Homedit.com Interior Design & Architecture Inspiration Newsletter

Beach house built from recycled shipping containers
Simple and functional interior design
5 inspiring ways of displaying your collections
Calivigny Island – the perfect chance to daydream
The casual BarQue restaurant in Athens
Rut Karadottir’s eclectic interior designs
The Fonte freestanding washbasin by Monica Graffeo
The functional Pontus desk by Russell Pinch
Traditional boys room décor ideas
An eco-friendly vacation dome in Scotland

Beach house built from recycled shipping containers

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 11:15 AM PDT

If you're creative and you think out of the box you can basically reinvent a lot of things. For example, you can question the basics and replace them with something else. In this case, this beach house wasn't built with the usual materials but with something out of the ordinary. The house was made out of recycled shipping containers.

The house is located in the Hamptons, New York, an unusual place for a structure built from re-purposed containers. But not only that this house is the first one of its kind in that region but it's also a sustainable structure. Of course, the fact that it was built from cheap materials doesn't make the house cheap. In fact, the property is currently for sale for $1,395,000.

This unusual beach house was built from six chipping containers. They were repurposed and used to create a 2,000 square foot house with a 1,300 square foot deck. It also has a swimming pool and an outdoor shower. The interior was designed with the most renewable materials available at this time. It has white oak floors and cypress decking. Moreover, the house features some of the highest-performing appliances available and uses an energy-saving water heater and polyurethane foam insulation. The house is not only sustainable but also fashionable and stylish. It's a house that impresses on multiple levels.

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Simple and functional interior design

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:40 AM PDT

When decorating your home you don't necessarily think of how everyone else will see it. You just want it to suits your needs and preferences and to allow you to feel like home inside it. It's why this house is so appealing. It's not particularly impressive and you can see that it has been very functionally decorated. It has a simple interior décor and it has been designed with the concepts of comfort and functionality in mind.

To me this décor doesn't seem that organized but, on a closer look, everything has its place, every little object was specifically placed there because it's a practical arrangement and because it's where you would want to find it when you need it. In terms of style, the house is simple and modern with a touch of industrial. The walls are white for an airy look and the floors are concrete. The combination seems rather cold but it's simple and matches nicely.

The furniture includes Eames chairs, an OSB table with no less than 23 coats of varnish for a durable surface, and a stainless steel shelf. The industrial influence is quite strong. The sofa doesn't seem particularly comfortable or eye-catching but it suits well in this décor. Even though it seems a little disorganized and all over the place, the interior design is actually homogenous and cohesive. It's a mix of styles with different influences but it's both harmonious and intriguing.{pics by Patric Johansson}.

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5 inspiring ways of displaying your collections

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 09:57 AM PDT

Collecting objects is something we all enjoy at some point. We all have our passions and we like to share them with everyone else. So if you have a collection you should display it for everyone to see it. It can be anything, from toys to plates or bowling pins. Of course, simply having a collection of objects doesn't necessarily make it interesting. It also needs to be displayed properly. So here are some ideas that might inspire you. We have selected five different types of collections that have been cleverly displayed.

1.Antique mirrors.

Even though one is usually enough, mirrors are items that are not just functional but also beautiful as a decoration. They can make interesting elements for a collection. Antique mirrors are particularly beautiful. To create a visually appealing display you can opt for a contrasting juxtaposition. You can have the antique mirrors placed against a colorfully painted modern wall and the visual impact will be even greater.

2.Toys.

Toys can also make beautifully decorations. Even though they're just kids' toys, they have a different impact when they're placed on a simple white shelf for example. Then they can really show off their beauty and enjoy a central place. When they're thrown in a box with all the other things the kids play with they lose their identity. When displayed like this they regain it and become unique.

3. Kitchen utensils.

Not everything you put on display has to be particularly artistic or uncommon. A collection can also be composed of kitchen utensils and tools. It's not a collection to display in a gallery but it's still a collection of object you often use and that should be put all together in a beautiful way. When arranged together on open shelves they really look different than in a cramped drawer. They would also make an interesting decoration for the kitchen.

4. Charcoal portraits.

The most common form of art is painting. Paintings are also very common elements of a collection. In a reading nook or library, charcoal portraits would make a lovely display collection. They can all be displayed on walls and it they have similar styles they will create a wallpaper effect. It's simple but it's beautiful and the effect is very artistic. Moreover, the atmosphere will be really cozy.

