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Stunning contemporary beach house retreat
This stunning property is a four story waterfront retreat in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that boasts panoramic aquatic views of the Atlantic Ocean, designed by Bruce Palmer Interior Design. Taking four and a half years to complete, this property’s end result is used for relaxing on weekends and holidays. The exterior incorporates harlequin pattern shingles with a subdued flared out shingle. Custom transoms frame the ocean views and create picturesque moments at sunrise and sunset.
Upon entrance to the home one is greeted with a custom splayed door, wooden textured columns, stone flooring and amendoim wood. A horizontal board was placed from floor to ceiling to give added texture and dimension. Off to the right is a wet bar that artistically displays a hand carved wooden underwater seascape scene. The doors complement this idea with rippled glass suggesting wave like motions. Exotic veneers were incorporated into cabinets, walls and furniture and curb less showers showcase natural stone with all the latest plumbing fixtures.
Commissioned artwork was ordered from Italy, along with antiques from all over the world. Plus, artisans were gathered to create Venetian plaster, generate wave-like agate stone walls and trim, and construct antiques to house vanity sinks and design lighting fixtures to fit the scale of each room.
The kitchen and dining room have a mixture of stone and wood set on a diagonal pattern. The Blue Bahia countertops in the kitchen impersonate the deep blue color of the nearby ocean.
The powder room has many features that include a stain glass window featuring seashells and textured glass. The vanity was wire brushed and then lime washed to convey tones of aged driftwood.
The ceilings have been treated with bead board, reminiscent of an old beach cottage.
Stepping out onto the exterior deck made of Massaranduba wood, you will find an oasis complete with a unique barbecue area, lighted pergola, and countertop seating overlooking the shoreline.
By installing a cable railing, the ocean views appear to be unobstructed.
Custom casing were created to hide and house motorized shades.
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Absolutely beautiful decorated shed
The Farm is a 150 rolling acres of property that has been carefully created and curated to be the ultimate experience in sophistication, Zen and sustainable living. The farm was purchased 11 years ago as a vacation home by Esther Dormer who is a founder of the Future Fund, a venture capital firm, with her husband Brian Dormer who is an airline pilot. Located 15 minutes from downtown Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, this is not your typical countryside home. With an elegant, verdant vision, the farm has been shaped by Esther Dormer, over a period of a decade. She and her team, including interior and exterior designer Lisa Dagnal and organic expert, Darrell Frey, have formulated a veritable oasis of calm and beauty.
The home features a 24-foot-long table made from salvaged wood and a pool table covered in hammered, studded aluminum, crystals hanging from trees, plenty of antiques and organic design. It is a unique place that mixes a visceral connection to nature with lush and luxurious surroundings. From the Zen outdoor seating areas, the intricate, natural landscape and ponds, to the chic entertainment areas furnished with distinctive collectibles from around the globe, the property is an environment of unparalleled opulence and innate splendor. Via
Photos: Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
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Modern home integrated into historic neighborhood
Occupying an area of 3,800 square feet, Qb3 Design firm has completed a contemporary urban home design in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Entitled the Split-Level house, the newly constructed house stitches itself into the neighborhood on a vacant corner in the Northern Liberties.
Curved brick corners negotiate the irregular street grid, while the cadence of typical rowhouses and a palette of brick volumes and stone bases are translated into a new vocabulary. An interior palette of bleached and blackened oak, polished concrete and patinaed steel contrast the rich wood, hammered concrete and brick of the exterior.
The split-level section adapts these traditional elements to a modern language of continuous spaces and vast glazed openings. The three-story brick skin wraps the glass-lined interior, forming intimate exterior spaces where the two diverge. A private roof garden, sheltered by the brick skin parapet, extends views from the bedroom to the city skyline beyond.
Photos: Todd Mason/Halkin Architectural Photography
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