Glass Walled House

This Glass Walled House, which was designed by Beige Interior, draws on the surrounding natural environment. “The retracting glass doors allow indoor and outdoor spaces to interact, and rooms to interlink in extraordinary ways, plunge into the expansive pool after lounging in the deck fronted living space, and emerge at the dining area for a family refreshment”.

A colour scheme of whitewashed and beige runs throughout the home, which is complimented by oak and travertine stone. “Splashes of greenery and vivid blue flood the designer glass box, blending this structure with nature by both absorbing and reflecting the trees, water and sky in this privileged seashore location. The house climbs via ‘floating’ oak staircase, rising by a solitary tree in the pebbled courtyard. The central hall resembles a modern art gallery with large pieces of photography and sculpture to appreciate en route to bedrooms. The master bed is separated by glass from an en-suite bathroom, allowing uninterrupted enjoyment of the scenery”.

“Despite the open air effect of this outside-in architecture, the modern interior maintains a cozy atmosphere, with huge plush rugs, and soft natural tones celebrating its close-to-nature styling.

Special thanks to Home-Designing for the above images.

Sydney Residence

The award winning duo of Doherty Lynch have designed the Sydney Residence with a young family in mind. The inspiration came from yellow penny round tile with pops of yellow showing up through the house to give it a playful and cheery vibe.

“On the walls, bright white and yellow paint, and fun wallpaper were inspired by the homeowners’ vast art collection. There is a simplicity and thoughtfulness in the details that brings about a cohesive theme to the Australian home”.

“Unpretentious, relaxed and playful - this Sydney project has a very Australia feel about it. The client brief was for a family home filled with colour, energy and life. The interior was to reflect the hustle and bustle of family life and stimulate young minds, but to also feel harmonious and calm. And it was a yellow penny round tile that the owners brought in that evolved the design and provided the inspiration for the interior resolution”.

“Doherty Lynch used reclaimed timber flooring, oak veneer, bright paint colours and details, such as pendant light fittings, to ensure a fresh and youthful feel for this project. Joinery materials are in a restrained palette of oak veneer and white and charcoal finishes, while splashes of colour are in feature walls, pendant lights and patterned wallpapers to create layers within this interior. These colours and finishes were inspired by the clients’ extensive art collection to bring some personality and context to the interior”.

Special thanks to InteriorDesignLV for the above images.

Garage Conversion

Owned by Darren Issac and located in Camden, UK, this old garage has been completely transformed into a home. Designed by Knott Architects, the design perfectly uses every inch of space to make it look much larger than it actually is.

Downstairs there is a bedroom and a wet room which are nicely separated by glass screens and a large wardrobe that also acts as a divider. “A small office room adds to the charm, and not only overlooks the street but proves just as useful as it doubles up as a guest bedroom whenever needed”.

“A staircase leads to the upper floor and is made of rolled steel with a patina of rust. Fireplace logs are stored underneath the staircase. The calf skin LCW chair and the typographical tramlines poster form excellent additions that bring in an element of vintage outlook to this house. The upper floor features a living room, a dining room and a kitchen area. It has floors with engineered oak boards and in order to save wall space there’s an underfloor heating system and a sunken trench heating system in front of the windows”.

Special thanks to Decoist for the above images.

1525 Blue Jay Way Residence

“The Blue Jay Way in California is already famed for its extra-ordinary beautiful houses that sport excellent designs. One of those houses, the 1525 Blue Jay residence, is our topic of discussion here”. The residence has been designed with all the “trendy aspects of modern day architecture” with its concept born out of renowned interior design company Lori Dennis’ intellect.

The kitchen, with lots of ventilations to let the natural light in, comes equipped with natural grey stone and white washed oak and cabinets, warm-grey recycled content quartz counters and other appliances. Ventilation is present throughout the house, with interiors of elegant wood finishes, while eco-friendly materials have been used to make the bar, closets, vanities and cabinets.

“The significance of the architecture is that it houses indoor-outdoor pool and a jacuzzi located on the side that has 13-feet-high windows and a roof deck of 360 degree. These large windows and open floor plan make up a large area for the natural light and air to flow in. The floor of the house has been paved with limestone 4x4 slabs that absorb solar energy during the day-time and release it during the cold nights. The master-bath and patio have the capabilities for radiant heating in a very effective way”.

