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Scandinavian Holiday House as Simple as a Child’s Drawing

Martin Videgård of Tham & Videgård, designed Husarö House as a vacation home for his own family.

Extremely simple materials were chosen so the project could stay within a tight budget.

Sun fills the fresh wood interior of the vacation home sited overlooking the water of the Stockholm archipelago.

The refreshing simplicity of the furniture is encourages pared-down camp-style holidays.

Plentiful Scandinavian pine lines the walls.

Even the layout is the simplest possible.

Central stairs lead up to the bedrooms.

Behind these stairs, the kitchen gets a wide open window to the sea views.

Upstairs, the large bedroom houses three kids in a bunk wall to open shared play space, while parents get a more compact bedroom.

Each bunk is built in to the wall finished just in particle board.

Boxes underneath house a few simple holiday clothes for all.

A very Scandinavian touch, a wood stove heats the house for winter vacations.

Tham & Videgård Arkitekter have created a two story house as simple as a child’s drawing.

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Design Dilemma: Elegance in 300 square feet

Who says that a 323 square foot apartment can’t feel spacious, sumptuous and elegant? Certainly not French Designer Marianne Evennou, who has spent a good part of her career designing tiny spaces. Here, we visit the sixth arrondisement Paris apartment of Alain Meyer who manages to get every need met in a space the size of a bedroom.

Somehow, this snug little apartment manages to feel roomy in its tininess, colorful, despite its sober and restrained use of color, and elegant while packing in plenty of practicality. Let’s take a look:

Below we get a view of the entryway leading into the main area. By painting the entry hall a bright yellow ochre, the vestibule is set apart, and has a certain amount of drama. The bright pop of color adds an unexpected note to a room that is otherwise outfitted in dark gray, navy and white. Note how coat hooks on painted tree branches add a note of sauciness and practicality.

When you’ve got a very small footprint, one very simple and effective way to provide definition and depth without taking up valuable floor space is by the clever use of paint. The designer has created  “divisions” in the very small space by using paint to great effect. A navy blue wall sets off the study area, for example, just as the yellow ochre defined the entrance way. Floating bookshelves and a floating desk are another practical note that take up no floor space at all.

Below, a navy blue kitchen area defines that space and provides a sense of depth. The blue feels elegant, refined, and unexpected in such a small space.

One other clever design trick is the use of streamlined leggy furniture that allows your eyes to see floor space, thereby minimizing apparent bulk.

Using small patterns, the slim-lined stripe on the chair, the small check on the rug, as well as small art on the wall, keeps the room from feeling bulky or heavy.

The bathroom carries on with the same restraint and color choices as the main room. Classic white subway tile keeps things simple and elegant.

And another detail view here:

Want to see more? Check out  Marianne’s blog.

(Image credits: AD Russia; Marianne Evennou)

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Gorgeous Vistas in Village-like Swiss Home at Lago Maggiore

You can almost feel the soft radiant warmth of this thermal sink of concrete bathed in the clear Swiss sunlight.

The house overlooks the astonishing views of Lago Maggiore at Brissagno, Switzerland.

As imagined by Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects the house is like a hillside village as it descends towards the lake.

One such ‘village street’ offers entrance to the living room.

Another of these ‘village’ courtyards opens up into a sunlit dining room.

Around the corner, the kitchen also partakes of the stupendous view.

Topping the lower level is a unique swimming pool and outdoor kitchen overlooking the commanding views.

As in many hillside locations, two cars are parked at the top of the site – but here the house begins underneath.

A steep flight of stairs guide the visit down to the village.

These lead down to a series of central courtyards, like village squares.

The various entrances to the house going down the hill are like a series of village homes.

This courtyard is imagined as both the heart of the house, but with the conviviality of a historic village where different paths join.

Entering the home at any room down the hill, a series of lake vistas framed in rough concrete await the visitor.

The same rough textured concrete is used inside and out, but contrasts with the polished surfaces of fixtures inside.

However, there is no hint of all these magnificently imagined spaces in the building’s outer face seen from below.