Wednesday, 2 October 2013
Outdoor decor: One space, two designs
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Two dynamic outdoor spaces with completely different looks: Clean contemporary and rustic charm.With the bucolic beauty of Mother Nature as your backdrop, it’s easy to create a dynamic outdoor living space that entices and intrigues. Here, we’ve created two different looks, both totally unique but equally stylish. Better hurry: You’re just in time to enjoy the final moments of warm-weather bliss.
Design #1: Clean contemporary
Washed in a sea of pale greys, crisp whites and stony blues, this serene scene has the feel of a modern seaside sanctuary. The linear profiles of the sofa, ottoman and coffee table have a hard, contemporary edge, but subtle details like layers of plush toss cushions and delicately woven sidechairs feel laid-back and uncontrived.
Design #1: Clean contemporary Washed in a sea of pale greys, crisp whites and stony blues, this serene scene has the feel of a modern seaside sanctuary. The linear profiles of the sofa, ottoman and coffee table have a hard, contemporary edge, but subtle details like layers of plush toss cushions and delicately woven sidechairs feel laid-back and uncontrived.
1 Outdoor furniture has come a long way. With its slim, angular shape and sophisticated stony grey colour, the Madison resin wicker sofa by Andrew Richard Designs looks good enough to be indoors – and is just as comfy, too!
2 A cool mix of grey and white toss cushions in solid hues and graphic patterns adds interest and appeal to the clean lines of the modern sofa.
3 The sculptural white sidechairs, with their pretty webbing detail and delicate frames, lend an ethereal quality to the space.
4 The minimalist look of the long coffee table echoes the sofa. Its sturdy, durable design means it can withstand the elements (and spilled drinks).
Interior: Minimal modern home
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How a chance meeting and a chat about chairs resulted in a traditional home filled with modern moments.Call it serendipity: At a party in Toronto, a guest was lamenting how difficult it was to find dining room chairs for her new table. As it turned out, that homeowner was talking to interior design consultant and visual artist Penny Dimos. What luck!
After chatting about their shared love of contemporary art, classic modern furniture and non-fussy interiors, Penny – sight unseen – suggested that the Sala chair by Ligne Roset might be the perfect fit for her new friend’s dining table. And of course it was – the homeowner went out and bought eight.
After chatting about their shared love of contemporary art, classic modern furniture and non-fussy interiors, Penny – sight unseen – suggested that the Sala chair by Ligne Roset might be the perfect fit for her new friend’s dining table. And of course it was – the homeowner went out and bought eight.
Having recently moved into a house big enough to fit their young family, the owners subsequently hired Penny to head the design. Located in midtown Toronto, the 2,600-square-foot, four-bedroom brick-and-stone house had an unwieldy scheme: beige walls, moulding ad nauseam, Tuscan-style terracotta floors and an astonishingly badly proportioned fireplace in the centre of the living room. But the house was structurally sound, so the owners left it to Penny to suffuse it with style, making sure the modern elements worked within the ultra-traditional bones of the home.
Adding art
A placid view shows Toronto photographer George Whiteside’s image of birds in flight. “I love the piece and how it plays off the veining in the marble and connects to the outdoors beyond the nearby windows,” says Penny.
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Modern rustic kitchen
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This modern rustic kitchen feels warm and inviting because of its vintage details and unique touches. When the homeowners of this 1,500-square-foot Toronto condo downsized from their 5,000-square-foot house, they wanted to squeeze all the same elements into their much smaller kitchen. To take on this challenge, they hired designer Jodie Rosen of Jodie Rosen Design. “One of the homeowners is a big cook and entertains family and friends a lot. I was hired on the basis of making everything white, fresh and functional,” she says.
Because of load-bearing concrete walls, she couldn’t make the long and narrow 12-by-25-foot kitchen any larger. So she completely rejigged the room, moving all the main components to maximize the space and allow for an extra-long island with a dining section at one end.
Because of load-bearing concrete walls, she couldn’t make the long and narrow 12-by-25-foot kitchen any larger. So she completely rejigged the room, moving all the main components to maximize the space and allow for an extra-long island with a dining section at one end.
