Growing up steeped in the aggressive gender stereotypes of the 1990s was a real trip for most queer millennials, but I think gamers had it especially hard. Almost all video game characters were hypermasculine military men, unrealistically curvaceous fantasy women wearing barely enough armour to cover their nipples, or cartoon animals. Most of these characters catered exclusively to straight teenage boys (or, I guess, furries); overt queer representation in games was pretty much nonexistent until the mid 2010s. Before that, we had to take what we could get. And what I had was Link, from The Legend of Zelda.Link. Composite: Guardian Design; Zuma Press/AlamyLink is a boy, but he didn’t really look like one. He wore a green tunic and a serious expression under a mop of blond hair. He is the adventurous, mostly silent hero of the Zelda games, unassuming and often vulnerable, but also resourceful, daring and handy with a sword. In most of the early Zelda games, he is a kid of about 10, but even when he grew into a teenager in 1998’s Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64, he didn’t become a furious lump of muscle. He stayed androgynous, in his tunic and tights. As a kid, I would dress up like him for Halloween, carefully centre-parting my blond fringe. Link may officially be a boy, but for me he has always been a non-binary icon.As time has gone on and game graphics have evolved, Link has stayed somewhat gender-ambiguous. Gay guys and gender-fluid types alike appreciate his ageless twink energy. And given the total lack of thought that most game developers gave to players who weren’t straight and male, I felt vindicated when I found out that this was intentional. In 2016, the Zelda series’ producer Eiji Aonuma told Time magazine that the development team had experimented a little with Link’s gender presentation over the years, but that he felt that the character’s androgyny was part of who he was.“[Even] back during the Ocarina of Time days, I wanted Link to be gender neutral,” he said. “I wanted the player to think: ‘Maybe Link is a boy or a girl.’ If you saw Link as a guy, he’d have more of a feminine touch. Or vice versa … I’ve always thought that for either female or male players, I wanted them to be able to relate to Link.”As it turns out, Link appeals perhaps most of all to those of us somewhere in between. In 2023, the tech blog io9 spoke to many transgender and non-binary people who saw something of themselves in Link: he has acquired a reputation as an egg-cracker, a fictional character who prompts a realisation about your own gender identity.Despite their outdated reputation as a pursuit for adolescent boys, video games have always been playgrounds for gender experimentation and expression. There are legions of trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people who first started exploring their identity with customisable game characters in World of Warcraft, or gender-swapping themselves in The Sims – the digital equivalent of dressing up. Video games are the closest you can come to stepping into a new body for a bit and seeing how it feels.It is no surprise to me that a lot of queer people are drawn to video games. A 2024 survey by GLAAD found that 17% of gamers identify as LGBTQ+, a huge number compared with the general population. It may be because people who play games skew younger – 40 and below – but I also think it’s because gender is all about play. What fun it is to mess with the rules, subvert people’s expectations and create your own character. It is as empowering as any world-saving quest.

Doors (2022) Christian Marclay Institute of Contemporary Art Boston Through September 1, 2025Brooklyn Museum Through April 12, 2026On the screen, a movie clip plays of a character entering through a door to leave out another. It cuts to another clip of someone else doing the same thing over and over, all sourced from a panoply of Western cinema. The audience, sitting for an unknown amount of time, watches this shape-shifting protagonist from different cultural periods come and go, as the film endlessly loops. So goes Christian Marclay’s latest single-channel film, Doors (2022), currently exhibited for the first time in the United States at the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston. (It also premieres June 13 at the Brooklyn Museum and will run through April 12, 2026). Assembled over ten years, the film is a dizzying feat, a carefully crafted montage of film clips revolving around the simple premise of someone entering through a door and then leaving out a door. In the exhibition, Marclay writes, “Doors are fascinating objects, rich with symbolism.” Here, he shows hundreds of them, examining through film how the simple act of moving through a threshold multiplied endlessly creates a profoundly new reading of what said threshold signifies. On paper, this may sound like an extremely jarring experience. But Marclay—a visual artist, composer, and DJ whose previous works such as The Clock (2010) involved similar mega-montages of disparate film clips—has a sensitive touch. The sequences feel incredibly smooth, the montage carefully constructed to mimic continuity as closely as possible. This is even more impressive when one imagines the constraints that a door’s movement offers; it must open and close a certain direction, with particular types of hinges or means of swinging. It makes the seamlessness of the film all the more fascinating to dissect. When a tiny wooden doorframe cuts to a large double steel door, my brain had no issue at all registering a sense of continued motion through the frame—a form of cinematic magic. Christian Marclay, Doors (still), 2022. Single-channel video projection (color and black-and-white; 55:00 minutes on continuous loop). Watching the clips, there seemed to be no discernible meta narrative—simply movement through doors. Nevertheless, Marclay is a master of controlling tone. Though the relentlessness of watching the loops does create an overall feeling of tension that the film is clearly playing on, there are often moments of levity that interrupt, giving visitors a chance to breathe. The pacing too, swings from a person rushing in and out, to a slow stroll between doors in a corridor. It leaves one musing on just how ubiquitous this simple action is, and how mutable these simple acts of pulling a door and stepping inside can be. Sometimes mundane, sometimes thrilling, sometimes in anticipation, sometimes in search—Doors invites us to reflect on our own interaction with these objects, and with the very act of stepping through a doorframe. Much of the experience rests on the soundscape and music, which is equally—if not more heavily—important in creating the transition across clips. Marclay’s previous work leaned heavily on his interest in aural media; this added dimension only enriches Doors and elevates it beyond a formal visual study of clips that match each other. The film bleeds music from one scene to another, sometimes prematurely, to make believable the movement of one character across multiple movies. This overlap of sounds is essentially an echo of the space we left behind and are entering into. We as the audience almost believe—even if just for a second—that the transition is real. The effect is powerful and calls to mind several references. No doubt Doors owes some degree of inspiration to the lineage of surrealist art, perhaps in the work of Magritte or Duchamp. For those steeped in architecture, one may think of Bernard Tschumi’s Manhattan Transcripts, where his transcriptions of events, spaces, and movements similarly both shatter and call to attention simple spatial sequences. One may also be reminded of the work of Situationist International, particularly the psychogeography of Guy Debord. I confess that my first thought was the (in my view) equally famous door-chase scene in Monsters, Inc. But regardless of what corollaries one may conjure, Doors has a wholly unique feel. It is simplistic and singular in constructing its webbed world. Installation view, Christian Marclay: Doors, the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, 2025. (Mel Taing) But what exactly are we to take away from this world? In an interview with Artforum, Marclay declares, “I’m building in people’s minds an architecture in which to get lost.” The clip evokes a certain act of labyrinthian mapping—or perhaps a mode of perpetual resetting. I began to imagine this almost as a non-Euclidean enfilade of sorts where each room invites you to quickly grasp a new environment and then very quickly anticipate what may be in the next. With the understanding that you can’t backtrack, and the unpredictability of the next door taking you anywhere, the film holds you in total suspense. The production of new spaces and new architecture is activated all at once in the moment someone steps into a new doorway. All of this is without even mentioning the chosen films themselves. There is a degree to which the pop-culture element of Marclay’s work makes certain moments click—I can’t help but laugh as I watch Adam Sandler in Punch Drunk Love exit a door and emerge as Bette Davis in All About Eve. But to a degree, I also see the references being secondary, and certainly unneeded to understand the visceral experience Marclay crafts. It helps that, aside from a couple of jarring character movements or one-off spoken jokes, the movement is repetitive and universal. Doors runs on a continuous loop. I sat watching for just under an hour before convincing myself that I would never find any appropriate or correct time to leave. Instead, I could sit endlessly and reflect on each character movement, each new reveal of a room. Is the door the most important architectural element in creating space? Marclay makes a strong case for it with this piece. Harish Krishnamoorthy is an architectural and urban designer based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Bangalore, India. He is an editor at PAIRS.

