Palma Apartment, Pedra Silva Architects

The concepts of space, fluidity and a fusion between areas were all at the forefront of the designers' minds of this apartment in Palma.

The functionality of the premise surrounds spacial arrangement and partitioning the space to allow the freedom to switch between a private and intimate domain and a publicly open area for socialising. 

The flexibility of the space conveys spontaneity and leisurely living. The colour theme is stunningly neutral with predominately white walls, black surfaces and beautiful wooden floors. The contrast of neutral tones omits an air of modernity and informality.

Source: Arch Daily | Photography: João Morgado

Beautifully White Apartment, Gothenburg

This lovely and homely apartment in Gothenburg, Sweden, is a great example of how white can be used throughout a home without looking clinical or bland. The dark floors definitely help the colour balance in the rooms by adding a contrast to the neutral space. The home has predominantly white walls with a few shades of blue/ light grey in the dining area and an exposed brick wall in the bedroom bringing character, colour and style to the apartment. With large windows flooding in copious amounts of natural light, there is an air of relaxation mixed with purity particularly in areas such as the living room where the plants, patterned pillows and wall art make it an inviting social area within the apartment.

'We' Hostel, São Paulo

The 'We' Hostel in São Paulo is a brilliant design project by architect Felipe Hess. Hess and his friend, Guilherme Perez, came together to covert this special and traditional mansion into a creative and character-filled hostel. Many of the existing features of the mansion have been kept such as the glass stained windows and white walls. The white walls in particular work beautifully as a blank canvas and a neutral backdrop for colourful artefacts and items of furniture including the coffee tables, chairs, books and lamps.

I particularly like the black shutters, black-framed windows, old wooden floor, block-coloured bathrooms and vintage furnishings that have been implemented into the space to give it a personal touch. It looks like a great place to relax and enjoy.

Source: Yatzer | Photos: Fran Parente

Living Big in a Small Space, Matthew Kowles

The majority of the time, spaces with too many items can appear clustered, untidy and quite claustrophobic, however Matthew Kowles (General Manager of interior design firm, Charlotte Moss) enables this room to look luxurious and elegant. The rustic-traditional and neutral studio space has been divided to house both a bedroom and living room. The wall art collection, area rug, white couch, patterned pillows, layered table and numerous other eclectic artefacts add character, dimensions and levels to an otherwise modestly proportioned room. This studio room is a great example of how to provide an air of expansiveness while paying attention to detail and adding elements of classical and traditional style to a small space.

Source: Lonny

Stuttgart City Library

If there was ever a way to entice more people to visit libraries, this would be it: an incredibly minimalist, clean and structured design by Yi Architects. It is so modern and futuristic-looking that it almost comes across as surreal - science fiction movies always tend to lean towards clinical looking interiors and this public library in Stuttgart encompasses that vision completely. The exterior of the building is in the form of a cube, built from pale grey concrete and frosted glass bricks, expressing power and great physical presence. The interior is a spiral of unobstructed levels, all wonderfully white,  the only real source of colour coming from the rows and columns of books.

This is definitely the most beautiful library I have ever come across.

Source: Behance

Sale House, Johnston Marklee Associates

Sometimes, it can be pretty difficult to add bright and bold colours to interiors without it looking 'tacky' however the Sale House in Venice, California designed by Johnston Marklee Associates does an admirable job of using block colour. Although the project was completed in 2004, I'm blogging about it now because photographs of the property are still floating about on Tumblr and I was intrigued by the structure.

The house works as an added structure to a two-storey garage and studio known as the 2-4-6-8 House designed in 1978. The house consists of platonic geometry, incrementally scaled windows, rooms with block colours (pink, yellow, turquoise and orange) and transparant walls. I believe the space is now rented out for various uses including art exhibitions, sound sculptures and paintings.

Sources: ArchDaily & House Variety

Gissing House, Wahronga

I think it was the photography of this residential property by Chris Cole that first caught my attention - the colour grading worked seamlessly well with the interior design to omit a vintage atmosphere. He probably tried to capture the age and history of this house which dates back to 1972. Designed by Harry Seidler & Associates, Gissing House is built of hollow concrete piers as well as a concrete floor and roof. The interior design is full of geometric, cylindrical and grid-like shapes adding depths and dimensions to an adventurous design.

The living area opens onto a paved terrace around a swimming pool, making use of the gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows. The landscaping consists of a mesh of materials and textures from pebble paths to timber shutters and concret blocks against delicate foliage of plants - all in all, it creates an environment where nature meets architecture.

Source: Modern House

Alemanys 5

I remember seeing this photograph circulating around on Tumblr a while ago and I immediately fell in love with it. I only recently discovered it is a converted sixteenth-century house in Girona, Spain. The rustic, medieval feel has been retained and a renovation of the property has added a modern flair to make it a contemporary home. This blend of old and new adds multiple textures and volumes to the property making it beautifully serene and simple.

Source: Home Adore

House in Conceição, Tavira

Stunningly curious Portuguese architecture, designed by Vitor Vilhena.

Surrounded by an abundance of olive trees and vegetation, this conceptual architecture prides itself on unusual angles, varying volumes of geometry and beautiful detailing. The white sheet of colour acts as a minimalist skin for the exterior and interior, offering an air of modernity accompanied by the large floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

Source: Contemporist

Maharam New York

Gorgeously rustic and expansive dining room in the Manhattan apartment of textile designer, Michael Maharam. The interior appears to consist of collector's items, a hub of internationally inspired art, design and furniture:

Coffee Table, Poul Kjaerholm
Ceramic Collective (on table top), Guido Gambone
Chairs, Finn Juhl
Lamp, Poul Henningsen
Bar (to the left), Hans Wegner
Bar Stools, Pierre Jeanneret

The white-themed bedroom is minimalist but still holds great artistic value:

Bench Seat, Kaare Klint
Moroccan Berber Beni Rug, Ourain Goods
Floor Lamp, Gino Sarfatti
Glass Cube TV Stand, Larry Bell

Beside the bed are a number of smaller collectible items:

Coffe Table, De Vera
Lamp, Tapio Wirkkala
Sonambient (Sound Sculpture), Harry Bertoia
Engraving (On the Wall), Albrecht Durer

Source: At Casa

Fraser Residence by Christopher Simmonds Architect

This beautiful modern home in Ottawa, Ontario was designed by Christopher Simmonds Architect to stand out both in exterior appearance and interior design alike. Completed in 2011, the urban family home houses a discreet garage on the lower level with the main house sitting firmly above it on sloping land. Elements of the house are elongated, giving character and definition to the house as well as providing more living area space and natural light. Dark oak wood floors and glossy whites surfaces give the interior an almost gallery-like feel and the beautifully textured exterior comprises of subtle earth-stoned brick and dark bronze aluminium glazing systems, making the Fraser Residence a contemporary dream home.

Source: Christopher Simmonds Architect