Once a grand family home, this cliff-side heritage property had long since lost its shine. Character features and original charm had been forgotten amidst an 80s renovation, and this once-majestic home had become tired, beige and dreary. Working alongside Liskowski Architects, SJS Interior Design Studio were able to recapture the warmth and character at the heart of this property, and transform it into a stylish, livable and eminently welcoming family home in one of Sydney’s most stunning locations. Determined to create the perfect family home, they took inspiration from the contrasting light and shade of the old, original part of the home. Using practical materials in well-resolved spaces, they designed a home perfectly suited to a family settling back into Australia after living the ex-pat life in Asia for many years. The heritage details and proportions of the original architecture were carefully retained and restored, with small moments of magic…

Perched high on a prominent escarpment in the highest level of bushfire attack; Flame Zone, Eagle’s Nest by Ian Bennett Design Studio aspires to balance and curate the experience of outlook and expansiveness of site, with privacy and seclusion. The restrained material palette heightens this experience of site, landscape and built form along with the changing dynamic of light and shade. Influenced by contemporary Brazilian Modernism, the ground floor’s “public program” (living, dining, kitchen) is enclosed by large glass sliding doors to the north and east, enabling uninhibited 135-degree views of the Pacific Ocean, Pittwater, Narrabeen lake and Bilgola Plateau. Retracting the doors provides the coveted internal / external living that Sydney’s climate enjoys year-round. In contrast to the ground floor’s open and expansive view, the first floor (housing the private program of bedrooms) seeks to frame select views from each space in a more intimate approach, subconsciously inviting one…

A bold colour approach resulted in a winning combination for the refurbishment of this house by Chelsea Hing Interior Design Studio in Australia. Established by Chelsea Hing in 2007, the studio is now oneof the foremost residential interiors practices in Australia. Celebrated for its fearless use of colour, her work is marked by soulful, expressive spaces, with a distinctly charismatic style. Photography : Eve Wilson See also :https://house-diaries.com/the-brighton-colour-interior-project/

The brief for this iconic Foy & Gibson warehouse conversion was to create a dark-toned kitchen which would throw hints to the industrial aesthetic of the building. Working within the restrictions of the existing angles of the space, Design + Diplomacy Studio designed the kitchen to maximise on functionality while remaining sleek and minimal. By sticking to a monochrome palette, they were able to layer different textures to create depth. They were conscious to use as many raw materials as possible, bluestone, brass and steel, including natural elements which will beautifully wear and patina over time. The original floorplan did not utilise the vast space, resulting in functionality issues and unused areas. By extending the kitchen cabinetry to the window with a return, they were able to more than double the original storage space. Their play on the linear motif from the bluestone Turkish tiles and security glass under the…

The scope of this project by Tumu Studio included a full renovation of an existing home in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood along with interior design, styling, and procurement. The design language for the home combined transitional style with a more modern flair. Classic and timeless furniture and furnishings were used to reflect the client’s lifestyle. Different zones such as the entryway, the lounging area, the living space, the formal dining space, the kitchen, the mini bar, and the breakfast area were created in the open-planned living space. Unique art pieces were introduced to each space (Published with Bowerbird). Photography : Cynthia Lynn See also :https://house-diaries.com/michigan-loft-an-artistic-construction-in-chicago-illinois/

Welcome to this unique accommodation in the North Tower’s eastern building : The innovation. The innovation, the eastern of the two Norra Tornen, is Stockholm’s tallest residential building with its 36 floors. Here you live on the 13th floor with unobstructed views of the rooftops. The Office for Metropolitan Architechture, OMA, one of the world’s most prestigious and prestigious architectural firms, has combined the function, aesthetics and visions of modern homes with the pixelated character of the North Tower. Generous windows, tasteful choice of materials and terrace.  See also :https://house-diaries.com/a-scandinavian-attic-full-of-charm/

Madeleine and her team at Madeleine Blanchfield Architects (MBA) recently refurbished an existing 1950s house in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs for an art-loving young family of five. The client wanted to ‘fix’ the dark, disconnected parts of the south-facing house, and create a home that embodied the family’s unique character. Their client’s brief was a 17th century lithograph of five little fish with human faces swimming “Marvels Of Things Created and Miraculous Aspects Of Things Existing”. The notion was to create a home that was whimsical, calm, inspiring, slightly quirky and deeply personal. They gutted the existing house, leaving only the structural columns and beams. They created huge windows onto external courtyards and removed most of the walls to flood the spaces with light. The problem with removing walls is that there is nowhere to hang art. This became the driving concept and approach behind the design – bringing art into the architecture. Every piece of…

A new build fishing house on the River Test in Hampshire by Stiff + Trevillion. Traditional construction methods including green oak frame, hand made bricks, roof tiles and charred timber cladding were brought together to form a contemporary reinterpretation of a rural barn. The house sits in the grounds of a listed Manor House and is designed in context to reflect the hierarchy of the adjacent structures whilst also picking up on the local vernacular of details and materials of the hamlet at large. The house is run using sustainable natural resources including ground source heat pump, rainwater harvesting and recycling, solar and photovoltaic cells ( Published with Bowerbird). Photography : Kilian O’Sullivan See also : https://house-diaries.com/bloomsbury-house-refreshing-a-90s-apartment-in-london/

A double-fronted Edwardian house has been updated and extended by Found Associates Studio, in dramatic fashion for a television and radio presenter and his family. This four storey villa sits on a corner site with unusually large gardens to the rear. The renovation and reinvention of the villa reinforces the sense of connection between house and garden. Unsympathetic additions to the back of the property had been added over time and these were removed and replaced with a single storey pavilion that sits alongside the original house, while opening out to the adjoining terrace and gardens via a wall of glass. This contemporary, open plan addition hosts family living space, including the kitchen, and has become the new hub of the home. The original living rooms and bedrooms of the period house have also been updated and restored in a sensitive and sympathetic manner, including an attic conversion to create…

Large sky windows define this attic apartment in Sweden. Because of these windows this attic apartment isn’t small and dark but flooded with light. The way the home has been decorated certainly helps as well, with a light oak floor and light natural colors with a hint of black this only enhances that light look. The interior features a striking contrast between its crude wooden beams and its crisp white walls. Enjoy it!!!! See also :https://house-diaries.com/modern-apartment-in-black-tones/

Head to Latvia, more precisely to the coastal town of Jurmala, 20 kilometers from Riga, where design studio Agnes Rudzite Interiors has refurbished a former 1930s mansion. Eclectic design between past and present. Terrazzo floors, arcades, oak veneer, period chandeliers, terracotta and olive tones… The atmosphere is dictated by the Baltic architecture of the 1930s and the legendary codes of Italian villas. A project filled with strong colors and noble finishes such as marble, lacquered cherry wood, arches and doors, oak veneers and green marble portals, all very chic, stylish and funky. A renovation that will have lasted six years in order to leave the monument in its own juice while giving it a retro-contemporary aesthetic. Photography :Mikhail Loskutov See also :https://house-diaries.com/a-country-house-where-time-stands-still-in-moscow/