In 2024, Egypt completed its 1,155km stretch of the Cairo–Cape Town Highway, a 10,228km‑long road connecting 10 African countries – Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.   The imaginary of ‘Cape to Cairo’ is not new. In 1874, editor of the Daily Telegraph Edwin Arnold proposed a plan to connect the African continent by rail, a project that came to be known as the Cape to Cairo Railway project. Cecil Rhodes expressed his support for the project, seeing it as a means to connect the various ‘possessions’ of the British Empire across Africa, facilitating the movement of troops and natural resources. This railway project was never completed, and in 1970 was overlaid by a very different attempt at connecting the Cape to Cairo, as part of the Trans‑African Highway network. This 56,683km‑long system of highways – some dating from the colonial era, some built as part of the 1970s project, and some only recently built – aimed to create lines of connection across the African continent, from north to south as well as east to west.  Here, postcolonial state power invested in ‘moving the continent’s people and economies from past to future’, as architectural historians Kenny Cupers and Prita Meier write in their 2020 essay ‘Infrastructure between Statehood and Selfhood: The Trans‑African Highway’. The highways were to be built with the support of Kenya’s president Jomo Kenyatta, Ghana’s president Kwame Nkrumah and Ghana’s director of social welfare Robert Gardiner, as well as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). This project was part of a particular historical moment during which anticolonial ideas animated most of the African continent; alongside trade, this iteration of Cape to Cairo centred social and cultural connection between African peoples. But though largely socialist in ambition, the project nevertheless engaged modernist developmentalist logics that cemented capitalism.  Lead image: Over a century in the making, the final stretches of the Cairo–Cape Town Highway are being finished. Egypt completed the section within its borders last year and a section over the dry Merille River in Kenya was constructed in 2019. Credit: Allan Muturi / SOPA / ZUMA / Alamy. Above: The route from Cairo to Cape Town, outlined in red, belongs to the Trans‑African Highway network, which comprises nine routes, here in black The project failed to fully materialise at the time, but efforts to complete the Trans‑African Highway network have been revived in the last 20 years; large parts are now complete though some links remain unbuilt and many roads are unpaved or hazardous. The most recent attempts to realise this project coincide with a new continental free trade agreement, the agreement on African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), established in 2019, to increase trade within the continent. The contemporary manifestation of the Cairo–Cape Town Highway – also known as Trans‑African Highway (TAH) 4 – is marked by deepening neoliberal politics. Represented as an opportunity to boost trade and exports, connecting Egypt to African markets that the Egyptian government view as ‘untapped’, the project invokes notions of trade steeped in extraction, reflecting the neoliberal logic underpinning contemporary Egyptian governance; today, the country’s political project, led by Abdel Fattah El Sisi, is oriented towards Egyptian dominance and extraction in relation to the rest of the continent.  Through an allusion to markets ripe for extraction, this language brings to the fore historical forms of domination that have shaped the connections between Egypt and the rest of the continent; previous iterations of connection across the continent often reproduced forms of domination stretching from the north of the African continent to the south, including the Trans‑Saharan slave trade routes across Africa that ended in various North African and Middle Eastern territories. These networks, beginning in the 8th century and lasting until the 20th, produced racialised hierarchies across the continent, shaping North Africa into a comparably privileged space proximate to ‘Arabness’. This was a racialised division based on a civilisational narrative that saw Arabs as superior, but more importantly a political economic division resulting from the slave trade routes that produced huge profits for North Africa and the Middle East. In the contemporary moment, these racialised hierarchies are bound up in political economic dependency on the Arab Gulf states, who are themselves dependent on resource extraction, land grabbing and privatisation across the entire African continent.  ‘The Cairo–Cape Town Highway connects Egypt to African markets viewed as “untapped”, invoking notions steeped in extraction’ However, this imaginary conjured by the Cairo–Cape Town Highway is countered by a network of streets scattered across Africa that traces the web of Egyptian Pan‑African solidarity across the continent. In Lusaka in Zambia, you might find yourself on Nasser Road, as you might in Mwanza in Tanzania or Luanda in Angola. In Mombasa in Kenya, you might be driving down Abdel Nasser Road; in Kampala in Uganda, you might find yourself at Nasser Road University; and in Tunis in Tunisia, you might end up on Gamal Abdel Nasser Street. These street names are a reference to Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt’s first postcolonial leader and president between 1956 and 1970.  Read against the contemporary Cairo–Cape Town Highway, these place names signal a different form of connection that brings to life Egyptian Pan‑Africanism, when solidarity was the hegemonic force connecting the continent, coming up against the notion of a natural or timeless ‘great divide’ within Africa. From the memoirs of Egyptian officials who were posted around Africa as conduits of solidarity, to the broadcasts of Radio Cairo that were heard across the continent, to the various conferences attended by anticolonial movements and postcolonial states, Egypt’s orientation towards Pan‑Africanism, beginning in the early 20th century and lasting until the 1970s, was both material and ideological. Figures and movements forged webs of solidarity with their African comrades, imagining an Africa that was united through shared commitments to ending colonialism and capitalist extraction.  The route between Cape Town in South Africa and Cairo in Egypt has long occupied the colonial imaginary. In 1930, Margaret Belcher and Ellen Budgell made the journey, sponsored by car brand Morris and oil company Shell Credit: Fox Photos / Getty The pair made use of the road built by British colonisers in the 19th century, and which forms the basis for the current Cairo–Cape Town Highway. The road was preceded by the 1874 Cape to Cairo Railway project, which connected the colonies of the British Empire Credit: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division This network of eponymous streets represents attempts to inscribe anticolonial power into the materiality of the city. Street‑naming practices are one way in which the past comes into the present, ‘weaving history into the geographic fabric of everyday life’, as geographer Derek Alderman wrote in his 2002 essay ‘Street Names as Memorial Arenas’. In this vein, the renaming of streets during decolonisation marked a practice of contesting the production of colonial space. In the newly postcolonial city, renaming was a way of ‘claiming the city back’, Alderman continues. While these changes may appear discursive, it is their embedding in material spaces, through signs and maps, that make the names come to life; place names become a part of the everyday through sharing addresses or giving directions. This quality makes them powerful; consciously or unconsciously, they form part of how the spaces of the city are navigated.  These are traces that were once part of a dominant historical narrative; yet when they are encountered in the present, during a different historical moment, they no longer act as expressions of power but instead conjure up a moment that has long passed. A street in Lusaka named after an Egyptian general made more sense 60 years ago than it does today, yet contextualising it recovers a marginalised history of Egyptian Pan‑Africanism.  Markers such as street names or monuments are simultaneously markers of anticolonial struggle as well as expressions of state power – part of an attempt, by political projects such as Nasser’s, to exert their own dominance over cities, towns and villages. That such traces are expressions of both anticolonial hopes and postcolonial state power produces a sense of tension within them. For instance, Nasser’s postcolonial project in Egypt was a contradictory one; it gave life to anticolonial hopes – for instance by breaking away from European capitalism and embracing anticolonial geopolitics – while crushing many parts of the left through repression, censorship and imprisonment. Traces of Nasser found today inscribe both anticolonial promises – those that came to life and those that did not – while reproducing postcolonial power that in most instances ended in dictatorship.  