The residential home is set in the oldest part of Jaffa above the ancient harbour and looks out across the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Although the buildings exact age is unknown it is estimated to be a few hundred years old. Originally in an increasingly dilapidated condition, the home was refurbished and designed to make it a highly attractive and appealing location for anyone to move into.

The potential was always there, with the rustic charm, the ancient and culturally rich surroundings plus of course the absolutely stunning sea view. The central aim of the redesign project was to restore the building’s interior to its original self as much as possible whilst also incorporating certain contemporary features and styles. A combination of the old and the new was then successfully achieved.

The old city of Jaffa is now part of the city of Tel Aviv and lies just south of Israel’s second most populous city. It was therefore known that it would be a highly popular locale for people working in the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo. The architects behind the project removed many of the interior walls to reveal the original beautiful sandstone brick columns.

An urban loft style environment has been gained by the incorporation of modern kitchen fittings, stainless steel furniture and the open-plan space gained from the removal of walls. The modern is seen in the additions whilst the old is reintroduced by the simple re-exposure of the original interior architecture. It works tremendously well.

One of the bedrooms features a transparent glass cylinder shower whilst the bedroom leads out onto an outdoor terrace. The sun rarely fails to shine in this part of the world and so the opening up of the space to daylight ensures a bright and cheerful interior.

The architects behind the project: Pitsou Kedem Architects.
All photographs belong to Amit Geron. (reproduced with permission)
Design team: Pitsou Kedem, Raz Melamed, Irene Goldberg.

The architects came up with this cubist style timber extension which contrasts the old with the new. As well as this, the timber framework of the extension to the Georgian home is entirely reversible and thus can be removed quickly and easily at a future date, perhaps when it is sold on.

Environmental factors were a priority in the construction of this contemporary timber extension as well as care regarding the historical age and look of the property. Dry construction methods as well as good thermal insulation were designed during the planning of the architecture work. Due to the more traditional methods of woodwork and construction, trained craftsmen took on the role of building the timber extension.

Due to planning permission regulations, windows were to be a problem. Therefore the designs came up with a timber construction that was windowless but which still allowed light in and out. Sanded Perspex boards were used and these blended into the woodwork which gave the impression of a homogeneously clad timber box. Many of the timber boards were also painted in different colors thereby hiding the locations of the perspex boards except at night when the inner lights shone through.

As well as the three bathroom interiors there are also a complex system of piping inside the timber box extension to the Georgian house. A 150mm full width service duct runs down through the inside of the building to the ground level and below. Inside of this are the sewage, water and rainwater down pipes as well as electrical wiring, toilet cisterns and mechanical ventilation. This meant the outer façades of the timber box extension were left free of pipes which thus added to the overall aesthetics of the building.

You can see more pictures of this contemporary wooden extension building by visiting the arcitect’s website which can be found here: Henning Stummel Architects.

By the way, apparently this won the RIBA London Region Building of the Year award in 2005. RIBA being the Royal Institute of British Architects.

H/T: Contemporist.

Essaouira is an old port city in the West of Morocco. The historic center of the city is called Medina and has been included as a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city. It’s within the walls of the old city that the 200 year-old White House is situated. Bought in 2002 for $60,000, the building has been renovated and adapted to the needs and desires of the British couple who purchased the old Moroccan house with its whitewashed façade. The result of their work on the Dar Beida is presented below:

The dining-room table was bought for the equivalent of $40 from a Moroccan roadside cafe.

Old French signs were purchased from a flea market in Marrakesh. Once back at the White House they were re-purposed and arranged to form new words. The photo directly above shows the scene in what is called a Riad, otherwise known as an interior garden. You can read more about these here: Moroccan Riad.

Some of the skulls on the wall were found on the local beaches around Essaouira. They were bleached and then hung up. However, the collection grew and became more of a serious hobby when friends began bringing skulls for the pair to place on their walls. Amongst the collection are camel, cow, bird and dolphin skulls.

The kitchen counter is made from tadelakt which is also a material used in bathrooms and traditional steam rooms, known in the Arab world as hammams.

Tadelakt is again used in one of the bathrooms. One notices too a whale vertebrae positioned on one of the bathroom shelves. This is in keeping with the collection of animal skulls in the other room. The bathroom in this Moroccan home has been given an old-worldly North African feel to it.

Many of the rooms in the White House contain beautiful molded fireplaces, one of which can be seen in the picture above in the bottom right-hand corner. These were designed by the couple and compliment the interiors tremendously.

