Thursday, February 26, 2015

Architecure and Design, #3

House #1:

This white modern house uses its surroundings to make it a home and sell its features. It's white and square at first sight with few windows; but when you look around, you see the ocean views a hundred feet away. This is very similar to a home we saw in Cabo San Lucas in April.

 
The inside, is just as simple and white.
The idea behind homes like this, is allowing the clean lines and minimalistic design to further showcase the ocean surroundings. This office space uses black furniture to stand out and create the room, rather than a coat of paint or fancy décor. Notice how the light seems triple to that of a normal room and it appears quite large.
Would you expect the closet to be anything less? Homeowners who like minimal design, tend to carry over those "less is more" feelings toward stuff in general, including wardrobe.
This is where the house stands out and turns into a home. The tropical surroundings and outdoor space are what make this home so incredible and allow you to appreciate what it's architecture and design are all about.

House #2

Are you a multimillionaire? Great! This is the home for you.
This $2.35 million home has three levels, a huge pool in the back as shown above, tropical landscaping all around, and plenty of colored rock to add to its pizazz.
Fancy homes have several fancy living rooms, many never used, that add to its splendor; think the Grayson Manor, from Revenge.
Over the top people buy over the top homes and furnish it with over the top things, like Louis Vuitton bedding. Why not, right?

House #3

 
Not everyone can appreciate country living, but when the home and lot is as beautiful as this one, many would reconsider. The back porch wraps around half the house, looking out into the greenery all around. The landscape in the front yard consists of just a few small shrubs. When your yard is the forest, what else do you need?
 
 
On the inside, there is a little more luxury to be had in this updated kitchen with a nice chandelier, painted cabinetry, and spacious floor plan. The dark wood floors have been restored but the home still retains its original charm.


The only thing that might make this yard of forestry a little more charming and beautiful, is a nice garden guest cottage for your guests to have their own small abode to sit out and enjoy nature all around during their visit.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Architecture Week continues...

House 1:


This house is a beautiful blend of modern design and country living. The home isn't on a plain, square concrete slab with pretentious deck furniture or featuring a gleaming pool deck. It's a clean structure with excellent natural color appeal and lovely greenery all around. This is why I chose the interior shot to match with it because the Earth tones continue through the interior, with clean lines and natural elements, but again there is nothing pretentious here. This home has less of city feel to me, and more of a cozy abode outside the loud traffic and obtrusive skyscrapers.
I chose this pool to add for the backyard because it is still simple and elegant without a flashy deck structure or fancy pool chairs everywhere. This to me adds to the calm ambiance of relaxation and gorgeous living without needing to brag. I think I would add some dark rock around the perimeter to better match the color scheme of the home, but that's it. This place does not need any fancy landscaping, tall palm trees, or anything else.

House #2

This house has obvious charm as does the immaculate lot. Look at the lush landscaping all around, and the pathway up to the front door! Walking up those steps everyday would transform any bad day into a good one and my down time would be reading a book on a bench amongst the flowers and sunshine.
A lovely home and garden need a lovely interior and kitchen to match so why not this one? The windows look right onto the wonderful landscape all around for a view worth cooking for. The lanterns just add character to the home and there is nothing in this home that is trying to prove anything. It's fabulous the way it is. You don't need elaborate counter stones or dark cabinetry; plain white cabinets and ivory tops make it feel even more spacious and accent the charm of the exterior.
That's why this pool fits in so perfectly. The landscape welcomes the natural stone and still water. This is an elegant pond in an elegant garden with nothing ostentatious to take away from it. That's the way a home should be.
House #3

For the last home of the day, I threw in a fancy New York City high rise with out of this world views.
This huge condo has the upscale amenities and city views with a multimillion dollar price tag attached. You can't deny what's right outside your window though.

It's a dream penthouse for most people and so it's expected to have huge rooms like this one and a terrace just as nice. If you have the money and desire for a view from the top, this is perfect. I would change the flooring to a different wood, but still keep it light. I could not be unhappy walking through this home of natural light, sunny color scheme, and terrace to walk out onto. Could you?

When you are 30 stories up above the New York City streets, you certainly do not expect to have a yard but you do anticipate a walk in closet much like this one. A stunning penthouse condo wouldn't be complete without one. I don't personally own a thousand pieces of Chanel, but someone who owns this home, most likely would and keep it like this.

Monday, February 23, 2015

It's Architectual Design Week!

*All comments have been disabled on all posts for maturity and integrity reasons and will be from now on as well. Thank you.

WELCOME!

In celebration of beautiful architectural and interior design, I have decided to dedicate this week's blogging to coincide with Palms Springs Modernism Week. #PSModSquad has taken over the California desert and Instagram with user shots inside fabulous homes from modern home tours for the event showcased in Palm Springs until Feb. 22.

Modern homes with vibrant colors aren't my desired style in a home but some designers know how to make it work. I have compiled some gorgeous homes from Instagram and Pinterest, along with different backyards and interiors to spotlight stunning home combinations. I take great homes and mashed various details together to create visual alternatives of home and interior design. The combinations aren't actual components of the rest of the home, but they would certainly work. It's all about custom fitting a home your way.