Recent efforts to complete the route build on those of the post‑independence era – work on a section north of Nairobi started in 1968 Credit: Associated Press / Alamy The Trans‑African Highway network was conceived in 1970 in the spirit of Pan‑Africanism At that time, the routes did not extend into South Africa, which was in the grip of apartheid. The Trans‑African Highway initiative was motivated by a desire to improve trade and centre cultural links across the continent – an ambition that was even celebrated on postage stamps There have been long‑standing debates about the erasure of the radical anticolonial spirit from the more conservative postcolonial states that emerged; the promises and hopes of anticolonialism, not least among them socialism and a world free of white supremacy, remain largely unrealised. Instead, by the 1970s neoliberalism emerged as a new hegemonic project. The contemporary instantiation of Cape to Cairo highlights just how pervasive neoliberal logics continue to be, despite multiple global financial crises and the 2011 Egyptian revolution demanding ‘bread, freedom, social justice’.  But the network of streets named after anticolonial figures and events across the world is testament to the immense power and promise of anticolonial revolution. Most of the 20th century was characterised by anticolonial struggle, decolonisation and postcolonial nation‑building, as nations across the global south gained independence from European empire and founded their own political projects. Anticolonial traces, present in street and place names, point to the possibility of solidarity as a means of reorienting colonial geographies. They are a reminder that there have been other imaginings of Cape to Cairo, and that things can be – and have been – otherwise. 2025-06-13 Kristina Rapacki Share

CIOs and business leaders know they’re sitting on a goldmine of business data. And while traditional tools such as business intelligence platforms and statistical analysis software can effectively surface insights from the collated data resources, doing so quickly, in real-time and at scale remains an unsolved challenge.Enterprise AI, when deployed responsibly and at scale, can turn these bottlenecks into opportunities. Acting quickly on data, even ‘live’ (during a customer interaction, for example), is one of the technology’s abilities, as is scalability: AI can process large amounts of information from disparate sources almost as easily as it can summarize a one-page spreadsheet.But deploying an AI solution in the modern enterprise isn’t simple. It takes structure, trust and the right talent. Along with the practical implementation challenges, using AI brings its own challenges, such as data governance, the need to impose guardrails on AI responses and training data, and persistent staffing issues.We met with Rani Radhakrishnan, PwC Principal, Technology Managed Services – AI, Data Analytics and Insights, to talk candidly about what’s working — and what’s holding back CIOs in their AI journey. We spoke ahead of her speaking engagement at TechEx AI & Big Data Expo North America, June 4 and 5, at the Santa Clara Convention Center.Rani is especially attuned to some of the governance, data privacy and sovereignty issues that face enterprises, having spent many years in her career working with numerous clients in the health sector — an area where issues like privacy, data oversight and above all data accuracy are make-or-break aspects of technology deployments.“It’s not enough to just have a prompt engineer or a Python developer. … You still need the human in the loop to curate the right training data sets, review and address any bias in the outputs.” —Rani Radhakrishnan, PwCFrom support to strategy: shifting expectations for AIRani said that there’s a growing enthusiasm from PwC’s clients for AI-powered managed services that can provide both business insights in every sector, and for the technology to be used more proactively, in so-called agentic roles where agents can independently act on data and user input; where autonomous AI agents can take action based on interactions with humans, access to data resources and automation.For example, PwC’s agent OS is a modular AI platform that connects systems and scales intelligent agents into workflows, many times faster than traditional computing methods. It’s an example of how PwC responds to the demand for AI from its clients, many of whom see the potential of this new technology, but lack the in-house expertise and staff to act on their needs.Depending on the sector of the organization, the interest in AI can come from many different places in the business. Proactive monitoring of physical or digital systems; predictive maintenance in manufacturing or engineering; or cost efficiencies won by automation in complex, customer-facing environments, are just a few examples.But regardless of where AI can bring value, most companies don’t yet have in-house the range of skills and people necessary for effective AI deployment — or at least, deployments that achieve ROI and don’t come with significant risk.“It’s not enough to just have a prompt engineer or a Python developer,” Rani said. “You’ve got to put all of these together in a very structured manner, and you still need the human in the loop to curate the right training data sets, review and address any bias in the outputs.”Cleaning house: the data challenge behind AIRani says that effective AI implementations need a mix of technical skills — data engineering, data science, prompt engineering — in combination with an organization’s domain expertise. Internal domain expertise can define the right outcomes, and technical staff can cover the responsible AI practices, like data collation and governance, and confirm that AI systems work responsibly and within company guidelines.“In order to get the most value out of AI, an organization has to get the underlying data right,” she said. “I don’t know of a single company that says its data is in great shape … you’ve got to get it into the right structure and normalize it properly so you can query, analyze, and annotate it and identify emerging trends.”Part of the work enterprises have to put in for effective AI use is the observation for and correction of bias — in both output of AI systems and in the analysis of potential bias inherent in training and operational data.It’s important that as part of the underlying architecture of AI systems, teams apply stringent data sanitization, normalization, and data annotation processes. The latter requires “a lot of human effort,” Rani said, and the skilled personnel required are among the new breed of data professionals that are beginning to emerge.If data and personnel challenges can be overcome, then the feedback loop makes the possible outcomes from generative AI really valuable, Rani said. “Now you have an opportunity with AI prompts to go back and refine the answer that you get. And that’s what makes it so unique and so valuable because now you’re training the model to answer the questions the way you want them answered.”For CIOs, the shift isn’t just about tech enablement. It’s about integrating AI into enterprise architecture, aligning with business strategy, and managing the governance risks that come with scale. CIOs are becoming AI stewards — architecting not just systems, but trust and transformation.ConclusionIt’s only been a few years since AI emerged from its roots in academic computer science research, so it’s understandable that today’s enterprise organizations are, to a certain extent, feeling their way towards realizing AI’s potential.But a new playbook is emerging — one that helps CIOs access the value held in their data reserves, in business strategy, operational improvement, customer-facing experiences and a dozen more areas of the business.As a company that’s steeped in experience with clients large and small from all over the world, PwC is one of the leading choices that decision-makers turn to, to begin or rationalize and direct their existing AI journeys.Explore how PwC is helping CIOs embed AI into core operations, and see Rani’s latest insights at the June TechEx AI & Big Data Expo North America.(Image source: “Network Rack” by one individual is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.)

