Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Inspiration Newsletter

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• Remarkable Home with Acid Colours in Secluded Area
• Unparalleled Hand Carved Bobra Stools from Mowo Studio
• Small but Cute&Comfy Apartment from One of Our Readers
• Interview: When Design Meets Enthusiasm with Taylor Donsker
• Subtle Elegance surprised in the Architecture of the RM House
• 10 Ways Ottomans Can Enhance a Room
• Playful and Versatile: DreiX Balanced Shelf from Christian Kim

Remarkable Home with Acid Colours in Secluded Area Posted: 02 Dec 2010 07:05 AM PST Bruce Bolander, an amazing architect from Malibu, California, designed this unique home named Beauvoir Residence in the middle of nature, using the surrounding hills as fortresses. The two storey home acts like a funnel: it captures the nature and brings it inside through glass walls that act like windows to a dreamy landscape. This is no ordinary home. It has panoramic views that can be enjoyed from almost any corner of the house, so the furniture had to make a statement as well. The interior design focuses mainly on shades of green, with strong splashes of colour that break the monotony. Acid green was used to give the kitchen a differentiated look from the rest of the house and the walls were painted in a cute baby blue colour as if this part of the house wanted to break all the rules. Some other acid green and baby blue decorative objects tie the downstairs design to the rest of the house. Modern lines used all throughout the house and the rectangular shape of the building consolidate the idea of man living in the middle of nature. Concrete, wood and glass form a contemporary look and feel. Surely this home can initiate two feelings: you either love it or hate it. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Remarkable Home with a View of the Golden Gate Bridge in California Remarkable Kitchen Design, Milan 2010 Remarkable Passive Solar House with Views of Mount Olympus Exceptional Green Home in the Forest Home in a Cave: Crazy or Genius? Home Accessories : Butterfly Clock Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Unparalleled Hand Carved Bobra Stools from Mowo Studio Posted: 02 Dec 2010 05:18 AM PST Handmade chairs are always fun to look at. They are both unique and have challenging designs. It`s amazing to see all sorts of shapes and colours come together under skilled hands. Just take a look at these next chairs – inspired by a beaver`s work, the tree stumps were hand carver to offer a dynamic feeling of a natural sight that can be found in nature. Polish designers from Mowo Studio took a beaver`s lifetime work and recreated it into a set of stools that imitate gnawed timber. Hand sculpted in birch or linden wood, the stools are available in a natural wood finish or painted wood. These stools were named “Bobra”, meaning beaver in Polish. Unusual and versatile, these stools can also be used as nightstands or side tables, helping you integrate the idea of continuous work in your home. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Natural Stone Bathtub Playdate table with Stools a Smart and Simple Design Stools can be Sexy To Sushi Table and Stools by Gloster Sea-Urchin, the Amazing Hand-Made Chair North Bay Road Residence by Touzet Studio Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Small but Cute&Comfy Apartment from One of Our Readers Posted: 02 Dec 2010 03:55 AM PST We recently received some photos of this cozy apartment from Jerome, one of our young readers from Xiamen, China. He told us that even though the apartment is really small (just 43 square meters), living in it is extremely comfortable. Jerome considers he has everything he needs in this one-room crib and he’s probably not planning on changing his flat anytime soon. All furniture was custom made from a local producer and we can’t help noticing just how tasteful everything looks. We really like how the shelving unit separates the sleeping area from the “living” area. There are plenty of lockers, shelves and cabinets around, so that takes good care of storage space, making everything look very clean and tidy around the apartment. The curtain adds a little personality and charm to the room, creating a soft atmosphere, perfect for quality indoor relaxation. Thank you for sharing, Jerome! Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Small Apartment Ideas by Tori Golub Swedish Inspiration: Turning a Small Apartment into a Gemstone Simple and Elegant White Apartment Small Apartments(Lofts) Interior Design Ideas Ideas for Small Apartments from Compact Living Asking the Readers Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Interview: When Design Meets Enthusiasm with Taylor Donsker Posted: 02 Dec 2010 02:50 AM PST Taylor Donsker is a talented “creative” with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from USC and a background in automotive suspension design. In today’s interview, you are about to see a young designer’s perspective on the fascinating field that we are trying to discover and reveal with every new post on Freshome. Read carefully, as there are lessons to be learned and enjoy the overall enthusiasm subtly given away by Taylor’s answers. Freshome: What determined your passion for design? Tell us about the moment when you decided this is the way to go. Taylor Donsker: I guess you could say I was one of those trouble making, destructive kids.  