Khaki House / EZ Studio

Arkitito Arquitetura has developed Toca House, a unique house studio situated in São Paulo, Brazil. This project was conceptualized and designed by its residents, an architect and a visual artist, representing a synergy of architecture, engineering, and art. The Toca House seamlessly integrates residential living with specialized creative spaces, including an art studio and a music studio. Additionally, it features an area designated for social gatherings and receptions, reflecting the diverse lifestyle of its inhabitants. These various functions are distributed across three floors, optimizing the use of space and catering to both professional and personal needs. The architectural design positions the main volume of the house in the center of a heavily wooded plot. This location is within Vila Madalena, a bohemian neighborhood in São Paulo renowned for its vibrant cultural scene. The choice of this neighborhood further emphasizes the artistic and cultural inclinations of the homeowners. The design process itself was a collaborative effort, combining the architectural expertise of one resident with the artistic vision of the other, resulting in a dwelling that is both functional and aesthetically rich. The inclusion of an art studio within the residence provides a dedicated space for creative work, allowing the visual artist resident to pursue their craft without leaving home. Similarly, the music studio caters to the auditory arts, offering a sound-isolated environment for musical creation and practice. The design accounts for the specific requirements of these artistic disciplines, ensuring appropriate lighting, spatial organization, and acoustic considerations. Beyond its creative functions, the Toca House is also designed for social engagement. The designated reception area is intended for hosting friends and family, promoting a lively social environment. This integration of work and social life within a single dwelling highlights a contemporary approach to residential design, where the home serves multiple roles beyond just shelter. The three-story layout not only accommodates these diverse functions but also provides opportunities for varied spatial experiences and views of the surrounding natural environment. This project has been recognized for its innovative design and was longlisted in the 'house (urban)' category of the Dezeen Awards 2024. This acknowledgment from a prestigious design award further validates the architectural and artistic merit of Toca House. The collaboration between Arkitito Arquitetura and the resident-designers resulted in a bespoke home that perfectly encapsulates their unique lifestyle and professional requirements, making it a notable example of contemporary urban housing. #TocaHouse #ArkititoArquitetura #UrbanHouse #ResidentialArchitecture #HouseStudio #SaoPaulo #VilaMadalena #DezeenAwards

The Studio McGee Spec Home in Red Ledges, located outside Park City, Utah, represents Studio McGee's inaugural spec home project. This residence, minutes from the slopes and downtown Park City, aims to embody the brand's classic styling within a mountainous landscape. The design integrates nature and offers a sophisticated yet comfortable living experience. The entryway features alder wood, stained to mimic oak, providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The living room showcases double-beam vaulted ceilings and a fireplace clad in the same limestone used on the home's exterior, enhanced by a rich overgrout for a sense of history. The ceiling's wood finish matches the kitchen cabinetry, ensuring design continuity. The dining room emphasizes texture over pattern, with full drapes that frame the windows and a soft white paint on the window frames matching the walls, all contrasting with rustic wood floors. The kitchen is designed with symmetry, featuring a statement hood framed by floor-to-ceiling cabinetry that resembles a piece of furniture, and a long stretch of cabinetry connecting to the pantry. Cabinets blend flat inset panels with raised beaded profiles, all in Accessible Beige by Sherwin Williams, complemented by antiqued brass hardware and a natural matte stain on the island. The kitchen uses a thoughtful mix of cream-toned Moroccan zellige tile behind the range and the same natural stone from the home's exterior extending to the ceiling on the pantry side, adding texture and earthiness. Multiple lighting sources, including brass island pendants and flush mounts, ensure functional and aesthetic balance. The primary suite serves as a serene, rustic retreat. Wide wood paneling with natural knots and holes, finished in a thin layer of Natural Tan by Sherwin Williams, covers walls and ceilings, highlighting the wood's character. Exposed wood beams match the great room ceilings. The suite incorporates McGee & Co.'s Henrietta Bed with large-scale artwork to fill vertical space. The primary bathroom extends the stone from the bedroom's fireplace behind the freestanding tub, using putty-colored cabinetry, wood ceilings, marble countertops, and dark gray limestone tiles for continuity. A unique detail in the shower is Carrera marble brick lay accented with stacked marble liners to create a reeded effect. The office, a client-free opportunity, features rich brown walls, thin molding, custom built-ins, and unique brass sconces to create a cozy and elevated space. The first guest suite adopts a playful mix of patterns and includes a window seat with an oak slab. Its bathroom features a deep charcoal vanity in Grizzly Gray by Sherwin Williams, paired with dark gray limestone tiles and McGee & Co.’s Oslo Mirrors in dark walnut. The shower’s ceramic tile is elevated with a marble border. The nursery suite is designed with versatility, featuring Morris & Co. x McGee & Co. Sunflower Porcelain Wallpaper in a neutral color, combined with Windsor Stripe Tailored Pleat drapes for pattern play. Its ensuite bathroom has a moodier palette with grey and cream Moroccan Zellige floor tiles and wood cabinetry pulls. The powder bathroom is a “jewel box,” showcasing Marigold Umber Wallpaper from the Morris & Co. x McGee & Co. collection, a custom floating oak vanity with a Calacatta marble top, and unlacquered brass hardware. The Josephine Mirror from McGee & Co. complements the curved backsplash, and the ceiling and trim are painted in Ivory Lace by Sherwin-Williams. Utility spaces, including the laundry room and mudroom, continue the home's classic yet fresh aesthetic. The laundry room features a checkboard pattern of Calacatta marble and limestone tiles on the floor, beadboard walls in Natural Tan, and cabinetry in Sand Beach. Black stone countertops, burnished brass latches, and curved brackets on exposed shelving add sophistication. A small curtain under the farmhouse sink introduces a traditional touch. The mudroom is painted entirely in Forestwood by Sherwin-Williams, with the same limestone flooring as the entryway. It includes an Indoor/Outdoor Rug and a Cesta Linear Chandelier from McGee & Co., alongside practical tall cabinets with long drawer pulls and a mix of closed and open storage. #HomeDesign #InteriorDesign #SpecHome #StudioMcGee #UtahLiving #MountainModern #RusticElegance #KitchenDesign #BedroomDesign

