Rustic fisherman’s house in the village of Buzios

High on a hill, away from the hype, is this small house in the picturesque fishing village of Buzios, Brazil. The owner, businessman Santiago Bebianno sought out a space that was on high ground, isolated, but close to the village, with the constant breeze and beautiful scenery surrounding. Divided into modules, the construction of the 1,614 square foot (150 square meters) house was carried out by architecture studio Das Canoas. Building was done gradually, respecting the budget and because the client was in no hurry.

When Santiago first moved in, he just had his bedroom and bathroom, the rest of the house was a concrete slab with no electricity. He lived by candlelight for four months, waiting for the installation of cables. The work took place over the course of a year, with labor and local raw materials. Santiago wished for a simple style, a rustic finish and simulating a fisherman’s house. The goal to create relaxing spaces that are open and airy and that everything was easy to use and maintain. Via

Cozy seaside cottage in the village of Kalvsvik

Spotted on Sotheby’s, is this charming lake house situated in the coveted village of Kalvsvik, Sweden with its own long beach line towards Vindöström. The property consists of both dense forest that smooth cliffs. Just a few meters from the lake is the main building of around 538 square feet (50 square meters), featuring an open kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and bed loft. Patio doors lead out to a large and sunny deck with lovely sea views, native Swedish hot tub and a place for enjoying lunches and dinners in the evening sun. If you want to cool yourself, one can bathe, completely undisturbed by neighbors, both from smooth rock outcrops and the long sandy beach.

50 Inspiring and delightful outdoor spaces

It is that time of year again, time to start preparing your outdoor spaces for summer. There are numerous ways to infuse life into your outdoor living spaces and create your own personal backyard oasis based on your budget and limitless creativity. Outdoor living is a dream for all of us; it is an extension of your home so it must be a beautiful and cozy place for it to be a pleasurable experience to spend time in this environment. Whether your plans include creating a cozy courtyard or an expansive patio or terrace with all the amenities, you just need some ideas and inspiration to make your space a truly beautiful and relaxing place to be. We have gathered a collection of inspiring outdoor spaces for all budgets, chalk full of ideas, whether you want an outdoor movie theater or a heavenly tranquil oasis where you can curl up and read a book. So sit back, relax, and be inspired for summer with this collection we put together for you of 50 inspiring ideas that will be sure to rock your senses. Don’t forget to let us know which outdoor living space is your favorite!

Dramatic transformation of an urban duplex

This three-bedroom duplex in TriBeCa, New York was transformed from plain white box into an incredible living space. Owned by a fabric designer, painter and sculptor who purchased the home for $2.5 million, it took 18 months and an additional $2 million to renovate this property into a spectacular work of art. As one enters this 4,200 square foot property through a giant steel door into the elevated foyer they are presented with the centerpiece of the duplex, which is a cast-iron and mahogany staircase welded together inside the home. It is backed by an oxidized copper screen made in the form of a double ellipsis which the owner spent six months crafting by hand.

The Foyer leads to a study through floor to ceiling sliding Japanese style doors with organza inserts between glass panels. The study has hand embroidered metal and silk wall panels with a contemporary design. It is connected to the master bedroom through both the master bathroom and the walk-in closet. The gigantic living room with its 23 foot ceilings resembles an interior courtyard. There are several sitting and lounging areas which are furnished with unique silk upholstered pieces. In one corner is a media area with a giant built-in projector screen. In the other is the large open kitchen with built-in dinning bar for seven.

The entire space opens onto the patio through a floor to ceiling glass wall. The 900 square foot patio is staged by a gigantic 25 foot high sculpture sided by H shaped concrete columns with backlit Plexiglas panels. At the base of the sculpture is a large day-bed. The rest of patio is beautifully planted and furnished and has a heated limestone floor. Just off the living room is the guest suite with its own foyer/dressing area and magical bedroom with Rateau inspired 1930′s hand embroidered silk wall fabrics. The large guest bathroom has a beautiful limestone shower.

This unique piece of property is currently listed for sale at $9,000,000 here.

