Contemporary Glass Art for Home

 Contemporary Glass Art for Home

Fun yet sophisticated, we love this contemporary glass art for the home, by Turkish company Ilio. The “Ice Drop” candle holders and the “Bouquet” vase make a great gift – for yourself or for someone deserving. The aptly named candle holders are inspired by delicate ice formations, with the drip, drip, drip of glass leaving its trail. The Ice Drop would look great lined up along your mantel or adorning the window sill. Meanwhile, the Bouquet vase takes on liquid art form. This suspended vase can be hung in a bedroom or bathroom, or arranged in a cluster at different heights in a living area. And filled with fresh flowers or your favorite greens, you can bring spring indoors any time of year. Check out this contemporary glass art by visiting  roy

Compact Homes

Central Courtyard Home Design – Australian Eco-House Architecture

When you can’t build out, build up! At least, that’s the motto driving Melbourne, Australia-based architecture firm Tandem Design Studio in its design for this smart central courtyard home design. Occupying a tiny footprint – just 160m2 – this compact house makes an efficient use of vertical space for comfort, convenience and contemporary style in a small yet somehow spacious package. Interiors are very minimalist and clean, lined with timber. The homes two main volumes are sunshells, connected by a central courtyard. The west wing houses the main entrance, living area, kitchen and a dramatic double-height dining room for posh entertaining. Upstairs the study, guest room and bathroom make luxurious guest accommodations! To the east, enter the double-car garage and find your way upstairs to the master bedroom and ensuite. In an effort to preserve the pristine surroundings, this modern home incorporates a number of sustainable features like rainwater- and greywater-recycling systems, hot water heat pump, solar technology on the rooftop, glass walls made of double glazed windows and triple cell polycarbonate skin

Grand Home

So You Want to Build a Green Home

WHAT IS GREEN BUILDING?
The term green building is used to describe design and construction of

• buildings with some or all of the following characteristics: Buildings that haveminimal adverse impacts on local, regional, andeven global ecosystems;
• Buildings that reduce reliance on automobiles;
• Buildings that are energy-efficient in their operation.
• Buildings and grounds that conserve water;
• Buildings that are built in an environmentally responsible manner from low-environmental-impact materials;
• Buildings that are durable and can be maintained with minimal environmental impact;
• Buildings that help their occupants practice environmentalism,
• Buildings that are comfortable, safe, and healthy for their occupants

Quite often, when people think of green building, what comes tomindis the use of recycled-content buildingmaterials—insulationmade fromrecycled newspaper, floor tiles made out of ground-up light bulbs, and so
forth. Materials are indeed an important component of green construction,but this way of building goes much further.
Green building addresses the relationship between a building andthe land on which it sits how the structure might help to foster a senseof community or reduce the need for automobile use by its occupants
how to minimize energy use in the building (energy consumption beingone of the largest environmental impacts of any building); and how tocreate the healthiest possible living space. These priorities, from a broad

Origine Du Monde, Maybe!' Chair by Italo Rota for Meritalia

 Origine Du Monde, Maybe!

t’s a chair that brings “creature comforts” back home. Dubbed the “Origine Du Monde, Maybe!” chair, this unusual, ultra-modern chair was design by Italo Rota for Italian furniture house Meritalia. The soft hues complement the plush cushions perfectly, forming what the designed has described as “uterine sensuality.” The cushions are made of memory foam which, in keeping with the obviously maternal theme of the design, reminds us of protection, rest and the future. The base is made from polished aluminum, irregular in shape, just like the chair concept as a whole, If you like unique, one-of-a-kind pieces, this is a must-see! Check it out at

