Shower Time

It's finally outdoor shower time at our place so the search for inspiration is on.  I know, I know, it's the perfect time as we are winding down the summer here but either way it's going in.  I'm set up for exposed plumbing and I want simple.  So here are some of my thoughts.  I'll report back with the final outcome as soon as we throw this badboy together.  The 2nd photo down (the blue fez tile) is a fav because my sweet wife put this in our farmhouse bath and it's pretty badass.

via here and here

Simple and Secluded

White house.  White sand.  Private setting.  It's all part of this straightforward ranch style construction set off with a few fresh design elements.

The single story design is key in warmer climates along with the all white look.  You want to keep that place as cool as possible.  With that being said, they've introduced a few things to enhance the look as well as tie it to the sweet grounds.  A modern vibe gets an industrial highlight with the sliding metal door and a Polynesian feel with the thatch style covered porches.  Subtle looks that compliment and give character.

 

 via freshome

Carved

This is what you do with a kickass piece of property overlooking the Pacific in Big Sur, California.  You carve out the hillside and follow the contours of the topography.

A warm, earthy vibe in color gets set off with a hint of blue in the outdoor chair covers and stone top in the kitchen.  A subtle tie-in as you look out to the ocean.

I love the movement of the architecture.  The mix of straight and wavy lines in the wood and metal cladding to the random, edgy patterns of the stone work.  It all goes back to elements of the natural surroundings.

via Contemporist and Architect Magazine

Old Barn New Home

Showing some love to an old barn.  She's a tired old beauty from the outside but still structurally sound so they altered a few window openings and directed their attention to the interior.  Ever so budget conscious, they took a minimalist approach.  A little industrial.  A little rustic.  Keeping the overall vibe of the barn, the space is wide open exposing beam construction.  Windows are set off by their size and locations.  They're set in the middle of the partition showcasing overall thickness and the exterior brick bullnose detail.  A sweet detail by the architects referencing the use of the OSB plywood as not only being budget friendly but also drawing parallels to straw bales.

via homedesgn

A Modern Row House

Let's check out a row house.  Typically there's not too much to them.  A straightforward, brick, rectangular design, traditional in style sharing a common wall.  Sounds super exciting, I know.  Well here in this Philadelphia neighborhood they've put a little twist on it.  A corner lot and a fresh contemporary vibe.  A little room to breathe and a little freedom push the design envelope.

 

Overall I really like the look of the exterior.  They managed to showcase the modern design lines while still blending it into the neighborhood with the warmer tones of the wood and slate colored brick.  On the interior they shift to an all modern feel with black and white.

via homedsgn

Ski Cabin Renovation

It's rustic, raw and weathered on the outside.  A killer little ski cabin that just needed some love.  A nice clean-up on the exterior.  There is no need to over do it.  Stabilize the structure and let is show off it's rugged character.  On the flip side, once you step inside it's a completely different story.  A sleek, smooth modern vibe that keeps it simple yet very refined.  Clean lines, light tones and a kickass view no matter what season it is.

via homedsgn

Wood Boxes

A client with a crazy busy lifestyle that loves to entertain collaborates on this open-ended design.  A series of boxes clad in mahogany and travertine allowing plenty of natural light as well as providing just enough privacy when necessary.  A design where you can see or be seen throughout.

How about the perspective look?  A killer design element.  Mahogany wrapping the floor, walls and ceiling.  They continue the clean mahogany lines in the kitchen as well with the wrapping of the cabinets.

And on the lighter side a travertine cooking alcove with some fresh backlighting softens the kitchen space.

 

You can also check this post over at Fred Flare.

via Contemporist

Kitchen Cave

It's all about the existing elements in this kitchen cave.  There are always crazy challenges in building and design and in this example it's all about the stone work.  Classic, rustic, detailed and badass.  Old European craftsmanship you rarely come across.  This is where you embrace the conditions and get after it.

You can't hang cabinets so strategically run some base units along with an island and incorporate some freestanding pieces.  The overall lighting is weak so hide any new electrical behind base units and "wash" the walls with some up lighting.  Keep the color tones neutral and let the stone speak for itself.

via enpundit

Swing Set

What to do with a 100 foot fallen poplar tree?  Turn it into a swing set, of course.  The fresh, creative firm of Visiondivison took this bad boy, repurposed the entire thing for the Indianapolis Museum of Art and dropped it in their 100 Acres park.  A killer idea and such a cool piece.  The overall vibe is almost surreal and I love that the look of the kiosk, wrapped in the compressed bark from the tree.  Good fun for all.
You can also check this post over at Fred Flare.

via dezeen and inhabitat

Golf Tees

BlackLAB is this kickass architecture firm out of Toronto, ON.  Inside their 1000 square foot warehouse studio is this fresh wall art.  The piece was based on an aerial shot of the surrounding neighborhood.  A crazy mural crafted out of some 44,000 golf tees and constructed over a 4 month period.  Long hours of layout and hammering.

You can check more of it here and here.

Kitchen Scale

A cozier kitchen that's done just right.  It's a small space to begin with and I like how they don't try to jamb a huge island in there and overpower the vibe.  The rolling island, love it or hate it, works perfect here.  Roll it close to the sink, lock the wheels and it's a great place for additional prep.  The little hidden gem here, however, is the scale over the sink.  A vintage design element they're using to hold dish towels.

via Design Sponge

Cloud House

The cloud house.  The architects answer when asked by the client to respect the existing facade and character of the surrounding neighborhood.

And so they did just that.  A traditional style on the front half that starts to ramp up a little with the fresh, floral pattern carpet.

A subtle way to lead you to where the "cloud" addition begins.  The red kitchen.  The transitional piece to the addition.  The gathering place.  A vibrant, wide open space designed for entertaining and showing off the creative design.

 

You can also check this over at Fred Flare.

via freshome