A house in Megève, France

For its owner Sylvie Mirabou this house means much more than just a holiday chalet. It is a shelter from the noise and fuss of the city. In the house there are three bedrooms, a spacious living-room and a dining-room. The favorite place in the house is the balcony with a little dining table. Sylvie's collection of modern painting is the center of the decoration. Carlo Rampazzi, the designer, interprets the interior as a game of different details, such as vases and Chinese calligraphy brushes that are in harmony with the painting collection. The furniture and the lighting for the chalet have been thoroughly chosen, and most items are handmade. A warm yellow wall color, light linen curtains and leopard-colored rug in every room make the chalet a single whole.

Loft in New York

Provence fairy-tale

Today, I want to share with you this magnificent mansion in the south of France in a place called Pays D'Apt, described as the Colorado of Provence. The small village of Gignac, famous for its XVIII century palace is sitting at the very roof of the mountain range. The territory of the palace covered with century-old trees is fenced off the outside world by high retaining walls.

House on Lake Garda. Italy

After restoration, this 15th century house has come to life and become as comfortable as modern ones. Its new owner, a professional sportsman, has decided to preserve its original look. Walls, the roof and partitions have been reinforced. Natural materials such as tile, ceramics and marble have been used in reconstruction, too. The doors and windows are made of oak and metal. On the first floor there are friendly and cozy guest-rooms. On the second floor are bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining- and a living-room. One of the owner's hobbies is repairing. Almost every piece of furniture and accessories in the house are his creations. "Comfort and rationality" might well be the motto of the house: no luxury, no special decor. There are only natural colors and materials that make the modern house a peasant's dwelling.

Loft in San Francisco

Lofts have many apparent advantages. For designers it is an opportunity to fulfill their most daring ideas. When Jonathan Straley purchased this loft in a former chocolate factory, there was only a bathroom and pillars at two-meter distances. The first step of the reconstruction was the floor. It was covered with matchboards; their light-brown color brings in warmth and makes a quaint contrast with stone ceilings. Walls, painted in white, serve as a good decoration for the collection of art. In order to keep the wholeness of the space, the designer organized rooms without walls. A large pillar originally divides the sitting room, on its one side there is an artificial fireplace, on the reverse a bookcase which, together with a writing table and a couple of chairs, makes up the library. Cupboards serve here as screen-partitions between the apartment areas. The result is amazing...