Kim's personal links
MY FAVOURITE DECOR SHOPS IN OTTAWA
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kitchen remodel in my last house
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my twin sister's mostly kid's rooms decor blog
Modern interiors placed delicately in historic shells. Colour saturated minimalism and a dialogue between the past and the present. It's a beautiful balancing act. Welcome to the portfolio of Rome based architect Carola Vannini. It is all about space and colour, positive and negative, blocks and voids, old and new ... and respect.
Anne had sent in a photo for a pets on furniture post (the first one here - and a gratuitous husband and dog photo at the end of this post) and I wrote back telling her how adorable her Vizsla is and how I loved the room. WELL, was I ever lucky that she wrote back with a link to a bunch of photos of her AMAZING home. She was kind enough to give me a bit of background that I could share with you all before I bombard you with photos 'o plenty:
"we live in the south austin neighborhood of bouldin creek, a 20 min walk to downtown ...we measure our proximity to everything by walkability since my husband, sam, spent 16 yrs in nyc prior to moving to austin at the end of 2008. the house is about 2350 sq' and we both work from home so we have an office that occupies one half of the entire 2nd story. we spent 8 months building and around 5 months planning (i should also mention we finished the project two months ahead of schedule AND under budget!). the house is a three bedroom/ three bath. we worked with the incredible architects at alterstudio who took the time to filter through our ideas, carefully considering how to incorporate our wild eclectic wish list – glass floor, reclaimed wood, loads of outdoor space, lots of windows, energy efficiency, a home office and music room and of course, a pool - with our desire for practical and efficient use of space – we wanted to interact with every room every day and not waste an inch of space - and transformed these components into the perfect expression that is our home. the result is a wonderful modern structure that feels welcoming not severe, fits seamlessly into our funky South Austin neighborhood, merges the indoors with the outdoors and provides us with a home comfortable for two (plus dog). i think the best part about our house is the light. there is so much sunlight that streams into every room and we refuse to get any window coverings. the glass floor actually serves a purpose - it allows light into the downstairs hallway from the skylight and a transom window further carries that light into the downstairs bathroom. given that this is texas and the heat in these parts is serious business, the majority of the glass faces north and south, passively heating in the winter and NOT in the summer. the one room people flip out about is the 9x9 TV room, or TV cave as we refer to it. we designed the room to perfectly fit ligne roset's togo sofa and is the only place there is TV in the house. a large sliding door closes it off from the kitchen/dining room. most people who visit think it is our pantry." There is so much I love about Anne's home - I HAVE to show this post to my architect. Thank you Anne! Consider me inspired!
If all the wonderful clutter of the homes for the past few days have left you for a hankering for minimalism have I got the house for you. Stalking again and in Paddington, Sydney again. Lean, clean and definitely not mean. Love the indoor/outdoor feel, the ceiling fans (boy do I hate most fans) and the desk in the office. I just wish my kitchen was so minimalist. Don't think it ever will be though. Link is here while it lasts.
Today's reader request comes from Hillary: "I've recently been gifted a Corbusier chaise lounge. (I know, right?) It's fantastic, but I'm really having a hard time incorporating it into my existing surroundings. My partner and I have been living together for about 6 months now and because we're in India (not my native place) and I moved here two years ago with only a backpack and he's living on his own for the first time after college, we have no other furniture. Well, not none. We have Indian mattresses spread on the floor covered with pretty fabrics for seating, and an old door (surrounded by more mattresses) for a dining table. How can I start to meld these two seemingly polar-opposite styles? I think what will help is that soon I am inheriting an old chair and pouf from my boss that I can reupholster and paint black. Do you know of any good examples of successfully combining something so high-modern with a surrounding that is so... not high-modern?" Talk about a SWEET gift! (The first photo below is of the chaise Hillary is referring to). What I really love seeing in spaces is a mix of different styles because it's unexpected, interesting and quirky. So perhaps most people would not think to pair a Corbusier chaise lounge with Indian mattresses, but WORK IT GIRL! I would do something like this: Pick up a couple small sheepskin rugs (faux if possible) and throw one on the mattresses and one on the chaise. Stick a pile of Indian covered pillows next to the chaise, then add some simple modern side tables on either side of the mattresses (Kartell Componibili storage units would be cute). Something along those lines, where the Indian/ethnic and modern items are blended together. Based on that idea, below are some photos of spaces that made me think of your dilemma, where I can see both that chaise and Indian mattresses/fabrics working. (Hillary, do send us photos when you think you've got it figured out - we'd love to see what you come up with.)
InsideHomePage
Living Etc.
The Selby
Sköna hem
Bolig Magasinet
Jordi Canosa
Mail Online
Lonny
"We take a holistic approach to each project and, with sustainability always in mind, we consider the building, landscape, function and interior design and employ careful use of scale, proportion and detail to create houses that delight. We love what we do and particularly projects that offer opportunities for designing finely crafted modern buildings in stunning surroundings ... " and it shows. These buildings have soul, have personality, are exquisite. I'm in love with the work of McLean Quinlan Architects. You too?
Wed, 9 Mar 2011