5. Bowling pins.

Some people have more trivial passions such as bowling. Just because it's an activity perceived as less refined as painting or creating art this doesn't mean it's less important. Anything you like is important so you should be very proud of a bowling pin collection if you have one. You should find a nice place to display it such as a beautiful table, a mantle or any other space. The pins will have a sculptural effect and they look beautiful in any décor.

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Calivigny Island – the perfect chance to daydream

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 08:34 AM PDT

There are places that give you the possibility to daydream and that make you realize everything is possible. One of the private islands and exotic escapes at the same time is the idyllic Calivigny Island, located in the south of Grenada. What can be more attractive than these white sandy beaches, lush tropical gardens and crystal clear waters that make this sought after delight? Calivigny Island provides everything for both small and medium groups in a residence with 10 suites.

The main building is nothing than the most tasteful mix of French colonial decor and Balinese style, a combination that is impossible not to like. One of the facts that count the most is that this retreat allows maximum privacy. Oscar de la Renta and Richard Frinier adorned the Beach House with custom-designed furniture and items and thus, everything is very well thought, organized and analyzed.

The island itself provides a variety of both formal and informal gathering spaces, the perfect retreat for romance, but also for family events. This incredible island proves that dreams come true and that there are spectacular places that can impress to the smallest detail. It is that kind of place where you feel so good that you want to stay there as long as possible and find out as much about culture and civilization and everywhere you look, the things seem to tell their story. This island provides everything you might expect from an exotic and even more and all the aspects make it the ideal retreat.

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The casual BarQue restaurant in Athens

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 07:12 AM PDT

When the weather is no nice outside, we usually all have one thing in mind: have a barbeque with our friends. But this is usually a very casual activity, not the type suited for a stylish restaurant. All of that was true until we found this place. This is the BarQue restaurant. It's located in Nea Erythraia, a suburb in the northeastern part of Athens, Greece and it's a very casual restaurant where guests can feel comfortable, just like they do when they have a barbeque at home with their friends.

The restaurant was designed by K-studio and it's based on the concept of interaction. It's a great place for socialization, with a comfortable and casual interior and the promise of a very pleasant dining experience. The interior décor is casual and inviting. The ceiling is dark and resembles a barbeque grill placed upside down.

To continue in the same tone, stencil typography like the one used for branding meat is features on the walls and transmits playful messages. The restaurant features large tables where you can sit with all your friends and interact easily. Even if you come here alone you'll quickly make friends.

In this restaurant the accent falls on the concept of social interaction. Here, both diners and chefs share the same space and the same atmosphere. Everyone is friendly and the atmosphere is very cozy and inviting. The interior design was created using materials and details directly related to the environment and gastronomic elements that make this place unique.

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Rut Karadottir’s eclectic interior designs

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 06:46 AM PDT

Rut Karadottir is a very talented interior designer based in Iceland. The studied architecture in Italy and also spent some time there working for an architecture firm. Eventually she managed to open her own design studio in 1997. Rut's style is a mix of modern and rustic and it's visible that there's also a very strong Scandinavian influence in her designs. Here are some pictures of some of her creations.Notice the eclectic mix of styles and influences.

The walls are almost always white, an element specific to Scandinavian designs. Also, it's quite obvious that she likes to play with classics. For example, the timeless black and white combination is extensively used in her designs. However, it also has a unique and modern twist and each design is different. In terms of color, Rut likes to keep things simple. Neutral colors are very common in all her designs but there are also insertions of purple and green. Purple is a very beautiful color that goes well with either white or black and that can also be beautifully combined with other colors such as brown or blue.

What's also interesting is the way she uses contrasting styles and brings them together in a very natural way. The designer mixes modern pieces with rustic and vintage elements and classical designs with contemporary items. Even though very different and coming from different backgrounds, these elements combined create a harmonious and refreshing décor.

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The Fonte freestanding washbasin by Monica Graffeo

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 06:00 AM PDT

The Fonte washbasin has a design inspired by the Japanese philosophy. Its name translates as "fountain" and the shape is quite suggestive as well. The washbasin was designed by Monica Graffeo in 2012 for Rexa Design. It's a part of the Fonte collection that also includes showers and receptacles as well as bathtubs.

