Creative Use of Color

The spunky kitchen in sculptor and architectural designer Elena Colombo’s Long Island getaway creatively mixes vintage blue with orange. -Blueprint via Design Talk

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Coastal Gulf Cabins: Close By

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When we last wrote about Joe’s House – a coastal home retreat, we knew it was one of a group of small buildings commissioned by the same client – all located on an island off the south west coast of British Columbia, Canada. Now we managed to have a glimpse of the rest of these gorgeous modern cabins . Take a look… Resembling a traditional family summer camp, this project consists of four small connected guest cabins – all with the same footprint, yet with different configurations and different locations, surrounded by a beautiful forest and amazing views. This coastal location is quite isolated but the cabins are all situated close by. Used mainly in summer, these small buildings are all off the grid and self sufficient, completed with solar panels and rain water harvesting systems; When not in use, the cabins are shut down via an exterior shutter system. Each cabin is meticulously detailed with large horizontal glass openings; sliding doors open to exterior wooden decks, ...
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Victor Meditation Hut: Still As Water

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This beautiful structure is nestled in a forest by a pond in Champaign, Illinois. A small retreat constructed above the ground with a narrow bridge, leading its way to the entrance, and a v-shaped roof similar to the architect’s first small meditation hut no.1 . I love the unique shape of this building; for me, it depicts a dragonfly hovering over the water. The water element merges with every aspect of the structure; water reflections project serenity and calm; the unique roof channels rainwater to a central spout over the pond; and a horizontal window frames a fragment of water, capturing stillness and contemplation. I love this building, both the unique exterior and the interior light-filled space with its glossy ebonized birch floor and tatami mats. Check out the wooden tea cabinet nook with the small operable window behind it, bringing in the calming sound of a water fountain. * More info at Jeffery S. Poss Architect
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Sedums and pitcher plants

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Our small sedum planting and pitcher plant bog are doing well. They reflect our urge to plant and transform mulch to green, even if our mountain space is focused on rejuvenation and we look into a forest towards the back. These plants seem to be thriving with intermittent summer rain (so definitely they're low-maintenance so far). I'm going to submit a landscape plan for the front getting ready for fall planting (it's required because of the historic district location). Uh-oh. My gardening companion admired some exuberant perennial plantings this morning in the flower garden at Biltmore Estate (Joe-Pye, Rudbeckia lacianata, a beautiful rose-pink Monarda didyma selection, pink Asclepias , along with a deep pink butterfly bush, and many other things, and said 'could our front yard look like that?' Hmmm, I'm not sure that we're willing to apply the water to make that happen but I can create low-water use perennial beds, for sure.
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