New Furniture Home: May 2011

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Everybodys Home Interior

Everybodys Home Interior

You Can't See the Village for the Market

A kaleidoscope of colors at the Aix-en-Provence
flower market. April 2011.

French markets overflow with colorful goods and good people. Visiting villages on market day is often high on the list of priorities for many travelers. You can easily build a "market-a-day" travel itinerary. I've been to many markets in Paris, Provence and the French Riviera. Indeed, it is great fun and the fresh foods, flowers and handmade crafts are especially appealing. The interaction with the vendors is both educational and entertaining.

After spending nine days in Paris in April, I looked forward to a week in the village of Aix-en-Provence. Aix is a convenient base for accessing the surrounding area—the Provence countryside and Luberon villages, the Mediterranean coast, the western French Riviera and the Camargue—no more than a two hour drive in any direction.

One of the most famous and popular markets in the region of Provence takes place in the lovely village of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. A river literally runs through the picturesque village.

My first full day in Provence was a Sunday and perfectly timed for the not-to-be-missed market day in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue! I saw the antique stalls, the spices, the fabrics, the flowers and everything else at the market.

Sunday market day in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in Provence, France.
Vendor stalls line both sides of the river. April 2011.

After spending the morning browsing the market and enjoying lunch of chilled wine, fresh veggies, cheese and strawberries, it was time to take to the winding country roads. Driving past vineyards and rolling hills there were many choices for the rest of the day, but I opted to visit the villages of Bonnieux and Goult.

These two Luberon villages were sleepy and practically empty on that Sunday afternoon. Wandering the cobblestoned streets, climbing rocky and precarious steps for vistas, it was a perfect day for getting lost in the maze of village houses. I could hear the laughter and attempt to eavesdrop on the French conversations among the locals as I passed the cafes.

Later in the week, I visited the bustling markets, in particular the flower market, in my "home village" of Aix-en-Provence. It was after the flower market that I learned a valuable lesson. I visited the flower market in the morning, then walked to a nearby cafe for a leisurely lunch indoors, out of the rain.

After lunch, the sun was out and as I walked through the Place de l'Hôtel de ville again, the flower vendors were gone and the square had taken on a whole new vibe. Cafes and conversations. Strolling couples, families and friends.

When the market packs up at the end of the day, the ambiance is entirely different. I've blindly traveled for years without stopping to appreciate this remarkable transformation.

Aix-en-Provence flower market on a rainy April morning.

A few hours later, the market is gone
and the same square is a cafe scene.
Aix-en-Provence. April 2011.

I sadly realized that I hadn't really experienced the true village of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue without festive adornment. The squares and streets that I saw were crowded with visitors and tourists. I didn't go inside the local shops. I can only guess that the streets were cobblestoned. I don't know anything about the historical buildings, monuments or beautiful architecture. For this trip, it was too late to return to L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue to really get to know her.

While the market was extraordinary, I am left with a feeling that perhaps I missed something even more extraordinary.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

From Solor energy at Mt Olympus, to living on the water, then simply amazing..

Three very different yet very stunning Homes..

I hope all of you enjoyed the Memorial Day Holiday.. I know I did.. I needed the time off and I simply let go and had a great time all weekend.. I even forgot to post my blogs yesterday which is very unlike me.. Miami was a madhouse as usual with Ebony week on Miami Beach and other smaller gatherings during the weekend. Ft Lauderdale had the annual White festivals, which is also attended by thousands and sees not only many visitors, but many tourist dollars come into the city during the weekend long event.

As I mentioned in my opening following is three examples of very different homes in very different settings, yet they are all stunning and great examples of modern, contemporary homes in very different parts of the world..

