Green Design
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi have a beautiful Beverly Hills Home and lucky for us, they shared a sneak peak into their gorgeous estate with Architectural Digest. Privacy and security are obviously very important to the couple, but Ellen revealed that she has a passion for real estate and interior design. Their Beverly Hills home is nestled on a private 3-acre lot, but they also have a 26-acre farm north of LA where Portia can keep her German warmbloods and they can escape to a real sense of privacy. Ellen grew up living in rental properties and always dreamed of having her own home, so one of the first things she did when she began making her own money was buy a home. At this point, Portia and Ellen have lived in seven different homes since they first got together. They seem to purchase a new home and relocate almost every year.
Posted by KarenShearer at 10 April, 2013
Ian Hogarth, of Hogarth Architects, and his wife Claire Farrow had been living in basement apartments with their two children for many years, but hey had a plan to build their modern dream home. They had been searching for a potential lot in the very crowded and desirable area of Kensington, in West London, England. Once locating a potential site, they snapped it up and began their design and build. The project took a year and a half and certainly pushed the family to their limits, but now they feel they have the perfect oasis nestled into a busy urban area. The location was less than ideal. It was a small plot on a mews backed up to a rail line. The exterior of their home appears quite ordinary and was designed and built to fit in with the surrounding structures, but once inside there was an entirely different plan.
Their new home, the Russell Gdns Mews, is three stories tall with an enlarged basement area. In fact the home is built on a lot that is just over 2,000 square feet and about two thirds of the home will be built underground. Amazingly, into this space they have managed to pack in all the basics plus some extraordinary extras while utilizing cutting edge green technology and lighting.
Posted by KarenShearer at 9 April, 2013
Architect Cristian Corvin designed Restaurant Lacrimi si Sfinti, translated as “Tears and Saints,” as completely recycled, reclaimed, salvaged or upcycled structure. It is located in Bucharest, Romania and even the pottery, ceramics, other decor and serving elements are made by local artisans. All of the wood actually had to pass an age test in order to be included in the design. The interior does appear rustic while simultaneously maintaining an elegant and sophisticated charm. The gorgeous design of the bar, which appears simply as layers of stacked wood, is an intricate and balanced eye catching element. The use of wood along side the beautiful brickwork is natural choice that allows the aesthetic of the restaurant to flow seamlessly into all spaces.
Posted by KarenShearer at 8 April, 2013
People in glass houses…are envied. Architect Hans van Heeswijk of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, designed the Rietland House which is also his personal residence. Situated on the recently established IJburg island, this waterfront dream home is 2,900 square feet of glass, steel, concrete and wood and represents a limitless modern design application.
Posted by Suzanne at 1 April, 2013
A contemporary home built on railroad tracks that doesn’t travel, a very interesting concept and an even more amazing dream home. The Russell House, also dubbed, the Sliding House, was designed by dRMM for, or rather in conjunction with, the owner (an long time friend of the architect). The plan was to self-build a home for retirement that would support the owner’s lifestyle. They wanted a place where they could grow food, entertain and take pleasure in the surrounding landscape. There were stringent site requirements due to the rural location of the home. Luckily both the architect and owner had an appreciation for traditional farm structures, but they took this exterior archetype to a whole new level with creative structural and interior design.
Posted by KarenShearer at 29 March, 2013
John Lum Architecture is located in a former laundry machine factory on 17th Street in the Mission District of San Francisco. The staff area & lounge, which is located on the second floor of the building was completely gutted and recreated to serve as an area for staff use. Through this project, they were able to reconfigured the space to better meet their own needs while simultaneously using it as a study for the utilization of various finishes, colors and texture. While the firm usually tends toward contemporary and sustainable design techniques, when appropriate they also promote the historical preservation of certain sites and materials. The lounge and dining area above presents a natural and relaxed atmosphere where staff members can take a break and enjoy their meals. Each piece in the room is exquisite but one of my favorite objects is the steam bend wood sculpture by Ted Uran that is located in front of the windows. The contemporary decor is blended well with the existing structure which included the beautiful wooden opened beam ceiling that was white washed.
Posted by KarenShearer at 27 March, 2013
Roger Ferris + Partners LLC, from their Studio X division, designed the modern and environmentally conscious Bay House in Sag Harbor, NY. This single-family home capitalizes on its Long Island coastline location with environmentally integrated systems and gorgeous bay views. The residence is the ultimate in sustainability with a geothermal heating and cooling system, passive solar design (which maximizes solar lighting and shading) and xeriscape landscaping. It features a total of 6,400-square-feet of living space with five bedrooms and an open plan kitchen, dining and living space, a separate family room and other utility spaces. There is also a pool house that contains a study bathroom and office space, which is connected to the main home via a wooden deck. This attached pool house and deck area also create a wonderful sheltered outdoor living space that is protected from any strong breezes that may come off the bay. There are also separate guest quarters, which are disconnected from the main home and located above the garage. All of these features coupled with fabulous modern design and that view. Paradise, within commuting distance to NYC, is found.
Posted by KarenShearer at 26 March, 2013
