Displaying posts labeled "Modern"

The folks of Toronto design firm Prototype Design Lab sent along photos of a project they recently completed that I had to share. This is a family cottage in northern Ontario (McKellar) and it is unlike any ‘cottage’ I have ever seen. When I think cottage I envision pine panelled walls, a rustic kitchen and some antlers on the wall. This cottage IS NOT THAT. We designed this cottage for a family that loves to entertain, cook, and eat. Their whole lifestyle is based around the kitchen, so right off the bat we knew that this space had to be functional, but incredible. The kitchen starts out like a restaurant kitchen, with durable, stainless steel surfaces, but is designed to be warm and eclectic with a great mix of modern & vintage fixtures; pendant lamps, floating shelves and stunning blackened steel-framed chalkboard panels acting as cabinet doors. Then there are some really warm elements such as a reclaimed barn wood wall & ceiling feature, marble counter tops, glass shelving & and reclaimed wine crate table. The palette of the space suggest vintage, contemporary and industrial all at the same time!

I’d say let’s meet for brunch tomorrow morning but I think the wait for a table may cruel the hipster experience. Looks so cool though and the reviews have been good. The Kettle Black in South Melbourne. It’s apple minty green, marble, wood and hints of gold goodness elevates it above the usual grunge coffee/cafe experience. Delicious design by Studio You Me.

You know your friends would be bugging you constantly to spend boring winter weekends at your cabin if this was yours. And in the summer? Absolutely! Another perfectly executed home by _naturehumaine. Having bought a beautiful plot of wooded land in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, the client dreamt of building a country house that would be in perfect symbiosis with its natural environment. The house is characterized by two stacked volumes; a wooden clad volume anchored into the mountain supports a cantilevering ground floor volume above. This gable roofed volume raised into the air gives the sensation that the house is floating amongst the trees. Vast views of Mount Orford and the valley below are framed by a long horizontal strip window. The kitchen and master bathroom are carved out of a black volume at the center of the house dividing living spaces from the master bedroom.

One of my favourite Canadian architecture firms continues to impress me with their ingenuity and attention to detail. _naturehumaine blew me away with this home in Montreal. The clients had outgrown their 1920’s house on a large lot on Montreal’s south shore. They wanted a contemporary extension that would harmonize with their existing house and highlight and expose the structural brick. The existing house and the extension were separated by a glazed volume where the vertical circulation of the house is located. The extension is organized into 2 intertwining volumes. A brick volume makes up the base and becomes the support for a steel clad volume that projects out into the backyard. The ‘sleeping basket’ is found at this projection where a large window frames the foliage. This becomes a space to relax and gaze out towards the garden as well as an area for the children to play while maintaining contact with the kitchen and dining spaces below.

The new extension is subtle in its detail, and with a flat roof line matching the old house, seems to blend fairly seamlessly. 

Of course, because they are brilliant, _naturehumaine kept the brick of the old part of the house exposed. AS THEY SHOULD. 🙂

Are you sick of pot lights too? LOOK WHAT THEY DID HERE!!!

That storage pod thing is pretty cool, housing a ‘secret’ powder room.

A simple streamlined kitchen with 2 colours of cabinetry I never would have thought to put together…but it looks fantastic. 

A perfect spot for massive sets of doors and windows. What a beautiful view of the surrounding trees. 

Where mosaic tile meets pine paneling. I love this table connecting to the window, and how the hanging pendant lights emphasize the height. 

This is beautiful, how the section of brick is framed. 

My dream office is back there. 

It would be like working in a tree house.

(More features of _naturehumaine’s work here, here and here)

A neutral palette contrasted with variations of black and darkest blue, layered with texture and suffused with soft light. A warm, modern design, a casual elegance, comfortable and stylish. Manhattan Beach house by Los Angeles-based Disc Interiors.