Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter

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• Unique Architecture in Spain: House Among Pines
• Modern Residence in New Zealand Literally Opening Up Towards a Central Yard
• New Speaker Designs From EBTB: Luna and Terra MK3
• The Trend for Knitting & Crochet in Interior Design
• 40 Square Meter Apartment in Tel-Aviv Displaying an Original Layout
• Winners Announced: Win a Camera Lens Mug from Photojojo!
• Friendly Electricity: High Voltage Tower in Hungary Literally Turned Clownish

Unique Architecture in Spain: House Among Pines Posted: 17 Nov 2011 03:56 AM PST The modern and inviting House Among Pines in Murcia, Spain offers its inhabitants 467 square meters of comfortable, stylish interior living spaces. Designed by Xpiral, the residence was built to expand the interior life to the outside environment, allowing the owners to experience a modern lifestyle and a strong connection to nature. Embedded into the mountain, the lower floor shelters the carport and an access point to the upper floor. The cantilevering volume helped in constructing a unique architecture, personalized for the terrain and inhabitants. A suspended C-shaped floor plan allows the south and east facades to be well lit through extensive use of glass and help the interiors stay bright and sunny whenever the weather permits it. There are a few special features that express the comfort and modernity of this house: the central courtyard, the solarium and the swimming-pool, as well as the roof lien that blocks views from neighbors and captures valley and mountain scenes in the distance. Concrete, thermo-clay and steel are beautifully contrasted by the use of wood in different ways, from walls to floors, so the residence displays a beautiful mix of building materials. Look at the photos for a better grasp of the residence’s architecture and let us know what you think.

Modern Residence in New Zealand Literally Opening Up Towards a Central Yard Posted: 17 Nov 2011 02:54 AM PST New Zealand-based studio Creative Space Architectural Design has recently completed a 2,580 square foot contemporary Show Home for builder Calley Building. The project is located in the Lakes, a subdivision of Tauranga in New Zealand and is said to make an example that innovative design does not need to come at a high cost. Constructed around a central green yard, the residence is flooded in natural light all day long. A cantilevered roof provides shade and  protects against weather. The interiors are spacious, modern and cozy. The open plan living room acts as the core of the house and displays a minimalist furniture arrangement. A modern fireplace heats up the atmosphere. All the rooms communicate with the green yard in the center through sliding doors. Do you find this architecture approach interesting or too privacy invading?

New Speaker Designs From EBTB: Luna and Terra MK3 Posted: 17 Nov 2011 01:43 AM PST We recently received a press release from Everything But The Box, with two of their new daring speaker designs. Here is the information we were sent: “Terra MK3 and Luna speakers continue the tradition in modern design and high quality components and craftsmanship. Both new products have an unforgettable design and extremely high-end finishing, soft and amazingly deep and solid bass, absolutely transparent mids and fresh non-fatiguing high frequencies. The loudspeakers can be used for stereo sound, 2.1 active system together with home cinema or for studio monitoring. Our products are breaking every tradition in Hi-Fi speakers design. They are not your traditional box but a piece of art that delivers high quality sound. We use only top quality materials and components and pay special attention to each step of the manufacturing process. We believe firmly in the outstanding quality of our products. That is why our standard manufacturer’s warranty is 5 years on parts and labor”. The first three photos portray the Luna speakers, while the second set showcases Terra MK3. Wild, aren’t they?

The Trend for Knitting & Crochet in Interior Design Posted: 17 Nov 2011 01:09 AM PST Not so long ago, needle craft was a skill that many women were expected to be proficient in. Knitting, crochet, sewing and embroidery were common activities that allowed us create any number of practical and decorative accessories for our homes. However, as mass manufacturing took hold, transforming the textile industry, handmade goods gave way to mass produced products that were easier, quicker and cheaper to buy. Very quickly, needle craft became somewhat out-dated and the skill was at risk of being lost as younger generations failed to see the point of investing their time in learning these seemingly archaic skills. However, the current period of economic instability has lead to a resurgence in the popularity of craft amongst the younger generations. In recent years, we have seen the return of a 'make do and mend' mentality as consumers have once again resorted to making their own goods by hand. This mentality has filtered through to designers who have revisited these old craft techniques and skills whilst at the same time reinventing them and giving them a modern twist. In 2011, knitting and crochet have featured heavily on the design scene as we have witnessed a proliferation of unique, long-lasting, lovingly-crafted products for our homes that have been created using these techniques. From cushions, rugs, and furniture, to lighting, storage, clocks and wallcoverings, it seems that nothing has escaped this years' trend for needle craft in interior design, which is great news for us this winter. Melanie Porter made a splash at this years' London Design Festival when her knitted furniture and lamps were on display at the Truman Brewery as part of Tent London. Claire-Anne O'Brien also took part in London Design Festival. Her fabulous knitted stools were exhibited at Designers Block. Italian manufacturer Casamania has jumped on the bandwagon with the Granny Lamp designed by Pudelskern. The giant knitted products by Christien Meindertsma have been around for a while but are a perfect addition to the knitting trend. These knitted poufs are a great solution for informal seating and add a burst of colour to the room. The Aran Rug by Christien Meindertsma provides a cosy place for relaxation. It is handknit, using enormous custom-made knitting needles, from the wool of 18 merino sheep. London-based designer Naomi Paul has created some wonderful hand-crocheted pendant lamps inspired by traditional craft techniques and the emotional attachment we all hold to materials. For knitted storage, Ferm Living stocks some lovely little knitted baskets as well as some gorgeous floor cushions. Even wallpaper isn't exempt from the knitting trend and Surface View stocks a genius digital paper called Knitted Room, which is designed by Chae Young Kim. Hooked Design is a Finnish company that produces hand-crocheted rugs made from waste from the textile industry. As temperatures start to drop we can fill our homes with these cosy, comfy, chunky, crafty goods that add texture, warmth and colour to a room. So whether you crack out your knitting needles on these long winter evenings and get making your own home accessories or whether you purchase some of the incredible products already available on the market, you're in for a warmer winter this year. If any of you know of any other great products that fall into this trend, please do let us know by leaving a comment with a link. Or alternatively, we'd love to know if you have any plans to make your own knitted or crocheted goods this winter.

