Living

Architect Tamira Sawatzky used Ikea components—one-inch Lagan butcher block countertops and inexpensive Ekby Lerberg brackets—when designing the bookshelves along the living room wall in the home/studio he designed for himself and his wife in Toronto.

The kitchen now features a seating area featuring a Moooi Container table, Hay chairs and a banquette upholstered in a crimson fabric by Kvadrat. The pendant is by &Tradition.

The Bestor Architecture team transformed the kitchen with a more open layout finished with a green zellige tile backsplash from Clé and a lavender laminate on the island. “It’s a color combination you don’t see every day,” admits Campbell. “But playing with jewel tones and a pastel and integrating a punchier, bright color at the banquette just felt right. We liked how they were in conversation with one another.”

Philippe often hosts family and friends, whether for a weekend or a glass of champagne. The second floor has a guest bedroom, while downstairs a sleeper sofa from Bo Concept and various seating areas make space for all.

In the living room, corner glazing helps blur the line between inside and out. The sofa is by Minotti and the coffee table is by Jake Szymanski. The lounge chair is Finn Juhl.

Architect Amanda Gunawan’s 1,620-square-foot Biscuit Loft in Downtown L.A. is awash in gentle light. Designed by French-born, Missouri-based architect E.J. Eckel in 1925, the building had been converted by Aleks Istanbullu Architect in 2006 into a live/work complex. Amanda introduced Japanese-inspired touches to soften the industrial language. The harmonious living room features a CB2 sofa, white Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, Knoll Wassily Chair, and a rug and timber bench from Zara Home.

The proscenium bookshelves create a subtle divide between the living room and library, doubling as both a functional storage space and a showcase for the family’s extensive book collection.

In this compact Barcelona apartment, the original brick wall remains, but a slim oak panel backsplash has been inserted.

A George Nakashima chair sits in the corner office off the stair landing.

Plants, an upholstered sofa, and a wood console, chair, and coffee table supply warmth and texture in the understated living area.