March 30, 2009

Apartments with Personal Car Elevators


Last year we presented something similar here on Freshome “Apartments that Allow You To Park Your Car in Balcony“.

Today here is something similar, apartments that have an elevator to raise your car up to your personal, apartment-side garage ( you can see a video of how these elevators work on 200 Eleventh Avenue website ). How many apartments like this do you know ? 200 Eleventh Avenue is boasting about its “En-Suite Sky Garage.” Basically, when you drive in, you pull into a car-sized elevator. The elevator recognizes your car automatically and brings you up to your floor. You then pull forward into your garage, and the elevator goes back down. You then step out of your car and right into your apartment. I think that this is extreme luxury, but if they are developing something like this …they might have clients.

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March 23, 2009

Steam Shower Appolo






There is absolutely nothing like a lavish steam shower with some soothing music and ambient lighting to take the tension away. And Apollo by LineaAqua does that exactly. It’s a space age-styled futuristic capsule that comes completely loaded with LED mood lighting, a stereo system with AM/FM and AUX inputs, a pampering spa seat and of course six sprayers that support hydro massage acupuncture. Made of blue-tainted glass and powered by a 3,000 watt generator, the $8,400 shower is all about unabated indulgence… Go ahead and spoil yourself.

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March 17, 2009

Home Design Tips: Get the ball rolling on your dream home





Building your own little cozy adobe is a dream for many. The design for your home would have started long back in your own mind and before actually taking shape on paper, every individual has a certain perception and vision for what his home must ultimately look and feel like.

But designing a home is a lot more than just owning a piece of land and then handing the construction process over to a reputable firm. At every step you must take care that you get what you want- ultimately it’s you who’s going to live inside those walls. That’s why these home design tips will help you get over the early blues and lay the right foundation for your future home.

Make sure you have done enough research on home design

The first step to designing a home is to understand what exactly you are looking for and the direction you would like to move forward. For this, one must take a look at the many existing models available in the market today and what features you like best among them. This is a matter of purely individual choice and by doing your homework on home design you understand what you are exactly going to get.

Create your own blueprint and check its feasibility with an expert

Design your own blueprint for the home and if you are architectural engineer, then check the technical feasibility and the intricacies with the expert that will put the “pieces” together. You don’t have to own a construction degree to sketch up your own blueprint. Good observation and decent creativity are more than sufficient to get the job done.

Make a cost estimate and keep your budget in mind

The design that you often end up with is largely governed by the budget that we have allotted for the construction of the home. Make sure you get all the estimates right and also ensure that the total cost is just a tad bit below the budget. This way you can accommodate any unforeseen expenditure as well. There are very few in this world that can afford the luxury of building a home with no budget ceiling. So keeping a tab on the cash is very vital.

Maximize space and plan for future expansions

The aim of every blueprint that you pencil down must be to maximize the available space to the hilt, create an ambient and practical living atmosphere and to allow for any planned future expansions. There might be occasions when you build the basic portion of the home and wish to expand on few lavish excesses when you have further time and cash on hand. Your basic home design must contain room for all these expansions.

Home design plan must suit your interior decorating needs

Remember that whatever you are going to do in future, you will have to work within that walls of the home that you build today. Depending on your choice and needs, your design must allot space and location of rooms. In some cases people prefer a larger than usual living room, while others might prefer a more even use of space. Have a vision for what you will do with the interiors even before you build them.

Let lighting and heating needs take prominence

Your home design must keep in mind the effects of natural sun light and heat. The direction and the home’s windows, define these factors. Make sure that the home is always well-lit by natural lights during daytime. Also, keep in mind that the use of skylights is a popular option that is catching on these days.

Home design is a culmination of technical and aesthetic aspects. The right balance between both of them is a must, and can only be achieved when your personal tastes are integrated with comfortable and practical design.

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March 12, 2009

Illusion of More Space Curtain by Bauke Knottnerus




Designed by Bauke Knottnerus this curtain is a great piece of conversation, that can also create the illusion of more space in any room.

I’m pretty sure that your new guests will be pretty impressed by a curtain like this …and who knows maybe some people will be inspired by design and maybe they will create something even more creative.

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Melting Light by Dbproduktgestaltung




Melting Light is a lamp concept that arose from experiments with different lampshade forms.

In the end, the wave from turned out to be the optimal design for reflecting the light diffusely into the room. LED technology is used to allow the lighting elements to be behind glass because of their very low heat generation.

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March 11, 2009

Twin-Bricks House




I simply cannot get enough of the creative architecture work by Japanese Atelier Tekuto Architects. The Twin-Bricks House in Urawa-ku, Saitama, Japan by Atelier Tekuto Architects is amazing, it’s almost like living in a Tetris game; now, how cool is that?

The building consists of the owner’s family home and five rented apartments, which are located in a different wing.
I love how the glass cubes throughout this house let in natural light that plays on the floors and walls - a playful yet functional architectural feature.

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March 10, 2009

Shell House









This beautiful house, designed by Japanese architecture firm Artechnic, is simply breathtaking. You will find the Shell House located deep in the woods of Karuizawa, Japan, where its double-elliptical, shell-like shapes blend with its magnificent surroundings.

The Shell House is made of reinforced concrete and wood, offering vast wooden decks and floor to ceiling windows.
i simply love how its large, spacious living areas easily flow with its unique, circular architecture design. I think it’s best to let the pictures speak for themselves…

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House RR in Brazil




This beautiful summer house design is by Andrade Morettin. Located a few meters from the north coast of semi-tropical São Paulo, this architectural project is set among exuberant vegetation and a hot humid climate - feels like living in a rain forest jungle.

This project began as a shelter from the area’s intense sun and frequent rains. I love the idea of the two large facades with panels of glass fiber mosquito screens with PVC coating as they are keeping the insects out without obscuring the ocean view and wind.
The six meters high roof was built using a prefabricated timber structure with galvanized steel joints. The whole structure is elevated 75cm above ground level, supported by concrete pillars cast on site. All other components used in the construction are pre-fabricated and were simply mounted in place on the construction site, thus reducing reducing assembly time with little generation of waste and low environmental impact.

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