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Dark Victorian Attic Workshop Transformed

An unusual conversion of a what was the narrow Victorian factory attic space of a workshop in London, puts the living space on the top floor, and creates the illusion of horizontal space with a 27 foot long counter that extends the full length of the top floor.

On arriving home laden with groceries, a short climb leads up into the bright white attic space that is now an abundantly daylit kitchen,dining and living room.

Most of the light was on the top floor, with windows on three sides of its tiny space.

Threefold Architects chose to keep the dark wooden Victorian workshop floor, but contrast it with lashings of white paint.

Unusually, this results in a sleeping space right across from the front door, but, cleverly, there is little clue.

The double height entrance draws the eye upwards.

Relegating the least-lit space to the bedroom is a workable solution, since we sleep at night when it’s dark anyway. Read the rest of this entry »

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A Gorgeous Minimal Malibu Beach House

Here’s an appealing simple concave-shape house, created by a cube of air chopped out of the middle.

It’s utter simplicity perfectly reflects the boundless Pacific… that stretches across the horizon, literally from the ends of the earth.

Built by Owen Dalton, it confronts the ocean at Malibu, in California.

The beach house has everything you need (ie: not much) to relax in this heavenly space.

The bedroom is as sublimely simple as the endless blue seas it looks out on.

Even the pillow sofa looks like passing puffy clouds in the sky.

At the back of the central open space, the kitchen takes up the side wall.

Behind the kitchen, in the tiny enclosed side of the house, is the bathroom.

The opposite enclosed side of the open cube houses the stairs that open at the front of the house to the bedroom on the second floor.

Simplicity itself in uncomplicated design for an idyllic life.

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Design Dilemma: Three Unexpected Ways to Warm Up Your Home

Looking for a way to add some character and warmth to a neutral or boring space? It can be a problem for many of us who have seen so many safe beige interiors that we’re afraid to step out of the box. But no need to fear! There are plenty of touches you can add to your home which can bring instant personality and style.

Paint the Floor a Bold Color

The cool thing about painting the floor is that while it makes a statement, it also fades into the background.  The red floor in the loft above is definitely bold. But because it is a floor color that is used throughout the space, it also recedes. In other words it functions more the way an “accent” wall would, without dominating. Painted floors can also work in traditional spaces. The painted checkerboard floor below feels almost “Old World” and is the perfect quirky accent to this room.

Paint a Mural

In Ancient Rome these were called frescoes, but they still achieved the very same function they hold today. A mural or a painted wall depicting some scene can be an instant way to add quirky charm to an interior. Just take a look at this interior in Barcelona:

Below, a mural adds instant style to a child’s bedroom:

And below, two different dining rooms gain instant and distinct personality in two different scenes:

Please note that when it comes to a mural, the quality of the artwork is of the utmost importance. (Otherwise you will regret this decision). It pays to hire someone who is an experienced muralist and who can show you a portfolio of work.

Paint Your Woodwork

You’d be surprised at how quickly you can transform a space just by making bold choices on painting woodwork, trim and doors. Above, an intricate pattern on an exterior door instantly advertises that the occupant has a distinctive style. Below, a mellow yellow trim is comforting, traditional and unexpected, all at the same time.

Here, a trim painted the same color as the walls, feels modern and edgy:

And below, an ecru trim paired with boldly colored walls brings everything together in a warm, funky, yet elegant way:

The above photos serve as prime examples of how unexpected painting choices can instantly lend an otherwise bland room a ton of style. If you want your home to feel stylish, warm, quirky, edgy, opt for bold color choices in unpredictable places. Time to break out that can of paint!

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Seijo Peon Arquitectos: A Delightful Family Home in Merida

Here’s a house that makes great use of large expanses of windowless stucco to create a canvas for offsetting the three pretty colours of Spain’s terracottas against each other.

The house is sited in Mérida, an old town settled by the Spanish in the balmy dry warm climate inland on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.

Designed by Seijo Peon Arquitectos, much of it is completely open air for al fresco dining and living.

Slicing through the garden, the entrance from the street leads directly to an enclosed glass corridor leading to enclosed bedrooms.

To one side of that corridor, this fully al fresco dining room is sheltered only from the heat of the sun under a cooling high ceiling.

From the garden gate, the first view is a welcome from the family in the open air living and dining outdoor room.

No eating at the kitchen sink for this family.

The kitchen, not shown, is a separate and very spacious room to the right.

This is an eating space for savouring the joys of family and friends.

Large paving stones create a seamless transition from exterior to ‘interior’ space.

The corridor along the entire length of the house is glassed on both sides as it passes a garden space between the kitchen and the bedrooms.

So from the garden you can see through this part of the house. Read the rest of this entry »

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Sleek and Glamorous Beach House in South Africa

This luxurious seaside house on Bantry Bay in Cape Town, South Africa comes to us from Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects (SAOTA).

Unlike many beach houses or coastal houses, there is no bringing nature in, in this house.

On the contrary.

Refined and chic, its sophisticated glossy interiors are the antithesis of the coastal scrub outside.

But ‘interior’ is a relative term.

Sliding floor-to-ceiling glass walls completely open each of three floors creating an open air living space.

Its terraces cantilever out over the romantic outdoor rooms into the gigantic view beyond. Read the rest of this entry »