This project by Thomas Gouws Architects + Interiors involved the complete interior renovation of an existing house situated on Muckleneuck Hill, overlooking the city centre of Pretoria, the Capital of the Republic of South Africa. With the modern art loving owners in mind, the design was based on opening up the existing rooms of the house and purifying it into an airy, functional art gallery-like living space.
Several internal walls were removed emphasizing the raw beauty of the original structural features of the house. Honest, simple cement screed floors and pale plastered walls were used to form a neutral backdrop for functional art installations. The entrance hall is dominated by a grand piano with a colourful light shade canopy above it. This sets the playful tone of the colour red that acts as a contrasting focal colour element used through out the house. The stainless steel cooking island was designed as a dramatic minimalist sculpture.
With a Perspex support on one side it appears to be floating. Despite the obvious aesthetic considerations it is designed for functionality and interactive cooking, and forms the centre point of the living area. A sliding screen door hides the service area of the kitchen. In the staircase shaft, the heavy ornamental balustrades were replaced by a delicate cable screen that connects the three levels of the house.
Raw steel tread plates were used as practical finish to the existing stairs. Functional fluorescent tubes placed in steel angles were used as stark graphic lighting element to uplift the dark space. In the master bedroom the dressing room was placed inside a white glass box, which shows a hint of the colourful couture inside.
Category Archives: Residential Interiors
Charming story of ascendance and transcendence from Elenberg Fraser
Posted on March 14, 2013 by Sian
Elenberg Fraser’s new residential project, perfectly positioned at the edge of Melbourne’s CBD, creates a vertical village that follows a story of ascendance and transcendence, inspired by the ancient myths of the angel Metatron (or Enoch, or Elijah) and Pandora’s Box.
This project’s massing is crucial to its design. Broken into a series of six white, concrete towers of varying heights, and bound by a central lift core, 33M’s profile mirrors Melbourne’s skyline, creating a city within a city – a juxtaposed silhouette of its geographic context. As you enter the lobby you open Pandora’s box and ascendance shifts to transcendence, as infinite mirrors create the sensation of a body suspended in space.
The overall impression is of a box cracked open, bronze and patterned light forming a path through the black depths. The apartments themselves are white and bronze light. Adaptable, their sliding doors enable the space to be reconfigured, residents can choose whether to integrate the front room into living environments.
33M gives you the bird’s-eye perspective and convenience of the inner-city high-rise lifestyle, with the amenity of a house or large complex. The sky really is the limit here! 33M has been entered into the WIN AWARDS Residential Interiors category. Find out more at www.wanawards.com. Early Bird Discount ends Friday 15 March 2013.
Coastal living in the Australian bush
Posted on March 13, 2013 by SianArchitecture Saville Isaacs Pty Ltd have submitted this light and airy rural residence to the WIN AWARDS Residential Interiors category, demonstrating a seamless contextual blend of architecture, interior design and muted decor.
This holiday home by Architecture Saville Isaacs Pty Ltd is flexible to accommodate extended family, robust for hoards of children, yet with an element of adult luxury. A casual home with strong relationships to outdoors, it takes advantage of orientation and bush setting with sunlight, privacy and diagonal views modulated by pivoting timber screens.
Flexibility extends to opportunities for multiple activities: covered outdoor rooms, open living/dining zone, enclosed rumpus. Internal spaces are delineated by a timber spine formed by the timber walkway and vertical post screen, continuing down the suspended stairs under the kitchen island and out.
Internal elements are extensions of the architecture. Joinery is used as space making elements (timber screen wall folds over as support for benchtop). There is a marked contrast of solid textures, white linear planes, rhythms of timber posts, smooth polished concrete, steel and glass against rough sawn wire-brushed timber create drama that animates the interiors.
Focus is on the tactile quality of materials: a consistent palette of polished concrete, waxed recycled wire-brushed tallowwood, textured white laminate joinery – selected for robustness, low maintenance and recyclability. Low VOC, non-toxic materials and finishes, hydronic floor heating and cross ventilation ensure a healthy indoor environment.
The integrated interior furnishing concept was to focus on a palette of natural materials and finishes, locally sourced, designed and made. These choices are environmentally responsible and the brief was responsive by blending into and creating an emotive response to the Australian bush.
This project demonstrates the possibility of achieving quality design using ecologically sustainable development (ESD) principles and sustainable, recycled, low-toxic, cost-effective materials. It focuses on the interrelationship with the surrounding environment, volumetric quality, light enhanced sculpted open spaces, and tactile quality of materials. The design promotes the unity of architecture and interiors, working with the elements of materiality, space, volume and light seeking to achieve a sense of peace and tranquillity.
Montreal interior preserves its architectural heritage
Posted on February 21, 2013 by RebeccaFrom a tree-lined street of 1960s bungalows the new house is far from conspicuous, blending with ease into the surrounding landscape. But inside is a deceptively designed space that harbours generous volumes on three levels. The original house was in such a state of disrepair that the clients were granted a demolition permit, on the strict condition that the new building follow the original plan. This could have potentially posed a real problem for the designer, given the clients required the liveable space to triple in size. But with just the one floor, a long façade and a double-pitched roof, René Desjardins has created a space of sheer inventiveness. An essential quality of any family home is the space to come together, but also to disappear. The fluid circulation that is so characteristic of the Desjardins’ style has been rendered in such a way that the parents can easily cohabit with grown-up children seeking independence.
In the vestibule next to the garage, a steel-and-glass staircase leads to both the guest suite and the basement, a place where the boys can venture off on their own, enjoying the living room, the steam room/washroom and the home gym. The designer, whose manifesto is “less is more”, has created a home completely respectful of the clients’ personalities and lifestyle choices.
