Stone Patio and Fire Pit

A play on shapes. I like the mass and chunkiness of these broken puzzle pieces here on this stone patio. A cool two dimensional extension of the rugged shoreline just off in the distance. Also love the way they've incorporated the fire pit with the radius. A sweet design element that also functions as another seating area.

photo via New England Magazine

Plane House

It's a sweet space designed and laid out in the hills of Malibu. This is the result of such a cool collaboration between architect and owner. The idea of utilizing recycled materials (a Boeing 747-200 aircraft) and incorporating natural topography. I'm always intrigued when I see those two elements coming together. Definitely not your typical refurbished/reconstruction job but a genius little idea. The retired plane was sitting with a ton of others in the California dessert. Love the creativity.

A mix of concrete, structured steel and glass makes up both the interior and exterior.

They ended up purchasing the entire plane however it's the wings that are the linchpin to the design.

Check the view at dusk. The lines are so strong from this angle. And the fire pit is perfect. They designed it utilizing one of the engine cowlings.

photos via ArchDaily

Rustic Fire Pit

Rustic and rural. Private and laid-back. This is a sweet little custom fire pit blending right in with the natural landscaping.

photo via Elle Decor

Water Ski Retreat

This is how you roll if you're crazy about water skiing. You find this sweet piece of property with an existing lake, modify and dredge it for your 1/2 mile ski course and create a sweet little berm to hang your house over with the perfect view of the water. Very nice.

The materials throughout are pretty basic and were kept to a minimum. Keep the maintenance down while putting out a cool cutting edge design. Concrete on the floors with some board formed concrete mixed in with the plaster walls.

Florida. Right on the water. It's screaming for an outdoor shower. This unit is simple, keeping with the overall vibe of the place. It literally sits right off the master shower so you could jump from one to the other. A nice teak wood base floor in both showers too, recessed right into the concrete.

So open to the outdoors, once again maximizing that view of the course. A killer little fire pit and negative edge lap pool to finish it all off. Thursday is also my day over at Fred Flare if you're wondering why there are some many crazy links. Check it here.

photos via Contemporist

Creative Outdoor Elements

We're working on this cottage project at the moment and last night at a meeting with the client we were discussing various ways to incorporate an outdoor sitting area. The challenge is to maximize the smaller area that we have to work with while keeping it both creative and unique. This was one example I was drawing some inspiration from. I like the tranquil feel of this area with the smooth stone surface and the flush fire pit. Those two items may seem like small details yet the texture and placement can change a space in no time.

photo via Contemporist