Ten residential interiors with cosy conversation pits

Our latest lookbook features ten home interiors with snug sunken lounges and conversation pits, proving that the retro architectural feature is making its comeback.

Peaking in popularity in the mid-twentieth century, conversation pits are lounge areas embedded within the floor of a larger room to create intimate spaces for people to gather.

Accessed by a small set of steps, they are traditionally lined with custom built-in sofas. However, many architects enjoying their revival are opting to fill them with free-standing furniture and statement fireplaces instead.

While creating more intimate spaces for their occupants, sunken lounges are useful tools for creating broken-plan interiors and the illusion of taller ceilings. They can also prevent furniture from obstructing outward views, forging stronger connections between homes and their surroundings.

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing glass-block walls, modernist open-plan living rooms and homes with interior courtyards.

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Photo is by Darren Bradley

Pam and Paul's House, USA, by Craig Steely Architecture

Plump purple cushions fill this 13-square-metre sunken pit, which is the focal point of the living room in Pam and Paul's House in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains in California.

Craig Steely Architecture surrounded the seating with floor-to-ceiling glass doors, providing occupants with a cosy space from which to enjoy uninterrupted views of the steep wooded site.

Find out more about Pam and Paul's House ›

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Photo is by Marino Thorlacius

Holiday Home by Thingvallavat, Iceland, by KRADS

This wood-lined conversation pit at Holiday Home by Thingvallavat was designed by KRADS to separate the lounge space from the adjacent dining area.

Fitted out with pared-back leather furniture and a minimalist coffee table, it helps to retain focus on the views out across Iceland's Lake Thingvallavatn, which is framed through large panels of glazing.

Find out more about Holiday Home by Thingvallavat ›

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Photo is by Peter Bennetts

Towers Road House, Australia, by Wood Marsh

A curved concrete plinth wraps around this circular sunken lounge, which Wood Marsh created at Towers Road House in Melbourne's Toorak suburb.

Accessed by two small steps, the pit is fitted with a polychromatic carpet and red sofas that are orientated towards a large suspended fireplace on one side.

Find out more about Towers Road House ›

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Photo is by Taran Wilkhu

Knightsbridge Mews, UK, by Echlin

A grey L-shaped sofa and wooden cabinetry fold around the edge of this seating area, which architecture studio Echlin has sunk into the basement of a London mews house.

The space was introduced as part of a broken-plan layout, which loosely demarcates the lounge area from the kitchen behind it without creating individual rooms.

Find out more about Knightsbridge Mews ›

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Photo is by Scott Frances

Shore House, USA, by Leroy Street Studio

This sunken lounge sits on a semi-open deck that is enclosed by the open-plan lounge, kitchen and dining room at the Shore House in New York's Suffolk County.

It was designed by Leroy Street Studio as a space for the homeowners to host large parties and events and is complete with a large masonry hearth and fireplace surrounded by black ceramic tiles.

Find out more about Shore House ›

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Photo is by José Hevia

House on the Street, Spain, by Arquitectura-G

The lowered sofas in this conversation pit are covered in cushions that match the colour of the carpet at the House on the Street, a minimalist apartment in Barcelona by Arquitectura-G.

Sinking the lounge area helped to break up the apartment's open-plan interior and adds interest to the monochrome room.

Find out more about House on the Street ›

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Photo is by Nick Guttridge

House in Coombe Park, UK, by Eldridge London

This curved sunken lounge is situated in one wing of the House in Coombe Park, which studio Eldridge London created for a family on a verdant spot in Kingston-upon-Thames.

Distinguished by a transition from oak flooring to soft grey carpet, it is framed by a large bespoke sofa that follows its curves and is complete with a grey Bertoia Bird Chair by Knoll and a pair of Flower Tables by Swedese.

Find out more about House in Coombe Park ›

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Photo is by Andrew Ogilvy

Ritson Road, UK, by Gresford Architects

Gresford Architects planned this Victorian house extension in London around a sunken seating area that is lined with plush pink-velvet cushions.

