With an exquisite and relaxing view, the home at Zimmerberg Bottom is a residential project designed by Rossetti + Wyss Architekten in the region of Lake Zürich. The home, situated on slightly sloping site, frames the views of the Alps and naturally, the lake. Each view is worth one thousand words. “The construction is defined by a guide wall and angular concrete wall establishing the diagonal panorama towards the lake.” The house’s rectangular shape is done by the mix of horizontal and vertical elements which confers a sculptural quality to the structure. Being constructed on a sloped piece of land, some areas – being raised are more private than others.
When it involves materials, the home encompasses a concrete limestone exterior, oak finishings and a fascinating decorative interior courtyard. The inside of the home is painted in light colours, the furniture has also a lightweight timber colour, exhaling breeziness, warmth and ease. The furniture is available in simple geometric shapes and it looks slightly solid. Wood is the most important material used for decorating the inside of the home and it establishes a different dialogue with the outside environment.
Month: December 2013
Stylish Updated House Inspiring Tranquility and Order in Merricks North, Australia
a peaceful environment has the ability to steer your mood in a good way. If the home you reside in exhales tranquility and relaxation, if it makes you’re feeling comfortable and blissful, if it looks bright, uncluttered and lively, then that home is a real home, warm and inviting and regardless of where you find yourself going, you’ll always commit it to memory as that special enchanting place “enclosed to your heart” that has the ability makes you magically feel absolutely and utterly free and happy. Merricks House was at first a property located in Merricks North near Melbourne, Australia, bought by a tender couple with two children. Their intention was to demolish the old dull dwelling and build a brand new, warm and encouraging home, with sufficient room for his or her family to grow and luxuriate in throughout the generations. The project was presented to Robson Rak Architects.
The architects managed to come back up with a captivating idea. “The initial brief for the home was for an easy rectangular box with symmetrical spaces. The target being for the creation of order and symmetry to simplify ones life. We convinced the clients that by breaking apart this rectangular boxed plan shall we create more interesting spaces that offered the order and quiet the buyer desired but additionally created a dynamic building which also offered surprising little retreats inclusive of the window seat next to the hearth.” The residence became a full of life home, boasting dynamic, neat and fashionable spaces. It was divided in three different areas (the oldsters zone, the central zone and the youngsters zone). To finish the décor and create a unitary home environment strongly connected to the outside, the architects used natural materials similar to wood, limestone and marble.
Celebrating Dining Without Cellular phone Distractions: Zip It Tablecloth
Technology can dominate dining in a negative way. When groups of folks eat together, cellphones can often become unwelcome guests. Checking for updates, sending messages and answering calls will be an annoying distraction during a meal. Zip It Tablecloth is a part of a set which highlights and addresses this issue, while celebrating the ritual of dining with others.
For many, the act of dining and eating together was lost. For several individuals, dining was reduced to a rushed affair. We “eat” but don’t engage in a dining experience. In contemporary society, there are lots of factors accountable for this outcome. Increasingly, we see an outsized proportion of folk eating on ‘the move’. Dining habits have changed. Zip It’s one piece from the gathering “Dining Together Matters”, which aims to encourage a further way. My intention is to celebrate the thrill of eating and dining. Establishing the significance of eating with others is the core message of this project. [Photos and data provided via e-mail by
Minimalist Box-Shaped House by Yoshihiro Yamamoto: Danchi Hutch
Yoshihiro Yamamoto, manager of Osaka-based architecture office YYAA sent us photos and data about Danchi Hutch, a trendy residence the team recently completed in Kyoto. This house was especially designed for a craftsman and his mother, who had previously lived in a small apartment within the same area: “Danchi is a notorious Japanese housing complex. Because it is simply too narrow, it is usually called The rabbit hutch. When the buyer consulted us to construct their new residence, they requested a design of a narrow house although the location was large enough“.
The minimalist two-storey Japanese box-shaped home accommodates a garage at ground level and two traditional Japanese rooms with a kitchen above. Sliding partitions were added as a way to better organize the gap when needed. Walls, floors and ceilings are covered in timber boards. Natural lighting is authorized inside through generously-sized glass doors. [Photography is by Yohei Sasakura]
Contemporary Design of Retro Inspiration: Joseph Family Table Set
Joseph Family is a group of 3 coffee tables, in solid French oak, envisioned by the creative team at WEWOOD Design Center. Using a latest design, of retro inspiration, Joseph has an easy geometry, mixing function, timeless aesthetics, sophistication and pure forms to focus on the problem. The tables may be used in a trendy or traditional scheme, together or individually.
