Yes, Please…

…the weather in Chicago has been ungodly for a few weeks now.  Signs of spring have been slow to arrive.  So what is one to do?  Dream of green, of course…yes, please!

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Commanding…

…who could help but take notice of the striking view offered by Bahia Azul House, Chile?  Far from a mere window…the perspective of Felipe Assadi + Francisca Pulido…

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Time Out…

…let’s hop over to Fire Island, NY, where an ordinary 1960’s a-frame has been renovated by Bromley Caldari Architects. The A-Frame Rethink has been transformed from underwhelming and decrepit to a “cathedral that is light-filled with the color of sky and water, complex but simple, where the pieces lock into place like a Rubik’s cube.”

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Breath of Fresh Air…

…during a long Chicago winter, it can seem as if the four walls of your home are closing in on you.  No chance of this happening near Stockholm, Sweden, where Arrhov Frick Arkitektkontor designed Six Walls House.  The architects gave the homeowner two extra walls plus floor to ceiling windows, which allow an abundance of light even on the gloomiest of days.  The home’s location gives generous views of the sea and surrounding nature…giving a feeling of serenity…a breath of fresh air…

the design favors minimal embellishment and simple geometry…

the living space is all about calmness and privacy…

a soft and gauzy white…

…creates a heavenly retreat. via

Iridescent…

…designed as a living organism in constant interaction with its environment…Butterfly House by Hong Kong based design team, Davidclovers.  The guest house is conceived as a preternatural, brilliantly colored form that oscillates between sheer camouflage and sparkling beacon with the northeastern Pennsylvanian woods.

Reflective polychromatic recycled stainless steel clads the exterior…

the roof bows upwards and towards the north, embodying the butterfly’s flapping motion….poetic…

the interior is equally alive…

I belong in the guest house…and I’ll be staying all summer, thank you.

Sunday Reflection…

I have been away for a bit and it feels great to be back.  I want to share this Tribeca penthouse apartment in the Greenwich Hotel.  A perfect spot for Sunday reflection…the genius of Tatsuro Miki, architect and Axel Vervoordt, interior designer.  For more views of this wabi sabi style 630 square meters apartment, visit cabbagerose tumblr.

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Virunga…

…why must beauty and nature be exploited…why must innocence be prey to greed, corruption, and violence?  No answers…only questions.  Visit Virunga to take action.

The Ribbon Chapel…

the perfect place to tie-the-knot…a wedding chapel in the gardens of Bella Vista Sakaigahama, a resort hotel in Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan, laced and curled by NAP Architects.  Gorgeous!

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Reiulf Ramstad Architects: On Tour…

…as promised, a sampler of the stellar work of Reiulf Ramstad Architects (RRA).  Today we are touring…I’m ready to pack my bags and bask in the beauty.

Marinatomta National Tourist Route, Møre og Romsdal, Norway

Troll Wall Restaurant and Visitor Centre, Møre og Romsdal, Norway

Trollstigen Visitor Centre, Møre og Romsdal, Norway

Gaularfjellet National Tourist Route, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
all images courtesy of Reiulf Ramstad Architects

Reiulf Ramstad Architects: At Home…

…Reiulf Ramstad Architects (RRA) is an independent Oslo-based architectural firm with a high level of expert knowledge and a distinct ideology. I have been an admirer for quite a long time.  Over the years RRA has produced a wide range of innovative and ground breaking projects with an exceptional variation of scale and program.  Over the next several days, I plan to show you glimpses of RRA’s extensive portfolio. I’m sure you will recognize many of your favorites, as well as be delighted by  projects you are not as familiar with…let’s begin with a few residential projects…

micro cluster cabins

summerhouse inside out

house on the edge of a field all images courtesy of reiulf ramstad architects

Choices, Choices…

…mountains, desert, beach, or city?

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Time Out…

…giddy up!  We are heading to Mexico for horseback riding, rest, and relaxation.  Our horses are waiting for us at El Mirador House.  One of the necessary elements for a dream house of my own is a space which I can easily share with nature’s bounty of docile animals…horses, goats, sheep…and, of course, dogs.  El Mirador House fits this requirement seamlessly…a forest respite created by CC Arquitectos.

The structure is a combination of steel and wooden beams, and the retaining walls are made out of stones from the area…

Amazing flexibility in its spaces…we will settle in nicely…

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Circle, Lightening, and Feathers…

acrylic by catherine sicilian

photography from pinterest

dove plumscape by arduu on flickr

Quiet, Please…

…Kelly Deck Design‘s creative philosophy is inspired by the rugged beauty of the West Coast.  The firm’s creative thinking fashions effortless elegance in homes that are beautiful, balanced, and inviting. Grant, in Vancouver, BC, is a ‘quiet’ haven which demonstrates the strong impact of simplicity…I could settle in quite nicely…

all images courtesy of kelly deck design

Nature’s Bounty…

gold coast, chicago