Positioned alongside a winter garden and external terrace, it is designed for a cosy mid-century aesthetic. The velvet cushions match the coloured concrete that was used to construct the extension, which is exposed internally.

Find out more about Ritson Road ›

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Photo is by John Gollings

True North House, Australia, by Tandem

A conversation pit helps to break up the open-plan ground floor of the Truth North House, where there is also a kitchen, dining area and double-height atrium.

However, to create a sense of continuity between the spaces, they are all finished with the same grey terrazzo flooring and wooden wall panelling. The pit is completed with a curved grey sofa and a plywood cabinet.

Find out more about True North House ›

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Photo is by Damien Kook

River House, Australia, by Simon Pole and Annabel Dundas

Architect Simon Pole and graphic designer Annabel Dundas designed this small conversation pit for the guesthouse at their home on the bank of the Yarra River in Melbourne.

Accessed by four white steps, it is lined with wood and fitted out with grey cushions that set it apart from the dark grey floor tiles of the kitchenette beside it.

Find out more about River House ›

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing glass-block walls, modernist open-plan living rooms and homes with interior courtyards.

The post Ten residential interiors with cosy conversation pits appeared first on Dezeen.

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Chengdu's % Arabica cafe is designed to feel like "a small neighbourhood"

The buzzing ambience of Chengdu's Kuanzhai Alley has set the tone for this cafe by BLUE Architecture Studio, which is centred on a water-filled courtyard for people-watching.

Kuanzhai Alley is the collective name for three parallel roads running through downtown Chengdu, encompassing Kuan Alley, Zhai Alley and Jing Alley.

The % Arabica cafe is set in Chengdu's Kuanzhai Alley district

The trio of streets dates back to the Qing dynasty. But since the early 2000s, it has become populated with a number of trendy shops, bars, restaurants and cafes including % Arabica, which now occupies a former home.

Informed by these bustling streets, BLUE Architecture Studio designed the coffee brand's latest outpost to be "like a small neighbourhood where people can stroll and stay for a while".

The cafe's interior is designed to resemble a street

"We believe that a cafe provides more than just a drink," explained the studio. "More significantly, coffee provides opportunities for people to gather, communicate and fully experience the local urban culture."

"By extending the vibrant living and cultural atmosphere of the alley into the cafe, we renovated the site to make it a dynamic public space that provides a rich and solid experience," the studio added.

Grey bricks line the floor as well as forming benches and planters

A pavement-style pathway runs through % Arabica's meandering interior, formed from the same grey bricks that are ubiquitous to the Kuanzhai Alley area.

More of the bricks have been used to make the cafe's planters, as well as a few blocky benches that invite people to perch and chat.

Drinks are ordered and prepared at a counter towards the back of the cafe

Alternatively, customers can occupy slightly more private seating booths in one corner of the cafe, which are lined with handmade white bricks.

Orders can be placed at a huge white counter at the rear of the plan, conceived as a kind of "roadside shop" that customers stumble upon while strolling down the cafe's winding path.

Read:

BLUE Architecture Studio erects rocky columns inside Zolaism cafe in Aranya

At the centre of the building, BLUE Architecture Studio reinstated an open-air courtyard that the previous occupants had covered with a pitched roof.

Surrounded by glass panels, the new courtyard is filled with a bed of white pebbles and a shallow pool of water.

At the heart of the plan is a water-filled courtyard

Running around the perimeter of the space is a sequence of all-white counters and stools, allowing customers to people-watch while enjoying their coffee.

"The specific experience of seeing and being seen helps to enhance the interest of the space," said BLUE Architecture Studio.

"People can walk, rest and enjoy time freely in the cafe," the studio continued. "The vibrant scene stands for a reappearance of life from old Chengdu."

Seating around the courtyard lets customers people-watch

This isn't the first time that Beijing-based BLUE Architecture Studio has worked with % Arabica.

Back in 2020, the studio designed the coffee brand's Shanghai outpost as a U-shaped glass box so that visitors can observe the streets beyond.

The photography is by Zhi Xia.

