Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter

---

• Two Room Apartment Characterized by Simple Forms and Stylish Decors
• 30 Spectacular Infinity Pools That Will Rock Your Senses [Part Two]
• Interview: Behind the Scenes with Heart Home Magazine Editor Carole King
• Apartment Layout With Inspiring Design Solutions by Julien Borean
• Futuristic Roca London Gallery by Zaha Hadid Architects
• How to ‘Treat’ your Halloween Home with Festive Decor
• Spacious and Fresh Modern Apartment in Bratislava

Two Room Apartment Characterized by Simple Forms and Stylish Decors Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:19 AM PDT The atmosphere captured within this lovely Scandinavian apartment is serene and welcoming. In this post we would like to present a crib composed of two rooms plus kitchen and occupying an area of 55 square meters. Found on Alvhem, the apartment can be characterized by simple forms, symmetry, unity and peace. A spacious living room is the focal point of the home and it where friends and family can join for socializing. A large sofa, a reading corner and a dining table provide seating for up to nine persons. But this room is cozy enough to just drag a pillow and sit on the floor. We like the simple, yet very practical suspended shelving unit, as well as the contemporary painting above the sofa. The living room is connected with the bedroom, another lovely interior filled up with space and good vibes.

30 Spectacular Infinity Pools That Will Rock Your Senses [Part Two] Posted: 17 Oct 2011 05:55 AM PDT Not too long ago, we featured a post ( 30 Spectacular Infinity Pools That Will Rock Your Senses [Part One] ) with some of the most incredible infinity pools out there. We were amazed by the positive responses we got from you, so we figured we would reiterate the “success” with part two. We can not help but notice how hooked you guys have become on contemporary pools. This why for today we gathered 30 (more) of the most mind-blowing infinity pools that will certainly get your interest rising. The images below were shot in various countries around the globe, surprising unique moments. Even though swimming on the edge of a skyscraper’s roof may be different from diving into a pool that faces the sea, the experience is an unforgettable one (no matter what the location). But we have to know: which one do you find most thrilling? Or better yet, which one would you dive into right now?

Interview: Behind the Scenes with Heart Home Magazine Editor Carole King Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:40 AM PDT Carole King with Daniel Nelson, and Arianna Trapani of Heart Home Magazine Image courtesy of Andrew Boyd There are a plethora of home design blogs, and publications out there, but very few have the unique knack of focusing on British design like Heart Home Magazine. With it’s launch in September of this year, Editor Carole King shares with us how the magazine has sky-rocketed in its infancy and how she juggles it with her fabulous design blog – Dear Designer. Heart Home Magazine - Premier Issue - Autumn 2011 FRESHOME:  Congratulations to you, Arianna Trapani, and Daniel Nelson for the launch of Heart Home magazine! It was fun to experience the launch on Facebook, tell Freshome readers how the concept for Heart Home began and the process of making an online and print home design resource for the world to share. CAROLE KING: Thanks Ronique.  Arianna and I are avid readers of online shelter magazines and we had toyed with the idea of starting our own for a while. It was only when we discovered that Daniel had the skills to actually make it happen however, that we seriously considered it a real possibility. We had been lamenting that there wasn't a British one out there and we're all passionate about British design so we decided to make it quintessentially English.  Hopefully it will help to make it stand out from the crowd too.   FRESHOME: It's wonderful to see a publication showcase British designers and projects. Will Heart Home explore other areas of the world, or keep it British run and featured? CAROLE KING: We're not ruling out exploring other parts of the world but there is such a wealth of talent here that we do aim to keep it for the most part British. FRESHOME: With your background as a London based Interior Designer, design blogger, and now Editor of Heart Home, how do you find time to still post fabulous design ideas on your personal blog at 'Dear Designer'? CAROLE KING: That's a good question!  I don't sleep as much as I used to!  Seriously, I have had to reduce the number of posts I do on Dear Designer's blog.  I used to blog seven days a week but that's just not possible anymore.  We also have the blog on the Heart Home site to keep up to date and fresh and it all takes time.  We actually have rather ambitious plans for the Heart Home blog but I'm going to have to keep that under wraps for now. FRESHOME: What makes Heart Home different than other interior niche magazines? What has been the biggest challenge, and the biggest reward of launching Heart Home in September? CAROLE KING: I think the fact that Heart Home is about British design is what makes it different.  Sorry to sound repetitive but it's the first of its kind here in the UK and we're rather proud of that. The biggest challenge was to make sure that it at least reached the bar set by other digital magazines.  There are already some pretty amazing digital shelter magazines already out there who have set a very high standard and we did not underestimate the task ahead of us. Our biggest reward has been the tremendous response to the launch.  We have notched up 32,000 readers and 1,200,000 unique page views in the first three weeks and we are very pleased with that.  We've also had very encouraging feedback on the style and content and we have to also give credit to our team of contributors for that. FRESHOME: What is the selection process for what projects, and designers you feature on Heart Home? CAROLE KING: We are very fortunate that we seem to agree on most things.  Arianna and I have a similar aesthetic and we're working on Daniel.   The homes we have so far featured were chosen for their individuality and that's something that we are keen to continue.  It's also important to us that the ideas and projects and even the shopping pages are affordable and achievable. FRESHOME: Do the three of you collaborate on all the features, or do you divide the magazine into sections to express your individuality? CAROLE KING: We actually all collaborate.  In theory Arianna and I are responsible for editorial content and Daniel for the look and style of the magazine but in reality it's a joint effort on every front.  Daniel often suggests ideas for features and we work together a lot on the style and layout of the pages. FRESHOME: Since Heart Home is a quarterly publication, how far in advance do you have to find new content? . CAROLE KING: Well, we've only had one issue so far and we've only just started on issue two (to be published on 8th December) so not very far at all!  The beauty of digital of course is that we can still be including content right up until a few days before publication and we have no page number restrictions.  We don't have to worry about the problems associated with doing a Christmas photo shoot in July or a summer picnic in December either.  We would like to get to a stage where we have one eye on the issue after next but I think that's some way off. FRESHOME: Here at Freshome we always love designers who have a passion. Can you share with our readers a few of your passions that makes your personal blog so much fun to write? CAROLE KING: I'm passionate about all aspects of design.  From high end opulence, to ground breaking  innovations, to budget busting recycling.  I love to travel too.  I don't write about it so much on my blog but it influences my taste tremendously.  I am also passionate about the designer-makers who emerge from our colleges in the UK and am very envious that they can earn a living creating beautiful things. FRESHOME: Freshome is trying to stay fresh and inviting, tell us what you think of the Freshome website. CAROLE KING: I like it a lot.  It's easy to navigate and its full of ideas for the home and lots of lovely eye-candy too.  I'm always interested in how other designers think and tackle problems so the recent interview with Lori Gilder held my attention from beginning to end.