In this small communal room there are a selection of art pieces, one of which is by British artist Allan Forsyth. In return for his gift he was invited to stay at the Dar Beida for three weeks.

A Joe Colombo chair was purchased by the British pair from a furniture dealer in Casablanca. It cost $2,000. The circular table was bought from a local flea market in Essaouira. Notice too the creative construction of the shelves.

The bird cage, painting and various other items in the home were purchased from markets and shops in the Essaouira area.

The Moroccan White House has four bedrooms in total. Perhaps the most impressive is this rooftop bedroom which opens up onto a rooftop terrace. Like in one of the previous pictures, shelves and wardrobe space have been carved into the walls.

You can read more about this Moroccan home here: A White Cavern in Morocco.

Below are a series of pictures of the unique Wilkinson Residence which is located in Portland, Oregon. The tree house home is located on a steep sloping grade which provided the architect with the opportunity to build the main level of the tree house home at the level of the tree canopy. This evokes a truly breathtaking feeling of being in a traditional tree house. Few people will have ever seen the world from amongst the branches and leaves of trees they pass under on a daily basis.

Oshatz incorporated a musical theme into the tree house home which merged with the natural style and backdrop. The client was a great music lover and had asked the talented architect to combine the two themes. Materials used to make the tree house home merge with the flowing architectural forms and features, rather like the curve of a symphony or saxophone. Interior spaces flows outside with casual ease and vice versa.

An example of the stunning interior architecture of this tree house home is the way the natural wood ceiling passes through a wall of glass and wraps itself around the main living room.

The Wilkinson Residence tree house home was initially designed in 1997 and was completed in the year 2004. You can further pictures and projects by Oshatz on his website which can be found here: Robert Harvey Oshatz Architect.

The area is a popular location for Premiership soccer stars to set up home, Cheshire being a pretty location between the major footballing cities of Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. It’s therefore no surprise, that popular soccer stars, idolised by English football fans, want a private underground mansion all of their own.

The underground property is to be located beneath the landscaped gardens of an old Victorian apartment block located in the exclusive area of Devisdale. Despite the hidden quality to the underground mansion house, local residents still lodged complaints to the local authorities. Most cited the fact that the beautiful gardens will have to be dug up in order for the underground home to be constructed.

‘A lot of trees will be removed and the whole point of the conservation area is that the larger houses have lots of trees’, said one local. ‘Any new building in the area needs to be tasteful so they don’t lose the character of the area and going around digging houses in gardens definitely changes that.’

The Earth House, as the underground mansion is to be named, will consist of two-storeys and include three bedrooms and a swimming pool. Owners of the mansion will access the property via a front door disguised as a 2.6m-high garden folly. A spiral staircase will then lead to a main hallway and living quarters on the lower ground floor.

Natural light will enter the underground property through a large dome window behind the front door. As one might note from the artist’s impressions pictured above and below, the rooms are largely wedge-shaped so as to surround a central atrium.

On the same level as the living quarters, are a man reception area, kitchen and a master bedroom suite. Below this level, there are two more bedrooms, a gym plus a swimming pool and jacuzzi.

The developer of the property, Chris Oakes of Huntsmere, also highlights the eco-friendly aspect of the subterranean property, especially regarding insulation. An underfloor heating system will heat the underground home whilst hot water will be provided by a large-scale ground source heat pump. The latter of which uses specialist heat exchange technology to gather warmth in the ground to heat the house.

It’s estimated that these and the state-of-the-art ventilation system that will be fitted will reduce fossil fuel usage by 75% compared to a regular family home of the same size.

‘There are some very sensible and practical reasons for developing down as opposed to upwards. The property has very little impact on the surrounding environment’, said Mr Oakes. ‘It is easy to heat in winter and to keep cool in summer; and by incorporating the highest standards in renewable design solutions the energy demands of the building can be cut to almost zero’.

H/T: UK Daily Mail.

Most of the rooms in this large top floor apartment feature sculptural shapes, forms and additions such as staircases and contemporary fireplaces. Wall windows are seen on nearly every wall which gives the artist a bird’s eye view of the city, by day and by night. What wonderful inspiration!

The home library is built into what was once the main staircase of the apartment. Curved steps lead from the kitchen to this small oasis of calm and learning. In the center is an iconic chair by the famous furniture designer Le Corbusier.

