Japanese essentiality by Teruhiro Yanagihara

 

I came across this work by Japanese designer Teruhiro Yanagihara and I find its essentiality very inspiring: living reduced to its minimum functions as an expression of a quest for a simple, true life.

My husband and I are exactly in this moment of our lives. We are trying to eliminate all the unnecessary to aim to start from there a new phase of our lives.  It is time to make some space for new projects!

Images by Takumi Ota via Teruhiro Yanagihara

Plywood interiors in Melbourne

This project by Clare Cousins Architects exemplifies how conceptual design thinking can transform our way of visualizing a space. In fact, the 75 sq apartment had to be transformed from a one bedroom space to one able to host a growing family. Taking inspiration from traditional Japanese interiors, the architects re-designed the program of the space by opting to minimize the bedroom areas. Two micro rooms were created, with the master bedroom conceived as a cocoon made of plywood. The room is separated only by sliding doors to maximise the living and family spaces. 

Plywood is used extensively throughout the whole apartment helping to enhance the perception of the space as a whole. Moreover, it is the perfect choice to fit the low budget the architects had to work with: the material is affordable and readily available. 

Photographs: Lisbeth Grosmann

Via Archdaily

WEEKEND SPECIAL | A home in Finland

This is probably the most beautiful under construction home I have seen lately. It belongs to Maja, the Finnish blogger behind Musta Ovi. 

In her blog, Maja have been documenting all the construction process, from the very beginning to the finishing touches. I find her home beautiful and it is also a perfect example of how concrete, if used wisely and with talent, doe not turn to be a cold element in the interior.

The kitchen is all white: this choice underlines even more the presence of  the 265 lamp by Paolo Rizzatto for Flos. The bedroom is essential in a perfect Finnish way and has an unbeatable view. 

 

All images via Musta Ovi

An holiday apartment in Barcelona

I stumbled upon the latest CaSA project for a holiday home in Barcelona. The studio is well known for the so called White Retreat, an essential space of light and whiteness that could be the dream home of any minimalist. With this flat, the duo embrace a more Mediterranean approach to the interior: the inner space, created by the juxtaposing of white surface and a grey micro-cement floor, contrasts with the warm, terracotta colours of the terrace.

A series of custom-made white tubes structures have been used throughout the whole space to create several elements, like the entrance screen above or the table and bar area in the kitchen. 

To know more about the flat, please visit the link HERE.

Our Home #7 | String Pocket love

My love for String System is well documented across the blog since its beginning. The bookshelves have been on my home wish list since I can remember I had one and I was very happy when the RAW String Pocket arrived at home last year. I saw it for the very first time thanks to the images Lotta Agaton published from her collaboration with the Swedish brand and I knew that new version had to be part of our place.

At the moment, the versatile bookshelf is placed in our home studio, just above my place. I love to style it from time to time with small objects and things I find during our walk around, especially with leaves and greenery. The touch of the shelves is very special, warm and almost sensual. Though String pocket has been introduced only in 2005 to provide a smaller and more flexible shelving solution, it has now become a fundamental part of the brand product range.  The kit consists of two panels and three shelves therefore, thanks to its special system, by adding just another kit will allow you to create many different solution, both horizontally and vertically.

As we need some extra storage space, I am considering of adding a FLOOR String System either in the living area or in the kitchen: a pity the raw version is not available for the big ones! I will keep you posted about the choice and would love to know your ideas about your favourite shelving systems!

All pictures © facing north with gracia

Our home #6 | Still life in the studio

We are now in the Alps for the first part of our summer holidays with the Italian side of our family. The weather is not so good this summer but we still hope to do some nice walks up and down the mountains.

I took these shots at home before leaving for our summer holidays and I thought it was nice to post them on the blog, just to keep it updated with something fresh. The pictures were taken in our studio, you can see more pictures of it here. The still life was created with three of the Calabasse vases from Serax and a pile of Kinfolk magazines. Very simple and minimal.

