This little summer house, renovated by Jonas Labbé and Johannes Schotanus of LASC, looks like it would be the perfect summer getaway. Or maybe we will just move there! The combination of natural finishes, and simple forms is perfect. I really like the hidden storage spaces, and the large window openings with their hidden frames go a long way to open up the main room. Color is used sparingly and thoughtfully, highlighting individual spaces, like the library corridor and stairway. Being a huge fan of concrete, I am totally in love with the kitchen counter tops, I might have to experiment with that myself someday.
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Architect José Roberto Paredes is breaking the Spanish Colonial mold with his home in Central America. Situated in the rain forest outside San Salvador, banks of windows and translucent panels flood the home with natural light, and open it up to the surrounding landscape. These windows, combined with the large spans of the steel, create an open and airy home for the Paredes family that successfully blends inside and out.
Via Dwell
Another amazing Australian home. This one Luke Mortimer, Stylist and Visual Merchandiser of Country Road. Believe it or not, the build only took around 6 months! You can follow the progression on his blog. Nearly all the fixtures and furnishings were acquired second hand, because as it turns out Luke is a gifted second hand sleuth. There is even better news..this amazing home can be (temporarily) yours because Luke is offering his perfectly situated and expertly detailed home as a vacation rental (find rental details here)!
Via The Design Files
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Images via Buttrick Wong
Buttrick Wong Architects, a Bay Area partnership between Jerome Buttrick and Tim Wong, is known for creating enduring, innovative and sustainable buildings and interiors. Founded in 2001, they have since created a recognizable portfolio with a range of modern styles. For more information, and more beautiful photos, visit their website.
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I love the ideology behind this design/build partnership, and what I have seen thus far of their work. Rural Theory is the combination of Jarod Harmeier and Blake Dollahite.
“Rural Theory Design & Build is about creating well-considered modern homes that feel new and exciting, but also ver warm and familiar. We believe a house should be about effective direction and natural light, mindful of how a body feels and moves through space, and considerate of its neighbors and the environment…We’re also interested in how those things help to form a real experience – like waking up in the morning, or coming home from work.”
For more info and photos from the design duo, visit the Rural Theory site.
Original Images by Todd Hido, Via Dwell
Architect Ken Meffan spent an entire decade of his life devoted to designing and building a home for his family. Known for his rough-around-the-edges take on design, his own house is no exception. If your preference is for minimal, streamlined design, this may not be the home for you. Using natural and re-purposed materials such as leftover building materials and boulders found on-site, the house feels comfortably rooted in its surroundings. While there are a few ledges I might worry about my youngest falling off of (she has a tenancy to climb on/fall off everything she can find), and a lot of hard surfacing that wouldn’t catch her fall very well, I can’t deny what fun my kids would have in a place like this. Growing up, a childhood friend had a home similar to this one, hand build with concrete floors warmed by the sun, nature spilling in from all sides, and the occasional turtle slowly passing by on the ground floor. I can recall the summer days spend exploring, discovering, and running in and out (we once found an old, rusted out 1950′s era car, seats reduced to springs, and tires nearly to dust, still “parked” in the would have been the driveway of a very small home, if there was more than just a foundation remaining. We knew when we found it our summer just got booked solid). There is something comforting about being surrounded by so much nature, and something enjoyable about not needing to take your shoes off. Or the possibility of not needing shoes at all.
For more pictures and to read the article, visit Dwell’s website here. There are more photos and insights from Ken on his flickr page here.
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