I burnt action figures, blew up my model cars with fireworks, and then studied the scattered parts.  As I grew older, I became more interested in creating, combining broken pieces in unique ways.  Just last year, I found out that when I was tested for Attention Deficit Disorder, the results showed that I was gifted in spatial relationships and the doctors said I would make a good architect. Cantilevered Planar Desk Lamp Freshome: Can you remember your first design project? Describe it a bit, whether it is a gizmo you worked at as a little kid or something that was sold at a large scale. Taylor Donsker: I was 16 years old and decided to install a pneumatic (air) suspension in my Chevy pickup truck.  I had been researching the process on the internet for several months, but when I decided to start, I had never lifted a wrench.  I formed a relationship with several members of an online forum, who helped along the way by giving advice whenever I was stumped.  Despite the anger and fear that I would ruin my nearly new truck, my parents and friends were all amazed at the success of the project.  After finishing, I began an automotive fabrication business that increased my skills in electrical wiring, welding, cutting, and working with metal. Freshome: What field of design are you most interested in? Do your works have anything to do with it ? (We are asking this because not many designers do what they actually want) Taylor Donsker: I am passionate about architecture as well as furniture design.  Having studied at USC and graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree, I believe I was trained to become an architect and one day run a firm. However, I find that architecture and furniture are closely related.  Not only does furniture fill architectural space in the physical sense, it also shares the ideologies of architectural theory.  Furniture engages the human body, the textures defined by materials and finishes evoke unique feelings and responses.  Furthermore, details are magnified as you enter the space of a piece of furniture, from the moment your body first contacts a piece or analyzes the interlocking connections. Shadows extend from perforated materials to create a visual layer of pattern and texture.  In a sense, furniture is a scaled down, inhabitable form of architecture that flows straight from the designers mind without distractions from city boards and bureaucratic processes.  I can take a conceptual design to a finished product in a week. Cantilevered Floor Lamp Freshome: Chronologically describe what you are going through (feeling and thoughts) on your way to work. Taylor Donsker: I find that forcing design in a studio is an extremely inefficient use of my time.  I prefer to allow designs to come naturally to me, subconsciously while I’m driving or before going to bed, for example.  Until I sketch the idea, it continues to evolve in my mind, preventing me from sleeping.  I wake up each morning, look at my sketchbook, excited to continue the design’s development.  At the end of the day I find that sweeping the concrete floor is therapeutic, each sweep wiping away the frustration of the day. Freshome: What is your favourite book/magazine on design? How about your favourite site? Taylor Donsker: I constantly revisit Francis Ching’s book: Form, Space, & Order.  His drawings, analyzation of classical to modern architecture, and study of geometry allow me to refocus and simplify my thoughts. As far as websites, I occasionally visit the design blogs, but I try to steer away from current trends to keep my designs fresh. Freshome: What inspires you? Taylor Donsker: In a word, everything.  After completing a cross country road trip around the US I jokingly told my girlfriend that I had enough design inspiration for the rest of my life.  From the caves of Antelope Canyon, to Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece Falling Water, and even the brass bands playing on the streets of New Orleans, I try to absorb everything and release it with my pen. Suspended Bookshelf Freshome: What is the most frustrating aspect of your job as a designer? And the most rewarding one? Taylor Donsker: As a young designer, coming up with money to build my designs is definitely frustrating (and my designs are not very costly), as is the process of building each design myself.  Occasionally I think of the improvements in quality and the innovations in design that CNC’s and laser cutters could offer, but I’ve realized that working with my hands and rebuilding designs has improved my technical skills and often leads to a simpler, cost effective finished product. A rewarding moment came last week when I was delivering one of my pieces, the cantilevered lamp, to a client in Beverly Hills. Walking up to the mid-century home I immediately knew that this was the setting where the lamp belonged, the image that I had in my mind for so long was right in front of me. Freshome: From your point of view, is design an art or a science? Taylor Donsker: Design requires both art and science, but I find that the science comes naturally.  