This article from Studio McGee serves as a comprehensive guide to Halloween home styling, consolidating various tips and inspirations into a single resource. It emphasizes an approach to Halloween decor that is both playful and subtly sophisticated, suggesting that decorations are most effective when applied in smaller, curated doses rather than an overwhelming display. The guide is structured into three main sections, each offering distinct styling advice for different areas and aspects of home decoration. The first section, "Hauntingly Beautiful Halloween Tablescapes," highlights two specific tablescape designs from McGee & Co., providing readers with tangible examples of how to achieve an elegant yet festive Halloween dining experience. These examples aim to inspire creative arrangements for dining tables, blending traditional Halloween elements with a refined aesthetic. The second section, "How to Style Your Home for Halloween," offers broader tips and tricks for integrating Halloween decorations throughout the home in a manner consistent with the Studio McGee design philosophy. This part of the guide focuses on elevated design principles, ensuring that seasonal decor enhances the existing home aesthetic rather than clashing with it. It suggests methods for selecting and placing decorations to create a cohesive and stylish look. Finally, the third section, "How to Style a Halloween Console," delves into creating a high-style holiday vignette, specifically focusing on console tables. This section provides detailed advice on balancing scale, height, and style to make a console display stand out. The design team at Studio McGee recommends concentrating Halloween styling efforts on these smaller, central vignettes to achieve maximum impact with a sophisticated touch. The article aims to simplify the process of decorating for Halloween by centralizing all relevant content, making it easy for readers to navigate and apply the suggested styling techniques. #HalloweenDecor #HomeStyling #SeasonalDecor #InteriorDesign #Tablescapes #ConsoleDecor #HolidayDecorations