Each table is continued by three wooden legs, the round cover revealing the nobility of the French oak. Among the many designs features an extra small tabletop- to be able to functionally divide its surface, let alone the cultured value it adds. The hot set of Joseph tables could be presented in September edition of Maison & Objet Paris at Hall 5B – Stand F29. How would you personally employ these tables for you to create an appealing interior? [Photos and knowledge provided via e-mail by WEWOOD Design Center]
Cozy Modern Landscape-Inspired Home Displaying Earthy Nuances in Bellevue, Washington
The Sibley Wood is a residential project in Bellevue, Washington designed by Chesmore | Buck Architecture. The trendy house, nicely decorated, meets the expectations of the clients, a tender family looking for a comfy, inspiring home. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame surrounding views and make allowance the sun to flood the inner with warmth. Earthy tones of colour enrich the décor and enhance the sensation of coziness, transforming a typical place right into a welcoming, lively home that blends with the landscape in harmonious bless. The home is split in two different areas: one accommodating the living space and the second one including the guest quarters, the bedrooms and the utility space.Surrounded by lush vegetation, the Sibley Wood is a very inspiring home that deeply connects the inhabitants with our environment. The inner, boasting wooden decorations and lots of granite and marble surfaces, exhales comfort and it reminds you of the outside. It also feels more spacious than it actually is, because of the transparence that characterises where. Peaceful and relaxing, this Bellevue house, located next to a wooded knoll, is the ideal place to disconnect from the dreadful routine.
Interview : Exciting Eco-Friendly Contemporary Garden Rooms By The English Designer Ben Lord
One of the strongest trends nowadays, on the earth of design, makes a speciality of sustainability. i locate it very curious and exciting to determine the area more engaged towards environmentally-friendly approaches. The designers’ try to establish a correct dialogue between man and the surroundings is also gratifying. We had several talks with the British designer, Ben Lord from Pod Space and we asked him a number of questions on his work and the impact he had at the world of sustainable design. For people who are not accustomed to Mr. Ben Lord, he’s an award-winning designer (Pod Space was listed at The Northern Design Awards because the ‘Best Eco / Sustainability’ build of 2012). His eco-friendly timber-framed pods are stylish little pre-fabricated offices, that may be easily placed within the intimacy of any garden, providing a versatile lifestyle and a less common working experience.
Each story has a beginning. Ben, we wish to grasp the start of your story as a designer. What made you opt this path and what influenced your style?
I was mentioned in Yorkshire and got my BA architecture also in Yorkshire. i admire strong, contemporary design but living within the Yorkshire countryside I also want my designs to enrich their natural surroundings.
What is the tale of … Pod Space?
Pod Space was established in 2008 when the idea that of modern garden rooms was just starting up. i needed to design buildings that may be used as a separate extension to the home all year round. At the moment there have been increasingly ‘shed’ like buildings but there has been a spot for rather well designed buildings built to a totally high standard. Since then we’ve developed our designs for garden buildings and the vast majority of our work is now in bespoke designs for our clients and a better emphasis on public sector and commercial buildings.
Your ‘pods’ integrate seamlessly into green spaces. Is there a scarcity of connection, nowadays, between man and our environment?
I think that there’s a growing appreciation of our natural environment and the way precious our natural resources are. There are alternatives when designing and constructing a brand new building to include features so that it will integrate the building in to its environment, both with the materials used and using the gap. i attempt to include materials so we can allow the building to enrich the immediate environment and in addition minimize the broader environmental impact.
The ‘pods’ you create are basically eco-friendly garden studios. Explain in a couple of words your commitment towards our surroundings. Why is it so important to you?
Living within the countryside gives me a robust appreciation of the natural environment and our responsibility to offer protection to it. Designing Eco friendly buildings requires a more creative approach and its not always the perfect (or cheapest) option nevertheless it is satisfying to understand that we will contribute towards protecting our natural resources.
What makes Pod Space both, stylish and functional?
Some of our design features are quite distinctive to Pod Space together with the sliding louvred screen on our Glide Pod. It is a very stylish addition to the Pod nonetheless it is likewise entirely functional, giving the user the chance to have the sliding doors open with the screen over for privacy and solar shading. Even the small details in our Pods are specified to the top standards in order that the general appearance is stunning but practical for day after day use.
