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contemporary inspirations

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The landscape design, by Anna Boeschenstein of Grounded, followed a 2,200-square-foot extension by Formwork architects Robert and Cecilia H. Nichols. The front door is painted in Chinese Red by Sherwin-Williams.
The landscape design, by Anna Boeschenstein of Grounded, followed a 2,200-square-foot extension by Formwork architects Robert and Cecilia H. Nichols. The front door is painted in Chinese Red by Sherwin-Williams.
The lower living space on the ground floor of a Los Angeles, California, home features an EcoSmart fireplace fueled by denatured alcohol. Read the full article here.
The lower living space on the ground floor of a Los Angeles, California, home features an EcoSmart fireplace fueled by denatured alcohol. Read the full article here.
The ever-changing, lush wooded surroundings of Minnesota, such as those experienced at this 8,000-square-foot Type Variant House outside of Minneapolis designed by Coen and Partners, are right near the small town of New Richland.
The ever-changing, lush wooded surroundings of Minnesota, such as those experienced at this 8,000-square-foot Type Variant House outside of Minneapolis designed by Coen and Partners, are right near the small town of New Richland.
La Girotte dam
La Girotte dam
Glass Houses Though the original plans called for a frameless wall of glass in the back, it turned out that it would eat up most of the budget. Instead, they installed three wood-framed windows made by Fecon. fecon.de Cut and Plant For the landscaping, the couple literally took a page out of somebody else’s book. Winterhalder says their garden was lifted from page 38 of Peter Janke’s Kleine Gärten (Small Gardens), published by Becker Joest Volk Verlag. bjvv.de
Glass Houses Though the original plans called for a frameless wall of glass in the back, it turned out that it would eat up most of the budget. Instead, they installed three wood-framed windows made by Fecon. fecon.de Cut and Plant For the landscaping, the couple literally took a page out of somebody else’s book. Winterhalder says their garden was lifted from page 38 of Peter Janke’s Kleine Gärten (Small Gardens), published by Becker Joest Volk Verlag. bjvv.de
White oak makes a return appearance on the ceiling in the master bedroom.
White oak makes a return appearance on the ceiling in the master bedroom.
PROD Architecture + Design created a farmhouse in Penafiel, Portugal to fuse the aesthetic of traditional homes in the region with contemporary, floor-to-ceiling windows that respond to the environment. Made up of four distinct structures, the home takes on the shape of an existing gabled-roof structure on the site. To complement the stone building, the home incorporates a series of muted materials including granite for the base, zinc for the roof, and Scandinavian pinewood for cladding.
PROD Architecture + Design created a farmhouse in Penafiel, Portugal to fuse the aesthetic of traditional homes in the region with contemporary, floor-to-ceiling windows that respond to the environment. Made up of four distinct structures, the home takes on the shape of an existing gabled-roof structure on the site. To complement the stone building, the home incorporates a series of muted materials including granite for the base, zinc for the roof, and Scandinavian pinewood for cladding.
The kitchen uses laminated chipboard for the countertop and cabinets, and the same plywood used throughout the house for the table. The lamp is IKEA.
The kitchen uses laminated chipboard for the countertop and cabinets, and the same plywood used throughout the house for the table. The lamp is IKEA.
The stairs lead to a ground-floor garage. Hanging pendants from Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. lend whimsy to the communal spaces.
The stairs lead to a ground-floor garage. Hanging pendants from Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. lend whimsy to the communal spaces.
Houle designed the ofuro tub in the master bath to mesh with the home’s tallowwood wall paneling. The Ikea sink is outfitted with Vola faucets.
Houle designed the ofuro tub in the master bath to mesh with the home’s tallowwood wall paneling. The Ikea sink is outfitted with Vola faucets.
The Langs use an outbuilding as a rec room of sorts. "We call that the Grace Studio," Lang says. "It's designed so a car can pull in there, but we use it as more of a rec room and work space."
The Langs use an outbuilding as a rec room of sorts. "We call that the Grace Studio," Lang says. "It's designed so a car can pull in there, but we use it as more of a rec room and work space."
Project: facade & windows Material: Cedar & Meranti Location: Belgium
Project: facade & windows Material: Cedar & Meranti Location: Belgium
“The black siding is contemporary, but the texture of the wood grain is friendly and complements more traditional neighboring houses,” Clarkson said. Windows are fabricated with Douglas fir. Ipe and stained black cedar make up the home’s various decks.
“The black siding is contemporary, but the texture of the wood grain is friendly and complements more traditional neighboring houses,” Clarkson said. Windows are fabricated with Douglas fir. Ipe and stained black cedar make up the home’s various decks.
The entrance has a simple white ceiling, the dining table sits in a double-height space, and the living room has a warm spruce ceiling, subtly dividing the open floor plan. The interior flooring (a custom mixed shade of Invedra concrete) was also used on the patios, which help facilitate the indoor-outdoor cohesion.
The entrance has a simple white ceiling, the dining table sits in a double-height space, and the living room has a warm spruce ceiling, subtly dividing the open floor plan. The interior flooring (a custom mixed shade of Invedra concrete) was also used on the patios, which help facilitate the indoor-outdoor cohesion.
Project: Bench with storage Material: Birch plywood Location: Mechelen, Belgium
Project: Bench with storage Material: Birch plywood Location: Mechelen, Belgium
Project: Terrace Material: Ipé Location: Mechelen, Belgium
Project: Terrace Material: Ipé Location: Mechelen, Belgium
“We wanted the wood to appear as natural as possible, so leaving the larch untreated was the first choice,” Bas explained. But the shape of the house would make the wood turn gray unevenly, so they blackened the larch. “The clients were excited with the dark color as it helps the house blend into the trees. They didn’t want the anything excessive or showy.” But blackened timber comes with its own challenges. Since it absorbs more heat, a larger air cavity was built behind the wood to keep it cool.
“We wanted the wood to appear as natural as possible, so leaving the larch untreated was the first choice,” Bas explained. But the shape of the house would make the wood turn gray unevenly, so they blackened the larch. “The clients were excited with the dark color as it helps the house blend into the trees. They didn’t want the anything excessive or showy.” But blackened timber comes with its own challenges. Since it absorbs more heat, a larger air cavity was built behind the wood to keep it cool.
"The cedar siding is simply stained with a black semi-transparent oil stain [from Cabot], which allows the color of the wood to still emerge through,” architect Robert Hutchison says. “We love how the black color makes the building recede into the background, and how it in turn allows the trees on the site to emerge as the highlight.”
"The cedar siding is simply stained with a black semi-transparent oil stain [from Cabot], which allows the color of the wood to still emerge through,” architect Robert Hutchison says. “We love how the black color makes the building recede into the background, and how it in turn allows the trees on the site to emerge as the highlight.”

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