Studio VARA has designed a new modern residence in Palo Alto, California, that uses board formed concrete for the basement, cedar and larch siding for the main level, and dark zinc panels for the top floor.
In the front yard, multiple layers of low fencing, together with plants of various heights, textures, and colors, have been added to the front facade, creating a buffer from the sidewalk.
Photography by Matthew Millman
A series of metal and wood sunshades, like in the living room, provide the interiors with protection from the sun, without giving up the views.
Photography by Matthew Millman
Carefully considered cabinetry and built-ins in the kitchen and entertaining areas on the main level ensure that the open plan does not feel loft-like, while the clerestory windows provide additional natural light to the kitchen.
Photography by Matthew Millman
Sliding glass doors in the dining room open to the yard and entertaining area, that’s been furnished with a lounge and freestanding fireplace, as well as an outdoor dining area.
Photography by Matthew Millman
Back inside, there’s also a guest suite, powder room, and piano room on the ground floor.
Photography by Matthew Millman
A three-story staircase connects the various levels of the house, and showcases a muted material palette, consisting of soft tan Haisa marble, European white oak, and blackened steel.
Photography by Matthew Millman
Upstairs, soft neutral colors have been used in one of the bedrooms, while floor-to-ceiling windows add an abundance of natural light, and a curtain track has been built-into the ceiling.
Photography by Matthew Millman
In the bathroom, a wood vanity with plenty of storage runs along the wall, while in the shower, a shelf has been built into the wall.
Photography by Matthew Millman | Design: Studio VARA | Contractor: Von Clemm Construction | Structural Engineer: FTF Engineering | Lighting Designer: Tucci Lighting | Audio / Visual: Adaptive System
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Italian architect Matteo Thun designed the “Zen meets Pop” interior of the 5-star SIDE Hotel in Hamburg, Germany.
Visit Matteo Thun’s website – here. Visit the SIDE Hotel’s website – here.
From Matteo Thun:
Wherever you go all over the world, there are hotels everywhere, many of them tediously repetitive and sublimely forgettable. What makes you remember a hotel is its character, its uniqueness and its spirit of place. Although it has hundreds of years of tradition as a thriving maritime hub, Hamburg is not a showy city, but a business capital focused on the present (and the future), extensively rebuilt after wartime bombing. Which makes it a very good location for a consciously future-oriented blend of bold architecture, stunning interior design and utterly original lighting that unquestionably made a major contribution to creating today’s increasingly popular genre of the design hotel.
One of Matteo Thun’s first creations for the hospitality industry, Hamburg’s Side Hotel is also one of the world’ first design hotels: bold architecture combines with stunning interior design and constantly changing lighting in a multidisciplinary venture that dialogues with the human senses. Rough, smooth and textured surfaces speak to the sense of touch; light shades contrast with dark tones and pastels with splashes of vivid colour to enliven the sight, while several areas are pervaded by soft music and ambient perfumery. Matteo Thun describes this synthesis between high tech and environmentalism as “Zen meets Pop”.
New Practice Studio have recently completed the design of the first New York City location of Spiritea.
The gallery-like interior has light pink and blue accents, and features built-in benches that line the windows and walls.
Curved seating creates places for friends to gather and enjoy signature items like Strawberry Cloudtea, Brown Sugar Milk Peach Jelly, and other various drinks and light meals.
The service area has been designed as a stage for baristas to showcase the drink-crafting process.
Behind a door that almost blends into a wood wall, is the bathroom, where the curved design elements continue in the form of arches.
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Metropole Architects has completed a modern house in the South Africa, that’s designed to take full advantage of the forest surrounding it.
Large established trees and bush surround the property, providing privacy and shade.
Photography by Chris Allan Photo
Wood design elements, like the wood ceiling that wraps around and down onto the wall in the living room, bring a natural touch to the interior of the home.
Photography by Chris Allan Photo
An open floor plan that the living room, dining room, and kitchen share, makes the social areas ideal for entertaining, while the light from the floor-to-ceiling windows can travel throughout the space without being interrupted by walls.
Photography by Chris Allan Photo
In the kitchen, the centrally located island has been designed to accommodate seating, white open shelving along one wall shows off the glassware collection.
Photography by Chris Allan Photo
Large sliding glass doors open the main floor of the house to the yard, swimming pool and its surrounding deck.
Photography by Chris Allan Photo
At one end of the deck is a covered outdoor living room, fully furnished with couches, chairs, storage, and a table.
Photography by Chris Allan Photo
Back inside, stairs with wood treads and glass railings leads to the upper floor of the home, where the bedrooms and bathrooms are located.
Photography by Chris Allan Photo
At the top of the stairs is another living room. This time, it features a dark accent wall that highlights the artwork, while sliding glass doors open to a balcony with treetop views.
Photography by Chris Allan Photo
In the bedroom, a paneled wood accent wall showcases the grain, while delicate basket-like pendant lights hand on both sides of the bed.
Photography by Chris Allan Photo
In the master bathroom, a long wood floating vanity has plenty of room for two basins, while the built-in bath has been positioned underneath the window, and the shower is separated from the rest of the bathroom by a black-framed glass wall.