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Marcel Wanders wraps Louis Vuitton Miami store in diamond facade

Dutch studio Marcel Wanders has created a white, patterned screen for a Louis Vuitton menswear store in Miami that was informed by the luxury brand's leatherwork and iconic monogram.

Located in the heart of the city's Design District, the store opened in December 2021 during Design Miami.

While the building and interior design were handled by the company's in-house team, the Amsterdam-based studio of Marcel Wanders created the exterior screen, dubbed the Diamond Facade.

Marcel Wanders created a latticed screen for the store

In addition to Miami's modernist architecture, the design draws upon an earlier product created by Marcel Wanders for Louis Vuitton – the Diamond Screen room divider, which is part of the brand's Objet Nomades collection. The partition was unveiled in 2017.

"At that time, we wanted to create, from a single hexagonal module, a standing room divider, as well as an entire hanging modular system that could be used as an interior feature for the LV store," said Gabriele Chiave, the design studio's creative director.

The design was informed by Louis Vuitton's iconic monogram

To conceive the module, the studio assessed the qualities comprising the LV brand and zeroed in on its leather craftsmanship – in particular, the leather straps on its iconic bags.

"With these straps, we began to explore shape to create a module," the studio said. "This is how the hexagonal module found in the pattern was created."

"It also refers to the Louis Vuitton star monogram in very elegant and subtle way," the studio added.

It has been dubbed the Diamond Facade

A series of modules were then connected with brass clips, similar to those found on Louis Vuitton bags and trunks, and the Diamond Screen was born.

"To summarise, starting with a bag strap, we created a module, which became a room divider, which then became a broader interior feature, and finally a large-scale architectural facade," the team said.

To construct the building screen, the team used laser-cut metal plates that are welded together. The panels are coloured white, which relates to the character of Miami and gives the store a fresh look, the team said.

Read:

Domani Architectural Concepts wraps real-estate centre in China with brick latticework

Rather than being a flat surface, the screen has a sculptural form, with several projecting window boxes that extend over the sidewalk below. This dynamic shape enhances the pattern and creates a sense of movement, said Chiave.

There is a 30-centimetre gap been the screen and the building's exterior wall, which results in an interesting play of light and shadow.

"When sunlight hits the building, the shadow of the metal facade drops into the wall, creating a shadow effect of the pattern," said Chiave. "This shadow creates a beautiful illusion of depth, or second skin."

At night, the building is brightly illuminated by internal light sources

At night, the building is brightly illuminated by internal light sources, which also produces a sense of depth.

This facade is the latest iteration of the Diamond Screen pattern. Louis Vuitton has used the design as partitions and backdrops in permanent stores and temporary installations.

The store opened in December 2021 during Design Miami

"Because of the essence of this pattern being rooted in the iconic Louis Vuitton monogram, as well as its connection to the beautiful leatherwork of the brand, it has become a relevant symbol for the conceptual visual communication of the brand," said Chiave.

The Miami store is the French fashion house's second freestanding menswear boutique, the other being in Tokyo. The artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear line was Virgil Abloh, who died last November of cancer at the age of 41.

Other Louis Vuitton locations include an Amsterdam boutique by UNStudio that
has bricks made of stainless steel and glass, a Seoul shop by Frank Gehry that is topped with sweeping glass "sails", and a Tokyo flagship store by Jun Aoki & Associates that has an undulating, pearlescent facade.

The photography is by Marcel Wanders.

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Unknown Architects embeds home in sand dunes on Dutch island

Dutch studio Unknown Architects has completed a cabin-like holiday home in the Netherlands with panoramic windows for looking out at the surrounding landscape of dunes and hills.

Aptly named House in the Dunes, the home has a steeply pitched roof and simple cross-laminated timber (CLT) and steel structure informed by the surrounding buildings in Terschelling in the Wadden Islands.

House in the Dunes is a holiday home on Terschelling island

While from a distance the dwelling looks like a simple single-storey cabin, Amsterdam-based Unknown Architects sunk the concrete base of the building into the dunes, creating an additional floor and a sheltered terrace space.

