Serenity in Design

Multilevel Contemporary

2013-05-22T14:38:00.002-04:00

A home for the minimalist!

Luxury Fabric

2013-05-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

Gorgeous bright fabrics with a glamorous gleam, the new Bises Luxury Fabric collection from Rubelli and Sahco brings exotic flair to modern interiors. Featuring bold designs and vibrant spectacular colours, these luxury fabrics make a powerful statement. Founded by Ruggero Bises over 30 years ago, Rubelli is known for its design innovation and reinterpretations of traditional motifs. From graphic patterns to exotic florals the luxury fabrics use large scale patterns for dramatic effects. Sensual gleaming fabrics, wrap furnishings and windows in lush decadent beauty. Vibrant woven beauty, the Rubelli Bises Collection instantly transforms furnishings and interiors into sensual artistic masterpieces.

Ruggero Bises founded his textile design company in 1971, incorporating it into Rubelli some years later. Known for bold designs and spectacular colors, Bises has a long history of design innovation and stunning interpretations of traditional motifs.

Whether for sumptuous colors, unique constructions, or the often-huge scale of its patterns, Bises is a distinct departure from traditional Italian design, and a welcome addition to the Bergamo Fabrics collection of beautiful textiles.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Home

2013-05-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

Frank Lloyd's Wright's style of design is what inspired me through my design career. His philosophy was simple. Every room must be created with a View of Nature!!!

Watch how the home was built below click on the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9CVKU3ErrGM#!

Read more about Frank L Wright
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Lloyd_Wright

Vintage meets Modern

2013-05-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

I love vintage clothing also, and I loved this dress. The style looks vintage but the fabric and pattern is modern.

Bay View Villa

2013-05-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

I say, "Oh my, how beautiful"

Inside These Walls

2013-05-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

I love these windows with shutter door, clean and fresh without heavy draperies.

Painted Walls Using Images

2013-05-13T10:55:00.002-04:00

Would you do this?

Well why not draw pictures instead of buying them, I like the animal's....

Fabulous Home

2013-05-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

Masi Architects

2013-05-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

I LOVE this bath design.

Description by Bates Masi Architects LLC

The clients, an interior designer and a DJ, requested a complete renovation and addition of a 1960’s kit house in Amagansett, NY to be a weekend retreat from their urban apartment. The clients gathered images of objects and conventional materials utilized in new, interesting ways as inspiration for the design. A single design solution that could unify the old remaining parts of the house to the new intervention was sought. This solution should solve acoustical, lighting, equipment coordination and simultaneously address the aesthetic décor requirements of the client’s collection of objects. A vocabulary was developed that allowed the patina and history that the client favored to remain and new experiences to evolve.

The house was gutted and reduced down to the skeletal framework allowing the intervention to utilize the post and beam construction that remained. Between the existing ceiling joists, natural rope was woven through a digitally fabricated framework. Weaving patterns were used to signify different ceiling conditions. Lighting penetrates through a crossed weave of the rope. It transitions to a straight weave to shield speakers and utilities from view. Since the client is a DJ, sound is very important. The rope weave acts as an acoustic baffle absorbing background noise, but allows music from the ceiling mounted speakers to be emitted.
To integrate with the décor, the rope was used structurally to support several items such as a large, custom steel framed mirror in the Master Bathroom and the Dining Room Chandelier. A large sliding door is woven with the same rope to provide privacy from the neighbors and shield the sun at various times of the day. The sunlight rakes through the openings casting linear shadows on the bathroom floor.

Unifying the exterior is a dark stained cedar siding that wraps all of the exterior facades and transitions to the matching frames of the replaced windows and doors. The newly constructed interior walls and interior cabinetry were also resurfaced in reclaimed barn wood. Behind a sheet of glass, the same reclaimed wood lines the shower surround and one feels as though they are showering outdoors. The clients now have a quiet escape from city life.

The frequent turnover within a vacation community can be wasteful. Some are eager to tear down what exists and start new. This project preserved the skeleton of the house and the history in the patinaed materials that the client desired. Conventional materials were utilized in new ways to unify the old and the new.

Visit Bates Masi Architects LLC

Simple yet Elegant!

2013-05-09T10:27:00.002-04:00

I love the color which blends with nature. I also love the simplicity of this home. Perfect for the minimalist!!

Built on a slope, gives this home an interesting exterior architecture.

