CONCRETE AND WHITE SWEDISH HOUSE

Just stumbled upon this post I started way back in 2012 and just never got round to finishing - does this happen to anyone else?  When you come across something beautiful to share, and then something happens and you never get round to finishing what you're doing.  This seems to be happening to me a lot these days, not just on the blogging front but also in life.  Easily distracted I am...

Need to focus, need to stick to my lists and not get distracted so easily, so quickly.  And need to have just the one to-do list and not lists in lots of different places.  So from today I am going to get organised again, organise my life and organise my time.  Time is so precious and so is each day.  I feel like I am getting the most out of each day, but not always on the admin side of things, which is also important.  So I guess a little bit less of the nice things (reading blogs, pinterest and blogging and sketching) and more of the admin things... just for a while until I'm back and up to date again.  [OK I'll be honest, I have just one sketch I will finish and then that's it!)

So todays post will be short and sweet and just sharing this beautiful and minimal whitewashed wood and concrete home.  At the time (March 2012) it was up for sale; I wonder who the lucky folk are that now live in this calm and inviting home - wouldn't it be nice to just pack up and move to Sweden?

Images via nordicbliss

FRIDAY INSPIRATION: POLKA GELATO BY STUDIO VONSUNG

More here

Via Pinterest

ANTONINOS HOUSE IN MILANO

This is the amazing home of Blacksmith, Sculptor and Artist, Antonino Sciortino as featured in a recent issue of Rum magazine and found via mechant design blog.  That bamboo-entrance is just to die for!

I love all the plants and greenery in his white and bright house.  Those shelves with more pots and plants and the wide stairs leading the way down.  There are plenty more images, but due to copyright issues I won't be able to share, however you may want to head over to living inside and browse some more amazing images there.

Images by Serge Anton
Images via mechant design blog

http://mechantdesign.blogspot.it/2013/04/antoninos-house-in-milano.html

M11 HOUSE, HOCHIMINH BY A21 STUDIO

M11 house is located in a residential suburb of HoChiMinh and thoughtfully designed by a21studio.  By using natural materials such as wood and stone, and incorporating sky-lights and well placed small internal courtyards; the architect successfully created a sanctuary for the clients to unwind from the hustle and bustle and noise and pollution from the city.

Most rooms in the house will either have views or would open up onto one of the many courtyards, even the bathrooms have outside areas or rock gardens to create a feeling of oneness with nature.  I love this kind of design.  This also feels like a very safe house, yet it is not totally enclosed.  It still allows for views out over the neighbourhood, but wooden screens keep the internal spaces cool and well protected from the humid summertimes.

Beautiful concrete floors and wall finishes and even in the bathrooms - I wish I could visit this house and really feel the space.  I love everything about it!  I am planning another little visit to Vietnam later on this year and perhaps I'll spend a bit more time in HoChiMinh this time round.   And perhaps stumble on some more great architecture finds between now and then. 

Having looked at some of a21studio's other works - I am excited to also add them to my list of favourites.  Unfortunately I could not access their website - but the link above is correct as far as I am aware.

Back to the drawing board for me - with lots of new found inspiration for my very own project in a small town called Darling on the west coast of South Africa....  I hope this dream won't stay a dream for very long, and I hope it will soon become a reality... soon indeed

Have an inspired day everyone!


Images via CONTEMPORIST

WALL HOUSE BY FARM

Just stumbled upon this spectacular project via Europaconcorsi - from the office of Farm; a cross disciplinary design practise based in Signapore.   And oh, won't it just be lush to work for a creative and insightful office like theirs .... check them out here.

Back to Wall House:  In essence two separate houses - becoming one connected space through a central courtyard - and that's exactly what the client brief requested.  The use of various materials and textures, shapes and plenty of glass and greenery allows the inhabitants - a retired couple in one house and one of their children in the other, to enjoy inspiring views from almost every angle.

I love the willowy trees placed thoughtfully throughout and around the property, lots of greens and water features all around.  And just imagine cooking dinner in that kitchen!  I totally love this kind of living where the outdoors become part of the indoors, and vice versa.

Images via Farm

BACK FROM GUERNSEY

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Its been a busy couple of weeks on the pretty Channel Isle of Guernsey.  I've been out there for the past two weeks doing some contract work at Sure Cable and Wireless.  Busy busy busy would sum it up nicely.  The thought I had initially to have time to blog in the evenings.... soon went out the backdoor.

With so many beautiful sights and sounds who would not rather be out and about than being tied to a laptop.  The evenings felt really long and time passes at a rather lovely pace.  We had great sunshine most of the time.  The beaches were all picturesque and the sunsets were really out of this world!  Great restaurants and oh the seafood!

Vazon bay,  Cobo beach,  Fermain... and St Peter Port to name a few of wonderful places I visited.

Hopefully this will be the first of many visits to this little hidden gem in the English Channel.  But for now it's back to London, back to reality and back to getting that website of mine up and running and launched!