Mediterranean home on the bluffs of a pine forest

Nestled high on the bluffs surrounded by a pine forest facing seawards on the beautiful island of Majorca, is this picturesque home spotted on Nuevo Estilo that denotes a great aesthetic sensitivity. At first glance, the greatest virtue of this house lies outside, with wonderful views to the uninhabited island of Dragonera, towards which focuses all the rooms of the building. The simplicity of the interior design by designer and owner Elena López Fonta respects the environment and blends indoors and outdoors with efficiency and style. Cement flooring is used both indoors and outdoors, providing a homogenous character of spaces.

The house is oriented westward, to contemplate the sunsets through large windows. As the designer explained, “we wanted light and air to circulate freely, so the spaces are wide open with high ceilings.” The interiors were designed with a fresh approach, comfortable and spacious in soft shades, using natural colors with hints of blue light. Tones and materials show great respect for the environment by repeating the chromatic model inspired by the landscape, the sky, the sea and the Mediterranean light that penetrates through the windows and floods every corner, enhancing every detail. Metal elements such as iron rails, stairways or doors to the kitchen in steel cutting and stainless steel fixtures are infused into spaces.

Timeless and elegant country style villa

This beautiful country style villa with French influence is located in Victoria, Australia. The residence is set on the crest of a hill and occupies a prime secluded location with stunning sea views. Built incorporating magnificent 19th century heritage timbers gathered from iconic Australian locations, grand scale ceiling trusses combined with deep timber window surrounds, lintels and entrance portico, the home of approximately 4,843 square feet (450 square meters) is surrounded by volcanic rockery terraces and is landscaped for low maintenance.

The home encompasses a gorgeous entrance portico through antique wrought iron and timber doors through a hallway into the enormous living room, generous farm-style kitchen, children’s wing of three bedrooms, second living area and mezzanine, family bathroom, laundry and full guest suite. Upstairs is a master bedroom suite with parents retreat and balcony with panoramic views. Via

A sleek modern beach house in Peru

Beach House E-3 is a sleek modern property designed by Vartice Arquitectos in Palillos Beach, Lima, Peru. The project develops on an irregular shaped terrain inside a difficult area, but with a privileged view to the sea in the lot E-3 from “Palillos” beach, at the south of Lima. Taking advantage of the lot slope, the 3,186 square foot (296 square meters) project is a volume set working with various materials and textures in three levels that work together as a unit, obtaining several space relations between the interior and the outside. The most important request in the design by the client was to take advantage of the incredible sea views from most of the rooms throughout the home. Additionally, the most important space is the social area and there should be independence and tranquility for the private areas from the rest of the home.

According to the requirements of the beach, the volumes are designed at different levels like platforms on the ground, which emphasizes the principal volume. The central space is closed on either side to avoid direct solar entrance and eye contact with the neighboring properties. However, the sea view in the other direction is practically transparent. The entrance to the master volume is accessible on the third level via a wooden bridge that crosses as a dock and ends in a double height floating hall that is a lookout to the sea and the social area.

At the second level, inside and outside of the double height, is the social area that ends with the swimming pool as a limit to the sea. While in the back of the home, below the middle level is a yard that serves as a social and sand play area for the children. At the first level and completely independent from the top, are 5 bedrooms that revolve around being as a distribution hall, most of them have balconies and the privilege of views of the sea.

Visit the website of Vartice Arquitectos here.

Photos: Juan Solano

Sleek villa with stunning views of the Andaman Sea

This uber-sleek oceanfront villa sits perched on the cliffs north of Patong town, overlooking the ocean and Patong Bay of Phuket, Thailand. Designed by architect Adrian MaCarrol in collaboration with interior designer Tucker Bishop, the villa is enclosed in a gated compound, as guests enter the property; the quality of the villa’s panoramic vista immediately becomes its defining factor. With Scandinavian-inspired modern architecture, the villa is split over three levels, with the entrance on the top floor leading to an open-plan hall and staircase down to the living areas. One floor down the four bedrooms and TV room look out over terraces to the sloping garden below. Every room in the villa faces the ocean, and from the edge of the infinity pool which juts out above the waves, you can soak up the natural splendor in style. There are also modern luxuries such as an indoor sauna and steam room.