The ground floor foyer sets the tone. It is generous and unadorned, with the garden on the horizon and a spectacular staircase in anthracite iron lace. A feeling of well-being is immediate, with a unity achieved through materials and colours. There is a definite sense of looking to a simpler future, which is rather apt given one of the clients recently turned 50. The decision to take the building contemporary – a brave decision on the part of the client, has been sympathetically embraced.
The neutral palette serves to frame the beginning of a promising art collection. The same can be said for the discrete lighting rails and niches, which will eventually house sculptures.
The ground floor doubles as both a living area and a setting for parties, with the immense island in the kitchen a great spot for a DJ. A perfect example of minimalism creating space for possibility.
For more information: www.rdesjardins.com
Design Festival coming to London
Posted on September 13, 2012 by MeganThe London Design Festival (LDF) kicks off next week and we are gearing up for a jam packed week full of inspirational interior design events, seminars and parties!
World Interiors News will cover the event from our base at Design Junction, where we will host a booth showcasing products from the shortlisted designers of the WAN Interiors Furniture and Accessories Award 2012. We are thrilled to have products including Karim Rashid’s Sancal Float Sofa, Eric Parry Architect’s Vigilia Bench, Vitamin’s Knot Lamp and the winner Naomi Paul’s OMI pendants range, including her XL GLÜCK pendant which is being shown for the first time.
During the LDF we will also traverse the capital to bring you a roundup of the best exhibitions and products that the week has to offer, out in our next edition of INSIDE.
West London’s 100% Design show takes place at Earl’s Court from 19 – 22 September, highlights of which include the International Pavilions, which will feature over 200 designers from around the world.
The capital’s East End will be abuzz with open studios, pop-up exhibitions and shows all radiating out from the central hub of Brick Lane where, from 20 – 23 September, Tent London takes over The Old Truman Brewery. Tent will promote many young British designers, such as recent graduate Hugh Leader-Williams and his award winning Spun furniture range, and the latest contemporary interior products in ceramics, textiles, materials, lighting, furniture and accessories.
Central London will host Design Junction from 19 – 23 September at the former Royal Mail sorting office on New Oxford Street. The event will showcase over 100 lighting and furniture designers including Artek, Benchmark, Pinch and Thonet.
With so much to see and do this year at LDF it’s worth pencilling in the whole weekend to explore the festival, and make sure that you come along and meet us at booth F60 at the Design Junction, The Sorting Office, 21-31 New Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1BA.
The London Design Festival runs from 14 – 23 September at various venues across the city. See www.londondesignfestival.com for full listings and events.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Latest Residential Interiors projects
Posted on August 30, 2012 by MeganNew projects for the WAN Residential Interiors Award 2012 have been flooding in with only one day left until the competition closes.
Oppenheim Architecture + Design LLP’s La Muna house has caught our eye, with its conscientious use of space and light in relation to nature. The design involved the complete renovation and minor addition to one of the first homes built in the ultra-exclusive enclave of Red Mountain in Aspen, Colorado in the United States of America. Thirty years of haphazard changes to the building had hidden the potential beauty and purity of this house. The new design restored and enhanced this rustic ski chalet with all its imperfections – homage to the Japanese sensibility of wabi sabi. Now clad in reclaimed regional wood, stone, and weathered steel and copper, the home is intended to make a minimal impact on the natural resources and merge effortlessly with its idyllic surroundings of forest, stream and mountain.
Other notable entries have come from KLID (Kris Lin Interior Design) of Hong Kong, China for their Curve house. The overall design concept of the interior is based on the curve as one of the main axis of the design. In order to clearly demonstrate the curve shape, the materials have been kept simple and concise, mainly white-based, and applied as pure materials and colours to emphasise the perfect line of the curves.
Interior designers and architects from around the globe will have their entries seen by a prestigious panel of judges to include, Jane Lawrence, former Director of Conran & Partners, Hatta Byng, Senior Features Editor at House & Garden magazine and Lee Hallmann, Head of Candy & Candy Design.
The projects will also be featured on our website, so that our readership can make their own minds up about the individual entries, with a comprehensive image library available for each interior. To see the latest entries visit the WIN Residential projects page and don’t forget, if you want to enter a project, the competition closes on Friday 31 August!
Welcome to the WIN blog!
Posted on August 24, 2012 by MeganWith only 8 days left to go before the WAN Residential Interiors Award closes, we continue to receive design entries from around the globe. The competition closes on 31 August and with a high calibre of projects entered, it will showcase the best in residential interior design.
The latest entry comes from Phiyona Au-Yeung, director of Dennis Lau and Ng Chun Man Architects and Engineers (HK) Ltd. for their arrival hall design at 39 Conduit Road, Hong Kong. The project was part of the upgrading works for the luxury residential building in the Mid-levels area of Hong Kong.
A grand crystal chandelier, dubbed “The Galaxy”, that traverses the ceiling, dominates the reception hall. This epic lighting fixture consists of 773,888 individual Swarovski Crystals, weighs 18,600 kg and spans a length of 38.58m and area of 203.25 sq. m. The crystals are hung in double layers to reflect the glittering light from each other, celebrating the act of arrival with sparkle and glamour.
Other residential entries include Gustave Carlson’s 1860’s Sonoma County California house, a historical restoration project; and the industrial Artist’s House, Beijing by SpActrum Studio, which redefines the living space in response to China’s rapid industrialisation.
Our panel of judges for this year’s award include Jane Lawrence, former Director of Conran & Partners, Hatta Byng, Senior Features Editor at House & Garden magazine and Lee Hallmann, Head of Candy & Candy Design. They will judge competition entries across a number of categories such as single-use / multi-occupancy residential buildings, private and public housing and apartments.
Each new project brings fresh diversity to the competition. You can see all the latest entries on the WIN Residential projects page and enter you own project here.
Good luck!