I can’t tell you much about this house as I don’t speak spanish and the website is well..spanish.   It is in Gandario, Galicia, Spain and the architect is Carlos Quintáns.  It’s a stunningly simple home blending the new form with old stone – striking and visible from inside the home.  In one of the photos, I love how the wooden floor vents are not in metal, but are seamless with the wooden flooring.  Of course the glass across the entire front is always a winner for me, and check out the view!

via [Materialicious]

Ok, I got a little carried away looking at all the houses at Sagaponac and only because I wanted to show you this one. Now there are several I like that are totally cool….go take a look sometime.  This home is the Ban + Maltz Furniture House inspired by Mies Van der Rohe’s unbuilt Brick Country House.  It has 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms over 3800 square feet.  What’s clever about it is the primary structure – the house is made of modular cabinet units providing loads of storage, supports the roof, and encloses heating and cooling systems. What I would give for that much storage!

via [Apartment Therapy]

Do you need to add an extra room without renovating, or a little temporary home for the bach site?  Based in Auckland, NZ, Mobile Habitats have a full range of portable accommodation solutions, with some offering kitchen and bathroom facilities.  Because they are portable, you do not need a permit, with prices starting at about $10k to purchase. Or if you only need a temporary space solution, they even rent them starting at NZ$58 per week. Go take a look at their website for more info…they come in cool colours and are super mod looking.

Over at Desire To Inspire, I came across these pics, plus more of some of the most inspiring and colourful interiors.  The man behind the lens is Mark Lund, who’s website sends you into major time wasting territory just looking at all the great photos.  He also has a blog with updates of his current work and cool snaps of his beautiful family.  

This house was designed and built by Bevk Perović Arhitekti’s in Ljubljana, Slovenia.  I really like the simplicity of this from the street.  And although I wouldn’t choose to live in it, as it looks just a little to cold for me, it would be a perfect office space for Mr Bohaute and I.  Just adding some colour and comfy furniture would make this quite an inspiring working space.  

via [NotCot.org]

One image to inspire a little fun into your reno or new house build.  How about a slide beside the stairs? Actually, I had to add a few more pics for you. This whole place is cool because it’s under ground mostly and sits right smack bang in hip Notting Hill.  The home belongs to Alex Michaelis, an architect at Michaelis Boyd Associates, so of course his home would rock.  Click on the link to go see a few more images on their website under Residential, Oxford Gardens.  Master Four (and three quarters) would love it!

via [Bloesem Kids]

This Remuera, Auckland house recently sold around the NZ$5.5m mark.  Whoever ’snapped’ it up must be pretty chuffed, and have a load of wine!  I have cellar envy.  We don’t even have wine in the house right now, so could not imagine what this would look like full.  I love that you can see part of the cellar from the dining area as well (image second row left).  This mighty home has 5 double bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, 4 living areas, a home theatre, a games room, a gymnasium, a 1000 bottle wine cellar, a state of the art kitchen with huge butler’s pantry, 3 car garaging, a pool house, an 18 metre gas heated pool, a spa and dedicated utility rooms covering about 800m2.  The house is fully automated to control everything from lighting to irrigation.  Oh, and last – beautiful views through beautiful native trees.  To view more images go here.

images [Open2view.com]

Sooo, this is an uber home if ever I saw one.  Could you imagine waking up and making breakfast in that kitchen.  It’s…..so…..gorgeous, and that’s an understatement.  So the details:  Ultra mod with gorgeous views over KL, it was designed by YTL Design Group in KL and Agence Jouin Manku from Paris, for a wealthy Malaysian family.  

It started out in 2003 and finished in late 2008 – whoa, that’s a long time to wait for a house! The 3000sqm house – COUGH!) can accommodate both private and public functions.  So I guess while you are bathing the kids at one end, your husband could be entertaining royalty at the other. 

