Showing posts with label houses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label houses. Show all posts
Casa Hurtado by Busquet
Along with the well known Gaudi, there were many other modernista architects working during the same time period, including Guillem Busquet. The Spanish architects working in the same vein as the more widely known Gaudi created houses in the city proper of Barcelona such as the Casa Battlo, the Casa Mila, the Palau Guell or the Casa Lleo Morera; but also a number of smaller residences around the city, such as this one I came across one day outside of Barcelona last year.
You see so much of the modernista distinctive style here: the curved and unusually shaped facade, the inventive terra cotta work and his use of color through tile. So while traveling, I think this is a reminder(to me!) to always keep your eyes open because you never know what gem you might find even in a quiet suburb!The Walker Residence
One of the greatest surprises during my California adventure was coming across a little known Frank Lloyd Wright house in Carmel directly across Monterey Bay from Pebble Beach.
While I agree with many other architects that Frank Lloyd Wright is overly regarded in general, one can't help but admit he was a tremdendously talented architect.
The Walker Residence was designed in 1948 and completed in 1951 for Della Walker. It's a small house nestled into the beach rocks on the water side of Scenic Drive in Carmel. I loved the gates into the driveway / carport which almost feel like the backdoor as it has such a prominent face on the other side.
As you can tell from these pictures, it's so perfectly sited that it blends into its surroundings. If you didn't know it was there, you might not notice it!
It's small sizes gives it the nickname 'the cabin on the rocks' (Carmel is full of cottages or 'cabins') but it's definitely not small on design. Above you see a typical FLW element, the carport.
Built originally for $125,000, FLW later added a master bedroom in 1956. He is known to have considered this amongst his favorite houses.
I would compare the siting of the house and its relationship to the water with Fallingwater. FLW took a beautiful piece of property and only improved it with his design.
The one side of the house has stairs which go down onto a small secluded beach area, seen above.
The design is based on a ship with a terrace off the liviing room becoming the prow, thrusting into Monterey Bay.
Such an elegant house and I love the stonework.The plantings on this side of the house look native to the area and really feel a part of the house itself. 
The house was featured in the 1959 movie "A Summer Place". Has anyone ever seen this? I'll have to add it to my netflix queue.
If you're ever in Carmel, make sure to pay special attention to the cabin on the rocks!
Hamptons Designer Showhouse: Details
To wrap up my coverage of the Hamptons Designer Showhouse, I thought I would share some of my favorite details found throughout the house which I hadn't shown.
The lower landing, which stopped most viewer's right in their tracks was completed by Welhil Interiors. They filled the space with a beautiful bar, a la 1950s and used this beautiful lucite chair at the base of the stair. The end wall was papered with an enormous blow up of a Long Island Map, charming!
The dining room off of the foyer was decorated by Robert Stilin. Robert created a contemporary space anchored by a great chandelier that I wanted to take home with me! Robert has been a fixture in showhouses for quite awhile; past Hamptons designer showhouses as well as Kips Bay (see coverage of his 2011 Kips Bay room on Habitually Chic).
The Mendelson Group created a modern stair landing (including this incredible lamp) on the 2nd floor. Notice the wallpaper with the great subtle details.
Patricia Fisher designed a beautiful and feminine guest room which was a sea of blues. I loved this console table (notice the Hickory Chair stools which were found throughout the house used by a few designers.
Haus Interiors decorated the foyer and it was definitely an eye catching space. This console table and stools reminded me a lot of a Missoni print.
Lillian August decorated the living room in a charming vintagey beach style. I loved the large scale landscape drawing on the wall.
Meg Braff, never one to disappoint, turned a pokey butler's pantry and powder room into beautiful spaces through texture and color. This powder room is perfect for a beach house.
Eddie Lee turned the guest sitting room overlooking the pool into a sophisticated retreat. The colors of celedon green and beautiful blue seemed fresh and crisp. I loved the tufted sofa.
This seating area looked like a great place to sit down with a good book (and martini!)
Keith Baltimore decorated one of the bedrooms in a vintage style which was so fun: I loved the house of the Hickory Chair column in the corner.
The beautiful kitchen was completed by Bakes and Company. The carrara tile backsplash is what I would put into my own kitchen and I loved these old storage jars.
Behind the house lies a beautiful pool and enormous poolhouse (the size of most houses which I preferred to the main house!)
The main sitting room of the poolhouse was decorated by Eileen Kathryn Boyd. The windows facing the neighbor's yard are covered in gorgeous yellow curtains and enhanced by urn topped columns.
Even the changing area, also decorated by Eileen, left no detail untouched. I see a lot of cute pillows and totebags I'd want to take with me to the beach!
