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If you’ve got the space, probably the most economical way to expand your property (unless you’re a contractor and really know how to whip out an add-on) is with an outdoor freestanding structure. These structures from Modern Cabana are pretty economical and designed with the modern eye in mind.

[posted by kris]

If you’re looking to do a remodel or new construction in which you plan on having some large opening windows, local building codes as well as common sense will likely dictate that you have a balustrade so your child/pet/parent doesn’t fall out.

These are architectural, nice to look at, and available for purchase.

[posted by kris]

I love the look of huge giant windows, but there are privacy issues depending on your lot and neighborhood. If you’d rather not have your neighbors or passers by seeing you at dinner or walking around in your pj’s, then your landscaping is really important. The A/S House is situated on a great lot with plenty of trees to make the interiors of this home a sort of ‘hidden treasure’. Follow the link to see this great home.

[posted by kris]

This faucet is available in a number of finishes, like Chrome, Matte Chrome, Brushed Chrome, Antique Brass, and Brushed, Polished or Matte Nickel.

[posted by kris]

Not only can using cellulose insulation instead of the old pink stuff be better for your health and the environment, but it can actually be better for your wallet as well.

[posted by kris]

A floral metallic wallpaper is making quite a statement, but if you have the right space for it, it could be quite delightful.

[posted by kris]

The inspirational Swedish home of Ingegerd Raman consists of a black and white color scheme accented with the light wood floors and furnishings.

[posted by kris]

If you’re wanting to create a very curated look, you can have doors which are completely flush-to-the-wall with no visible hinges using concealed “soss” hinges. As one example, you could wallpaper an entire wall with the door included.

[posted by kris]

This is quite lovely–in both thought and execution.

In cooperation with Graft, the Berlin architects, Brad Pitt developed the idea of setting up a temporary township in the main area of the Lower Ninth Ward “a memorial partly to the random destruction of countless homes and partly to the right of the area’s residents to their former community.
The installation consists of 150 pink tents, which represent the houses which are still to be built “houses which will only be erected with the aid of financial donations. The forceful reminder of the pink city will not disappear until gradually the provisional pink structures are replaced by real buildings. The less pink appears, the more donations have flowed in “a poetic visual indicator, which reflects the effects of the public’s sense of responsibility.

The people over at OWI were nice enough to let me use these images which are usually reserved for architectural books. If you’re looking for remodel ideas, you could literally spend hours at the OWI site looking through fantastic homes.

In this Bruge home in particular, there are some very interesting modifications to an old home with modern ideas. This kitchen which is hidden behind a sliding glass door is pretty cool.

[posted by kris]

There are a lot of interesting design elements in this house, but my absolute favorite is the shiny black “cube” room. I can’t tell exactly what the purpose of the room is for from the photos, but it would be a very interesting way to divide a space for a more private area, such as a bath or a small bedroom.

[posted by kris]

This kitchen photo is taken directly off the Ikea Website from the 2009 catalog. It’s a nice looking kitchen, but it sort of screams “Ikea”–which you want to avoid if you don’t want to look like you live in a cookie cutter home. There are a few things you can do to take advantage of the economy of the Ikea cabinets without making it look like it came from the harbinger of meatballs.

-Take a look over at the NKBA guidelines for kitchen layouts. Not only will this help you stay up to code, but it provides standards for space use, work triangles and safety issues which you may not have considered. I cannot recommend this enough.

-Carefully plan your kitchen based on these guidelines and the space you have available. Use an architectural scale to draw out the floor plan and elevations and review the NKBA standards again to make sure everything is in compliance.

-Order just the wall and base cabinets from Ikea.

-Even though the frosted glass wall cabinets from Ikea look modern, they are a dead giveaway.

-Source drawer pulls elsewhere. These drawer pulls over at Remodelista are a good start.

-Use Silestone, Corian or another solid surface for countertops instead of the Ikea offerings.

-Order your sink and faucets from a local plumbing supply or use this site to locate an economical alternative.

-Use a real floor option, such as tile or real wood. Avoid the laminate floor options available at Ikea.

-Avoid using the Ikea branded appliances.

With that said, Ikea cabinets are the best thing you can buy for the money, and unless you’re on a Bulthaup budget, I’d recommend them hands down.

Here’s something I never thought of: glazing your own tile. The owners of this home purchased inexpensive quarry tile along with some glaze and kiln time at a local pottery shop and made these lovely tiles for their bath. I think that would be a really satisfying DIY project.

[posted by kris]

I just got sucked into the Bravo show Flipping Out. It’s pretty amazing what Jeff Lewis can do with a property with good bones.

If you’re entertaining the idea of remodeling your home and looking for ideas, this is a good one to watch.

[posted by kris]

I love the simple treatments on this Swedish guest house remodel by DAP.

More information here.

(This post’s link was updated 11/19/09.)