Simple recessed-panel cabinetry in clean, crisp white keeps the room bright, along with white Cambria countertops. Wide-plank engineered wood floors that mimic weathered barnboard, along with a flamed marble slab backsplash and island front, provide texture and pattern with a rustic warmth. Details like pewter hardware, vintage schoolhouse pendant lights and industrial-style stools keep the space from being too sleek. “The beauty of this kitchen is that it’s very modern but doesn’t feel cold thanks to lots of vintage details and unique touches,” Jodie attests. 
Super-bright and fresh space
Large ravine-view windows flood the kitchen with light, resulting in a super-bright and fresh space. The long, narrow island has an extended open section at one end to allow for seating. The flamed marble on the backsplash – created by scorching its surface – was carried onto the front of the island.
Interior: Country casual home
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This Oshawa, Ont., couple creates a retreat in the comfort of their own home with a luxurious yet laid-back kitchen at its centre.“The kitchen is a big deal to me,” says homeowner Sano Goacher. “It’s the place where everything happens.” That’s why when she and her husband, Miles, moved into this Oshawa, Ont., home six years ago, expanding and updating the awkward, diminutive kitchen was their first priority – until the project took on a life of its own.
Having moved from just across the street, the couple loved this house’s cozy layout, flat lot and ravine setting (ideal for their dream backyard). And, no strangers to renovating – they had already revamped their two previous properties – they were all set to update the main floor and create an inviting open-concept kitchen that would flow easily to the outdoors and accommodate casual, comfortable family life. “We never purchased a cottage because we decided we didn’t want the drive every weekend,” says Sano, “so this is basically our home/cottage – that’s how we looked at it.”
Having moved from just across the street, the couple loved this house’s cozy layout, flat lot and ravine setting (ideal for their dream backyard). And, no strangers to renovating – they had already revamped their two previous properties – they were all set to update the main floor and create an inviting open-concept kitchen that would flow easily to the outdoors and accommodate casual, comfortable family life. “We never purchased a cottage because we decided we didn’t want the drive every weekend,” says Sano, “so this is basically our home/cottage – that’s how we looked at it.”
But issues surfaced when they began ripping out drywall and tearing down walls: The house was infested with mice, and improperly installed windows had caused structural problems. So the couple – Sano is a registered nurse and Miles is a portfolio manager and investment adviser – decided to gut the whole place. “Initially, we were going to do it in stages,” says Sano, “but we ended up saying ‘Let’s bite the bullet and do it all.’ We just pushed upstairs and kept going.” A home renovation that took eight months resulted in the 2,600-square-foot home’s luxurious cottage-style aesthetic.
Homeowners Sano and Miles
In the “fireplace room,” Sano and her husband, Miles, sit with their 10-year-old miniature schnauzer, Katie.
Kitchen interior: Timeless architectural kitchen
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What makes this kitchen so beautiful is its architectural features. One of the top priorities for this brand new kitchen was to make it look like it wasn’t brand new at all. Although it’s the hub of a freshly built 5,355-square-foot, four-bedroom home in Richmond Hill, Ont., “the homeowners didn’t want it to look like it was just a big, new kitchen in a big, new house,” explains designer Halina Catherine of Catherine + Davis. To that end, plenty of architectural interest was added with a beamed tongue-and-groove ceiling, reclaimed elm floors laid in a herringbone pattern, honed Calacatta marble countertops, a servery (not shown) and a large bay window. All of these details add up to a kitchen that looks like it could be in a refined European home of a certain age.
Bucking the trend of giant gas ranges, the homeowner requested a low-profile induction cooktop, along with double wall ovens and a separate steam oven. Two small pullout drawer fridges in the servery supplement the main refrigerator in the kitchen. Most of the food prep – as well as homework and family time – happens at the huge kitchen island, which was treated to a dark stain to ground the light, airy space. “The family really congregates here,” says Halina. And it’s easy to see why.
Key elements
Cream Shaker-style cabinetry, plus a walnut-stained island Polished nickel cup pulls and knobs Handglazed ceramic subway tile and Carrara marble mosaic backsplashHoned Calacatta marble countertopsReclaimed elm herringbone floors
Kitchen colour palette
To keep the kitchen light and bright but still warm, a soft buttery shade was chosen for the main cabinetry. For contrast, the steamed beech kitchen island was given a deep walnut stain and topped with the same Calacatta marble as the main countertop. Its honed finish gives it a more aged look.