Apartment Layout With Inspiring Design Solutions by Julien Borean Posted: 17 Oct 2011 03:45 AM PDT Julien Borean recently sent us an apartment design that he created and implemented himself. We asked for a personal description of his home and were pleasantly surprised with the details he provided. Enjoy the photos, as well as his personal “making-of” version:  Julien Borean: The idea of the project was very simple, the space was completely nude and I didn’t want to put some more walls inside the loft. But it’s also the place where I work everyday as a graphic designer, where I meet up my clients. So it was important to separate the “life side” ( bedroom, bathroom, etc. ) and the “business side” ( the office and the living room which is also a kind of meeting point ). I didn’t have any furniture ( except my bed and a desk ) and didn’t want to have some more so I thought about making an “all in one” furniture as a wall to create those 2 sides. All the loft is based on this “wall”, all the cupboards, the kitchen, the dressing room, even the restroom is inside it. The “all in one” is a very practical kind of furniture/wall because it’s useful from both sides. If you are in the office or the bedroom, you have storage spaces on each side. It is almost the only thing which was built, the rest was only the creation of the electricity network, the ceiling of the walls and those kind of things. That’s why I didn’t ask any architects to design the loft, I simply asked a general company to help me for all the technical problems and solutions and to realize the works. It was not easy, but I visited tons of websites and of course yours helped a lot. Julien Borean: All the materials are rather simple and not too expensive. Just the lights budget was a little bit higher that I expected because I wanted to emphasize the original concrete ceiling and also bought some Occhio solution for the dining room. The “all in one” wall is all made of MDF wood painted in glossy white. Same for the kitchen except for the black top cupboards made in black MDF wood finished with a brilliant varnish. The work plan of the kitchen is made of Bambou. The red line just upside the wall is simply made of translucent red glass with white neons behind. This line was a kind of dream since I was a child so I absolutely wanted to have it there. I didn’t choose to use LED because it was too expensive and I’m not 100% conviced about that kind of light. Ok for shops or restaurants but less for a house. The floor is made of light grey polyurethane which is very pleasant and soft for walking on it. There is nothing very “exciting” about the materials as my budget was limited. I wanted a very light and minimalist decoration as my mood can change 50 times a day, I need to be in a kind of neutral environment. White+black+red is my favorite contrast in all graphic design and printing process because I think it’s the most effective… So it came naturally in the space too.

