Investing in bespoke joinery can seem daunting – Who do you contact? What is actually possible? – but once you make that leap the results can truly transform a home. We’ve explored the ELLE Decoration archive to uncover projects that show just what’s possible when you are creative with timber. Consider this your inspiration to be brave.
The ‘house within a house’ designed by Studio Hagen Hall
What happens if a Victorian home has grade II-listed status but its owner wants a contemporary look? Louis Hagen Hall’s approach was ingenious: create freestanding joinery that sits within the original walls, ‘like a hand within a glove’. It means, says Louis, that at any point ‘you could take all of that out and you’d be left with the original’. problem solving at its most beautiful.
The Cologne penthouse designed to optimise storage
Located on the top of a former customs house, this property by DIIIP features a wealth of custom joinery – cupboards, benches, bunks and more – made by a carpenter using silver fir, a locally sourced timber. The knot-free grain of the wood creates a feeling of calm spaciousness, and is the perfect foil to pops of neon orange.
Teak creates a cosy atmosphere in this Warsaw apartment
Colombe Studio was inspired by the functional design of the 1930s and the work of architect Adolf Loos when creating the panelling and built-in storage that defines the look and mood of this Warsaw apartment.
The gravity-defying staircase that’s a work of art in wood
This spiral staircase was designed by Brown & Brown Architects and crafted by the woodworkers at Scottish firm Angus+Mac. Its corkscrew-like spiral comprises 280 individually glued and nailed pieces of plywood. ‘We watched the woodworkers build it by hand, piece by piece,’ recalls Brown & Brown Architects co-founder Russel Davies. ‘It’s a sculpture, a work of art.’
The Melbourne home thats wooden joinery is an homage to ‘bush modernism’
Designed in 1969 by Alistair Knox, a largely self-taught designer, builder and landscape architect, this home that sits between the Yarra River and the bush of the Warrandyte State Park shows his love of sustainable materials. The palette includes cedar, eucalyptus and spotted-gum timber, which architect Adriana Hanna has also used to create this modern built-in sofa.
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Timber brand Dinesen’s reworked country estate is an ode to bespoke timber design
Danish architecture studio Mentze Ottenstein’s co-founders describe their approach to the country home of the Dinesen family as akin to ‘rewilding’. They have combined contemporary pieces like John Pawson’s collection for the brand (launched in 2024) alongside designs by Dinesen’s founder Hans Peter Dinesen.
The Hampstead home with an arts & crafts approach to joinery
A New Day studio’s Andrew Griffiths looked to British makers when creating the joinery for this home, which is complemented by furniture and lighting that also tapped local talent. They are, says Andrew, things that ‘feel natural, earthy and touched by the human hand’. The decision is one that’s thoughtful but also practical – pieces like the built-in cabinetry are ideal for containing family clutter.
An ancient maple tree inspired this Toronto home’s design
The owners of this home bought the property chiefly because they fell in love with the maple tree in the back garden. It became the inspiration for the redesign of the tall, thin property by Reign Architects – one that required clever uses of space and bespoke joinery solutions to make it comfortable for a modern family.
