From Andy Martin Architects. Light and dark. Black and white. Solid and void. Weight and weightlessness. Day and night. The power of contrast and the beauty of simplicity of line.

Mews 02 is a single residence set in Belsize Park. The owners, a musician and his designer wife, wanted this existing mechanics garage to be converted to a 4 level family home, with the emphasis on the entertaining areas and with the ability to create private compartments over for sleeping.

Cadaquès Apartment by Francesc Rifé. Black. White. Unashamedly modern. Distilled rustic references. White void. Monolithic fireplace anchoring the room. Hero of minimalism… storage. So which do you prefer Spanish minimalism or Danish? (The great photography is by Eugeni Pons. An amazing portfolio of amazing architecture!)

The first of two minimalism posts today. Wooden wings held apart by concrete. White voids anchored by a monumental grey brick fireplace. Clean sparse line. Hero of all minimalist interiors… storage. Villa Petersen by Cornelius + Vöge. Photos by Adam Mørk. (Architect turned photographer. Can’t you tell? Takes an architect to understand an architect and get those details just so. His portfolio is an amazing collection of the best of the best architecture.) Did you notice that interestingly the living area has been styled two ways? Even the owners can’t be that minimalist.

A country bolthole is top of my wish list. An old house with vintage treasures and creature comforts to spend my weekends in. Daydreaming and scheming ways to make the move permanent. Entertaining the constant stream of friends that just happen to be coming up to visit. Winding back on the rat race of life but not winding back on style. Interior designer Chelsea Hing read my mind and made my dreams come true. Sadly this Kyneton, Victoria house belongs to someone else. But at least my dreams have form now.

You can see my previous post on Chelsea here and the news is that she has just started blogging!

Do you love interiors books as much as I do? I LOVE INTERIORS BOOKS. Got my hands on a copy this week of More Dream Homes: 100 Inspirational Interiors by Andreas von Einsiedel and Johanna Thornycroft and I’ve been through it so many times it is already looking a little dog earred. From sumptuous and OTT to quirky, rustic and back to elegant this lovely book features homes unified with a traditional aesthetic but each with a different inspirational riff. It’s a treasure trove of fabulous spaces. Historic gothic masterpiece, city apartment, farmhouse retreat, treehouse and more. Each project is fully illustrated with beautiful photographs by Andreas von Einsiedel with Johanna Thornycroft helping us understand just what makes each home work. You can find more information at Merrell Publishers including links to bookstores and online retailers. Don’t you just love that front cover?

All images are © Andreas von Einsiedel.

And just because I love it so much here is the front cover room without any the distractions.