One can make a choice from five standard garden pods, fully customizable. Did you’ve any weird or fun requests up to now?
We’ve had a couple of more odd requests for buildings – once for a flying saucer shaped building! Most of what we do currently is bespoke designs however the majority of our clients come to us because they prefer they style and finish of our existing buildings so usually the request is for something in the same style. We do love a challenge though!
You are an award winning designer, Ben. What inspires you to create compact and versatile unique spaces that disconnect people from the routine?
Routine is a crucial portion of everyday life and most of the people thrive after they have comfort and familiarity. The whole philosophy of Pod Space is to give our clients a possibility to have precisely the building they need within an area where they are often inspired by the natural environment. Having a further living or working space for your garden doesn’t should be a compromise between style and serve as.
We are curious if do you’veyou’ve got you have got a Pod Space for your garden. How often do you employ it?
I am currently re-designing my garden and there’ll definitely be a Pod Space in it! Pod Space is highly busy so I do often atone for emails from home and that i love the idea of getting a warm and bright working space that may be separated from the most important home.
Do you’ve other projects on-going? Are in addition they associated with sustainable design?
We are doing much more work on commercial projects and dealing currently on buildings which require a BREEAM assessment. We’ve a commitment to seeking out new technologies to enhance sustainability within the construction industry and are constantly how one can incorporate these in our buildings.
Is there anything you ought to share with our readers, that perhaps, can make them take a re-evaluation at your wonderful work and (why not) buy a Pod Space?
The best endorsement that we have got is our clients feedback. They’re consistently delighted with the completed building and we now have even had clients returning for a second building after they have moved house. Here is enormously satisfying and it’s why we will be able to keep growing and develop our buildings.
Modern Meets Traditional: The stunning Hawthorn House in Melbourne, Australia
After several incomplete renovations, the Hawthorn project became a major matter. ”The task was two fold, firstly to consolidate and reinstate the present heritage parts and secondly to create a brand new architectural language that will transform the rear and become the soul of the recent indoor and outdoor living areas.” To get a more robust understanding of this project and the way it evolved, it is advisable know when did all of it begin. Back within the 1900s, a Victorian brick edifice was transformed right into a real home, separated into four units, grouped around a central light well. Since then, other small “improvements” were made, leaving the home in a highly dysfunctional state.When AM Architecture took control over the project, the team of architects already knew what were the “damages” and came rapidly with a plan. The outdoor area became one of several focus points. There are a swimming pool and a lounge area, where you’ll be able to benefit from the sun’s warmth. A truss across the rear balcony became an ornamental structural element, embellishing the courtyard. a definite traditional-like design line was kept both, inside and outside. The major material utilized in defining the inner was, as expected, wood. The ceilings, the floors and among the furniture are made up of wood. These enhance the sensation of heat and coziness. Modern splashes of design also are present: the open plan lounge (and the distance division), the couches, the lighting decorations, the upgraded kitchen and bogs.
What’s Fashionable in Today’s Luxe Design
Luxe design focuses the art of living well offering affluent, sophisticated homeowners quality design and high end products. Most luxury products are out of the financial realm of possibility for almost all of the population, but there are methods to create the look of Luxe for less. The reality of the problem is that all of us are looking to and strive to include a touch luxury into our lifestyles. With the trends as they’ve been, here’s becoming an increasing number of possible.
What’s Fashionable in Today’s Luxe Design:
Of course you could ask 20 different designers what they believe to be popular in the interim and heading into a higher season, and they’re going to each offer you a distinct response. Here is perhaps because there isn’t any set rule and it truly is also, perhaps, because each designer has his own signature style, each reflective of one more way of life. Today’s general trends do are likely to infuse or be influenced by luxury. Perhaps that is most blatant within the recent Gatsby Style influence that seems to have a latest tackle Mid-Century Modern in addition to Art Deco where we saw the streamlined furniture with clean cut linear sophistication, decorative embellishments on furniture, fabrics or even walls coverings inclusive of glass and crystal. Glass and crystal are everywhere as are metals, especially brass. The wealthy deep colors of that era are coming round again as is inlayed wood.
What can we consider after we think about luxury?
