Modern Interiors

Small modern home outfitted with the coolest window seat

2012-04-27T03:53:58Z

Carter Williamson Architects created this small home with interiors that seem to flow seamlessly right into the great outdoors. This Sydney, Australia house design features a massive sliding glass wall that lets natural light flood the space. We love this sweet spot, outfitted with a window seat - the perfect place to read, chat with friends on the phone or in person, or daydream solo. At the foot of the window, the dining table offers an always pleasant view, regardless which seat you've snagged. Directly across the dining nook, the kitchen features clean, contemporary finishes. Sure, the mirrored backsplash may be a magnet for fingerprints and sink 'n stove splatter, but we love the way it doubles the amount of daylight as well as the view. But, this great window space couldn't be banished into the kitchen for enjoyment only at meal times. Thus, the designers transformed this space into a kitchen/dining/living room combination by mounting book shelves above the window and outfitting the space with not only the kitchen and dining room essentials, but also a cozy living room chair that invites you kick back. And, after a hearty meal, you don't have to go very far to enjoy some well-earned R&R! At the far end of this multi-use space, which is the heart of the home, the wall opens up to reveal a walkout to an outdoor patio. Carter Williamson Architects

Creative Modern California Loft Design: a Box Within a Box

2012-04-24T02:10:25Z

With some careful planning and creativity, a poorly planned, 1,100 sq. ft. loft in the historic Besler Building - a former steam-engine factory in Emeryville, California - was transformed into an efficient, livable and beautiful modern loft. It was two years in the making, with their home transformed into a gritty construction site on weekends, but homeowners and designers Lynda and Peter Benoit, (Peter a senior architect with local firm Melander Architects) took the loft from dark and dingy to open and sun soaked, with a 16 by 17 by 10 ft. box at its heart housing a private bedroom within its wooden walls. On the outside, this unusual Douglas Fir clad room is lined with shelves that offer plenty of storage and display space for the couple's collections and mementos. "Windows" were cut into the box to allow natural light to flow into the bedroom. A staircase leads up the box to allow easy access to the upper storage. Inside, the bedroom walls offer clothing storage. When you live in a compact home, the important thing to remember is it's not so much about the square footage, it's what you do with it that's important. By creating smart vertical storage, this small house leaves lots of floor space open for furnishings and provides a purpose to otherwise unused wall space. A full glass wall offers lots of natural light and enhances this small home's sense of space, as do the 13 ft. ceilings. about Peter Benoit... via Dwell photo credit: Drew Kelly

Ultra-modern Mountain Chalet, an unexpected Alpine ski retreat

2012-04-11T17:58:49Z

We love the juxtaposition between this traditional mountain setting and ultra-modern chalet, by interior designer Noe Duchaufour Lawrance. From its rustic style exterior, this mountain home embodies the allure of this altitude and all its charms - the wonderful natural palette of materials, the welcoming aesthetic, the warm glowing windows with the crisp white snow as a backdrop, set here in an Alpine village in the middle of Les 3 Vallees, one of the world's largest ski resort regions. But inside, this contemporary home isn't quite what you'd expect. Minimalist interiors feature white on white when it comes to architectural elements and furnishings. The flowing floor plan lets you float effortlessly from one living space to the next, with different materials used to finish the walls and define different living spaces. Underfoot, where you might expect rustic wood-plank floors, the designer opted instead for cool, polished cast cement. One this hasn't changed in this ski haven - the fireplace is an instant hotspot, though for exactly as you'd expect. This bold concrete fixture drops from the ceiling and rises from the floor, with the room designed around it. Up the ultra-chic staircase, five bedrooms with ensuites, a hot tub and a playroom offer space for rest, relaxation and play. Noe Duchaufour Lawrance photo credit: Vincent Leroux

Cool color-blocking technique defines and distinguishes this modern interior

2012-04-10T21:39:14Z

This ultra-modern, multi-level house designed by 05 AM Arquitectura is what we like to call a "step up" design, for more reasons that one! This terraced home here in Girona, Spain has a cool, free-flowing layout that cascades down from the upper level, leaving an open view through the house as you move from one floor to the next. Accessible from the upper and lower street level, the modern, minimalist interior features a clean palette of white with blond wood floors and an unexpected pop of color via one of fashion's hottest trends this season - color blocking. We love that the architects translated this from runway design to interior design. The bold, lemon-yellow shelving unit zigzags its way across the space, defining different living areas in this open-concept layout. Outside, terraces extend living areas into the outdoors, adding to the home's spectacular sense of openness and space. 05 AM Arquitectura photo credit: Jose Hevia

Bright, Light Infused Loft in Amsterdam

2012-04-06T23:13:56Z

Dutch architect Laura Alvarez transformed a dark, dingy, two-storey apartment in Amsterdam into this bright, light-infused loft space we'd die for. Charged with getting "rid of the dark, claustrophobic feel of the old apartment and introduce a bright loft atmosphere," Alvarez got to work, which involved gutting the space, removing existing walls and redefining this home as a whole. The resulting space features an open-concept, 70m2 main-floor footprint with a central "floating" staircase that is as much appreciated for its practical purposes as for its sleek style, leading up to the private bedroom level. Here, two bedrooms separated by a central ensuite offer a sweet retreat from the living and entertaining areas below. The loft's chic, minimalist aesthetic is made to soothe the soul while still satisfying the most demanding style cravings. Laura Alvarez via Style Park photo credit: Ewout Huibers