As Country Living’s Senior Homes and Style Editor, I’ve seen my share of kitchens over the years, so I know what decorating ideas do and do not actually work in a kitchen. As well, I know which ideas are best for achieving the kitchen style you like, whether you want to embrace cottage style, have a farmhouse-style kitchen, create a British-inspired cook space, or make it something a little in between. Here at Country Living, we have been fans of cottagecore long before the internet deemed it cool. Of all the styles of kitchens, a cottage-style kitchen is tops for having the most personal charm and character (read: sink skirts, colored cabinetry, open shelving filled with personal one-of-a-kind collections, inviting breakfast nooks...). You see, cottage living is all about embracing imperfection and a timeless lived-in style. While those ideas might seem antithetical to kitchen design, they really are not. Even the newest, most state-of-the-art kitchens can benefit from patinaed, less-than-perfect accents. Below, I have rounded up some of the best (and designer-approved) ways to channel that humble cottage look in your kitchen. From ideas for painting your cabinetry to fresh approaches for backsplash tile, these ideas are guaranteed to make your space into something Beatrix Potter herself would envy! For more kitchen decorating ideas, check out these stories:1Lean Into Existing ArchitectureRikki Snyder for Country LivingIf your home is lucky (yes, lucky!) enough to have quirky architectural features, lean into them and allow them to inform your palette and decor as designer Christina Salway did in her wood-filled New York kitchen. TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE2Embrace a Cheerful PaletteBecky Luigart-Stayner for Country LivingNothing gives off cottage charm like an equally charming color palette. In this Alabama kitchen, soft, buttery yellow cabinetry pairs with a fruit-themed wallpaper to create a perfectly prim palette. Get the Look:Cabinet Paint Color: Sudbury Yellow by Farrow & BallWallpaper: Fruit by Morris & Co. TOUR THIS KITCHENAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below3Add A Stove CoveBecky Luigart-Stayner for Country LivingStove coves are a great way to add architectural interest to your kitchen. Back the inset space with beadboard, like designer Trinity Holmes did here, for added cottage appeal. TOUR THIS KITCHENRELATED: Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Stove Coves4Go Wild with WallpaperBrian Woodcock for Country LivingWhile it may seem counterintuitive, bold wallpaper is a great for adding character to smaller spaces. For cramped kitchens with little natural light, stick to brighter, tonal patterns such as the one shown here. Get the Look:Wallpaper: "London Rose" by House of HackneyRELATED: Our Best Kitchen Wallpaper Ideas EverAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below5Wrap the Room in Open ShelvingHelen Norman for Country LivingDoes your cottage kitchen lack serious storage space? No worries. Display your favorite ceramic finds on kitchen-spanning open-shelving like photographer Helen Norman did here in her farmhouse kitchen. RELATED: These Open Shelving Ideas Will Have You Ready to Rip Out Your Cabinetry 6Mix Your MaterialsHelen Norman, styling by Matthew GleasonIn this colorful cottage kitchen, worn woods and happily patinaed copper craft a curated-over-time feel that amps up the coziness factor. Mix up materials to easily give your kitchen a lived-in feel.TOUR THIS ENTIRE HOUSERELATED: 40 Pretty and Practical Kitchen Backsplash IdeasAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below7Build Out a Breakfast NookKirsten FrancisNo cottage kitchen is complete without a cozy breakfast nook. In this Connecticut kitchen, designer Stephanie Perez installed a banquette along her wall of windows and paired it with a chippy blue table. Hanging baskets add extra cottage charm. RELATED: Check Out All of Our Best Breakfast Nook Ideas8Mount a Peg RailJody BeckMix utilitarian appeal with classic style by mounting a peg rail along your kitchen’s workspace. While this works especially well with wood-paneled backsplash, it can be used with tile too. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9Add Timeworn Character With Unlacquered BrassAnnie Schlechter for Country LivingChanging up the hardware in your kitchen is an easy and inexpensive way to give the space a fresh look. Swapping builder-grade knobs and pulls with unlacquered brass pieces will add timeworn character in an instant. (And, they’ll only look better over time!)RELATED: The Best Blue Paint Colors for Your Kitchen Cabinetry10Skirt Your SinkDavid Tsay for Country LivingTake a note from Heather Taylor and add a skirt to your sink! This quick upgrade, which can be DIY’d in just an afternoon, adds sweet cottage cheer to any kitchen. If you don’t want to DIY, get crafty with store-bought café curtains. RELATED: Sink Skirts Are the Nostalgic Trend Designers Are Loving Right NowAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below11Hang Café CurtainsStacy Zarin GoldbergIn fact, go all-in on café curtains! These humble window coverings are in the midst of a resurgence thanks to the rising popularity of happily twee decorating. Pick pretty patterns for a white kitchen or stick to calm neutrals in an already pattern-filled space. RELATED: See Why Designers Are Loving Café Curtains Right Now12Stick to Simple TileRead McKendreeIn a house with interesting architectural elements, pick simple finishes and allow the space’s character to shine through. In this 17th century New England cottage designed by Stephenie and Chase Watts, a simple white Zellige tile backsplash extends to the ceiling, allowing the warm wood beams and original flooring to take center stage. RELATED: Should Your Kitchen and Bathroom Tile Match? Designers Weigh InAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below13Go All-In on VintageMarta Xochilt Perez for Country LivingThrifted finds are the quickest way to bring character to an all-white cottage kitchen. Opt for vintage pieces inspired by your locale and lean into crustier, worn pieces for the ultimate curated look. TOUR THIS ENTIRE HOUSERELATED: 10 Old-School Finds That Add Instant Charm to a Kitchen14Match Your Trim To Your CeilingChase DanielLooking for a weekend project to up the design ante in your kitchen? Then it’s time to bring out a paint can! In this humble Texas cottage, a happy duck egg blue paint color was used on the trim, ceiling, and cabinetry to tie the space together with an easy, approachable feel. A reproduction wallpaper ("Larkspur 1872" designed by William Morris) adds just a pop of pattern. Get the Look:Trim and Ceiling Paint Color: Jamestown Blue by Benjamin MooreTOUR THIS ENTIRE HOUSEAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below15Pretty Up a Pass Through Dustin HalleckIf your cramped kitchen leaves little room for serving, look into installing a pass-through window! These are steeped in old-school charm and add foster a casual, come-as-you-are atmosphere. RELATED: These Old House Features Need to Make a Comeback Right Now16Paint Your FloorsDana GallagherIf channeling old-school charm is your preferred method of character-building, then try painting your floors! A classic black-and-white checkerboard pattern is a timeless choice, but the options are only limited by your imagination. Psst...old house owners, this is also a budget-friendly way to cover your wonky floors! RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Painting Your Floors Advertisement - Continue Reading Below17Mount a Plate RackCarina OlanderDon’t overlook the power of a classic plate rack, which offers the same (if not better) organizational efforts as regular upper cabinetry or open shelving. Paint the plate rack to match your lower cabinetry or go with a contrasting wood stain. RELATED: 7 Kitchen Storage Mistakes You’re Definitely Making, And How to Fix Them18Go MoodyAli Harper for Country LivingNot every cottage kitchen needs to be light and bright. Lean into the cozy vibes of your home with a dark palette. This Alabama cottage features chocolate brown walls, which are complemented by unexpected hits of primary red and blue. Get the Look:Wall Paint Color: Dark Chocolate by Benjamin MooreRELATED: These Are the Best Brown Paint Colors, According to DesignersAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below19Use Salvaged Pieces Reid RollsAdd personality to your kitchen with unique salvaged pieces. Source them from your local architectural salvage yard or antique store, like designer Leanne Ford did with this repurposed china cabinet.TOUR THIS ENTIRE HOUSERELATED: 100+ Best Places to Shop for Salvage and Other Antiques and Vintage Online20Go for Butcher BlockDavid A. LandInstalling butcher-block countertops is a sure-fire way to add humble character to your cottage kitchen. Pair it with other wood accents, like designer Hadley Wiggins did here, for a timeless look.TOUR THIS ENTIRE HOUSERELATED: Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Butcher-Block CountertopsAnna LoganSenior Homes & Style EditorAnna Logan is the Senior Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she has been covering all things home design, including sharing exclusive looks at beautifully designed country kitchens, producing home features, writing everything from timely trend reports on the latest viral aesthetic to expert-driven explainers on must-read topics, and rounding up pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about paint, since 2021. Anna has spent the last seven years covering every aspect of the design industry, previously having written for Traditional Home, One Kings Lane, House Beautiful, and Frederic. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. When she’s not working, Anna can either be found digging around her flower garden or through the dusty shelves of an antique shop. Follow her adventures, or, more importantly, those of her three-year-old Maltese and official Country Living Pet Lab tester, Teddy, on Instagram.  

