Design-Milk

Moving from a large villa into a 1300-square-foot apartment might seem like a loss, but this apartment in Stavanger, Norway, designed by interior architect Gudbjørg Simonsen for a couple in their early 50s, treats the reduction as a design opportunity rather than a constraint. The result is an interior organized around subtraction, where the discipline of limitation becomes the design language itself.

Photography by Arne Bru Haug

The clearest evidence is in how storage is handled. Rather than furnishing the rooms with cabinets and wardrobes, Simonsen absorbed storage into the architecture, running integrated volumes along the central circulation so that the corridor doubles as infrastructure. The approach recalls Danish designer Kaare Klint’s emphasis on storage tailored to everyday use, though here the idea is expressed through sleek Poliform joinery. The wardrobe becomes less an object in the room than an extension of the walls.

Photography by Arne Bru Haug

The living room, dining area, and kitchen occupy a single open volume along the park-facing facade, while the two bedrooms and bathrooms sit deeper in the plan. What makes it work is that the apartment carries no visual debt: There is no freestanding bookcase, no sideboard, no accumulation of the containers a larger house permits. Every object that remains earns its place.

Photography by Arne Bru Haug

Simonsen describes the apartment as “suite-like,” drawing on the hotel suite’s carefully considered balance of comfort and restraint. Having recently downsized from a large villa, the owners embraced an interior that prioritizes atmosphere over abundance, with lighting and furnishings by Bocci, Ochre, and Apparatus contributing to its calm, residential feel.

Photography by Arne Bru Haug

In Studio City, a Los Angeles neighborhood known for its blend of privacy and lush greenery, sits a modern sanctuary. Here, architecture, landscape, and interiors were conceived to strengthen the connection between nature and residential space. Designed by Shlomi Sfadia of SLS Properties with architecture by Avi Galili and landscape design by Studio Elico, the home evokes the feeling of a private retreat—despite being a full-time residence.

Photography by Nils Timm

A two-level home with roughly 5,550 square feet of interior space, Obsidian House was conceptualized to maximize the relationship between interior living and the surrounding landscape. Its showstopping kitchen is anchored by an impressive 24-foot indoor planter, while the open-plan main living area flows seamlessly between the kitchen, dining, and lounge spaces. Large glazing panels and sliding doors reinforce the home’s spatial flow, allowing natural light and greenery to extend deep into the interior.

Photography by Nils Timm

For Sfadia, the 24-foot planter shaped the early stages of the design process. “I wanted nature to be more than something you looked at through a window; I wanted it to become part of the architecture itself,” he says. “It became the heart of the house, reinforcing the feeling that you’re living within a garden rather than simply next to one.” Once the central planter was established, it influenced every subsequent design decision.

Photography by Nils Timm

In direct contrast to the bright hues typical of Southern California properties, Obsidian House’s color story aptly reflects its name. Deep charcoals and muted wood tones lend the residence a quiet drama, while limestone and layered greenery add livability and warmth. The palette creates depth and permanence, complemented by rich materials and textured finishes suited to the surrounding climate.

Photography by Nils Timm

Charred wood cladding, lava stone, limestone, and textured finishes were selected for their raw, tactile qualities, helping connect the home to its natural setting. Prioritizing material resilience and the ability to develop visual richness over time, the design team opted for organic finishes and climate-appropriate materials.

“Throughout the day, the house changes with the light,” Sfadia says. “It’s a home that reveals itself over time, rather than all at once.”

Photography by Nils Timm

Studio Elico founder Eli Bahar led the landscape design, helping transform the house into an inviting oasis where nature is not merely decorative but seamlessly extends into the architecture. Vegetation and landscape elements are woven throughout the property, refining the home’s sculptural forms and contributing to the space’s sensory dialogue.

Photography by Nils Timm

Bahar says that the collaboration between Avi Galili and SLS Properties was continuous from the earliest stages of the project. “We carefully coordinated planter locations, tree placements, views, lighting, and circulation so that the landscape became an extension of the architecture,” he explains. “Every space was designed to be experienced as one unified environment rather than separate disciplines.”

Photography by Nils Timm

The challenge was to create impact through atmosphere and material consistency rather than through spectacle. From conception to completion, the project took 18 months, resulting in a two-level residence with five bedrooms and six baths.

