Tire company warehouse loft conversion in SoMa

CCS Architecture is best known for their modernist creations and interior design firm Woodson & Woodson Interior Design, is not linked to a particular style, but has work that is more traditional in nature. What happens when the two work on a South of Market condominium in San Francisco is an electric combination of aesthetics. The concrete building was originally built in 1926 as a warehouse for the B.F. Goodrich tire company. Although the building was turned into condos in 1996, it retains metal factory-style windows, exposed ductwork and concrete walls and pillars. Via

The homeowners relocated from a larger, more traditional home. Smith chose celebrate the existing style, but reorganize the spaces around a central core. The effect is a doughnut shape where most of the living and entertaining space is in the ring, while the hole, or core, contains office spaces, workout areas, bathrooms and closets. “We chose to put the rooms that don’t require as much light in the center,” says Smith. “The rooms where people gather, like the kitchen and dining room, are built around that.”

The dining room is framed by two large metal support beams. Smith wouldn’t have it any other way. “I like how they define the space,” he says.

The homeowner says that, in her former residence, she had a set of Chippendale chairs around a dining room table. The chairs didn’t work here, so she and Woodson purchased a set of Chippendale-style chairs and had them lacquered, giving the traditional style a fun update.

Smith chose to do the kitchen cabinets and countertops in a muted shade in order to have the area blend into the open space plan. “Because it’s so visible, I didn’t want it to stand out as a separate room,” he says.

The media room is outfitted with four swiveling chairs. They can remain stationary for conversation, or turned toward the television or the living room.

The master bedroom shows how two styles can live in harmony. The baroque bed is flanked by two metal nightstands and sits in front of sleek cabinetry.

Photos: Paul Dyer & Courtesy of CSS Architecture

Modern penthouse loft overlooking Barcelona

A penthouse next to the port of Barcelona, Spain with views and plenty of natural light was given a modern renovation to adapt perfectly to the lifestyle of the owners. The owners are a young couple, newly married, without children and with much social life, knew that it could become the home of their dreams. They trusted the project and decoration to the studio of Pia Capdevila Interiors & Events. The first step was a demolition of all partitions to achieve a new, very modern distribution, with two well defined public and private spaces. In the center of the attic and to the left from the entrance, the kitchen, open and connected to the living room was an environment that extends out to a terrace, recovered to take advantage of the reform. The private area, to the right of the entrance, is accessed through a corridor that leads to two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The Interior Designer combined smooth walls with brick and gave maximum prominence to a front, covered with slabs of natural stone. This large irregular surface enriched with its chromatic mix and its relief decoration in black, white and steel kitchen. Continuous concrete flooring painted in a gray tone epoxy serves as a common thread among the environments, gives cohesion to the project and contributes, along with natural light, to creating more spaciousness in the home. To highlight the interior design, designs were made by Studio Pia Capdevila, from the headboard with bedside tables along the bedroom wall, to the base unit that runs along the window of the living room.

Photos: Spotted on Mi Casa

The Bear House on Cha-Am Beach by Onion

Bear House is private vacation home situated on Cha-Am Beach, a famous seaside resort town in central Thailand, three hours’ drive from Bangkok. Designed by Thailand-based architecture studio Onion Co., Ltd, the brief called for a renovation of a three-storey building of eight meters wide and twenty-eight meters long, utilizing an area of 4,090 square feet (380 square meters), turning it into a second home of the Sahawat family. When the interior construction started, in December 2011, the boy of the family was two years old. A baby was expected. In April 2012, Bear House was happily finished.

Bear House belongs to the Thai Be@rbrick collectors. Sittawat Sahawat and Nipapat Sahawat are siblings who are fascinated by various sizes and styles of Be@rbrick toys, produced by the Japanese company Medicom Toy Incorporated. Be@rbrick is an anthropomorphised bear with a simplified form and pot belly. Each plastic figure features nine parts, namely head, torso, hips, arms, hands and legs. It has flexible joints and a swiveled head. Many artists have created decorative patterns for the standard mould such as the British fashion designer Vivian Westwood and Stash who is considered one of New York’s graffiti legends. In the Sahawat family’s collection, the major figures are BAPE camouflage print. They are twenty-eight centimeters high and referred to as 400% Be@rbricks as its actual size, or a 100% Be@rbrick, is seven centimeters high.

