Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter |  |
- Capturing Views From Every Room: FAD Residence
- Open Air Library In An Abandoned Industrial Landscape
- The Woven Nest Features a Staircase that Morphs into a Series of Intertwining Spaces
- Creative Pop-up Store in Poland Made of Cardboard and Aquariums
- 10 Ways to Bring Sparkle into your Holiday Home
- Original Architecture Approach: Outside In House by Takeshi Hosaka Architects
- Ultimate Relaxation: Beautiful Corner Whirlpools by Teuco
| Capturing Views From Every Room: FAD Residence Posted: 01 Dec 2011 07:02 AM PST
FAD Residence was designed by Okanagan Valley-based full service interior design firm FAD Design Group. Capturing views of the nearby lake from every room, the imposing residence rests on a 2.47 acre property. The Canadian design studio created a residence that blurs the lines between inside and outside by using several visual elements. Concrete floors laid throughout the main living areas, outside decks, wrap around balconies and patios create a seamless space, enhanced by the bright and open spaces, with 20ft. ceilings on the main floor. Retractable glass walls on both the first and second level create a strong connection to the outdoors, while the master bedroom feels like an oasis of comfort. Three additional bedrooms and 4 bathrooms welcome guests, while the sustainable features ensure a cozy atmosphere with respect for the surroundings. An oversized 2 car garage with radiant floor heating and 3 vehicle carport awaits guests.
All the rooms in the house display a beautiful selection of furniture and furnishings, alongside design elements – custom designed frameless glass kitchen, hardwood floors in the lofted office space and a heated salt water concrete lap pool. The other amenities keep the inhabitants on a high comfort level – gym, wine cellar, home theater and a wet bar help relax and entertain. The architect’s words should best describe the inspiration: “It was quite simply to create a strong geometric form that thrust itself out of the hillside made from concrete, glass and accented with some black stone. The natural surroundings around the home was the perfect setting to create a juxtaposition. Kinda like a diamond in the rough and beauty through imperfection. This concept was the driving force behind the choice of materials we used. Finally the view is spectacular and it was important to capture it from every room in the home and that we did.”
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| Open Air Library In An Abandoned Industrial Landscape Posted: 01 Dec 2011 05:37 AM PST
Magdeburg, Germany, is the place where you can visit and admire the Open Air Library. With a budget of $325,000 Euros, the library was built on a surface of 488 square meters. The project started in2005, when residents of an abandoned district centre in East Germany used crates to build a district library and donated books filled the shelves of the former district library’s site. KARO Architekten were commissioned to build the modern Open Air Library we can see today. The abandoned industrial landscape was adorned with a fantastic urban experiment in the shape of a modern library, constructed from pieces of the modernist facade of the old HORTEN warehouse of the City of Hamm, built back in 1966. With no need for registration, the public library gathers readers in a contemporary outdoor setting. Readers can take books and bring them back or bring other ones in exchange, so that everyone can enjoy this open place and the knowledge it brings. Open 24 hours a day, the Open Air Library is also used for public readings, local band concerts and other cultural events. The elementary school uses the library for theater plays and every community member can take part in this cultural experiment.
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| The Woven Nest Features a Staircase that Morphs into a Series of Intertwining Spaces Posted: 01 Dec 2011 03:50 AM PST
The transformation of this tiny two storey apartment in Stoke Newington, North London, is by far and away one of the best examples of how a small space can be cleverly reconfigured to enhance both the aesthetics and the practicality of a home. Designed for a musician, his actress wife and their two-year-old son, the Woven Nest, as the architect affectionately refers to it, is a masterpiece that blurs the lines between art, design and architecture, as built-in furniture is wrapped into every available surface.
Alex Haw of Atmos Studio is the creative mind behind the project. Faced with numerous planning constraints, Haw rose to the challenge and created a complex series of intertwining spaces, enlivened by light and interconnectivity. Through careful design, Haw was able to get planning permission for a new storey with front outdoor space, hidden within the row of listed buildings.
