Stunning chapel reconverted into a Belgium loft

This stunning chapel is situated in the quaint Flemish village of Bazel, Belgium and has been reconverted into two loft-type houses. This building was erected in the second half of the 19th century by Countess Villain XIIII next to the castle of Wissekerke as a place where the children of the village could be educated. The building later became derelict was sold and renovated into a residence. On the ground floor, you can find home offices, with windows overlooking the back garden. In the entrance hall, you still experience the grandeur of the architecture. The owners have kept the space quite open here, which makes the originally monumental and religious character of the building still tangible. The facade and especially the windows are so monumental that the rest of the architecture is logically subordinate to both this image and to the convenience of daily life. Have a look at the loft of Antoon, Natascha and their two children and let us know what you think!

Photos: Courtesty of Verne

Tudor-style home with a fabulous ‘man cave’

This beautiful home in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, California was remodeled by design firm Lizette Marie Interior Design. The family of four had just purchased their 5,200 square foot, five bathroom, four-and-a-half bathroom classic Tudor style home and was looking to do a few updates which turned into a larger project of full scale bathroom remodels, each one being distinct from the other, and new decor for the first floor rooms. The family loved to cook and entertain, so it was important to create a space where adults and kids could spend time together. It was also important to create a space that would be a designated ‘man cave’ and equally, a haven for the wife to escape.

The entrance to the home displays a clever concept completed by local artist Klari Reis. There are three semi-abstract maps with the perfect balance of color, scale and detail so they stand as works of art on their own, demonstrating a sense of the couple’s history. Each map shows where the couple has lived in the past, Manhattan, Gottingen and Charlottesville. The library (displayed above) is the wife’s escape, the first room that you see upon entrance to the home and creates a ‘wow’ factor. It is a soothing space to reconnect with her passion for history, a mix of red and purple. The basement was turned into a man cave, since it lacks natural light. It designed into a comfortable space for the husband to work from home or just escape from a long day. Built-in bookcases help to add color and accessories and divide the space, one for work and one for play.

The door is constructed from reclaimed barn siding, with a backing of colored glass on the reverse to allow for a writing surface in the play area. It acts as a divider between the man cave and the kids’ playroom but can be opened wide to connect the two.

Despite the lack of natural light in the playroom, it seems much lighter than the man cave due to bright colors, white walls and recessed can lights.

Photos: David Duncan Livingston

Dream house magically suspended on a bluff

Having been neglected for nearly 50 years, this incredible dream home was rescued by new owners who sought to restore the home to its original grandeur by Siemasko + Verbridge, an architecture, interior and landscape design firm in Beverly, Massachusetts. Prominently located on the rocky shoreline, its presence welcomes all who enter into Marblehead from the Boston area. The exterior respects tradition; the interior combines tradition with a sparse respect for proportion, scale and unadorned beauty of space and light. The home had originally been built in 1899, taking four years to renovate; the historic facade was renewed and restored. The home was originally 4,000 square feet but was expanded to 9,300 square feet of living space, but was kept as historically accurate as possible. The existing sea wall was also rebuilt to protect the home and the neighboring properties.

The interior were respectful of the past, yet in total harmony with its ingenious avant-garde improvements. The interior feels as cozy as a cottage with average sized rooms all minimally furnished by interior designer Jean Verbridge. The fully equipped kitchen was expanded by enclosing a section of the front porch and looks out to ocean views. Where the kitchen used to be located, now lays a two-story library retreat for the owner’s eclectic collection of art. A carriage house that was burned down was rebuilt with an attached garage that extends into an extra floor of living space, with a home theater, game room, sauna, and elevator. The high tech home has fully automated and energy-efficient systems; window blinds, espresso maker, landscape irrigation, solar roof panels, and the temperature of the wine cellar, pool water and sauna can all be controlled remotely. If the owners are away and a storm blows in, the push of a button will drop shutters into place over windows.

To see more on the building and restoration of this incredible home, check out the owner’s blog, here.

The attached carriage house to the left of the restored house contains guest quarters and pool cabana above a three-car garage.

A NanaWall Systems door folds, accordion style, completely out of the way, the swimming pool can be fully opened to the lower level of the house where the is a second kitchen, changing rooms and full bath.

The custom weather vane atop the turret depicts an Austrian mountain goat.