The building dates back to the 19th Century and Streijffert has cleverly left hints of this in the designs found in the kitchen. Notice the fittings built out of solid birch with iron handles on cupboards and drawers. Carrara marble adorns the surfaces. Aged industrial lights add character to the wall.

The picture above is the opposite view to the second image of the small home library. It looks into the kitchen space with a wonderfully flowing simplicity. The way the different areas meet with one another reminds me of a river where water flows from one place to the next, with rapid excitement and freedom. The circular window compliments the round steps, both in form and in the amount of natural light it lets in.

This spiral staircase is an eye-catching feature. it’s made from water cut steel and leads from the living room and kitchen area up to the bathroom and bedroom. One the wall next to the spiral staircase are two circular ship windows. The feeling of being aboard a cruise liners is further highlighted by the South African ticket rug to the left.

I love this loft bathroom. As you can see it’s positioned in the roof space and the interior architecture of the room makes the ambiance even richer. A large white Corian bathtub can be seen in the center of the bathroom. Storage for clothing and towels is provided in the form of beautiful African baskets which are placed against the wall.

In the living area, a central fireplace is present complete with a large chimney flue. Step shapes form part of the fireplace design which mimic the surrounding staircases and angled walls. Another Le Corbusier chair can be seen on the left. On the far wall is a wide screen television which cleverly is almost camouflaged in its form.

Vaulted studio windows add a splendid and impressive element to the main studio and working area. Natural daylight is in plentiful supply. Steel beams curve impressively from the floor to the top of the arched ceiling. The tall wall to the left gives plenty of room for hanging art work and sculptures.

You can see more interiors where these came from by visiting: Sköna hem. (It’s all in Swedish however but plenty of pictures)

The interior design pictures below show this beautiful rustic old building which I believe used to be a warehouse. One can see from many of the pictures, distinctive architectural clues to its previous use. The reason I like the images so much is due to the wonderfully charming interior shots of old London rustic charm. Older features have been left intact and even enhanced whilst the décor schemes have been worked so that they highlight the proud history of the property.

I think the pictures speak for themselves and so I will leave you with a selection of my favorites from the collection I found.

What do you think of these rustic interior designs? Which one is your favorite?

You can see many more interior design picture collections from where these came from here: Oak Management.

The airtight nature of this eco-friendly home which coincidently has a spa, cinema and seven bedrooms, is the most important factor to the success and nature of the residence. The walls, as well as the ceilings and roof, have been hermetically sealed by a polyurethane blanket. This means no air whatsoever can escape or enter. One might think this is a death trap. Well, so did the British planning commission authorities who were eventually persuaded that it was all perfectly safe.

In order to avoid excess heat, stale air and an unbearable stuffiness, the whole interior landscape of the home is fixed up with a sophisticated ventilation system. The result is fresh filtered air that is brought into the house and then later expelled every couple of hours. The designer of the Barnsley Hill Farm eco-friendly home equates the ventilation system to that of a lung.

“Once every two hours the house is completely filled with fresh air. It’s like having the windows open all the time. … People think you need to insulate a house but a fridge only has a tiny bit of insulation. The most important thing is that a house is airtight.”

The airtight nature of the home means traditional heating fixtures such as fireplaces and central heating are redundant. In fact, this is the magic ingredient of this eco-friendly home. Excess engery wastage and pollution, not to mention money, is largely prevented and effectively reduced to a minimum.

“Fireplaces are the worst thing you could ever put in. They draw heat out of the room. Log burners are all right, but not fireplaces.”

The stale air from the home is channelled through a special heat exchange unit which enables the waste air to heat the fresh air as it enters. The fresh air comes through a separate part of the system which means there is no contamination. During the warmer months of the year, the unit uses a bypass system which prevents fresh air from being heated.

In a field nearby, out of view from the house, there is a solar park. Twenty solar panels captures the sun’s rays and then stores the resulting heat in rocks located beneath the ground. This heat is then distributed to the house and swimming pool if and when needed. Heat from the house, during the Summer months, is also stored in the rocks for Winter, in what can only be described as one hell of an ingenious environmentally friendly solution.

“The results are amazing. We are getting so much more energy than we expected.”

There are numerous other eco-friendly instillations in Barnsley Hill Farm. These include a sewage treatment plant which cleanses sewage and reverts it back to clean water. A different water recycling system also collects rain water which is stored for use with washing machines and the toilets.

