Exotic tropical villa in Mykonos

This beautiful island home was designed by Javier Barba in 2002 in Mykonos, Greece. Mykonos is among the most fabled of all the Greek isles, slap in the middle of the Aegean. Nowhere else, it seems, has the water ever looked this deeply mysterious, not least because it contrasts so inherently with the spotless whitewashed houses that shimmer in the sun at each turning point along the coast. The home was built traditionally as a series of fat white cubes piled one on top of the other, with their windows and doors picked out in vivid colors. Designed with a flat-roof to resist the gale-force winds that hit the island, the home has been painted a perfect, uniform white for the very good reason that it deflects the scorching rays of the sun.

For this stunning villa on Mykonos, Barba was allowed to design as he wished on this large plot of land outside a village with unobstructed views over a private beach toward the sea. Barba designed the home to be one with the landscape, using locally sourced materials to do so. To break up some of the starkness of the whitewalls, plain stones were used on the exterior facade of the home. The client is a businessman based in Athens who wished to have a home that he and his family could use as a quiet haven, not only during the summer months but for sporadic breaks throughout the year. The owner was looking for sophisticated simplicity where he could both unwind and entertain large numbers of friends with the least amount of fuss. It was just as important to design the interiors as it was the exteriors. The clients enjoy entertaining by having long lunches with lots of friends, so a whole outdoor living area was built with a kitchen, a barbecue, a bar and plenty of space for guests to sit around or sunbathe. Photos: Panagiotis Fotiadis

This staircase leads from the first floor down to the second floor bedrooms, which Barba has modeled after Mykonos’s ancient architecture.

 

The mysterious vanishing house on the coast

In South Africa’s ‘Garden Route’ coastline, five hours east of Capetown, the McGowan’s designed this exquisite house themselves on the site of a former cottage, using plenty of glass to create a semi-transparent building arranged around a double height living room. The couple both used to live in Clerkenwell, London, Trevyn was an actor turned interior designer and Julian was a theater set designer. The two embarked on a interior design company together called Site Specific, but through trips to Trevyn’s roots in South Africa, the two decided to move and never looked back. They had originally thought they might just renovate the cottage, but it soon evolved into a much more ambitious project. Julian, who is not an architect, had visions of his own, so he drew up the plans of how he envisioned the home to look. The house opens up to views of the sea to the front, and banks of folding glass doors to the rear creating a seamless flow between the interiors and the rear garden and its more sheltered terrace. There is a choice of outdoor zones, from a beach-side canopied deck to a rear terrace partly shaded by trees, and a roof deck complete with outdoor fireplace and a bathtub large enough for the whole family. The residence was kept in neutral colors to help transpose the bold and colorful artwork and designer pieces with their unique textures and mixed hues. The home has been furnished with a mix of junk-shop finds and 20th-century classics, with art by Marc Quinn who is a friend of the family, as well as others. Much of the furniture is by South African designers such as Heath Nash and Gregor Jenkin. Via

 

Photography by DOOK

Unbelievable Australian tropical rainforest home

Located in Byron Bay, Australia, this breathtaking home features gorgeous landscaping with exotic tropical gardens and flowers that flourish all year round. The stone walls and wooden elements of the house are impressive design elements, but what can really leave one speechless is the natural environment. The lush vegetation and numerous palm trees make this a dream place to live in. The dining and living spaces extend to the outdoors where there is an incredible patio featuring a salt water pool and spa tub with a fancy lighting system that provides a nice atmosphere for late night swimming. The interior is modern, with contemporary furniture throughout. The Italian kitchen comes fully-equipped with state of the art appliances and stainless steel and Caesar Stone work surfaces. The flooring throughout the home is travertine with electric underfloor heating.

In spite of all its luxurious features, do you think this residence lacks anything?

Gorgeous Spanish-Style home

Commune Designis a design collective from Los Angeles. They not only do interior design, but  specialize in branding, graphic design, and even represent a handful of photographers; combining their expertise to approach clients’ needs from a various viewpoints. They have done design work for numerous residential clients in Hollywood and Silver Lake, and they have also completed projects for esteemed companies such as Juicy Couture and Oliver Peoples. I find it incredible the way the design firm incorporates rough, organic elements into these sleek, modern homes. They designed this stunning Spanish-style residence in Los Feliz, California in 2009. So, what do you think, could you see yourself living in this fabulous Spanish-style home?

A kitchen and outdoor living space where the mosaic flooring ties it all together. The cement floor tiles are custom from Redondo Tile, and are based on a 40′s French design. Tile is a perfect flooring choice for creating continuity between indoor/outdoor spaces, although the elements are always a concern. Cement tile is very well suited to the California climate; another great choice is stone-like porcelain, or faux-wood porcelain planks.

This outdoor courtyard features a grand modern silver tiled fireplace as a focal point with lounge seating, custom fountain, and outdoor dining for six. I would love to have a fun dinner party here!