"The house aims to be modest and expressive," said the studio. "By making use of the terrain of the dunes we could make a larger lower ground floor where two bedrooms, a bathroom, storage and technical space are situated," it continued.

The dwelling is embedded into the sand dunes

The resulting building is a stack of three distinct levels – a concrete base, a central form of CLT and steel surrounded by panoramic wood-framed windows, and a steep, asymmetric pitched roof clad with Accoya wood planks.

These materials were chosen for ease of construction and the way that they will age and weather over time, meaning the window frames and roof planks will blend into the landscape as they slowly turn grey.

It is surrounded by panoramic windows

"The majority of the house is prefabricated to reduce construction time on site and limit the impact on the surrounding area," explained the studio.

"The elements of the pigmented concrete base have been cast in the factory, while the ground floor and roof construction are built out of CLT, making this the first CLT construction in Terschelling," it continued.

Read:

Beach house by Marc Koehler Architects is half submerged into a grassy dune

In House in the Dunes' plywood-lined living space, the high-pitched skylit ceiling and 360-degree views create the feeling of being in the landscape. A built-in bench sits beneath the windows wraps around the interior and doubles as storage.

A central wooden block demarcates the kitchen and bathrooms and separates them from the living area, while also creating a mezzanine level directly beneath the roof's skylight.

Its interiors are lined with plywood

House in the Dunes' large overhanging roof and demountable wooden shutters help to prevent overheating, aided by ventilation grills integrated into the timber window frames.

Below, the bedrooms, bathroom and entrance hall have been finished in white with smaller square windows framing views out onto the dunes.

Timber-framed windows capture views out onto the dunes

Unknown Architects was founded in 2012 by Daan Vulkers and Keimpke Zigterman. Previous projects by the studio include the renovation of an apartment block in Amsterdam, where red-painted steel columns have been used to open up a series of previously compact living spaces.

Another home that is embedded into the sand dunes of Terschelling is a beach cabin by Amsterdam-based studio Marc Koehler Architects, which has a crystalline form clad in a combination of glass and red cedar.

The photography is by MWA Hart Nibbrig.

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Project credits:

Architect: Unknown Architects
Contractor: Bouwbedrijf Kolthof
Engineer: H4D
Climate consultant: Adviesbureau VanderWeele
Cost consultant: Ingenieursbureau Multical

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Ten self-designed homes by architects and designers

For our latest lookbook, we've collected ten homes from the Dezeen archive that were self-designed by architects and designers including John Pawson, Sarah Wigglesworth and Alan Maskin.

From a two-storey apartment in New York City to a second home on the grounds of a former 17th-century farming complex, these homes offer interior inspiration and insights into how architects and designers take advantage of their knowledge when designing spaces for themselves.

This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous lookbooks feature interior home courtyards, modernist living rooms and spacious kitchen extensions.

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Photography is by Kalle Sanner

Villa Timmerman, Sweden, by Andreas Lyckefors and Josefine Wikholm

Designed by Swedish architect couple Andreas Lyckefors and Josefine Wikholm, Villa Timmerman is a home in the south of Gothenburg, Sweden.

The couple developed the site into two separate properties, one of which would be sold to fund the build. Lyckefors and Wikholm created identical floorplans and lined the exterior of each home with a decorative timber lattice.

Inside, the architect-couple added ash panels across the walls of the ground floor to create a streamlined and peaceful wooden interior.

Find out more about Villa Timmerman ›

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Photography is by Lara Swimmer

Little House/Big Shed, US, by David Van Galen

As per its name, Little House/Big Shed is comprised of a main cabin that houses the living areas, and a smaller volume which is used by US architect David Van Galen as a studio and guest quarters.

Van Galen wrapped the exterior of the structures in Corten steel panels, while windows and architectural features were trimmed in cedar framing the alder and Douglas fir trees outside.

Inside the home, an open-plan interior features plenty of wood-detailing and neutral hues have been combined with colourful details, like the warm red sofa at the centre of the room.