Photography by Chris Allan Photo |Architecture Firm: Metropole Architects | Design Architect: Tyrone Reardon of Metropole Architects | Project Technician: Simon Wayne of Metropole Architects | Engineering: RJB Consulting Engineers | Interior Design: Louise Metcalfe of Storehaus Design | Contractor: MacMac Building | Electrical Contractor: OHMS
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Opening in early 2009 are the Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali, Indonesia. The 14.4 hectare development offers three-bedroom contemporary Balinese villas for sale, as well as a hotel for those on holiday in Bali. Alila Villas Uluwatu has been designed by the Singapore based WOHA.
Visit the website of Alila Villas Uluwatu – here. Visit the WOHA website – here.
With Alila Villas Uluwatu, the architects wanted to create more than the usual stereotypical ideas of Bali, creating a design that worked with the dry Balinese Savannah vegetation and gently sloping site, not against it. The fact that the aim was to build a resort to Green Globe certification and with Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) standards did not hinder their architectural vision. Says Hassell, “From the onset, we knew we wanted to work with ESD in mind.” However, obtaining the necessary raw materials, such as sustainable wood for construction, proved to be a challenge. Fortuitously in this instance, lady luck stepped in as the owners managed to acquire a lot of old timbre telegraph poles and wood railway sleepers that were being auctioned off within the country, and had them transported to Bali.
Notable design features include the flat roofs, laid with batu chandi (local volcanic rock). This porous Javanese rock (a product of Mt Merapi’s eruptions) serves a threefold purpose: insulation; as a means of blending in with the local landscape; and for water absorption to support plant life. Even the jigsaw-like exteriors of the pavilion serve more than an aesthetic purpose. The slats of these exteriors are made from a mixture of recycled wood and bronze, allowing for breeze to circulate yet maintaining privacy in partially shielding its occupants away from prying eyes. Described by Hassell as being “non-tropical”, these modern bales, which are fitted with plush beddings, retain their traditional Hindu-style shape yet are refreshingly contemporary.
When CAB Architects were tasked to renovate a 1912 rowhouse in Toronto, Canada, they paid special attention to the kitchen.
Normally a white kitchen with a wood island is just that, however the architects decided to make the upper cabinets a focal point of the interior by including a mural.
The artistic addition treats the upper cabinets of the centrally located kitchen as a canvas, upon which a sprawling mural was applied, allowing the home owners to showcase a picturesque scene with camels, people, and palm trees.
Photography by Scott Norsworthy
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Joinery company Shape London, have sent us photos of a renovation project they recently completed.
The goal of the renovation was to adapt the already existing detached family home in North London, and to transform it into a delightful and personal home, made to be lived in.
Some of the rooms were kept more classic in style, like the living room, that features square edged wall paneling, which helps to create a refined aesthetic and peaceful ambiance, and also accentuates the Brown Oak doorways that have built-in bookcases, and lead through to the children’s playroom.
In the children’s playroom, the built-in, wood-lined cabinetry provides plenty of storage, and a chalkboard accent wall surrounding a television, lets their imaginations run wild.
The room also has twin hidden writing desks that fold-down from the wall. A large wood pocket door connects the playroom with the kitchen and dining area.
The kitchen and dining room lead through to a two-story library, that creates an impressive gallery space to display the client’s extensive book collection. Brown Oak was used throughout for the bookshelves and was chosen to complement the timber floor, and for its luxurious warmth and caramel tones.
A staircase clad in Brown Oak wraps itself up behind the library, forming a distinctive space, lit by the full length skylight above.
Recessed LED lighting guides the occupants up to the second story of the library, and highlights the careful craftsmanship of the integrated handrail.
The second story bookshelf has a secret door that pivots open, adding to the playful personality of the house.
Through the secret door is the children’s dressing room, where there’s a window seat and a multitude of distressed sprayed doors that have smoked ceramic handles.
Two of these doors lead to two children’s bedrooms, with the others opening to reveal dressing tables and wardrobes, all lit by accent recessed LED lighting.
In the bedrooms the whimsy continues, with bright yellow accents and an Alice in Wonderland door that connects both bedrooms.
The master suite borrowed space from the attic above to give both the master bedroom and bathroom dramatic double-height ceilings.
The paneling continues in the bedroom, creating a feature wall with paneling for the fireplace and integrated TV, complimented by a wrap-around bench seat to create a serene and soothing space to relax.
Below is a video showing how the integrated television works.
The dressing room combines square edged 4-paneled sprayed doors and American Black Walnut cabinetry with accent LED lighting for a luxurious, timeless finish.
Pocket sliding doors allow the large doorways to seamlessly connect the bedroom and dressing room with the master bathroom, where large bookcases on both sides of the vanity offer space to place toiletries, towels, trinkets, and more of the client’s extensive book collection.
A bespoke, heated, towel rail adds distinctive personality and complements the bathtub.
At the top of the house, space is maximized with a mezzanine level accommodating a feature bathroom space.
