The Catroux Style

One of my main inspirations for my personal style as well as my home style has been this single picture you see above of Betty Catroux taken in her home in Paris in the 70’s.  The apartment was designed by her husband François…. That picture to me is everything. It could have easily been taken in the 70s, 80s, 90s or even today…. Catroux’s interiors from the 70s remain timeless because he knew how to mix the modern classics with warm or rustic pieces of furniture in a modern yet eclectic way.

Recently Catroux redid their apartment … I am not sure whether it was a full renovation or he just added on to the apartment because I recognize a lot of art work and furniture pieces from their 70s pictures that I came across on the net!.. I love that I can’t tell exactly what he did and where he did it… the revamped apartment feels like its continuing their story rather than trying to make a new one!

Here’s the living room, do you see what I mean? It looks so eclectic and modern. Again this could easily be a Catroux apartment from the 70s, 80s, 90s or even today!…

As always he not only mixed styles and periods but layered them in a way only he could do!  There are pieces that the couple had for decades, such as the rustic colossal African mask and the 1995 portrait of Betty by Philippe de Lustrac.

I just love Betty’s office. François designed the built-in cabinetry all around the room. I love that she put a casual photograph of her late best friend Yves Saint Laurent in front of another photograph.

The painting above the sofa is by Emmanuel Gondouin from the 1930s. That Noguchi coffee table is one of my favorite tables. It’s so timeless and so fit for this beautiful library. 

Even though that first picture will still be closer to my style than the current apartment, this is still my favorite home. It’s my favorite home for many reasons ( which I stated above) but mainly because it’s simply a home of a couple who have been married for 50 years (1968) who with the new renovations seems to be looking forward to living together for many years to come!

 

 

A Modern Homage to Classics

It isn’t easy to mix… but when it’s done right it somehow looks so easy on the eyes… I love what they have done with this apartment… they have mixed classical elements, design pieces and contemporary materials with luxurious details, with a masterful minimalist approach. The colors and textures are relaxing yet sophisticated! What do you think?

Images via  Guilherme Torres

The Art of Mixing 101

I’m so in love with this apartment…. It is by far the closest place I have seen (on the net) to my personal taste and style!

It’s in Beirut belongs to Nabil Dada…. What I love about this place is that it is eclectic but still minimal… Everything is so carefully curated. You can easily tell that the furniture and art have obviously been collected over time and with a lot of thought… I can’t imagine the memories and stories behind each piece!

I love that armchair above, the style is very MCM yet the fabric is very medieval? classic? I love the Taccia table lamp on the far end corner!

I like how those 2 sphinx are floating above this small reflective water feature…. everything feels very well thought of….

Do you recognize that sofa? It’s Zaha Hadid (may she RIP) love that sofa … I kind of have mixed emotions about where it’s placed, though!…but it could just be the angle where the picture has been taken from?

Can you see the corner to the far right of the picture? Doesn’t it look cozy? I love that there are those little cozy corners around the apartment. I think that having those cozy corners helped to give the place a homier feel and sort of balanced it more!

I guess he adds more dining chairs when needed … I can’t blame him for not wanting to cover that Ron Arad dining table with chairs, though…. its just so beautiful!

It is not easy to mix the old with the new, the oriental with the baroque with Egyptian sphinx! And yet Dada has mixed them all… He has mastered the art of mixing to a perfection…. Wish it was as easy as he made it look like!

I have seen more picture of this apartment in magazines but couldn’t really find many online… I will add another post about this place if I do come across more pictures 😉

Pictures via taken from their website 

Style Icon: Dame Zaha Hadid

It’s been almost 2 weeks since the Dame Zaha Hadid has passed away and I still am in shock!!!

It’s not often an architect makes international headlines…But this Iraqi/British architect was often part of controversies. She was the first woman to win the Pritzker Award for architects. Some of her unforgettable works include the London Aquatics Centre (used in the 2012 Summer Olympics), the Vitra Fire Station in Weil am Rhein in Germany, China’s Guangzhou Opera House, the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in London, and the Riverside Museum in Glasgow.

In addition to her breathtaking buildings, she designed furniture, cutlery, shoes and jewelry with a similar modern aesthetic in mind, most recently she designed a beautiful cuff (that’s on my wishlist!) in partnership with the Danish firm Georg Jensen shown below.

I must say that what I loved most about her was her style!! I thought (and still do think) that it was as unique as her designs and architecture … She was a fan of fashion designers like Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, and Miuccia Prada…. She could be spotted in the front row of Christopher Kane shows during London Fashion Week .. she loved the fashion world and the fashion world loved her back!. Her many friends and fans included Stella McCartney, Donna Karan, and Karl Lagerfeld, who held his Chanel Resort 2016 show in her DDP building in Seoul.

“I like things that when you wear them, the form becomes very different from when it’s flat. I was fascinated first by Yohji Yamamoto and his asymmetry, or Comme des Garçons in the ’80s. There is a connection between architecture and fashion because of the way the body is placed within that space. I’m interested in fashion because it’s the immediate thing that shows you the temper of a particular moment”.

