AREIAS DO SEIXO - SANTA CRUZ PORTUGAL

swoon.... oh just let me catch my breath again!  and .... swoon again!

A lot of design elements I totally adore here - and this little gem of an eco-chic luxury hotel and villa complex is only in Portugal, not miles and miles and miles away... and I've never been to Portugal - its on my list though...

And I quote..... Areias Do Seixo owes much of its charm and success to its owners, husband and wife team Marta Fonseca and Gonçalo Alves, who in 2010 decided to create a hotel reflecting their passion for the environment and design. Gonçalo, who comes from three generations of hoteliers, also holds a degree in Management together with Marta, who is on hand to greet each new visitor like a guest in their home. “They arrive as guests and leave as friends,” noted Gonçalo, who tapped architect Vasco Vieira and interior designers Rosario Gabriel and Isabel Schedel to bring their eco-chic resort to life, complete with geothermal energy, photovoltaic solar panels, and recycling.

“When we got the chance to do a project like this, in a location we consider to be precious, we knew we had to be extremely sensitive in the way we would intervene,” says Gonçalo, who built around ancient trees instead of uprooting them, which can be seen in one of the guest bathrooms where a stately olive tree stands at its center. Their commitment to recycling can be found in whimsical designs scattered throughout the hotel’s interiors. Bed frames and wardrobes ingeniously constructed with driftwood collected from nearby beaches, while old oil drums were transformed into chic bedside tables."

I can just feel a little exploration developing in the folds and inbetween the grey matter of my little brain - and who said it's not ok to dream?  And who said our dreams won't come true...

Keep dreaming beautiful guys and girls, its only Monday - and a rainy one it's been here in London, but keep those dreams alive - then the rainy days will pass without even a fleck of a reminder of the wet day it's been!


Images via a variety of websites and blogs and pinterest
More info here - areias do seixo

AJA RESTAURANT BY ARCH.LAB (INDIA)

Another beautiful restaurant design - this time all the way from India! and at AJA restaurant in Chandigarh 

A lot of things work really well in this space - and lots of really interesting and eye catching elements.  My favorite things (take a guess) would the the wall panels that look a lot like polished cement to me, but it could also be a polished plaster finish.  I like the wooden elements they have incorporated in various aspects of the design - and aren't those chairs with the low backs just so divine!

What they had to say about the project:

We at Arch.lab, conceived this project as a space where nature fuses with art, creating a unique environment reflecting the character of the city. The space is also designed to favor interactions, exchanges and relationships, thus making the whole experience more meaningful.  'Aja' offers a completely unseen world with a unique blend of nature with architecture. The entire space is sunken to separate it physically and psychology from the outdoor environment.

Project by Arch.Lab

Images by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj via ArchDaily

SCANDINAVIAN LOFT INSPIRATION

Oh my oh my!  What a beautiful Scandinavian loft apartment - it seriously ticks all the boxes for me. The stunning interior and neutral tones, lots of wood, but not too overwhelming.... that stunning feature wall, which is very similar in look and feel to a Clayworks wall finish..... 

I especially like the coat and shoe storage in a pull out drawer under the stairs... that's one to remember for one day!

And then you wonder up the stairs and arrive at a light and bright loft/ mezzanine bedroom with a glass wall and mirrored wardrobes to reflect even more light.... the low bed I love!

I'll add a few more plants and a swing chair or hammock chair of sorts and then this will be my perfect homesweethome!

Would seriously love to live somewhere like this someday... won't you?

First spotted via Pinterest and then myparadissi
Images via bo LKV

A HEART THAT'S ACHING TO SEE YOU SMILE AGAIN...

Today I'm writing this post for someone - someone I'd so love to reach out to - but I can't.  I think we've all been there, so low, so low in life, so low that nothing and no-one and nothing anyone says can pull us out.  And in that is also contained the reason I cannot reach out - because sometimes just quietly being there for someone - is more important than going out in full force trying to save them and trying to rescue them.  Because... we've been there, and nothing and no-one and nothing anyone says can pull us out...   

So I'm writing this as a message, which I know she will never read - but in my heart of hearts I my only wish for her is she pulls through.  She has so much to offer, but she hasn't even come close to realizing the magnificence of her being  - She's a mother, she's a friend, she's a sister, she's a girl like any other who also had dreams to cherish, and countries and cities in this wonderful world that she wanted to explore.  But life didn't quite work out like that.  And I think maybe she thinks that she is stuck, and maybe she thinks there is no way out... but there always a l w a y s ALWAYS is a way out.  
When it feels like there is no way out - we need to make our way down, down on our knees and pray.  And pray an earnest and heartfelt prayer - pray until the tears stream out of our eyes and onto the soil of the earth beneath our feet.  Because in that humble broken bent state - we acknowledge that we cannot do it alone, we acknowledge that there is a higher power that we need to call out to - not only when we're in dispair - but every single day of our lives.  By connecting with that higher power, I call him God, you may call it something else - we do exactly that, we connect to a higher power that can fill all our needs - but we need to take that first step.  We need to make the time to be vulnerable and humble and cry out for help.

