Tag Archives: Home Tours

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Architecture: The ‘Desert Palisades’ In Palm Springs

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The Local Project (July 14, 2023) – Floating above the landscape is the best modernist home. Desert Palisades by Woods + Dangaran is a family home that was built from a goal to introduce a more international style of modernism to the desert.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Best Modernist Home 01:06 – Creating A Family Refuge and Paying Homage to the Mountains 01:39 – The Approach of the Home 02:04 – Ensuring the Home is Timeless and Fitting 02:34 – A Climate Focused Material Palette 03:50 – The Tonal Nature of the Home 04:33 – A Fine Curation of the Details 05:28 – Taking A Backseat to the Surroundings

Though focused on creating a desert oasis home in which the family could escape to and decompress, the architects have also paid homage to the mountain and enabled the owners to experience its form completely. In line with the basin of the San Jacinto Mountain, the home encompasses views across Palm Springs and the surrounding rocky landscape that further encourages the owners to not only appreciate it but to connect with it.

Approaching the desert oasis home as if it is a beacon on the hillside, the house tour unfolds in a natural procession, guiding viewers past the pool area and then into the pavilions that showcase the home’s sweeping views. Recognising the presence that the structure holds, Woods + Dangaran worked with a responsibility to make sure the best modernist home feels timeless and fits into the desert landscape. From its base, the architecture of the house is made up of a concrete masonry unit, while the support walls and ends of the pavilion are created with burnished CMU blocks that appear to come from the soil.

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Architecture: Matagouri House In New Zealand

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The Local Project (July 11, 2023) – A beautiful house grounded within an extraordinary landscape setting, Matagouri House provides an immediate visual impact without taking away from the natural beauty of the surrounding environment.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction 00:18 – The Location of Matagouri 00:38 – The Design Process 01:23 – Defining Themes 01:56 – Inspiration Behind the Rooftop Garden 02:32 – The Client and The Brief 03:14 – The Composition of the Home 03:55 – Reflecting The Landscape 04:47 – Aspirations For The Future

Removed from the urban centre of Queenstown, New Zealand, the home sits between two natural mounds in the surrounding tussock at the foot of The Remarkables mountain range and the edge of Lake Wakatipu. Sitting upon a plateau that lies within a broader curtilage of land, interior spaces are laid out around a sheltered courtyard under an engineered timber roof plane. The main living area of the beautiful house is considered a peninsula, a singular wide space that wraps around a protected courtyard.

This courtyard has a strong sense of gravity for the overall composition of the land as it accesses the public wings of the building, including the kitchen and dining area. Bedrooms are upstairs – the elevated position and the interior design of the rooms nurture the aspect beyond the roof. As such, the powerful landscape setting is integral to the form and overall design of the beautiful house. Fearon Hay Architects draws on this in an interesting way to develop an occupation at a scale that feels comfortable for the residents.

To do this they moderate the way the house captures the view, with areas removing the view entirely – the outlook is taken away and then re-presented for its impact to be fully understood. The beautiful house remains exquisitely immersed in the landscape. For example, the engineered timber roof plane carries a planted tussock green rooftop garden and is shaped to marry into the natural landforms.

The way the home and the landscape blend into one also enables a strong sense of historic occupation. The architecture of the building isn’t read as a new structure but is instead embedded in the landscape as if it has been developed over time.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

New Zealand Home Tour: ‘Flockhill Homestead’

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The Local Project (July 7, 2023) – An exclusive house tour and a thoughtful marrying of architecture and landscape, Flockhill Homestead is a beautiful yet practical farm residence that offers a novel experience of the New Zealand landscape.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Luxurious AirBnB 00:47 – The Project Architect 01:17 – A Family and an Environmental Centred Brief 02:13 – Democratising the Bedrooms 02:40 – Protection From the Harsh Environment 03:15 – The Heritage and History of The Flockhill Region 03:32 – The Materials Used Throughout 04:47 – Utilisation Throughout the Seasons 05:18 – The Calmness of Shadow 05:53 – A Collaborative Effort

This exclusive house tour goes inside a high country sheep station that doubles as an Airbnb where Warren and Mahoney take a symbiotic approach to create an elegant refuge, where interior design harmonises with the heavy masonry elements embedded in the landscape that can also withstand the harsh conditions. The exclusive house tour shows a dwelling that responds to its incredible locale – in the way of outlooks, heritage and practicality.

Located halfway between Christchurch and Arthur’s Pass, the homestead and Airbnb is perched on a plateau above the working farm, which offers an equal viewpoint of the mountains, limestone rock formations and Lake Pearson. A pool sits on the edge of the property at the top of a cliff, allowing one to feel as if they are floating above the dramatic landscape.

