Interior Materials Get Special Effects Treatment
For truly standout home interiors, forgo painted drywall in favor of unusual materials and eye-catching designs like these
Interior surfaces — walls, floors, ceilings — are often thought of as simple canvases on which other materials are applied; painted drywall is the most obvious example. But the following photos show that more substantial materials can be used inside to create special surfaces and spaces within a house. Ultimately the focus is on the effects created through their articulation, not on the materials themselves.
Related story: Exterior Materials: Texture Talk
Related story: Exterior Materials: Texture Talk
OK, what is this? An outlet cover gone crazy? It's actually a freestanding screen that acts as a guardrail on one side of a stair. The next photo shows it in context.
Designed by Schwartz and Architecture with consultant SUM, the screen is a billowing plastic wall whose expression was certainly formed using computers. Different-size rectangular openings are worked into a grid that undulates to create a vertical counterpoint to the wood treads.
Think porosity between a stair and other parts of the house requires complex design and consultants to pull it off? Not necessarily, as this simple wall with spaced slats illustrates. I could see the spacing of the slats varied to add interest and to allow more light and views between the stair and the adjacent room.
Also by Schwartz and Architecture is this bathroom renovation, an all-white environment that receives some texture in the form of bowed tiles in the shower. The matching grout gives the walls a distinctive monolithic appearance.
A similar monolithic appearance is found in this wall faced in stone with tiles offset in a relief pattern. The potential for shadows is accentuated by the floor lights installed next to the wall.
I've always been a fan of exterior materials showing up indoors. Such is the case with the cement-board panels in this house by Resolution: 4 Architecture, where an exterior volume is clad in the material. The other exterior surface is wood, echoed in the handrail that is propped upon a white metal bracket fastened to the panels.
Learn more about cement boards
Learn more about cement boards
In this mid-20th-century renovation by Cast architecture, I like the juxtaposition of old wood and new handrail and bracket. Both new pieces are articulated with boxy edges, fitting into the house's modern style.
At just shy of 8,000 square feet, there is plenty of room in the Curved House for Hufft Projects to experiment with materials. One of the more unique applications is this etched and cut-steel box-out. I'm not sure what purpose it serves — a radiator cover comes to mind — but it sure is lovely.
Corrugated metal on the inside? Yes, indeed. Brennan + Company Architects created an interior "street" in this renovation of an old alley house. The corrugated metal is juxtaposed with other materials to let each room off the hallway stand out.
Continuing with metal, here is an addition by jones | haydu that throws steel into its otherwise wood and drywall palette. Steel grating is used for the second-floor hallway, allowing light to filter down to the lower level and make the addition more spacious. Just wipe your shoes before you walk on it.
Built-ins are a great opportunity to do interesting things with materials, especially where we interact with them. The gaps in these closet doors are simple, yet they clearly say, "Pull here."
The color and texture of these wood cabinets are quite rich. But what stands out is how the construction was carefully planned so the grain continues across the different panels. Horizontal reveals follow the direction of the grain, both countered by the projecting pulls in the lower portion of the panels.
My ideabook on exterior materials ended with Mell Lawrence's cast-in-place concrete studio, so this one does the same, illustrating how the exterior and interior finishes are basically identical. While the scaly texture from outside is flattened inside, the horizontal lines and the various holes are consistent, furthering the impression that the studio is carved from a monolithic solid.
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Today's Concrete: Warm and Wonderful
More:
Inspiring Materials: Slate Tile
Today's Concrete: Warm and Wonderful