Terrazzo touches trickle through a fearless yellow and white apartment decor scheme in Beijing, designed by MDDM Studio. The adventurous scheme continues over two floors of this 300 square metre family apartment, which is part of a five-storey residential building, and also has a roof terrace (stay tuned for floor plans at the end of the article). ‘House P’ was designed to offer vibrant open plan living spaces that would reflect the personality and positive energy of the young family, in a colour that will create warm light throughout the day. The yellow walls meet with stark white elements to freshen and balance, whilst pops of red and turquoise add extra punch.
Walking into the yellow living room is like opening the bedroom curtains on a bright summer's day. The sunny scene warms the heart and uplifts the soul. The lounge area of the room is set in a floor recess, which serves as a neat holding device within the open plan family living space. A white media unit overhangs the edge of the recess, where sectional seating faces both in toward the TV and out to the view. Square side tables and a Spar floor lamp complete the ultra modern lounge furniture arrangement. A red chair marks a separate relaxation spot by the window.
The yellow interior design maintains fearless intensity throughout. Solid yellow walls and soffits strike around the dining room and the home entryway. Yellow accents further strengthen the theme, whilst layering in moments of added texture and interesting shape. Instead of partitions, the design utilises elements of built-in furniture, changes in surface finishes, and subtle differences in floor level to delineate functions within the home’s layout.
Tall white cabinets around the dining room give some respite from the colour. Two fresh white wire framed dining room pendant lights bring in a sculptural element, and a texture that resonates with the ribbed vases in the table centrepiece below them. A set of mix and match Scandinavian style chairs assemble a relaxed look around a modern dining table.
Another bank of white storage units build a crisp column in the centre of the space, which serve as closets for the home entryway. The doorway for the kitchen is located just behind this mass, in line with the dining area. A second kitchen exit has a sliding door that opens directly into the home entryway–making it easy to answer the door while cooking dinner.
Cement flooring makes cool contrast with the vividly coloured wall paint. When we get to the staircase, cement is switched out for a riot of terrazzo patterned tiles. See more inspiration for terrazzo in interior design.
After a solid base block of three terrazzo stairs, the unique staircase morphs into a much lighter weight white powder coated metal installation.
White painted wood and metal fixtures are a common motif throughout the home.
Punched steel steps allow sunlight to filter through the treads and risers, which then reflects over the glossy surface of the bold terrazzo tiling.
A small side table stands by the chunky base of the staircase, echoing its blocky design. An opening in the wall here creates a window into the kitchen, which allows conversation to flow more easily between rooms. The internal window also allows extra daylight to be borrowed onto the staircase.
Moving into the kitchen via the sliding door from the home entryway, we discover a continuation of the yellow, white and terrazzo theme. Bright turquoise accent doors make a surprising feature on some upper kitchen cabinets. The colourful cabinet finish accentuates green stone flecks in the terrazzo kitchen island cladding, and a matching terrazzo backsplash.
Original partition walls were removed in the apartment to create large openings that would allow family life to flow freely. New sliding doors were inserted into a number of existing structural walls to reconfigure movement between different zones of the home.
A turquoise door is used to close off the kitchen, and to create a fun design feature at the same time. In the home entryway, a red accent chair makes cheerful contrast with the kitchen door’s splash of turquoise, whilst yellow decorative vases pull together with the solid yellow walls.
Plentiful storage has been incorporated into every practical area available, utilising vertical space all the way up to the ceiling line. Leather-look strap handles give the plain white cabinets a stylish yet laid back vibe.
The perforated white metal sheeting used in the staircase design runs on across the landing too, to define a walkway into the next living space.
Crisp materials maintain a minimalist look inside the bright scheme.
Sunlight seems to shine even in the darkest corners.
White metal builds an industrial style balustrade.
A minimalist home office is fashioned into a small space with a made-to-measure desktop and shelf.
There is a bespoke floor bed design in the master bedroom that’s anchored in a wood lined nook. Simple black wall lights highlight the wood grain.
A tower of wall shelves are tucked by the bed.
A turquoise glass shower panel makes an eye-catching statement in a terrazzo bathroom.
Modern bathroom furniture has been selected in clean white finishes.
Floor plan level 1, illustrating layout of open plan family living area.
Floor plan level 2, showing roof terrace area.
Section drawing.