Size matters in Bear House. The design process does not start from the house itself but the Be@rbricks display cabinet. It is thought of as a house of seventeen 400% Be@rbricks. It is composed of steps, ladders and voids that fit the scale of twenty-eight centimeters tall figures. It occupies a whole wall of the dining room, linking the house’s entry to the living area which is three stories high. The cabinet is a central piece and a model of the house. It is made of light colored oak wooden panels resembling the other main surfaces of the house. Bear House is a bigger version of Be@rbricks’ display cabinet.

Miniature fixtures and oversize furniture are the features of Bear House. Lamps and pillows are oversize so that the inhabitants may feel smaller than they actually are. The house has four sizes of doorknobs, customized for different size of doors. They are sometimes too big for a child’s hand and too small for an adult’s hand. The ladder that seems too high is one of the living area’s decorative elements. It leads the gaze high up to square skylights, oversize voids, and windows of different scale. Every room on the upper floors overlook the hall of the living area.

An enlarged Be@rbrick’s ladder is placed in the master bedroom. It connects a space between the king size bed and a single day bed in an elevated hole. There are two views from this day bed. Next to the hole is the three stories hall overlooking the living area. The opposite side across the room is the sea view. In front of the master bedroom stands a 1000% Be@rbrick of seventy centimeters high, painted in a pattern of police uniform. It is a special collaboration between French label Paul&Joe and Medicom Toy. This 1000% Be@rbrick can be seen from the living area on the second floor, the bedroom on the second floor, and the landing that links the stair and the ramp towards the master bedroom.

Bear House is bright and humorous. Its living room and swimming pool are the front part of the house. The whole space is colored by young Thai graffiti artists well known as MMFK and P7. In the living room, behind the oversize sofa, MMFK paints a one-eye monster, dressed up as a sailor, whereas P7 paints a blue bear head with striped eyebrows. Next to the swimming pool, on the wall of eleven metres long, MMFK illustrates the cartoon representation of a bear devouring his iconic one-eye monster. P7 drew a black bear head with the word ‘surf’ on its forehead. These illustrations are customized only for Bear House.

Photos: Courtesy of Onion Co., Ltd

Sustainable dwelling nestled on the Kennemer dunes

Villa V is nestled on the edge of the Kennemer dunes, close to Bloemendaal in The Netherlands, designed by i29 interior architects. The sustainable home follows a minimalistic design and shows respect for man and nature alike, in a unique residential area where the existing flora and fauna are given full rein. I29 interior architects worked on the interior of the villa which was designed by Paul de Ruiter architects. A minimal approach to the materialization and detailing of the building is a core value of both the interior and exterior design. The large expanses of glass and the patio result in maximum day-lighting and give the inhabitants the feeling that the villa and the surrounding landscape are one.

In order to bring nature inside even more, all of the interior functions in the house are made from natural materials. i29 interior architects created large surfaces of wood through the whole house to connect the different areas. Cabinets, wardrobes, walls, sliding doors, beds and even a fireplace have been made in one and the same material. Pine wood panels, which are normally a basic material, have been used as a high end finishing with fine details.

Photos: Tim van de Velde

Contemporary De Wet 34 Residence in Cape Town

De Wet 34 is a breathtaking contemporary residence on the slopes of Lions Head, overlooking the Atlantic coastline in Cape Town, South Africa designed by SAOTA Architects. Natural finishes combine with bold simple forms to create a contemporary interpretation of Cape vernacular. The interiors of this spectacular home have been designed by Antoni Associates and OKHA Interiors.

Photos: Courtesy of SAOTA Architects

The ultimate kids’ playroom DIY guide

It’s no secret that all kids treasure and value a space of their own to play and hang out in besides their bedroom. A separate playroom is key for a child’s development. They need an area that they can call their own, in order to start learning how to take care of their own space.

Having a playroom is also a good way of keeping your child’s belongings in a contained area. The perfect playroom should be safe and fun, a place where your kids can have fun, alone. This is a short guide that gives you some tips on how to design the playroom by yourself.

The layout

Firstly, you need to examine the room you have in order to decide how you’re going to go about designing it for your kid. If it’s a large room, you may want to consider lining up all the toy boxes and other storage units along the walls, so their toys and video games aren’t lying around all over the house.

