Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter

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• Sophisticated Holiday Retreat in the French Alps: White Pearl Chalet
• Incredible Modern Home Built Using Four Shipping Containers: Casa El Tiamblo
• Sensational Scrapwood Furniture by Piet Hein Eek
• Elegant During The Day, Sophisticated At Night : Hotel Barceló Raval
• Impressive Restoration of a 19th Century Corner Building in Ghent, Belgium

Sophisticated Holiday Retreat in the French Alps: White Pearl Chalet Posted: 15 May 2012 06:33 AM PDT As we are slowly approaching summer, we find these photos of  White Pearl Chalet highly refreshing. Designed by Philippe Capezzone and located between the village of Val d'Isère and the Funival funicular in La Daille, in the French Alps, the rustic home we decided to feature in this post inspires peacefulness and relaxation. Once inside, a potential visitor is likely to be impressed by the elegant interior design blending rustic details with a high level of comfort. The open plan living and dining space sets the tone for a memorable experience. Exposed wooden beams, fluffy cushions, a stone fireplace and a dining table perfect for a group of friends is more than enough to make each stay here enjoyable. The villa boasts five en suite bedrooms, with great views of the French Alps, and can be booked all year round. How do you find its overall design? You're reading Sophisticated Holiday Retreat in the French Alps: White Pearl Chalet originally posted on Freshome. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Freshome on Twitter, Facebook and Google+

Incredible Modern Home Built Using Four Shipping Containers: Casa El Tiamblo Posted: 15 May 2012 03:35 AM PDT Looking for unconventional materials to build a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing home? Designed by studio James & Mau Arquitectura and built by Infiniski, the unusual looking Casa El Tiamblo was developed using four 40-feet shipping containers. But as you will certainly observe from the photos below, the residence has a highly intriguing appearance, ranking high in originality. The blue containers give the home a playful exterior and a dynamic one as well. The interiors are surprising to say the least. Subtle rustic decorative elements and wood accents are mixed with modern furniture units. The result?- an elegant home, filled with warmth and inspiring decors, one that does not betray the fact that it was constructed using shipping containers. You tell us if you find this approach bad or good; to us, it is simply crazy (in a good way!). [Photos by Pablo Sarabia] You're reading Incredible Modern Home Built Using Four Shipping Containers: Casa El Tiamblo originally posted on Freshome. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Freshome on Twitter, Facebook and Google+

Sensational Scrapwood Furniture by Piet Hein Eek Posted: 15 May 2012 02:03 AM PDT Piet Hein Eek is a Dutch designer best known for his scrapwood furniture range that he creates using scraps of reclaimed wood. Each piece of beautiful, timeless and unique furniture is lovingly hand-crafted by Eek and is designed and made to last. Eek first started producing furniture from reclaimed materials in 1990 when he designed and made the scrapwood cupboard as a reaction against the prevalent craving for flawlessness. According to Eek he wanted to show that products that aren’t perfect can still appeal to our sense of aestetic and functionality. He also wanted to design a product that could be made with limited means and a material that was abundant. Over the years, Eek has become very adept at seeing materials and techniques that are available for design, but that are not being used for that purpose. He sees the value in materials that others would perhaps class as waste and he transforms them into surprisingly efficient and lasting pieces of furniture. In a world where minimalism has reigned for so long it is great to see designers that are doing the opposite of minimal. The process that Eek uses to create his masterpieces not only takes a great deal of time but also gives the objects a strong visual and tactile effect. Unlike mass produced churned out goods, the whole value of Eek’s pieces lies in the time and the process that is used to create them. What do you think about these products? Would you buy furniture made from reclaimed and waste materials? Let us know. You're reading Sensational Scrapwood Furniture by Piet Hein Eek originally posted on Freshome. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Freshome on Twitter, Facebook and Google+

Elegant During The Day, Sophisticated At Night : Hotel Barceló Raval Posted: 15 May 2012 12:13 AM PDT Designed by CMV Architects to welcome guests in Barcelona’s central Raval neighbourhood, Hotel Barceló Raval offers an oval silhouette to the city skyline and a mixture of  avant-garde interior design and fascinating atmosphere. Within this oval tower there are 182 rooms and 4 suites combining light, color and textures in an unforgettable collection of settings. Pet-friendly and luxurious, this impressive hospitality establishment provokes imagination with the use of vivid colors and sophisticated furniture. Each private room or suite has an iPod docking station, Wi-Fi Internet access and a Nespresso coffee maker. Changing from elegant during the day to bold and sophisticated at night, the hotel mirrors the rhythm of the pulsing city. On the splendidly simple roof top terrace offering 360º views of the city, a swimming pool solarium welcomes guests wishing to bathe in the enchanting atmosphere. You're reading Elegant During The Day, Sophisticated At Night : Hotel Barceló Raval originally posted on Freshome. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Freshome on Twitter, Facebook and Google+

Impressive Restoration of a 19th Century Corner Building in Ghent, Belgium Posted: 14 May 2012 07:50 AM PDT Graux & Baeyens architecten designed Project House GS, an impressive 19th century corner building, located right on the beach and overlooking the port city of Ghent, Belgium. The architects restored the initial structure and also gave it a contemporary appearance. According to the developers, “the project started by stripping the dilapidated house of all excess. The essence was conserved by means of the façade, the stairwell and the roof truss, each of them serving as a rough coat to envelop the new spaces.The rooms and living spaces are conceived as a stack of volumes, a white sculpture inserted in the existing casing. Several strategically located cutouts offer a variety of well-defined views“. The interiors of the residence showcase a visually appealing contrast between old and new. The layout of the house is original as well: bedrooms are located on the ground floor and the living area on the first floor. The kitchen and dining room occupy the top level, which also shelters an adjacent enclosed patio. You're reading Impressive Restoration of a 19th Century Corner Building in Ghent, Belgium originally posted on Freshome. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Freshome on Twitter, Facebook and Google+

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