Delightful Stockholm flat with fascinating decors

This unique apartment home spotted on ESNY combines the best of preserved turn of the century character with creative and practical solutions for cozy and comfortable living in Stockholm, Sweden. The 909 square foot (84 square meters) home has recently been renovated with high arched windows, generous ceiling height and three spacious rooms to create a sense of space and character. The heart of the dwelling is the living room, which is the main room. With doors that have been reclaimed from a Swedish veranda, a “room in room” has been created, which separates the space into a library/play area with a small reading nook. The large kitchen is perfect for entertaining and preparing family dinners. The spacious bedroom offers plenty of storage solutions and a large en-suite bathroom.

Black brick villa with chic Scandinavian charm

This spectacular villa spotted on Skeppsholmen is situated in the beautiful fishing village of Falsterbo, on the south-western tip of Sweden. This black brick villa features chic Scandinavian charm, designed by architect Gerth Wingård. The large glass entrance hall is bright and welcoming with limestone flooring from Portugal. Features of the home includes a fully equipped kitchen, dining area that opens to the outside, lounge with floor to ceiling windows, library and an oak staircase that leads upstairs to three bedrooms. The master bedroom is bright and airy with floor to ceiling windows and a balcony with beautiful views and a large walk-in closet. Also on this floor is a living room with space for a home office and a spacious bathroom. Most of the 2,260 square foot (210 square meters) home boasts oak wood floors with underfloor heating. Outside is a large terrace with beautiful gardens that leads to a separate guest home of 139 square feet (13 square meters) with a small kitchen and bedroom.

Charming Swedish flat with a cozy atmosphere

This beautiful dream apartment was discovered on Alvhem Makleri and is located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Comprised of 1,463 square feet (136 square meters), the charming residence can accommodate a large family with three bedrooms, newly renovated kitchen, bathroom and guest bathroom. Space solutions of this gorgeous flat offers many different options. For a smaller family, the extra bedroom can be used for guests or as a work room. The apartment features mirror doors, bay window, kitchen pantry, deep window niches in marble and a centrally located fireplace. The library offers a pleasant atmosphere with great warmth, offering a lounge feeling. The living room can be entered through a large opening in the library. Plenty of natural light is diffused into this space through a Grand Bay window. The kitchen has been tastefully renovated with chess checkered flooring and cabinetry. The spacious bedrooms offer plenty of natural light and many original details in the form of carpentry and ornamental plasterwork.

The cabin of curiosities

This unique vacation home called, Allandale House has been designed by William O’Brien Jr. The residence provides space for an eccentric collection of artifacts that resist straightforward classification. Wines, rare books, stuffed birds and an elk mount are among the relics on display in this small house. The house links three horizontal extrusions of leaning, or asymmetrical A-frames. The skinny A-frame on the western side contains the library, wine cellar and garage. The wide A-frame in the center of the house is dedicated to two floors of bedrooms and bathrooms. The medium A-frame on the eastern side consists of living, kitchen and dining areas.

The relationship between the need for exposed storage and the interior liner of the house is a reciprocal one. Ostensibly problematic head-height limitations posed by the angled ceiling/wall planes are resolved by allowing the interior surface of the ceiling/wall to deviate from the roof surface as it nears the floor plane to become plumb. The thickness created between the outer roof surface and the inner wall surface is then reclaimed as poche from which to carve, creating bookshelves and showcases. Perceptually, the ambition is to tuck the pieces on display within the implied surface of the interior liner, enabling the items to be seen, while providing the possible conception of the space as a simple volume. Via

Brazilian home with an incredible library design

This modern concrete home was designed by Brazillian architects grupoSP with a large open space concept and incredible home library design ideas as part of its interior furnishings. This beautiful urban residence is called the Querasene House and is located in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The home has a 10X40 meter building area with transparent floor to ceiling glass windows and concrete finishes that house a library containing a large collection of 7,500 volumes. The house was built in tree stories containing all the services, equipment and dormitories.

Inside this simple home interior, there is monolithic concrete flooring and white Portuguese Stone installed on the first floor while the masonry walls and reinforced concrete were done without finishes. The exception is the wall with home library that houses a large collection of books; it was finished with time and history. There is block concrete stairs positioned parallel to the south limit of the bath that leads you to the next floor. The living room area is located on the lower level to give required privacy and maintaining the view of the distant landscape through the void.