Special thanks to Decoist for the above images.

California Ranch House

Undertaken by MacCracken Architects. this 1950’s typical ranch house has been completely renovated and is located in Livermore, California. Entitled the Mines Road House project, the team behind the renovation have preserved the existing pavilion-like, single story layout and the connections of the main spaces. They have however expanded on scale and quality, as well as on the relation between indoor and outdoor space.

“Nestled in beautiful oak hills, the residence features a simple countryside landscaping with the oak trees as main elements. Particularly interesting is the pavilion impression given by the wooden volumes, reminding of Scandinavian fjord houses, but contradicted by the solid, protective and rustic feel of the interiors with traditional furnishings. Modern through furnishings and spatial solutions, the comfortable Mines Road Home is traditional through the beauty and warmth of materials and design".

Special thanks to Decoist for the above images.

Mont-ras Residence

This Mont-ras Residence has been designed by the Spanish architect Marta Gracie-Orte in association with Antonio Zamora who is the Principal of Zamagni Zamora. Built in 2009 this home sports modern architecture and is located in Mont-ras, a district of Palafrugell at Catalonian in Spain.

“The architecture of the house integrates the surrounding oak forest with a river flowing by. The relationship of this cool residence with the neighbouring residential complexes is done with much care. You can only see a small part of the house when you look at it from the street level”.

“The main entrance space of the house can be accessed by a staircase. The staircase also leads to the lower level of the house. The main volume and sleeping area are the two main parts of the house. Both areas stand behind a cork oak. There is a transitional space in the house where you can see the space between the two main parts of the building”.

Special thanks to Decoist for the above images.

Modern Russian Apartment

The architectural bureau SL Project, which was founded by Russian architect Alexey Nikolashina, have completed this modern apartment design in Moscow, Russia.

Lacquer finishes are used throughout the apartment to set the tone, making the “home highly modern and a bit flashy. The living room is the core of the crib and hosts a generously-sized sofa, a small coffee table and an interesting TV, fireplace and bookcase unit. The lighting is insured by a tall, arched floor lamp and various cylindrical pendant lamps which seem to descend from the ceiling. Lighting spots behind the bookcase add an interesting touch”.

The bar and kitchen areas are connected to a small room, hosting only a friendly table for four. These areas, and the rest of the apartment, are all connected through the use of Solid Oak Flooring. The boards used here, give of a modern luxury feel that is full of character.

Special thanks to Freshome for the above images.

Vienna Way Residence

The Los Angeles based architectural firm Marmol Radziner have completed the Vienna Way residence. Located in Venice, California, this 4,554 square foot residence is located on a large, extensively landscaped lot.

“Floor to ceiling glazing and outdoor living spaces fully integrate the home within the California native landscape”.

As the narrow site provided restrictions, the design divides the lot into thirds, with the two main volumes placed on the exterior edges of the property, bridged by a sunken kitchen in the center. “The one-story structure to the south houses a great room that combines formal living and dining areas. The structure begins in the front of the property and flow into an outdoor dining patio. A large expanse of glass along the east provides a visual and spatial link to the pool area”.

“The northern structure runs from the back of the property forward, also leading to an outdoor living area, and contains more casual, private spaces, including a family room and an office on the first floor and bedrooms on the second floor, Glazing along the second-story hallway offers views of the green roof (above the kitchen) and tree tops below.”

“The kitchen acts as the hub of the residence, connecting the public and private areas and providing views of the pool, side yard and rear property. From the exterior, the kitchen is shaped by a bronze box that emphasises its significance and provides contrast to the plaster façade found on the main volumes of the residence".

“In addition to bridging the two main volumes, the kitchen is the centre of a water-related area that starts in front with a swimming pool and flows through the kitchen and over its green roof, and continues in the backyard’s riparian landscape planted with rushes, reeds and sycamore trees. These plantings give way to a large play yard filled with buffalo grass and surrounded by Oak trees and other California native plants”.

Special thanks to HomeDSGN for the above images.

Galician Traditional House

MAS Arquitectura have designed a galician traditional house on light forms and is located in A Coruña, Spain.

“Quality materials and warm spaces have been characterizing the Galician traditional architecture since the XV century. Architecture Marcos Samaniego, from Mas Arquitectura, has added a new element to this tradition: the design. As a result, the architect has added enamel wood to galician traditional material, stone, in order to maintain the warmth of the house”.

