Ask an Expert: What to Do With an Awkward Nook

Screen Shot 2015-05-12 at 1.04.06 PMDiscover how to decorate and furnish rooms with oddly shaped corners and tricky roof angles

Sloping ceilings and oddly shaped nooks are the focus of this installment in a series on how to decorate rooms with difficult shapes and sizes to minimize their flaws. Not sure what to do with that low-ceilinged attic room, angular alcove or dead space under the stairs? Three designers share their ideas and tricks of the trade.

Concrete & Glass: Marvelous Multi-Level Mansion

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In the lovely green Mediterranean setting of El Sauzal, Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands, the G House from architect Esaú Acosta nestles into a cozy spot between the mountains and the sea.The G House was built on a small 6.5 meter wide plot of land in an area where there are no legal limits on the size and shape of homes – meaning that it had to be squeezed in between existing irregular plots.interior-courtyard-468x317 rooftop-green-space-468x585 entrance-courtyard-468x462 first-floor-g-house-468x267However, the lack of horizontal space wasn’t a hindrance to the architect. He simply built down a bit, then very carefully arranged each element of the home to provide maximum space and maximum privacy. Three stacked volumes of different lengths hold – from the ground up – the entrance courtyard/garage, living/dining areas, and sleeping quarters.

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How to Hide the Toilet

Screen Shot 2015-05-04 at 1.59.17 PMIf you don’t want your toilet to be the main feature of your bathroom, here’s how to let it take a backseat in your bath’s decor

What is the one item that no one wants to be the star attraction in the bathroom? Yes, you guessed it — the toilet! Camouflaging a toilet in a bathroom is surprisingly easy. If you have the space for the toilet to be separate, then it is very easy; however, most of us do not have the luxury of an abundance of space. This is when the trick of distraction comes in handy.

But just how do we employ the art of distraction to our advantage? Put simply, it’s all about clever design. Installing an interesting bath, vanity, feature wall or shower, or championing an outside view, can help make the toilet practically disappear from the foreground. It will still be there — but won’t be what you remember when you depart from the space. Let’s take a closer look.

Let’s Walk Through the Latest Door Trends

Screen Shot 2015-05-04 at 1.55.56 PMThe functional feature has been getting a dose of flexibility, creativity and glamorous detail

A just-right front door or interior door is a finishing touch that can really make a home sing. Interior Design Principal John Day of LDa Architecture and Interiors says, “Doors are very much moving from a utilitarian item with relatively few options — raised-panel, four-panel, natural wood or paint, hardware — into a design feature that can add architectural detail, color and texture to interior spaces.”Read on for style ideas and design considerations for your next door.

The World’s Most Unusual Homes

This infographic features some of the most unusual, unique and awe-inspiring home designs in the world today. From a Flintstones inspired home to an ultra modern transparent home in Japan, this list has a little something for everyone.worlds-most-unusual-homes

Lake Lugano House

hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_01Lake Lugano House is a private house designed by JM Architecture in Brusino Arsizio, Switzerland. Lying on the slope of a hill, on the shores of Lake Lugano , the villa consists of two volumes organized on different levels due to the particular topography of the site.

A polygonal shaped glass pavilion with rounded edges stands above a linear underground block. The living and dining room, the kitchen and storage spaces are located in the pavilion, while bedrooms, bathrooms and garage are in the lower level. Each level relates itself with independent outdoor spaces, which are closely related with the interiors.

The glass pavilion overlooks two very defined areas: the first, toward the mountain, is a very private zone resulted in the area between the property line and the building setback line according to the local building code. The second is a garden overlooking the lake.

In the same way, the bedrooms face a garden enclosed by the building and the perimeter wall. The ring, obtained between the perimeter wall above and the pavilion, amplifies the interior space, with seems much larger than what it actually is.

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Fantastic Fitzroy Park Home

Stanton Williams Architects has designed Fitzroy Park House in 2014.

This private house is located in North London, UK.

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Spectacular Tribeca Loft

Tribeca Loft is the 3,000 sqf top floor and roof of an 1884 caviar warehouse was designed by Andrew Franz Architect PLLC in 2014.

This chic modern loft is located in NY, USA.

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How to make any room look bigger [infographic]

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