The exclusive house tour reveals The fluid approach taken by the team in the architecture and interior design of the homestead. Spaces are arranged in a single linear strip to access constant views towards the lake and mountains in the distance, fostering a continuous connection between internal and external spaces. The large home is designed for four individual owners so there are shared zones, including a communal kitchen and large fireplace, and private spaces pushed to the corners of the home.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Home Tour: ‘Clifftops’ In Auckland, New Zealand

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The Local Project (July 4, 2023) – Imbued with a genuine warmth, Clifftops House is a family home that has soul and spirit. Through thoughtful consideration of materiality and texture,

Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Unique Clifftop Home 00:58 – The Location 01:37 – The Site and its Aspect 02:00 – The Architecture Brief 02:39 – The Interiors Brief 03:15 – Working with the Materiality 03:41 – Crafting the Textures and the Touch 04:18 – Drawing Light Deep Into the house 05:01 – The Element of Surprise

Bossley Architects has built a visually striking and welcoming home defined by strong geometric architecture on the exterior and a soft, sinuous feel on the inside. Built on the picturesque clifftops overlooking Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, the home is comfortable yet capable of accommodating a growing family.

The site posed two main challenges – exposure to the elements of the nearby ocean and a long, narrow allotment. The house takes advantage of this shape with a series of walls and fins built angled towards the sea. Walls located at the east and west ends of the site also create a partially enclosed courtyard that both welcomes sun and provides shelter from the weather.

A modest palette features in-situ concrete as the main material, which is durable and allows the concrete to resemble fluid, free forms, resulting in a number of sculptural walls and curves in the interior of the home. This is offset against panels of marble cladding, glass-reinforced concrete fascias, walnut flooring, cedar ceilings and aluminium joinery. There are also a number of windows and openings built into the architecture of the home, which serve an important role in scoping and drawing light deep inside.

Additionally, a ‘slow stair’ has been incorporated to provide a sense of circulation into the linear structure. The staircase has a very long tread, so as one moves from the ground floor to the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs they experience vertical movement in a more rounded way. The home holds most of its spirit in the interior design. Sonya Cotter Design crafted an interior experience that layers furniture and finishes in a way that works to create personality and warmth. However, most of the selections, whilst varied, all are designed to patina, invoking a constant sense of movement across surfaces throughout the home.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Architecture: Stonelea Farm House In Australia

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The Local Project (June 39, 2023) – Responding to context and climate, the architect delivers Stonelea, an authentic, multi-generational country retreat embedded in the landscape.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Sustainable Modern Farm house 00:48 – The Brief 01:00 – Retaining the Existing Elements 01:20 – Consideration of the Carbon Footprint 01:43 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:55 – Providing Natural Light 03:44 – Drawing Inspiration from the Site and the Landscape 04:39 – A Result of Combined Efforts and Proud Moments

Nestled in the western foothills of the Blue Mountains, Stonelea by Matthew Woodward Architecture tenderly responds to context. Continuing a long-standing interest in connecting people with landscape, Stonelea gently frames the human experience within its striking rural surrounds.

An existing cluster of workers’ cottages, each with a wondrous view across the vast valley and connection to the Coxs River below, informed the planning and articulation of the home. The home’s linear and low-lying form draws on the Australian shed vernacular. A minimalist approach to form is articulated in the generous floor plan, whilst the earthy materials reflect an affinity with the landscape.

Stonelea’s barn-like form skilfully combines hardwood timber shiplap and metal roof sheeting set on a weighty podium of local stone, embedding the house atop the slope of the river and valley panorama. The architect dexterously planned around established trees, conveying a seamlessness with the landscape that belies the age of the architecture. A simple, elongated spatial arrangement gives hierarchy and order between public and private spaces.

Ensuite guest bedrooms and a kids’ room are lined along a timber-screened walkway, flanked by a large master bedroom to the north and expansive living spaces to the south, affording acoustic separation and privacy.

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Alaska Architecture: Waterfront Home Tour

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Wall Street Journal (June 27, 2023) – This luxury oceanfront property in southeast Alaska, with concrete floors and a pink kitchen, cost $2.07 million to build and furnish.

Video timeline: 0:00 Living on the water 0:54 Living room 1:32 Kitchen 2:25 Deck and nook 3:54 Primary bedroom 4:49 Outside space

The home includes a strawberry wall, a floating chair that costs over $3,000 and ocean views from every room. Homeowner Kristi Linsenmayer describes the joys and challenges of custom-building a home over the water in rural Ketchikan.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Australia Design: Parkside Residence In Adelaide

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The Local Project (June 27, 2023) – A house openly engaging with its surrounding context, Parkside Residence is both outwardly and inwardly focused to reference the existing formal language it is immersed within. Ashley Halliday Architects proposes a light-filled family home that combines heightened detailing with a sense of the familiar.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Light Filled House 00:42 – The Project Brief 01:11 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:17 – Creating A Cosy Home 02:50 – The Cathedral Glass Wall 03:20 – A Focus on the Landscaping 03:56 – The Colour and Material Palette 04:41 – Experiencing the Freshness of the Home

Set within a heritage-rich area of inner south-east Adelaide, Parkside Residence is imagined as a house of considered proportions. In acknowledging its adjacent neighbours and the traditional forms in place, the proposal aims to also celebrate the silhouettes of the existing streetscape through the formation of two main gabled pavilion arrangements. Aligned perpendicularly to one another, the pair sit separated with a connective corridor space to bind them.

