with an interior that feels sterile and boring. It’s time to experiment more with your home’s design and look beyond white. If you love a neutral palette, I hear you, but consider some tan, nude or soft grey to move things in a new direction.

There are ways to do the white look without actually using white. Picture: Alexandra Gorn/Unsplash

Avoiding wallpaper

The time has come to tackle your wallpaper phobia. I swear to you, it transforms a room like no other design element can. And I’m not talking the gawdy stuff your grandmother had. I’m talking about beautiful contemporary designs with subtle pattern and texture. A soft cloth wallpaper is a great place to start. And there are even brands that do peel-on-peel-off papers that won’t damage your walls.

Nothing adds easy drama like removable wallpaper can. Picture: Luxe Walls

Hiding your keepsakes

Too many people are living in display homes that feel soulless. Gorgeous from a design perspective, in many cases, but absolutely no personality. Time to crack out your family photos. Time to display the things you’ve collected on travels overseas. And time to showcase gifts your kids have made you in stylish ways. No more hiding these memories in a box in the garage. This is the year to make your house a home!

Sterile homes void of personality are out – so if you love it, show it! Picture: Erinna Giblin

Minimalist living

I can’t get on board with stripping back a home so that rooms have the bare minimum in them. It might look cute in an Instagram photo, but it’s not going to spark joy for you on a day-to-day basis. A little clutter can make a home feel lived in, so don’t be afraid to enjoy your furniture, your decor, your keepsakes, and a little mess from time to time!

A layered home feels and looks much more inviting. Picture: Justin Cooper, Styling: Kelly Ferraro

Not embracing fun and whimsy

When and why did interior design become so serious? Everything is starting to feel so same-same. I love a home that embraces whimsy. Why not look to designers like Jonathan Adler who make luxe homewares with an irreverent twist? Or display something in your home that you’d normally find in a junkyard? Bringing in the wild and the weird is often what makes an interior feel truly interesting and unique. So go on, be silly in 2019!

We also love a little whimsy and a sense of irreverent luxury. Picture: Erinna Giblin

May 4, 2025

Clements Design Curates Interiors with Olson Kundig

With the latest images unveiling the interiors of Olson Kundig‘s Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Telluride, California-based Clements Design offers a glimpse into a sensibility attuned to stillness and shelter. Tasked with shaping the hotel and residence’s amenity spaces, the studio brings its signature blend of relaxed refinement to the Colorado mountains, curating interiors that are both tailored and unpretentious, grounded in the drama of the landscape but never overwhelmed by it.

The lobby pavilion, central to the hotel’s social experience, is imagined as a light-filled retreat with floor-to-ceiling glazing that gives precedence to the surrounding peaks. Anchored by a stately fireplace, the space captures a sense of quiet grandeur — echoing the ‘prospect and refuge’ approach described by Olson Kundig in its vision. Clements Design draws on natural textures and warm tones, offering a counterpoint to the elemental vastness just beyond the glass. See designboom’s previous coverage of the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Telluride here.

Clements Design reveals Four Seasons amenities with a tone of quiet luxury | visualization © Hayes Davidson

Amenities for Wellness in Telluride’s Mountains

Throughout the wellness amenities, the team at Clements Design leans into material tactility and atmospheric restraint. The spa comprises seven treatment rooms, a silent Relaxation Lounge, and a Thermal Lounge that introduces a contemporary bio-sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, and cold plunge. These spaces are composed with an almost meditative stillness, reinforcing the developers’ ambition to raise the standard for mountain wellness. As a subtle intervention, oxygenation systems integrated into every room demonstrate the studio’s attention to context at high altitude.

The indoor pool and adjacent outdoor hot tub are framed by mountain views, extending the wellness experience into the landscape. Clements Design avoids theatrical gestures, opting instead for generous proportions and subdued palettes that emphasize sensory comfort over spectacle. The inclusion of cryotherapy, LED light therapy, and hyperbaric oxygen treatments signals a forward-thinking approach to spa design, while still grounded in the restorative spirit of the mountains.

Fitness and family-oriented amenities are similarly composed, as the state-of-the-art gym and kids’ club share a common language of ease and functionality. Ski-in/ski-out access and a dedicated ski valet point to the team’s fluency in both the rhythms of resort life and the expectations of Four Seasons clientele.

visitors are introduced to the rooftops and ridgelines before ever entering a room | visualization © Binyan Studios

Four Seasons Draws from Spirit of the Mountain Town

In addition to the amenity spaces, Clements Design is also crafting the interiors of the hotel and hotel residences. The firm’s casual and deeply textural approach provides a strong complement to Olson Kundig’s architecture, which fragments the massing into three low-slung structures to preserve views and respect the mountain town’s intimate scale. This collaborative tone resonates throughout the interiors, which mirror the rugged quietude of the landscape.

The unfolding of the project, from the public lobby to private spa chambers, suggests a choreographed guest experience. Much like the arrival by gondola described by architect Tom Kundig, which introduces visitors to the rooftops and ridgelines before ever entering a room, the interiors invite a sense of slow discovery.

The project is being developed by Fort Partners and Merrimac Ventures, with construction set to begin this summer. Upon completion, the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Telluride will offer 52 hotel keys, 43 hotel residences, and 26 private residences — each shaped by an ensemble of designers attuned to the nuances of place. Where Olson Kundig’s buildings embrace topography and tectonics, Clements Design lends interiors a subtle, grounded rhythm that keeps the guest experience tethered to the spirit of the mountains.

the lobby frames Telluride’s peaks through full-height glass and natural materials | visualization © Binyan Studios

Clements Design opts for generous proportions and subdued palettes | visualization © Binyan Studios

May 2, 2025