Decor and Design Week #308: Ten renovated interiors from Kauai to the Basque Country

# What this roundup covers

# Themes that repeat across projects

# Notable projects to study

• Kauai surfers' cottage: Owned by Sean and Xochitl Garcia, the 147 sqm cottage retained its open plan and beach views. The owners hired Christina Higham of Sun Soul Style Interiors to update finishes and add a separate guesthouse while keeping daylight and veranda views onto Kealia Beach.

• "Dollhouse" 82 sqm home: A young couple needed two home offices, a master suite with walk-in closet, an extra bathroom, and a large open living area. Designers answered with a bold palette (green, red, blue) rendered in pastel tones throughout, plus custom wood furniture to add warmth and a compact but generous circulation.

• Casa Carmen, Madrid (75 sqm): A discarded cement tile turned up in the rubble and reshaped the project. Yeyé Estudio re-centered the design on that vintage discovery. Color became the organizing idea, resisting default neutrality and using the tile as a vintage anchor for the space.

• Compact Madrid flat (62 sqm): A load-bearing wall divided the plan. Bardo Arquitectura made the wall the kitchen's heart, freeing up usable space and integrating a remote-work area in the same compact footprint.

• 1910 barn in Idaho: Élan Design House gutted and rebuilt the interior to serve a family of six. Material choices — taupe and earthy greens, technical fabrics, durable wool rugs, leather seating — were selected to hide dirt and endure heavy use. Rustic beams, vintage fixtures, handmade tiles, and a wood-burning stove preserve the barn's character.

• Paris 33 sqm apartment and Honfleur painter's studio: Small urban projects demonstrate how tight footprints and former industrial or studio shells can become distinctive 21st-century homes through tailored layouts and color.

• Basque Country reinterpretation (Bidart): An architect reimagined Basque house codes, translating regional typologies into a contemporary home sited at the forest edge.

# Practical takeaways

• Let discovered elements change the brief: an original tile or beam can be the organizing motif.
• Use color to define character rather than defaulting to neutral.
• When structure limits plans, design around it: make walls do extra work as circulation, storage, or kitchen mass.

# Why this matters now These ten renovations show that practical constraints often produce clearer design decisions. The projects offer usable tactics for homeowners and designers working with small footprints, old structures, or limited budgets.