Monday, February 28, 2011

Master Vanity Niche

This is the master vanity area in an old home in Portland, OR. Once again in renovation work you find yourself working with smaller spaces and searching for ways to make the most of the design. In this case they took some space from an adjacent room and just carved out what they felt they needed. A few details here can really accentuate the space too. The use of tile on the walls as well as the soffit help create and define that true niche.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Galvanized Shower Walls


A unique shower detail. This is from a farmhouse in Iowa. A sweet blend of modern details along with traditional farm style. A few sheets of galvanized corrugated metal and some sheet screws.

photos via Remodelista

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Simple Cottage

Check this cottage. I'm also posting today over at my Thursday guest home, Fred Flare. The architects call it a "deluxe shed". It has everything you need for a little weekend getaway. They kept it pretty raw although they did manage to drop some pretty killer ideas inside.


Here is the loft/bunk area. A sweet take on a stair rail. They went with industrial netting so that if you do jump ship you won't find yourself somewhere on the first floor.

A nice little galley kitchen that opens right up to the outside.

And, why not finish it off with a soaking tub (that fully lights up) right next to a wood burning stove?

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Door Options


We were meeting with a client yesterday and the issue of door location and door swings seemed to take over the discussion. It may seem trivial but it can definitely influence both the layout and the overall feel of the space. It's a challenge to not only be able to solve the issue but to present creative and unique ideas. The barn or sliding door has been on my mind lately and these were just a few options I came across, one traditional and one a little more modern.

via Sunset

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Resourceful Design

A 900 square foot guest house located in the woods of New Hampshire's White Mountains. It's another example of creative use of space and maximizing lot coverage. Once again limited due to zoning restrictions, the architect had to design around the given footprint. The end product not only brought in elements from the existing main house but also took advantage of the natural surroundings. The home stands 3 stories tall and is full of windows, natural pine woodwork and cherry flooring.

Natural stone on the fireplace taken from the surrounding area.

The main living room with a cantilevered 2 story box-out window that does not encroach into the footprint however still maximizing the interior space. Another innovative way you can design and build around tight guidelines.

photos via New England Home

Monday, February 21, 2011

Old Barn Rehab


A few shots from an old Canadian barn moved to Connecticut and then rehabbed with some fresh modern elements. The detail and quality in the craftsmanship is so good. The rough hewn floors and walls, along with the flagstone fireplace sets the tone for the entire place. The lighter colors and smooth finishes help balance the overall feel.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Vintage Tile



Classic, vintage, backsplash tile. They're by Heath Ceramics and these are from their Dimensional Collection. A very cool 1950's inspired collection with a little modern/edgy feel.

photos via Remodelista

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Hillside Architecture

This is Altis. It's a group of private residences on Mammoth Mountain in California and they are just crazy, inside and out. They've been constructed on the hillside and take full advantage of some killer views.

A little edgy on the inside, they boast a modern design with a warm welcoming feel. You'll find a ton of Mahogany on the interior and clear California cedar cladding the exterior.

The Travertine may look cold here but not in this place. No way. All the floors in the entire residence have radiant heating. Heated floors are amazing no matter what climate or location you are in.

The main entry is on the top of 3 floors and opens up into a view just like this one. The architect was truly passionate about the design as well as the environment. They want the residents to be able to fully embrace the natural surroundings as well as the customized amenities of the home. Check this out over at my Thursday guest home, Fred Flare as well.

photos via Contemporist

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Kitchen Before and After

A nice little before and after from RAAD Studio. This is the finished product of a New York loft. When you check the before photo below you can see how they broke down the space and highlighted a few features. The brick speaks for itself. Just clean it up and you're ready to go. The ceiling is another gem. You expose it, clean it and incorporate some lighting. It instantly adds some volume and becomes another design element.

Here's a shot of the kitchen before the renovation. Check out the fireplace. I like how they utilized the old firebox, bringing it up to date and making it a focal point of the room.

via RAAD

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Limitations and Challenges


There are plenty of times in renovation work when you come across design challenges. It's all about how you solve them both aesthetically and economically. The owners here wanted to expand their 800 square foot home however ran into some limitations. The municipality would not allow a second story and the soil conditions (and budget) were not conducive for a basement. The architects got creative and designed a small addition split level.

This is the exterior of the 800 square foot home in Montreal, Canada before the architects got loose.