Cottage Style Design - Ideas & Pictures of Rustic Luxuries

Cottage Style Design - Ideas & Pictures of Rustic Luxuries

Located on the Sweden's Stockholm Archipelago, Island House by WRB Architects is a cool coastal home designed to complement its wonderful waterfront setting. This rustic vacation home boasts a distinct cottage style design characterized by panoramic views of the ocean from outdoor living spaces and glass-enclosed interiors alike. The cozy, comfortable style of the home lends itself to socializing in groups and relaxing alone. A sheltered wood deck allows for all-weather outdoor entertaining, while the house also invites nature in through the extensive use of natural wood to finish floors, walls and ceilings. The main house opens onto the ocean, while the bedrooms and bath are more private, facing a secluded courtyard outlined by old oaks and rocks. A sauna wraps up the amenities and necessities of this modern waterfront cottage home

Comfortable Home Design - warm and modern, DIY by Michael Parks

warm and modern, DIY by Michael Parks

Wood House

Wood House

Now, this is what we call a tree house! This wood house design by Seattle-based Finne Architects embraces its forest roots, but with refined flair. The cabin-style design boasts natural-finish wood and a stone fireplace feature anchoring the “great outdoors.” Skylights flood the two-storey living areas with natural light while providing a view of the surrounding forest. The kitchen and adjoining living area is a certain hotspot in this house. We love the interplay of the drastically different types and textures of wood clad walls, ceiling and cabinets. This eclectic look is complemented by subtle industrial-chic details, like the countertop supports and the under-counter mini potlights. Another favorite in this house is the bathroom, featuring more gorgeous wood, windows and mirrors galore. The bathtub is nestled in a glass-wall corner; you’ll feel like you’re bathing in the great outdoors. Interior glass walls maintain an open-concept feel, but with the benefit of a little privacy

Floating House with an Integrated Boathouse and Dock

Located where Georgian Bay meets Lake Huron, this floating house by Michael Meredith of Toronto-based MOS combines country-cottage flair and a wonderful watery appeal for the swimmers, boaters and fishermen out there. This floating house sits on the water among windswept trees and the characteristic, rocky Canadian Shield terrain – not an easy spot to built, but definitely worth the effort. 

This picturesque spot, a 20-minute boat ride from the mainland, provides the perfect backdrop for this island house, which has been described as a “necklace” of buildings strung around the island – a main cottage with an integrated boathouse and dock, and a series of separate cottages to accommodate the many overnight guests that clamber to spend summers here. The timber cottage blends with its surroundings, which appear untouched, providing the perfect getaway. The interior, just 1,250 sq. ft., is also wood-clad – walls, ceilings, floors, and even the bathroom fixtures. See more about this''

Underground Homes

Long Island Underground Architecture by New York Firm

Check out this contemporary underground architecture, Sagaponac House – a 4,500-sq.-ft. two-volume home nestled in an eastern Long Island community, designed by Calvin Tsao and Zack McKown, partners of Tsao & McKown Architects, New York. Above the land line this house is a modern, minimalist cube; beneath it this elaborate swimming pool house is built right into the landscape. The upper white cube is a light-filled space balanced atop the lower volume, which is connected to the pool area. Really, this cool house was made for parties, fiestas and soirees. Atop the buried volume, a rooftop patio is a sprawling space ideal for socializing in the sun. Interiors boast modern, glass-walled living rooms with tall ceilings and natural light. Each room offers views of the densely treed outdoors, and some even feature walkouts to al fresco entertaining areas and the pool.

 

Exterior

Interior

 

Mountain Cabin Design

Mountain Cabin Design – Concrete and Wood Architecture

Perched high up in the Swiss Alps, this mountain cabin design by architecture firm Drexler Guinand Jauslin is the essence of the “mountain chalet.” We particularly love its rustic, timber exterior and steeply pitched, shingled tin roof peeking over the snow-covered hillside. Inspired by traditional countryside houses and stables, this structure works with its village setting but still boasts lots of contemporary touches that bring it into the modern era. The cabin was visually broken up using contrasting materials – a band of concrete encircling the base, with a wood-clad upper floor. Flavoring this conventional “village-style” cabin with some modern flair, the architects incorporated lots of large, double-glazed windows stretching right up to the roofline, providing a prime vantage point to take in the breathtaking vistas. The interior open-concept layout lets the residents enjoy the view from any point in the cabin, which serves as a
weekend family getaway

