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Fresh Green Home for a Young Family in Vietnam

What appears to be daylight on both sides floods a very zen home for a young family in Vietnam.

In fact it is a huge skylight in the center of the house.

This central skylight is over an indoor garden, further creating the sense that it is really outdoors.

Viewed from the stairs to the parents’ suite, there’s a zen sense of calmness and respect in this green interior, repeated in the refreshing pale green kitchen.

The sliver of kitchen window seems to disappear behind the lighted display of slender saplings. Read the rest of this entry »

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A Stunning and Naturally Cool House for Israel’s Climate

A partially see-through glass box is created by Israel-based Pitsou Kedem.

The pool mirrors the serene interior and the view to the forest through the glass entry in the back.

Double-height glass sheets glide open on an electric motor.

Viewed from the pool, the house becomes simply a pavilion within a pool garden.

The house is a narrow L shape with clear glass only to the east and west.

Perfect for Israel’s climate, the narrow house with no southern glass pulls cool breezes through it.

A shifted mezzanine houses the master bedroom suite – and shades the back entrance. Read the rest of this entry »

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Design Dilemma: Violet is the New Beige

Are color trend prognostications ever right? The jury is out on that one, but alas, we are still hearing forecasts for the hot color trends of 2014. Bloggers, paint companies and interior designers each have their take on what color we will all want to be painting our walls. And this year, according to the color forecasters, we’ll be painting the town (and our bedrooms) purple.

Here’s a wrap up:

According to Sherwin-Williams, “Exclusive Plum” is going to be the hot color of 2014. Here’s what it looks like:

According to the Sherwin-Williams website, exclusive plum is a “sophisticated violet” that balances “cool blue and feisty red with a splash of gray” and pairs well with a variety of styles to create color schemes suitable for any room. It is described as being “refined without being stuffy, elegant yet easy, and layered with romantic potential.”
Sherwin-Williams recommends pairing this color with copper and worn leather for a masculine look or with gold, gray or white for an elegant look. Pops of magenta and chartreuse can be used to liven up the color in a more energetic space. Here’s the more masculine rendition of this color:

Interestingly, Pantone has also named a similar hue the color of 2014. Pantone is calling it “Radiant Orchid.” This brand of purple is much brighter and redder than Exclusive Plum. On it’s website, Pantone describes the hue as “an enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones.” According to the copywriters over at Pantone,”it inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health. It is a captivating purple, one that draws you in with its beguiling charm.”

In a room, Radiant Orchid might look something like this:

As you can see, it has an exotic feel, much more sensual and colorful than Exclusive Plum. Here are a couple of more examples:

And this:

Benjamin Moore, interestingly, has gone in a totally different direction with “Breath of Fresh Air” as its color pick of the year. A pale baby blue, it is not as bold and lively as the others. On the other hand, even BM is offering up its own version of purple in “Iced Mauve,” which also made the color trend list for 2014. Farrow and Ball has named “Cooking Apple Green,” “Stiffkey Blue” and “PurBeck Stone” as its key colors for 2014, but has also added a purplish color, “Calluna” to its line-up.

While purple is one of my favorite colors, I’m not sure how easily it can be incorporated into most households. It’s one of those colors that you have to plan to work with from the outset, otherwise, it will clash. Sherwin-Williams’ version is the easiest version to work with, since it is grayer and more muted than Radiant Orchid. It’s easy to see it working with a variety of colors. Still, my guess is that the rush to purple will be one of those color trends that quickly falls by the wayside.

What do you think? Will you be painting your walls purple this year?