Finishes/Detailing

Louvers, jalousies, frits, awnings, and exterior shutters—learn about some of the best-looking and effective ways to achieve a passive solar design in your home.

The cement floor in front of the bar counter becomes a multi-tier platform seating area. A cement staircase leads customers to additional seating on the second floor.

Budapest design studio POSITION Collective employs clever storage solutions, including a wardrobe rack, modular walls, and a storage-filled bed, in order to maximize functional space. Though the 323-square-foot studio is now being leased out on a long-term basis, the clients had originally wanted to turn the small apartment into a stylish and memorable space for design-loving travelers visiting Budapest.

The original apartment, located in the Grazia district, was dark and disjointed. Built in the early twentieth century, it had been partitioned into small rooms that were connected by shadowy hallways. The impression of the architect, Carles Enrich, was that the apartment's potential had been

In the ground level bathroom, guests can soak in a deep bathtub while looking out to views of the courtyard.

New prospect to the outdoors is provided by a screened courtyard.

Here, Vázquez poses on a sofa by Avant Haus in the new space. The slatted enclosure houses a bathroom; a one-way mirror lets users see out without forfeiting their privacy.

The striking master bath is lined from floor to walls in silvery gray marble.

The minimalist bathroom boasts Cararra marble surfaces, Hansgrohe faucets and shower fixtures, and a skylight by Velux.

When extended, the metal-mesh curtain wall deflects the sunlight to mitigate the internal temperature of the structure. Similar energy-efficient gestures include geothermal heating and cooling, shading and venting systems, solar panels, and organic finishes and materials.

Simple brass screws affix the bathroom’s antibacterial copper cladding, reclaimed from a barn roof in Connecticut, to the walls. Bronze screen frames, salvaged from buildings on Shope’s Amenia property and then cut into small decorative strips, line the bathroom door frame.

Open to the valley, the home lets the Shopes fully experience the seasons, even the sound of the Hudson River’s ice cracking in winter.

A deep soaking tub complements a shower lined with marble and wooden slats. A double vanity sits opposite.

The living room feels more spacious than it already is thanks to ceilings that stretch 12 feet high. The built-in storage module houses a hideaway workspace and provides a buffer between the bedrooms and the common space.