In the buzzing heart of Myeongdong, one of Seoul’s most iconic shopping and culture districts, HOTEL DRIP&DROP reimagines modern hospitality through the lens of coffee. More than just a place to rest your head, it doubles as a quiet tribute to South Korea’s deep-rooted and ever-evolving coffee culture. Photo courtesy of HOTEL DRIP&DROP Photo courtesy of HOTEL DRIP&DROP Developed by LOG Hotel Group Co., Ltd., this new hospitality concept combines clean-lined design with the curated comforts of a local café. The name says it all: guests are invited to “drip” into Seoul’s rich cultural fabric and “drop” their travel fatigue in a space designed for recharging. Photo courtesy of HOTEL DRIP&DROP At the core of HOTEL DRIP&DROP is its dedication to great coffee. The 7th-floor communal lounge functions as a curated “coffee zone,” showcasing a rotating selection of the city’s most celebrated roasters. The hotel’s own signature blend – developed with 2022 KCRC roasting champion Min-ho Kim – is brewed fresh daily, acting as both a morning pick-me-up and a nod to Seoul’s café boom. The hotel strips away excess in favor of quiet functionality and thoughtful comfort, balancing minimalist aesthetics with intentional spatial design. Featuring 13 tranquil rooms and 52 cleverly designed capsule beds, it caters to solo adventurers and small groups alike. Private rooms are compact but carefully considered, outfitted with everything needed for a solid night’s rest. The gender-separated capsule section follows suit – simple, secure, and surprisingly cozy. All units prioritize tranquility over tech, which offers a true media break during your visit. Every capsule and suite-style room includes a personal coffee dripper set, encouraging guests to slow down and brew their own cup before the day’s exploration begins. It’s a small but meaningful gesture that makes your morning feel less rushed and intentionally slow in the best way possible. Location-wise, you’re perfectly positioned to explore Myeongdong’s fashion-forward scene, the retro-industrial cool of Euljiro, and the serenity of Cheonggyecheon Stream – all of which are within walking distance. Photo courtesy of HOTEL DRIP&DROP Photo courtesy of HOTEL DRIP&DROP Photo courtesy of HOTEL DRIP&DROP Photo courtesy of HOTEL DRIP&DROP Photo courtesy of HOTEL DRIP&DROP In a city where the pace rarely slows and space is tight, this micro-hotel dares to slow things down. Whether you’re dropping in for a few nights or passing through with a suitcase and an open mind, HOTEL DRIP&DROP ensures your stay ends on a high note – coffee in hand and well-rested for what’s next. Photo courtesy of HOTEL DRIP&DROP Photo courtesy of HOTEL DRIP&DROP Photo courtesy of HOTEL DRIP&DROP Photo courtesy of HOTEL DRIP&DROP Photo courtesy of HOTEL DRIP&DROP What: HOTEL DRIP&DROP Where: 44, Myeongdong 3-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea How much: Price upon request Design draws: The hotel’s unique coffee-centric concept – featuring a curated lounge with Seoul’s top roasters and in-room coffee drippers – offers an immersive, sensory introduction to South Korea’s vibrant coffee culture. Book it: HOTEL DRIP&DROP Go virtually on vacation with more design destinations right here. Photography by Maivy Tran, unless otherwise noted.

From the first moment you step into the brutal lands of Shu, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers makes one thing clear: survival isn’t gifted, it’s earned. Throughout your journey, you’ll need to master an arsenal of weapons, spells, and abilities to overcome the harrowing challenges of this Soulslike action-RPG set in the waning years of the Ming dynasty. With the July 24 launch fast approaching, we’re giving PlayStation players a closer look at some of the game’s most defining tools of survival, power, and identity. We’ll highlight just a few of the devastating weapons, arcane spells, and unique abilities you’ll wield as you carve your legacy through ruin and revelation. These tools don’t just shape your playstyle, they shape the legend of Wuchang herself. A diverse arsenal of blades and brutality Each weapon in Wuchang is tied to a piece of the game’s worldbuilding, from sacred relics to myth-imbued prototypes. Every blade tells a story, and every strike leaves a mark. The Dragoncoil Lance, a Deluxe Edition spear, is a striking silver-white weapon featuring a traditional design. A coiled dragon motif wraps around the junction of the shaft and spearhead, symbolizing the wielder’s courage and valor. Weapons in Wuchang each have their own unique skills, and with the Vortex Thrust skill for the Dragoncoil Lance, you can unleash shockwaves with devastating force, making it ideal for punishing multiple enemies at once. Abilities that shape the warrior Combat in Wuchang is fluid, fast, and fiercely deliberate, with a broad range of abilities that define how you approach each fight. One standout is Blade Dance, a whirling assault that slices through enemies while showcasing your mastery of dual blades. The Crescent Arc, a forward-lunging slash imbued with ethereal energy, closing distance and shifting momentum with measured precision. Prefer power over speed? Colossal Smash delivers a thunderous overhead strike that leaves a trail of destruction in its wake, ideal for breaking enemy posture or interrupting spellcasters mid-cast. Every ability in Wuchang evolves through skill trees and Red Mercury enhancements, adding layers of strategy beyond raw force. Spells drawn from myth and madness Wuchang’s spell system is one of the most visually striking elements of its design, drawing from Taoist ritual, ancient folklore, and operatic symbolism. These aren’t just tools of destruction. They’re storytelling vessels that bind your journey to the world’s unraveling lore. Infernal Flames casts a searing mask that torments enemies with divine rage, based on an ancient opera ritual meant to summon wrathful spirits. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Lotus Soulflame, a ritual spell used in spirit exorcisms that unleashes devastating elemental damage. Another standout is Echo of Liu Cheng’en, a chilling surge of ice named after a loyal Ming general. The spell can knock targets back with enough force to disrupt aggressive momentum and create space in critical encounters. Feathering, the price of power At the heart of Wuchang’s identity lies the Feathering system, a supernatural affliction that grants immense power at great personal cost. As Wuchang absorbs Red Mercury and defeats corrupted monstrosities, she unlocks devastating abilities and spells rooted in transformation. Feathering allows players to unleash deadly skills and spells mid-combat, turning the tide of battle in an instant. But each use chips away at stability, demanding tactical restraint. Do you risk transforming in the middle of a fight to deliver explosive damage, knowing it may leave you vulnerable? Or hold your strength in reserve until the moment you’re truly cornered? Pre-order bonuses and Deluxe Edition content Players who pre-order Wuchang: Fallen Feathers will receive two exclusive outfits, White Spectre and Night Spectre, offering ceremonial elegance steeped in decay. You’ll also unlock the Vermillion War Club, a brutal axe weapon with powerful combo potential, along with a Glistening Red Mercury Skill Upgrade to enhance your build from the very beginning. For those seeking even deeper customization, the Deluxe Edition adds four rare outfits: Soul Ritual Robe, Tiger of Fortune, Overlord’s Regalia, and Draconic Resurgence. It also includes powerful weapons such as the Moonlight Dragon, Watcher’s Gaze swords, Eternal Sovereignty, and Dragoncoil Lance. You’ll also receive the Blood of Changhong, a special Skill Upgrade Item designed to support diverse builds and encourage early experimentation. Prepare for launch Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is more than a battle for survival. It’s a meditation on power, sacrifice, and transformation. Every spell you cast, weapon you wield, and enemy you overcome deepens your understanding of Wuchang’s intricate lore. Mastery isn’t just rewarded, it’s essential to unlocking the truths buried in the land of Shu. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers launches July 24 on PlayStation 5. Pre-order now to unlock exclusive content and prepare for the journey that awaits.