The Designer Show House, a biennial event sponsored by the Village Improvement Association in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, showcases diverse interior and exterior design inspirations across its 6,000 square feet of space and nearly an acre of outdoor areas. This event serves as a platform for regional designers to present their expertise and offers visitors a wealth of ideas for their own homes. One featured space is a sunken living room, designed by Kate FitzGerald-Wilks of Timeless Design in Landenberg, Pennsylvania. This room embodies a West Indies aesthetic, characterized by bold lines, soft sandy hues, and rich textures. Key elements include vintage stick bamboo chairs painted black, adorned with Kuba cloth and Ralph Lauren zebra-stripe pillows on a slipcovered camel-backed sofa. A mid-century hutch is repurposed as a cocktail bar, complemented by sculptural metal and glass console tables flanking the fireplace. Wood mirrors with faux tortoise shell lean against textured wallpaper, while modern sculptures and art blend with antique books and global treasures. FitzGerald-Wilks also designed the dining room, aiming for a dramatic effect with a backdrop of 200 wine bottles and a striking Dolcetti chandelier crafted from shells and crystals, evoking sea glass. An 8-foot-long reclaimed wine rack sits atop a buffet. The room's color palette consists of soft creams and tans, punctuated by emerald green accents in the chandelier and wine bottles. Windows are framed with woven ikat print panels. An airy sunroom, conceived by Alfred Wolf Home (a new venture from Design Center of Rehoboth or DCOR), was designed to create a light-filled, contemporary transition between the house and garden. This involved removing existing French doors and window grills, painting the room in various shades of white and French gray-green, and incorporating textural elements of white canvas, iron, and marble. The family room, also by DCOR, maintained the warmth of its original paneling and fireplace stone, setting the foundation for a soft khaki and cream palette. The room is furnished with herringbone, tweed, and leather fabrics, offset by tortoise shell wood finishes and local tidal scene artwork. Mary Stewart of M. Stewart Interiors in Bear designed the upstairs hobby room, named "Just Us," intended as a shared family space for various pastimes like painting, photography, reading, chess, and Lego building. The room features updated cherished family heirlooms and is painted simply white to highlight paintings by Nadia Zychal. Nile Johnson of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, designed the second-floor paneled library, drawing inspiration from Rehoboth's laid-back yet cosmopolitan atmosphere. This space offers an updated interpretation of a classic library, decorated in layers of sandy tans. Cyndi and Ron Oronzio and Cathie Sheetz of Dreamweaver Interiors of Rehoboth Beach decorated a bedroom and bath, inspired by vibrantly patterned fabrics. They utilized Robert Allen fabrics as wallpaper for an accent wall, building the room's design around this print. The team selected fabrics for their depth, crisp patterns, contrasting textures, and detailed embroidery, incorporating a bright coral pink accent color and rhinestone embellishments for a feminine touch. Brenda Carder of blcINTERIORS of Rehoboth Beach designed a small guest bedroom, combining natural cotton and linen fabrics with metal and reclaimed wood. Crown moldings add formality. To compensate for limited sunlight, the room was kept light and bright, with a deep navy blue accent wall and touches of bright yellow for warmth. The second floor features art by Libby Zando of Zando Designs and Art Affects in Milton, alongside works by award-winning regional artists. Boardwalk Builders of Rehoboth transformed a hallway into a gallery space by adding wainscot paneling, creating an updated cottage aesthetic that visually broadened the hallway. Mark A. Polo of The Urban Dweller in Boonton, New Jersey, designed the master suite, aiming for comfort with soft textural colors ranging from taupe to blue. The furniture is upholstered to enhance the room's softness, featuring taupe draperies of embroidered sheer linen and silk edged in leather and freshwater pearls. Blonde floors are softened by a long-fiber rug. Outdoors, Erin Walls and Justin Bartels of Bella Terra Landscaping in Lincoln repurposed existing flagstone patios and walkways, adding new stones to create a Celtic-inspired design. The layout divides the space into a grand area for social gatherings and secluded nooks for quiet retreats. Creative Concepts Furniture of Lewes and Ocean View furnished the patios as outdoor rooms with bright coastal colors, including a sectional, loveseat, dining area for six, and lounge chairs, inviting visitors to envision themselves in the setting. #DesignerShowHouse #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #RehobothBeach #DelawareDesign #LuxuryInteriors #OutdoorLiving #DesignInspiration

The Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas features an entry foyer designed by Rottet Studio, envisioned as a cleansing and calming experience, providing a respite from the urban environment. The design emphasizes wellness, incorporating elements that evoke a Southern garden while maintaining a contemporary aesthetic. The entry foyer, considered the heart of the home, utilizes verdant hues and a dramatic color palette to create a striking contrast with modern furnishings. Lauren Rottet's 'Garden Within' concept subtly addresses the growing importance of wellness in design without making it overtly explicit. The existing millwork in the foyer is painted in Benjamin Moore Salamander, establishing a coordinated visual flow that enhances the transition into the home. The design draws inspiration from a lush Southern garden, featuring custom hide rugs from Kyle Bunting that depict magnolia petals. A tiered chandelier by Fisher Weisman serves as a central lighting fixture, complemented by Rottet’s own Fascio sconces for Visual Comfort, which add a sparkling effect and subtly hint at the gardenscape below. The furniture selection includes Pierre Charpin’s Stump tables for Ligne Roset and an Archiduchaise chair by Xavier Lust from Ralph Pucci. These pieces are integrated with custom-designed items by Lauren Rottet for the Rottet Collection, such as a white marble-and-glass table and a marble bench, fabricated by Sigma Marble. An acrylic garden trellis guides visitors towards a window perch, where the Xavier Lust chair is strategically placed to create a silhouette. A white marble vitrine is positioned beneath this perch. The staircase features a custom-dyed green wool stair runner produced by The Rug Company, which winds its way to the second floor, visually connecting the entry space with the upper levels of the house. The project benefited from contributions from numerous partners, including Benjamin Moore for paints, The Rug Company for the stair runner, Kyle Bunting for custom rugs, Visual Comfort & Co. for sconces, Ralph Pucci for furniture, Lutron for lighting controls, Trove, E&D Plastics, AB Modern, Fisher Weisman, and Jean de Merry for various design elements. Additionally, other sources included Forestwood Antiques Mall for antique bowls and vases, Moody Gallery for art by Page Kempner, United Quality Restoration for chandelier boxing, J.B.’s Move Team for chandelier transport, and Haile Wossen of Anthos for florals. Paint services were provided by B & R Professional Painting, and plants by Ruibal’s Plants of Texas. Wallcovering installation was handled by RTA. The design showcases an integration of architectural splendor with a focus on creating a serene and welcoming atmosphere. #RottetStudio #KipsBayDecoratorShowHouse #EntryFoyerDesign #InteriorDesign #WellnessInDesign #LuxuryInteriors #CustomFurnishings #ArchitecturalDesign #DallasDesign