Obsidian House prioritizes fluidity and connection through its open-plan living areas. Outdoor patios create a seamless dialogue between exterior and interior spaces, while the kitchen’s indoor planter transforms a functional environment into a living tableau. Outfitted with a floating sink and a mirror positioned against a floor-to-ceiling window, the powder room integrates greenery directly into its material composition. A dedicated media room adds a sense of quiet intimacy to the home.

Photography by Nils Timm

The transitions throughout the house, from intimate spaces to light-filled courtyards, were designed by Avi Galili with great intention. “I’m most proud of the restraint,” he says. “It’s easy to create dramatic architecture by adding more, but much harder to create it through proportion, materiality, and carefully choreographed spaces.” The architecture creates moments where nature is not observed from a distance but experienced as part of daily life.

Photography by Nils Timm

Together, the interiors, architecture, and landscape design create a stunning oasis for Southern California living, creating a quiet retreat from the surrounding city. From the moment of arrival, natural materials, filtered light, water, and lush planting create an immediate sense of calm. As Sfadia says: “If someone walks in and immediately feels like they’re on vacation without knowing exactly why, then the design has done its job.”

Photography by Nils Timm

In the rapidly densifying landscape of Toronto, where a growing array of boisterous architectural statement pieces compete for attention, a new home designed by interior designer Gillian Gillies stands as a welcome reprieve. Sustainability, so often associated with clinical engineering, soaring towers, expansive campuses, and stark, performance-driven aesthetics, is here reimagined as a “warm embrace.” Located in the upmarket “urban village” neighborhood of Leaside, the Net Zero Ready Home project proves that advanced environmental stewardship and joyful, idiosyncratic interiors can coexist.

Photography by Doublespace Photography

The project is the result of a tight collaboration between Gillian Gillies (the designer’s eponymous practice), Dewson Architects, and builders Cliff & Evans. While the technical foundation is rooted in passive house principles—featuring meticulously tested air and moisture control layers to ensure a consistent year-round temperature—the sensory quality of the home is defined by texture, color, and family connection. “Comfort was paramount,” Gillies says, “and that meant a home that was properly constructed as well as [comfortable furniture].”

Photography by Doublespace Photography

Gillies, originally from Edinburgh, brings a sensibility rooted in the permanence of neoclassical and Georgian architecture, translated here through a palette of natural materials including white oak, walnut, and wool. Each room is tailored to its intended function, while bold floral wallcoverings and textured tile add personality. Rather than the sterile “newness” typical of contemporary high-performance homes, the interiors embrace deliberate juxtaposition.

Photography by Doublespace Photography

“We don’t perfectly match textiles,” Gillies explains. “Instead, we like a little bit of tension, a little bit of a mismatch that makes the home feel more settled.”

This philosophy is most evident in the communal spaces, where the design explicitly fosters human interaction. A double-sided sofa in the living room invites simultaneous yet distinct modes of engagement. A floating box window seat in the foyer provides a quiet nook for reflection. The color story—a grounding base of greens and blues punctuated by vibrant flashes of yellow and red—mirrors the family’s love of travel and the natural world.

Photography by Doublespace Photography

Throughout the four-story structure, strategically placed architectural and decorative lighting shapes the mood. A Lutron HomeWorks system seamlessly transitions the atmosphere from energetic to intimate. Sculptural pendants from Montreal-based boutique producers Lambert & Fils and Gabriel Scott add a layer of contemporary craft. Vintage Brazilian furniture and Oaxacan woven baskets reinforce the space’s warm, tactile quality.

Photography by Doublespace Photography

Ultimately, this Toronto home stands as a testament to the idea that thoughtful architecture can improve everyday life. By prioritizing the wellbeing of both the planet and a specific family, Gillies created a structure that does more than just store carbon; it’s a space that holds life in all its complexity.

“We create homes to be lived in and not simply looked at,” she says. In striking this careful balance, the designer has created a home that will undoubtedly last through the generations.

Photography by Doublespace Photography

Retail stores often take a more-is-more approach, filling their spaces with an overwhelming array of goods, so when one has just the right combination of products and aesthetic appeal, it can give the retailer an edge. That’s what MUJI in Cambridge, Massachusetts, banked on.

In North America, the Japanese company is evolving from a purveyor of stationery into a full lifestyle retailer. For its new location in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, Mapos Architects, in collaboration with ACTWO Architects, was tasked with renovating the Design Research building in Harvard Square—in just 10 weeks.

