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When Extroverted Glitz Meets Introverted Zen

Architecture in South African seems to be always just a bit more extroverted and glitzy than elsewhere.

So when the South African firm Metropole Architects was commissioned to design a Zen-style dream house, the result is quite a bit mixed.

The exuberant result is located on a site in the Zimbali Forest Estate in South Africa.

“Zimbali” is Zulu for “The Valley of Flowers.”

Japanese pagodas appear to float on its assorted lavish pools.

The neutral and highly textured palette is reminiscent of luxury hotels in Tokyo, but the staggering views are pure South Africa.

The headboard behind the bed is just pony height, so the view over the Indian Ocean overwhelms you immediately upon entry.

Water is made a primary component of the lush design, both indoors and out.

An 18 ft deck is cantilevered boldly out over one of the exterior water features.

One of several koi ponds flows under this red cedar plank walkway through the entry.

The koi pond can even be glimpsed through a black glass floor inlay at the edge of the kitchen floor.

Zen is an exacting aesthetic. But the architects cheerfully pile on all sorts of local South African motifs like this fossil-carved ebony pillar.

The combination results in a uniquely sensual and luxurious style of its own.

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A Hip Home with a Warm Welcome in Seattle

Dale Lang photographed this cheery red-trimmed house in Seattle, Washington.

The new house by Stettler Design is for an active Seattle couple.

A cacophony of red rimmed angles marks its exuberant notice-me design.

A red homecoming welcome.

A nice detail: the stair light embedded into the concrete step.

Inside, the red is paired with a retro milk-bar blue and hip ceiling lights.

The hip urban vibe continues with black bar stools lined up at the turquoise island.

Its angular roof subtly references the conventional gable forms of neighboring houses.

All the living and sleeping spaces are on the ground floor, to allow the owners to stay in the house as they age.

Upstairs is an open plan loft like space that will be for use as office space and to accommodate guests.

The striking house is near Seattle’s Burke Gilman bike trail.

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A Connecticut Home with Terraced Green Lawns

Specht Harpman Architects surmount the Weston Residence with a scattering of green roof terraces.

Inside one of the terraces, a bed appears at the ground level created by its encircling grassy lawn.

This beautiful space is the guest suite upstairs.

Surprising transparency allows the surrounding greenery to be glimpsed through the house in orchestrated frames.

Steps into the house bring you to another example of transparency:

…that even the fireplace is surprisingly surrounded by glass.

With no obvious chimney, it is not clear how this magic is wrought.

Next to the living room, a pair of stainless steel islands comprise a simple, brisk kitchen.

The master bedroom has easy access on the ground floor, for ageing in place.

A fireplace does double duty in both dining room and the bedroom.

Below the guest suite, a clerestory window in the master bathroom also looks out at a grassy lawn at eye level.

The green terraced spaces and the transparent views conspire together to even more fully immerse the Weston House in its Connecticut landscape.