Alterations Project of Oliver Residence in Seaforth, New South Wales

This modern house design is the results of an additions and alterations project of Oliver Residence in Seaforth, New South Wales. The renovation project involved important reconfigurations to the existing dwelling, including a new formal entry lobby at the upper level with direct access to the open plan living area, the creation of a new full length deck to the upper level with integrated sun shading, new master ensuite and walk in robe, new bathrooms, general facade upgrades and building remodelling.

The result is a substantial family home with a single design aesthetic that readily accommodates indoor, outdoor living and encourages constant interaction with the phenomenal view.

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The Scholl Residence by Studio B Architects

The Scholl Residence is one of the best modern home design ideas created by Studio B Architects located in Aspen, Colorado. The steep site possessed challenges with drainage, topography, a small footprint, restrictive easements and was required to address very limiting neighborhood design review standards.

Contextually, the area was developed in the 1960’s and surrounding residents were quite resistant to the architectural direction. Although the neighborhood is one of transition, this was the greatest challenge in realizing the project.

The clients dwell between Miami and Aspen and are avid collectors of videography and photography. They requested a solution and an architecture that would exhibit their expanding and revolving collection. The exterior is composed of custom zinc panels, sand-blasted concrete, aluminum window/door glazing system and tempered glass railings

The interiors consist of darkened oak flooring, cantilevered pickled oak stairs and floors, European engineered cabinetry, Carerra marble, porcelain tile shower enclosures and integral plaster walls and ceilings. The architecture is reduced to its essence and is calculated and sober in its detailing. Resolution of plan and elevation were reduced to the lowest denominator and honesty of a process.

The lower level is completely below grade and houses the formal gallery space, large wine cellar and provides two guest suites with an attached massage room.

The entry level offers the client’s office, a guest bedroom, laundry/mudroom area and the garage. The upper level contains the living, dining, kitchen, master suite and opens to the balcony and private garden with access to a roof terrace via a cantilevered steel stair. A small dumbwaiter shuttles wine from cellar to rooftop.

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The EVA Chair by Anderssen and Voll

This cool soft and comfortable EVA chair is created by Norwegian design studio Anderssen & Voll and especially designed for Juvet Landskapshotell in Norway. The chairs and the ottoman together aim to mimic the compositions of nature rather than nature itself.

The products join traditional contruction in wood and modern textile technology as the whole outside shape is defined solely by textile. For this purpose developed a special knitted wool textile together with Innofa in Tilburg NL that stretches and contracts when you tilt the chair – leaving the chair visually rooted in all positions no matter how you swivel or tilt the chair.

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Designer to Watch-Erin Martin

We stumbled upon the work of Erin Martin the other day and we think we're in love! 

Her work is organic in a very sophisticated way.  The words "organic" or "sustainable" get thrown around a lot these days but very people get it right.  We love her use of natural materials, muted colors and texture variety.

Her designs seem very original too-as no two houses are alike.

Here is a sample of her work:

To see more of her work, visit Erin Martin Design.

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Cool Upholstered Bed

A couple of our favorite things for the day:



1) Laced up boots from Nine West ($209)
2) Modern Upholstered Bed from Brownstone (appx $1800 for queen, $2000 for king-COM)

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Thom Felicia Rug for Safavieh

Interior designers are like movie stars.  When they are hot you see them everywhere.  Then a few years later they just disappear.

Thom Felicia is definitely hot now.  He has a wide range of licensed products as we've mentioned in previous post--ranging from Kravet fabrics to furniture for Vanguard and now rugs for Safavieh. 

His rug collection is actually very affordable.  Very young and hip too.  A 6 x 9 rug is about $600.  Very reasonable don't you think?

Here are some samples:

To see the rest of the collection, please click here. You can find pricing and product information in our modern rug section.

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The Great House Design

It is possible to design a large house with a small budget. To do this, we must invest heavily in architectural design. A good example is the house in Kitengela Allan Donovan is designed with a concept in West Africa on the rooftop of the mind boxes on the parapet.

Another example is the Hacienda Eco City Development of Mombasa is also the design of an Africa Western / Islamic architectural design with a flat roof and pigeon holes on the elements of the parapet wall.

The State Presidential Lodge in Sagana, Nyeri is also a great piece of architecture using architectural design to achieve great things without having to use expensive materials. This is a simple rectangular house with hipped roof and low aluminum double hung windows.

The use of technology also affect the budget. New roofing materials lighter, like tiles in stone coated steel roof to save the amount of wood trusses to support the roof.

The type of foundation will also affect costs. Estates, as in the Eastlands area of Jericho were built on a raft foundation type is very inexpensive to implement. The ground floor slab is supported by the joists are placed on the soil surface so no excavation and foundation wall is made.

On the wall elements in the superstructure of stone masonry Nairobi area is easily accessible is not expensive. A cost-effectiveness to achieve the elegance is to have the stone in his hand wearing a design of your liking. Hand-cut stone out of character to your home and you will save in terms of maintenance, because they hardly ever requires maintenance.

Prefabricated houses are gradually in the Kenyan market. These houses are the answer to affordable housing in developed countries like the United States, China and Europe, and it is a matter of time until they find their place in Kenya.

Finally, building design and use of appropriate technology can greatly reduce the construction of your home.

Frank Gichuhi is the world renowned architect who specializes in Design view, unique buildings, and research on current trends in construction and real estate solutions for real estate, you can also add views Architectural design, construction and real estate here on its solutions real estate blog

Created by Ya'la

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Vogue September Issue-A True Economic Indicator

If you watch the news and read the papers, you can get reallly confused. One day the housing index is up, the next day it's down. One day the stock market roars for some weird reason, the next day it tanks for other weirder reasons.

