House RA - modern house

House RA designed by Ana Reis architect, located in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. The 2-storey home is characterised by white, clean-cut volumes arranged around an internal courtyard.

The building volume, shape and location are the result of different restrictions from the municipality in terms of height, distances from the street and surrounding buildings. The programme is articulated within the available limits and around an internal courtyard. This allows the house to turn its back to the busy street, and shield its inhabitants.

Living room, dining room and kitchen as well as some storage areas and powder room are located on the ground floor and directly connected with the protected garden. Bedrooms, study and toilets are located on the upper floor. This internal separation of communal and private space is continuous with the buildings relationship with the public domain. The metal structure allows the absence of columns and big windows.

Clients: José Reis and Sofia Armelim
Architecture: Ana C Reis
Structure: Gestedi
Date: 2008
Area: 360sqm
Location: Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Photography: NG Photo


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House of inclusion - Japanese House Design

House of inclusion designed by FORM/Kouichi Kimura Architects, located in Shiga, Japan.

Here’s some text from the architect:
This house, located in a new residential area, is for a 30-something couple. Surrounded by other houses, the design goal was set up to block out the outside world while avoiding too much closure, as well as to provide rich and sensuous spaces.

First, a small patio and a path connected to it were laid out between the living or dining room and exterior. They are surrounded by a wall that blocks off the line of sight from outside. Planting and pond are laid out at the patio, so that the picturesque images of green and water are viewed from the rooms.
Enclosed by walls that create indirect light filling softly the entire room, the house presents sentimental scenes here and there. The living spaces and the life lived there are enveloped by green and light, creating an affectionate environment.

Architects: FORM/Kouichi Kimura Architects
Location: Shiga, Japan
Client: Private
Construction Year: 2009
Site Area: 215,35m2
Constructed Area: 151,71m2
Photographs: Takumi Ot

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Lira House - luxury home

The house is organized around three events: Firstly, a patio over street level, secondly, a promenade composed of ramps and staircases that lead from the parking to the roof garden and thirdly, a perimeter wall that defines the domesticated territory of the house.

Regarding the expression of the house, it offers a silent facade to the street, which is no more than the simple echo of the wall that confines the small patio of the sleeping rooms. This elongated patio works as a filter towards the noisy movement of cars that pass tangent to the site.







































Its interior space is characterized by the colonization of elements such as: the oblique pillars which endure the horizontal force of possible earthquakes, the prefabricated skylights which introduce light to the deepest part of the house and the ramps. Those elements altogether create boundaries and tensions within the space.




















Architect : Sebastian Irarrazaval
Client : Martin Irarrazaval
Location : Santiago, Chile
Site Area : 700 sqm
Building Area : 200sqm
Construction start : 2005
Completion : 2006
Materials : Concrete, Timber & Glass
Photos : Carlos Eguiguren









































Lira House, designed by Sebastian Irarrazaval Architect [via] modern house design.

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Beach House in Wood - house design

Beach House in Wood, designed by Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects, located on California beach.










































Contemporary California beach house is a striking, stand-out design among the rocks and sand of its beachfront property. Two prominent volumes clad in wood and lined with windows can be seen from a distance, protruding from the structure’s main body, resulting in nooks of wind-sheltered outdoor living spaces with Pacific Ocean views.














































“This beach house replaces a beloved William Wurster house that burned down on the site”, according to Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects. “The client requested we design the new house to capture the spirit of the original house, while meeting all the current seismic codes and FEMA requirements for houses in high-risk coastal zones, which included raising the floor level of the house.” Interiors are too clad in wood, giving them a warm, relaxed, “beach house” ambience.










































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Interior Home Design

Home staging is the proven way to sell your house quicker and at a better price...even in today's poor market. Home staging makes your house more competitive by presenting the house as "ready-to-move-in" to prospective buyer's. And; home staging can be a way to get more organized and de-cluttered. This applies to both inside and out of the home.

Staging can be simple or more work and could require the help of a professional home stager. But; in some cases you can do it yourself if it is a simple project.

The first step is to look around each room. Bring a note pad with you if you are serious about doing this. Make notes about any problem items; such as broken doors, light switches. Yes; the ‘honey do’ type list, but it gets much more detailed as you go.

Now look inside the closets. Yes; buyers look in closets to see if there is enough room. Mark in your pad whether the closet is neat or packed and needs some thinning out.