Photography by Gunnar Glueck, Flaunt Boston.

When the Design Research building opened in 1969, it served as a showcase for architect Ben Thompson’s shop, which included European and Scandinavian housewares. For the MUJI revamp, the architects took a deliberately light-touch approach, revealing rather than replacing the building’s defining architectural elements.

“We uncovered the existing textures to leverage what was already there and bring back the original beauty of the space,” says Colin Brice, co-founder and partner at Mapos Architects.

Photography by Gunnar Glueck, Flaunt Boston.

With a lightness not typical of the period, the structure boasts a balance of concrete and glass curtain walls, forming a jewel-box-like setting that feels surprisingly contemporary and welcoming.

“It’s really an exceptional example of Brutalist architecture and how open it can be,” explains Caleb Mulvena, co-founder of Mapos Architects and partner in charge of the project. “The entire storefront opens to the community, and customers can start shopping from the street as they look in.”

Photography by Gunnar Glueck, Flaunt Boston.

Enhancements begin at the entry, where brick flooring retains its patina, complemented by upgraded lighting and ceilings. Concrete columns, concrete masonry walls, and floating staircases were exposed to add character to the interior. White and gray tones are paired with accents of green and MUJI’s signature red. Accent walls made of locally sourced heart pine introduce warmth and align with the brand’s commitment to sustainable reuse.

Photography by Gunnar Glueck, Flaunt Boston.

Set across four levels, the 12,000-square-foot store encourages easy movement through an expansive, emporium-like layout. In the top-floor café, shoppers will find a robot barista, introducing a hospitality-inspired experience that reflects MUJI’s growing emphasis on stores as destinations rather than simply places to shop.

“It was really about leaning into the space as we found it,” Mulvena adds. “By keeping our touch light, we were able to celebrate these features.”

It is this simplicity, rather than ostentation, that makes the greatest impact. As the first step in MUJI’s broader North American evolution, the Cambridge location demonstrates how thoughtful restoration can reinforce a brand’s identity.

Photography by Gunnar Glueck, Flaunt Boston.

MUJI Harvard Square is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays) at 48 Brattle Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Chai keeps its own time. Milk climbs to a boil while tea and spices steep loose in the pot, and the strength shows itself in color, deepening shade by shade until the foam begins to rise. The traditional method of making chai demands attention; it’s a process that has changed very little over time. Dostea, a compact countertop chai maker, was designed to preserve that ritual while bringing the process down to the push of a button.

Photography courtesy of Analogy Design

In 2021, the UK startup behind Dostea engaged Analogy Design, an industrial design studio in India whose portfolio spans housewares and consumer electronics. Together, they took the beverage appliance from concept to product readiness. What Analogy set out to protect was the character of the drink itself while creating an appliance that people would want to leave on the counter, rather than hide away.

“Our goal wasn’t to simplify the ritual but to preserve what people love about it while making it more intuitive for modern kitchens,” says Divya Rao, co-founder of Analogy.

The Analogy Design team built the first prototype. Photography courtesy of Analogy Design.

While coffee has inspired generations of dedicated equipment—from espresso machines to pour-over systems—chai has largely remained a stovetop ritual involving multiple utensils, constant attention, and personal technique. Analogy worked without a template, arriving at a restrained form that combines warm color, material, and finish choices with detailing that references both Indian craft traditions and contemporary European minimalism. Its minimal controls reflect the familiarity of a drink made every day.

“We wanted the product to feel rooted in the warmth and familiarity of chai while introducing a clean, contemporary aesthetic,” Rao adds.

Working on a cardboard prototype of Dostea. Photography courtesy of Analogy Design.

Inside, the mechanism was engineered alongside the shell, its part count pared down to fit the small footprint. The harder work was upstream of the hardware. “One of the biggest challenges was ensuring users could still customize their tea, whether that’s the strength, milk ratio, or brewing style, without losing the convenience of one-touch operation,” Rao explains. The machine preserves that flexibility, letting each household keep its own version of the cup.

Analogy led the project from industrial design through product development and manufacturing planning, shaping not only how Dostea works but how it fits into contemporary kitchens.

Photography courtesy of Analogy Design

To learn more about the project and its launch timeline, visit Analogy Design or follow the studio on Instagram.