An Oasis in Provence

What you're looking at the moment is the holiday home of fashion designer John Rocha.  The house is located in a tranquil village of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Southeastern France. While most of the interior design didn't leave a big impression on me, the lush and secluded outdoors made my jaw drop. This reminds me... Pools shouldn't be a luxury anymore. Every new residential building, especially those in warmer climates, should have a swimming pool.  I know this is a common practice in some countries, but I believe everyone should follow their lead. Now, prepare yourself - there's going to be some serious yearning and sighing in the next few minutes, but don't feel discouraged. You don't have to be insanely rich to make your backyard a true oasis. Just think about white backdrops, greenery, decorative cushions, lanterns/candles, wooden benches... and there you have it! Your own little piece of paradise.

 

Source:  SnOOp   Photography:  Richard Powers

Villa Kalos

If you're up for some quality time with your loved ones, this secluded holiday retreat is probably the right place for you.  Villa Kalos is situated on the stunning Ionian island of Ithaca. The architecture and interior design of this understated beauty is completely in compliance with its surrounding landscape, and that's what makes this place a successful renovation project.  The owners (photographers Gerda Genis and Robbert Koene) are obviously great visionaries with a flair for design, but the help from the locals was also much appreciated during the process of transforming an old ruin into this.  I think Odysseus would approve, don't you?

With kind permission from the owners.  Photography: Robbert Koene

Bookworm's paradise

Public spaces are very important for the health of society, and university library is one of those spaces.  It seems like people in general don't care much about libraries nowadays, but I believe they still are a great resource for all sorts of information and research work, and they simply can't be replaced by digital media. The name behind Tama Art University Library (Tokyo, Japan) is Toyo Ito.  This architectural masterpiece has "exterior glass walls and large arches that allow the contours of the natural environment surrounding the campus to extend into the interior creating an exhilaratingly open space." Oh, how nice it must be to gather knowledge in a place like this...

Source: ArchDaily   Photography: Iwan Baan

Torre di Moravola

When I first started this blog, I decided I won't be including architectural inspiration (although I don't think one can completely separate interior designing from architecture and vice versa) because then I would be covering too many topics for a lifestyle blog, but I just couldn't resist making a post about this amazing building. Now, let me explain a bit why this Umbrian holiday retreat is so special... Torre di Moravola used to be a medieval watchtower and it dates all the way back to XII century. It was abandoned for more than 50 years, until architect Christopher Chong and his partner Seonaid Mackenzie bought the property and started a 6 years long restoration of the ruins. The best historical aspects have been preserved and contrasted with contemporary design and materials, emphasizing the sense of Moravola’s history and thus resulting in a synthesis of the ancient exterior with understated modernity of the interior. The other reason why I'm so attracted to this building is because I just got back to Croatia after spending the last few months in the Italian countryside, so I know from my own experience how soul nurturing this landscape can be... Hope you're enjoying the summer!