THE YOGA ALCOVE

BRIEF

A family villa with one unused bedroom and a modest budget. The mother of the house practised yoga in the living room, around the furniture, whenever it was free. She asked for somewhere that belonged to the practice alone.

DESIGN RESPONSE

The arched niches already roughed into the plasterwork were kept and completed rather than demolished — the room's own geometry became its ornament. Warm lime plaster, a single blush tone, hidden storage for props, and lanterns instead of downlights. Nothing in the room asks for attention.

OUTCOME

Nine weeks, one room, no structural work. The practice moved from occasional to daily within the first month — and the family's two daughters now use it more than the mother does.