jverwijs's ideas
In this artist’s studio, the architects have wonderfully illustrated the story of concrete and married it with the local environment. The finished wall surface is irregular and messy, an inherent part of the forming process. It’s been exploited here to mark the ever-changing light of day. The finely textured dots denote the location of the form ties, the metal ties that hold the forms together as the concrete is being poured, which prevent the forms from separating. The ends of the ties are broken off when the forms are removed. Oftentimes these are filled or top-coated to conceal them. Here they are celebrated as part of the story of making and add speckled shadows to the wall face.
Texture. Pritzker-prize-winning architect Tadao Ando is known for his spare materials palette: concrete, glass and wood. By varying the texture and juxtaposition of just three materials, he’s able to create sensorially rich spaces. Texture changes allow subtle variation in light and shadow to infuse each material with depth and interest. Instead of being flat and one-dimensional, they’re continually changing. Texture affects light and sound diffusion. It can affect how likely you are to touch a surface. It can distinguish function — rough for traction, smooth for sitting.
Having completed a 100 percent net-zero, LEED Platinum-certified home, the architects had experience designing a sustainable and innovative home. With this project, however, they decided not to pursue sustainable certification. ”We were more innovative than LEED,” says Meditch, who found the certification process time-consuming and expensive and felt that some of the requirements hindered innovation, as with the home’s wall construction.
A second living area sits away from the first floor’s main living areas. It is close to the bathroom and could be used as a first-floor bedroom if needed in the future, creating a first-floor master suite. The architects kept most living rooms simple in terms of shape and prescribed use, so they can be easily rearranged and repurposed depending on need.
Windows on almost every wall of the home, which is on a tight lot, called for innovative privacy solutions. The architects added curtains and exterior louvers on the windows facing the courtyard and the street. Walls facing the neighbors have insulated channel glass, an energy-efficient material that lets in natural light but screens exterior views. Each piece is a C-shaped panel of interlaced glass.
AFTER: Removing a structural column that hindered the flow and views between the kitchen and the adjacent family room helped open things up. A breakfast table was also eliminated, since the family can now enjoy casual meals at their larger center island. Customized bamboo cabinets with oversized stainless steel pulls have improved storage. A full side wall of storage includes large cabinets with pullout shelves on each side of the integrated Sub-Zero and Wolf refrigerator for pantry storage, and high upper cabinets for tray storage and seasonal items. The kitchen’s red oak floor was replaced with white oak, which contrasts nicely with the bamboo cabinets.
The new glass wall system was a major undertaking that required a structural engineer and a new structural beam to support the floor above. The couple included a separate retractable screen for protection from bugs. “We didn’t add any square footage during the remodel, and the kitchen just feels bigger,” Jill says. “I love waking up, coming downstairs and having a cup of coffee while I enjoy the view.”
The contemporary-style island includes a solid-slab 3-inch-thick Caesarstone countertop in Blizzard with a mitered edge and beveled detail and a two-burner induction cooktop from Wolf. Three bamboo panels by the stools bring the warmth of the cabinetry to the island. Two upper cabinets on the back wall with frosted glass and aluminum frames add lightness, with integrated Sub-Zero refrigerator drawers below for bottles of water, soda and juice boxes.
Two layers of sliding boards and a colander insert are two of the special features of the island’s Galley sink that measures more than 5½ feet long. It was a nonnegotiable item for Jill, who first saw the sink on Houzz. “It’s all-encompassing, so all the food prep is right there,” she says. “It’s so versatile and user friendly, and you can fill it up with ice for entertaining.”
he sleek sculptural hood above the four-burner gas cooktop with a convection oven below provides ventilation and creates a focal point for the cooking zone. The large drawer to the right of the cooktop has peg storage for plates, while the top-left drawers offer utensil storage, with a large drawer on the bottom left for pots and pans. “We also included plenty of counter space on each side of the cooktop,” designer Klimala says. The backsplash features large squares of limestone specified by project architect Richard Carr that contribute to the modern feel of the space. A built-in coffee unit with a microwave drawer below are seen on the left side of this photo. Cooktop, hood, microwave drawer, oven: Sub-Zero and Wolf; built-in coffee unit: Miele
Six-inch-square porcelain tiles create a random pattern on the backsplash, bounce the light around and satisfy the homeowner’s love of bold, unusual elements. The tiles could have been mounted in an infinite number of patterns. Creamy quartz composite countertops and counter stools keep things light.
After you cut the cardboard tube, you will notice that its structural integrity has been reduced. To beef up the tube again, we needed to add some supporting rings, in addition to hooks to attach it to the wall. We made all the attachment hooks and supporting loops out of plywood, cutting them with our computer-aided tools (or CNC machines). You can find CNC-machine shops in your area or make a template and cut the pieces with a jigsaw. CNC shops use digital files.
To create the system, we used Sonotube, which is a cardboard tube with a waxy interior finish used for casting concrete. Sonotube is cheap, readily available at most hardware stores and easily cut with a jigsaw. We cut about one quarter of the Sonotube off to allow the cat to see over the edge and to make it easier to clean inside
The run ends on top of a tall cabinet. Luckily we designed and made the cabinet too, so we were able to add a safety railing around the top of the cabinet to prevent the cat from sliding off if he or she were to fall asleep up there a bit too close to the edge.
Steampunk cat transit system. As you can see in this image, the entry point for the transit system is on top of a steamer trunk that was already in the room. This is easy for the cat to jump onto and then access the entrance to the system.
Lego used well.
