Displaying posts labeled "Concrete"

I recently stumbled upon the portfolio of Russian architect Igor Sirotov and was immediately taken with his designs. I can’t tell if these are computer generated or just exteme photoshopped but I don’t really care. This home is all about drama and open spaces and lots of concrete (a bit cold) and the coolest lounge pit in the living room (I may have a slight obsession with lounge pits). Many friends would be required to thoroughly enjoy this home, because it demands some serious partying. 

It’s brutal yet at times soft. It’s rough and luxe. It’s concrete and steel, rubber and leather, rope, wool and velvet. It’s industrial with a big city vibe yet zen like and eastern. It’s in the Upper East Side of Manhattan or should I say was. It’s from the mid 90s, designed by Pierce Allen. A slight tweak, new photos and we would never know. Good design stands the test of time.

Come with me. Take my hand and runaway to a holiday home just metres from the  beach in Comporta, Portugal. Casa Do Pego sits lightly on the sand, its face turned to nearby agricultural land. Sliding shuttersprovide shelter from the setting sun while a roof top terrace and pool let you chill out in privacy. Clean, minimal lines are perfect for a beachside retreat while the suspended fireplace provides the wow factor. Go on. I know you want to come with me. It’s the perfect cure for Mondayitis.

I detest winter. I don’t participate in any winter sports because that would mean being outside (although I have been saying for a few years that I should buy some skates since I live a 10 minute walk from the world’s largest skating rink). I’d consider taking up skiing if it meant getting to bunk in a place like this! Interior Designer Len Cotsovolos, unveils his latest contemporary architectural design at the Yellowstone Club – a private residential ski resort community in Big Sky, Montana, where he designed a custom 11,000 square foot vacation retreat that epitomizes comfort. “To understand this home, you must start from the inside,” explains Cotsovolos, “the home was designed from the inside out, while trying to bring the outside in”. Although this property shares the mountainside with classic American vernacular log cabin estates, Cotsovolos, with LC2 Design Services has styled this dream home to express modern mountain luxury…with just the right amount of Vegas “bling”. Nestled among the tall pines of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 10,500 feet, this custom home reflects characteristics of Modernist architecture, which typically features glass walls, post-and-beam construction, exposed steel, and open floor plans; however, Cotsovolos also introduced unique finishes, opulent furnishings, and other details, which he sourced worldwide to create a warm, dark and mysterious home that is internationally inspired. It’s pretty spectacular, and the organic nature of the materials definitively ups the glam factor of your typical cabin in the woods. 

Run away! Run away! Dream of a way to get away. It’s Monday and you’re chained to your work desk. Take a little time to fantasise about Hotel Fasano Punta del Este in Uruguay. A breathtaking setting for a stylish complex designed by Isay Weinfeld. Whether leaning on the sill of the indoor pool or watching the sun go down with cocktails on the deck I’m sure you can escape through your computer screen for just a little while. No one will notice. I promise.