The central element within the house is the open staircase, which seems to come alive as it grows upwards towards the light above, which filters in from the crystalline valley skylight. To the right, spaces sneak into the stair – as bathroom storage below or the underside of the desk above – while to the left the open treads fan and splay into a generous array of surfaces for the living room. Their lower steps support a seat and soft-spot, while their upper elements flow around the sitter with a sea of books and shelves.
According to the architects, "Spaces from adjacent rooms are borrowed and traded, with each room offering a panoply of different views and directions. Mirrors double and quadruple the extent of views and entice optical exploration, while maximum continuity between the surfaces of the built-in furniture provides a sense of further elongation, and interest."
We know that Freshome readers love to see creative projects that make the best of the available space, but what did you think about the Woven Nest? |
| Creative Pop-up Store in Poland Made of Cardboard and Aquariums Posted: 01 Dec 2011 02:50 AM PST
Designers of mode:lina (Paweł Garus & Jerzy Woźniak) created a pop-up store for Swedish watch manufacturer Triwa. Here is the information we were sent in the official press release: “November 19, at Galeria Malta shopping in Poznan in Poland, opened the first pop-up store for the brand, which creates useful objects true works of art. By working with a pair of talented architects the shop itself became also a small designer object, which ideally reflects the philosophy of the brand. The investor required low budget solutions, 100% recyclable materials. Also, the company required that the construction of the shop take less than 8 hours and that the product design and the brand be highlighted. To build this pop-up store, cartons for the transport of goods were used – this raw material is easily available, easy to recycle, and above all cheap and surprisingly durable. The cardboard was supplemented by glass aquariums (30×30 cm) great for the construction of the stand”. After dismantling the store, the boxes will be used to transport watches again and the aquariums will be utilized to build the next pop-up store.
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| 10 Ways to Bring Sparkle into your Holiday Home Posted: 01 Dec 2011 01:37 AM PST Whether you like a subdued holiday decorated home, or you like to go all out with the holiday glam, there is one thing we all enjoy, sparkle. Sparkle can come from shiny metallic ornaments, glistening glittered covered decor, or twinkling Christmas lights. Regardless of where you find sparkle, the holidays are the number one time to bring it out in abundance! If you are trying to find some ways to bring out your interiors with festive sparkling decor, here are 10 ways to brighten your holiday home this season. 1.) Bring out the glam! Let's face it; the holidays are the one time of year that the phrase "Go big, or go home" fits perfectly into holiday decor. From decorating with shiny metallic garland and ornaments on the tree, to collecting trinkets in metallic finishes and grouping them together in a tablescape vignette. Pick a metal and find varying shades, finishes and textures to bring out all the shine of the season. 2.) Vintage collectibles: Do you have any vintage silver that can be polished, or silver-plated ornaments that have been handed down from generations? The holidays are the perfect time to show them off. Polish up your vintage finds, and display proudly at the holidays. 3.) Crystal lends a sparkle: Most of the time we think about metallics for sparkle, how about shimmering crystal? From your chandelier over the dining room table, to the gorgeous candlesticks that align the center of your buffet table, crystal dinnerware, stemware, candlesticks, and matching accessories can bring an air of sophistication to your holiday dining experience.
4.) Outdoor sparkle: While your interiors are always the main attraction, don't forget your outdoor holiday home. Hang a decorative wreath at the front door, sparkling with white twinkling lights, and hang swags of garland from around your front entry. Play up your exterior home features such as railings, columns, and walkways with lighting for extra sparkle, and safety at night. 5.) Simple and easy sparkle: While we all would love for our homes to look like a holiday model home out of an interiors magazine, some would prefer to get the look without taking a lot of time to execute! A simple idea, take your favorite glass or metallic bowl and pile it high with coordinating metallic Christmas ball ornaments from your tree. You will be surprised how a 5 minute project can make an instant centerpiece!