40 Square Meter Apartment in Tel-Aviv Displaying an Original Layout Posted: 16 Nov 2011 11:54 PM PST Sfaro Architects recently sent us one of their recent projects, a renovation of a 40 square meter apartment in Tel-Aviv, which features some interesting design ideas. Here are a few words describing the project from the architects: “Tel-Aviv has seen soaring housing prices in the last 3 years, a phenomenon which caused many people to renovate their existing apartments instead of selling and buying bigger ones. Same story here, where the owner decided to transform her studio apartment into a 1 bedroom, including storage units, a large separate kitchen and a full size queen bedroom. As a design solution, we chose to condense all the programmatic functions and storage units into a cube which was centered in the space, thus dividing the apartments into 4 zones, while maintaining a 360 degree circulation around it, which makes the space seem endless and bigger than it actually is. By adding sliding doors that disappear into the cube, the space can be altered according to the time of day and the various needs of the owner, contributing further more to the sense of a multi-functional round space.” I find the layout of this apartment ingenious and innovative, which is why I have to ask- did you see anything like this before?

Winners Announced: Win a Camera Lens Mug from Photojojo! Posted: 16 Nov 2011 10:58 AM PST Here’s the 3 winners of the Photojojo mugs! 1.) Canon Camera Lens Mug David López Paz “There are three things that a great cup of coffee and a great photography have in common: they help you realize the greatest details of a delicate moment, they are beautifully difficult to achieve, and you can never have enough of them!”   2.) Nikon Camera Lens Mug    Sandra Ir Mindaugas “Oh Jesus, I cannot stop laughing! A brilliant brilliant idea! Show me the inventor of this fantastic thing, please! I bought a long-awaited Nikon camera a year ago and cherish it like a jewel. No one can touch it but me! If I had this mug, I would make a shot with me sipping a milkshake out of it. And then you would hear on the news that 10 to 20 people died due to a shock and 1 due to laughing stroke! No, seriously I would take it everywhere I go! It’s an attitude changing thing!”     3.) The Shot Glass Lens Set  Justin Hwa “When I first saw this mug, I immediately thought of my dad. My dad has always been a passionate photographer, wholly in love with the art. However, life did not allow him to pursue this dream as a career. Despite all this, he has taken every opportunity to use his talent and passion to be an avid photography hobbiest. He is inspirational to his children, love ones, and fellow artistic photographers. If I could win this mug, I would love to give it to him as it would bring him joy through art, photography, and caffeine. Thank you!”   Congratulations to our winners, and thank you Freshome Community for giving us great comments! Each winner will have 24 hours to contact Freshome at: Admin @ Freshome . com to claim your prize information.

Friendly Electricity: High Voltage Tower in Hungary Literally Turned Clownish Posted: 16 Nov 2011 09:14 AM PST After publishing several industrial sites gone friendly on Freshome (do you remember the decorated gas tanks in Japan, or the Soviet pipe manufacturing plant that got a new look ? ), I believe it is fair to believe in a worldwide movement of transforming industrial settings into more appealing areas. This is also the case with this unusual high voltage electric towers in Hungary, located near the M5 motorway in Újhartyán. The towers, as seen on Laughing Squid. were installed by MAVIR, a Hungarian electricity transmission system operator. According to the official press release, the action is described as follows: “A new trend is spreading around the world, the industrial and public facilities the establishment of the investors are trying to "humanize" the most gigantic scale landmarks”. We salute these ideas, which encourage the existence of healthy landscapes, while providing new opportunities for modern artists all over the world. How do you find this project?

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