Calvin StreetContemporary Living Room, London

Structural steel. Steel is a remarkable material for what it allows us to achieve in architectural design, to the point that we can appear to defy the laws of physics with floating staircases, split-level mezzanines and the like. Structural steel can be left exposed to give a great industrial feel to an interior. Like exposed ductwork, this is a strong look and will work best if you really play it up as a feature. But again, check your regulations: Steel that’s integral to the structure of the building must be enclosed by fire-rated materials and cannot be left exposed.Tell us: Have you exposed any raw materials in your home? Share your tips and photos in the Comments.More: Pro Panel: ‘The Material I Love to Work With Most’

Purser’s team removed a wall and put in a large steel beam — which you can see here — as support. “This allowed us to open up the room to the kitchen-diner as well as to the courtyard,” he says.The figurines decorating the beam were a gift from B-Brown’s brother, who was working for a design company with a bulldog as the logo. “We just loved the logo,” B-Brown says, “so he bought us a whole set!”