Tag Archives: Insider Tours

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Modern Homes: Madison Desert Club In La Quinta

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The Local Project (June 6, 2023) – Inspired by the conventions of a boutique hotel, Kovac Design Studio administers an array of design elements that cater to its clients’ desires to have a modern house that celebrates the surrounds and can host friends and family.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction 00:43 – A Boutique Residence 01:07 – Enabling the Feeling of Secludedness 01:41 – The Organisation of the Building 02:12 – The Element of Surprise 02:38 – Built for 2 people or 200 people 02:54 – Covered in Glass 03:09 – Matching the Materials with the Surrounds 03:32 – The Glamorous Material Palette 03:57 – Giving Each Room its own Identity 04:33 – The Oculus 05:10 – The Canopy 05:28 – Designing a Concept from Start to Finish 05:57 – Proud Moments

From the first steps inside, Madison Desert Club is deliberately designed to offer the feeling of being outside when moving from room to room. Imbued with space for the owner to entertain and unwind, Madison Desert Club rejoices in the landscape of La Quinta with an open floor plan and floor-to-ceiling windows and doors.

Additionally, unique design elements are employed to enhance the home’s connection to the outdoors, beginning with a continuous canopy-style roof that is set over parts of the modern house, offering a change of light throughout the day. Another element seen upon arrival is the Oculus – a circular shape integrated into the roof, which allows for uninterrupted views of the sky above. Spanning all three levels, the modern house tour begins at the lower level, where a sauna, spa and gym are placed.

The above two levels hold the guestrooms, kitchen, living, dining areas and private cocktail bar. Expressed by its metal mesh curtain, the cocktail bar is imbued with warm colours that reference whiskey and give the impression of being inside a sophisticated space reserved for VIP clients. On the top level, a dedicated screening room offers a rare surprise when the screen wall opens up to the entire living space below.

#Modern #House #Design

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Design: Walk Street House In Southern California

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The Local Project (June 2, 2023) – Walk-Street House offers a seamless continuation of the Southern Californian beach lifestyle where the natural house resides.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Light Filled Natural House 00:23 – Walk-Street Homes 00:48 – A Walkthrough of the Home 01:38 – An Indoor Outdoor Connection 02:19 – The Unique Interiors 02:43 – Working with a Small Floor Plan 03:13 – The Natural Materials 04:01 – A Warm and Inviting Home 04:16 – A Focus on Natural Light 04:45 – Quality Control 05:04 – Blurring the Lines Between Inside and Out

From the raw timber façade to its open plan living, there is a lack of separation between the residence, the street, the climate and the locale, which gives the home its distinct nature. ras-a studio homes in on a quintessential city-beach aesthetic that speaks to its South Los Angeles location. The natural house has a strong attachment to place – a vibrant street with pedestrian-only access.

However, the prime location means the home is compact, posing a significant challenge for the construction. Overcoming this revealed a deeply considered open floor plan that nurtures the feeling of space at every opportunity. Eliminating interior partitions within the kitchen, dining and lounge areas allows for the spaces to borrow room from each other. Upstairs are the bedrooms, a study and a balcony that overlooks the street below, as well as a rooftop terrace that boasts panoramic ocean views.


#Natural #House #Architecture

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Architecture Tour: Shift House In New Zealand

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The Local Project (May 28, 2023) – Retaining its heritage, Shift House is an architects family home that sees MAUD elegantly and subtly use the original structure’s form and character as the foundation for renovations.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Architects Family Home 00:45 – A Special Character Location 01:29 – The Ability to Experiment 02:00 – A Shift from Old to New 02:43 – The Material Palette 03:10 – A Focus on the Kitchen 03:39 – The Performance and Aesthetics of Good Design 03:53 – Linking the Outdoors with the Indoors 04:20 – Favourite Aspects of the Home 04:55 – Changing the Way of Living and Operating

Located on a tree-lined street, the architects family home is surrounded by the special character Freemans Bay. Due to this location, the architects renovations came with constraints that pertained to the form and development of the home. However, thanks to the structure’s position upon a ridge, MAUD was afforded the opportunity to build a two-storey addition that is concealed from the street front and does not cross any of the limitations.