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More After three hours at Google’s I/O 2025 event last week in Silicon Valley, it became increasingly clear: Google is rallying its formidable AI efforts – prominently branded under the Gemini name but encompassing a diverse range of underlying model architectures and research – with laser focus. It is releasing a slew of innovations and technologies around it, then integrating them into products at a breathtaking pace. Beyond headline-grabbing features, Google laid out a bolder ambition: an operating system for the AI age – not the disk-booting kind, but a logic layer every app could tap – a “world model” meant to power a universal assistant that understands our physical surroundings, and reasons and acts on our behalf. It’s a strategic offensive that many observers may have missed amid the bamboozlement of features.  On one hand, it’s a high-stakes strategy to leapfrog entrenched competitors. But on the other, as Google pours billions into this moonshot, a critical question looms: Can Google’s brilliance in AI research and technology translate into products faster than its rivals, whose edge has its own brilliance: packaging AI into immediately accessible and commercially potent products? Can Google out-maneuver a laser-focused Microsoft, fend off OpenAI’s vertical hardware dreams, and, crucially, keep its own search empire alive in the disruptive currents of AI? Google is already pursuing this future at dizzying scale. Pichai told I/O that the company now processes 480 trillion tokens a month – 50× more than a year ago – and almost 5x more than the 100 trillion tokens a month that Microsoft’s Satya Nadella said his company processed. This momentum is also reflected in developer adoption, with Pichai saying that over 7 million developers are now building with the Gemini API, representing a five-fold increase since the last I/O, while Gemini usage on Vertex AI has surged more than 40 times. And unit costs keep falling as Gemini 2.5 models and the Ironwood TPU squeeze more performance from each watt and dollar. AI Mode (rolling out in the U.S.) and AI Overviews (already serving 1.5 billion users monthly) are the live test beds where Google tunes latency, quality, and future ad formats as it shifts search into an AI-first era. Source: Google I/O 20025 Google’s doubling-down on what it calls “a world model” – an AI it aims to imbue with a deep understanding of real-world dynamics – and with it a vision for a universal assistant – one powered by Google, and not other companies – creates another big tension: How much control does Google want over this all-knowing assistant, built upon its crown jewel of search? Does it primarily want to leverage it first for itself, to save its $200 billion search business that depends on owning the starting point and avoiding disruption by OpenAI? Or will Google fully open its foundational AI for other developers and companies to leverage – another  segment representing a significant portion of its business, engaging over 20 million developers, more than any other company?  It has sometimes stopped short of a radical focus on building these core products for others with the same clarity as its nemesis, Microsoft. That’s because it keeps a lot of core functionality reserved for its cherished search engine. That said, Google is making significant efforts to provide developer access wherever possible. A telling example is Project Mariner. Google could have embedded the agentic browser-automation features directly inside Chrome, giving consumers an immediate showcase under Google’s full control. However, Google followed up by saying Mariner’s computer-use capabilities would be released via the Gemini API more broadly “this summer.” This signals that external access is coming for any rival that wants comparable automation. In fact, Google said partners Automation Anywhere and UiPath were already building with it. Google’s grand design: the ‘world model’ and universal assistant The clearest articulation of Google’s grand design came from Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, during the I/O keynote. He stated Google continued to “double down” on efforts towards artificial general intelligence (AGI). While Gemini was already “the best multimodal model,” Hassabis explained, Google is working hard to “extend it to become what we call a world model. That is a model that can make plans and imagine new experiences by simulating aspects of the world, just like the brain does.”  This concept of ‘a world model,’ as articulated by Hassabis, is about creating AI that learns the underlying principles of how the world works – simulating cause and effect, understanding intuitive physics, and ultimately learning by observing, much like a human does. An early, perhaps easily overlooked by those not steeped in foundational AI research, yet significant indicator of this direction is Google DeepMind’s work on models like Genie 2. This research shows how to generate interactive, two-dimensional game environments and playable worlds from varied prompts like images or text. It offers a glimpse at an AI that can simulate and understand dynamic systems. Hassabis has developed this concept of a “world model” and its manifestation as a “universal AI assistant” in several talks since late 2024, and it was presented at I/O most comprehensively – with CEO Sundar Pichai and Gemini lead Josh Woodward echoing the vision on the same stage. (While other AI leaders, including Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and xAI’s Elon Musk have all discussed ‘world models,” Google uniquely and most comprehensively ties this foundational concept to its near-term strategic thrust: the ‘universal AI assistant.) Speaking about the Gemini app, Google’s equivalent to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Hassabis declared, “This is our ultimate vision for the Gemini app, to transform it into a universal AI assistant, an AI that’s personal, proactive, and powerful, and one of our key milestones on the road to AGI.”  This vision was made tangible through I/O demonstrations. Google demoed a new app called Flow – a drag-and-drop filmmaking canvas that preserves character and camera consistency – that leverages Veo 3, the new model that layers physics-aware video and native audio. To Hassabis, that pairing is early proof that ‘world-model understanding is already leaking into creative tooling.’ For robotics, he separately highlighted the fine-tuned Gemini Robotics model, arguing that ‘AI systems will need world models to operate effectively.” CEO Sundar Pichai reinforced this, citing Project Astra which “explores the future capabilities of a universal AI assistant that can understand the world around you.” These Astra capabilities, like live video understanding and screen sharing, are now integrated into Gemini Live. Josh Woodward, who leads Google Labs and the Gemini App, detailed the app’s goal to be the “most personal, proactive, and powerful AI assistant.” He showcased how “personal context” (connecting search history, and soon Gmail/Calendar) enables Gemini to anticipate needs, like providing personalized exam quizzes or custom explainer videos using analogies a user understands (e.g., thermodynamics explained via cycling. This, Woodward emphasized, is “where we’re headed with Gemini,” enabled by the Gemini 2.5 Pro model allowing users to “think things into existence.”  The new developer tools unveiled at I/O are building blocks. Gemini 2.5 Pro with “Deep Think” and the hyper-efficient 2.5 Flash (now with native audio and URL context grounding from Gemini API) form the core intelligence. Google also quietly previewed Gemini Diffusion, signalling its willingness to move beyond pure Transformer stacks when that yields better efficiency or latency. Google is stuffing these capabilities into a crowded toolkit: AI Studio and Firebase Studio are core starting points for developers, while Vertex AI remains the enterprise on-ramp. The strategic stakes: defending search, courting developers amid an AI arms race This colossal undertaking is driven by Google’s massive R&D capabilities but also by strategic necessity. In the enterprise software landscape, Microsoft has a formidable hold, a Fortune 500 Chief AI Officer told VentureBeat, reassuring customers with its full commitment to tooling Copilot. The executive requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of commenting on the intense competition between the AI cloud providers. Microsoft’s dominance in Office 365 productivity applications will be exceptionally hard to dislodge through direct feature-for-feature competition, the executive said. Google’s path to potential leadership – its “end-run” around Microsoft’s enterprise hold – lies in redefining the game with a fundamentally superior, AI-native interaction paradigm. If Google delivers a truly “universal AI assistant” powered by a comprehensive world model, it could become the new indispensable layer – the effective operating system – for how users and businesses interact with technology. As Pichai mused with podcaster David Friedberg shortly before I/O, that means awareness of physical surroundings. And so AR glasses, Pichai said, “maybe that’s the next leap…that’s what’s exciting for me.” But this AI offensive is a race against multiple clocks. First, the $200 billion search-ads engine that funds Google must be protected even as it is reinvented. The U.S. Department of Justice’s monopolization ruling still hangs over Google – divestiture of Chrome has been floated as the leading remedy. And in Europe, the Digital Markets Act as well as emerging copyright-liability lawsuits could hem in how freely Gemini crawls or displays the open web. Finally, execution speed matters. Google has been criticized for moving slowly in past years. But over the past 12 months, it became clear Google had been working patiently on multiple fronts, and that it has paid off with faster growth than rivals. The challenge of successfully navigating this AI transition at massive scale is immense, as evidenced by the recent Bloomberg report detailing how even a tech titan like Apple is grappling with significant setbacks and internal reorganizations in its AI initiatives. This industry-wide difficulty underscores the high stakes for all players. While Pichai lacks the showmanship of some rivals, the long list of enterprise customer testimonials Google paraded at its Cloud Next event last month – about actual AI deployments – underscores a leader who lets sustained product cadence and enterprise wins speak for themselves.  