Up first: Casa Equis, Peru

This is a stunning modern home with natural elements, like the wood siding and patio flooring, leading to a direct ocean view. A home like this brings in natural light all around and of course is surrounded by nature itself. With modern architecture design homes, you don't need a plethora of potted plants and patio furniture all over the deck; less is more. The clean, squared lines and the design of the home itself, are the décor. 


This isn't the actual bathroom inside the home but it is a compatible design if you were designing a similar home for yourself or remodeling after some of its details.
It's small, minimalistic, yet elegant, and also takes advantage of the ocean views and bright sunlight common at the beach.

For the back deck, obviously the wood must be darker to match but a similar design of wood, unobtrusive railing, and possibly a small hot tub on the rear deck, finish out the structure of the house. Beachfront properties are homes with two faces. The back is the rear from the street but the front to the beach and also where occupants will spend a lot of time, so the back porch view needs to be equally amazing as the front. Implement the two tone wood and bigger, non-sided windows, you'll have a uniformed look of awe, from front to back, tying in the three images together. I like the Jacuzzi idea for cold, winter nights under the stars, listening to the waves crashing the shore.

House #2:
 Private Villa, Dubai
This Giuseppe Colosimo modern home boasts stunning architectural style. The two story chocolate brown squared arch frame in the back of the home adds beautiful color and sophistication to the home. Notice the pool area color design as well as the pool tile itself. It's a touch of class and smoother surface than basic concrete that most middle class homes use.

This is one spacious master bath! The predominately white room adds the illusion of space and minimalistic flair. The basic color allows the marble tub and stainless steel attributes to stand out. The straight edges and minimal décor make it modern and showcase true design.

This back patio lounge area complements the brown square archway coming out to the pool, and it's perfect for the cooler nights or after a swim. Off to the side of the pool lounge, this area brings in color and ambiance. I love the glass balcony on the second level to keep in tone with the architecture of the home to tie in this sophisticated lounge to the rest of the property; and it's divine for entertaining.


House #3


Karl Beath© Archdaily.com
This home has a modern pool has you can see and the large stepping platforms to it are amazing. I love the pool within a pool idea. I love the iron trellis doors on the balcony upper level. Their stylish, functional attribution to the home is unique and so essential to the home's design. When open, they provide ample open space and great access to the outside. Without them, the house is very plain and quite ugly, to be honest.
Step inside to the elegant staircase to match the beautiful sliding doors on the wraparound balcony. This staircase is elegant. Again, it makes the home on the inside as well. Without it, the interior is simple and boring.

The home clearly has a pool already but this pool deck and surrounding landscape would finish off the look for the back of the home. This picture is from a home in Malibu, hence the palm trees in the distance; but a little landscaping anywhere brings a touch of beauty and separation from the world. Palm trees always bring a smile to my face because they remind me of the beach while I lounge around, even if I'm not at the beach.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Fitness Round Up brought to you by Pinterest!!

I haven't brought you guys a fitness round up. I have been scouring Pinterest a lot over the weeks to find some great new routines and see what's hot now. First I have to say tershat I am not into the blogilates, POP pilates craze with Cassie. I think most of her moves do not actually count as Pilates nor do they follow the same basic practices that Joesph Pilates followed. They are not slow and controlled movements to tone muscle, they are more odd movements and I find many to increase the chance of injury in the wrists and ankles. Her moves require a lot of strain and twisting on those joints and they certainly can cause pain. I also don't feel or see any benefits from her routines. However, I did find one exception and this routine did work for me and I repined it:

Instead of fad workouts, basic pilates routines like Winsor Pilates and many pinned by Women's Health Magazine I have found are very well explained, focus on safety, and making the moves as effective as possible for us and they also give examples for effective modified moves for various fitness levels or areas we feel more strain. This link is one of my favorites for the full explanation and selection of moves.
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/pilates-abs
Another routine I found is also from Women's Health Magazine and it was fun too!
 
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/flatten-your-belly?cm_mmc=Newsletter-_-952568-_-06202012-_-FlattenYourBellywithThisKillerAbWorkout-MainImage

I have gone back to good old fashioned moves that are easy but effective on the body with less possibility of strain on the body and joints. My favorite routines are still Kickboxing; you get so much bang for your buck and they are very fun. Pinterest pinners have compiled thousands of routines that we can all do at home, even as beginners. For those exercises, I use pre-written routines to follow easily. If you don't know the move, just type the name of it into a search engine and several YouTube videos will pull up to show you how it's done! Here are some of my favorites:



Mountain Climbers and Wall Sits are my new favorite exercises and they work! I do a lot of these routines similar to this with planks, push ups, bicycle crunches, and kickboxing routines in front of the TV. I am a huge NFL fan so on Sundays I work out through all of the games doing these moves and I love them! Here are a couple more I loved so much:
 
To see and pin all of the excellent workouts I have found on pinterst, you can add me on Pinterest. My screen profile name is jlarsonm on Pinterest! See you there!