Panels or screens can be erected at intervals along the fence to create focal points, as shown here. If the material used for your screens is found elsewhere in your garden, so much the better.
Build unified fences. All too frequently, suburban backyards are bordered by several different styles of fencing from adjoining neighbors. If your backyard has several different types of fencing, consider ways to bring unity to it. With the permission of your neighbors, consider painting or staining your side a common color. Or consider facing your side with a common material, like boards run horizontally, as shown here.
The rill then carries water throughout the remainder of the space. A cohesive sense of place is established and celebrated.
Create unity with hardscaping. This garden, designed by Julie Moir Messervy, is a case study in unity and creativity. The steel rill that carries water throughout the space is the star of the garden. The rill is even incorporated into the handrail along these stairs, bringing continuity from a higher level to a lower one.
Repeat a common color. Instinctively, the human eye is first drawn to color. Use this instinct to your advantage by creating a thread of one color throughout your space. This composition of a red boardwalk and an art piece is a perfect example of how color can be used to best advantage. It gives the visitor a sense of comfort so that he or she is free to explore the myriad plant textures and shapes in this otherwise monochromatic woodland garden.
Unify your garden with a common thread. Repeat shapes. The repetition of sculptural shapes unifies spaces with subtlety. The triptych of rusted metal spheres in this backyard garden speaks to its contemporary farmhouse theme. A triptych of granite spheres makes a statement in the contemporary front garden. While the style and materials differ, the shapes repeated in different areas of the garden reinforce the overall sense of place.
I like this miminalist (alcohol-fueled?) fireplace.
A Noguchi coffee table and sectional sofa are more modern touches,
I just like the clean look of this.
Sectionals make a small space more comfortable. It seems like it shouldn’t work, but filling a compact room with a sectional can actually make the space feel larger — and way more comfortable. And if you add an ottoman as the coffee table, as shown here, you can boost seating options as well.
Sectionals bring softness and warmth to a modern space. The sharp lines, metal and glass of a sleek, modern apartment can feel a bit cold. Warm things up by bringing in a generously sized, delightfully comfortable sectional to plunk down on. And unlike in the past, sectionals today are available in slimmed-down, modern silhouettes that look right at home in an urban loft.
Having a pullout or pull-down function of some form is very important with a large, square sink like this one, so the restaurant-style faucet is also very practical for serious chefs.
You may also want to consider mixing metals. A brass or copper sink is the star of the show when paired with a quieter silver-hued finish on the faucet.
Large kitchen drawers. Looking down into a well-lit space is much better than looking deep into a dark cabinet. In this kitchen large drawers have completely replaced cabinets. Just make sure they are all soft close.
I like the clean look wit the walnut wood.
Create an extra seating nook. Most people tend to shove cabinets in every available space in a kitchen. I've found I will pare down my belongings to fit in a small number of cabinets, and I'll expand them to fill up a large number. If you look at what you really need and edit, you may free up space for a cozy corner bench.
Create household central with a mini office. This kitchen workspace makes the most of a small corner, with upper and lower cabinets for storage and a computer for running the household. Note the thoughtful undercabinet lighting.
Use a tall lazy Susan in the pantry. Long a favorite way to address deep corners, this is a fabulous storage solution for those of you with a pantry.
The ultimate display of geometrics is seen here in this checkerboard design by the architect Ron Herman. The inspiration came from moss and stone Zen temple gardens in Kyoto, Japan. The grid layout of cubes is surfaced with smooth river pebbles and Helxine (Soleirolia soleirolii), while a vertical accent is provided by slim bamboo.
Geometry can transform space into a cutting-edge landscape. Here we see the epitome of geometric garden design. The combination of lines, right angles and simple shapes works well, creating a clean, calm and uncluttered look.
The three-dimensional design of this front garden almost has its roots in the paintings of the 20th-century artist Mondrian. Its strong geometric-shape raised beds of differing heights are reinforced by the width of the retaining walls. All is softened, though, by the beautifully executed and understated plantings.
The simplest two-dimensional design can be the most satisfying. In the 1930s, Dutch designer Mein Ruys was using interesting new ideas to give her gardens a framework. She laid a Mondrian-style grid on the ground to divide up the space. She then planted some areas while leaving others bare.
The clever pattern on this beautifully constructed wall breaks down the mass of bricks and prevents it from overpowering the brick courtyard it encloses.
Bricks can provide detail through a different color. The blue bricks used here, known as Staffordshire Blue bricks in the U.K., have been fired at a higher temperature than normal bricks, making them hard and impervious to water and perfect for paths and steps.
Here a square of brick creates a privacy screen for an entrance. In addition, the brick adds to the landscape and provides a textured, neutral backdrop for the architectural planting in front and the shadows the plants cast.
The walk-in shower has a rain shower as well as a handheld shower fixture and a bench seat.
Love the curved walls. The master bath has a dressing table incorporated into the curved Corian-topped vanity.
Here’s a look at the walk-in pantry, which is vital because the kitchen doesn’t have much overhead cabinet storage. It also helped get the microwave, toaster, coffeemaker, blender and warming drawer out of the main space.
These “before” and “after” floor plans show the transformation of the dark, cramped kitchen into a more efficient space made for modern family living.
The back side of the island has deep drawers for storage of pots as well as a dishwasher, the sink base and a trash center.
The new range sits between two existing double-hung windows, with a beautiful custom hood that creates a strong focal point. The sink against one window is in same place as previous (before reno) sink. A second sink is added to the island.
Double ovens and a TV sit in a maple wall that wraps around to the staircase that connects to the master suite.
Toronto
Q