Displaying posts labeled "Concrete"

I’m almost at a loss for words. This home in Wentworth-Nord, Québec designed by Montréal architect Alain Carle is so incredibly beautiful from the outside in. Most of the wood and stone throughout the house are reclaimed and are what really make this home special. Alongside the concrete floors, plaster walls and crittall windows, it is a winning combination. Bonus points for the dark stained wood adding in some moody drama. This is everything I love. (Photos: James Brittain)

We’re huge fans of conversions here at DTI and this one is….majestic being the first word that comes to mind. That staircase!!!  Believed to have built in the early 1900s, this former brewery cooperage on a tight site in Central London had already been in residential use since the 1990s. By stripping back to the buildings fabric and preserving its original features it was possible to bring a new understanding to its potential. The existing basement was extended laterally to create a large open-plan family living area over which rises a triple height atrium – a space around which much of the accommodation is structured and through which passes a dramatic feature staircase. The vertical extension rises from the top of the building and is occupied by bedrooms and a generous roof terrace with far-reaching roof-top views. To distinguish this extension from the original brick structure a system of patinated bronze cladding panels and glass has been used. By Chris Dyson Architects. (Photos: Peter Landers)

See more of Chris Dyson’s work here, here and here.

What do you do when you see a grand space with high end finishes, expensive art and covetable “it” furniture? Do you shake your head and say “Well that’s no good for me. I don’t live in a grand old house and can’t afford any of this.” Do you take note of finishes, how art is hung and stairs built to translate them into your more ordinary home? Does a Casa in Venice become just a colour palette? Or is there the urge to be adventurous, to be bold, to seize your design geist and just go with it, whatever it may be?  I may never live in a space like the  Casa in Campo Santa Maria Formosa in Venice by Massimo Adario Architetto but, oh my, it sets my imagination racing.

The modern and simple architecture of this home is appealing to my inner minimalist. Add these massive doors and windows opening to a courtyard and this is about as close to heaven as you can get. By Parisian architecture and design firm Le LAD.

(Previous feature on Le LAD here)

Polished concrete floors with exposed aggregate, rendered bathroom walls, raw brass, painted brick, breeze block, open plan living. These are a few of my favourite things. Oh I forgot to mention re-imagined retro houses, the  swan-like transformation from tired blonde brick and boxy, dark rooms into stylish, light filled spaces perfect for beachside living. George Garrow House by Sydney-based Marika Järv Creative.