At the same time, focused competitors advance. Microsoft’s enterprise march continues. Its Build conference showcased Microsoft 365 Copilot as the “UI for AI,” Azure AI Foundry as a “production line for intelligence,” and Copilot Studio for sophisticated agent-building, with impressive low-code workflow demos (Microsoft Build Keynote, Miti Joshi at 22:52, Kadesha Kerr at 51:26). Nadella’s “open agentic web” vision (NLWeb, MCP) offers businesses a pragmatic AI adoption path, allowing selective integration of AI tech – whether it be Google’s or another competitor’s – within a Microsoft-centric framework. OpenAI, meanwhile, is way out ahead with the consumer reach of its ChatGPT product, with recent references by the company to having 600 million monthly users, and 800 million weekly users. This compares to the Gemini app’s 400 million monthly users. And in December, OpenAI launched a full-blown search offering, and is reportedly planning an ad offering – posing what could be an existential threat to Google’s search model. Beyond making leading models, OpenAI is making a provocative vertical play with its reported $6.5 billion acquisition of Jony Ive’s IO, pledging to move “beyond these legacy products” – and hinting that it was launching a hardware product that would attempt to disrupt AI just like the iPhone disrupted mobile. While any of this may potentially disrupt Google’s next-gen personal computing ambitions, it’s also true that OpenAI’s ability to build a deep moat like Apple did with the iPhone may be limited in an AI era increasingly defined by open protocols (like MCP) and easier model interchangeability. Internally, Google navigates its vast ecosystem. As Jeanine Banks, Google’s VP of Developer X, told VentureBeat serving Google’s diverse global developer community means “it’s not a one size fits all,” leading to a rich but sometimes complex array of tools – AI Studio, Vertex AI, Firebase Studio, numerous APIs. Meanwhile, Amazon is pressing from another flank: Bedrock already hosts Anthropic, Meta, Mistral and Cohere models, giving AWS customers a pragmatic, multi-model default. For enterprise decision-makers: navigating Google’s ‘world model’ future Google’s audacious bid to build the foundational intelligence for the AI age presents enterprise leaders with compelling opportunities and critical considerations: Move now or retrofit later: Falling a release cycle behind could force costly rewrites when assistant-first interfaces become default. Tap into revolutionary potential: For organizations seeking to embrace the most powerful AI, leveraging Google’s “world model” research, multimodal capabilities (like Veo 3 and Imagen 4 showcased by Woodward at I/O), and the AGI trajectory promised by Google offers a path to potentially significant innovation. Prepare for a new interaction paradigm: Success for Google’s “universal assistant” would mean a primary new interface for services and data. Enterprises should strategize for integration via APIs and agentic frameworks for context-aware delivery. Factor in the long game (and its risks): Aligning with Google’s vision is a long-term commitment. The full “world model” and AGI are potentially distant horizons. Decision-makers must balance this with immediate needs and platform complexities. Contrast with focused alternatives: Pragmatic solutions from Microsoft offer tangible enterprise productivity now. Disruptive hardware-AI from OpenAI/IO presents another distinct path. A diversified strategy, leveraging the best of each, often makes sense, especially with the increasingly open agentic web allowing for such flexibility. These complex choices and real-world AI adoption strategies will be central to discussions at VentureBeat’s Transform 2025 next month. The leading independent event brings enterprise technical decision-makers together with leaders from pioneering companies to share firsthand experiences on platform choices – Google, Microsoft, and beyond – and navigating AI deployment, all curated by the VentureBeat editorial team. With limited seating, early registration is encouraged. Google’s defining offensive: shaping the future or strategic overreach? Google’s I/O spectacle was a strong statement: Google signalled that it intends to architect and operate the foundational intelligence of the AI-driven future. Its pursuit of a “world model” and its AGI ambitions aim to redefine computing, outflank competitors, and secure its dominance. The audacity is compelling; the technological promise is immense. The big question is execution and timing. Can Google innovate and integrate its vast technologies into a cohesive, compelling experience faster than rivals solidify their positions? Can it do so while transforming search and navigating regulatory challenges? And can it do so while focused so broadly on both consumers and business – an agenda that is arguably much broader than that of its key competitors? The next few years will be pivotal. If Google delivers on its “world model” vision, it may usher in an era of personalized, ambient intelligence, effectively becoming the new operational layer for our digital lives. If not, its grand ambition could be a cautionary tale of a giant reaching for everything, only to find the future defined by others who aimed more specifically, more quickly.  Daily insights on business use cases with VB Daily If you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI. Read our Privacy Policy Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here. 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In 2025, one interior design trend is standing out not just for its visual appeal, but for the sense of peace and purpose it brings into the home: Zen Japanese Interior Design. As our lives become increasingly busy and digitized, people are seeking refuge in spaces that calm the mind, soothe the senses, and promote intentional living. Zen Japanese design, rooted in centuries-old traditions of simplicity, nature integration, and mindfulness, offers a lifestyle as much as an aesthetic. This design philosophy embraces natural materials, neutral tones, open spaces, and a “less is more” approach to decorating. In the following sections, we explore 20 compelling reasons why this design approach is not only trending, but transforming how people live, feel, and connect within their homes. 1. Minimalism with Warmth Image Source: Home Designing Unlike the often sterile vibe of Western minimalism, Zen Japanese Interior Design offers a softer, more livable approach to minimalism. It eliminates excess without sacrificing comfort. Natural materials, earthy colors, and soft lighting bring warmth and depth to a room. To apply this, consider removing overly decorative items and replacing them with one or two handcrafted pieces. Use neutral wall paint, avoid over-accessorizing, and integrate simple wooden or ceramic items that serve both aesthetic and practical purposes. This way, your space feels minimal yet full of life and intention. 2. Open and Airy Layouts Image Source: Lena Monroe Zen design principles emphasize the importance of spatial flow and openness. In 2025, many homes are shifting toward open-concept layouts that prioritize movement and air circulation. Zen Japanese Interior Design naturally fits into this evolution, as it values unobstructed spaces that feel light and breathable. To recreate this in your home, start by removing unnecessary partitions or bulky furniture that blocks light.  Use low-profile furniture like floor cushions and coffee tables, and leave walkways clear. Mirrors can help reflect light and make a space feel larger. Consider using light-colored rugs or tatami mats to define areas without cluttering them. 3. Seamless Connection with Nature Image Source: Awedeco Zen Japanese Interior Design deeply values harmony with the natural world. This is achieved through the thoughtful use of materials like bamboo, raw wood, stone, and linen, and through the incorporation of natural light and indoor greenery. In today’s urban environments, where daily interaction with nature is limited, this style helps bridge that gap.  