Less Color More Peace | Zen House

A perfect apartment is a beautiful blend of form and function with a splattering of bright colors thrown into the mix. That generally plays out in different ways in various apartments across the world with the available space, specific taste of homeowners and budget shaping the final form. With this dashing blue and white apartment […]

You’re reading Apartment BC: Delightful Mix of Blue, Yellow and Modern Space-Savvy Design, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Architecture and interior design studio idea:list designed a classy, sophisticated and feminine apartment in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana. Delicate design together with feminine lines of selected functional pieces, contrasts with pragmatically designed furniture suggests an aesthetic choice that clearly defines the identity of its user – a timeless Lady. The client wanted to keep her 62 sqm apartment bright, seemingly warm and simply shaped, with some addition of blue which she adores so much. That is why the architects sought conceptual inspiration from the period of Bauhaus and many times overlooked Elieen Gray’s interiors. With its clean lines and functionality her pieces were nevertheless designed with comfort in mind in addition to a great deal of feminine elegance and glamour. The interior was designed by carefully playing with volumes and voids according to their function while dematerializing them and maximizing their use. As such the design is consistent through the whole apartment – each full element is useful and intended for a specific purpose and each void is formed with the knowledge that it can soon be filled. The latter basically functions on its own, but if the owner fills it with objects such as paintings, statues or some useful pieces such as fashion accessories and dresses, the objects are placed in a functional frame or compositional context and do not act foreign. At the beginning the architects from idea:list studio rearranged the kitchen in the living space from an L shape design into two parallel lines that gave them additional storage space. The kitchen island formed as a volume that rests on a long storage bench that connects the kitchen part and the dining space and with its reduced lateness opens up the room and lets light seep through. This new orientation of the kitchen and consequently also the dining part enables circular visual communication between the latter two and the living room, perfectly fitting into its user’s living habits. Perfect counterbalance to an elegant kitchen in two shades of blue lies in furniture covered with oak veneer. Consequently this volumes combined with different colours and materials form a starting point upon which other spaces are designed. The latter is manifested in different functions of assembled volumes and colours. The work area and guestbed are represented in the cabinet as voids and are highlighted by wooden lines that visually continue in theform of a bench throughthe hallway and into the living space where they manifest as a cabinet under the television. The empty frame in the bedroom lets light pass through to the wardrobe while still dividing the sleeping part from the dressing room and in addition serving as a hanger and a place for a rotating mirror. Clean minimalistic lines are complimented by rounded shapes as details that make the space more elegant and sophisticated. This shows best with the shapes of mirrors in this apartment which have a dual function – for examplethe mirror in the bedroomthat simultaneously serves as storage space for jewellery likewise the mirror in the hallway (together with the blue lining) also serves as a cover for the installation cabinets, as a shelf for hanging keys and finally it acts as an introduction to the aesthetics of the apartment (and its owner) to every visitor. The luxurious deep blue velvet on the rounded upholstered backs of benches and beds adds a desired elegance to the space, while carefully selected fabrics in curtains and cushions further enrich it with different textures and delicate contrasts. PROJECT INFO
Interior Design: idea:list studio
Design Team: Urša Kres, Tina Begović, Urban Pahor
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Photography: Blaž Gutman

The surroundings on the grounds of Espacio Kaab Residence provide a magical moment, a pause enriched…

Abraham Shapiro, AIA, Architect :: Mid-Century Modern. Tucked into a cul-de-sac at the very top of the Encino hills, a stone’s throw to Mulholland and a three-minute drive to the Skirball Cultural Center, this masterfully designed and recently renovated architectural home is close to everything the City has to offer. Next door to Bel Air, Brentwood and Beverly Hills, with easy access to the 405, and just up the street from Ventura Boulevard, the location couldn’t be more convenient. Designed as his own personal residence by influential architect Abe Shapiro, onetime partner of both Bill Krisel and Herb Nadel, this historic property has the clean lines and disciplined detailing consistent with the preeminent USC School of Architecture that dominated residential design in LA in the middle part of the last century. Rebuilt from top to bottom in 2016, the result is a brand new home respectful of the original design, yet upgraded to the standards of the new millennium. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors connect the interior to the landscape, flooding the interior with natural light, together with skylights and clerestory windows. An elegant cook’s kitchen with sleek custom cabinetry and high-end appliances opens directly to the living room and dining room, ideal for entertaining. Valley views, multiple fireplaces, sculptural wine display cabinet, wide plank white oak floors, Carrara marble, porcelain tile, European hardware, designer light fixtures, swimming pool with spa, fire pit, and outdoor kitchen complete the unparalleled package of amenities.

The OM1 House was designed to balance modernity and tradition, with an aesthetic that combines wood…