Tag Archives: own

Cartoon-like home in Thailand cost just $8.000 to build!


It reminded me of the Maison Bulles house for Pierre Cardin on the French south coast. And it reminded me of another real live version of the Flinstones’ home. Either way, this is a clever piece of work. The owner built this wonderful little home for as little as $8.000. His name is Steve Areen, once a flight attendant for Delta, now non conventional entrepeneur making money with music, photography, blogging and, as this project shows, by saving money on living costs. He used materials sources from the local area and did most of the work himself saving on labour costs. It took him only 6 weeks nonetheless.

Dome house by Steve Areen / photo: Inhabitat.com

Dome house by Steve Areen / photo: theownerbuildernetwork.com

Dome house bathroom by Steve Areen / Photo: Inhabitat

Dome house by Steve Areen / photo: Izona

Classic touch: zebra print rugs


Last week I placed a bid on a zebra print rug on Marktplaats, the Dutch equivalent of eBay. In fact; eBay owns Marktplaats. I bought heaps of stuff from there already and always advice clients to check the many many ads for great finds and pieces.

The seller of the rug only had a slightly odd picture up, but after he accepted my 30 euro bid I decided to go for it. I now obviously hope it’s the gorgeous classy rug I envision. A few images to get your creative juices flowing.

I love how the rug brings the whole room together in this picture.

In this picture the zebra print proves to be a great alternative for a kelim, almost bringing an African flair to a classic room.

Here the graphic pattern of the zebra stripes accentuates the timeless design pieces in this room.

I absolutely love the vintage and bohemian feel of this room. In this case the (fake!) zebras rug is shaped like the hide would be. That’s a great sofa too. Oh, and that chair…. wow… great room!

Check out my zebra moodboard on Pinterest.

Oh, and if you want to go crafty on your home, here’s a wonderfully simple trick to create your own zebra print rug!

 

Own a bit of architectural history; The Affordable Frank Lloyd Wright


In 1895, when this block of apartments was designed, Wright was just starting out as an independent architect. He would need a couple more years to claim his fame with his better known works.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed Chicago townhouse

Frank Lloyd Wright designed Chicago townhouse

The Waller Apartments were designed as a set of five party-wall buildings, each of which was subdivided into four apartments. Wrights usual ornamental and decorative signature is missing. Clean, simple and understated lines showcase the use and functionality of the building; cheap housing.  Though the facades now appear dark and covered with grime, segments have recently been power-washed, exposing the brickwork’s original egg-yolk like colour which make it look a lot brighter.

Over the past century, the apartments have undergone long periods of neglect and abandonment. In 1968, the fourth unit burnt down, and its remains removed. In that time, two of the buildings were converted into town homes, including the two-story townhouse now for sale. After going into foreclosure last year, the three-bedroom, 1,200 square feet unit was put on the market, originally listed at $169,000, but since lowered to an unthinkable $60,000. Extensive interior restoration is required but still, after that you could be the proud owner of a real Wright for a very friendly budget.

source: Architizer Blog