The luxuriously appointed interior blends light woods and brushed concrete with glass and stainless steel to great effect. High vaulted wooden ceilings add to the spaciousness of the villa and the large windows flood the living spaces with natural light. With so much room spread over multi levels, there are excellent opportunities to find a quiet space to read a book or unwind. The decor is tastefully minimalist with no clues about the owners in the artwork: for the duration of your stay, it’s easy to maintain the illusion that this play pad is actually your own. Wooden sculptures, Buddhist pieces and understated artworks enhance but don’t distract from the vista. Wraparound outdoor decks with superb panoramic views frame a 14 meter infinity edge pool which fades into the Andaman Sea beyond. The beautiful alfresco dining area is complemented by a large open air sala completing the relaxed outdoor space. Extensively manicured gardens lead down to the shoreline.

This luxurious vacation rental can be all yours, rates run from 1,650.00- 3,080.00 per day from here.

Exceptional Sea View Villa in Phuket

Sea View Villa is a three-storey home nestled on a gentle hillside on the west coast of Phuket, overlooking the pristine Andaman Sea, this stunning property is located within a five star private resort and enjoys breathtaking sea views and sunsets. Comprised of 8,546 square feet (794 square meters), the stylish yet comfortable interior design effortlessly blends traditional Thai elements with modern facilities to provide a completely relaxing living experience. The spacious five bedrooms are accompanied by equally luxurious en suite bathrooms, while the dining and living areas open onto the pool terrace, seamlessly merging interior and exterior living. Additional features include the private infinity pool (in addition to a 400 square meters communal pool), twin salas, barbecue and fully equipped bar area, spa room, gentleman’s sport bar and double maid’s quarters for staff.

This stunning property is listed at $9,079,000 from here.

Spanish residence with incredible views

Spanish architecture studio Teo Hidalgo Nácher has created ‘ripolles-manrique’ a multi-unit 4,736 square foot (440 square meters) home for two matrimonial friends. The site is surrounded by pine trees on an isolated estate that began being built in the seventies, near the town of Benicassim in Castellon, Spain. What really stands out about its location is the views. The plot, with its steep slopes and irregular geometry, is situated on top of a hill overlooking the sea in the Montornés neighborhood. Its main access point is down a public road leading from above.

The project was born out of this difficult terrain which, rather than proving problematic, helped guide the architect’s work. Following the edges of the plot’s perimeter, the two houses are joined together as one. The layout aims to make the most of the available space and complies with building regulations dictating minimum space distances from the edges of the plot – three metres from the eastern edge and five from the western.

The house’s relationship with its surroundings is based on a series of wishes that the owners and the architect expressed – both houses must have their own sense of privacy whilst still opening up the space to the stretches of land and sea, they must be well-lit with natural ventilation and plenty of common space (a shared garden), direct sunlight must not hit the inside of the houses, the existing features of the immediate surroundings must not be spoiled (e.g. the sea view from the access road to the north) and the building must be constructed economically but to a high standard, using the least number of materials possible. Via

A series of transition spaces between the inside and the outside – very common in popular Mediterranean architecture – work together to build a relationship between the houses and their exterior. These give the houses a sense of order and control; the interiors are extendable with sliding glass doors, the windows can be hollowed out and these spaces create new corners, meaning the space can be lived in or used for any unexpected purposes.

Photos: José Hevia

A Japanese barn house

This awesome barn style home design is a unique workshop / home in Hamamatsu City, Japan by Japanese architecture firm Yukiharu Suzuki & Associates. This industrial-chic house has a “homey” twist that makes it an inspiring working and living space. This three-storey concrete and wood barn is perched on a hillside with dramatic views of the sea and skyline. From the outside, the home’s unusual slat-style facades allow interior light to permeate out, offering the house a glowing effect. Inside, the house is a vast open-concept space, open to above with exposed wood posts and beams that give it that “workshop” flair. Glass walls line the main floor, flooding interiors with natural light while blurring the boundary between inside and out. Sliding Japanese shoji screens divide the sprawling interior, defining its different living areas. In a twist of the unexpected, this house is topped by gleaming steel shingles. Via

Gleaming steel shingles on the roof.