Afforded the opportunity to experiment on their own home, the architect was able to try out methods of interior design that they otherwise would not. As such, the renovations to the architects family home included an addition of modern lower levels that connect to the rear gardens, while an upstairs room that affords an outlook beyond the site has been added. Seen throughout the architects family home there is an intentional use of colour to signal the change in eras.

First experienced within the original parts of the home, a muted palette has been used to bring life and character to the space, while in the newer additions there is a shift upon the emphasis of materiality and texture to match the modern years. Using recycled materials to link the new additions to the original home, MAUD shifts and moves the formal shapes of the original zones into the relaxed new additions. In the bathrooms, the use of saturated colours provides an immersive experience, showcasing the ritualistic approaches to bathing.

#Auckland, #NewZealand. #hometours #TheLocalProject

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California Architecture: Venice Beach House Tour

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The Local Project (May 26, 2023) – A fusion of an Australian and Californian sensibility, Venice Beach House is a calm house that captures the spirit of its owner and a resonating sense of place.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Calm House 00:29 – The Location of the Home 00:48 – The Californian Bungalow 01:03 – The Brief 01:22 – A Visual Palette Cleanser 01:47 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:36 – The Material Palette 02:50 – Aspects of the Surrounding Borrowed Landscape 03:31 – The Material Palette Continued 04:03 – Following the Sun 04:28 – Favourite Aspects of the Home

Tribe Studio Architects and Arabella McIntosh bring a distinct, globally inspired approach in crafting the Los Angeles home of Armadillo co-founder Jodie Fried. Whilst an embracing of the natural elements and the similarities in climate that bind both Los Angeles and Australian design, Venice Beach House is founded on the creation of a series of spaces that capture the travelled spirit of its owner.

As the occasional home to Jodie Fried and her family, the resulting calm house speaks to a combined methodology, drawing upon the renowned Californian outdoor lifestyle and familiar elements found home in Australia. Located among an assortment of established bungalow-style homes, the surrounding context plays a key role in shaping the proposed form, scale and proportion of the home whilst referencing a key Australian influence.

Built by Tatum Constructions, Venice Beach House is, at its heart, a calm house. Expressing an openness between inside and out, the home invites connection with the surrounding landscape and ensures a natural spillover of function into the outdoor spaces. The established fig tree in the front garden inspired and directed the planning to optimise natural shading and orientation to create key connections with the natural elements.

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Design: A Tour Of Arthur House In Melbourne

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The Local Project (May 21, 2023) -Located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne and a short distance from the Yarra River, Arthur by Oscar Sainsbury Architects (OSA) is an architects own house that extends upon the ideas of family living and connection to nature.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Architects Own House 00:31 – Designing for Yourself 00:59 – The Initial Design Ideas 01:13 – Encouraging Usage of the Garden 01:33 – A Focus on the Garden 01:56 – The Original Double Brick House 02:12 – The Central Part of the House 02:58 – Challenges Designing with Heritage Homes 03:39 – The Materials Used 04:35 – Favourite Aspects of the Home

As the owner, architect and builder, OSA dances across the separate realms with ease in order to deliver a home that allows the family to grow in place. Following a desire to open up an architects own house to the outside, OSA uses contemporary methods of design, allowing for the family to easily manoeuvre about.

With the house tour of an architects own house beginning at the double-bricked façade, OSA has additionally maintained three of the original bedrooms, with two facing the street and one opening up to the rear decking. Designed to be the central part of the house, the kitchen is laid out to encourage flow and connection from the private quarters and into the public living spaces. Known to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, the owner and architect has incorporated functionality by allowing it to serve its purpose as well as be easy to live and entertain in.