I personally loved seeing her in black capes, particularly ones by Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake…

What a great loss! May you RIP Zaha.

The Land of Giants

The Land of Giants is a proposal by Choi + Shine Architects to transform your average electrical towers into beautiful human figures with the idea of brightening up the ugly utilities that stretch across Iceland’s volcanic landscape. The plan was for the figures to stand at 150 ft tall as well as being configured to respond to their environment with appropriate gestures. The figures could resemble a person climbing when the electrical lines ascend a hill or crouch for increased strength or strain under the weight of the wires. The figures can also be arranged into different forms such as walking in the same direction, kneeling, or head bowed at a town to create a sense of place through deliberate expression. What do you think of these modern caryatids walking along the landscape while quietly transporting electricity across different terrains and weather conditions? I personally think that it’s a brilliant idea and wish that it would be done here in Oman!… A girl can dream, right?

The Bunker

I think that the Boros home surpasses any home tour you have seen (in this blog at least). Art collectors Christian and Karan Boros bought a Second World War air-raid bunker in Berlin-Mitte and converted it into their private home as well as a museum where they exhibit their vast contemporary art collection…. They own over 600 art pieces!!

The bunker has an interesting history….Like I mentioned earlier it started as a Nazi air raid shelter or bunker for residents of the area. Then in 1945, the building was converted into a prison. After the war, it became a warehouse, first for textiles and then for produce. Since then, the property had undergone various reincarnations: a nightclub, a nonprofit organization, and an exhibition hall—until The Boros bought it in 2003.

They transformed the building’s roof into a penthouse apartment for themselves, leaving the rest of the floors for exhibition space. “We were inspired by the early works of the Japanese architect Tadao Ando,” Karan explains. “He uses smooth concrete with visible shuttering marks to create planes that capture light. We opted for this for the walls, but contrasted the coldness of the concrete with limestone floors.”

The renovation project took 5 years to complete. Meanwhile, Christian and Karan Boros visited antique dealers and auction houses, and slowly put together an array of furnishings that would serve as a framework for their art collection. The penthouse alone holds more than a hundred works….an eccentric and personal collection that reflects their passionate point of view.

The living and dining area are separated by an open concrete fireplace suspended from the ceiling which I really love…. I also love the mix of all the furniture pieces here… modern furniture pieces …… Warren Platner chairs and you see mixed eras here from the 70s chandelier to the 50s chairs mixed with Asian antique tables.

I love this library area and wonder what books they collect… I love the mix here again. The vintage sofa set was upholstered in purple velvet and the console in the background they got from Bali.

New and vintage furniture mixed with contemporary art … Here you see a Wolfgang Tillmans photograph of Kate Moss and what looks to me like an Asian antique table in from of the Zanotta sofa.

They kept the guest bedroom above quite simple yet with a really interesting mix again! Here they put The Barcelona Daybed by Mies van der Rohe on an afghan rug. 

I just love their son’s bedroom…. no ugly plastic toys here and no theme that their son would outgrow …. and I just love the Moroccan Azilal rug and the tepee!

The 3-meter thick bunker roof was dug into to make room for the planting of trees and for a pool that is used for bathing and to reflect sunlight into the living area. Movable metal screens along the perimeter of the roof give privacy to the outdoor living spaces.

Source:  Artistic Fortress

A Beautiful Home In Croatia

This house is by a Croatian architectural firm, DAR612. It’s designed with three residential units and an office on a sloped site in the Croat capital, Zagreb. The interior of the house is inspired by the first half of the 20th-century architecture with balconies, terraces and sliding doors that made the whole living area flexible.

I am in love with the minimalist interior of the house….. I don’t find the plain white and gray interior cold at all!… I would probably add more art though and change the dining table!!!… but other than that I wouldn’t change a thing!!!

Via DESIGNEAST.EU.

Casa nel Bosco di Ulivi by Luca Zanaroli

I am in love with this place…. I think it’s perfect for a farmhouse or a second home!!!…. I love that they maintained the land and built the house without changing the natural look of its surroundings….It almost feels like the house was always there!!!!

I love that the interior is basically an extension of the exterior……and that the materials used were all natural and locally sourced….

Via CONTEMPORIST.

A Home On The Lion’s Head!!!

An amazing house perched on the side of Lion’s Head in Cape Town, South Africa. By SAOTA – Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects and interior design by OKHA Interiors…….Don’t think that I need to say much!!! The pictures speak for themselves!!!

desiretoinspire.net 

Clever Design Ideas in a Lovely Stockholm Attic Apartment

I love this attic apartment in Stockholm. It is only 141 square meters and yet it feels bigger than that because of the double-height ceiling as well as the dominant white and gray color palette. I love that the classic details (which characterize the historic building of this home) were mixed with modern elements, and incorporated into the overall design of the space. 

So many cute and clever ideas!!!…. love it!

Via Freshome.