Enjoy the pictures..

modern solar house design with view mount olympus in Nikaia

Here are the modern and fantastic solar house design ideas overlooking to mount Olympus in Nikaia Greece. Modern home in all its aspects, particularly when it comes to interior design.this house design by Christina Zerva Architects. this residence houses state of the art furniture and decorative elements which manage to captivate and astonish. the house consists of two cubic forms, a living and a sleeping area, connected by glass bridge. steel constructions form the skeleton of the object wrapped by prefabricated organic block that act as perfect insulation during warm summers and cold winters typical for this region. interactions of geometrical shapes, huge volumes and transparent surfaces that offer a great view. the floor-to-ceiling height in the main object is 7 meter, with the supporting structure that consists of a steel skeleton reinforced by diagonal element staying visible. photovoltaic solar panel hidden in the roof top provide sustainable electricity for any use. recycled and second hand material have been used for the building, the interior and the exterior is entirely illuminated with led modules, with low energy consumption. we chose steel because of its advantages over concrete. it is light and very strong. the transportation and site handling are easier. components are produced in factory conditions, ensuring accuracy and quality. the main advantage of steel is that it withstands unfavorable weather conditions as well as earthquakes.

wonderful and cool modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

.//////////////////////////////////////////////front view modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

kids playroom interior and design in modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

long sofas and wooden table design for living room

lotf bedroom design ideas in modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

open bathroom design ideas in modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

second floor view from staircase in modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

amazing kitchen interior in modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

cool dining room design in modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

elegant living room with hanging led lamps design ideas

hanging led lamps in modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

house connected by glass bridge in modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

minimalist living room view in modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

modern living room interior in modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

side view modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

staircase view in modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

wooden terrace with lounge chair in modern solar house design overlooking to mount olympus in Nikaia

first floor house diagram plan design

second floor house diagram plan design

A Wonderful water side Villa

luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

This the amazing and fantastic house design on the water. here are the luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina.the best location in the marina’s edge with stunning views of the lake and the island of Kungsholmen. Stylish architecture, design and layout. How about To take an evening swim directly after work directly from the porch, in the winter to go skating just outside the kitchen door and on the evening sitting front of the fire and enjoy the sunset. Aqua Villa is on three floors with two large sun deck out against water and a small sun deck on the marina. On ground floor is a luxurious kitchen and living room in open floor plan and door to one of the sundecks. Upstairs is a lovely master bedroom with a dressing room and exit to the two sun decks. At lower plan is a large living room and two well planned bedrooms and a luxury bathroom with sauna and steam bath / shower. The villa is very luxurious and still in mint condition. Through-painted walls, scored and massive oak floors and woodwork in oak. Built-in spotlights in all room (including terraces). Modern amenities such as laundry, central vacuum, ethernet, broadband, telephone and heating in all rooms.

desk ship view in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

white living room design ideas in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

terrace furniture in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

terrace dining area in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

terrace coffe table design in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

staircase design in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

rustic room design in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

rustic kitchen design in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

living room interior in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

large glass windows design in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

fantastic terrace design in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

corner fireplace design in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

comfy furniture design in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

colorful wall bedroom interior in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

bedroom design in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

bedroom and workspace design in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

laundry room design in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

glass shower design in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

white bathroom design ideas in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

bathroom design in luxury villa on the water in the Pampas Marina

SIMPLY STUNNING...

fantastic river house design ideas in Australia

This the wonderful modern house design in Lane Cove River in in Sydney, Australia. this house magnificently designed both inside and out and fantastic curved walls of the interior along with the organic feel with it’s use of both timber and concrete. Outside the infinity pool, concrete cabana and the exquisite landscaping give it a resort style atmosphere. this house really modern and beautiful room interior with luxury living room interior decorating, modern kitchen design, and this house support the luxury and cool furniture. The air-space was therefore utilised to gain additional footprint space, and create a floating datum, effectively the Street Level Ground Floor plane. This datum was duplicated as a ‘lid’ over itself hence the two floating parallel floor plates, which proudly cantilever over the existing castle-esque sandstone basement walls. The First Floor shingle box remains largely recessive from the river side.

Enjoy the pics...