A good design draws on both art and science and exhibits them effortlessly. Freshome: Tell us something unusual that happened in your career. Taylor Donsker: As a means of lighting my drafting table in my mid-century apartment, the first piece of furniture that I designed was the cantilevered lamp.  When I moved into a suburban setting, it was obvious that the lamp didn’t belong. It was stored in the garage for several months before I decided to gauge consumer interest on craigslist.  The lamp had sold in only one day, and after the customer saw the suspended bookshelf, she decided to buy it as well, giving me a great deal of confidence in pursuing furniture design. Freshome: Let’s say you entered a contest. You have to come up with a design for the first house on the Moon built for extra-terrestrial living. How would your project look like? Taylor Donsker: Unfortunately, answering this question would breach a pending contract with NASA.  Although, it would be interesting to design a house that one could easily lift and move across the moon due to its lessened gravity. Concrete Coffee Table Freshome: If design were a product, what would it be and how would you design it? Taylor Donsker: I’ve always wanted to design a landscape guideline (book) for single family homes that provided planting tips for their particular region to reduce water consumption and display the uniqueness of each city’s natural environment. Freshome: If you had no limits (money, resources), what would you create? Taylor Donsker: I would design methods for reviving the unused, in-between, portions of the built environment.  I’ve always had a fascination with urban alleyways, and I suppose that would be an interesting place to start. Freshome: Share something you would like the world to know about you or your ideas. Taylor Donsker: I am fascinated with anything; I believe design requires an absolute interest, and partial knowledge of everything. Freshome: What do you think of our site? Taylor Donsker: Freshome.com provides a wonderful range of design, from the home as a whole to its inner elements, matching my interest in parts and their whole. Freshome: What advice do you have for young designers or architects reading this interview? Taylor Donsker: Design around your means, each project is an experiment that should offer you insight into your unique skills and interests.  Allow your designs to evolve and constantly think of ways to improve them.  While designing many objects may create a great collection, a singular well thought out design will last forever. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Beautiful Colors Wall Clock Storytime Rocking Chair Discovery Drawer by Richard Shed and Alex Taylor Chair with a Small Place for Storage by Lewis Taylor Bookshelf inspired by the map of United States of America The Yorkville Residence by Taylor Smyth Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Subtle Elegance surprised in the Architecture of the RM House Posted: 02 Dec 2010 01:39 AM PST The RM House -  also called the Remy Menzaghi House – is located on the outskirts or Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Designers from Andres Remy Arquitectos built this astonishingly designed home for a young couple and their two kids. Bamboo insertions throughout the house make a bold statement of comfort and love for nature. Best suited for those who appreciate its subtle elegance, the house is filled with unusual corners that only increase its mystery. Unlike other homes, the RM House combines a soothing interior comfort with a strong and imposing outside design. Grey was apparently the best colour for the outside walls – it goes great with the undulating blue surface of the pool and with the green lawn in the backyard.  The interior is filled with natural light coming from the large windows and wooden floors seem to sweeten the rough edges and corners. Distinguished and elegant, this house must make an impression. Which one do you like more: the outside or the inside? Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! T-House by Den Nen Architecture 63.02° house by Schemata Architecture Office Maroubra Residence in Australia, a Display of Beautiful Interior Design Beaver Street Reprise, Dashing Design and Architecture The Orcas Residence in Seattle Incredible Compact House Shaped like an Automobile Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

