Interior Design Sense

It’s been ages since we’ve featured Messana O’Rorke Architects (here and here) and I figured it was time for another go, especially since I already have architects on the brain (meeting with architect #3 for our house plans went well Tuesday morning – except we discovered we can’t afford him. Bummed beyond belief). Maybe this super talented New York firm wants to whip me up some drawings?

It’s been ages since we’ve featured Messana O’Rorke Architects (here and here) and I figured it was time for another go, especially since I already have architects on the brain (meeting with architect #3 for our house plans went well Tuesday morning – except we discovered we can’t afford him. Bummed beyond belief). Maybe this super talented New York firm wants to whip me up some drawings?

Last night we had a veterinarian come by the house to give our cats a checkup (easier than taking all 7 of them in). At one point we were talking about our upcoming house project and she mentioned that her brother is a well-known architect in Toronto and has a firm with his wife called AGATHOM Co. Their website is currently a little sparse, but included photos of one project that I had to share (I found a few more and some info on Contemporist). It is a 1000 sq ft cabin in Pointe au Baril, a remote archipelago in Georgian Bay (3.5 hours north of Toronto) on a large area of exposed Precambrian rock. AMAZING!! (Be sure to check out the last photo after the jump)

Sarah emailed to share her house.

We have just finished (but not completely styled) a renovation of our 1880s workers cottage in Adelaide, South Australia . As a bit of an amateur designer, I drafted a plan and gave it to an architect whose house I’d seen at an open inspection 5 years previously. I tracked her down (Sophie Fielder) and when we met for the first time couldn’t believe our eyes when we discovered we had the same photos in our scrap books! We even had photos from the internet of houses in other states! Due to budget constraints and the love of a challenge, I project managed the job with our builder and we’re thrilled with the result. We wanted to create a home with a slightly industrial/warehouse/barn feel that was practical and didn’t waste space.

The garden is yet to grow but already it is a sanctuary with birds and chooks (over the back fence!) waking us up each morning and we absolutely adore the  50 year old olive tree right outside our bedroom window.

I’ve already informed Sarah to expect me any moment, bags in hand, because I’m moving in. What a wonderful marriage of old and new.

The house before they started and a few demolition shots.

Sarah emailed to share her house.

We have just finished (but not completely styled) a renovation of our 1880s workers cottage in Adelaide, South Australia . As a bit of an amateur designer, I drafted a plan and gave it to an architect whose house I’d seen at an open inspection 5 years previously. I tracked her down (Sophie Fielder) and when we met for the first time couldn’t believe our eyes when we discovered we had the same photos in our scrap books! We even had photos from the internet of houses in other states! Due to budget constraints and the love of a challenge, I project managed the job with our builder and we’re thrilled with the result. We wanted to create a home with a slightly industrial/warehouse/barn feel that was practical and didn’t waste space.

The garden is yet to grow but already it is a sanctuary with birds and chooks (over the back fence!) waking us up each morning and we absolutely adore the  50 year old olive tree right outside our bedroom window.

I’ve already informed Sarah to expect me any moment, bags in hand, because I’m moving in. What a wonderful marriage of old and new.

The house before they started and a few demolition shots.

Photographer Simon Whitbread generously sent over his latest photo shoot. (See me posts on Simon here and here.) A small 2 bedroom house on Sydney’s Northern Beaches sits snugly on a tight block but screens and walls, awnings and orientation provide privacy, shade and cross ventilation. More importantly this Curl-Curl home by Clifton Cole of CplusC Architectural Workshop uses light and shadow to help define spaces, to bring the outside in and to make a small home seem larger. I love the way that Simon’s photography plays with light and shadows to emphasis this design feature. He seems to “get” a building and plays on this in his work. Simon you weren’t an architect in a previous life?

Clever! Lease the last remaining block in the hottest street in town but need a budget build? Need to retain existing trees because, of course, you have leased? Containers and polycarbonate sheeting. Brilliant, colourful, fun and down right funky. Retail design done with smarts. The Decameron by Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan of Studio MK27. Inteligente!