“However, the bioclimatic plan of the house leads to a simple lines design, with large windows in the walls in order to allow nature comes into the interior spaces. The revolutions origin. The carpentries, which are introduced into de Stone walls, make stronger the structure”.

The interior of the house is emphasised by brightness and warm colours. The sunlight covers the home through a skylight on the main floor. The kitchen is full of smooth surfaces and design furniture.

“Details are very important in this house. The main stair, covered by oak wood, receives the light from the large window and it is decomposed creating a hand-made library”.

“To sum up, this house means a small transformation on the Galician traditional architecture, an avant-garde wink in a traditional house”.

Special thanks to Coolboom for the above images.

Romanian Residence

The Romanian based architecture firm Tektum have designed this contemporary mixture of modern brick and wood. The Brick House is situated in a quiet residential area of Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, Romania.

With its north-south orientation, the house can be accessed from the north. Its U-shaped design offers the possibility for a partial basement, ground floor and a small gallery on the first floor.

The eastern side of the residence contains the kid’s bedrooms and bathroom, whereas the western side houses the master bedroom with bathroom, the dressing, carport and a secondary entrance.

The kitchen, living room and gallery are all situated in the middle of the building, with quick access to a large terrace. “Placated with bricks, the facade gently inclines to form a dynamic structure, with the roof resting on oak trunks”.

Special thanks to Decoist for the above images.

Denmark Sanctuary House

Built by Carsten Fischer, the principal architect of Henning Larsen, this modern home is located at the Danish Riviera at the top of a grassy slope at Humlebaek, Denmark.

This 5,404 square foot house has gabled twin copper roofs which overlook the beauty of the Oresundstrait and the Swedish isle of Hven. The two-story home consists of seven bedrooms, a white walled furnished kitchen, living rooms with a Boley fireplace and a dining room. The main entrance can be found by following a path paved of smooth, rectangular slabs of gray-blue granite.

Once inside, there is a modern steel and oak staircase which partitions the house into east and west portions. “Natural light flows inside the room and reflect from the white plaster walls and the Dinesen oak floors. A narrow corridor made of floor to ceiling glass windows offers a light-filled space between the bedroom and the kitchen in the first floor enclosed with paved stones. The upper floor packs more bedrooms, an upstairs living room with pale, angular Cappellini furniture. The downstairs houses a home theater”.

The building also features a wine cellar, a fitness center, a custom designed Jacuzzi, and an 82 foot lap pool.

Special thanks to Decoist for the above images.

DG House

DOMB Architects have designed the DG House in Ramat-Hasharon, Israel.

The design for the house is modern and simple by using basic materials such as painted plaster, grey oak and glass. “Elevation reflects the inside - Same simplicity, same materials, and same quite. The lot is located at the dead-end street. Facade is very narrow, and at the back of the lot a public park”.

The initial decision was to put the building in the advance lines of the street, and to leave the back garden big as much as possible. The house was divided into two wings, because of the width of the pitch, which connected with open staircases. The front elevation is sealed, hiding the house from the street.

“Huge doors open to the volume, which bring the views to the pool, and leave in the center of the house - a double height central space that connects all house activities and is the meeting point of the house”.

“From the entrance - a wooden deck leading from the street, through the living room to the garden in the back of the field”.

“The intermediate space, double height - is the living room. It connects the two wings with overhead bridges and staircase”. Huge glass walls were used here to allow natural views and light into the home.

“The kitchen is in the public part of the ground floor  with dining area from which go to the yard with BBQ Outdoor unit”.

Special thanks to Contemporist for the above images.

Luxury Queensland House

This luxury lifestyle house is a contemporary residence with a simple and functional design. Built in Queensland, this residence combines all of the modern luxuries that a modern day home need.

The four levels are bonded together by the Tasmanian Oak and glass staircase, which gives the house the perfect blend of light and space. “The first level features a family room, a king-sized bedroom, and a double garage with dual entry access. The second level features open-plan living and dining areas, with high gloss porcelain tiled floors. On this level is the outdoor private lagoon style pool, for outdoor entertainment”.