10 Ways Ottomans Can Enhance a Room Posted: 01 Dec 2010 11:25 PM PST Have you ever realized that the cushion you rest your feet on has so many purposes? The ottoman has come a long way, and in today's décor, it can be used as storage, extra seating, and a coffee table! From small ones to oversized ones, ottomans are the hidden gem that may be missing from your space.  Don't overlook this handy piece of furniture for space saving, or just making a statement in the middle of the room. Here are 10 ways you can use ottomans to enhance your room. 1.) Shared space seating: Ottomans are a great idea for apartments and open floor plan homes that share seating with more than one area. For example open concept living and family room concepts may only have space for one seating area. Ottomans give the options of versatility to add seating to the shared space, or just leave alone and when pushed up against a wall with pillows can now transform into a couch. 2.) Foot rests will never go out of style: The original intent of an ottoman is to place your feet on them, and this tradition will never change. Decide how much room you have for yours. Ottomans dimensions are available in sizes as wide as a couch to small, square and petite sizes. 3.) Store items inside: In every living room or family room there is a need for storage of small items. Whether it is remote controls, game controllers, movies, or children's toys. Ottomans with a hinged top make the best storage that is handy and disguises itself beautifully. Ottomans with storage also work well in master bedrooms at the foot of the bed. 4.) Visual interest: Shapes and geometric configurations make many varieties of ottomans fun and visually appealing. Consider ottomans that form a circle when put together, when separated the pieces can make 4 equal wedges of seating. From circles to serpent-like shapes, ottomans can be strictly for fun conversation! 5.) Tuck away seating: If you are trying to conserve space, ottomans are a perfect solution for seating that can be pulled out when needed. Individual seats or ottoman benches that have casters or rollers beneath them make this type of seating ideal when entertaining. When not needed, tuck seating under the table, and the ottoman now serves a whole different function. 6.) Use them as a coffee table: A table that sits lower than your couch, and is used to set and display items on beside the couch is referred to as a coffee table. Ottomans in recent years have become larger, and more versatile to serve as coffee tables as well. Display magazines or place your drink tray on them, ottomans can handle it all. 7) Children friendly: Ottomans that have kid friendly fabrics such as denim or tweed can easily be used for a flat surface for kids to play on top of while they sit on the floor. Larger ottomans can be used for board games and playing with friends, without disrupting the main dining table or communal area in your home. 8.) Color coordinate: For easy color combinations choose a color from your walls, artwork, or fabric and bring in complimenting colors to match your ottoman.  The ottoman can blend in with the adjacent furniture, or compliment your existing décor. 9.) Use as a show piece: Believe it or not, ottomans are now becoming the focal point of the room and serving the function of 'all eyes on me' décor. From tufted fabrics, to rich textiles and fabrics. Ottomans can look casual in a rustic room, or extravagant and lush in an affluent setting. You name it, there's an ottoman to fit the role of showstopper. 10.) Just relax on them: In many homes, the ottoman is as comfortable to lounge on as the adjacent furniture. If you prefer a more relaxed environment, consider choosing oversized ottomans that you can lounge on and enjoy your home. Ottomans can be a conversation piece and a functional foot rest at the same time. Look in home décor magazines and surf the web, there are tons of ottoman inspiration to help you. First, decide the function of your ottoman and what space you will utilize it in. Use these 10 tips, and your ottoman may become your favorite piece of furniture. Freshome readers tell us how you use your ottoman in your home. Do you use it for storage, or is it just a beautiful centerpiece of the room? We'd love to hear your ideas. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Coffe Table with Four Integrated Ottomans : Ideal for Small Space Living The Ice Lounge, a Place Where You can Chill out in Style Coffee Table with Storage Ellipse Bookcase Modern UFO Table Apartment Decorating : Inspiration, Ideas and Pictures Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Playful and Versatile: DreiX Balanced Shelf from Christian Kim Posted: 01 Dec 2010 02:18 PM PST In case you are on the lookout for some unusual shelving ideas, here is one that will raise your spirits. DreiX Balanced Shelf comes from designer Christian Kim and comes with an appealing and surprising design. The German creative took the horizontal bookshelf concept to a new level and came up with a unit that can be used both horizontally and diagonally. This occurs with the help of a metal system which connects the three square storage boxes and which is able to “balance” the whole system. The user simply pushes the shelves from the margins up or down in order to create the desired effect and change the overall appearance of the wall the Balanced Shelf is placed on. The design is elegant and practical, perfect for a large variety of contemporary interiors. Find it interesting?- via blueantstudio Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Spell Shelf by Da-Eun Song Decorated Shelves : Nero Shelf U Bend Shelf Glass Shelf & Towel Bar Take Advantage of Unused Corners in Your Home : Lorna Corner Shelf A Different Kind Of Christmas Tree : Festive Ornament by Christian Dior Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

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