Relaxed and light filled family living and dining room with leafy bay-side views.
This is an example of a large contemporary open concept living room in Melbourne with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a wood stove and a metal fireplace surround.

Inspiration for a transitional living room in Melbourne with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Weather House is a bespoke home for a young, nature-loving family on a quintessentially compact Northcote block. Our clients Claire and Brent cherished the character of their century-old worker's cottage but required more considered space and flexibility in their home. Claire and Brent are camping enthusiasts, and in response their house is a love letter to the outdoors: a rich, durable environment infused with the grounded ambience of being in nature. From the street, the dark cladding of the sensitive rear extension echoes the existing cottage!s roofline, becoming a subtle shadow of the original house in both form and tone. As you move through the home, the double-height extension invites the climate and native landscaping inside at every turn. The light-bathed lounge, dining room and kitchen are anchored around, and seamlessly connected to, a versatile outdoor living area. A double-sided fireplace embedded into the house’s rear wall brings warmth and ambience to the lounge, and inspires a campfire atmosphere in the back yard. Championing tactility and durability, the material palette features polished concrete floors, blackbutt timber joinery and concrete brick walls. Peach and sage tones are employed as accents throughout the lower level, and amplified upstairs where sage forms the tonal base for the moody main bedroom. An adjacent private deck creates an additional tether to the outdoors, and houses planters and trellises that will decorate the home’s exterior with greenery. From the tactile and textured finishes of the interior to the surrounding Australian native garden that you just want to touch, the house encapsulates the feeling of being part of the outdoors; like Claire and Brent are camping at home. It is a tribute to Mother Nature, Weather House’s muse.

Behind the rolling hills of Arthurs Seat sits “The Farm”, a coastal getaway and future permanent residence for our clients. The modest three bedroom brick home will be renovated and a substantial extension added. The footprint of the extension re-aligns to face the beautiful landscape of the western valley and dam. The new living and dining rooms open onto an entertaining terrace. The distinct roof form of valleys and ridges relate in level to the existing roof for continuation of scale. The new roof cantilevers beyond the extension walls creating emphasis and direction towards the natural views.

Roger Thompson Photographer
Mid-sized contemporary open concept living room in Melbourne with white walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround and beige floor.

Interior - Living Room and Dining Beach House at Avoca Beach by Architecture Saville Isaacs Project Summary Architecture Saville Isaacs https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/ The core idea of people living and engaging with place is an underlying principle of our practice, given expression in the manner in which this home engages with the exterior, not in a general expansive nod to view, but in a varied and intimate manner. The interpretation of experiencing life at the beach in all its forms has been manifested in tangible spaces and places through the design of pavilions, courtyards and outdoor rooms. Architecture Saville Isaacs https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/ A progression of pavilions and courtyards are strung off a circulation spine/breezeway, from street to beach: entry/car court; grassed west courtyard (existing tree); games pavilion; sand+fire courtyard (=sheltered heart); living pavilion; operable verandah; beach. The interiors reinforce architectural design principles and place-making, allowing every space to be utilised to its optimum. There is no differentiation between architecture and interiors: Interior becomes exterior, joinery becomes space modulator, materials become textural art brought to life by the sun.   Project Description Architecture Saville Isaacs https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/ The core idea of people living and engaging with place is an underlying principle of our practice, given expression in the manner in which this home engages with the exterior, not in a general expansive nod to view, but in a varied and intimate manner. The house is designed to maximise the spectacular Avoca beachfront location with a variety of indoor and outdoor rooms in which to experience different aspects of beachside living. Client brief: home to accommodate a small family yet expandable to accommodate multiple guest configurations, varying levels of privacy, scale and interaction. A home which responds to its environment both functionally and aesthetically, with a preference for raw, natural and robust materials. Maximise connection – visual and physical – to beach. The response was a series of operable spaces relating in succession, maintaining focus/connection, to the beach. The public spaces have been designed as series of indoor/outdoor pavilions. Courtyards treated as outdoor rooms, creating ambiguity and blurring the distinction between inside and out. A progression of pavilions and courtyards are strung off circulation spine/breezeway, from street to beach: entry/car court; grassed west courtyard (existing tree); games pavilion; sand+fire courtyard (=sheltered heart); living pavilion; operable verandah; beach. Verandah is final transition space to beach: enclosable in winter; completely open in summer. This project seeks to demonstrates that focusing on the interrelationship with the surrounding environment, the volumetric quality and light enhanced sculpted open spaces, as well as the tactile quality of the materials, there is no need to showcase expensive finishes and create aesthetic gymnastics. The design avoids fashion and instead works with the timeless elements of materiality, space, volume and light, seeking to achieve a sense of calm, peace and tranquillity. Architecture Saville Isaacs https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/ Focus is on the tactile quality of the materials: a consistent palette of concrete, raw recycled grey ironbark, steel and natural stone. Materials selections are raw, robust, low maintenance and recyclable. Light, natural and artificial, is used to sculpt the space and accentuate textural qualities of materials. Passive climatic design strategies (orientation, winter solar penetration, screening/shading, thermal mass and cross ventilation) result in stable indoor temperatures, requiring minimal use of heating and cooling. Architecture Saville Isaacs https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/ Accommodation is naturally ventilated by eastern sea breezes, but sheltered from harsh afternoon winds. Both bore and rainwater are harvested for reuse. Low VOC and non-toxic materials and finishes, hydronic floor heating and ventilation ensure a healthy indoor environment. Project was the outcome of extensive collaboration with client, specialist consultants (including coastal erosion) and the builder. The interpretation of experiencing life by the sea in all its forms has been manifested in tangible spaces and places through the design of the pavilions, courtyards and outdoor rooms. The interior design has been an extension of the architectural intent, reinforcing architectural design principles and place-making, allowing every space to be utilised to its optimum capacity. There is no differentiation between architecture and interiors: Interior becomes exterior, joinery becomes space modulator, materials become textural art brought to life by the sun. Architecture Saville Isaacs https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/ https://www.architecturesavilleisaacs.com.au/

