Displaying posts labeled "Renovation"

I can’t remember how I first came across the Instagram account of designer Elle Patille (@leydi_milagros_design), though I do recall being instantly smitten with her style. In a really profound way. Her Victorian heritage home is located outside of Toronto and I fell in love with every inch of it. And once I saw the before photos I was even more enthralled with her home and her talent as a designer. Her home was very very white not long ago (as seen in this House & Home feature), and I have to applaud her for deciding to do a 180 and go mostly dark. The drama the home now exudes is magical, and the dark backdrop is exactly what was needed to showcase her collection of curiosities. (Yes, there is quite a bit of taxidermy in her home – if you aren’t a fan please move on to the next post and comments on this subject will be removed). Her aesthetic is what she calls modern ‘horror vacui’ (“fear of empty space”) and it’s breathtaking. Also, her and her husband share this home with a slew of dogs and cats so she gets major bonus points for that.

For me, home is a place that understands how you’re feeling and how to comfort you at any given moment.  I knew there was a lot of potential when we purchased our home but I didn’t go into it with a vision. I did however go into it with a lot of emotion which allowed it to take shape without questioning it. In order to achieve this, I needed spaces that were healing and that tapped on every emotion… Spaces that were pretty but at the same time can give you the chills… rooms soft and romantic yet strong and masculine …  dark busy rooms that are thought provoking and bright clean areas that allow for a clear and creative mind. In turn, it became a sort of therapy – a release, psychological turned physical and ultimately it became not just a home for me but rather a refuge.

I’m not sure I can ever really get behind minimalism, but this converted warehouse in Sydney transformed into a concrete bunker of sorts is really quite beautiful. That curved ceiling and the 2 story impact of it is spectacular. It’s incredible that such a simple architectural detail could add so much interest. I also love how the curve is found throughout the loft (sofa, console, mirror, shower door). Brutalism with a cocooning impact. Designed by Matt Woods.

Architect and designer Elizabeth Roberts strikes again with another exquisite project transforming centuries-old homes in Brooklyn into modernized masterpieces. In this four-story 1850s brownstone designed for a fashion designer, an art consultant and their children, a premium was placed on the way the space and interiors felt, first and foremost. The result is a bohemian home that is equal parts monumental and tactile. Select restored elements, such as the delicate crown molding in the parlor, play against clean plastered walls. Impactful and modern interventions are rendered with exquisite materials and delicate details, such as the thin proportions of the railings and posts inside and out, an oversized island clad in expressive stone, a family room with an elevated hearth that turns into a bench and a travertine-clad master bath with custom tub. An exquisite balance is struck between bold architectural moves and delicate proportions.

Photos: floto+warner

The brief was to reinvent this narrow terrace house into a modern inside outside home. The open plan living area flows seamlessly into the stylish courtyard while the modern kitchen has a birdseye view of all the proceedings. Living large in a stylish small space. Macgonical House by Sydney-based Hicks and Holmested.

Photography by Prue Ruscoe

It’s been a few years since I featured a project by Paris-based interior designer Adrien Pillay. This time it’s an INSANELY GOOD and VERY drastic renovation of a home in the south-west of France (Périgueux). He sent a before photo for each of the afters and lawd half mursey was this an undertaking of the century! I’m blown away by this transformation and grateful he shared it with us. (After photos by Sophie Lloyd and Céline Hassen)