The vertical loft

Designed as a live/work space for an artist the standout design feature of this home is the freestanding OSB shelving system that rises over four floors with access from each level. The first two floors are devoted the studio space and storage with racking system for paintings and the cube storage while climbing higher brings you to the living areas on the top two floors. Modern minimalism contained within a 100 year old shell. DL House by Nuno Alves de Carvalho of Portuguese architecture and design firm URBAstudios.

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Blending in

When an architect makes an effort to redesign a house that still blends in with its surroundings. Kudos to Toronto architecture firm Johnson Chou for this wonderful project (which maybe can inspire and architect or 2 here in Ottawa). I adore this home inside and out and will be using this as inspiration whenever I get around to doing something with the exterior of my house. (How does a house built in 1940 NEVER have any landscaping done?! It's so embarrassing). And check out a previous feature on this talented firm here. 

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Not so mellow yellow

An easy way to add some drama to your home is with colour. Yellow is the happiest colour of all so why not paint your kitchen chairs/stairs/buffet yellow, or tile your bathroom yellow, or have your entire staircase fabricated in yellow...

Crosby Studios

mark+vivi

sköna hem

Inside Out

Elle Decoration Sweden

Inside Out

Frame House

When modern architecture and black comes together and produces something that dreams are made of. The Frame House Melbourne by Carr Design Group. Situated on a large block in Melbourne, the family home exposes little to the street. Behind the textured stucco wall a striking house is revealed within a lush secret garden. The rhythm of the colonnade and overall proportions evoke the elegance of Georgian architecture. Conversely the house is bold and contemporary with its robust steel frame supporting a finely detailed metal screen and zinc cladding.

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Family townhouse redo

"The Lorimer Street Townhouse is a three-story, twenty-five foot wide, two-family house located in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Every wall, ceiling, stair, floor and window of the house was replaced in the extensive renovation. The result is an open, loft-like home for a family of four. A custom, steel and solid wood tread stair divides the Parlor Level into a Living Room side at the street front and a Dining and Kitchen side at the rear of the building with garden access through 3 new, patio doors. Existing wood joists were exposed on the Parlor Level with insulation added to the underside of the floors above. Reclaimed floors compliment the existing joists and add to the rustic feel of this urban home."

A massive redo but the results are outstanding. Love the bathroom. Love the industrial vibe of the exposed ceilings, those floors and the central steel staircase. By Elizabeth Roberts and Ensemble Architecture.

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