Enchanting villa in the foothills of Provence

This charming guesthouse is located in the hollow of the Alpilles, a small range of mountains in Provence, southern France and stands on a hundred years old olive tree hillside. Visitors can stay in the white, blue, pink or yellow room, each with its own character and personality. Stone walls, gravel on the ground, and what looks like low-water-use plants that were allowed to grow to their natural shapes and sizes. All are low maintenance, giving the residents more time to enjoy life.

Photos: Verne

Amazing sand castle in the desert

Set within a scenic oasis, at the foot of a dramatic rock-mountain, amidst the desert in Egypt, the Adrere Amellal has the feel of a place forgotten in time. The local Berbers here still live much like they have done for centuries, wearing their traditional clothing, speaking their native Siwi and harvesting the bountiful dates and olives by hand.

What is most amazing is that the entire hotel was built exclusively with materials available within 20 miles of this desolate location. There is not a single metal nail or imported anything in the entire construction. The pool is fed by an ancient Roman spring. The furniture is carved from local trees. There is no electricity, but one would hardly notice since the rooms are well lit with oil lamps and the whole hotel is kept cool as a result of the ancient construction techniques used. The night time is very romantic with hundreds of candles against a backdrop of the incredible desert sky. In the winter coal braziers supply the heat as the nighttime’s can be very cold in the desert.

Constructed as part of a local sustainable-development plan, this magnificent eco-resort consists of a series of traditional houses that have been restored into 10 suites and 27 Casbah style rooms, all offering genuine comfort, and they are all built using local traditional methods. Every single room has a view of Siwa Lake and the Great Sand Sea. The walls are made of sun dried salt rock mixed with straw, and palm is used for the stylish roof. The furniture and fittings are mostly made of palm trunks, and the region’s handicraft, which is both colorful and very comfortable.

A tropical home becomes a living sculpture

Artist Carlos Páez Vilaró was born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1923. He purchased a property along the eastern sea of Uruguay’s scenic Punta Ballena, in 1958, building a small, wooden lodge that over time became “Casapueblo” (“House-Village”). The sprawling compound, a whitewashed cement structure reminiscent of Mykonos, Greece, was built in stages by the artist to resemble the mud nests created by the region’s native hornero birds, and became his home, work studio and museum. Though he resided in Casapueblo, his “living sculpture,” by 1968, Vilaró continued to add on to the structure at his desire, at times adding a room for a particular guest. He later opened a section of Casapueblo to tourism as a hotel. The above photograph is his creation called “Casapueblo” in Uruguay. The photographs below are of his homes on a property in Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina called “Bengala,” named after the Bengal Tiger. The original house on the property is used by the artist as a work, at the opposite end of the immense garden hidden in the tropical forest stands Bengal, the astonishing house with galleries and cupolas designed in a similar style to that of Casapueblo. Via

The original building construction is between 140 to 150 years old with a natural Tigre aesthetic.  Vilaró uses this building as his work studio.

In the circular living room is the heart of Bengala. The natural light coming from the roof reflects on the bronze maritime theme artwork above the fireplace.

This is the domed ceiling in the living room.

The circular lines and textured walls envelop every room in the house giving you a clear sense of shelter and warmth.

Every corner is a new discovery. Behind the bar there is a recycled antique train part.

A view from the front door with a staircase featuring a fascinating oval opening and a library consisting of statues and totems from his years in Africa.

This large hallway leads to the guest area.

This corridor connects the main sector with the guesthouses, which operates as a separate house with living room, kitchen and even its own bar.

The dining room table, designed by Vilaró, was made from a huge cable reel. The holes were added to place candles. The beam above the table was salvaged from an old railroad track.

This guest bedroom continues with the lines and curves of the remainder of the house, but is unique in that it breaks from the traditional white.

Although this bedroom is found in an seperate building, it is only steps away from the main house and connected through a path of sugarcane plantations.

A table with individual bluish ceramic tiles is encapulated around a fig and palm tree that acts as a natural parasol. Chairs made out of wicker invites one to a tranquil environment.

The upstairs bedrooms all lead to the same large terrace that transports itself into a world of perforated domes.

The cement domes have been perforated with crystals of colors, inspired by coral reefs and marine animals.

With a scheme that mimics its Uruguayan pair, Bengala was constructed with classic lines and similar standards of design.