Notice, the walls and ceilings are wood, no Sheetrock.

The clear windows make a striking statement bringing the outdoors inside, creating a garden affect.

Description by Hamish Monk Architecture

The brief was for a new house on a challenging, steep site in the Orakei creek gully. One of the design challenges was to insert a bold (in size and placement) intervention into a sensitive bush reserve whilst still maintaining a sense of modesty and poetic. The desire was to seek out a quiet architectural expression, one that is devoid of excessive articulation and noise; a silent witness to its surroundings. Conceived as sculptural components the design plays on purity and scale of the program articulated through three simple elemental forms that step down the site towards the creek – the roof of one floor creating a level platform for the next. From the point of entry the house offers a range of spatial experiences across the width of the floor plate; transitioning from a hunkered almost subterranean position in the landscape to an elevated position perched in the tree canopy.

Walk Inside this Home With Me

2013-05-08T06:30:00.000-04:00

I love the stone and clean concrete walls in this design!!!!!

YEP, still Love Glass Houses

2013-05-06T16:40:00.001-04:00

Decks With A View

2013-05-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

I just returned from West Palm Beach Florida and the water is totally this blue. So I was inspired
to feature decks with water views.

Story of Walls

2013-05-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

I actually like this...........

Not sure I could do this one.......

What do you think? Would you do this?

Amazing Contemporary Designs

2013-05-02T07:25:00.003-04:00

Interior Design I LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!

2013-05-01T11:28:00.000-04:00

Lovely, Tuscan feel to this design.

So Sexy and sophisticated!!!!

Dramatic but simple entrance. LOVE the stairs!!!!

Very unique style !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a POP of color, white is like black, allows you to change color palettes easily.

The open concept, against a neutral palette is oh, so warming and dramatic.

Unusual Designs

2013-04-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Ahhhh, I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can see Scarlet O'Hara on these stairs!!!!!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love unusual designs and these pretty much stole my heart!!!!!

Loft Ideas

2013-04-27T11:05:00.001-04:00

Bath Designs I Love

2013-04-25T11:48:00.002-04:00

A painted mural around your tub can be so calming as in this design

Gorgeous tub, if you are looking for metal designs

Love the mix of wood, marble vessel and ornate mirror against a Victorian style tile

Love this focal point and what a great pop of color!

This mural wallpaper brings the outdoors in this small bathroom, making it appear larger

Love the mix of stone and wood, so serene

Antique french table converted into a bathroom sink. Antique French Decor Mirror and Small bench. Glamorous Bathroom.

Another mural painted around a spa tub, ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about bringing the outdoors inside!!

Colorfull Bedrooms

2013-04-08T03:30:00.000-04:00

Exotic fabrics in vivid golds, blues and reds, but lightens up the look with white bedding and an airy canopy.

Sleep amongst the beauty of nature. When paired with floral fabrics, spring greens and rosy pinks give this bedroom a garden feel. Hints of black add just enough contrast to the pastel palette.

A girl’s bedroom doesn't have to be pink and frilly to be feminine. Rate My Space user angelineguido used greens, blues, browns and a splash of orange to design this eclectic teenage girl's bedroom. The bright colors and bold patterns are well balanced and make the space feel girly and fun but not too fussy.

If your taste in decor changes frequently, consider a basic color scheme so you can easily give your bedroom a new look. Chose versatile black and white, allowing her to alternate between red and green accessories to suit her current mood.

Gold and luxury go hand-in-hand, which is why this bedroom feels so grand. Interior designer Troy Beasley combined muted golds in rich textures with clean, geometric furniture to create a modern space that feels lavish yet comfortable.

Romantic in Red

A red bedroom can be dramatic and striking, but it can also be soft and inviting. When red walls are combined with plush, white bedding and sepia-toned artwork, this bedroom oozes with romance and passion. Design by Marie Burgos.

Perked-Up Partitions

Vividly hued walls can be intimidating to work with; the secret is choosing the right decor and accessories. Interior designer Erinn Valencich pairs vibrant green walls with classic, black-and-white bedding for a look that's bright and fresh but not overwhelming.

Sexy/Romantic Master Baths

2013-04-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

Couples Retreat

Sleek, modern lines and a view of the Potomac River set this master bath apart from the pack. Andreas Charalambous' his-and-hers mirrors are made of sandblasted glass, which allows ample natural light to flow into the room.

