Collection by Kelsey Keith
Innovative Ceilings That Break the Mold
In the past few months, Dwell has published a bevy of buildings sporting show-stopping and technically complicated ceilings, proving that innovative design doesn't just happen at eye level.
The three-by-12-inch porcelain pieces are inspired by the industrial wood floors of the 1970s, but are of the moment thanks to their subtle grain pattern and versatile applications.
In the open living and dining room of a hillside family home in Japan, Eames shell chairs surround a custom walnut table by Kagura. The upholstered seating is by Arflex. The architect, Masahiro Harada of Mount Fuji Architects Studio, also designed the custom kitchen island and stove vent.
The Bristol stool on the second story landing is by Modern Home.
The house's triangle pattern is also visible in the skylight hovering over the double-height main space. The ceiling beams are designed to resemble a honeycomb..
The living room sports a panoply of wood: Douglas fir for the ceiling, hemlock for the walls, and stained oak for the floor. The sofa is the Neo model by Bensen and the rug is vintage.
The interior courtyard is a simple cave-like space with slits and fractures along the Qiblah wall that allow daylight into the prayer hall.
Katrina Manzo explains the pair’s 44-square-foot mobile prototype as “both reductive and luxurious.” Its automotive structure is assembled in-house from the studio’s own kit of parts, with help from CNC milling which Manzo says “marries precision and consistency with the capacity to manufacture in small volumes.”