Before and After

 Before and After

This is a reblog from Houzz that I found very interesting.... Its a before and after renovation.. Please read carefully and see whats possible in today's design culture of Modern-contemporary style and design.,..

Enjoy the pics and post

It was a tall order. This young family wanted to find a home in Santa Monica, California, that embodied the historic homes of Boston, where the husband grew up, and the outdoors of Oregon, where the wife is from. They lucked out with a well-kept historic cottage that just needed some tweaking to support their active family life.

They tapped architect Lewin Wertheimer from nearby Venice to refresh much of the house, turning a jumble of rooms at the rear into a kitchen, breakfast room, laundry and powder room, and adding a master bath and closet upstairs. 
 

Houzz at a Glance

 

Who lives here: He’s in the entertainment-management industry; after a career in environmental policy, she’s now a stay-at-home mom to 2 young boys
 

Location: Santa Monica, California 

 

Size: 2,820 square feet (262 square meters); 3 bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms

BEFORE: The 1905 cottage was in good shape. “Most of the home’s original details, which I would call post-Victorian and pre-Craftsman, were still intact,” Wertheimer says. “Although the house is historic, it didn’t have landmark status, so we were able to update it without restrictions.”

The home’s original magenta exterior inspired its name, Villa Rosa, which is written on a sign hanging on the entry arbor. “Even though we changed the color of the house,” says Wertheimer, “we kept the arbor and the sign.”

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

“After” photos by Douglas Hill

AFTER: Landscape designer Mary Effron refreshed the home’s front yard with new plantings and a brick walkway. Wertheimer rebuilt the porch steps and railing. He also chose the new exterior color for its chameleon-like quality. “It’s a grayed blue-green that changes color during the day,” he says.

Exterior paint: Sea Pine, Benjamin Moore; trim paint: Whisper, Dunn-Edwards

 

BEFORE: In the entry and throughout the house, most of the home’s original millwork was intact and well maintained, and appealed to both the homeowners and the architect.

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

AFTER: The original Douglas fir floors throughout the house were refinished. And on the stairs, the original newel post lamp was restored.

Interior designer Sasha Emerson warmed the interior with a mix of the couple’s existing furnishings, new traditional-style pieces and vintage finds, all done in finishes and fabrics that could withstand the rigors of childhood. For example, a sisal runner on the steps is durable and provides traction for little feet.

Table: Nickey Kehoe; cushions: Acapillow Home Furnishings; wallpaper: Galbraith & Paul

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

In the entry hall, the stairs lead up to the bedrooms, while the doorways lead to the small living room on the right and the dining room to the left. The ceiling light is an antique find.

Basket: HomeGoods

 

 

 

BEFORE: Just off the entry hall, built-in cabinets separate the cozy study from the small sunroom that overlooks the front yard.

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

AFTER: The study was updated with a new built-in bookcase to the left of the fireplace, which was repainted a charcoal gray (it was originally white) for visual punch. The light fixture is a vintage find. “The original cove ceilings and built-ins give this house so much architectural character,” Wertheimer says. “Everything new was inspired by what was there.”

Sunroom chairs: HD Buttercup; shade fabric: Hollywood at Home; cushions: Acapillow Home Furnishings

 

 

 

BEFORE: The dining room included a bay window and window seat, but the doorway led to a porch that was too small for any use.

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

AFTER: The refreshed dining room now opens to a new breakfast room that’s part of the kitchen expansion at the back of the house. The owners’ original chairs were updated with red leather upholstery.

The original small porch was enclosed to become part of the new breakfast room that opens to the back yard. New custom windows and doors work with the home’s 1905 architecture, while the vintage pendants and painted pale turquoise floor are playful touches.

Table: Big Daddy’s Antiques; shade fabric: Raoul Textiles; cushions: Acapillow Home Furnishings

 

 

 

BEFORE: The old kitchen, while obviously updated in recent decades, was inefficient and part of a warren of small rooms at the back of the house that included a full bath and laundry.

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

AFTER: Working within the home’s footprint, Wertheimer reorganized the floor plan to create a more expansive kitchen, a new breakfast room, a laundry and a powder room instead of the full bath. He also opened the back of the house to the garden through the use of windows and doors. “This couple loves to cook, so the kitchen had to be the center of the universe,” he says.

Shaker-style custom cabinetry, honed basaltina and marble countertops, and vintage-style pendants add the comfortable patina of age to the new kitchen. The furniture-style island keeps the narrow kitchen from looking cramped.

Range: Wolf; pendant lighting: One Kings Lane; ceiling lights: Rejuvenation

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

Windows overlook the backyard, which now includes vegetable beds, fruit trees and a chicken coop.

Sink: Franke; faucet: Rohl; tile: Classic Tile & Flooring; cabinetry hardware: Crown City Hardware

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

A glass panel in the door keeps the new laundry visually connected to the adjacent kitchen. The small sink handles both hand washables and cut flowers. The Sheila Maid drying rack goes up and down from the ceiling via rope and a pulley.

Sink: Franke; faucet: Rohl; light fixture: Olde Good Things; shade fabric: Hollywood at Home

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

The new powder room sports a narrow, V-groove ceiling treatment and wainscoting, echoing the home’s turn-of-the-century cottage detailing.

Sink pedestal: Restoration Hardware; copper sink and faucet: Waterworks; lighting: Olde Good Things; wallpaper: Schumacher

 

BEFORE: The master bedroom had two small closets that ate up floor space and low ceilings that added to a sense of confinement

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

AFTER: Wertheimer raised the ceilings in all three bedrooms, adding a much-needed sense of volume. In the master bedroom, he also removed the two small closets, creating space for a sitting area. The bed and sofa are custom designs.

