Straightforward Refurbishment

I'm a sucker for a good adaptive reuse project. Check this cool little building that definitely needed some love. A basic brick structure that dates back to the 1890's with a slew of various owners and craftsman. A place with a ton of history and a new owner with a vision and passion for revitalizing his neighborhood.

Simple, sustainable, creative living. Solar panels on the roof, large sliding doors for cross ventilation and appropriately placed cabinetry to not only deaden sound but also shield some of the heat from the south.

photos via ArchDaily

All Wood

All wood and very eco-friendly up in northern Canada. These are some shots of the Yukon Suspension Bridge and welcoming center located in northern British Columbia. They set out to prove that the entire center could be constructed completely out of wood and look badass at the same time.

Probably a little bit of a freaky walk but the views must be killer.

The weather conditions can get pretty nasty and wood seemed to be the most logical. You can't really pour concrete in -30 degree temps. And take a look around. The location is amazing however rather remote.

They took great pride in minimizing any negative impact due to the development. Rain water is contained on the site and in the summer months they get so much natural light that there is very little need to run a ton of electricity. Thursday is my guest showing over at Fred Flare as well.

via Contemporist

Cabin Interior

An interior snapshot with a few random details. This place is very cool and so well planned out from design and function to coordination of construction (see details and more photos here). The architect is Alex Scott Porter Design. She designed the place for her father, a journalist and retired professor. I like the use of all of these finishes. It's both rustic and industrial all rolled into one from the cattle fence and the black gas pipe handrail to the exposed electrical boxes. You can't go wrong with the knotty pine in any type of cottage either.

photos via Dwell

Cape Town

This place is just spectacular. It's the Bridle Road Residence in Cape Town, South Africa. It's been getting a ton on press on sustainability with the landscaping as well as the house itself. One of the coolest features (as side from the badass view of the Atlantic Ocean and the beauty of outdoor living) is the pool system.

It's all natural and self cleaning utilizing plants, sand, gravel and a waterfall that cascades down the side of the home. Are you kidding? And, they designed the waterfall to also act a screen to give privacy to one of the bathrooms. Genius. Here's a picture (below).

The craftsmanship and overall collaboration of design (from the inside, out) on this place is so well done.

This photo, in my opinion, just captures the whole experience of this place from the view to the indoor/outdoor living, to the eco friendly pool system. The private reflection pool in this shot cascades down the building and provides that screening (photo above). There's a ton more detail on both sites listed below.

via The Cool Hunter and TheCoolist

Rustic and Modern Elements

You can find ways to utilize salvaged materials in so many ways. It just takes a little research, some patience and a little creativity. I do like this idea for a cottage or cabin. It's rustic and reclaimed with some fresh modern finishes.

This idea I think is sweet and again, a fantastic use of reclaimed wood. They built these units out of salvaged material from a barn dating back to the early 1900's and some old fruit and whisky crates. This is actually the kitchenette at a creative design company out in Portland, Oregon called Parliament. You can see the entire office here. They did some very cool design work, worth checking out.

These are actually the cabinet pulls that were later installed on the reclaimed, custom built cabinets shown in the previous photo. Genius. A perfect way to finish it all off. It works so well with the overall design.

Top photo via Livingetc

Bottom 2 photos by Lincoln Barbour via Parliament

Wetstyle

They boast pure design and pure craftsmanship. I love that. Wetstyle is a manufacturer of premium quality bath furnishings and they're based in Montreal. Handcrafted and custom-made to order. The photo above features a father and son team. They're artists. They oversee the quality of the product.


They also use an eco-friendly natural stone composite called WETMAR in all their bath products. Their contemporary style can be found in numerous hotels as well as many luxurious homes throughout the world.

Glass Tops

I was reading an article today about products made from recycled content and came across BioGlass. It is a countertop made from 100% recycled glass. Very sleek and contemporary. The appearance has such a unique, opaque look, similar to a slab or block of ice. It would be a pretty sweet piece in a bath or wet bar. The look of the pieces are designed and manufactured to change as the light changes. I bet it would look pretty cool if you added some light from the bottom and let it reflect up. It would work in the kitchen too. It's heat resistant, easy to keep clean and scratch resistant. It is pricey and colors are limited but certainly worth exploring.

Using Debris to Handcraft Tile

There is a company based in San Jose, CA producing and crafting some super cool sustainable tiles using recycled glass bottles. The company is called Fireclay Tile and I came across their Debris Series today while researching an interior remodel project. If you're looking for hand crafted and homegrown you should check them out. They offer more than 112 colors in both gloss and matte finishes and have a huge range of design options.

Here's the Debris Series featured in a kitchen backspash they supplied for a remodeled green home in San Francisco. I love the shade of green (or Kelp as they refer to it at Fireclay) against the black tops and bright white cabinets. It even works so well with the small accent of wood countertop they used next to the range.

(photos via Kitchen & Bath Business and Fireclay Tile)

Eco-Friendly NYC

We just finished dinner with a woman who lives in the Riverhouse building in New York City. It is a complete eco-friendly building in Battery Park City and it looks amazing. I like the idea of living in a modern environment in New York. The look is so clean and the surroundings so beautiful that you can just imagine relaxing here after a busy day in the city.

The lobby and all the residences were designed by David Rockwell. The fireplace surround is pretty cool and really balances the volume of the entire space.

The building itself and the residences all have super clean lines and a modern look.

I do like the light tone of the cabinetry with the clean white walls and countertops.

And, many of the windows are triple layered as to keep the building more temperate. Not too bad. I could definitely get used to living here.