CasaSugar

Coveted Crib: The Dalman House

CasaSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:00:00 -0700

As if I needed more of a reason to immigrate to New Zealand, now I'm presented with some of the beautiful work of Dalman Architects. Located in the city of Christchurch, the firm's commitment to sustainability and adaptive designs make it one of New Zealand's top residential architects.

I was particular drawn to a house created for the firm's lead architect and his family. Constructed from honed concrete block and Zincalume, a metallic-coated sheet steel, this home has a distinctly modern, streamlined look. Featured in the book Top Houses From Down Under by Robin Beaver, it has also been widely published in architectural journals, and also won the NZIA and Master Builders awards in 2004.

For a full tour, read more.

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Casa Verde: MetroShip

CasaSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:00:27 -0700

Do you want to get away for a weekend, but don't have the land or Summer cabin to flee to? Consider taking to the seas instead. The MetroShip, a new houseboat design that favors modern aesthetics and high-efficiency materials, makes it possible.

MetroShed and MetroShip founder, David Ballinger, writes, “ I wanted [the MetroShip] to be like an updated Frank Lloyd Wright home but with an open New York-loft-condo style mixed with a midcentury Eichler home post and beam style. Using structurally sound lightweight aluminum panels was important. Using a single piece roof was important. Using the very best doors and windows available was important. Design, as they say, is in the details.”

To find out all of the details, and to take a complete photo tour, read more.

The spacious design is 48 feet in length by 12 feet beam and 7 feet interior height, though custom sizes are available. The kitchens feature islands, top of the line Viking appliances, and Iin the open-living area, entertainment is provided for with an HD-TV projector for TV, movies, gaming, and Internet access, while sound is piped in through in-wall Jamo speakers by one of the best Danish speaker manufacturers. The bathroom features a Kohler corner full-size shower, imported Italian vanity with a Sloan touch-free water-conserving faucet, full-size touch-flush toilet an LG Steam Fresh Washer Dryer.

You'll keep cozy in your MetroShip no matter what the season with remote-controlled heat and AC, air conditioning units. Rest assured your heat or AC won't disappear out of the boat's doors or windows, etiher, since the MetroShip is constructed with double-glazed low-E door and windows. The entire boat is built out of UV-coated aluminum grid opaque walls, which are opaque, and cause the MetroShip to glow at night like a lantern. MetroShips start at $239,000.

Are you interested in boating away down the nearest river, lake, or bay? Check out all the photos if you need convincing.

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Name This Chair

CasaSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:00:08 -0700

In Sydney, Australia, Miss Universe Australia Rachael Finch posed for a picture at the Australia 2009 Pyjama Party at Star City. While Ms. Finch is certainly a stunner, my eyes are wandering to the chair she's sitting in. Designed by Eero Aarnio in 1966, this chair's name is pretty easy to figure out, given its shape. Can you tell me what it's called?

Guess Who Designed This Building?

CasaSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 06:15:48 -0700

A very famous architect who's known for his idiosyncratic buildings designed this funky building at MIT. Can you tell me who designed it?

Coveted Crib: Neal Creek Retreat

CasaSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:00:51 -0700

Usually, when I share photos of a gorgeous modern home with you, there's little hope of actually staying at that place in real life. Not so with the Neal Creek residence. Located near Hood River, OR, this two-bedroom home is actually available for rent.

Architects Paul McKean and Amy Donohue designed this house to make a minimal impact on the environment. The house's main living space is raised one story above ground, which helps to protect it from flood and brush fire damage while providing patio and storage space below. A green roof helps the home to blend into the landscape.

To find out more about this house, and to take a full tour, read more.

The house makes use of renewable, local materials, including cedar siding and cabinetry and an FSC-certified wood floor, finished with vegetable wax. The carpet tiles are composed of natural wool and rubber, and all interior finishes are no-VOC. With Energy Star-certified appliances and highly energy-efficient windows, the home is comfortable and cozy no matter what the season. The Neal Creek Retreat was awarded the 2007 honor award from the American Institute of Architects, Portland.

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Coveted Crib: A Multigenerational Mountain Retreat

CasaSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:00:56 -0700

I love the idea of creating a getaway that's all about family. Those were exactly the intentions of architect Kyu Sung Woo, when he decided to build a three-home compound outside of the small town of Putney, VT.

When Woo was forced to flee his hometown during the Korean War, he decided that he would re-create a family home for his extended relatives when he had the opportunity. Now, the sleek, understated, and pristinely beautiful home provides a retreat for his wife, children, and grandchildren.