“On the third level are housed 4 bedrooms, including a master bedroom with clear urban landscape from a private balcony. Last, but not the least, is the top floor which features a rooftop viewing deck with 360 degree views of the whole city, the suburb, and the mountains. The furniture, interior decoration is all top class, with every corner of the house, screaming “luxury, in style”.

Special thanks to Decoist for the above information and images.

Håkansson Tegman House

Johan Sundberg has designed this Håkansson Tegman house in Höllviken, Sweden.

Höllviken was originally a seaside resort, but the forested rows of summer houses are now continuously being transformed into a carpet of permanent housing. The site itself is a somewhat complicated corner lot with roads to the north and west.

The client for this project was a middle-aged couple with children who have now left the household. A modern and nature-oriented one story house was commissioned, where sensuous qualities were the most important parameters throughout the design process.

“The house is angled around an inner garden and, much like the Bergman Werntoft house, rests on the tradition of the Danish atrium house from the 60s and 70s. Three small bedrooms crowd together in the northern wing of the house, while the western wing is a continuous sequence of spaces consisting of a kitchen, dining room, library, living area, and winter garden”.

“The outer walls along the streets are clad with Pedersen clay bricks working as a screen. The structure is a steel-enforced timber frame. Windows and sliding glass doors are made from Schüco aluminium profiles. The front and garage doors are custom made from ammonium smoked oak.

The Stone Houses

The New York City-based architectural practice Leroy Street Studio has completed the Stone Houses project. The two contemporary residence were built as weekend retreats for a mother and daughter in East Hampton, New York.

Located in eastern Long Island, this weekend retreat sits on a flat, open 12 acre site. The clients, a mother and daughter, requested a residence that was low-maintenance that incorporated Westchester granite and great expanses of glass to take in views of the property. Dry-stack stone walls were use to unify the exterior and interior spaces and to knit the compound together. “The walls, linked by water features, provide a unifying texture and distinguish the private, southern-oriented arrival side of the buildings from the northern -facing curtain walls”.

“The mothers’ house is split into public and private wings by a gallery overlooking a sculpture court. The public wing is a singular volume subdivided by wrapping roofs: the lower roof creates an intimate dining area and screened porch, and the upper one defines the entry vestibule and living room”.

“The daughter’s house is composed of perpendicular roof planes which over-sail the stone walls; and a taught box of oak glu-lam portal frames wrapped in a continuous skin of louvers”.

“The two buildings together create an abstract composition of planar materials which redefine the property as a series of internal and external courtyards spaces for the family”.

Special thanks to HomeDSGN for the above images.

Saratoga Creek House

The Berkeley based studio WA Design have completed the Saratoga Creek House project in 2009. This two-story contemporary, 7,000 square foot, residence sits on a two acres lot and is located in Saratoga, a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA.

“This large woodland site lies in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, only ten miles east of San Jose yet far removed from the bustle of Silicon Valley. The clients for this house were a technology company executive and his wife”.

“The property is shaded by mature heritage oaks, their dense canopies almost closing over the southern portion of the site. Defining the eastern edge of the property is a meandering seasonal creek. The creek is nearly dry in the heat of summer but swells to a rambunctious flow with the arrival of the winter rains. The riparian habitat along the creek is one of the strongest assets of the site. Dense growths of miner’s lettuce, native juncus, and bay trees crowd the water’s edge. The home is a response to the goals of preserving and enhancing the presence of the existing oak woodland and seasonal creek”.

The house massing is a set of smaller structures interconnected by glassed-in walks and vaulted roof structures that wind through the oak canopy, responding in plan to the requirements of the protected drip lines. Courtyards and outdoor spaces unite the house and landscape. The pool, pool house and adjoining patio all step down a gentle slope to meet the large grass playfield to the north. The field is bordered by a cleaved granite walk that mimics the shape of the creek edge, effectively transposing the form of the creek itself onto the higher land. At the southern end of this path is a sculpture patio. The nine-foot-tall serpentine sculpture we designed is derived from the actual shape of the creek as it traverses the property”.

Special thanks to HomeDSGN for the above images.

Tea Houses

The Californian based studio Swatt Miers Architects have designed the tea house project. These three tea houses are located in Silicon Valley, California, USA and was completed in 2009.