Bucking the trend of giant gas ranges, the homeowner requested a low-profile induction cooktop, along with double wall ovens and a separate steam oven. Two small pullout drawer fridges in the servery supplement the main refrigerator in the kitchen. Most of the food prep – as well as homework and family time – happens at the huge kitchen island, which was treated to a dark stain to ground the light, airy space. “The family really congregates here,” says Halina. And it’s easy to see why.
Key elements
Cream Shaker-style cabinetry, plus a walnut-stained island Polished nickel cup pulls and knobs Handglazed ceramic subway tile and Carrara marble mosaic backsplashHoned Calacatta marble countertopsReclaimed elm herringbone floors
Kitchen colour palette
To keep the kitchen light and bright but still warm, a soft buttery shade was chosen for the main cabinetry. For contrast, the steamed beech kitchen island was given a deep walnut stain and topped with the same Calacatta marble as the main countertop. Its honed finish gives it a more aged look.
Our favourite bathroom colour palettes
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The best neutral paint colours for decorating (and upgrading) your bathroom walls and colour scheme.Relaxing retreats call for calming colours, so we’ve rounded up some of our favourite paints, starting with crisp whites that transition into pale beiges, then warm greys that lead to cool blues.
Our favourite white paints
1 Chantilly Lace 2121-70. Benjamin Moore.
2 Valspar Whitewashed Oak 7006-23. Lowe’s.
3 Style at Home Colour Collection Satin SD022. Home Hardware.
4 Clunch 2009. Farrow & Ball.
Our favourite white paints1 Chantilly Lace 2121-70. Benjamin Moore.
2 Valspar Whitewashed Oak 7006-23. Lowe’s.
3 Style at Home Colour Collection Satin SD022. Home Hardware.
4 Clunch 2009. Farrow & Ball.
Lead image courtesy of istockphoto.com
Kitchen interior: Polished cool kitchen
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The ebony cabinetry, stainless steel trimmings and turquoise colour scheme are just some of the many statement-making finishes that make this Miami Kitchen look so beautiful.
Miami Beach condo owned by a Toronto couple, Fort Lauderdale interior designer Richard Nemec of Environ Interior Design Associates had already transformed most of the living space into stylish contemporary rooms. However, the basic white laminate kitchen was badly in need of updating. “It was time to bring the kitchen up to the same standard as the rest of the condo,” says Richard. “And, since this is the owners’ escape from the cold weather back home, we wanted it to exude warmth while at the same time be slick and sophisticated.”
For the kitchen cabinetry, he selected dramatic high-gloss Macassar ebony with the grain running horizontally. Several frosted glass-front upper cabinets – lit from within to cast a glow at night – provide a break from the heavily grained wood. The ocean views outside the windows served as inspiration for the back-painted glass backsplash in the same cool turquoise hue, which runs throughout the room. Nearly every finish gleams with a lacquer-like shine that gives the space a refined glam look.
State-of-the-art appliances, such as a Sub-Zero wine column, a built-in Miele coffee system and freezer drawers, ensure the kitchen functions as beautifully as it looks. It’s a wonder the owners are ever willing to leave.
Key elements
Macassar ebony cabinetryStainless steel pulls Turquoise back-painted glass backsplashWhite extra thick Caesarstone countertops Stainless steel toe kicks
Miami kitchen
Extra-thick Caesarstone kitchen countertops in solid white ground the expanse of Macassar ebony cabinetry in this Miami kitchen. The waterfall edge over the island, which has a pair of freezer drawers on one side, also helps to balance out the distinct grain of the cabinetry. Interior designer Richard Nemec created a black lacquer “bridge” around the ceiling perimeter to visually pull the entire kitchen together. The splashy glass backsplash offers dimension and shine, without the visual clutter of a mirrored finish.
In Praise of... Le Corbusier's Immeuble Molitor
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Matilda Bathurst visits the Paris apartment where Le Corbusier lived and painted, comparatively forgotten among the landmark designs he built for others
© FLC/ADAGP/OMG
Navigating west through the formidable 16eme of Paris, flanked by the silent houses of the rich and the old, I eventually arrive in the sports district of Molitor, home to the Jean Bouin stadium, the Parc des Princes, Roland Garros, and the legendary Piscine Molitor. It was here that Le Corbusier chose to live and paint, on the 7th and 8th floors of his Immeuble Molitor. Comparatively under-visited (generally bypassed in favour of the Maison la Roche or the Villa Savoye), the apartment is a stark and shabby memory of once-clean lines and purist colours, ornamented over the years by wear and tear.
