Rob Lowe’s Palatial Montecito Estate Lists For $42.5M

Modern renovations often same both time and resources and this revamped post-war brick semi-detached house in…

Not only are IKEA rugs affordable, their accessibility and appeal repeatedly put them in the spotlight, especially when it comes to room makeovers. The most popular IKEA rug with design bloggers is STOCKHOLM (shown below), as the staggered black-and-white stripe motif is compatible with a range of palettes and design styles. Some would go as […]

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Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville NC with distant north views of Mt Spivey and a narrow sloping lot, this wedge-shaped home is a response to site. We took into careful consideration a variety of site-specific inputs including views, sun orientation, prevailing winds, privacy, and natural cooling/heating techniques among others. The result is a functional, energy efficient home with a distinctive exterior shape and warm light filled interior spaces. The home’s dominant shed roof maximizes solar orientation for photovoltaic panels while also allowing for a double-height central atrium to flood the core of the house with natural light and exhaust hot air on hot summer days. The introduction of natural light into the core of the house reduces the need for artificial lighting on cloudy days, while the chimney effect created by opening large operable skylights at the top of the atrium reduces HVAC loads by bringing cool air up from the basement. This central atrium is an example of how a design feature can multitask –it brings natural light deep into the core of the house, it cools the house using the chimney effect, and it provides a place to grow plants which filter interior air. It also allowed us to minimize the street facing windows for privacy while still maintaining a light filled interior. Anchoring the bottom of the atrium are four large arched openings and a Spanish terracotta tile floor. The tile floor is a durable surface good for watering plants and for heavy foot traffic. A keyhole opening marks the boundary between private and public sides of the house while two of the arched openings frame an intimate eating nook and entry foyer with walls covered in locally milled southern yellow pine. The last arch has steps spilling out into a sunken living room and kitchen area with access to a back deck. Locally milled cypress, a naturally rot resistant wood, covers the exterior and anchors the strong geometry of the house to the site. In the end, our desire for functionality created something more than just an energy efficient home. The interior took on an unexpected bohemian feel; one that originated from a desire for light and functionality, but resulted in warm soft interior spaces that were comfortable and welcoming.

The hotel is located on a hill with wonderful cross-ventilation, surrounded by luscious vegetation and the soothing symphony of the native Coqui frogs. Being on one of the highest points of the island provides us with an amazing view of sunrises and sunsets. The island has hardly any light pollution, which creates the perfect atmosphere to see the stars at night. Under the right clear-sky conditions, even the Milky Way becomes visible for stargazers to admire. Text Courtesy of La Finca Victoria