For the complete tour, read more.

Constructed from wood and metal, large glass windows and sliding glass doors emphasize the importance of the 11 acres the home is built upon. The acreage, which is marked by heavily wooded terrain and large outcroppings of stone, is in stark contrast to the home's angular, boxy lines, though somehow, the structures appear well-suited to the landscape. Built around outcroppings of ledge, the houses are separated into one building for sleeping quarters, another for living quarters, and a third for storage and equipment.

In an article in the Wall Street Journal Mr. Woo's daughter Ilyon notes that the home is a "four-generation-and-beyond house, with the memory of my grandparents behind it."

What a beautiful, and ideal, way to define a home.

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Coveted Crib: A Modern Wilderness Hideaway

CasaSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:00:46 -0700

Longing to get back to nature, but hate the idea of roughing it? Then check out this home, designed by Heliotrope Architects. Located outside of Missoula, MT, the home was built into a hillside on a seven-acre parcel of land, and is framed by tall evergreens and the surrounding mountains. But there will be no roughing it in this Montana wilderness home. Indeed, if weather permits, you can take a break by the pool, or perhaps lounge in a spa-style bathtub while taking in the gorgeous scenery.

For the complete tour, read more.
The home's hillside location helps to reduce the effects of inclement weather from the north, while the south side of the home boasts extensive fenestration, which makes it easier to gaze upon Grant Creek. The main floor houses common spaces, while the lower level, which is partially built into the hillside, holds the cozy bedrooms.

Inside, the home boasts luxurious finishes, including concrete, bamboo, and leather (!) floors; walnut paneling; and walnut, bamboo, and mahogany cabinets. A slab table anchors the dining room, while modern furniture throughout gives the house a cosmopolitan feel, even as the views from the massive windows prove that you're anywhere but city-bound.

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Coveted Crib: A Cool Calistoga Poolhouse

CasaSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:00:33 -0700

Poolhouses are often overlooked when it comes to good design; not so with this Calistoga, CA, poolhouse, whose straightforward, modern silhouette embodies pool design at its very best. Featured in Dwell magazine, the poolhouse has beautiful views both inside and out, featuring views of Mount St. Helena, the Palisades, and Napa Valley. Working with the landscape, the house is bermed into the hillside, while the pool, deck, and roof jut out toward the Napa Valley below. Adding to the natural look, the pool's infinity edge drops into the valley below.

To tour the poolhouse, read more.

Inside the poolhouse, materials such as exposed wood beams, steel frames, and concrete countertops provide durability and simple beauty, and keep the emphasis on the beautiful views outside. An open floor plan, augmented by glass doors which open to the pool, makes this a true Summer getaway.

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Found It! Aleksandr Petrovsky's Dining Room Chairs

CasaSugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:00:11 -0700

I recently saw a few re-runs from season six of Sex and the City, and I was blown away, yet again, by Aleksandr Petrovsky's chic Manhattan loft apartment. From the to-die-for views to the sheer size of the place, it's utterly crave worthy.

In this scene, from episode 92, "Splat!" Aleksandr and Carrie's dinner party isn't going very smoothly, to say the least. SATC fans will recall that talk of vibrators and Billy Joel do not impress Aleksandr, and Carrie's pals all write him off as a snob. However, one element of the dinner party that everyone can agree on (in my humble opinion) is the fabulousness of the dining room chairs.

Want to know where to find them? Then read more.

They're the Cherner Side Chairs ($679) in walnut. Reproductions of the 1958 original, which was designed by Norman Cherner, the side chair features a molded plywood seat constructed from laminated plywood in graduated thickness. The chair is a true classic of modern design, and absolutely beautiful. See? Petrovsky might be a snob, but he's a snob with great taste.

Photo courtesy of HBO

Coveted Crib: A Sculptor's Retreat

CasaSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:00:43 -0700

Lake/Flato Architects, whose work I've featured before, creates modern, sustainable, and landscape-sensitive structures that never fail to impress. For one client in San Antonio, TX, the firm was asked to create a house with an adjoining studio for her sculpture work and art collection.

Other important features for the client included the need for copious space for displaying her collection of contemporary art, as well as a great deal of natural light. The firm responded to these requests with a building that is filled with light. Anchored by generous use of stone and natural materials, the home's restrained use of furniture and decor lets the art speak for itself. Raised clerestory windows, cupolas, and shaded monitors all cooperate to infuse this home with light. Outside, a series of courtyards accommodate the sculpture garden, and tall walls make this space feel like a sanctuary.

For additional photos, read more.

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