stone and white…

Tags

natural materials, WHITE upholstery

Most of the time, I believe less is more.  I love simple, bold statements, whether it be with a large signature furniture piece in a room, or one shot of a strong color in an otherwise neutral palette, or something like this project…the VERY confident use of only 2 – 3 materials and /or colors (or lack of!).  You may have already seen this rental vacation home in Treia Italy – Casa Olive, by Swiss Architects Wespi De Meuron, but I felt it was SO well done – just phenomenal in my opinion, that it was worth sharing again.  I just LOVE the smooth white walls, floors and ceilings with the natural, textural stone…it’s so serene.  The juxtaposition of the stark modern pool with the historical architecture…Perfection.  I think that a 3+ week stay there would be just about perfect!!  Enjoy!

images by Hannes Henz

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island love…

Tags

CONCRETE, industrial, windows

Here is another incredible project that my husband found for me.  I love the openness of the space…and look at that – another sunken living room!!  I love the use of commercial glazing with wings to keep the glazing free of any hardware so there is little obstruction to the amazing views…just beautiful.  And such an interesting way to do the roofing…using tension cables to attach the roofs to the ground.  There is a peek of a raised pool in the background and solar panels…Very nicely done.  Someday….

images via Fearon Hay Architecture

These are a few of my favorite things…

Tags

CONCRETE, GREAT DOORS!, industrial, natural materials

…Steel, concrete, wood, limestone and WHITE!  The door is fantastic! And the limestone floors are just incredible…I can only imagine how they would feel walking barefoot on a hot summer day!  The mossy-stone-water-feature-niche-area is amazing.  Such a great contrast between the natural stone and the smooth concrete…and the stone vessels in the bathrooms are such an incredible touch.  It’s such a clean, open modern space, but the natural elements, textures and materials give it such soul!  And I especially love the limited, yet strategic use of blues throughout the various spaces…It doesn’t hurt that it is in Spain either…Enjoy!

images via Remodelista

Ahhh Mykonos…

Tags

black & white interiors, flooring, LIGHTING, natural materials

I have a love affair with Greece. It could be the people, it could be the food, it could be the clear blue waters, warm dry breezes and happy relaxed lifestyle…but my best guess is because its (mostly) a country washed in white.  Check out this retail boutique on Mykonos…I am in love with those lighting fixtures – so carefully done and subtly placed – the one at the entry is just gorgeous!  I love the iron detailing on the display pieces, the material choices & of course, the palette. The white washed exposed stone is amazing…This project was done with such restraint. The cultural architectural touches mixed with the modern edge is just beautiful.  Απολαύστε!

images via Contemporist

someday a barn: part 2…

Tags

black & white interiors, natural materials, windows

Remember how I mentioned that my adorable husband often finds me inspirational swipe that he knows I will just love – especially a great modern or industrial farmhouse or barn?  Well he has done it again ( apparently I have trained him well! ) …Look at this amazing ‘modern barn’ from Architect Judith Benzer.  It does not require much description, instead it suggests total praise for such beautiful and subtle restraint.  The perfectly clean and simple structural lines, the limited use of material(s), ever-so-slight and absolutely brilliant detailing, and of course – spectacular environment…Just incredible.

Stunning.

Images via ilikearchitecture.

little hut…

Tags

black & white interiors, industrial, natural materials

I get dozens of great design magazines each month – I’m kind of a junkie that way.  I have piles of them that I am just waiting to go through…In particular, waiting for the perfect warm afternoon to sit on the patio, under the grapevines with a glass of wine with time to slowly read though every one – or at least 2 or 3!  When my Sunset Magazine showed up the other day – low and behold…there was an amazing destination hotel profiled that really caught my eye.  Not Architectural Digest, not Cote Est, or Elle Decor or Interior Design Magazine…but Sunset Magazine.  Check this out…what wonderfully clean, simple architecture – with a little nod to Neutra, that subtly ( the best part! ) tucks into the landscape…the interiors are wonderfully clean ( white! ) and simple as well.  What more do you need when you are floating above the incredible valley and landscape below?  What a view!  So, so cool!  And with further exploration, I find that they are part of Groupo Habita ( of course they are! ) – who also own a few other favorite hotels of mine…one favorite is Distrito Capito in San Diego.  I have been a huge fan of their hotel design for so long…I love the minimal, industrial, sort of raw feeling of the spaces.  How fun it would be to design for a group that does not hold back, or seem to have rules…Just love.

