It seems that transforming centuries old palaces into livable homes is the norm lately. This time its a15th Century Palace in Girona, Spain. The medieval architecture was restored by Jacobo Valenti and Luis Sendino to serve now as the weekend home and gallery of Palau de Casavells. The beautiful result is a showcase of antique furniture, mid-century pieces and contemporary art wall.
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This home in Amsterdam, restored by Studio RUIM dates from 1666. The team made the home feel very livable and up to date while preserving the beauty of the old. Enjoy!
Giambattista Valli‘s Apartment in Paris is nothing conventional. It’s decorated with unique pieces of furniture that contrast perfectly with the traditional interior architecture of a traditional Paris apartment. Herringbone floors and very ornate crown molding are constantly present throughout, while the furniture is more on the modern side apart from the red Oriental antique bed that seems to be used as a form of sitting.
I’m sure everybody who reads Interior Design blogs have seen Jenna Lyons’s Brooklyn Brownstone. Jenna is J Crew’s Creative Director and her Brooklyn Heights apartment is probably the most blogged about ever. It graced the cover of Domino Magazine more than once and the yellow sofa over the Moroccan rug and the black bedroom were one of the few unique design elements in Jenna’s home that kept many yearning for more and replicating them over and over again. The apartment was put up for sale soon after Jenna’s divorce leading to a bidding war probably due to the Brownstone popularity. The couple winning the bid was Tracy Martin and Vince Clarke, both in the music industry. The new owners enlisted the help of the Interior Design firm Roman and Williams to create a home that reflects their own lifestyle and aesthetics. The result is a maximalist brownstone that seems to have been there for a long time. A much mature version of its kind. Read More…
Joseph Dirand‘s home in the Seventh Arrondissement in Paris was recently renovated by the sought-after Architect and the result is a minimalist apartment with perfectly restored traditional French details. The furniture in Dirand’s home is all form and substance. In the living room, sofa and side chairs are Pierre Jeanneret, in the kitchen the family eats at a Ettore Sottsass table, in the bedroom an Oscar Niemeyer chair looks graciously at the bed. As most French, Joseph Dirand relies on excellent craftsmanship to restore the neglected into its past glory. For his home, Joseph decided on simple stucco walls, Versailles parquet floors and simple wall moldings inspired by 17th century Interior Architecture.
If you are building, remodeling or designing a home, consider adding a fireplace to create a permanent character and focal point to any room. If you happen to live in a warm weather country or the house you are living in doesn’t have the structure for a functional one, a fireplace mantel could be a smart alternative and there are so many design options to choose from. From traditional and elaborate designs with a lot of charm as in the French Apartment in the top image to more modern and sculptural ones as in the one designed by David Collins. Add a few oversized candles in a faux fireplace or mantel and immediately you are creating a very romantic and casual atmosphere with little effort.
A traditional and elaborate fireplace with an over-sized mirror resting on the mantel beautifies a French apartment.