Chair: HD Buttercup; coffee table: Big Daddy’s Antiques; rug: Serena & Lily; shade fabric: Hollywood at Home; sconces: Olde Good Things; pendant light: Design Mix Furniture

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

One bathroom originally served the three upstairs bedrooms. The architect persuaded the homeowners to add a master bath and closet, building out above the kitchen.

Period plumbing fixtures, Shaker-style custom cabinetry, marble countertops and blue limestone flooring with a sandblasted finish work together to create a harmonious retreat that overlooks the backyard. The pendants are a vintage find.

Tub: Sunrise Specialty; sink: Kallista Plumbing; faucets: Newport Brass; medicine cabinet: Barbara Barry; wall-mounted light fixtures: Olde Good Things; flooring: Classic Tile & Flooring

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

A walk-in shower anchors one end of the new master bath.

Shower door: Met-Tec Shower Enclosures; subway tile: Heath Ceramics

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

In one of the boys’ bedrooms, raising the ceiling line exposed the rafters, adding volume and architectural interest.

Pendant light: Design Within Reach; rug: Overstock.com; shade fabric: Hollywood at Home

 

 

Lewin Wertheimer

 

 

A new gable at the back of the house matches the home’s original architecture and houses the newly built master bath and closet. The pergola and brick patio are also new additions, creating outdoor living and dining areas off the kitchen.

Modern trends in homes

Avant-Garde Presents

I would like all of you to share and enjoy all the beautiful modern contemporary homes found below.....

Gorgeous Treetop Dwellings in the Mexican Rainforest

Alejandro Sánchez García Arquitectos designed the Chipicas Town Houses, four independent single buildings inside a private garden in downtown Valle de Bravo, Mexico.

The architects have devised a an unpretentious floating lantern design that is timeless and transcendent.

In a treetop bedroom, glass from ceiling to floor completely exposes the surrounding rainforest.

The result is a gorgeous place to sleep that appears suspended high up in the rainforest canopy.

The design is simple and unpretentious, opening a full wall of glass in even the childrens’ bunk rooms overlooking the surrounding jungle.

Because of the tiny garden setting, an extremely vertical design is devised for each building to protect most of the vegetation.

The Chipicas Houses were designed with two sides of the façade made of floor to ceiling windows and two sides with a skin made of wooden lattice to gain a sense of privacy.

The backs of each of the buildings are entirely covered in a wooden rain screen that offsets the textural complexity of the growing wood nearby.

From the outside, these rain screens seem impenetrable and solid – but from inside, they simply filter the light.

A completely novel view is created down under the overhangs.

(Because these screens are not connected all the way down.)

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Floating Roof Graces Beach House for Coastal New South Wales

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Steel and glass best weathers a harsh coastal climate.

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Offering a straight shot to the beach, the house is perfectly sited for multiple summers of fun.

A Sleek and Sophisticated Singapore Shop House Renovation

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The dark warren of former rooms have been scraped out and replaced with a huge elegant space that connects across its center by stairwells, with a master bedroom suite and the children’s two bedrooms above the kitchen and the living room.

A Koi pond anchors the unusual plan, offering a visual feast for those traversing the stairwells.

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For South Africa’s Hot Climate, the Cool and Elegant House Abo

This beauty represents a thorough overhaul of a dingy existing structure in hot suburban Limpopo, South Africa.

Known for their sophistication and bold design, South Africa’s Nico van der Meulen Architects completely transformed the frumpy former brick house.

The outdated single story brick home, hot and cramped, is now the open and glorious, double height glass House Abo.

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Hope you enjoyed the above post and pics... 

AG Home Goods

Some really cool modern furniture ideas...

Some really cool items...

I have been looking around for some furniture for a good friend of mine in the last few days and I ran across some really nice interesting pieces I would like to share with all of you. These are quite unique I think and they would make great additions to any modern home.. 

Enjoy the pictures...

Minimalist Futuristic Designs

This is minimalist furniture design for modern interior from collection Compar. The ultra living room furniture is perfect choice for modern home interior, its come with classic colors, innovative features and clean design. The minimalist white of the wall hanging TV stand creates a dramatic contrast with the black-glass compact coffee table. If you would like to create total white interior, the rotating clear glass table is another option.

Furniture by MODA

Moda is subdivision of the Italian design group Di Loddo & Perego, which specializes in production of unique furniture with creative designs. All of its models have a certificate of authenticity and are signed by the artists. It has presented a new collection on Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2009 in Milan. It is named Sinfonia 14 and made in fashionable neo-baroque style. Creating this collection designers perfectly combined classic shapes and contemporary finishes. They offer bright sets to furnish whole bedroom and living room. You could find lacquered red and white bed or green wardrobe with blue sideboards and so on. In spite of such glaring colours this furniture looks quite refined and elegant.

Not my style but interesting Furniture Pieces

Some of these furniture pieces come in variety of forms and sizes so Orchidea would be definitely interesting for those who search for new paths in decorating their home. When traditional furniture is made with modern style they sometimes look quite surrealistic. The Orchidea collection of furniture for living room was designed by Silvio Salon for Tosato in this exactly style. The design and technological innovations behind all the elements make the collection able to satisfy those people who like to mix in the house great quality objects of various styles. The collections consist of tables, chairs, cupboards, desks, bookcases, mirrors, tv stands, armchairs and other useful furniture for living room.

Some very intersting pieces indeed. Just goes to show hom many different items we find in the modern, contemporary style of design. This type of furniture belongs in the old victorian atyle of design but here has been inserted into a modern contemporary design.. No longer the old gold, silver colored with transparent glass, now the same shape is pure white with frosted glass completely transforming these pieces.. Very nice work

AG Home Goods