AIA Winners

The 10 winners of the AIA (American Institute of Architects) residential design awards. Article and photos at the WSJ.

"These homes have been given awards because they challenge conventional notions of what shelter is," says award jury chair Kenneth Workman, an architect with Cincinnati's RWA Architects.

If only every "shelter" looked this good. My favorite is the home just above, mingling in the trees. Designed by Washington based The Miller | Hull Partnership.

House Boat Gardening

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On my birthday I like to dream a little...and my dream involves living simply but beautifully on the water. Falling asleep to the bobbing of the boat and surrounding myself and loved ones with my most desired flowers and foliage.

all photos via flickr - from Bali to British Columbia

The Shields Studio Addition

Create a garden getaway and you'll never have to leave the comforts and privacy of your own backyard.

This is the Shield's Studio, an addition designed by Winslow Architecture and Urban Design.

"This studio addition to a house nestled in a rear garden gave the owner options to live collectively, balancing privacy and openness with the sense of garden living. The new 340 square foot studio shares a protected deck and a kitchen with the main house so two households can enjoy communality, yet are able to retreat to private domains. The siting and expansive glass walls allow the studio to embrace the landscape. Partial height walls and a change in level define the interior spaces and enhance openness. The sustainable materials are a collage of textures: steel, glass, concrete and wood."

photos courtesy of Winslow Architecture

Not Neutral

There is a fun little Outdoor Decor round-up posted in the LA Times Home and Garden Section featuring the Season metal lantern (shown above) from LA based Not Neutral. I really love their garden stakes too. Wouldn't they make a lovely addition to a children's garden?

Trina Turk for Schumacher

Trina Turk's new indoor/outdoor line for Schumacher (to the trade only).

These fabrics inspire me to dig out my tiny bikini and martini shaker...

For more go to Schumacher.

Context Furniture of Ferndale

There is a wonderfully inspiring article about the Ferndale, MI based Context Furniture in MetroModeMedia.

I'm just delighted to discover that all their pieces are designed and crafted right here in my own backyard! You can see many of these beauties up close and personal at local Detroit retailers Mezzanine and Bureau of Urban Living. And, if you are a lucky local, you'll note the custom tables, chairs and stools created for Ferndale's absolutely gorgeous lounge The Emory on Woodward Ave.

There are currently three lines available under the Context Furniture brand: the Narrative and William & Mary collections, designed by owners Kerry and Bryce Moore (their signature look is predominantly blond furniture with a strip or strips of dark wood), and the Truss Collection, designed by Scott Klinker, who heads the graduate 3D design program at Cranbrook.

images courtesy of the Emory and Context Furniture

Barbara Bestor Love...

Jealousy is a word I rarely use...but I'll say it whole-heartedly: I do get awful pangs of jealousy when I hear the name Barbara Bestor. Harvard educated architect and teacher, entrepreneur, author, fabulous female and mother.

Oh how I love her modernist dwellings, her bold use of color (all the while keeping it clean, soothing and uncluttered), the immediate visual access to the outdoors...and those lush year-round garden spaces that mesh so easily with the interior. I could go on and on and on...

photos courtesy of Bestor Architecture