Bathroom is the next stop. Any broken tiles, dripping faucets, etc? Also is there any areas that need to really be cleaned? Look at this as though you were buying.

The kitchen is an important area. Is it cluttered with items all over the counters? Are the cabinets messy and over flowing? Clear out the items you don’t use on a regular basis. Store them where you can get to them; but not clutter a cabinet in doing so.

Look around the living and dining rooms. Clean up as much clutter and items you don’t use daily. Clean out he display case of any items that are not “display casable”.

The garage is another place that gets cluttered very quickly. If you get a hold on it before it gets too cluttered you will be ahead of the game. If you are beyond that you may want to do a little at a time to make it easier on yourself. A cluttered garage can create an issue for buyers. You want to have the garage clear so they can determine what vehicle(s) will fit and how much room they have for their belongings.

Curb appeal is just as it sounds. An appeal of your house from the curb view. What do you see when you look at your house from the curb? Peeling pain, a broken mailbox, dead plants, etc? You will be surprised at how different the house will look once you make the effort to clean up the yard. Take a drive past your house and see what needs to be changed or repaired. And; don't forget the back yard. This is a particular area where buyer's like to see how they will use it - especially if they have children. So this area needs a special cleaning.

Staging is just making your home more presentable to yourself and/or prospective buyers. To make it easier on yourself; just make a list of the items that need to be fixed, repaired or cleaned and do it a little at a time.

Ask yourself this question: Would you buy a house that needed a lot of work; unless you were a handyman?

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Tsai residence - luxury home design

The four equal sized boxes are built as simple wood construction covered with corrugated metal panels on the outside and wood and gypsum panels on the inside. The floor plan is based on the needs of a traditional country house. Only partially the organization of the rooms is a direct consequence of the rigid outer form.














































The Living Room focuses on the different light conditions needed for an existing and future art collection, while the great view into the nearby countryside is present without being dominant. The sequence of the different rooms reflects the idea of a private gallery. Natural light is coming into the spaces through the openings in between the outer boxes.























Architects : HHF Architects + Ai WeiWei
Location : Ancram, New York, USA
Design Team : HERLACH HARTMANN FROMMENWILER & AI WEIWEI with Bhavana Hameed, Tom Strub, Fumiko Takahama, Magnus Zwyssig
Structural Engineering : Crawford & Associates, Hudson, NY
Construction Management : Crawford & Associates, Hudson, NY
General Contractor : Robert Reed Construction, Germantown, NY
Design year : 2005-2006
Construction year : 2006-2008
Client : Private
Constructed Area : 375 sqm
Photographs : Iwan Baan, Nikolas Koenig






















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The modern geometric home - luxury home

The modern geometric home, designed by Santa Monica, located in Los Angeles, California.





































The modern geometric home is composed of a collection of daring folds, sharp angles and various volumes connected on the 10,000-sq.-ft. property. This contemporary design based Tighe Architecture incorporates a number of buildings, which are structured around a private central courtyard that invites the outdoors into these modern living spaces. From the outside, this cool house is characterized by its unique folded roof and walls. Windows, seemingly scattered about the facade, were strategically placed to frame the fabulous views. Inside this two-storey home, the details are simple, and simply impeccable.





































A soaring focal wall features cut-outs that echo the home’s windows, with a skylight at the top as its crowning glory. The finishes are minimal yet luxury, like the rich wood floors, and the gorgeous kitchen featuring warm woods and cool stone tiles, enclosed in a wall of windows with a pool-side walkout. A guest house and pool house are mirror images of one another.


































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Kitchen Design Ideas

The key to a successful kitchen design is the complete understanding of the true needs of the intended user. Universal Design means planning the spaces that everyone finds easy to use. One of the most basic principles of kitchen design is offering a variety of work top heights.

The first thing to examine is the counter surface area. Look at where you put everything in your existing kitchen and where in your new kitchen design will these things will go in the new space. Kitchens need a personality and a look and feel that can liven up the senses in addition to being a functional place for the preparation of food. A good kitchen design should have sensible work triangles and the right appliance arrangements so it will be easy to move around.