A recessed window bench seat has been added to the open room offering a peaceful spot for reading and reflection. On the opposite wall is a bright red accent wall with a spiral staircase.
Red Linseed oiled Douglas Fir and custom ironmongery has been used to create built-in storage and spiral stairs that lead up to a matching bathroom.
The integrated Red Corian bathtub surround and sink complete the bold color block aesthetic.
A large annex was converted into a studio space, to serve the client’s small business, with skylights providing ample natural light, while a pegboard wall allows for custom shelving designs.
The home also has a mudroom (boot room), that features four designated areas, one per person, and plenty of open shelving and basket storage.
Photography by Adam Scott | Joinery: Shape London | AV: Ideaworks | Structural Engineer: Krige Consulting | M&E Engineer: CooperHomewood | Colours, fabrics and loose furniture: Client and Tricia Tucker Soft Furnishings Design
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MIA Design Studio has recently completed ‘Wyndham Garden Phu Quoc’, a collection of modern homes in Vietnam that feature expansive hanging gardens.
Small covered walkways provide access to each home, and give a glimpse of the lush surroundings once inside.
Photography by Oki Hiroyuki
Inspired by the courtyards often found in traditional Vietnamese houses, each home has a central swimming pool, that’s surrounded by plants.
Photography by Oki Hiroyuki
The hanging plants flow from the rooftop and down the sides of the home, creating greenery curtain and a whimsical atmosphere.
Photography by Oki Hiroyuki
Each home has its own living room with a dining area and a kitchen. Green walls have also been added on some of the interior walls as well.
Photography by Oki Hiroyuki
Not only do the hanging plants create a unified look around the swimming pool, but they also provide a sense of privacy for the sleeping quarters.
Photography by Oki Hiroyuki
In the bedrooms, built-in wood furniture adds more natural elements, and provides a place to sit and relax, or hang clothes.
Photography by Oki Hiroyuki (top photo) and Trieu Chien (bottom photo)
In another bedroom design, a built-in couch has been included, while floor-to-ceiling curtains provide even more privacy when needed.
Photography by Oki Hiroyuki
In one of the bathrooms, two separate vanities perfectly frame the path to the bathtub, that’s located outside.
Photography by Oki Hiroyuki | Design: MIA Design Studio | Principle Architect: Nguyen Hoang Manh | Concept Design: Truong Nguyen Quoc Trung, Nguyen Tan Phat | Interior Design: Steven Baetman, Le Vu Hai Trieu, Bui Viet Kien | Technical Design: Bui Hoang Bao, Nguyen Ngoc Thien Phuong | Draft team: Ho Ngoc Vi, Le Thi Huong, Le Ho Ngoc Thao, Huynh Minh Phuong | Contractor: Nam group
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In June 2008, the Spanish hotel company Sol Meliá announced its acquisition of the Sky Hotel in Barcelona, to join the portfolio of the Majorca-based group, who would manage it under the “ME by Meliá” brand. Sol Meliá will be opening ME by Meliá hotels gradually in select city and holiday destinations all over the world.
The ME Barcelona building is already part of the skyline of this Avant-garde city. Designed by renowned French architect Dominique Perrault, developed and constructed throughout by the AIA Salazar Navarro architecture studio in Barcelona, and decorated by Corada Figueras Arquitectos, it has 30 floors with 259 rooms and suites, all offering stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea as well as the hills of Tibidabo and Montjuïc. The aesthetic design of ME Barcelona gives it a unique kind of energy, reflecting the city’s light and movement during the day, and giving the skyscraper a very special atmosphere. The elegant structure is a symbol of technology and modernity, pointing up into the sky. Perrault’s minimalist design focus and the use of clean technology and slender lines is something that differentiates this hotel from more typical, voluminous modern buildings, turning this into a real landmark on the Barcelona skyline.
Architecture firm Proctor & Shaw has completed the interior renovation of an apartment in London.
The renovation included re-configuring the inefficient existing one bedroom one bathroom layout, to incorporate two double bedrooms each with ensuite facilities, along with a generous open plan kitchen, dining, and living space.
Upon entering the apartment, it’s immediately apparent that a wood slat wall is the focal point of the interior.
The open plan layout of the living room, dining area, and kitchen, provides plenty of space for entertaining, while the bedrooms and bathrooms are hidden behind the full-height wood wall.
The main living space is anchored at each end with bespoke wall to wall furniture units in ultra-matt, clear sealed, dark grey through-coloured MDF, topped with black pitted bespoke concrete worktops.
The wall incorporates all storage and service requirements for the apartment, including kitchen appliances and hanging cupboards, resulting in a highly efficient plan.
Flush finished frameless doors and discreet machined handles are concealed in the timber profiles, and lead to the bedrooms, both with ensuite bathrooms.
Simply finished bedrooms feature flush faced built-in hanging cupboards, bespoke Douglas fir bedside cabinetry, and hidden lighting that creates a calm atmosphere.
The ensuite bathrooms have a seamless microcement finish, that’s featured on the walls, floor, ceiling, and cabinetry, while bespoke concrete vanity units have integrated sinks and brushed stainless steel fixtures.