Photos: Bryan Derballa for The Wall Street Journal

Beautiful family home in Barcelona

The house is situated in the heart of an old town district in Barcelona, Spain. The urban grid of the area is characterized by small, narrow and long plots. The plot is very long and connects two streets. Designed by Ferrolan LAB, the proposal for the architectural design of this 3,767 square foot (350 square meters) family home was to take these shortcomings and try to turn them into positives. Because of the limited front and the depth of the house, the treatment of light became the most important aspect of the project. Due to the pre-existing features, the architects decided to explore developing the house vertically with the addition of several floors to meet the different needs of the project.

Therefore, the layout is distributed as follows: The ground floor features a garage and a cinema. Then, in the mezzanine, there are two rooms connected by a living-study which opens to a patio garden. On the first floor you are greeted with a courtyard. On one side of the courtyard you will find the dining-room and on the other, a kitchen that’s connected with a gallery which can be converted as a terrace during the summer.

On the second floor are the bedrooms, and a pool terrace on the roof. The distributions of the different rooms are built with large open spaces and communicate amongst themselves in an almost transparent way. By including the double spaces generated by the courtyard, the house becomes very flexible and reconfigurable, with the capacity to be changed at any moment.

The architects wanted to create a dwelling space that was able to take advantage of the outdoors while avoiding the stress of the city. The house had the need to open fully to the outside, while ensuring the maximum inner privacy. The two facades have large openings, but are resolved differently.

In the south facade, the openings are resolved through adjustable horizontal slats to allow on one hand control over the entrance of sunlight, and on the other, the degree of privacy. The north-facing facade is solved with a wall of glass blocks of large dimensions that lets in light while maintaining an aura of privacy. The house opens to the outside in facades with only the intention of collecting light, hiding the rest of the residence inside to try to escape the direct contact with urban space and noise. As a result, the courtyard becomes the protagonist of the house. The link with the outside world becomes more direct and more immediate.

The ideas of the house are very well explained in section and are also reflected in the treatment of materials, which play a very important role. Materials such as wood, stone, warm paint colors, wallpaper and low ceilings convert the rooms to become comfortable warm living spaces. As one approaches the patio, the house is stripped to the basic materials. Here you can view the structure where the architects have worked with lighter materials such as glass, steel, iron, white paint, to achieve maximum clarity, lightness and brightness.

The patio allows contact with the outside world, far from the noise and pollution of living in an urban environment. The patio also allows us to see the sky from any point of the house, whether it is in the garden or even the pool terrace. If we understand the facade as an element that links us inside to the outside, the courtyard becomes the project’s main facade.

Photos: Raimon Sola Casacuberta

LA residence with stunning views

This fabulous single-family home is located in the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California. This 4 bedroom 5.5 bath, 6,200 square foot masterpiece features walls of glass in every room that open out to patios. The residence was designed by experts who have been featured on Oprah and network home design shows, the home is open to natural light in most rooms with top of the line kitchen and bathroom amenities including natural stone and Energy Star rated appliances. Updated with all the latest technologies and well appointed interiors to create an ambiance that is more than home sweet home. The home infuses a mix of rustic and modern design elements that include floor to ceiling windows, a media room, and showcase bar with a 200-bottle wine cellar, limestone floors and more. The property features an incredible terrace with an indoor/outdoor pool and Jacuzzi with breathtaking panoramic city and ocean views, this home is perfect for entertaining. Via

Unique windowless home in Portugal

This incredible site is located on the outskirts of Leiria, Portugal in a high position overlooking the city. Designed by architects Manuel Aires Mateus, the functions of this home are like any other: a house divided in private area with bedrooms, and social area with living-rooms. The private areas are at street level under the plot, around a central courtyard with rooms opening to private patios in an intimate environment. The living rooms are around a void that collects light from above and gazes the castle at the city center.

The house is a recognizable archetype emptied of its center by the light designed by a three heightened courtyard that opens horizontally at the garden level. The bedroom courtyards, revealed in the garden, relate with this archetypal object providing different readings on its scale. Scale and volume are controlled in a chaotic context, with a clear identity that from its core relates with the historical legacy far away: the Leiria Castle.

Photos: FG+SG – Fernando Guerra, Sergio Guerra