What a Flirt

Play peekaboo behind a translucent glass shower with flirty polka-dot cutouts. Design by Andreas Charalambous.

Venus and Mars

This master bath by Gail Drury is the perfect combination of masculine and feminine. Neutral colors are pleasing to both sexes. A balance is struck by softening square lines by using curved glass blocks and a double vanity.

Open Air

This airy bathroom has its own balcony — perfect for stargazing after a romantic shower for two. The unique stone tub adds to the fresh and clean design. Room by Christopher J. Grubb.

Romantic Age

Dark wood, translucent screens and tiled walls create a rich and inviting spa setting. Proper lighting sets the tone for a romantic rendezvous.

Glamour for Two

Take your bathing up a notch by doing it in a raised stage complete with an open-air shower and candelabra. This romantic tiled masterpiece comes from Shelly Riehl David.

Heavenly Escape

Embrace a little danger by having your shower open to the heavens and only partially enclosed. Dave Stimmel keeps his design flirty in this master bath.

Float On

A few floating candles and a mirror turn this monochromatic area into the perfect place for a sexy soak.

Mindful Steam

Multicolored blue and gold tiles cover the benches and ceiling in this Zen-inspired steam room. LED lighting and relaxing fountain complete this design by Shelly Riehl David.

Asian Inspiration

2013-04-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Tilted to one side to allow views out from the central platform, The Nest is enveloped in foliage, creating the illusion of sprouting from the forest floor like a plant. Trees grow up through the center of the platform, creating a canopy that protects and embraces the living space whilst allowing dappled light to penetrate.

Access to the deck is only achieved via timber steppers floating just above the surface of the water.

The undulating deck splits to reveal a pocket of Australian native violets. Where the deck dips an ergonomic seating area is created.

This organic sculpture is on permanent display in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens. It is a multi-terraced, recycled Corten steel structure overflowing with spectacular succulent specimens from all over the world.

This outdoor room incorporates a few key design elements, which work together to enhance the feeling of space. The incremental level changes, sinuous deck and seating curves and the directional changes in the decking help create movement and draw your eye around the space.

Suspended from a pergola of oversized timber beams is a day bed curved in the form of a palm husk that cradles the body.

Inspiration for this design comes from the Japanese philosophy of stylizing nature into miniature landscapes as a focus for meditation, and a water feature is key to this.

Small Baths with Style and Drama

2013-03-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

The addition of decorative tiles around a vessel sink punched up this otherwise beige and boring bathroom.

If you want to splurge on one item, find ways to save elsewhere. Your tub will be the focal point.

Totally transform your powder room by hand-painting these stunning blooms.

Small bathrooms are the perfect place to go bold.

In this dramatic basement bath makeover. The stone is used on the back wall for maximum visual impact.

Backyard Heaven

2013-03-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

A large fan-shaped, vanishing-edge swimming pool with a swim-up bar is the center of attention in this beautiful backyard oasis designed by Scott Cohen. A perimeter-overflow spa has a built-in cocktail table and reflects lights and fire at night. Color-changing LED underwater lighting in the pool complements the sunset.

The faux-rock water slide of Scott Cohen's Robinson-Crusoe landscape gives young 'pirates' a good view of their terrain. All 'boulders' were made on site

The boat is a hydrotherapy spa with 12 jets and a five-foot-deep well.

Egg-Cellent

2013-03-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

Easter Eggs for Your Table

Colorful natural containers pair prettily with classic silver pieces to create an elegant spring tablescape. Find out how to create your own table decorations.

Gather Your Supplies

1 dozen eggs
Pushpins
Spoon
Bleach
Wooden skewers
Craft foam
Brush & craft paint
Assorted pieces of silver (or pewter)

Crack the Shells

Gently tap a pushpin into the top of an egg with the bottom of a spoon. Work in a circle to create an opening the size of a quarter or bigger. To make this job easier, leave the egg in the carton.

Clean the Shells

Empty the contents of each egg into a bowl and discard. Mix 1 tablespoon bleach with a gallon of water, and use to rinse out the inside of eggs. Return eggs to carton and allow to air-dry (about 15 minutes).

Paint the Shells

Stick wooden skewers into craft foam and set eggs atop to paint. When dry, fill with candy or flowers, like ranunculus, daffodils, hydrangeas, or viburnum. Display with silver down the center of your table.

My daughter-in-law subscribed me to Southern Living as a gift, I loved this article and idea.