An Art Enthusiast’s Home

Russian artist and art theorist, Vasily Kandinsky once described the color white as “a great silence that shrouds its life from our understanding…not a dead silence but one pregnant with possibilities”. He lived generations ago, but we feel that this contemporary villa by Beel and Achtergael Architects would have befitted a true art enthusiast like him.

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten garden view

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten Night ambience

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten Kitchen

The fort like exterior provides privacy from the street and does not prepare you for the openness, clever use of shape and size, nor the resulting tranquility that awaits through the doors.

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten luxury garage
(Looks like a Porsche, Hummer and BMW in there! :) )

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten front entrance

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten alfresco dining

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten contemporary pool

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten luxury patio

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten luxury alfresco dining

A reflection pond and simple plantings complement this striking architecture.

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten garden with water feature

With only splashes of colour used sparingly even the inhabitants become focal points.

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten luxury pool

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten outdoor living

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten dining alfresco style

Light is an integral architectural feature with huge glass walls and windows dominating the internal courtyard highlighting the open space which flows seamlessly from inside to out.

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten Livingroom

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten open plan living

The balanced relationship between contemporary architecture and an interior design using iconic chairs, dramatic art pieces and a white colour scheme inside and out actually gives this home a welcoming feel, it very much invites you to come in, sit down, forget about the world outside the front door and relax.

Contemporary Villa VH by Beel Achtergael Architecten relaxed luxury living

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ANZ Center, Melbourne: Colorful, Creative Office

Congratulations to Australian architectural office Hassell for taking out first place at the 2010 World Architectural Festival for best interiors and fit out award with their project, “ANZ Business Centre”. Located on the Yarra River, this is an impressive building.

ANZ business centre exterior view Yarra River design award

This banking headquarters is designed to accommodate 6,500 employees making it the largest single-tenanted commercial building in Australia. With such a large amount of people to cater for, the building has been designed to reinvent the traditional office layout. The designers have incorporated ‘hubs’, each developed for specific tasks, with each area given its own feel created by using colour and given a unique name.

ANZ business centre atrium modern office

ANZ business centre main walkway atrium modern office building

ANZ business centre common atrium link modern office

Who wouldn’t want to work here? The atrium looks more like a mini city than an office building, natural light filtering through the area with cafe style seating areas everywhere, as well as office spaces overlooking the walkway.

ANZ business centre atrium view colorful modern office space

ANZ business centre colorful modern office spaces

ANZ business centre modern office space green

ANZ business centre colorful creative modern office space

The use of bright colours throughout the individually named ‘hubs’ creates unique environments in which to relax, socialise, hold meetings or just recharge for the day ahead.

ANZ business centre modern workspace green

An example of the workspaces, certainly a creative way to section off different work stations.

ANZ business centre modern office meeting spaces

ANZ business centre creative colourful office spaces red

ANZ businesss centre modern office spaces orange

Each ‘hub’ is personalized with its own name including click, play and move.

ANZ business centre client meeting space modern office

Finally we have the client meeting breakout space, an area where you can help yourself to coffee, bask in the sunlight and get down to business.

Love to see such creative office spaces? Try this link: Creative offices

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Decorating your Home for Christmas

Christmas is an extremely busy time of year. By the time you get you shopping done, gifts wrapped and your cookies and cakes baked, it’s likely you don’t have the energy left to put into extravagant decorating. Although less than energetic, you still want your home decorated for Christmas. After all, Christmas is just not the same without lights and decorations.

Decorating your home for Christmas doesn’t have to be stressful. There are many things you can do and items you can use to dress up your home for this wonderful season. One suggestion when decorating your home for Christmas is using ribbon. If you have a decorating theme for Christmas, regarding color, choose ribbon to correspond with your theme. You can tie ribbons to all sorts of items in your home such as chair backs, wreathes, basket handles, stair railings and even doorknobs. Ribbons and bows are very festive. A good idea is to choose ribbon which can be easily untied and retied. This way you can reuse the ribbon another Christmas season.

Using holiday tableware is nice when decorating your home for Christmas. Search your home for anything Christmas, plates, bowls, mugs, glasses, any piece of tableware that has a Christmas theme. Make sure to use these items each and every meal, every day throughout the Christmas season. Another good idea is to buy a few pieces each year. In time you’ll have enough tableware to serve the entire community.

Lighting is important when decorating your home for Christmas. During the month of December turn off your lights. Make use of your candles in every room of your home. Place candles on the dining table, on the coffee and end tables in the living room and perhaps place a nice scented pillar candle in the bathroom. Don’t just put them there for decorations but also make sure to light them each night. If you have a fireplace, make sure to light it and enjoy it. A fireplace creates a cozy atmosphere which is nice when guests are visiting.

Decorating your home for Christmas should always include a Christmas tree. After decorating the tree with your homemade ornaments and strung popcorn, use the leftover branches to make arrangements for your home. Put the greens in a basket or bowl, add pinecones, bows and ornaments. Use the branches to make swags to hang over doors throughout your home. Take the evergreen sprigs and place them around your home, on windows, on a bookcase shelf or on a ledge. Evergreen branches and sprigs certainly reflect Christmas. Not only do they look nice but they spread a lovely aroma throughout the home.

Christmas is a time for celebrating. It’s a time to pull out all the stops. Snow is always nice for Christmas. When decorating your home for Christmas, why not use snow, artificial snow to add a sparkle to your home. Sprinkle it on the dining table, the hutch or the fireplace. Use ornaments which reflect light and hang them around your home, from doors or even indoor trees and plants. This will definitely look dazzling at night as the candle light flickers off the ornaments. Decorating your home for Christmas shouldn’t be a dreadful task but a delightful experience. One thing to remember when decorating your home for Christmas is not to over-think your plan. Keep it simple because simplicity is elegant and beautiful.