Whilst the home is a modern insertion within its traditional setting, by respectfully honouring the formal language of the established rooflines, the structure adds to the rhythm of the streetscape. Ashley Halliday Architects focuses on balancing both the privacy and experience of the house from within with a series of spaces that nestle comfortably. Ikon Projects crafts Parkside Residence to transition from a privately veiled home at the front to a more open collective of spaces to the rear.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Architecture: A Tour Of Frank Sinatra’s 1947 ‘Twin Palms’ In Palm Springs

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The Local Project (June 23, 2023) – Nestled among the palm trees, Twin Palms by E. Stewart Williams boasts not only a desirable position but a rich history that makes the iconic house stand out.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to Frank Sinatra’s Iconic House 00:39 – A Completely Blank Canvas 01:14 – E. Stewart William’s First Architecture Project 01:53 – The Original Floor Plan 02:19 – A Typical Palm Springs Type Home 03:02 – Indoor and Outdoor Fusion 03:23 – The Many Moods of Modernism 03:40 – Enveloping and Warm 03:59 – The Unity of Nature and Architecture 04:38 – Balanced Light 05:15 – Frank Sinatra’s Love of the Desert

First built when there was nothing but mountains and desert, Twin Palms helped establish the architectural shape of Palm Springs. As Twin Palms was the first home designed by E. Stewart Williams, the iconic house offers a softness and comfortability that its original owner, Frank Sinatra, desired. Throughout this iconic house, E. Stewart Williams has provided fun, pleasure, privacy and respite, for the home’s first owner to its current occupants.

Though the midcentury home was built in 1947 for Frank Sinatra, E. Stewart Williams’s complex yet soft design has remained mostly intact, with the only change to the floor plan being the entrance, which was moved to the opposite side of the street to provide a dramatic arrival. Additionally, the original furniture and kitchen appliances remain, adding to the home’s interesting history.

For the rest of the exterior and interior design, the softness and expression of pleasure and place are articulated with the interior columns that are rounded instead of straight – an idea that helps to soften the environment and avoid the harshness of geometric design. With the architecture of homes in Palm Springs being designed with respect to the mountains, there is a sense of unity between nature and structure that exists in the iconic house. Further deepening this, E. Stewart Williams provides an overarching sense of indoor and outdoor living through the colour choices, materials and form of the iconic house.

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Home Tour: 1970’s Modern In Nottinghamshire, UK

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The Modern House (June 22, 2023) – “We’d never seen anything like it – we were totally blown away,” said Simon Siegel when we went to visit him and his wife, Monica, at their 1970s mid-century home in Nottinghamshire four years ago for our My Modern House series.

Simon’s words echoed our feelings exactly: we were blown away not only by the brilliance of architect David Shelley’s original design, but also by how Monica and Simon lived in it so sympathetically and stylishly, for that matter – a true one-of-a-kind. And now we’re back.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Design: A Tour Of Moore House In Los Angeles

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The Local Project (June 16, 2023) – Though Moore House was originally designed by Craig Ellwood in 1965, the newly restored house by Woods + Dangaran is a respectful design that enhances its rich history for both the owners and the wider Los Angeles architectural community.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Magical Restored House 00:30 – The Clients Simple Goals 00:43 – The History of Mid-Century Tropical Modernism 01:05 – The Restoration Process 01:46 – Designing Inline with Craig Ellwood’s Style 02:34 – Playing on High Contrast and Linking Spaces 03:32 – Background Architecture 03:53 – The Advantage of Hillside Properties 04:22 – Interesting Features of the Home 04:44 – Respecting the History 05:00 – Preservation and Timeless Design

However, once owned by a local band that left it in disrepair, the home needed a complete renovation of both exterior and interior design. Tasked with this challenge, Woods + Dangaran has infused contemporary design methods that restore the midcentury home’s character in a modern light. As the architect and interior designer, Woods + Dangaran were able to save the home through a thoughtful and delicate renovation.

From the street, the finished design of the restored house appears above the carport and unfolds in a rectangular form, where the majority of the original structural and interior elements have been kept. Throughout the restored house, two of the main kept character elements are seen in the two bookends of the original home. The first bookend holds the new fireplace, which is maintained in both its original proportion and location and modernised with a patinaed brass that wraps around it.