This is a view from the addition looking back toward the existing house. The split level has created three rooms; the dining area, a sitting room and a bedroom. A pretty genius idea working on a limited budget and site restrictions.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Small and Inspiring

It's a small space, only 770 square feet on the interior and sometimes those spaces can produce all kinds of inspiration. They call this the "Cookhouse" and it was designed by Green Partners. They're a small firm from Washington with a focus on sustainable design and crafted details.

The space was simply designed for a family to gather, relax, prepare and enjoy meals together. The entire room feels very open with natural light and the bright white finishes of the walls and cabinets. The exposed custom trusses help define the space and at the same time, highlight the architecture.

Both rustic and industrial, the exterior gives off a fresh, welcoming overall feel with the cedar and metal materials. The use of the larger overhangs creates a nice, subtle outdoor sitting area.

To accent the cookhouse, they incorporated this cool outdoor gathering space with a wood-burning stove.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Two-Sided Fireplace

Sitting Room

Dining Room

I like how the use of the stone hearth defines the fireplace in each space. A little glimpse in the dining just to let you know it's there and more pronounced and functional in the sitting room.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Brooklyn Brownstone

Elizabeth Roberts is a New York-based architect with a ton of experience in some pretty prestigious firms on both coasts and a killer background in historic preservation. She has a great artistic eye and a solid understanding of the craft of building. This is a brownstone in Brooklyn they basically deconstructed. They busted the drywall and plaster off the ceiling and along the party wall exposing the rafters and brick. It's pretty typical in a building dating back to the late 1800's/early 1900's but it's just timeless. The kitchen is all new and all custom, crafted in solid teak. And, why stop there? The tops are teak butcher block. So good.

The warm feel of all the wood and the rustic vibe of the brick is just sweet and all, however I do like the way the wood-burning fireplace adds another dimension to the space with it's cool texture and tone.
Check it at Fred Flare. My guest home for the day.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

A New Age of Craftsmanship

There is craft out there. Just stop and think about it. Check this out from Seth Godin's blog yesterday.

photo via Remodelista

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Bath Details

Subway on the floor. Subway on the walls. The floor is a marble and the walls are a matte ceramic. I like using the gray grout on the floor. It's a subtle way to warm the space when you go all white and it will wear well. Another little design detail are the niches. Anytime you have a thick wall and can borrow space it's a bonus. They were able to recess the medicine cabinet, giving it a flush, finished look and create shelving just above the sink and in the shower.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Modern Farmhouse Addition

So here is this farmhouse in Virginia from the 18 century that sits on something like 500 acres and has all kinds of crazy views. You would think that the addition would be pretty straight forward and seamlessly blend right in. Nope. The owner and architect had some other sweet ideas to showcase. They wanted to bring the outdoors in as much as possible and basically take advantage of nature.

The addition is set right at ground level. You can see how they ran the bluestone from the entry right into the glass enclosed pavilion. This view really gives a great perspective of what they wanted to achieve in the overall design with the large glass panels.

They utilized stone from the site for the fireplace and also constructed the chimney chase with board-formed concrete. A little rustic quality to the modern design. You can see a ton more photos here.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Glass Separation

The kitchen and dining areas can be completely separated by closing the sandblasted sliding glass panels. The floor to ceiling design of the glass and the hidden track gives off a very sleek quality. The blond color of the floor warms the space just enough.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

SoCal Style

The design and layout of this place takes advantage of some kickass views while addressing the ever changing SoCal climate. The goal was to manage the hot summer temperatures and crazy wind-driven brush fires. To help reduce the risk of fire they tried to minimize the overall height of the building while cladding the place in some sleek metal siding. The beefy, wide overhangs along with the concrete floors help keep that summer heat down.

Check out the rest over at my guest home for the day, Fred Flare.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Architect Understanding Craft

An architecture firm that puts an emphasis on getting back to understanding the craft of building. The RAAD Studio is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. They're a full service design and construction firm and they just get it. I think this piece says a ton about what they do. This is a media credenza with hand-oiled walnut carved to create the handles.

photo via Remodelista

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Creative Details

This is from a 1937 cottage renovation in Sonoma, CA. The place has just a ton of crazy salvage finds as well as some great craftsmanship. The fireplace is genius. They had a hand-forged, custom steel surround designed to cover the old, dated brick. So cool. A nice, creative alternative to painting the brick.

And I couldn't pass this up. It's an old salvaged piece of machinery they decided to use for the sink base. A nice finishing touch with the chuck of white marble on top and the wall mounted faucet. Creative and unique.

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