Bay of Fires Lodge, Tasmania
Tasmania, an island and Australian state situated about 150 miles south of the continent, is one of those rare destinations that even many seasoned world travelers never get to experience. But for those who do make it there, a stay at the Bay Fires Lodge is an opportunity to experience one of the great architectural masterpieces of the entire region. Read the rest of this entry »
Sommerhaus Piu
When it comes to pre-fabricated eco-houses, the Sommerhaus Piu by German architects Patrick Frey and Götte Björn is unparalled in design. Envisioned as a vacation house, but usable for other purposes including as a work studio, Sommerhaus Piu offers the ultimate in streamlined, elegant living.
Crafted from sustainable woods for a modern, naturalistic feel, Sommerhaus Piu is designed to offer its inhabitants both a luxurious indoor feel and outdoor relaxation and recreation facilities. The home should ideally be erected on or near a natural, open site for maximum benefit. The façade features a simple, wooden strip style with a slightly sloping roof made from charcoal planks. Sections of the roof are perforated to provide a system of natural ventilation. An abundance of natural light pours into the house through clerestory windows, however the roof’s overhang provides protection from overexposure. Large sliding glass doors blur the boundary between home and nature, creating an environment of beautiful scenery; however, the bedroom of the home is closed off for total privacy. Additionally, a wide open terrace, painted dark to define the edge of the house, and covered veranda allow for alfresco dining and other outdoor activities.
Sommerhaus Piu by Patrick Frey and Götte Björn
Ultimately, the eco-friendly design of Sommerhaus Piu provides a pleasurable and comfortable green environment for its inhabitants, as well as a lower costing option for a summer home. It is the ideal home for those who want to have a getaway in the summer where they can relax indoors while having the option to enjoy the outdoors as well. Furthermore, the Sommerhaus Piu has been designed so that it is livable during all seasons.
The famous Blue Jay Way in the Hollywood Hills
Situated just north of the world-famous Sunset Strip in the Hollywood Hills is the neighborhood known as Doheny Estates – often called the Bird Streets as a result of street names including Oriole, Thrasher and Warbler. It is within this prestigious residential community that some of the most architecturally impressive homes in the region can be found. Inspired residences that span from mid-century modern, to ultra-modern, to veritable castles can be seen dotting the hillsides. Conveniently located in regards to accessing the best parts of the Los Angeles, and within close proximity to the city’s best dining and nightlife, it’s little wonder that the Bird Streets have been attracting Hollywood royalty like moths to a flame.
1654 Blue Jay Way is a large and luxurious modern Bird Streets home in Los Angeles, California, once owned by funnyman and media mogul Tyler Perry. Boasting three different levels with balconies, courtyards and spectacular views of the Hollywood Hills, it is undoubtedly one of the finest homes in Southern California. The interior is decidedly modern with a sleek stairwell that opens up the floor plan of the dining and living areas. The staircase itself is impressively made out of steel beams and railings. The color scheme throughout the house includes white, black, nude and brown finishes, furniture and fixtures. Special features of the house include a billiards room and a striking nightclub bar and lounge. A true bachelor home, Tyler Perry is said to have enjoyed some pretty wild parties here. Read the rest of this entry »
Château Marmont - West Hollywood, CA
“If you must get in trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont.” – Harry Cohn, founder of Columbia Pictures (1939)
Chateau Marmont, the infamous hotel situated in the hills of West Hollywood just off Sunset Strip, is drama, plain and simple. Looking very much like a castle (it is after all modeled after Chateau Amboise, a royal residence in France) and serving as a refuge for celebrities to behave very badly (John Belushi died in Bungalow 3 after injecting a lethal combination of heroin and cocaine), Chateau Marmont has the kind of allure that few other works of architecture have ever had. It’s little wonder that on any given day or night, the hotel plays host to an array of highly discriminating and extremely wealthy international clientele.
Originally built in 1929 as an apartment complex, Chateau Marmont features 63 rooms, cottages and bungalows. Built in a Norman architectural style, its turrets and towers are designed to make you stop, look and desire to enter. Upon entrance into the reception area, it’s impossible not to feel like you’ve just arrived at a charming European hotel. Just past the reception is a spacious living room filled with couches, lamps and sconces that look like they’ve been scavenged from high end thrift stores. While the suites are all well designed and true to their old Hollywood-by-way-of-France heritage, it is the outside Spanish-style bungalows on the hillside that are most impressive. Designed in a way that is equally minimalist and modernist in a postwar sort of way, they feature flat roof canopies at their entrance, terraces, loads of sliding glass doors, intricate moldings and simple but beautiful Spanish furnishings. The pool cottages recall the Craftsman era and feature fine fabrics and rattan chairs, and they also feature kitchens that are outfitted with vintage refrigerators and stoves. The seductive mood created by the overall architectural and interior design stylings of the hotel is one that could clearly never be duplicated anywhere else; after all, this is Hollywood at its finest.
One of the best things about Chateau Marmont is that for the architecturally curious (or the celebrity curious), it’s a fairly easy place to gain access, especially during the day before they place a checkpoint at the end of the driveway and bust out the guest list for those who want to dine in and/or party in the courtyard. When we sent our Styleture reporter, he hung out in the hotel’s impeccably groomed courtyard and spotted a cast member from “Californication” and maybe Clint Eastwood, but he’s not 100% sure about that.
Crab Creek House designed by Robert Gurney
Near an eye-catching estuary in Annapolis, Maryland, known as Crab Creek, which feeds the Chesapeake Bay, is a modern stone, stucco and slatted wood house from the vivid imagination of Robert Gurney Architect. Known as Crab Creek House, it is innovatively built on the foundation of a post and beam house from the 1960’s. Perhaps most impressively, its construction adheres to strict environmental regulations of the region, and does so with amazing style and grace.
Crab Creek House interior
The central spine of Crab Creek House is a linear bar clad in white stucco around which the rest of the home’s design elements are organized. Additional spaces arise independently and are sided in wood or metal. With a desire to create a strong relationship between the interior of the house and the exterior environment, floor to ceiling windows allow abundant natural light to flood in. Crab Creek House’s main living area offers its occupants expansive water views and features high ceilings and soft neutral tones. An open floor plan creates a space that appears much bigger than it actually is, and utilizes materials such as white oak, black slate, white marble, rusted steel and glass for a visceral and elegant look. The variation in color contrasts and materials makes a bold statement and clearly defines the house’s visual personality. Minimal furnishings and indirect recessed lighting further puts emphasis on thoughtful and balanced living. Occupants may step outside to a private swimming pool, or venture further out into the untouched Maryland woods. Crab Creek House is the ideal home for those who value gorgeous views and a deep connection to nature. Read the rest of this entry »
The ultra-modern Hoerboard Scomber mix DJ stand
Admit it – you’ve entertained dreams of telling your boss at your day job to go fly a kite, just so you can jet off to Ibiza and DJ the summer club circuit. It’s ok, we all have. Perhaps that dream was never more appealing than now, considering that the ultra-modern Hoerboard Scomber Mix DJ Stand is just a few thousand bucks ($2,330 once fully customized, to be more precise) away from being yours. Read the rest of this entry »
The Styleture editorial team is a big fan Entra Magazine, an online publication that takes you inside exclusive residences created by some of the world’s top architects and designers.
Entra Magazine May/June 2011 issue