The property is situated in a popular area with celebrities and even royalty. The English actress Liz Hurley has a house just over the fields from Barnsley Hill Farm. With this in mind, the renovators and owners of the airtight eco-friendly house hoped that it would attract a lot of people to buy the property. This has indeed become a reality with an assortment of politicians, environmentalists and celebs queuing up to be shown around.

All in all, the property uses just 10% of what a regular and similar sized home would use. It is also 100% carbon neutral as well as having a “humidity level of the Sahara desert”. The latter means there are no dust mites, condensation or unpleasant odors. In most other things, the former Cotswolds farmhouse retains much of the original architecture and interior features. These include some beautiful wooden beams which are present in much of the house, including the home cinema room, bathrooms and some bedrooms.

See: StoneBee Developments.

The most important rule to abide by is the local building code applicable in your area. These are usually pretty much the same nationwide but there can be variations. Most building codes in the United States require the height of any room to be 7 1/2 feet over 50% of the living area. This means if the highest point in your attic space is 6 feet, then you might face difficulties in developing it much further.

Lighting will be one of the most important interior design considerations for a remodeled attic. If you can get planning permission and have the means and structural ability to install a window or skylight, then this will be perfect. Otherwise a lot of artificial lighting will be needed and whilst this will be more than adequate for a bedroom, it will mean the attic won’t be such an attractive interior to be used for long periods of time during the day. Natural light really is better if you’re going to convert the attic into a playroom or study area and is indeed, much more healthier for your emotional well-being.

Heating in the attic will be required for the colder months of the year. As mentioned in an earlier post (winterizing your home), it will be wise to install a thermostat which will keep the interior at a temperature above freezing so as to avoid damage to pipes, furniture and precious items. Think about running new ducts and check the state of the existing insulation. Replace if necessary.

Another heat-related aspect to take into account is the temperature the attic could reach during the summer months when the sun is blazing down upon the roof. Correct ventilation, fans and protective layers can all help keep the temperature down in this situation.

The floor material might need to be changed or strengthened depending on the type of room that will be created. For example, if the attic is to be changed into a bedroom, then heavy furniture pieces such as beds, chests and wardrobes will need to be carried by a strong and sturdy floor, as well as the extra human traffic.

One of the most difficult and possibly most expensive alterations to the attic will be the creation of an access route. In many cases, the attic is reached via a ladder, which won’t be suitable unless you’re a tree-house crazed child. If there is an existing stairway then you’re in luck but if not, then one will need to be created. This could be a problem depending on the interior architecture of your home.

When all the above considerations have been taken into account and the attic has been transformed into a study, playroom, bedroom or even a meditation room, then the only thing left to do is decorate. This is the fun part and one you can find inspiration for by reading through the posts on this blog.

There are many reasons to re-decorate a home, one of these being reconstruction after a fire. Thankfully this is a very rare reason. However, this was the case with an old market building in the Min Buri district of Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. The local area deteriorated after the major fire which occurred in the late 1990′s. Slums began to develop and business people moved out.

Then came along the Norwegian non-profit organisation, Tyin Tegnestue. This group consisted of five architectural students from Norway who sought to pursue humanitarian ends through architecture. Over a few years, Tyin Tegnestue managed to garner the support and funding from over 60 companies and private payers to help improve the lives of communities affected by poverty across Thailand.

Last year, the project pictured in this post, was completed. Out of the burnt out ruins of the old market came a modern library and a meeting point for the local community. Locals and tourists alike congregate to socialise, read books and generally relax in a warm and attractive interior environment.

The designers tried as best they could to keep their designs in line with the fundamental identity of the area. Materials for construction were gathered from the local region, which would appeal to the locals and also keep costs down. A nearby carpentry carried out most of the woodworking. Since it has opened, the library has been a spring board for regeneration of the surrounding area. Businesses have returned and new people have set up home nearby.

Tyin Tegnestue hope that their refurbishment of the old market will spur on the locals to do the same elsewhere. By using materials that are abundant and cheap, the Norwegians are hopeful that the people of Min Buri will act on their own initiative from within the resources available to them.

Like with these Thai townsfolk, images in magazines, on the net and on television can act as a catalyst for your own interior design endeavours. It’s always fun to take inspiration from bits and pieces we see around us and try and fit them in to our own décor schemes at home. Hopefully these wonderful pictures above will give you something to chew on.

H/T: AT Casa