Olivier Martin-Gambier © FLC/ADAGP/OMG
Every chipped wall, every scraped floor, is thrown into relief by the light that floods each room. Built with his cousin Pierre Jeanneret between 1931 and 1934, the Immeuble Molitor was the first ever residence to have an entirely glass façade, a combination of horizontal sliding panels and translucent glass blocks. While the building is primarily an experiment in the urbanism principles of 'La Ville radieuese' (sky, trees, steel and cement), the apartment is designed in simple accordance with Le Corbusier's way of life.
It is above all a testament to the importance of light in guiding the process of living; a life weathered into the walls, rather than preserved in amber.
© FLC/ADAGP/OMG
From 1934 until Le Corbusier's death in 1965, the building was home to the split personality of Charles-Édouard Jeanneret. In the morning the atelier housed Jeanneret the painter; after the sun moved round from the east-facing windows, it was once again occupied by Le Corbusier the architect and businessman. An anecdote tells of a journalist who, arriving before noon, was curtly informed by the great man himself that Le Corbusier was not in.
You can imagine the journalist's apprehension as he made his way to the very top of the building, approaching by the cramped, carpeted lift, then climbing the narrow spiral staircase - scaling a height that held no apprehension of old age, no concessions to weakness. On arriving at the seventh floor he would have been squeezed into a narrow corridor, its glass wall facing into the vertiginous open core of the building. Surrounded by a series of identical grey doors, he might have chosen one at random - shortly to be closed in his face.
Olivier Martin-Gambier © FLC/ADAGP/OMG
The doors - to the kitchen, the maid's room, the atelier and the central spiral staircase - offer an efficient system of avoidance. This way, the maid could enter the kitchen without having to walk through the apartment, and Le Corbusier could access his atelier without encountering his wife. Once inside, this system of access and evasion is perhaps more aesthetically generous, with two pivoting doors separating either the atelier from the apartment, or the apartment from the central spiral staircase where guests would climb to their rooftop quarters and terrace. The result is a series of shifting perspectives according to the requirements of the space, true to Le Corbusier's theory of 'la promenade architecturale'.
The atelier, with its white vaulted roof and glass walls to east and west, is designed according to a meticulous 'glare strategy'. A combination of clear panes of glass, wooden panels to control blinding light, and diffracting glass blocks to eliminate shade attempt to artificially reproduce the light of the Mediterranean. Glancing outside, the visitor's gaze is hijacked by the huge undulations of Rudy Ricciotti's restored Jean Bouin stadium, vying with the linear severity of the Immeuble Molitor.
Classic signatures of Le Corbusier's style, from the purist colours stretched across the walls of the apartment, to furnishings such as the LC4 chaise-longue, are moderated by elements lent from other sources; the kitchen designed by Charlotte Perriand, or the exposed bricks and breezeblocks of the adjoining buildings. Le Corbusier said of the wall in his studio: 'The stone can speak, it speaks to us through the wall. Close to us, in contact with our hands, it is a rough and clean skin. This wall is my everyday friend.'
Olivier Martin-Gambier © FLC/ADAGP/OMG
Elsewhere, the apartment is filled with surprising details, such as the marble dining table designed in the style of a morgue slab (practical for red wine spillages), and the stained-glass light-box which communicates between the interior and the balcony - a cabinet for the external display of 'sculpture or cheeses', and a sudden block of coloured light projected into the open-plan interior. On heaving open the door to the bedroom, weighed down by inbuilt storage space, the visitor is struck not only by the merging of bathroom and sleeping quarters, but also the absurd height of the bed. On slender stilts, it suggests that of an extravagant sun-king, or else a prisoner's bunk. Raised so that Le Corbusier's morning view of the landscape might not be blocked by the high concrete balconies, it is another simple if unusual response to sight-lines, impasse and access.