Images via designboom

someday, a barn…

Tags

natural materials

I have long had a dream to live in a barn.  And by that, I mean finding an amazing old barn and fixing it up – into a ‘modern’ barn.  I have had the entire thing designed in my head forever, down to the smallest of details.  It will of course be situated next to a beautiful creek or stream of some sort that will flow under the elevated breeze-way that connects the adjacent design studio and guest house.  It will have amazing views across empty fields and rolling hills, and room for an incredible vegetable garden and dozens of fruit trees.  There will be a large mud room, complete with dog shower and tub…it will have heated concrete floors, a sunken living room with huge wall to wall cushions for lounging…walls that completely open up so there is NO line between inside and out…a gourmet kitchen with a 14′ table for long dinners with good friends, an indoor-outdoor pizza oven that is accessed from the kitchen, as well as from the deck adjacent to the black-bottom beach-entry pool.  Ah yes, I do have the entire thing designed in my head, but for now, I will just continue to search for and file away other great ideas so that when the day comes to start gutting (: ) ),  I will be ready!!  Enjoy!

the gabion wall…

Tags

industrial, natural materials

I LOVE gabion walls.

I don’t think you need to say much about a gabion wall because the simplicity, structure, power and just the essence of it speaks for itself.  The nature of the material IS the color and texture and pattern…it is what it is…and in my opinion – just perfect.  I have been wanting to go visit the Dominus Winery forever!  The winery is an incredible gabion building (!) by Herzog & De Meuron.  It was built to integrate into the landscape, almost disappearing, allowing the winery to be what it should be – most important.  Using basalt rocks as the buildings’ skin allows natural light to filter in the entire building (beautifully!), while keeping it naturally insulated, and especially cool in the extreme summer heat of the Napa Valley.

We had friends visiting us this weekend, one who also happens to be a landscape designer and fan of gabions, so it seemed the perfect opportunity to go visit the winery up in Yountville.  It was a beautiful Spring day so we headed up to the Napa Valley for lunch and some architectural inspiration… We pulled into the winery and low and behold – a (very) small sign posted just to the side of the large white entrance gate said…’No Tastings.  No Tours”…What??  A winery that does not do tastings or tours??  A building SO incredible that does not allow tours??  Needless to say we were devastated.  I have been doing some research since then, determined to get in to see the building, and have found that they do allow occasional private architectural tours, so I will be on a personal mission to get in to see it some day!!  I will of course keep you posted on that, but in the mean time, here are some wonderful found images of the winery.  Enjoy…

Images via Architectural Week, Dezeen, Arch|MYC Studio, Dominus Estate

less is more…

Tags

windows

Perfect.

black exteriors…

Tags

black paint

Here we go again.

It’s paint selection time again, but this time for our own house.  We are still in the process of redoing our front courtyard, which the rain (finally!!) has delayed a bit,  but we (I) have been wanting (dying) to update our exterior paint color(s) as well.  One of the two current colors on our house has been making me crazy for a long, long time.  And it always seems like once you start a new project, others that may have been lower on ‘the list’, suddenly become more important or integral to the other project you are doing!  That being said, I have started the search for the perfect exterior paint colors – or the black and the gray to be exact.  O.k.  I’ll admit it.  I want a black house.  Is that weird?  Every time I see a good black house, I just love the sophistication and boldness, but also how it kind of ‘sits back’.  Black makes me calm for some reason.  And happy.  Our house is mid-century modern, so its kind of a natural palette for the architecture anyway.  But which black and / or which gray??  Blacks and grays are so, SO specific…they can go very blue, very green, very red – or even purple – which I do not want.  I am looking for a very neutral, rich, ever-so-slightly warm-ish black and the perfect dark gray to go with it.  I will probably paint a few more swatches and then finally end up just mixing my own custom color and have it matched…Let the insanity begin…Keep you posted!

via HB Color app

via restorationhardware.com

Restoration Hardware also has a new color not shown on their site. It’s called Obsidian and it’s a gorgeous very black-brown…Flint (the dark swatch above) is great as well…a serious contender.

via Dwell

I have been saving this image for a few years now.  I love the black, white and concrete palette – simple and clean.

via Remodelista.com

via Remodelista.com

via Dwell

Joseph Dirand…

Tags

black & white interiors

During my obsessive and relentless search through design blogs, interior and architecture sites, and all the other vast options for design inspiration and information, I came across a name that I didn’t immediately recognize, yet have known and loved his work for years!  Joseph Dirand is a French Architect and designer.  I thought I would post a few of my favorites from his residential and hotel work for those of you who don’t know him or just haven’t seen for a while.  I think his attention to detail is incredible and his work is absolutely stunning…Enjoy!

Silver leaf built-in book shelves...VERY bold move!

Look at those floors and the wall...amazing!

Gorgeous chevron floors!

Hotel Habita Monterrey Mexico

Love.

Incredible! Absolutly LOVE the classic vs. ultra modern...

All photos via http://www.josephdirand.com

see THIS is why I love Piet Boon…

Tags

CONCRETE, kitchens, windows

This is a shot from the latest issue of one of my new favorites –  Est Magazine – out of Australia…on the latest work of one of my favorite designers, Piet Boon.  His use of materials and that palette…there is just something about how he creates spaces, along with his wife Karin, that makes them feel fresh and new, but comfortable and very familiar at the same time.  Hope you enjoy!!

via Est

architectural inspiration…

Perfect.

Click here to see it all…

Photos: John Gollings for Arch Daily

simple architecture…

Perfect.

via Remodelista