Lighting

Even if the kitchen has generally good lighting, the counter areas can be somewhat dark. For these areas under-cabinet lighting can help provide more light to work in. In addition to decorative lighting which can match any style, remember to but abundant task lighting over food preparation areas. Mood lighting can accent glass front cabinets and cove ceilings. Accent lights can be located under cabinets, against walls, or other areas. Additional lighting can be added in larger kitchen spaces with wall sconces.

You’ll also want to consider how you light the island and table areas. Here is where you will want to insure that lighting is adequate, and looks great with the style of your kitchen. In the kitchen several requirements need to be met and these must be aided by precise lighting. Thus kitchen lighting is mostly task lighting and ambient lighting and less of decorative lighting. Direct lighting is achieved by using conventional recessed lights, surface lights or light fixtures that are on a pendant or chain.

Appliances

Even as family sizes decrease, the popularity of beautiful kitchens, designer cabinets, and custom appliances is on the rise. The latest energy saving appliances are a great way to remodel and update the kitchen. Most people who remodel their kitchen want everything new and to have it done professionally: but neither is really necessary for your kitchen to have a fresh new look. Just changing out old appliances may do the trick.

Countertops

The countertops are perhaps the most visible part of a kitchen remodeling project and there are many to choose from. Formica is the most popular due to its versatility and price. Ceramic tile countertops are available in many colors, as well as many shapes, patterns, and finishes. With kitchen color taking on more importance, many manufacturers of cabinets, appliances, flooring and countertops are offering the consumer more choices in colors. Consider new textures and colors for your countertops. And granite prices are more affordable than ever and offer some beautiful patterns, textures and colors.

The dimensions of a kitchen are an overriding concern in choosing a kitchen island. Many kitchen islands are wooden and use northern maple, red oak, poplar, birch, and plantation-grown exotic woods, but others are constructed of stainless steel, some combining wood with stainless steel. Use custom kitchen islands ideas to help you know how to create an attractive area that will perform a variety of useful functions. Designed correctly, kitchen islands will make your work area more functional and efficient and will be enjoyed by everyone for many years.

There are many more options when remodeling your kitchen but you must be creative and plan. Shelf storage islands can come with open shelves or closed storage shelves with cabinet doors. Pendants make excellent task lighting choices over stationary islands and will provide the added illumination when performing chores but can be turned off when dining or no longer necessary. Kitchen islands are typically used for completion of tasks which is why pendant lighting fixtures above this area are almost always a great idea.

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Home Design Sense with Daily Organizing Home

One important place that many people don’t think about having organized is their computer desktop. Paper, books, binders and the like are going to continue to make their way into your office so you need to make sure you have space for incoming items. Your goal in getting organized should be to have your space only 80% full at all times. The quickest way to get organized is to grab some paper and a pencil and go around the house and see which rooms and closets need to be cleaned and organized. Check those drawers in the kitchen and bathroom. Don’t forge the drawers in the rest of the furniture throughout the house. And, the next step will be the attic and basement…providing you have these rooms of course.

Having a clutter-free workspace is the first step in creating an organized and professional home-based business. Use plastic baskets or wicker baskets for storing things or objects in an up and down manner. That counter space is called counter space for a reason so use it wisely. Use plastic baskets or wicker baskets for storing things or objects in an up and down manner. Having an organized workspace is a key to keeping your work organized, too. Hang it up, store it in a drawer, on the floor, or on a shelf. Hang items up as much as possible if floor space is at such a premium.

Organizing space requires arranging things in such a way that everyone can easily use the right thing at the right time. You have a vision of what the space will look like, but there is no way you can live up to your high standard, so you do nothing. To find all the roomy potential your apartment really holds, you'll need to look your apartment up and down. The "extra" space is not always right in front of your face, literally. Consider setting aside time once or twice a year to stop, catch up or reorganize, and give yourself a fresh start. Your attitude on entering a clear, well-laid-out space will add a positive slant to each day and more hours of productive output.

Sort through bathroom cabinets and get rid of any expired medicines, make up, and other toiletries. The key to organizational maintenance is everything must have a place. Some of these items will not have assigned spaces yet. The simple reason is that a choice between two items is less complex than a choice between 6 items. Don't be afraid to discard of things that are broken, no longer needed or that have never been used. If items are worth passing on, do so, but don't keep them around taking up space if they can't be used in your household. If you haven’t used an item in over a year; you will be unlikely to use it in the future. Purge what you really don’t need or want. We are all pack rats of some sort; but it is time to stop saving ‘stuff’.

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