All pictures © facing north with gracia

Summer minimal style

Would you like to spend your holidays in this beautiful minimal summer home? Barcelona based studio Intsight last work and treat for us before the holidays is the founder's summer retreat in Begur: a balance between soft minimalism and tradition in the Catalan coast.

Unlike "normal homes", the summer one is the perfect place for people who prefer an essential approach to the domestic space:  the things we need are reduced to a minimum. Also, we don't want to spend long hours cleaning and getting everything in order and easy, therefore simple, functional solutions are the best. I love the light that floods through the windows, warm and echo of a close seaside. 

  

All images via Intsight

Our home #5 | New things in

New shots from home with some of the last things that have just arrived. 

I love the double reflection of the Vase Vase designed by Norm Architects for Menu and I think it is perfect for the white flowers I picked up at the beach last weekend: they are sand daffodils and smell deliciously at night-time. On the background, a long-wished item: the HAY paper designed by All The Way To Paris. It took so much to find out where I could get it and I am happy to share with you that German website Connox has the full range and a very good Scandinavian design selection, too.

To see more picture from our home, click here.

  All pictures © facing north with gracia

Black holiday cottage in Germany

If I had to choose my ideal holiday home, surely it would resemble this cottage designed by German firm Format Elf Architekten. The black-stained building is part of the Hofgut resort, an estate that offers luxury accommodation, dining and spa close to the Bavarian forests. The archetypal structure of the cottage resembles the traditional barns and fit perfectly in the landscape. On the other side, the indoor is designed baring in mind all the comfort of contemporary living: a monochrome interior merge with natural wood surface to create a cozy atmosphere, perfect to evoke indulgence and slow life.

The architecture office also designed the outdoor area applying the same minimal approach they used for the interiors: a natural timber deck define the area reserved to the guests and lead to the outdoor dining space. Around, the informal natural planting merges with the surrounding landscape in a harmonious dialogue. The industrial-like elements of the dining furniture and the small concrete box grant a perfect contemporary look.

Via Format Elf Architekten

A perfect minimal open space

This living and dining room was designed by Dutch Studio Niels back in 2012. The office, founded by Niels Maier, former graduate at the Design Academy Eindhoven, aims to deliver high quality design by focusing on the great care of details and finishings.

The open space is the result of a clear process that subtracts only the unnecessary elements: the whiteness of walls and floors will capture the light coming from the glass façade during winter shorter days.

All images ©Studio Niels.
 

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I am very happy to tell you that last week the Tate Modern Gallery in London have included Openhouse magazine among its bookshop selection: to have a chance to win the first issue of the magazine, check the post here!

Our home #4

Some new shots from our home from last week-end. I like it minimal, you know that, don't you? The little fern leaf I collected last week is still doing great: I like it on display inside of the glass cylinder, like a contemporary version of the Victorian botanical collections. Talking about this, a urge of going back for another stroll in the Kew Botanical Gardens in London is getting stronger and stronger everyday. And also a bit of good shopping down-town, of course.

Remember to join the GIVEAWAY here!

I wish you all a lovely day.

All pictures © facing north with gracia.

WEEKEND SPECIAL | Home renovation by Studio Four

Studio Four is a multi-disciplinary studio based in Victoria, Australia, whose Ridge Road Residence was one of the finalist projects in the Houses Awards. The studio also received a special mention in the internationally acclaimed architizer a+ awards.

The Albert Street home presented here is a Victorian building located in Melbourne. Its previous spatial structure was transformed by Studio Four into a space able to adapt to the constant-changing need of modern families. The interior design, based on a soft and neutral palette of colours and materials, is full of light thanks to the use of concealed sliding doors and oversize windows.

But it is the strong dialogue between interior and outdoor space that caught my attention, especially in the kitchen-backyard block. Here, the space flows trasnforming the outdoor space into an extra room for the family. The pale wood chosen for the joinery and flooring is repeated in the outdoor table and bench creating a visual continuity also in terms of materials. The view of the kitchen from the backyard is stunning: the pale oak island stands out perfectly against the white background of thin metallic shelves and cabinets. 

Truly, a beautiful space.

 

 All images via Est Magazine

Happy weekend!