When we expect of luxury we predict of not just rich colors, rich fabrics with wonderful textures equivalent to deep velvets, but we predict of fur. Fur is everywhere, and provides the quintessential pop of luxe, comfort and heat. While these types of fur accessories are out of most price ranges, there are “copycat” products which are actually well made and visually appealing. Most of what’s seen at the luxury end of home decor becomes available rather quickly to the overall masses.
Leather and Lace
In addition to furs we’re also seeing loads of leather, suede or even metallic leather. The metallic hues are bringing traditional leathers right into a whole new light, giving the contemporary image a good more modern edge. The metallic hues also add a splash of glamour and class. Concurrently, lace is creating a grand comeback. We saw it first at the runways and we’re seeing it again within the shelter magazines. It’s time to dust off your grandmother’s heirloom table cloth. What’s old is new again!
Seeing Green
Green remains widely popular nowadays. Not just the colour, which we’re seeing in every hue imaginable, but within the term – as in eco-friendly. As progressively more manufacturers wish to greener, more sustainable options to present their clients and these luxe clients are delighted to have these options.
Neutrals never exit of style
They are the suitable backdrop for the luxe fabrics, textures and furnishings. The matter with neutrals, for many people, is that almost all everyone is afraid to take a gamble and step out in their comfort zone. Most neutrals, luxe and non, therefore become safe and boring. These are the neutrals designers don’t like. Neutrals are fabulous and work well when paired with contrasting items – items with color, style, zest, texture and pizzaz. Cremes, off-whites and beiges won’t ever fall out of fashion but now we’re seeing more tones of grey, as one designer stated that “grey is the recent beige” while yet one more designer was quoted as saying that “lavender is the hot grey!” Again, this goes to prove that there’s no set rule in luxe or any style of decor. Michael Boodro, Editor-in-Chief of ElleDecor told Curbed that there’s “danger in beige” as he believes there’s “the danger of going bland.”
Pattern, color, texture
Flowers, prints, patterns and texture are still everywhere. While some designers, believe that the recent turn toward neutrals is a kind of rebellion against the entire busyness of those patterns, others are still utilizing them and show no signs of slowing down. Florals and textures on furniture, fabrics and wallcoverings are still very talked-about. Besides the florals, the luxe market is seeing many of chintz, and Chinoiserie which seems never to have really faded from interest.
Art Collecting
Fine Art collection is a large niche within the luxe market. The foremost affluent are getting collectors and gaining an increasing number of expertise on this field and they’re eager to prove that they may be able to own what their neighbors cannot – an exaggerated version of looking to stay alongside of the Joneses.
Brass is back!
Something all designers appear to agree on, as does Boodro, is that metals are big in the meanwhile and that brass is “the metal of the instant.” We’re seeing brass everywhere from small fixtures, to lighting to furnishings. Brass, and all hand finished metals bring a plush, clean, rich and durable look on your space.
Lacquer, gilding and inlay
Lacquer, gilding, and inlay also are seeing renewed a renewed presence in furniture and on walls with their elaborate and rich hues and details. These perhaps are all synonymous with the term luxe. Lacquered walls and furniture have a highly distinguished presence in an area. Gilding automatically elevates the mundane to the sublime. Inlays offer immediate opulence. Luxe is, of course about lavish and splendid, indulgence and extravagance!
Bespoke
Bespoke is without equal synonym to luxe. Anything that may be tailor made to slot one’s style, needs, and lifestyle is bespoke. Bespoke separates the splendid from the loads.
Creative Modern Extension to 19th Century Building in Paris by h2o architectes
The project of the rue Godefroy Cavaignac in Paris consisted within the rehabilitation of a building which didn’t meet hygiene and security standards into new social housing by h2o architectes (lead architect) in collaboration with Ingénierie Louis Choulet (Mechanical and Sustainability Engineer). The agency’s aim was to resume a twin of the building on the street while responding to the necessities of the «patrimoine habitat environnement» certification. The project is essentially in accordance with the building extension, contemporary reinvention of the bow-window, inserted within the prolongation of the incomplete 19th century façade.
The alternation of voids and solids in addition to the diagonal cutting of the volumes break the visual monotony of the alignment of the buildings on the street and offer new and engaging views onto the rue de Charonne. Inside, the apartments reap the benefits of new space and luxury including, for a few of them, a small space for gardening, a loggia or balcony. The courtyard is transformed right into a planted patio that is made visible as a result of a clear wall from the road. A page is turned, social life is reinvented. [Photos and data provided via e-mail by h2o architectes; Photos: Stéphane Chalmeau]