Practically, you can bring nature inside with potted plants like bonsai, ferns, or snake plants. Use furniture made of raw or reclaimed wood, and keep windows uncovered or lightly draped to allow in natural light. Consider installing a small indoor water feature or pebble tray to evoke the soothing sounds and visuals of nature. 4. Soft, Neutral Color Palettes Image Source: Amelia Hallsworth In 2025, bold colors and loud patterns are giving way to the calming embrace of neutral tones. Zen Japanese Interior Design uses a soft, harmonious color palette to create tranquil environments that soothe the senses. Practically speaking, you can adopt this by repainting your walls in shades like ivory, warm beige, or muted gray.  Use textiles such as taupe curtains, off-white bedding, and linen or cotton throws in subdued colors. Avoid glossy or flashy finishes, and opt instead for matte textures and natural surfaces. Even your choice of art should reflect this palette, consider watercolor prints, minimalist ink paintings, or pressed botanical artwork. 5. Shoji Screens and Tatami Mats Image Source: J-Life International Traditional Japanese architectural elements like shoji screens and tatami mats add more than aesthetic charm, they contribute to the function and feel of a space. Shoji screens, often made of wood and rice paper, allow for light diffusion and flexible space separation.  Tatami mats, made from woven straw, provide comfort underfoot and a grounding connection to the earth. To use them in your home, consider replacing doors with sliding panels or using freestanding shoji screens to section off areas. Add tatami mats in reading corners or bedrooms. These features are not just culturally rich, they are practical, lightweight, and perfect for minimalist homes. 6. Understand the Significance of Lighting Image Source: Home Designing Lighting plays a key role in Zen Japanese Interior Design. The goal is to create soft, ambient lighting that promotes relaxation and presence. Instead of harsh overhead lights, use paper lanterns, floor lamps with linen shades, and wall sconces that diffuse warm light.  Natural light should be maximized during the day with sheer curtains or bamboo blinds. At night, use dimmable bulbs and indirect lighting to maintain a peaceful atmosphere. You can even incorporate candles or LED lights that mimic candlelight for added tranquility. The right lighting enhances the minimalist aesthetic and helps shift the mood of your space from stimulating to serene. 7. Select Furniture with Sleek Lines Image Source: Decorilla Furniture in Zen Japanese Interior Design is known for its clean, understated lines and low-profile form. Pieces are designed to blend seamlessly into the space rather than dominate it. To incorporate this, look for sofas, chairs, and tables with simple shapes and minimal ornamentation.  Avoid bulky, ornate furniture in favor of pieces with natural wood finishes or light upholstery in neutral tones. Low seating options like floor cushions or platform beds help foster a closer connection to the earth, which is central to the Zen philosophy. Functional and modest, this furniture style supports a clutter-free and peaceful environment. 8. Sustainable & Vintage-Inspired Elements Image Source: Ana Maria Design Sustainability continues to be a major influence on interior design trends in 2025. Zen Japanese interiors naturally align with this ethos by emphasizing longevity and craftsmanship. Integrating vintage or second-hand pieces not only reduces waste but also adds character and soul to your space.  Look for refurbished wooden benches, antique chests, or heirloom ceramics that match your neutral palette. Choose furniture made from sustainable sources like bamboo, rattan, or reclaimed wood. Mixing the old with the eco-friendly gives your home depth without disrupting its serene essence. 9. Keep Technology Discreet Image Source: Decorilla In 2025, technology is everywhere, but Zen Japanese Interior Design encourages us to keep it behind the scenes. Visible wires, bulky electronics, and flashing lights disrupt the calming ambiance. Instead, look for minimalist tech solutions: Bluetooth speakers that double as art pieces, wall-mounted televisions that disappear into a panel, or hidden cable systems for desks and entertainment areas. Keep smart home devices tucked away or integrated into natural materials. This approach helps your space maintain its serene look while offering all the functionality of a modern home. 10. Embrace Asymmetry and Irregularity Image Source: Decorilla Zen Japanese Interior Design values asymmetry and irregularity as part of its wabi-sabi philosophy. This aesthetic finds beauty in imperfection and avoids forced symmetry. You can integrate this by selecting decor and arrangements that aren’t perfectly aligned or balanced.  Try placing an uneven group of vases on a table, using mismatched ceramic cups, or hanging art slightly off-center to create visual interest. Asymmetry brings a natural and relaxed feel, mirroring the way things appear in nature. In 2025, when overly curated and symmetrical spaces can feel artificial, embracing irregularity offers a refreshing and humanizing touch to interiors. 11. Textured Surfaces for Depth and Warmth Image Source: Vogue Texture plays a significant role in making Zen-inspired spaces feel welcoming and layered. Instead of relying on color or pattern, use texture to create visual and tactile richness. You can achieve this through woven textiles, rough plaster walls, untreated wood furniture, and handmade pottery.  Choose fabrics like linen, cotton, or wool, and incorporate elements such as tatami mats, rattan baskets, or bamboo panels. Mixing these textures subtly ensures a space that feels natural and inviting without appearing busy. 12. Use Water Features for Serenity Image Source: Japandidecor Incorporating water into your Zen-inspired home enhances tranquility and introduces a meditative sensory element. Water is symbolic of renewal and purity in Japanese design. Practical ways to include water features include tabletop fountains, indoor ponds, or stone water basins in entryways or gardens. The sound of flowing water masks background noise and promotes relaxation. Choose minimalist designs that blend with your decor, using natural materials like stone or ceramic. In compact apartments, even a small fountain on a shelf can have a calming effect. 13. Create a Zen Meditation Space Image Source: Indonesiandesign In 2025, many people are seeking ways to integrate wellness into their daily routines. A dedicated Zen meditation space is a practical and transformative addition to your home. Start by selecting a quiet corner with natural light. Add a tatami mat or meditation cushion, a low wooden table for incense or a small sculpture, and soft lighting.  Keep the area free of distractions and visual clutter. Include calming elements like a plant, a stone bowl, or a small bamboo fountain. This minimal setup supports regular mindfulness practice and encourages stillness, making your home a place for both rest and self-discovery. 14. Simple and Functional Storage Solutions Image Source: Making a Green Life By Lily Storage in Zen Japanese Interior Design is subtle, seamless, and always purposeful. Clutter disrupts the flow and calm of a room, so the goal is to keep belongings hidden but accessible. Choose furniture with built-in storage like benches, low cabinets, or under-bed drawers.  Use natural materials such as wood or rattan for storage baskets, and avoid plastic or overly decorative containers. Labeling or color-coding isn’t necessary; simplicity is key. Shoji-style closets or sliding doors are ideal for small spaces, and folding screens can conceal shelves or workspaces. 15. Incorporate Japanese Art and Calligraphy Image Source: Lena Monroe Art in Zen Japanese Interior Design is minimal, meaningful, and often steeped in cultural heritage. Japanese calligraphy (shodo) or sumi-e ink paintings are perfect for bringing intentional beauty into your space. Choose one or two pieces that resonate with a personal value or emotional message.  You can display them in entryways, meditation areas, or above low furniture like benches or consoles. Use traditional hanging scrolls or frame them with natural wood for authenticity. This form of art adds a cultural and spiritual layer to your interiors, reminding you to embrace simplicity, grace, and mindfulness in your daily life. Final Thoughts: Bringing Zen into Your Home Zen Japanese Interior Design is more than an aesthetic, it’s a way of living that brings clarity, calm, and connection into our everyday environments. In today’s fast-paced world, designing a home isn’t just about choosing furniture or color palettes; it’s about creating a space that supports your well-being, reflects your values, and enhances your lifestyle. Home Designing is dedicated to making design both inspiring and accessible. Our platform shares ideas that help you visualize your space, discover new products, and turn inspiration into action, making it easier to create a home that truly reflects you.