The idea for these tea houses originated years ago, when the owner and his younger daughter explored the remote hills surrounding their Silicon Valley home. Here they discovered an “idyllic setting below a ridge, under a grove of large California Oak trees. At first, the family thought the setting would be perfect for a tree house, Years later, after the 6000 square foot main house was extensively remodeled, the vision was realized as three individual tea houses, places where one could simply retreat into nature”.

“Each tea house is designed as a transparent steel and glass pavilion, hovering like a lantern over the natural landscape. Cast-in-place concrete core elements anchor the pavilions, supporting steel channel rim joists, which cantilever beyond the cores to support the floor and roof planes. With its minimal footprint, the design treads lightly on the land, minimizing grading and preserving the delicate root systems of the native oaks”.

Each of the three tea houses vary in size, each with its own unique purpose. The ‘mediation’ tea house is 270 square foot and is nestled under the canopy of the largest oak tree, as a place for individual contemplation. The slightly larger ‘sleeping’ tea house is a place designed for overnight stays and is approximately 372 square feet. “This structure is joined by a ski-lit bathroom core, which bridges to the largest tea house. At 492 square feet, the ‘visioning’ tea house is for intimate gatherings and creative thinking. The notion of ‘quiet simplicity’ is a consistent theme throughout - there are no phones, televisions or audio systems within these structures”.

Special thanks to HomeDSGN for the above images.

Austin City View Residence

Dick Clark Architecture have designed this minimalist contemporary home, a sustainable passive solar design in Austin, Texas.

There are a number of numerous configurable features in the home for entertainment, a spectacular view and a swimming pool.

“Inspired by the clients’ desire to live in a house that reflects their values and lifestyle, this house takes an architecturally minimal approach with simple massing, an understated material palette, and large expanses of glass.  Configured for entertainment, the glass box living area, along with large sliding doors from the dining and pool room invite guests outside onto the pool deck to take in the spectacular view of the Austin skyline.”

“The plan is very open,  there are visual connections between living/dining/kitchen. A see through oak screen separates the stair from the kitchen. To separate the public entry hall from the private bedroom wing, we did a floating bookcase/art display millwork piece, we used an ecosmart burner as well, it allowed us to create a fireplace mass that doesn’t touch the ceiling which adds non-partition quality of the house.  The siding is cypress, it runs inside and out.”

Special thanks to HomeDSGN for the above images.

Apartment Singel

Laura Alvarez Architecture have completed the renovation and interior design of this two-floor apartment in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The building itself is catalogued as a national monument.

The main idea was to transform the dark and claustrophobic existing apartment into a bright loft and at the same time bring into view special elements of the ancient building.

On the first floor, there is a 70m2 living area which is conceived as a continuous space capable to host different living activities without dividing them into different rooms. A light steel staircase creates a transition between cooking and dining areas.

On the upper floor, natural light is brought in through a series of satin-glass walls. This brings light into the lower level and the bathroom.

“An oak gray-painted window bench provides a seat to enjoy the beautiful view towards the Amsterdam channels. It is also thought as storage cabinets.”

“A nut-wood sliding door gives the possibility to close off the entrance hall from the living space.”

Special thanks to Contemporist for the above images.

Rural Villa Outside Aspen

Located just seven miles outside Aspen, Colorado is this picturesque rural villa which was designed by Lipkin Warner Planning and Design Associates.

“The owners had specific goals: a warm, modern, luxurious ranch house with lots of entertaining areas, a house barn and artist studio, capturing views of all four ski areas. Exteriors are of Pennsylvania lilac block cut stone, metal and pressure treated spruce”.

The interior of the villa is an open floor plan with Colorado sandstone and Bavarian reclaimed oak floors, “acoustically designed wood ceilings and alder and wenge walls and built-ins, giving warmth to a modern design. The owner artists’ hand is reflected in custom furniture and wrap around fireplaces with mantles of glass, wood and steel”.

“The owners’ mutual love of cooking and entertaining is reflected by the restaurant design kitchen, wine cellar and entertaining areas. Floor to ceiling windows and sliding floor to ceiling clad glass doors brings the magnificent views in and connects the outdoor living areas. Landscaping and water features assure absolute privacy. An open floor plan of this 6,200 sq.ft. home looks out upon horse pastures, 1400 sq.ft. barn and 1,000 sq.ft. artist studio where one of the owners designs and builds custom furniture of steel, acrulic glass, and wood”.

Special thanks to Freshome for the above images.