Find out more about Little House/Big Shed ›

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Photography is by Kevin Scott

Logan Pavilion, US, by Eric Logan

This self-designed home by Eric Logan of CLB Architects was originally built for his family in 1997. Logan renovated Logan Pavilion in Wyoming in 2021, adding a steel gabled roof and a new open-plan kitchen.

The low-lying structure boasts an open-plan living arrangement under the newly added corrugated cold-rolled sheet steel roof that was left exposed throughout the living areas.

The house's slight industrial feel is underlined by its oiled concrete floors and engineered-wood wall panelling.

Find out more about Logan Pavilion ›

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Photography is by Gilbert McCarragher

Home Farm, UK, by John Pawson

Built within a 17th-century farming complex in the Cotswolds, British designer John Pawson converted the former farming building into a family home for himself.

Pawson fitted out the home with minimalist furniture and employed a simple material palette of elm, lime plaster, and concrete. His own taste influences all his projects, he told Dezeen.

"I think of myself when I'm designing houses for other people," he said. "I guess people come to me because maybe they like what I do."

Find out more about Home Farm ›

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Photography is by Ivan Jones

Stock Orchard Street, UK, by Sarah Wigglesworth

Architect Sarah Wigglesworth completed an overhaul of her RIBA Sustainability Award-winning Stock Orchard Street home in London to renew its energy efficiency and age-proof its interiors.

The house was designed to try out green technologies and unusual building materials and has insulation made from straw bales and walls made from materials including sandbags, recycled concrete and railway sleepers.

Its warm, light interior shows how beautiful sustainable architecture can be.

Find out more about Stock Orchard Street ›

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Photography is by Amit Geron

Suspended Patio House, Tel Aviv, by  3322 Studio

Designed by the founder of 3322 Studio for himself and his family, this concrete home in Tel Aviv accommodates the changing needs of the founders' young sons.

It is arranged around the voids in its boxy concrete frame and boasts a large open plan design across its three storeys. The voids in the frame allow light and air to filter and circulate through the multiple levels.

In the open-plan living space, full-height glazing connects the interior with the outdoors.

Find out more about Suspended Patio House ›

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Photography is by Trevor Mein and Sharyn Cairns

Kew Residence, Australia, by John Wardle Architects

Clad in Victorian ash across the floors and ceilings, architect John Wardle of John Wardle Architects designed this Australian home for him and his wife with the aim of creating a "cocoon."

In the cosy living room, Wardle added spaces that could be used to better display his art collection, including wooden shelves and wood plinths.

Find out more about Suspended Patio House ›

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Photography is by Aaron Lietz

Agate Pass Cabin, US, by Alan Maskin

Olson Kundig Architects principal Alan Maskin renovated and extended a 1938 beach cabin in Washington State to function as a personal retreat.

Maskin added a first-floor extension to the cabin, which was fitted with floor-to-ceiling windows at the gable end providing views out to the nearby water. The interior retained its original Douglas fir panelling, while Glulam plywood lines the walls across the new extension.

Find out more about Agate Pass Cabin ›

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Photography is by Dylan Chandler courtesy of Crosby Studios

New York apartment, US, by Harry Nuriev

Grey tiles and purple carpeting cover the walls and floors of this New York City apartment renovation by Crosby Studios founder Harry Nuriev and partner Tyler Billinger.

Nuriev and Billinger used bright purple and muted grey colours, geometric shapes and textural materials to add their own personal style to the two-storey NoLita apartment.

Find out more about the New York apartment ›

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Photography is by Cristóbal Palma

Casa SS, Chile, by Pablo Saric and Cristian Winckler


Casa SS is a single-storey home located 85 metres away from the coastline of Canela in Chile. Designed by architects Pablo Saric and Cristian Winckler
 for Saric and his young family, the home adopts a minimalist style.

Vertical slats of blackened pine clads the exterior while the interior is blanketed in white with minimalist, clean finishings. Large glass sliding doors flank the length of the kitchen and dining area and open up to connect with the dramatic coast.

Find out more about Casa SS ›

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing modernist living rooms, original hotel bathrooms and spacious kitchen extensions.

The post Ten self-designed homes by architects and designers appeared first on Dezeen.

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