I hope you enjoyed my coverage of the Design Showhouse. You still have time to visit the house and see it for yourself for another week -it closes on September 4th.
Something new
Yesterday while walking along one of my favorite blocks in the city, I noticed this house for the first time. Clearly abandoned (as a few buildings are on this block suspiciously, which worries me about future development) it has seen better days. But what days they were! The arched window on the 3rd floor and the little Rupunzel tower with the onion skin dome in the attic! These are the things dreams are made of! In my dream- I'd have the top 2 stories of this house for my apartment with my bedroom in the eves and my blogger desk set into that corner tower. Don't forget to look up; even on familiar streets you just may spot something new!
Hamptons Designer Showhouse: Ron Foire for Hickory Chair
The enormous master suite at the Hamptons Designer Showhouse was designed by Ron Fiore for Hickory Chair. Using many of Hickory Chair's classic pieces, Ron wove together an elegant and airy bedroom with different zones for a hideaway within the house.
I loved the desk beneath a window facing the pool beside the fireplace; those large work areas are so useful for spreading out!
The tablescapes around the room were stunning, whats not to like with this collection of vases?
Although a bit washed out in my photograph, the sitting area looked like the perfect little corner to cozy up into. I love having those 2 lamps side by side in the shelf for reading lights.
A virtual footboard for the bed was created with the backs of these timeless chairs (even Christian Dior would approve!).
If I had to find one fault with the room, and this is personal, I hate the trend to cover books with paper. While I agree it makes the room more serene perhaps, I just love books and hate to see them covered. A bookshelf is so much more interesting when there are titles to survey.
The master bath was completed by Carole Reed Design and I loved the layered window treatments. Even I, a sworn shower taker, might be tempted by this tub (and my monogram is even included on that towel!). Hamptons Designer Showhouse: Donald Schermerhorn
The best laid out room at the Hamptons Designer Showhouse was the family room by New York designer Donald Schermerhorn. Bucking convention, Donald laid out the furniture diagonally in the room which not only was interesting but aided traffic flow. Similarly, his room at the Kips Bay showhouse in 2009 also had an interesting furniture arrangement and garnered a lot of attention. See that room HERE on Habitually Chic. I love examples of thinking outside of the box like this!Hamptons Designer Showhouse: Keith Carroll
My favorite bedroom at the Hamptons Designer Showhouse was a 1st floor guest room that was just so charming I could have moved right in.
Decorated by Keith Carroll, the room highlighted Scalamandre wallpaper with dogs in a yellow and gray colorway, which was then repeated through the colors found throughout the room. It certainly didn't hurt that the room was styled as if someone was living there, down to the NYtimes and oreos on the breakfast tray!
While small, the room still had space for a small seating area; always good for a guest so they can have somewhere to lounge privately other than in bed.
The en-suite bathroom continued the yellow and gray theme but in a different wallpaper. Classic white bath fixtures finished off the space in a timeless manner.
As I said, the room was styled so well, down to the products; always my favorite part of any show house!
Hamptons Designer Showhouse: Raji RM & Associates
Another of my favorite rooms at the Hamptons Designer Showhouse, I'm proud to say, was done by a good friend of mine here in DC, Raji Radhakrishnan.
Raji, smiling here as always, composed a room very much in line with her work; Eclectic but edited, a fascinating collection of the most beautiful and interesting pieces which make the room feel to me as if an interesting person lived there rather than being 'decorated'. To my mind, isn't this the goal of high-style interior design?
Raji explained that the room she started with was basically bare bones, a staff bedroom on the lower level. The first task she assigned herself was to bring some architecture into the space through a painted wood chair rail and moldings. They MAKE the room. 
Raji interpreted the space as a ladies lounge for the mistress of the house. She wanted the room to tell the story of an accomplished woman who needed a stylish office to conduct her own business away from the family. Imaginary client: Hillary Clinton. 
The pieces throughout the space are all amazing -you could spend all day here just admiring each one. I loved these vintage pottery jugs.
No inch of the room was forgotten with beautiful details throughout.
Even the light fixture was incredible!
I think we can all agree this is a room we would want to spend time in; especially this tufted leather chair!
The most show-stopping item in the room is the glass rod encased cabinet in the corner. Created by a French artist that Raji and her husband discovered wandering around Paris, the borrowed piece has an asking price of over 50k! Look but don't touch!
One of the most personal and asked-about spaces in the space, believe it or not, was the bathroom. Raji's talented daughter, Shruti Narasimhan spent countless hours painting a beautiful coral decoration on the walls with coordinating shower curtain. It's no surprise however that the apple didn't fall far from the tree; Shruti currently is studying interior design in NYC.
For better pictures of the space than my own, go to My Notting Hill to see professional photographs.
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