Design Debate

This renovation by landscape architect Brenton Beggs and ceramicist Katie Cudal was a breath of fresh air as I perused the internet. Their little apartment in Elwood, Melbourne, sits within an interwar building not far from the beach. At just 55 square metres it originally had only one bedroom, but it was bright, had lovely proportions and, perhaps most enticingly for a landscape architect, came with a wonderfully ramshackle shared garden. It would have been very easy to make a small apartment like this feel even smaller by trying to cram too much into it. Instead, Brenton and Katie lived there for two years before beginning the renovation, learning what they actually needed from the space. Katie wanted somewhere for her ceramics wheel, Brenton needed room for his considerable collection of plants, and they both wanted somewhere to work that wasn't the kitchen table. Researching other apartments in the same building showed them that the floo...

Such a sympathetic renovation. Dun Guaidhre is a small fisherman's cottage on the Isle of Mull that has been in architect Peter Harford-Cross's family for generations. When it passed from his grandmother to his parents, Peter and his wife Rachel, together Harford-Cross Architects , set about introducing a few creature comforts without losing the character of this remote island shelter. I love how lightly they have approached it. The old stone walls still feel very much part of the building, while warm plywood has been used where needed to line and insulate the interior. Much of the furniture and fittings have been sourced second-hand too, which feels completely at home in such an old, isolated building. What I particularly like is the clever hidden kitchen. The cottage is largely open plan, but smooth honey-coloured plywood doors conceal the little kitchenette when it isn't being used, allowing the ro...

This is rather lush, Expensify's office in Portland USA feels like it has slipped into this historic building as one would slide on a glove. The stunning First National Bank building remains uncompromised, a four story atrium filled with light and gorgeous original features. The open plan space is flexible. Metal-framed boxes appear to float at different heights dividing up the building and little wooden huts provide secluded hubs away from the buzz of the open plan work space. The choice of materials too brings warmth elegance but with that modern precision.  I do love seeing old buildings given new life and ZGF Architects have given this 1916 building a fresh story to tell. Originally found at The Cool Hunter .   

Sometimes a piece of architecture comes along and just really hits the spot. Landhaus is the best of the both worlds. This country pile was built during the Art Nouveau period but has been elegantly brought up to date by German architectural studio TKA.  The feeling of space is rather epic. Simple pieces of furniture set of the architectural features perfectly. It does feel more like a public building than a home but I think it is a space that would inspire and elevate the simplest and most mundane tasks in life!  Originally found at Eclectic Trends . 

I love it when I read about people who don't only say they care, but actually do something about it. It was the home of John and Gisele Fetterman that first caught my eye, but I am also wowed by what they have achieved in their community. John Fetterman and his family live in Braddock, PA, USA. It's just outside Pittsburgh and, not too long ago, was poor, violent and a bit of a ghost town. That wasn't always the story; back in its heyday this area was once a vibrant urban centre for the steel industry. When John arrived here in 2001, he set to work to bring the community back. Their home just epitomises what this family are good at: seeing potential. Their vast house was once an indoor car dealership built in the 1920s. From a boarded-up wreck they have created a great family home for them and their three kids. I love how they have kept the car ramps! A later look around the house reveals just how much of the building’s character they kept....