© FLC/ADAGP/OMG
The Fondation Le Corbusier have lined the apartment up for renovation after work has finished on the Maison la Roche, perhaps in the hope of drawing visitors from the luxury hotel currently being built from the remains of the Piscine Molitor. But the shabbiness seems key to the 'devil-may-care' attitude that still pervades the apartment; too hot in summer and too cold in winter, it is far from the 'essential joys' of 'La Ville radieuse'. Instead, the apartment provides a sense of the recalcitrant stoicism of its creator, fused with sporadic bursts of strategic playfulness. Rubbing shoulders with titanic stadia and swathed by sweeping vistas, the Immeuble Molitor is a testament to a life lived simply, according to function, principles, and vision.
The Apartment-Atelier is based at 24 Nungesser-et-Coli, Paris 75016.
Open on Saturdays, 10:00-13:00, 13:30-17:00
reservation@fondationlecorbusier.fr
Interior: Eclectic charm
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How Halifax’s former French consulate was transformed into an informal, warm and welcoming family home.While Sunday drives with the kids might include buying ice cream for most, for Natalie Burke and family the takeaway was exponentially bigger but just as sweet. “We saw that there was an open house at what we already considered the most beautiful home in Halifax, so we went in just to check it out,” says Natalie of the family excursion. “We weren’t planning on moving, but we loved the home’s potential so much, we bought it!”
The former consulate’s centre hall, natural oak hardwood floors and original doors with ornate glass panels immediately spoke to Natalie, a dentist, and her CEO husband, Darren. They could envision turning this once entirely formal space into a comfortable home for their daughters, Charlotte, 10, and Lauren, 7.
The former consulate’s centre hall, natural oak hardwood floors and original doors with ornate glass panels immediately spoke to Natalie, a dentist, and her CEO husband, Darren. They could envision turning this once entirely formal space into a comfortable home for their daughters, Charlotte, 10, and Lauren, 7.
Undaunted by its many less-than-desirable features – ’80s decor, drab colours and a tiny grassy green laminate kitchen – the Burkes enlisted designer Jonathan Legate to transform the interior into a family home that would embrace its history without looking dated and suit the Burkes for years to come.
Homeowner and designer
Homeowner Natalie Burke pictured with Jonathan, the designer who executed the vision for her home.
Kitchen interior: Moody luxe kitchen
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It's the dramatic colour scheme that makes this kitchen so special.
Style at Home editor-in-chief Erin McLaughlin was called in to help with the renovation of her friend’s Newmarket, Ont., kitchen, she was faced with some major layout challenges. Every corner of the room was angled, and four doorways in the space seriously limited the options. So rather than fight it, Erin left the layout as is and opted to focus strictly on the aesthetics. “I really tried to make it suit the homeowner’s personality,” Erin explains. “She loves to cook and entertain and often throws casual dinners and cocktail parties. She’s the sort of person who always wears heels and pearls and looks fabulous, even when cooking.”
Inspired by a swanky cocktail lounge look, the transformation began with new Shaker-style kitchen cabinetry in a warm black-brown finish. The large central island was topped with black granite with glimmering flecks of gold. A glass mosaic backsplash adds a shimmer all around the room, with a dark mosaic border in shades of aubergine that inspired the dramatic deep purple ceiling. On one of the walls, rather than cram in more cabinetry, Erin created a bar from glass-front uppers set on legs. The newly made-over kitchen is a definite gathering space for friends and family. “She always has people over, especially now!” says Erin.
Key elements in this kitchen include:
Kitchen cabinetry
Despite the room’s awkward layout, lots of storage was squeezed in thanks to floor-to-ceiling cabinetry. On this pantry wall, the cabinets were adjusted to fit perfectly flush with the French door-style refrigerator.
In pictures: Battersea Power Station
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26 September 2013 
Photographer Alex Bland captures London’s iconic Battersea Power Station as it is lit up to advertise a new programme featuring survival expert Bear Grylls.
After a string of failed development plans since it was decommissioned in 1983, the vast brick building is soon to be redeveloped into 3,500 homes, as well as offices, shops and a park.
Photo: Alex Bland http://alexbland.com/
The photographer said: 'It was a magnificent spectacle and I was the only person across the water from the station in full view of it.'
Photo: Alex Bland http://alexbland.com/
comments powered by DisqusHigh/low: Decadent dining area
On 03:52
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Green with envy over this decadent dining area? Don’t worry, we pulled this rich yet relaxed look together on budgets befitting a jolly giant and a lucky leprechaun.