And you know what the best economic indicator there is?

The Vogue September issue.

We just got it today and it's nice and fat again. True, you have to flip through hundred of ads to get to some flimpsy content, but the nice part about that is, advertisers are spending money again! Which can leads to all kind of good things.

And we don't know about you, but we are having this frugality fatigue, big time. Enough already with all this self-deprivation.  Sure, the way we spend money is forever changed, but if you really really want those Channel clogs and you don't have to cut into the rent to pay for it, why the heck not...

So here's to Vogue, and to better times ahead!

PS There's a lovely feature on an art-filled apartment.  Click here to see the slideshow.

Source:  Vogue

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House Modern Desings

house plans are more modern architecture, works of art are truly themselves. Modern house plans offer the possibility to modify your home to an infinite number of ways. Modern architecture, the only rule is "Anything Goes". modern houses can be characterized by clean lines and simple proportions. They may be made of unconventional materials or constructed with ecological criteria. The modern design of house plans, or build a modern home, the possibilities are endless on how to use space and create a truly personalized home.


Many contemporary home plans inspired by other types of houses, then edit and update certain features and aspects, to feel more at home today. Traditional ranch-style homes has become a modern one-story homes, maintain, open and flowing floor plan living room and the addition of modern elements such as ceiling windows and sliding glass doors open the realization of a large outdoor living spaces .

Another design of the traditional house that has had many contemporary creations is the log cabin. traditional cottages have been updated with clean lines, flat wood panels and large windows for natural light and offer spectacular views over the surrounding landscape. Modern takes the traditional hut declined to its original style, as big roof in the design and chose to exclude completely the tower, the promotion of a flat, clean look outwards.

Modern houses have taken much inspiration from the traditional and highly functional design of adobe-style homes. These modern house plans are characterized by classic southwestern and Santa Fe style, rectangular shapes, long driveways and a flat, expansive floor plan.

One of the most common forms of modern homes are home-style modern beach. These upgraded versions of the luxury home on the edge of the traditional Caribbean coast is characterized by simple clean facades and large windows looking out to perfect ocean view or Sunset Beach. Beach-style modern houses are popular because of their open floor plans, making them perfect for those who love to entertain.

Retro-modern house, which contains a rectangular characteristic style of 1970 homes, including large terraces and funny, and amazing, detailed facades. Eco modern home that uses natural light, and in particular the construction and keep home cooler in summer and warm in winter. Multi-level contemporary home on the slope, using a sloping landscape, based on a multi-tiered structure, which make a large building a large and spacious house smaller.

Whatever your personal preference may be, is a modern style home for everyone. Drawing of houses and architecture in recent decades, and construction techniques across the country and the world, architects and designers have found ways to maintain the traditional lifestyle while adding elements that make these modern houses, style of living today.

Created by Ya'la

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Pretty Chinoiserie Wallpapers and Prints

A while back we fell in love with a vendor called Jardins En Fleurs.  We probably blogged about it once.  They make beautiful, beautiful Chinoiserie paintings and accessories.  The problem was, it was so expensive it was impossible to sell.  The company closed down shortly after--a victim of the 2008-09 economy, evidently.

Anyway, we get this email the other day from Belle Chasse home and it has a very similiar look and feel.  Alas, we found out it was found by the same founder of Jardins en Fleur.  He has great taste, we must say.

The line is more affordable now.  If you are looking for pretty Chinoiserie prints, it's a nice choice.

Here are some samples:

For product and pricing information, visit Belle Chasse (beautiful hunt)'s web site.

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Decorating in White

It's hard to believe summer is almost over.  Here in LA it's scorchingly hot, but stunningly beautiful as well.  There's nothing like driving down the Pacific Coast Highway late in the afternoon, with the blue ocean on one side and the mountain on the other...so gorgeous, it makes us so happy to be alive.

But we're getting off track here...

If you are a reader of this blog, you probably know we're crazy about white.  Especially when it's hot outside.  White has such as an amazing cooling effect, and it's so neutral too...

Here are some of our favorite white interior photos from photographer Per Gunnarson:

So simple and pure.  Don't you think?
To see more of his work, click here.

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Crazy for Stripes...

We're so in the mood for stripes lately. It's modern.  It's striking.   It's fun.  It makes your eyes pop.

Here are some great designs using stripes with either wallpapers,  fabrics or paint:

Images from Elle Decor

Images from MyHomeIdeas

Some pretty striped wallpapers:

Source: Matthew Patrick Smyth Wallcoverings for F Schumacher wallpapers.

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Fabulous Beatles Chairs from Andrew Martin

Have you seen the work of Andrew Martin?  An UK -based designer, he has that really cool, quirky, crazy English taste that we love.

Here are some new fabrics that just came out for Lee Jofa.   Wouldn't they be fabulous as pillows too?

Love them!

PS We apologize, we don't have the pricing for these yet as they are so new.   We'll be posting them on our Lee Jofa Fabric section as soon as they are available.  In the mean time, if you need it right away, drop us a line.  To see more of Andrew Martin's products, click here.

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A great source for interior design pictures...

With so many decorating magazines closing lately, we find ourselves starving for pictures of amazing rooms.  A good alternative is interiors designers' and photographers' web sites.  Often you can view their portolios as a source of inspiration.

Below is one of our favorites, Pieter Estersohn.

PS For more pictures, visit DiggingDecor-it's full of interior design pictures (well, not quite full yet, but it's on its way :)   It's a social community network for people who love to decorate. The site is new so we'll need all the contributors we can get!   If you love decorating, come join so you can show off your portfolio, share resources and make some friends.

We hope to see you there...

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