More neutral and modern from Arthur Casas in this 375 m² New York townhouse.  In an elegant prewar building standing five stories tall, just a few steps from central park, this ground floor apartment called for extensive renovations. The aim of the design was to illuminate the interiors and re-create environments, eliminating dividers and lending a visual unity to the apartment. We imagined the living room, with its 6 m ceilings, as the central space in the house. It connects the apartment’s three levels via a staircase that goes from the basement—transformed into a guest suite and laundry area—to the walkway on the upper level, which leads to the children’s bedroom. The garden is separated from the living room by large glass doors that slide into the walls, integrating interior and exterior spaces. Sober, neutral tones; simple gestures; integrated spaces; and furnishings that cover much of the best in 20th-century american design—with works by icons such as george nakashima, peter lane, and edward wormley, among others—are all key points in the design.

Photos: Ricardo Labougle

Sometimes all you need are neutrals. Beige/caramel tones mixed with black and modern artwork make this apartment in New York timeless and a bit edgy. Perfection. By Arthur Casas.

Another wonderfully unique project by architecture firm Marcante Testa that I had to share.
The house was, and is, a stratification of styles and materials that represent the lives of the previous inhabitants including General Candido Sobrero twin brother of Ascanio (inventor of nitroglycerin) which was followed in the early twentieth century by Countess Costanza Arminjon, the one who sold part of the property to the grandparents of the current owners, a pair of twins of whom only one decided to live there. It has long been our desire to create an interior where we can maintain and enhance these past elements by making them a collection of memories, materials and feelings. This proposal met favorably the client’s desire to preserve that family atmosphere which reminds him of his childhood spent with his brother in his grandparents’ house.
Starting from the entrance, the metal structure, which characterizes the external staircase, returns as a connecting element between the various rooms and, to define new furnishings and functions and at the same time, surrounds the old wallpapers, and the wall lamp, also it is the object of the past. A strip of resin connects the kitchen, entrance and living area to take us to the bathroom area where the plain color contrasts with the designs of the old ceramic tiles. In the living area, the original wood have been preserved inside which new furnishings are inserted such as the small theater with its curtains that hides the TV. Also in this room, the metal structure frames the old wallpapers and becomes a false ceiling, coffee table and dividing wall. 

Photos: Carola Ripamonti

Each and every project by Italian architecture firm Marcante Testa completely blows my mind. I guarantee you will not see their colour combinations nor the attention to details they include in their projects. For example, in this Paris apartment renovation check out the ceiling embellishment in the first photo. And the arch of the doorway in photo 5. BLOWING. MY. MIND. And I nearly dropped dead when I spotted the kitchen. It is almost as tiny and similar in layout to mine and will for sure be used as inspiration when I get around to renovating mine.

Photos: Carola Ripamonti

Kelly Wearstler is a force to be reckoned with, and one of her latest projects, the Santa Monica Proper hotel, is really something else. I would looooooove to tour this in person. It is a bit subdued in colours then she normally chooses but of course, she nailed it. The landmark building is this beautiful Spanish colonial revival style, built in the late 1920s. The hotel was thoughtfully restored and refreshed, its original rich materiality and architectural moorish details served as inspiration for the overall design. The contemporary, modern building is more monolithic in nature and a great canvas for layering with textures – natural materials, stone wood, plaster. The hotel’s palette is nature-inspired and earthy, raw materials and organic textures, art and landscape bring a rich sensory feeling in to the hotel. Wearstler intentionally worked with local artists and artisans to bring a true localized experience within the spaces.