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Architecture: Double Bay House III, Sydney, Australia

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The Local Project (May 21, 2023) – Double Bay House III is a pragmatic and peaceful house tailored to suit family living. In transforming the traditional family home into an inspired modern form, the residence simultaneously embraces both connectivity and separation within.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Peaceful House 00:37 – The View and the Location 01:20 – A Brief for a Young Family 01:56 – Focusing on the Curves 02:22 – The Site and its Surrounds 02:56 – A Minimalistic Programme 03:11 – Playing with the Natural Light 04:05 – A Crossover of the Architecture and Interior Design 04:29 – The Feature Fireplace 06:05 – A Walkthrough of the Home 07:58 – Favourite Aspects of the Home

TKD Architects creates a deeply considered, highly functional and sophisticated dwelling. Located in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, Double Bay House III benefits from its purposeful site located at the southeast corner of the block. Designing the home in this way celebrates its front garden and privately welcomes an abundance of natural light. Sitting across from a park and being surrounded by trees, the new form’s intention was to respect the surrounding landscape and make the most of the natural elements on site, creating a functional, peaceful home for a young family.

The home’s materiality is defined by a sense of harmony and calm, enriched by smooth lines and an ever-present play of light. The external curvature of the peaceful house extends to the rounded stone that dominates the interior, relaying a sense of peace. Natural light is welcomed through form, cut-outs, skylights and a positioning of glass elements to ensure the right amount of light enters the home at the right time. On the western side of the peaceful house, there are screens that open and close and the perforations of those elements are graded.

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California Architecture: Twin Gables House Tour

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The Local Project (May 19, 2023) – Ryan Leidner Architecture thoughtfully renovates a bygone California house into a modern home that is intrinsically connected to its surrounding landscape by incorporating lush greenery into the interior spaces.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the California House 00:23 – Renovation of an Eichler Home 00:54 – A Walkthrough of the Home 01:11 – Magical Moments 01:32 – Light Play and Dynanism 01:53 – Feeling Enveloped in the Garden 02:37 – Leaning into the Indoor-Outdoor Connection 03:02 – Working on the Landscape 03:30 – Focusing on A Specific Level of Transparency 04:15 – Rewarding and Proud Moments

Imbued with a tangible sense of transparency, Twin Gable House proposes a more outward, open way of living. Located in Sunnyvale, a suburban neighbourhood 45 minutes south of San Francisco, Twin Gable House sits within a streetscape dominated by single-level, Eichler family homes. The renovation aspired to rejuvenate the midcentury modern-style California house by injecting high design into its somewhat simple, suburban façade.

While most Eichler homes boast flat ceilings, this house benefited from having a twin-gable shape that brings height and openness, undoubtedly setting the tone for the design and direction of the renovation. There is an immediate sense of the outdoors existing within the California house – upon entering through the front door into the atrium space, one is met with an interior garden. Rejecting the idea that homes are a place to be lived inwardly, the outdoor connection continues throughout the home.

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Australia Architecture: A Tour Of Montfort House

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The Local Project (May 16, 2023) – Drawn to the coastline of Montfort Beach, Chris McKimm, Founding Director of InForm and home owner, wanted to infuse this surf lovers dream house with an abundance of natural light, sweeping views and open spaces.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to The Ultimate Surf Lovers Dream House 00:39 – The Beachside Location 00:57 – The History of InForm 01:26 – The Unknown Surf Break of Montfort Beach 02:03 – A Desire for a Home that Blended with the Environment 02:24 – Hitting the Brief 03:02 – The Design of the House and a Walkthrough 03:58 – Create Spaces Safe from the Wind 04:13 – Designing the Garden for Privacy 04:40 – Overcoming the Neighbourhood Challenges 05:22 – A Reflective Material Palette 06:02 – The Most Enjoyable Space in the Home

Positioned on top of a sand dune 600 metres from the ocean, Montfort House is one of seven homes built on the site. Due to a deep knowledge of the terrain and the overall development, Chris delivered a difficult brief to the architects, where he requested a dream home that blends into its environment. Within the brief, there was a necessary request of harnessing the views to the south and allowing the surf lovers dream house to embrace the winter sun that came from that direction.

