house design
. Edit your collectibles. Don’t hang on to a piece that just doesn’t fit. I don’t care if your great-aunt Sally gave it to you. If it’s not working for you, then find a new home for it (maybe in a different room). The unifying theme here is the use of black in the utilitarian pieces. The balance is almost perfect. It reminds me of something Coco Chanel said about accessorizing: “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” In design, know when to stop.
Consider sight lines. Your focal point should be free and clear from one room to the next, so that it feels like you’re being drawn between them. That’s why the best spot for a focal point is usually directly across from the entrance to the room. Here a seating arrangement around artwork draws the viewer into the room because the sight line is clear.
. Create a focal point. There are leading roles and supporting cast members in any production. The same holds true in design. Choose your star and make it the focal point to anchor a room. Allow other items to take a secondary role. Don’t ask everything to have a leading role; it will just result in visual noise. Your focal point might be a dramatic hood in the kitchen, a mantel and art piece in the living room or a headboard in the bedroom. Whatever it is, choose something that will draw attention. In this room the fireplace and the lighting work together as a collective focal point, bringing your eye right to the center of the composition and anchoring it there.
This detail of a concrete wall really captures Griffin's comparison with cave walls. The simplified animals not only recall the famous images of cave paintings, but they also appear to tell a story. The coloring of the different panels works with the images, so the animals trek across the green ground.
As the first photo makes clear, the house is not composed solely of concrete surfaces. Reclaimed wood from inside the house was reused on the exterior, breaking up the gray. A strong contrast also happens with reclaimed cedar for the deck and fence. Yet it's still the concrete areas that grab the attention, such as the one with the deer on the second floor in this photo.
We ordered the cabinets and the island from Poggenpohl's Quick Ship line and then customized them," says Horowitz. "We added casters to the island so that it can be moved out of the way when large groups are over. When working within such a small footprint, you have to maximize flexibility." The white walls, polished concrete floor and bright natural light keep the focus on the country views.
"The challenge is in the balancing act between performance and design," says Horowitz. This north-facing high-performance glass door was part of the balance between energy efficiency and livability; the family enjoys extensive farm landscape views through it. Concrete floors absorb heat and then radiate it into the space, offsetting any loss of warmth from this door.
"The dining room table from their former family home is the one piece my clients wanted me to design around," says Horowitz. She tucked a built-in banquette in a small bay, providing an ample dining space that doesn't encroach upon the main living room. The traditional trestle table, contemporary chairs and gooseneck barn sconce give the room a touch of modern farmhouse style.
The iconic gable form and bold red color used outside appear again on opposite ends of the indoor living space. The exposed ductwork assists with the small amount of backup heat the family requires beyond the passive heat, as well as air conditioning for those rare days when natural ventilation can't handle a heat wave. Both come from a small, single system. "We needed to create a sense of entry within the living space," explains Horowitz; the small, low walls to the left provide this.
Given the home's small footprint, the main living space needs to serve several functions and be flexible. In this floor plan, the center of the house incorporates the dining room, the kitchen and the living room spaces, and each end of the house contains one bedroom. "This is more of a retreat than a vacation home," says Horowitz. While the writer in the family sometimes uses the house midweek as a studio, the whole family gathers here on weekends and during vacation weeks. Footstools: Ikea
Taco and Petra were able to select all the finishes during the building process, from the color and type of brick to the design of the front door. The couple chose one of two larger custom home designs in the neighborhood. In choosing the lot, "We had to take into account factors such as where the sun sets and our positioning with our neighbors,” Petra says. And each plot came with a home design with its own unique details.
On the first-floor landing is an antique dresser beside three modern feature windows. Family photographs hang in a gallery wall above. Antique dresser: Antiek De Toren
The modern family kitchen boasts contemporary appliances and clean lines. A charcoal gray accent wall creates a sleek backdrop and smooth connection with the Brazilian slate floor tiles. Red accessories, such as a modern high chair from Stokke Tripp Trapp, contrast well with the combination of gray, white and light wooden furnishings.
The open plan allows guests and hosts to stay connected while meals are prepared in the kitchen. Rug: Perletta Limone; gray paint: Smoke, Dimagio New Traditionals
Floor-to-ceiling windows ensure that the living room is bathed in light during the day; understated Venetian blinds give the room privacy at night. Custom built-in bookshelves flank the windows, showing off favorite books and framed family portraits — and providing extra storage in cabinets below. Bookshelves and cabinets: custom Nu Interieur|Ontwerp; sofa: Saba International; armchairs: Harvink Alowa; rug: Perletta Limone
Contemporary furnishings arranged around a custom TV cabinet allow for comfortable viewing in the main living room.
A cubby on the other side of fireplace wall provides a place to stylishly store firewood.
Their home's most striking feature is the fireplace, set into a partition between the dining and living rooms. Petra and Taco wanted it to become an focal point and create flow between the spaces. The house took 16 months to finish, including 10 months of building. “The main surprises were the ridiculously high costs to make small changes such as moving electrical sockets to non-standard locations," Petra says. "Canceling certain items such as heaters actually cost us money." There was also little flexibility in opting for extensions, which prompted them to take up certain projects after completion, such as installing floor heating, building attic extensions and finishing the kitchen.
“Light gray with dark gray trim and wood” “wood and grey paint looks good” “I pinned this one due to the unique roof line. I also like the contrast of the Stucco and the wood.” “I like the angled roof lines. mixed materials on exterior a plus: wood and concrete” “gray/white color combination” “Wood and panel, plaster tones” “Wood and concrete in combination” “grey stucco and natural wood” “and wood....Great wood siding...Stucco and wood...Wood and Concrete!...and wood...Wood around door...stucco, wood, color”
“This color combination and modern style is amazing.” “BM Iron mountain with light wood and white trim - just stunning.” “Porch. Concrete with wood over it. Painted concrete.” “I love this combination for an exterior” “Wood over concrete for porch” “like the colored wood floors” “color combination...color combinations...Color combination....white wood...wood columns...wood railing...wood siding...wood trim”
meets corrugated siding. A bay window in blue cement board stands out against the wood.” “love the combination of corrugated siding, cinder block, cement board and wood” “covered in wood siding in a natural finish, but at this inside corner it meets corrugated siding. A bay window in blue cement board stands out against the wood.” “Again it's the horizontal slat wood that is so pleasing. The contrasting open slat (left) is wonderful too. the bumpout and disappearing corner window... awesome.” “I love the wood and the cement board siding materials. I particularly LOVE the blue cement board panels.” “Flat panel fiber cement & horizontal wood, doesn't look good, they don't mesh well” “great siding.....natural wood with blue cement”
Vary the scale. What looks good in the store may look like an elephant in the room when you bring it home. Or it’s too tiny to be of any significance. So always vary scale and proportion. The oversize sunburst mirror frame fills up the wall space nicely here, while the sand dollars make an interesting grouping below. They would be much too insignificant individually. Threes and fives make for more pleasing arrangements than even numbers.
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