6.) Light up your interiors: There is something quite magical about Christmas lights. From the way they sparkle and dance around a tree, to stringing them throughout your home for added ambiance, lighting can change your home in an instant. For a creative fireplace mantle, string lighting around garland, a wreath that adorns the fireplace above, or gather lights in decorative apothecary jars along top of your mantle. 7.) Non-traditional sparkle: It's always great to see Christmas decor cycle through history. Years ago metallic trees were a huge hit, in pastel colors and funky psychedelic colors! Today the trend is for more subdued colors, but still with a kick of color and sophistication. Take cues from your interiors and match your tree, ornaments, and decor for added sparkle.
8.) Add sparkle to your gifts: One of the easiest and most forgotten ways to add sparkle to your home is by adorning Christmas gifts with playful metallic ornaments, ties and shiny ribbon to bring out added cheer to your Christmas tree. After all, the tree's accessories are the beautiful gifts that surround it, right? Don't forget metallic wrapping paper too! 9.) Sparkling details: While Christmas ball ornaments are the most traditional decorative element on the tree, don't forget about one-of-a-kind treasures. From handmade varieties, to a themed Christmas tree with ornaments that all tell a story. Add sparkle to your holiday tree with these special individual ornaments. Try using non-traditional colors to adorn your fireplace mantle too!
10.) Reach back to your childhood: What are the sparkling elements you remember? From silver bells adorned with big red bows, to shiny vintage ornaments that your grandparents used to tell you 'Don't touch!' Bring those memories back for your children and pass the sparkling tradition to family and friends! Your holiday home is waiting for sparkle and magic this season. Find creative ways to bring in shine, whether it is subtle or bold, traditional or modern, your home can't wait to be adorned with these festive aesthetics of the season. For an added bonus, decorate your Christmas tree with family and friends and find new ways to bring in sparkle. Try these 10 ways, and let us know if you come up with anymore, we could always use more tips! |
| Original Architecture Approach: Outside In House by Takeshi Hosaka Architects Posted: 01 Dec 2011 12:25 AM PST
The Outside In House project was designed by Japanese studio Takeshi Hosaka Architects for a couple and their three children and is located in Yamanashi, Japan. The architecture of the residence is highly original and, as the name of the crib suggests, the exterior seems to be brought indoors and vice versa. Here are further details from the architects: “Working to engage with the outdoors in a vertical motion as well as the horizontal, the design utilizes a sawtoothed roof form with strips of acrylic roof lights that secure views of the sky above. The reinforced concrete beams funnel natural sunlight into the interior, shifting the atmosphere of the house throughout the day. Conceived as a series of layers that gradually add more indoor elements, the rectangular layout places the private programs such as the bathroom and bedrooms to the north and communal spaces to the south. Different materiality in surfaces softly establishes the changing levels of outdoors throughout the residence." What is your stand on this unusual architecture approach?
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| Ultimate Relaxation: Beautiful Corner Whirlpools by Teuco Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:04 AM PST
We ran across these mesmerizing corner bathtubs designed by Teuco, which inspire ultimate comfort. Found in Trendir, the first two models we would like to present are particularly interesting, as they feature an interesting tub-shower combination. According to the designers, “one of the major advantages is the possibility of having the convenience of a shower function every day together with the comfort of a bathtub, without having to choose between the two since both functions are perfectly integrated. In addition, the design of the two new models is based on the compact size and offers more versatility, fitting in more easily in smaller bathrooms“. The ergonomic design of the models make them suited for various users, from children to the elderly. Because these models are all meant to adorn the corners of contemporary bathrooms, they take up less space than regular bathtubs or showers, meaning that they are suited for small homes as well. Find them appealing?
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Tub-shower Combination, designed by Fabio Lenci
Tub-shower Combination, designed by Fabio Lenci
Corner Whirlpool with details
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