PLACES X

I'd like to be here:

...or here:

KING & GROVE HOTELS

Trying to plan an end-of-summer weekend to Montauk. Wouldn't mind staying in either of the King & Grove Hotels.

The Surf Lodge

Ruschmeyer's

PLACES IX

Obsessing over yet another thing Danish.

While I think the conversion of public spaces into private ones can go wrong pretty quickly, I think this young Danish couple did a beautiful job. Aside from the regular aesthetics that I am normally drawn to- white walls, painted wide planked floorboards, mismatched chairs, clean and modern with interesting vintage touches, cluttered picture walls- I like how they kept some of the original features of the train station that it used to be.

PLACES VII

It's hard to go wrong with simple materials and simple lines.

The concrete, two gabled houses connected by a closed central courtyard was designed by Kazunori Fujimoto Architects as a weekend getaway in the Tochigi Prefecture of Japan.

PLACES VI

Re-purposing old spaces can be a touchy issue in the architecture world. Do you preserve and replicate the original? Do you cover up the out-of-date with appropriate modern details? There are, undoubtedly, founded arguments for both sides. But why can't we have both? Here are two examples of what I think is the "right" solution. You get the sleek modern lines without masking any of the amazingly crafted and detailed historic design. And the contrast/struggle between the new and old is beautiful. voila!

A walk-in bookcase designed by Rintala Eggertsson Architects at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London as part of the current '1:1 - Architects Build Small Spaces' exhibition.

The Garden Museum in London retrofitted by Dow Jones Architects.

PLACES VI

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Austin, Texas

After being a distant admirer for five plus years, I finally made it. Even in the winter, it's an amazing place to be.

PLACES IV

Maybe it's the landscape architect in me, but when stairs are done right they can be so beautiful.