Gunu Berrima

I think I just found my perfect weekend escape. Beautiful house, beautiful surroundings, salt water pool, tennis court, chicken coop, organic veggies, barn, an amazing mid century furniture collection and just 90 minutes from Sydney.

"Gunu Berrima is a boutique retreat in the stunning Southern Highlands of NSW, Australia. Just a short drive from the historic village of Berrima, the native bushland 100-acre property is home to a haven of Australian wildlife. The Tuscan homestead is engulfed by a natural food farm (Eat Fit Farm) producing a wide variety of fruit and vegetables for Sydney health food company (Eat Fit Food). The contemporary-meets-classic house interior has been custom-designed by celebrated decorator Jason Sullivan, with commissioned art from the new face of Italian abstract art, Marco Lorenzetto. Adorned with all the comforts of a holiday-house paradise, guests of the 3 suite retreat can enjoy the great Australian outdoors as well as tennis & swimming all from the privacy and comfort of the farm."

If I could I'd stay forever. You can book Gunu Berrima at airbnb.

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Confluence House

I have shared a few projects in the past by New York-based Incorporated Architecture & Design such as this apartment and this apartment but I also shared this really cool cabin-like simple and modern home. They have since designed another similar home but this time larger. The simplicity of the structure is absolute perfection (IMHO). Concrete floors, wood framed doors and windows and those gorgeous wood kitchen cabinets lend an organic, raw feel to the space and brings the outdoors in...with the help of some pretty awesome plants too. I would live here in a heartbeat. 

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Stalking Harry Seidler

I'm stalking the Holy Grail of modernist design. Thurlow House, in the Sydney suburb of Blakehurst, is part of an important collection of early houses by one of Australia’s great architects, Harry Seidler. This untouched gem from 1952 has my mid century heart fluttering. A very sympathetic renovation (the carpet on the stairs must go), fill it full of classic furniture and live your mid century dream. For sale via Modern House.

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A mid-century remodel

Mid-century style homes have intrigued me for as long as I can remember. They are few and far between here in Ottawa. I used to have a landlord who lived in a gorgeous one (my husband told me he recently saw it listed for $1.2M) and I loved stopping by his house, even if it was to bring him rent cheques ;). This home in Eagle Rock, California was remodeled by architect William Howard and the result is mid-century marvelousness! We remodeled the interior and exterior of this 3 bedroom/2 bathroom house using mid-century modern colors and materials. We removed several walls at the top floor to create an open floor plan. When the project was spaced planned, we have five seating areas in the upper main space, each with its own connection to the spaces. We used a dark walnut for the flooring and cabinetry and we contrasted it with bright white for walls, counters and wall cabinets. We vaulted the ceiling through the entire main space and restored the existing fireplace. The gable glass below the roof beam allows for the exterior garden and light to illuminate the interior of the house.

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Modern atrium house

A big thanks to Klopf Architecture for sending over photos of this beautiful home they recently completed. Mid-century AND to-die-for landscaping has me totally smitten. The owners, inspired by mid-century modern architecture (YES!!!!), hired Klopf Architecture to design an Eichler-inspired 21st-Century, energy efficient new home that would replace a dilapidated 1940s home for a family of three.The home follows the gentle slope of the hillside while the overarching post-and-beam roof provides an unchanging datum line. The changing moods of nature animate the house because of views through large glass walls at nearly every vantage point. Every square foot of the house remains close to the ground creating and adding to the sense of connection with nature. Enter through simple planes of stacked stone and white stucco below street level to reveal the roomy, open spaces that are progressively revealed as one flows through the Modern Atrium House. Progress through the spaces, stepping down with the sloping hillside until you arrive in the indoor/outdoor living room. The large, green, landscaped yard and Japanese garden-inspired atrium are visible through two large walls of glass. But with the house being on a large, wooded lot and down below the street, the owners are connected to nature all around but still afforded privacy from all sides. They are also protected from the elements: the super-insulated house with overhangs and heat-mirror glass requires no air-conditioning and exceeded California's strict energy codes by almost 40%.

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