1. ADD A PORTHOLE TO STAIRCASES
A yellow porthole was incorporated into the stairwell joinery of a project by Gundry + Ducker to create a connection between the spaces, as well as a charming design detail.
2. BORROW LIGHT WHILE RETAINING PRIVACY
In a New York apartment, Home Studios used curved windows with an opaque finish to borrow light from the main living areas and hallway for the smaller rooms, such as the guest bathroom, where privacy is key.
3. MAKE AN OPENING FLEXIBLE FOR YOUR NEEDS
In creating an extra bedroom in a small side addition to this home, Craig Hutchinson, founder of Hutch Design, realised they could make the space feel larger with a bi-folding wall opening that can be left open when the room is not in use.
4. REINVENT THE SERVING HATCH
In the kitchen of a London home, Yellow Cloud Studio reimagined the 70s classic of a serving hatch with a timber volume inserted between the cabinetry and the adjacent dining room.
5. CONSIDER SLIDING DOORS
Kitchen makers Uncommon Projects came up with a clever way to create a flexible connection between a kitchen and the wider open plan space. ;When the client approached us, they thought they would have to keep the kitchen enclosed with the existing wall, separating it from the stairs,' says Alan Drumm, co-founder of Uncommon Projects.
6. ADD AN INTERNAL WINDOW TO A MEZZANINE
In turning a house into a community living project, architects Selencky Parsons looked to create connected spaces, which included an internal window looking down from a mezzanine level on the open plan kitchen.
7. INCREASE THE SENSE OF SPACE
In this home, an internal volume of ply creates a backdrop for the kitchen diner, with arched cut outs which expand the sense of space. 'A curved motif repeats throughout defining internal windows, doors and alcoves that display valued family objects,' Nimi Attanayake, cofounder of NimTim Architects, tells us. 'The internal glazing allows light to transfer between the spaces as well as allowing connection throughout the ground floor layout. The glazed elements are constructed using fire safety glass,' Nimi adds.
8. RE-CONSIDER YOUR LAYOUT
Working around the existing bones of this Tel-Aviv apartment meant an awkward gap between the kitchen and dining space. Instead of leaving it as a walkway, its designers extended the kitchen out, but kept the reveal.
9. CONNECT ADJOINING ROOMS
With a seven step drop between the front and rear of a Victorian property, creating a connection between the two spaces, while concealing a maze of plumbing pipes, was the biggest challenge.