Josh Johnson
Photo of an expansive modern open concept living room in Denver with medium hardwood floors, a metal fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Woodie Williams
This is an example of a large transitional formal enclosed living room in Atlanta with grey walls, a standard fireplace, no tv, dark hardwood floors, a metal fireplace surround and brown floor.

Living Room
Inspiration for a large contemporary formal open concept living room in Grand Rapids with medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and beige walls.

From the main living area the master bedroom wing is accessed via a library / sitting room, with feature fire place and antique sliding library ladder.

Our San Francisco studio designed this beautiful four-story home for a young newlywed couple to create a warm, welcoming haven for entertaining family and friends. In the living spaces, we chose a beautiful neutral palette with light beige and added comfortable furnishings in soft materials. The kitchen is designed to look elegant and functional, and the breakfast nook with beautiful rust-toned chairs adds a pop of fun, breaking the neutrality of the space. In the game room, we added a gorgeous fireplace which creates a stunning focal point, and the elegant furniture provides a classy appeal. On the second floor, we went with elegant, sophisticated decor for the couple's bedroom and a charming, playful vibe in the baby's room. The third floor has a sky lounge and wine bar, where hospitality-grade, stylish furniture provides the perfect ambiance to host a fun party night with friends. In the basement, we designed a stunning wine cellar with glass walls and concealed lights which create a beautiful aura in the space. The outdoor garden got a putting green making it a fun space to share with friends. --- Project designed by ballonSTUDIO. They discreetly tend to the interior design needs of their high-net-worth individuals in the greater Bay Area and to their second home locations. For more about ballonSTUDIO, see here: https://www.ballonstudio.com/

Family Room
This is an example of a mid-sized modern open concept family room in Miami with beige walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, a built-in media wall and beige floor.

Inspiration for a large country open concept living room in Other with a two-sided fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, concrete floors, grey floor and beige walls.

Inspiration for a large beach style formal open concept living room in Other with a ribbon fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, no tv, beige walls and grey floor.

Lisa Romerein (photography) Oz Architects (architecture) Don Ziebell Principal, Zahir Poonawala Project Architect Oz Interiors (interior design) Inga Rehmann Principal, Tiffani Mosset Designer Magelby Construction (Contractor) Joe Rametta (Construction Coordination)

The 4415 HO See-Thru gas fireplace represents Fireplace X’s most transitional and modern linear gas fireplace yet – offering the best in home heating and style, but with double the fire view. This contemporary gas fireplace features a sleek, linear profile with a long row of dancing flames over a bed of glowing, under-lit crushed glass. The dynamic see-thru design gives you double the amount of fire viewing of this fireplace is perfect for serving as a stylish viewing window between two rooms, or provides a breathtaking display of fire to the center of large rooms and living spaces. The 4415 ST gas fireplace is also an impressive high output heater that features built-in fans which allow you to heat up to 2,100 square feet. The 4415 See-Thru linear gas fireplace is truly the finest see-thru gas fireplace available, in all areas of construction, quality and safety features. This gas fireplace is built with superior craftsmanship to extremely high standards at our factory in Mukilteo, Washington. From the heavy duty welded 14-gauge steel fireplace body, to the durable welded frame surrounding the neoceramic glass, you can actually see the level of quality in our materials and workmanship. Installed over the high clarity glass is a nearly invisible 2015 ANSI-compliant safety screen.

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary sunroom in Chicago with light hardwood floors, a wood stove, a metal fireplace surround and a glass ceiling.

Ric Stovall
Photo of an expansive country open concept family room in Denver with beige walls, light hardwood floors, a metal fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, a home bar and a ribbon fireplace.

Inspiration for a mid-sized country open concept living room in Seattle with a library, a wood stove, a metal fireplace surround, brown walls, light hardwood floors and beige floor.