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Dutch practice Unknown Architects has given this 20th-century home in Leiden, the Netherlands, an understated overhaul to draw attention to its historic quirks.

Corner House sits on the bend of a residential street in the Burgemeesterswijk neighbourhood. Originally built in the early 1900s, the three-storey property has since undergone a number of renovations that obscured its original decor details.

Amsterdam-based practice Unknown Architects has revamped the home to “celebrated its core qualities” for its owners – a family of four who hail from the UK. The refurbishment is designed to suit the comfort requirements of one of the parents who suffers from a chronic illness, and often has limited physical movement.

“The house has been designed to be their home for the future, so we worked on integrating supports throughout the house to make everything as natural as possible,” Daan Vulkers, co-founder of Unknown Architects, told Dezeen.

The practice decided to make a series of small interventions that wouldn’t compromise the 160 square-metre home’s existing layout, in which all the rooms are organised around an unusual pentagon-shaped hall.

An opening has been created between the dining and living area, in attempt to re-establish the ground floor’s original open-plan layout. The sides of the new doorway have integrated shelving units that can be pulled out to display the inhabitant’s books or ornaments.

Suspended ceilings that were previously in both rooms have been torn down to reveal ornate stucco work. The architect has also restored the stained-glass panels on the home’s front facade, and inserted full-height windows on the rear elevation to allow more natural light into the interiors.

“This approach, which is sometimes restrained and other times daring, aims to add a new layer to the history of the building,” said the practice.

Colour and material palettes have been kept simple throughout, with a majority of the walls painted white and paired with oak herringbone floors.

Sage green panelling has been introduced on the landing of the first floor to camouflage the client’s stairlift.

Upstairs, a mezzanine level has been knocked through to connect the second floor to the attic and create bright, airy quarters for the client’s two children. The room is now centred by a simple pinewood volume, which contains a bathroom – this also acts as separation between each child’s bedroom.

A timber partition has also been erected to outline a common play area.

Unknown Architects is led by Daan Vulkers and Keimpke Zigterman. Back in 2014, the practice updated a 200-year-old home in Leiden by adding a handful of built-in furnishings and a white twisting staircase.

Photography is by MWA Hart Nibbrig.

Project credits:

Architect: Unknown Architects
Projects architects: Daan Vulkers and Keimpke Zigterman
Contractor: Basd Interieur
Interior fit-out: Houtwerk Delft
Furnishing: Just Haasnoot

The post Unknown Architects reveals original details of home in the Netherlands appeared first on Dezeen.

The YD Design Storm takes a look at products, services, and spaces that are storming the internet. The idea? To turn internet-storming material into brainstorming material! Scroll down for our collection of handpicked works from design websites, portfolios, and social media. Get inspired, save projects, pin images, or share links with fellow design enthusiasts!

Today’s YD Storm comes from the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin. With more than 2000 exhibitors, and companies flocking from all over the world to showcase the newest products and lineups, the IFA is a melting pot of great technology and great design, so what better place to find stuff that’s storming the internet and our minds??

Watch this space for your digest of design brain-fodder… and an ever-evolving map of design trends!

Huawei Matebook X Pro‘s innovative webcam placement.

Kinetic Decor by Swift Creatives wins Samsung’s TV Ambient Mode Design Competition.

Nubia‘s Smartwatch features a flexible display that runs along the length of the band.

Motorola‘s Sphere speaker acts as a dock and contact charger for its headphones.

Pininfarina showcases its H2 concept car.

Google‘s massive gumball machine delivers free gifts to its players.

Miele‘s induction cooktop comes with a concave design that perfectly fits its wok.

Vestel‘s colorful showcase grabs all eyes with the vibrant hues and retro designing.

Norwegian DJ and music producer Kygo shows up to promote his fashion/music-accessories brand Kygo Life.

AEG’s Ultrasonic Stain Removal Pen literally erases stains from clothes.

I’m usually of the opinion that controls on a luxury product are by far the most difficult thing to design. Imagine making a $2000 hi-fi stereo system, and your volume knob juts out of the speaker, looking positively ghastly… or the on/off switch doesn’t go with the overall design. Control panels are usually the functional aspect of products like consumer electronics, and just like the rest of the product, they need to be aesthetic too. That’s where the challenge usually lies, but designer Michael Anastassiades seems to have found a way to defeat the problem. The Beosound Edge is a circular speaker, but it’s also a control panel in itself, because the circular speaker is literally the volume knob.

Unveiled at the IFA in Berlin this week, the Beosound Edge looks positively like any Bang and Olufsen speaker, with its simplified form, and use of appropriate materials… except for one detail. The circular speaker literally rotates, acting as a volume knob. Designed to be sat on the floor or mounted on a wall, the Edge comes with a small, virtually invisible base which stays constant while the speaker itself rotates, increasing or decreasing the amplitude of the music as a result. With a brushed metal rim and a black fabric front, the speaker even goes far as resembling a control knob. The speaker doesn’t rotate a complete 360°, but rather works like a pitch-bend wheel on a keyboard. Rotating a couple of degrees, before resuming its original position… and while I’d have loved to see a speaker that did a full 360° turn, the fact that the Beosound Edge pays this much attention to a small yet significant detail, possibly glorifying to the greatest extent, is just amazing!

Designer: Michael Anastassiades for Bang and Olufsen

Brazilian firm Solo Arquitetos has designed its own office, where plywood shelves divide the space, and accents of yellow and green enliven the simple studio.

The office is located on the top floor of a four-storey building in the downtown area of Curitiba, Brazil.

Overlooking a tree-lined street, the workplace features floor-to-ceiling windows across its front facade, with frames that have been painted yellow.

Solo Arquitetos designed its studio to feel cosy and natural, while honouring original details of the old space. “In a sense, our office is also our home,” said the studio. “It is the result of a process, a story, and personal reflection of six young architects.”

The space comprises a large open-plan room filled with various work desks, alongside a room for meetings.

“The construction of our space results from several conditioning factors and pleasant coincidences,” said Solo Arquitetos. “We did not make a detailed and delimited project for the office.”

Dividing the office is a large plywood bookshelf, that can be seen through on either side.

“We did not propose any kind of skin between the main spaces, in order to propose a wide and free work atmosphere,” the firm said. “Even the meeting room is segregated by a dividing and glazed shelf, promoting visual communication between spaces.”

A foyer and sitting area is positioned at the entrance, with a small kitchen to the left and reception desk to the right. Restrooms are found on either side.

The bright and spacious room retains the dark parquet flooring made from imbuia wood.

Other existing details that were kept include pillars and a feature wall of raw brick, which was painted white.

Plywood features predominantly in the office, used for shelving, drafting tables, and under-desk storage.

Adding colour to the pared-back space, green lights overhead resemble vintage metal barn pendants. These subtle bright splashes match the site’s lush surroundings, as well as the various indoor potted plants.

Solo Arquitetos was formed in 2015 by six architects, who had worked together at different offices and on competition entries since 2010. The firm has also completed an office in the city for lumber company Frank Madeiras, with light wood and black accents.

The post Plywood and plants feature in Solo Arquitetos’ studio in Brazil appeared first on Dezeen.