Futuristic Roca London Gallery by Zaha Hadid Architects Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:41 AM PDT Zaha Hadid Architects have completed Roca London Gallery, an impressive project with a futuristic appearance located in Chelsea Harbour district near King's Road. Roca is a strong bathroom products brand which emphasizes on innovative ideas. According to the architects, The Roca London Gallery is “a single space of 1100m2 including connected, semi-open zones for product displays and a meeting room space seamlessly incorporating a range of state-of-the-art interactive technologies and audio  visual resources. Designed as a versatile multi-purpose environment, the Gallery will host a wide range of social and cultural events of interest to Roca, including exhibitions produced in-house and externally, meetings, presentations,  debates and receptions. The design brings about a connective language between the architecture and the bathroom products, with the movement of water 'carving out' the interior and moving through the Gallery as individual drops“. Do you find this architecture approach suited for communicating the values of an innovative bathroom products brand?

How to ‘Treat’ your Halloween Home with Festive Decor Posted: 17 Oct 2011 01:42 AM PDT Halloween is one of those holidays that either you love it or you could do without it. For those who like the idea of decorating their home for the holiday, but not necessarily going all out with the black cauldrons and scary black cats, here are some ideas for your home. Instead of focusing on the dark side, how about 'treating' your home to fun ideas for your kids, playful decor for the young at heart, and using these inspiring tips to make your Halloween home a memorable one this year? Here are some ideas to get you started! A subtle decor approach to Halloween: If you're taste for the holiday lends you to decorative harvest decor for your dining table, and warm interiors, consider ditching the black and orange and going for natural tones. Use white and green pumpkins, gourds, grapes, candles and neutral colors for your dining room table, fireplace mantle, and display areas. While Halloween for some means scary and dark interiors, lighten your Halloween night with a fun get-together with friends that welcomes trick-or-treaters to your door, or allows for an intimate gathering of close friends. Pull out the spider webs: If creepy spider webs, and flying bats are more your decorative style consider these helpful tips for your Halloween party: Make furniture look old: Use cotton or playful spider webs found at your local party store and stretch it over your furniture, picture frames, doorways, and anywhere throughout your interiors for an old, and abandoned haunted house interior! Group specimens: For a fun decorative party table, group apothecary jars with lids with fun 'specimens' – candy eyeballs, plastic spiders, gummy worms, and other scary tidbits for friends and family to sample throughout the holiday. Create a spooky ambiance: If you prefer a bubbling cauldron on your buffet table, use dry ice in old urns and be sure to wear gloves when handling. Use old candelabras with candles throughout your home, and dim the lights while you play sinister howls and screams in your Halloween get-together. Black and white decor:  If you love black and white throughout your home all-year round, Halloween is the perfect time to bring out monochromatic decorative pieces. Consider painting pumpkins black and white, spray paint silver accents such as urns, chargers to place under dinnerware, and string white lights around your home for a festive ambiance. For a dinner party, use black and white table settings, tablecloth, and a Halloween centerpiece made from playful black birds sitting in between branches in an old urn with gardener's grass.  Halloween doesn't have to scream of orange and black! Halloween doesn't have to be the traditional or it can be ALL about the traditional, isn't that the fun of this holiday? Before we move into the holidays that are for seriousness, enjoy the holiday that embraces fun, creativity, and being a little of kilter in your home interiors. Try hosting a Halloween party with these creative ideas, or ditch the sinister ideas and love this autumn holiday. As the air turns crisp, and October ends, there is no better way to round out the month than decorating your home in these whimsical ideas. How will you decorate for Halloween? Will you go all out, or keep it subtle?

Spacious and Fresh Modern Apartment in Bratislava Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:32 AM PDT We recently received an impressive contemporary apartment design from Juraj Karlík, of Neopolis Studio. According to the press release we were sent, the project belongs to designer Vierka and we were happy to see that it is located in a city that we did not yet cover on Freshome: Bratislava, Slovakia. The flat consists of a large open plan living room, joined with kitchen and dining area. Two entrances connect this space with the outdoor terraces. All furniture and interior elements were custom designed and developed in order to provide sense of space. The loft also features a children's room with custom made bunk beds, working zone and storage spaces. The last room of the apartment is the parent's bedroom, with a design that inspires tranquility. Except for the main rooms, there are two bathrooms, one separate toilet and separate technical room with washing machine. The interiors seem to naturally follow one another and the whole apartment literally shines due to glossy, but tasteful finishes.

You are subscribed to email updates from Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610