Elusive scenery and interesting architecture are the advantages to building a house on a sloped property. Take this tiered home by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris in Spain for example. A stepped house design allows each level a grand view of the sea.
Who wouldn’t love the ultimate privacy of an interior courtyard in their home? Usually completely enclosed, an interior courtyard offers seclusion from the outside world without the eyesores of a fence or need for well thought out large scale landscaping. A celeb who agrees is none other than Miss Britney Spears; she has purchased this beautiful home in California which happens to feature a private courtyard that offers an outdoor fireplace, and imported limestone fountain. You can see the scale of the courtyard from the aerial view. Balconies offer wonderful light for each facing room, and no need for blinds, well, depending on who is visiting that is! I just love the weathered patinas on the pavers and stone details.
Off the coast of beautiful Mumbai, Antilla, the world’s first billion dollar home is under works for petrochemicals leader Mukesh Ambani and his wife and three children. This 27 storey tower of finery houses a plethora of practical features such as: nine elevators, an incredible ballroom, a professional home theatre, an indoor/ outdoor health level complete with juice bar and yoga/ dance studios, 6 stories of garage space, an upper level for entertaining with floor to ceiling windows for fabulous views of the Arabian sea and Mumbai, and much much more.
Adam and I love to tour around model homes and see new products and design ideas, two years ago we happened upon a 4-storey Bloomberg home in St. Jacobs. The top level had dramatically sloping ceilings and to utilize the horizontal space was this absolutely lovely feature. The Cabrio Balcony Roof Window by Velux allowed much more light to enter the room, and looked like a large skylight.
While focusing on architect John C. Henry, I stumbled graciously upon Chateaux de Reves, a phenomenal French Renaissance Manor style mansion. I love the symmetry of the entry, the carved stone, generously sized arches, and the mirrored-shape arched windows. The two towering white columns with Corinthian pilasters that support the covered entry and the oversized key stone set a tone of formality and traditional design. Looking through John Henry’s portfolio, evident characteristics of his designs are detail, period accuracy and DETAIL. He gets it right every time.
Paneliteis a wide-ranging product, versatile to many interior and furniture projects. Best of all it can be customized as well. Panelite can be backlit, support weight, be housed on moving walls, or can be formed into furniture.
I love reading articles of small spaces and seeing the beauty that can be achieved in living spaces that force us to strip back to our favorites and our necessities, to simplify. I think that is my favorite word: simplify. Spring reminds me of that, through Spring cleaning and going through drawers of stuff I forgot I had. Remembering what I love and what is important.
Few architectural details can add the caliber of elegance and refinement to home like a leaded glass dome or ceiling. The residential dome pictured here is the Yorkdale, designed for a private residence and measuring 8’ in diameter. Designs are never duplicated and always original as they are handcrafted into a truly unique gem for any discerning homeowner. Solarium Design Group Ltd. has also worked on huge commercial commissions, like the Casino Niagara, but I do think they must be seen in person to be fully appreciated.
Approximately 1,650 different windowpanes comprise the most highly engineered and complex curtain wall ever constructed in New York City. This glittering menagerie of glass is a design by Architect Jean Nouvel. I must admit, when looking through the residences of 100 11th Avenue, I was struck by the, dare I say, cold environment, but then I realized, it is what it is, a cascading arrangement of chrome, glass and metals creating chic and efficient living in 72 suites.