Bordering the Seine, the turn-of-the-century exterior of Krzentowski’s building belies little of what lies within.
The aging facade of Aumas’s apartment belies the energy within.
The Floating Farmhouse’s semitransparent addition has a roofline that matches the pitch of the original 1820s farmhouse. A porch, tucked under the side eaves, is cantilevered over a stream that runs through the property. Ikea loungers are illuminated from the interior by commercial gymnasium lights repurposed as pendant lamps.
Nicknamed the Floating Farmhouse, this 200-year-old home inspired one former copywriter to delve into architecture as a living. Inside, renovator and owner Tom Givone mixes vintage and industrial decor. Photo by Mark Mahaney.
Tom Givone's current weekend abode, nicknamed the Floating Farmhouse, is—so far—his capstone project, a synthesis of personal taste, material experimentation, and historically sensitive restoration: a living laboratory for how to bring the vernacular past into the present.
Fusion Landscape Design worked with PATH to remake the backyard into a grown-up playground. Under the stairwell sits a tiny custom cedar sauna and an outdoor shower—just a literal hop, skip, and jump away from the sprawling in-ground eight-by-ten-foot hot tub. Down three short stairs, Gloster’s Elan dining table from Design Within Reach is surrounded by Spark chairs by Don Chadwick for Knoll and a built-in fire pit and DCS grill by Fisher & Paykel—all resting on a smooth surface of bluestone pavers.
In the bathroom, a thin pane of glass separates the shower; an Aquaplane sink by Lacava hovers above
a built-in vanity illuminated by a lean Adelphi light by Oxygen Lighting; and blue-green glass penny tiles by Terra Verre decorate the floor. The absence of a door, combined with windows on two sides, makes the bathroom feel like a continuation of the overall space.
A cantilevered cabin designed by R D Gentzler blends into the forest, even as it hovers above a 20-foot drop-off. Its south face is almost entirely glass, but a roof canopy limits solar gain. “We sit on the deck all afternoon watching the trees, and the time just flies by,” says resident Maricela Salas.
Those costs were partially recouped by using knotted pine planks for the exterior.
The residents splurged on double-height Marvin Integrity windows.
New residential buildings are few and far between in England, so architects like Phillips have increasingly been charged with creating groundbreaking modern environments within the shells of historic houses. “People just find it easier to work within existing houses to transform them to be sleek, stylish and functional,” says Phillips. “Extensions have almost become a requirement for any homeowner who wants to be a part of modern living within the U.K.”
The new space was conceived as a blank canvas so that the decidedly nontraditional English garden—a large lawn bordered by exotic palms, bamboos, ferns, and other flamboyant foliage inspired by a recent holiday to Australia—could be the focal point. The minimalist dining table, benches, and stools are by e15.
Architect Gregory Phillips connected the original house to a new modern extension that doesn’t interfere with the surrounding houses. “I try to be true to the location,”he explains, “so it doesn’t seem like some spaceship has landed.”
Phillips retained the old-world charm of original features like the black-and-white floor tiles (seen here in the entryway) and views of the garden from the front door.
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The living room structure soars to two stories, with banks of glass louvers at the upper level providing cross ventilation.
Dougal James-Robertson explains that with all the glass doors open, the couple is “fully in touch with whatever’s happening naturally.” Contrary to what the image here portrays, this is not always a good thing, as the weather can pack a wallop with intense rain and wind.
The three structures that make up the James-Robertson residence are framed in black-coated aluminum and steel.
Sloped ceilings, covered with stained Western red cedar, add warmth to the interior (bottom). “We set out to design using the best of what modernism has to offer, but to try to execute that in a way that is livable and home-like,” says architect Jonathan Feldman. The bedroom contains an A. Rudin bed and a Beau chair from Room & Board. It opens onto a deck with an aluminum awning
In the master bath, a Duna pendant by El Torrent hangs above a Blu Stone tub.
Concealed speakers from James Loudspeaker, scattered throughout the indoor and outdoor rooms, let the residents stream music from their phones. A trio of love seats and a coffee table from Henry Hall’s Tru/Pure collection form another outdoor room.
The dining area features sliding glass doors by Fleetwood. Interior designer Toni Ambus paired a reclaimed sycamore table by Dekayu with Lea dining chairs by Roberto Barbieri for Zanotta. A Broom pendant by Brand van Egmond lights the room.
Overhangs around the perimeter help prevent interior heat buildup and glare.
When the residents of this weekend home in Carmel, California, approach the property, the house’s smart-tech systems prepare the dwelling for their arrival by turning on the heat and lights and opening the blinds. Wildlife are frequent visitors here, but the area’s active woodpeckers aren’t very welcome, so the house is clad in corrugated metal siding by Recla Metals.
Ceiling-mounted fixtures tend to be used to provide ambient light in a room as opposed to accent or task lighting because they provide more general, dispersed lighting.
The master bedroom, which overlooks a lake across the street, is furnished with a Copenhagen bed by Wood Products for Room & Board.
Amy requested a quiet, sunny reading nook with a view; In Situ obliged with a built-in bench housing her collection of books.
Floors are sealed and waxed concrete. The 4,200-square-foot home is clad in stained local tongue-in-groove cypress.
In the living room are a sectional by American Leather for Room & Board, an Eames lounge chair and ottoman, and a custom floor lamp and coffee table by Jeremy Clark and Ed Haynes.
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