These 8 Prefab Homes Blends Nature, Style & Affordability (Eco-Friendly Homes)

Designed for a young couple, the 5,000 sf home and 1,700 sf back house sit on a flat 21,000 sf lot in a 1920’s Palo Alto neighborhood (a few blocks away from Steve Jobs’ residence). The architecture is a study in strong simple composition and is museum-like with its highly refined materiality and emphasis on craft. The massing defines solid and void, captures natural light, and connects the indoors with the landscape, seeking to ‘experience the outdoors from within.’ The ground floor volumes wrapped in an elongated hand-fired brick from Denmark, emphasizing the horizontality of the architecture that lays solidly on the land. Bronze-trimmed ceiling planes slide between the brick masses, and floor-to-ceiling glazed openings are captured by thin-profiled bronze frames. In contrast to the grounded brick volumes, the second floor is clad in stainless steel panels and oversized aluminum-framed windows. The lightness and openness of the second floor is nestled among the oak-tree canopies of the site. At the basement level, a wine cellar and tasting room open to a sunken landscaped courtyard. A 30ft by 10ft continuous pane of glass runs alongside the grand stairwell of floating stone steps, connecting the three levels of the house. Due to the unprecedented size of this glass in residential design, it was custom manufactured in Germany and shipped to California. This dramatic moment in the sequence of progressing through the house helps visitors feel connected to the lush landscape outside. Inside the house, materials such as a custom leather door and bronze anodized details were selected for their unique craftsman-style quality. Another custom-designed element is the steel mesh screen that wraps around to enclose the kitchen for privacy, separating this from the more public “guest hosting” areas adjacent. The steel screen slides along a track embedded into the teak slatted ceiling and disappears into the pantry when retracted. A freestanding structure set deep back into the site is a zen-like fitness/yoga studio as well as a guesthouse with a kitchenette. This dramatic stone mass opens up completely in the center to give the impression of exercising outdoors. The landscape integrates California native plant species, grasses and trees to compliment the materiality of the architecture.

When the new fall collections roll in, it’s hard not to get excited about adding stylish decor to your home. Today we’re celebrating the power of tableware, from serving pieces that channel the shades of autumn, to barware that takes your entertaining game to the next level. Because nothing makes us want to host a […]

You’re reading Welcome Fall with New Serveware, Barware and Dinnerware, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

The small bathroom is one where trying out too many styles can leave the space feeling cluttered and even claustrophobic at times. This is why we prefer the more modern styles in the tiny bathroom where keeping colors down to one or two helps a lot. But the last few years have seen homeowners and […]

You’re reading Small Rustic Bathrooms: 15 Fabulous Ideas for Everyone, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

When it comes to eclectic style we are even more careful than usual with decorating choice and strongly believe that it is not a style for everyone. It requires plenty of care to combine various elements of the style together and it definitely is different for different people. What works in one eclectic space does […]

You’re reading 25 Small Eclectic Kitchens Full of Color and Personality, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.