With a need for the home to be designed with Chris and his family in mind, the architects had to keep in mind that they would predominantly live on site, while their children and grandchildren would regularly visit. To cater to this need, Montfort House has been deliberately zoned to cater to the different aspects of living in a surf lovers dream house. As one begins the house tour, the design starts with stairs that lead up to the front door, which has been complemented with a deliberately large window to the side that offers a glimpse to the southern views.

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Architecture: A Tour Of Berson House, Australia

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The Local Project (May 14, 2023) – Berson House is a builders house that challenges the traditional narrative of a home in terms of structure, materiality and purpose.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Builders House 00:36 – Doing Something Different 01:03 – The Brief and the Unusual Site 01:26 – A Walkthrough and the Layout of the Home 02:30 – Maximising the Space 02:57 – The 20m Lap Pool 03:22 – The Adult Retreat 03:50 – Tongue and Groove Interior Materials 04:17 – Materials Used Within the Home 04:54 – Proud Aspects and Moments

Drawing on the impactful nature of unique and unusual interior spaces, Monster Ideas Architects turns an existing pre-1945 house into a bold, multi-functional home. Solidifying its strong approach from the outset, Berson House’s façade stands out in Norman Park with its geometric and demanding street presence. Craig Webster from Monster Ideas Architects overcomes initial barriers with ingenuity, tasked with a steep, challenging site in an uninhabitable state. While the new development was limited to two levels, this was overcome by moving the form up the slope of the site to create a large-scale, five-storey structure.

As the builders house, the design aspires to do something different and daring. Along with three children’s bedrooms, each with its own ensuite, a wine cellar and an isolated retreat for the parents, each level hosts a range of distinct features, including a two-storey climbing wall, an indoor soccer field and a 20-metre lap pool. The pool is thoughtfully integrated with the lower floors and has been punctuated with beautiful large windows so you can see the pool from the street, the kid’s bedrooms and the wine cellar.

Home Design, Homes, Sustainability, Tours, Videos, Views

Design: A Tour Of Emeco House In Los Angeles

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The Local Project (May 12, 2023) – Demonstrating an inspiring commitment to fully sustainable living and working, Emeco and David Saik Studio transformed Emeco House, a forgotten 1940s sewing shop, into a space that retains, restores and rejuvenates in equal measure.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Fully Sustainable Living and Working Space 00:34 – The Location and its Surrounds 00: 48 – A History of the Designer 01:26 – A Multifunctional Space 01:44 – A Walkthrough of the Space and its History 02:04 – The Original Materials 02:39 – Being Surrounded by Nature 02:55 – The Material Palette 03:36 – The Project Architect 03:59 – The Idea of Permanence 04:11 – Proud Moments 04:33 – Focusing on Leaving A Legacy

Located at the edge of a residential neighbourhood in Venice, Los Angeles, Emeco House is a fully sustainable living and working space for furniture designer Emeco. The house sits in an area where many creatives live and work, therefore serving as a hub for local architects, designers and the community to come together. The initial structure has been reworked to form two separate living areas and one common living area with a kitchen, living room and balcony.

In the creation of a fully sustainable living and working studio, the renovation was grounded in an ethos that underpins Emeco – “Begin with what’s left over. Turn it into what will last.” The design process, therefore, focuses on retaining and restoring as much of the original building as possible, with thoughtful new integrations throughout. In this way, Lead Architect David Saik blurs the old with the new to craft a fitting reflection of the junction of sustainability and evolution, two elements that sit at the core of what Emeco stands for.