If you find that the storage boxes are too full of toys and video games, you can cull them once in a while, by selling them off on websites like www.musicmagpie.com. Also, if the room is smaller, use one side of the room for storage, and have the rest of the room open for playing.

The Furniture

Given that your kid is going to want privacy in the playroom, you should make sure that there aren’t any sharp corners or dangerous surfaces around the room. The seats, tables and floor should be kid-friendly.

You should think about purchasing soft furnishings as opposed to wooden or plastic ones, especially if your kids are particularly young.

 The Theme

This is where the fun begins. Kids love bright colors and inspiring things to look at. If your child has a particular fondness for something, incorporate it into the theme. For instance, if he or she loves dinosaurs, get some dino-wallpaper or a playing mat with dinosaurs on it.

You can go for something that’s kid-friendly, but you could also go for a contemporary feel that will make adults feel they can hang out there too, without being intrusive.

 Adults’ corner

It would be nice to include an ‘adults’ corner’ in the room, so you and your partner can drop in to see how the kids are doing. This can be something simple, like a grown-up size two-seater sofa at the back, where you can sit and watch your kids perform a show-and-tell session, or help them with their homework.

Photo Sources: 1 Poss Architecture, 2 Charm & Whimsy, 3 MPR Design Group, 4 Abbey Construction Company, 5 Eisner Design, 6 Wind and Willow Home, 7 Dennison and Dampier Interior Design, 8 Pinterest, 9 Lizette Marie Interior Design, 10 Pinterest, 11 Gander Builders, 12 Mindi Freng Designs, 13 d2 interieurs, 14 Gabriel Builders, 15 Pinterest, 16 Olga Akulova Design, 17 Poss Architecture, 18 Jill Seidner Interior Design

Inviting Lithuania residence with natural elements

This contemporary single family residence was designed by the duo team of architect Dalius Regelskis and decorator Greta Motiejuniene of the firm Dalius & Greta Design in Trakai, Lithuania. The home features a soothing neutral color palette in the main living spaces, the master bedroom showcases a bold royal blue with a Moroccan feel and the playroom has a fun and playful color palette with bright and colorful hues. There are elements in the home that gives off a nature theme with leaves, branches and wood. High ceilings and plenty of natural light leave this cozy and comfortable home feeling light and airy.

Photos: Darius Gumbrevicius

Crisp and clean three-level urban apartment in Kiev

This urban apartment was constructed in 2012 by Olga Akulova Design created from a C19TH building, on Basseynaya str., Kiev, Ukraine. The 861 square foot (80 square meters) home has been spread out onto three levels over an arch and a road. On the first level, the designers organized the guestroom and the kitchen area. The two stairways lead to the second and third levels where the master bedroom and dining area are situated.

Photos: Roman Shyshak / Stylist: Anna Polyushko

43 Warm and stylish Scandinavian living rooms

We just can’t get enough of looking at fabulous Swedish dwellings and their amazing decor, with an incredible blend of casual, elegant, rustic and refined yet warm and cheerful all rolled into one space. Scandinavian design has so much to offer, it is sure to inspire anyone who is need of some innovative decorating ideas that can be incorporated into any home design. That is why we have gathered together just a little over 40 photographs showcasing some of the most incredible Scandinavian living room interiors. From vivid interiors invaded by color, to simple but highly functional decors, these living rooms all have a strong visual effect. Sofas cozy enough for friend and family gatherings, reading corners, traditional fireplaces, royal pendant lamps, bright and colorful pillows, guitars and pianos are just a few of the elements animating these lovely homes. No matter what their size, they all feature large windows and beautiful flower arrangements and they all pull off white neutral walls brilliantly. Be sure to let us know in which one is your favorite!

Contemporary Aquatic Park penthouse renovation

A complete contemporary renovation of Aquatic Park penthouse is located atop a concrete high rise in San Francisco, California by Craig Steely Architecture. The project involved complex considerations relating to the mobilization of materials and the impact to building residents. The original four bedroom and four bath penthouse was transformed into an open floor plan to take advantage of the views on both the north and south sides of the unit. Modern finishes include book-matched walnut cabinetry, live edge walnut slab countertops, steel and walnut bookcases, handmade mosaic tiled walls, gun blued steel and clear and etched 1/2″ glass.

Photos: Rien van Rijthoven