And then, breathe deeply and take a moment and just be still - be still and feel the connection, the connection to a life force bigger than us, a life force and an energy force that connects us to the universe and beyond - and that in itself is quite magical!  But that life force that runs through us wants us to be happy, and it wants for us to succeed in our purpose in life whatever that may be - and that life force is all for us.  We need to realize that, sometimes be reminded of that.

I want to tell her to start moving her body and shaking off this feeling of giving up - shout or scream and just let it all out - just get some vibrations running through her veins... a ripple effect.  Take a drive to the ocean and watch the waves ebb and flow - like life we all ebb and flow... she lives close to the ocean, she can do that.

But really all I want to do is give her a tight hug and tell her all will be ok, and that nothing lasts forever - and that she will pull through.  But.... she may have to take that first step, and that first step will be the most difficult step because where she is that step in itself is probably an impossibility - but the most precious step she'll ever take...  I'm sending her lots of love and I'm sending her light and positive vibrations and I'm sending a prayer on her behalf .... xxxx

Image via pinterest

REGENT'S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE BY B3 DESIGNERS

One of the things I'm enjoying most about my new freelance job, is researching new Architecture and Design studios to introduce our finishes to.  I'm always just so amazed and inspired by the very many talented studios and individuals out there thinking and designing and plotting away to create these beautiful spaces for us mere mortals to enjoy.  Thank you all - you are making our world beautiful!

So here we have the cafe at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre which recently had a spectacular re-design by B3 Designers based in the trendy Metropolitan Wharf in London's E1W (Wapping I say) I popped by there last week to drop in some samples, and it's quite an inspirational space, with a nice little cafe, and a terrace with tables and chairs over looking the Thames.... 

And I quote via B3 Designers website: 

'In May 2015, The Regents Park Open Air Theatre reopens it doors for a new season.

Brief
Our brief from the client was to readdress the function and impact of the f&b offers at the open air theatre. We redesigned the existing bar and café offerings and converted the existing merchandise area to a small kitchen and dispense bar, to maximise service and overall theatre experience for guests.

Tone of voice 
The overall style and tone if the space is in keeping with the casual language of the space, materials have been kept materials raw and organic with down-to-earth furniture choices. Industrial lighting and concrete bar tops sit alongside reclaimed timber, with expanded metal and mild steel used for details. We aimed to preserve the comfortable and casual offering of the existing space that sits within the natural park surroundings.. 

Key areas / Summer café
Initially your eye might glide to the mild-steel hanging rails hang above the back bar area, with black boards that hook on with steel hooks for flexibility. The client needed the space to be flexible so we incorporated small features like clamp on lights which can be directed to illuminate new promotions or key products on offer on the shelves below. These scaffold board shelves, with mild steel trims, line the back wall at different heights to change the pace of VM display. A UV bonded glass display box sits on top of the counter to allow fresh produced to be displayed. Oak timber boards with varied heights also sit on the counter to present the cafes food offerings. We have addressed the queuing system, optimising the layout of the café counter and equipment to ensure fast and easy service.We were approached by the theatre who wanted to readdress their F&B offers.'

I'm loving this space so much so that I may need to go and grab a spot of lunch there over the weekend - especially while the summer is here - best to make the most of what London has to offer while the good weather allows (bar today off course.... grey and wet and wet and grey - and yuk windy!)

Images and text via b3designers

ON IMAGINATION

Have a happy Friday and a beautiful weekend everybody... and a little pause every now and then to just become aware of all the magic and wonder out there is totally ok - I promise.  It may even be good for you, think about it...

xxx

Via Pinterest

VILLA CP BY ZEST ARCHITECTURE

Beautiful refurbishment of a barn - where a modern home had been built within the structure of an old stone barn.  Large openings have been added to allow lots of light to flood the interior and also to take in the landscape of spectacular views.

I notice the natural plaster finishes on the walls, it gives a warm and neutral feel, inviting - and adds a somewhat rustic charm.  Similar finishes can be achieved with our range of beautiful natural clay plaster finishes - visit Clayworks for more inspiration for your walls - your imagination is your only limitation!

This project was thoughtfully designed by Zest Architecture

Images Via architizer