Displaying posts labeled "Outdoors"

I’m daydreaming … again. A beach house somewhere exotic, well at least exotic to me.  Somewhere simple but stylish, relaxed and beautiful. A house where bare feet are de rigueur as are long lunches with friends, dips in the pool, walks by the ocean. A house with natural finishes and layers of texture and a monochrome palette.  A house in the dunes in Comporta, Portugal by Isabelle Stanislas.

Spectacular views, an incredibly talented architecture firm and bold modern design where black is key. Lantern House in Waiheke, New Zealand by Herbst Architects.

Photos: Jackie Meiring

My summer will be consumed with landscaping tasks which has me both excited and terrified (given my lack of experience in this area). The inspiration I have been finding online has been incredibly helpful, and one such source is Daniel Shea, an award-winning garden designer from Hertfordshire, England.  Mostly modern outdoor spaces but not at all minimalist and I love that his plantings are kept a bit wild. Bring on summer!

This Marin County, California compound takes cottage style living to a whole other level of cool. Commune Design left it dark and “woodsy” and I love that because it adds so much drama and a sense of richness to the home. Add in all of the outdoor hangout spaces and you would definitively be spending your days outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather.

If your idea of summer fun is hanging out, mixing drinks and chilling out by a firepit, then this backyard space is for you. Another really well executed design by the very talented Fig Landscapes. You’ll be the cool kid in the neighbourhood with a space like this.