Elegant Home Design With a Twist: Gray Sky Apartment in St. Petersburg

Elegant Home Design With a Twist: Gray Sky Apartment in St. Petersburg
Modern Home Design in Chicago Showcasing Elegance and Warmth
Holiday Retreat in South Africa Maximizing Exquisite Views: Silver Bay Residence by SAOTA
Martha Stewart’s Fresh Design and Colors Join the 3D Printing World

Posted: 03 Dec 2014 04:57 AM PST

In our search for contemporary homes with a twist, we discovered the “Gray Sky Apartment”, a stylish project in St. Petersburg, Russia. The creative team behind the design is studio ART SPICE, led by Jenny Yasnets. As you go through the photo gallery below, you will discover a comfortably furnished apartment, with plenty of inspiring elements. Neutral shades of gray and blue mixed with walnut tones give the place an elegant and inviting feel.

The living room, kitchen and dining zone are combined in a single open space. With three meter high-ceilings and lots of windows, the apartment feels spacious and well lit during the day. Floor-to-ceiling curtains create a magical atmosphere, adding up to the overall feeling of calm this place exudes. Lighting fixtures with golden elements reduce the scale of the place, while making things more dynamic. The TV is framed by shelving units on two sides, for extra storage space. We like how everything fits perfectly together and you have to admit this project makes for one interesting design puzzle!

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Modern Home Design in Chicago Showcasing Elegance and Warmth

Posted: 03 Dec 2014 01:27 AM PST

When Homepolish Designer Gabriel Fontes de Faria moved into this new construction townhouse in the city of Chicago, he had a blank canvas to create the perfect space for himself and his husband. Modernism was something Gabriel was taught to love from a young age with his mother being an architect. His husband Grant grew up in a more traditional home where everything had to be really comfortable and cozy, so the main goal for their new place was to merge the two backgrounds in some way. They chose to go with a modern and somewhat minimalist aesthetic, but tried to choose pieces that not only looked good, but were also comfortable. The gallery wall above the stairs is full of prints by the artist Gray Malin. The couple both grew up in beach towns and love to travel, so they immediately fell in love with the artist’s work. “A big challenge was to make it all cozy and not sterile looking, so I used a lot of natural elements and finishes (wood, wool, woven natural fibers), as well as a few select family pieces. Overall I think we did achieve our goal. The house feels really clean and minimal, but still warm even during Chicago winters. My favorite part of our home is definitely the wood burning fireplace. When it’s cold out, we love to light a fire and sit in the living room reading, or drinking wine and playing Cards Against Humanity with our friends”, explained Gabriel Fontes de Faria [Photos and information provided via e-mail by Homepolish]

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Holiday Retreat in South Africa Maximizing Exquisite Views: Silver Bay Residence by SAOTA

Posted: 02 Dec 2014 01:34 PM PST

SAOTA, Antoni Associates & OKHA completed the design and development of Silver Bay Residence, an impressive holiday retreat for a young family. The site is positioned at Shelley Point and faces East over the bay looking towards the mountains behind the small Swartland town of Aurora, South Africa. Three contextual conditions dictate the design. The first is an elevated entrance which placed the living spaces on the upper level and the bedrooms and playroom on the lower level. This decision allowed the living spaces to maximize the views of the bay and to see the water's edge.

The second issue is the prevailing South-Easterly wind. The challenge here is that the views are in this direction and a large set of glazed sliding doors allows the maximum view. The third major issue is the sun on the North side. The response to this and to the South-Easterly wind was to position the pool in a courtyard on the Northern face that captures sun for the house and also creates a wind free outdoor space that can be enjoyed year round regardless of the wind.

The upper floor has been conceptualized as a single space holding the pool courtyard, an elevated entrance hall, a kitchen with a large table and a dining and living space on the East edge. The L-shaped space is broken up by level changes which create distinctly different spaces. A conical flue made from Corten steel forms a visual element around which the spaces pivot, the rusted surface reflecting the coastal environment. The thatched roof is supported on a perimeter I-beam. The timber tie beams of the thatched roof are replaced by steel tie rods that allow the open volume of the roof to form the top of the space, the woven thatching grass and the latter forming a counterpoint to the granite floors.

A curved Corten 'hat' sits over the braai flue and watches over the pool courtyard, a playful companion for the Corten cone that sits on the other side of the courtyard. The North face of the courtyard is formed by a timber wall. On the lower level, the off-shutter concrete slabs form the ceiling. The slabs retain rust marks from the steel that was laid in the slab and the chalk markings of the contractor. [Photos and information provided via e-mail by SAOTA]

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Martha Stewart’s Fresh Design and Colors Join the 3D Printing World

Posted: 02 Dec 2014 07:44 AM PST

3D printing holds the key to design-driven customization in a world where uniqueness is greatly appreciated. MakerBot seized the opportunity to work with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to create a collection of table accessories you can print at home. The MakerBot Digital Store holds access to these exclusive print-on-demand plans and a set of colored plastic PLA filaments to print them in. Imagine Martha Stewart’s always fresh ideas printing on your MakerBot Replicator 3D Printer and discover a world where design objects, colors and textures can be downloaded and printed at your convenience.

Martha Stewart’s 3D printed Trellis Collection includes coasters, napkin rings, LED candle holders and place card holders, all in three heavenly colors: Lemon Drop, Robin’s Egg and Jadeite. Adding charm to the already available 20 tones of colors, the signature Martha Stewart color palette and designs gives tone to an innovative lifestyle collaboration.

“With these tools, any inspired individual, in just about any design realm, can turn out a polished, finished product, quickly and economically, that still has the artisanal character of a handcrafted item“, said Martha Stewart for CNN Money. Available from MakerBot’s website and also the company’s stores in New York, Boston and Greenwich, Connecticut, the colorful filaments will easily transform into amazing table accessories branded by Martha Stewart’s style. Loving what you see?

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