Stalking subtle

Sometimes one can just have too much boulle and ormolu. Sometimes there is such a thing as too much fun. Today's second house is a more subtle take on luxury. Starting with an equally impressive historic building the owners in this case have chosen an understated elegance. Greys and whites play against dark floors and modern, clean lined furniture and an open plan design play against the period features. Favourite here? The office. I would gladly home invade, er sorry, move in just for that office and of course the location. Gore St, Fitzroy, Melbourne. Sigh. Link here while it lasts.

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Stalking OTT

Spring has sprung in Australia and what does that mean? Blossom and hay fever, spring cleaning and auctions. After a long barren winter with scant few properties to real estate stalk suddenly I am spoilt for choice as I trawl the listings. A double offering today. A rollicking overdose of kitsch and boulle and ormolu wrapped up in luxury and tempered (just slightly) with white. A confection of a house at the best of times, the owner has claimed it as their own and ramped up the volume. Blackamoors and Chinese dragons, marble, large art and coffered ceilings. The interiors make me smile. This is certainly the perfect party house. My favourite part, though, must be the gardens and the creeper clad exterior. Talk about kerb appeal. St Kilda West near the beach in Melbourne. Link here while it lasts.

I cannot take credit for finding today's houses. Fellow stalker Andrea beat me to them. Happily she sends me links.

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Nikolas Koenig encore

It's been only a few months since I blogged some stellar photography by Nikolas Koenig. Here is some more room porn from his portfolio I thought might tickle your fancy. (What's up with the artwork over the bed above?!)

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Reader's home - nautical in Russia

Pavel, a reader from Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg, Russia, emailed us with a link to an article of his home featured in The Village. The apartment he shares with his wife and daughter has 4 rooms, and is 105m². They project managed the renovations of their apartment, and came up with a nautical theme for the decor, as they are big fans of yachting. They've got quite a collection of fantastic artwork...and still have wall space they want to fill. They've done a wonderful job, and I'm especially fond of the kitchen. I've always been a fan of those Ikea freestanding units. 

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Minimalist barn

Rising from the fens of Cambridgeshire is a solid old barn converted to a minimalist home and work space. Old Victorian bricks add an industrial element while OSB (oriented strand board) defines spaces with the larger void and is used to create furniture. Perpendicular to the old barn is a small black clad guest house/studio. The stark, restricted exterior is warmed by an inner lining of OSB echoing the idea of straw bales. Minimalist rustic, bold, simple, adaptive. Old and new melting into farmyard. The old Ochre barn and its new Stealth barn by Carl Turner Architects.

 

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