Rustic Mountain Architecture in Swiss Alps

It’s almost as though this cliff-side house in Chamoson, Switzerland was built right into the landscape, melting into the rocky mountain surroundings with its jagged stone exterior and rustic features. Architect Lawrence Savioz, who headed this home renovation, made it a priority to retain that "rustic mountain architecture" feel with the structure’s original stone facade and windows (circa 1814), which are “country” both in their look and feel. But new elements too set the tone for this modern mountain home, including a brand new living area, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, paint shop and gallery space. The structure’s three volumes lend themselves to separate living and working spaces, and in line with the exterior aesthetic, boast an unrefined, down-to-earth look of raw mineral materials such as natural stone and exposed concrete. The large windows frame the gorgeous mountain vistas

Japanese Architecture Design

Small House Plan Maximizes a Small Lot

The Oh House will have architecture aficionados oh-ing and ah-ing. Designed by Japanese firm Atelier Tekuto, this modern small house plan is located on a small, irregular-shaped urban lot that dictated its unusual vertical shape and dimensions. The main goal for this house for six was to incorporate a parking space – which proved more difficult than it sounds, thanks to the lot size. To make way for a car, the architect positioned the main entrance below grade. On entering, a flight of stairs leads you up to the home’s main living areas. The open-concept interiors feature smart, suspended furniture that leaves the limited floor space free. Pieces like the hanging dining table and various built-ins are not only functional, but they feature a contemporary aesthetic that works wonders in the modern, minimalist interiors. Due to this home’s unusual plan and proportions, the space is actually larger than it appears from the outside
We love Japanese architecture design, and here is a prime example of why. This creative, future-forward design in Tokyo by Japan architecture firm Emmanuelle Moureaux Architecture + Design is playful, but seriously artistic – not typical of a bank! From the exterior, this vibrant, white cube is dotted with deep window wells of various sizes and colors, each more vibrant than the last. This color palette continues inside, where workspaces are feature an inspiring, leaf motif and natural, knotty wood floors that invite the outdoors in. An interior courtyard brings life to this ultra-modern workspace. We’d love to see this translated into a home design

Denmark-based

Light Color Architecture Makes the Old New Again

Denmark-based Norm Architects recently took some big steps forward with this inspiring light color architecture, located north of Copenhagen. This contemporary slope house is situated on five small plateaus connected by steps, merging the structure with the surrounding landscape. Clearly inspired by mountain architecture, this hillside home boasts a series of raised and dropped levels that follow the lay of the land while creating some separation between the home’s various zones. The main entrance is the home’s highest point, leading you down into three plateaus housing the living room, master bedroom, the kitchen, and the dining area and bathroom (the home’s lowest point), all enjoying an open-concept flow while maintaining a sense of privacy. Minimalist interiors are cool and contemporary featuring a palette of white and neutrals, right down to the light-colored wood floors and exposed brick walls. Glass walls and sliding glass doors wash the space with natural light.

Beautiful House Design

Beautiful House Design – Historic look, Modern technology

Nestled on an island on Narragansett Bay, this beautiful house design has a story to tell from the outside in. The Clingstone House (probably named because it “clings” to a little rocky island) designed by J.S. Lovering Wharton and artist William Trost Richards stands out against its surroundings of water and the distant city shore. This 100-per-cent timber house certainly feels solitary, looks to be from another place, another era – and, in fact, it is! The 103-year-old mansion has a certain history, and is today owned by architect Henry Wood and his family. The wonderfully worn, weathered look and enjoys 360-degree views of the ocean through its many windows. The interior is drenched in honey-colored wood, warm to the look and touch. This three-storey house features a total of 23 rooms. Although the look and feel of the wood-clad house is antique, it's equipped with modern technology such as the roof-mounted solar panels and wind turbine to generate electricity, rainwater-recycling and seawater-filtration systems, and composting toilets that help lower operating costs while making an eco-sustainable statement.