The building has nine bedrooms, two family rooms, a family kitchen and a private dining area, a family library, a game room, a study, a public reception area, a formal dining room, a ballroom, chapel, 21 bathrooms, a swimming pool, two guest suites plus indoor private and guest parking.  For more info and images of this wickedly stunning place, check them out here.

images [Roland Halbe]

via [LuxuryLaunches.com]

I love a good gallery site, one that’s easy to use, has large photos and you can quickly update and add your own pics of anything architectural, housey, outdoorsey, etc.  At Houzz.com it’s a collection of the interior and exterior of places……have a browse over it – the site is clever, in that my thousands of inspirational home photos clogging my hard-drive can now be stored here, so I can access them when I am without my notebook. Others can add them to their gallery and we can all share the eye candy of all those lovely places in the world. Free to join, you can tag and make notes, and you can even subscribe to their RSS feed.

If anyone is looking for a home in Paris in the lovely Marais district, then how about Christian Lacroix’s place. For sale for a cool NZ$5million, it has four bedrooms and a mezzanine library – and a courtyard garden. Actually if it came with the furniture, it would rock!  I love a house filled with colour – eclectic colour – I can’t go quite that far on my own – even though I want to.  To sit and have my croissant and hot chocolate for breakfast (I don’t do coffee) in front of those windows would be very agreeable.  Here is the real estate listing should you need to contact the seller (yay for you!).  Mr Lacroix will only be 200m down the road.  

The estate agent says this about the house “…the tall ceilings, elegant windows with shutters and panelled doors are straight out of an 18th-century French genre painting. A staircase with carved white banisters leads from the drawing room up to the bedrooms, which look out over the rooftops of Le Marais, and there’s an enclosed courtyard garden. How perfect in spring and summer to dine outside, or lie on a chair to work on your suntan.” – I want it even more now – hope it’s got central heating for winter.

via [Apartment Therapy]

Ahh, this is lovely spacious and light, and if I were to be moving in – just waiting for a bit more colour and cosiness to be thrown about. I love the concrete floors (hope they’re heated) and the bathroom basins. Take a look here at more images (there are loads) and plans as well. 

Ooh err, I have his Floral brocade wallpaper from Habitat that I adore on my dining room wall…at least I think this is the same guy.  Anyway take a look at his house which is showcased in the latest Elle Decor. What a symphony of happy brightness.  Take a look at a few more images right here.

via [NotCot.org]

This house is just outside of Rio de Janeiro, with it’s own private beach and jetty.  The roof shelters the house just like a leaf.  It is designed as an open air abode to provide natural ventilation and passive cooling in the warm climate.  Designed by Mareines + Patalano, the roof even harvests rainwater for use in the house.  Take a look at more images here.  It looks like my favourite frangipani leaf.

Sigh! Design Sponge is a kicking site full of goodness, and today this post just seemed to sit on my desktop all day so I could look again and again.  These photos showcase Keith Stephenson’s (of absolute zero degrees) live/work space.  Click here to see more images of this calm, simple home.  The best part, the wallpaper you see on the walls, you can buy right here from Mini Moderns for about NZ$105 per roll, plus there’s loads more to browse.  

images [Design Sponge]

So here’s a round up of cool homes of all shapes and styles.  Shoot Factory is an agency that lists your house – well not just any house – a great looking, very tidy, perfectly maintained home.  There are so many to look at that you will need a coffee and biscuit and about 30 minutes of time to lust after them all!

via [Modern Residential]

The home which houses these books in Costa Rica won the Lubetkin Prize which awards outstanding work outside the EU by a Royal Institute of British Architects member.  This is just some of the 17,000 books the owner owns.  Take a look here at the rest of the home….it is a quick slideshow and I think the home feels warm but still modern with all the use of native timber.

 via [Dwell]

Isn’t this barn renovation gorgeous – all clean lines and tonnes of light, great indoor outdoor flow and all that lovely grass to play on.  Take a look at more pics and the floor plans here.

via [Arch Daily]

For most New Zealanders, a renovation is something we all get stuck into and mostly enjoy, so here is a mid-century reno for those with 50’s homes just awaiting a little (or large) overhaul.  For a few more images click here.

via [Desire To Inspire]

Dad built all seven of our bird houses when I was about six.  Every 10 or so metres apart up on long posts, attached to the fence that bordered our paddock (field) where the sheep grazed.   They were awfully popular with the bird community and there are still some standing today after a few repairs.  If you want to build your own, here is a great looking mid-century modern birdhouse for those wanting to watch the sparrows or starlings nest in front of your windows.  It even has a garage!  There is a quick and really great video to watch and all the instructions right here.

via [Make]