Designed by Pedra Líquida (Liquid Stone), Casa do Conto (House of Tales) began over three years ago, however a fatal fire interrupted the project in March 2009. The owner and the architects went on to complete the hotel and subsequently collect several design awards in 2011. I am particularly intrigued by the interesting approach to ceiling design – covering six separate rooms, each ceiling is engraved with text that narrates a little story. Each quote was created by a different author, and related to the city and its architecture. These six “tales” were spatially organised by the architects and designed by graphic designers from R2 Design.

BUT… there’s always a (big) but somewhere. Once I get over the cool-town ceiling, part of me starts to feel like this interior is a bit of a missed opportunity…

I decided to dig into my archives today to share with you a beautifully executed workplace interior in Amsterdam. Why? Because I felt like it. And also because I was doing some personal research which made me think this little gem deserved it’s own 5 minutes in the sun. Besides, I’ve declared war on shitty commercial interiors, specifically workplace interiors, a little while ago, and feel like I am on a bit of a mission to always share a good example whenever I see one.

Anyway…! This office was designed by Dutch firm Origins Architecture for a creative studio OneSize, and completed a year ago. This is such a clever solution for an office which required a series of separate spaces without introducing (too many) solid walls. Freestanding timber structure subdivides the open area, and separates meeting from projection room and open studio space…

Smooth, minimalist, organic, seductive, harmonious, futuristic… These are just some of the words which come to mind when looking at the images of St Hilaire Church designed by Paris based Mathieu Lehanneur. These words are not exactly the type I would usually associate with architecture of religious buildings, but you see – there’s always a first for everything.

Mathieu has created a space which sits comfortably somewhere between the past, the present and the future, where tradition and technology interact, and the original and the new exist in perfect harmony – alabaster amber and original sandstone look like a match made in heaven. The result is unexpected, almost bizarre, yet it feels really comfortable, natural, ceremonial and – above all – very beautiful…

Named after its façades filled with greenery, ‘Stacking Green’ was designed by Vo Trong Nghia for a for a thirty-year-old couple and their mother. The house is located in Saigon, a chaotic city in Vietnam with one of the highest population densities in the world, on a block of land which measures only 4m in width and 20m in length. The front and back façades are constructed of layers of concrete planters cantilevered from two side walls…

01 | Nerding Out on Shit Hot Ceilings | Part 1. 02 | Nerding Out on Shit Hot Ceilings | Part 2. 03 | I Think I’m Turning Japanese… 04 | Thin Black Lines. 05 | Inspiration Cloud. 06 | Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend. Apparently. 07 | Library Spaces. 08 | Fashion Photography vs Amazing Interiors | Take 2. 09 | Fashion Photography vs Amazing Interiors | Take 3 (Black & White Edition).