This is Ben and Charlie’s own house, tucked away on an estuary in the far west coast of Scotland. Ben and Charlie found the tiny pair of buildings – a Victorian two-roomed cottage and a much early stone bothy – in derelict and unloved condition – in 2018, after a long search for something untouched and unspoiled. The Victorian cottage had intact match boarding to the interiors, and we took the decision to keep this completely intact – re-wiring the two rooms with simple galvanised surface mounted conduit in order not to damage the historic interior.  The stone bothy was stripped back to rough stone walls. Both buildings have been furnished with a different atmosphere to suit their age and character. The bothy forms a simple, basic kitchen, and the cottage contains a tiny sitting room and bedroom. There is as yet no running water or heating, but in 2023 Ben and Charlie are building a third new bothy to the west of the two original houses to provide a little more creature comfort.
This is so beautiful I could cry. Ben Pentreath must feel privileged to be the proprietor of such a magical space.

This cute as a button 1904 Victorian house in New Orleans wasn’t always cute. Some apparently hideous renovations in the 80s and 90s and a subsequent fire left things in quite a state. In came Samantha Wetton and Alexandra Neu of Los Angeles–based Lafayette Studio who added some colour, whimsy, vintage, modern and a touch of monastic and religious je ne sais quoi for some spice 🙂 I adore this home – particularly all the curvy elements. Photos: Jess Isaac via Architectural Digest.

And this is the fabulous carriage house!

Heidi Caillier continues to be one of my all time favourite designers and though I have about a million ideas about what I would do in my next house, I’m fairly certain it would be heavily influenced by Heidi. Old World British and embracing architectural details but bringing it all into 2023 with lots of colours and patterns and really cool lighting. This Pittsfield, Massachusetts home is overflowing with personality and an unmatched level of comfort. Photos: Haris Kenjar.

Comprehensive rehabilitation of a single-storey house located at the foot of Monte Abantos, in San Lorenzo del Escorial. Conceived as a weekend home for a young couple from Madrid with two children, it takes the summer homes of Cadaqués from the 1950s as a reference. The premise was to create a warm and welcoming home, where in addition to recreating a subtle idea of what we understand as the Mediterranean, color was the other protagonist. Color as the guiding thread of a house that is designed to host friends and artistic presentations on a regular basis. The new distribution divides the volume in two, giving rise to a double-height unitary space that houses the living room-dining room-kitchen, and a study on the mezzanine that is accessed through a sculptural spiral staircase. The other half of the volume houses three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a small double-height distributor that allows direct interaction with the mezzanine and its natural lighting.
Once again, an inspiring and dramatically colourful project by Estudio Reciente. Photos: Asier Rua.

This London pied-à-terre is an absolute gem, full of whimsy and colour just all around good vibes. There’s an elegance to this home while at the same time a playfulness. For example, the kitchen includes a hand-painted meadow mural on the tiles. There’s modern pieces mixed with antiques, with backdrops of deGournay wallpapers and yellow curtains and marble marquetry floors that all add so much drama and interest. Designed by Studio Ashby. Photos by Kensington Leverne.