The washbasin is reminiscent of a bucket but has a stylized and delicate design. It has clean and beautiful lines and an overall simple but elegant design. In addition its shape and overall design is also very functional and created in perfect harmony of our everyday needs. Everyone has items and essentials that they use every day, things such as liquid soap, shaving cream, moisturizer and other items. These are elements that need to be placed somewhere where they are easy to reach but where they don't incommode the others.

The design of this washbasin allows you to do that while maintaining its simplicity. The actual basic is wrapped into two horizontal levels that serve as storage shelves for all the items we usually try to squeeze in the small space on our sink. With this washbasin the problem is solved. It seems such a small details but it can make a huge difference once you realize how practical it is. All the other pieces from the Fonte collection have similarly functional designs.

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The functional Pontus desk by Russell Pinch

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 05:25 AM PDT

Pontus is a desk with a design that's very functional and with a name that actually suits it very well. It inspires strength and durability but also simplicity and functionality, exactly the characteristics of this desk. The Pontus desk was designed by Russell Pinch. It's quite generous in size and has a simple design and a well-proportioned structure.

The desk has a rectangular shape and a simple structure. It's made of a combination of different types of wood, including walnut and oak. It features six fairly large drawers. Four of them are on the sides, two on each end, while the other two are in the middle area, above the space designed for the chair. The drawers feature a white finish and they stand out. The rest of the desk has a natural wood finish. The drawers are very useful for storing documents, paper and all sorts of desk supplies.

Additional storage is also available in the shape of a pigeon-hole unit. It features a series of either open of closed storage spaces and shelves that can also serve as display areas. This unit can either be placed directly onto the desk or mounted on the wall. The overall dimensions of the desk are 1800w x 750d x 755h. It's a simple but very functional piece of furniture and it even features a cable management system with a hidden router/hard drive storage built-in.

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Traditional boys room décor ideas

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 04:55 AM PDT

When decorating your child's room you basically have the same options as for the rest of the house. The styles you can choose from are the same. Of course, some styles are more suitable for this space than others. For example, a modern or contemporary décor might seem a little too cold for a kid's room so you might want to opt for something more traditional that feels cozy and inviting. Let's see some ideas that could inspire you when decorating your little boy's room.

A traditional boy's room usually features tones of blue. This is the color usually associated with boys while pink is for girls. You could incorporate this color in the curtains, the bedding, the rug or some of the decorations. You can also choose a theme for the room's décor such as sports, travel, aviation or other classical examples. This will be an element mostly visible in the decorations and accessories.

Blue is a color that matches nicely with cream, beige and brown. It's a cold color and it usually needs to be complemented by a warm tone. Brown usually adds warmth and it can be used as a complementary color or used for the flooring and furniture. The room will also need some light shades so make sure you incorporate those too in the design. You can also use tones of grey that also go well with the blue. As for the furniture, it's quite easy. Just make sure you follow the same style and pattern that you decided on at the beginning.All designs from site.

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An eco-friendly vacation dome in Scotland

Posted: 05 Jul 2012 03:54 AM PDT

This dome is located on the edge of a small cliff in Scotland and it's hidden in a birch forest. It serves as a vacation home for its owners. The dome offers panoramic views of the Sound of Lorne and Castle Stalker that the owners can admire and enjoy from the outdoor hot tub. The dome integrates perfectly into the surroundings and it actually feels like a part of the landscape, like it's been there forever.

The dome sits on an area of 807 square feet and it serves as a getaway, a vacation retreat for owners Jim Milligan and Nicola Meekin but also for those who want to have a taste of what they call "glamping" which is glam camping. The dome has a simple but bold design and a very well anchored structure. It features steel struts and a single membrane of recycled PVC. There are several round windows spread across the surface of the dome. They let light get through and ensure the natural ventilation. To avoid overheating the interior, the membrane is mostly opaque and UV resistant.

Inside, the home is inviting and friendly. It has a freestanding kitchen with modular furniture and a low-energy oven. The rest of the interior décor is modern and features timeless designs. Outside there's a cedar hot tub. The views are very beautiful and they can also be admired from inside the dome thanks to the transparent portion oriented towards the sea. From there you can even see the islands in the southwest.

House Design News

Thursday, July 5, 2012