Amazing sight, high ceilings, large windows and an exquisite selection of elements of décor adorn this place, giving to it a vibrant touch of elegance. A subtle choice of neutral colors and the smart mix of glass reflecting the outside view, elements of contemporary art and an imposing fireplace, now that’s something we call dream home! Besides the incredible precise care towards details, the central and the accurate furniture alignments, everything seems dramatically extended: from ceilings to the panoramic sight upon this magical city.

In case New York is an option, this duplex is an excellent choice for those who can afford it! We’re talking about a valuable residential space, offered for sale at 26.5 million dollars!

This duplex has been decorated almost entirely in black and white. The walls and the ceilings are white and the floors are light grey. The same colors have been used throughout the apartment and the result is a uniform look. The furniture is either completely white or completely black. Itâ€s interesting that there are no combinations. Thatâ€s probably because the designer wanted to create strong contrasts.

In the kitchen for example, the furniture is white. This creates a bright and spacious décor and itâ€s the best solution in this case. White might not be a favorite color in the kitchen because it gets easily dirty and it requires a lot of attention but when you want to create an elegant and uniform look I think thatâ€s a sacrifice worth to be made.

Anyway, the duplex is not entirely decorated in black and white. There some small spots of colors but they can be seen in decorations such as artwork, pillows and flowers.

Reportedly costing $200,000, the loft makes wonderful use of space with a freestanding centralized wood veneer kitchen that contains a half bath and built-ins whose surfaces blend into the wall angles.

Materials like stone and wood bring a warmth to the modern design and the space is thoughtfully designed to accommodate media and work needs as well as living and lounging needs.

Nothing says ‘this room is special†like setting it apart both in terms of material choice and physical space. For residents of this ultra-modern loft, it is clear that the kitchen is the top priority; it is the core area around which the rest of the layout (also be the designers of GraftLab) revolves.

In plan, the angles of the kitchen define the adjacent spaces. In perspective, the ‘island kitchen†is both a unique built-in space in the center of the condo and a semi-freestanding partition that helps divide the adjacent living and dining areas that wrap around it.

Clad in high-grade wood veneer – in turn cut by thin and criss-crossing lines of black – the kitchen encourages movement through and around it, each perspective different from the last. Shelves and counters are also sliced out of the main volume, making it seem almost as if the space was hewn from a solid block of wood.

A small bathroom toilet space is also carved into the core kitchen box, accessed from the opposite site of the main cooking and food preparation spaces and hidden nicely in a cove that is almost invisible when closed (its door being made of the same sheets of plywood veneer that cover the rest of the zone). Across the way, and not for the shy, sits a bathtub which is surrounded by stone which also connects back into the flooring of the kitchen area – a strange but interesting design choice.

Note how the wall panel and console top slide open and closed to reveal the monitor and storage:

Recessed lighting and built in banquets help to make the most of the space:

Tile serves as both a bathtub backsplash and seamlessly blends into the kitchen flooring:

This unique 1,098 sq ft penthouse on sale is located on the top floor of the iconic loft residence designed by Mithum.

Concrete floors, steel beams & 19′ ceilings, generous master suite, luxury kitchen and on top of that, an amazing 270 degree view of the Iconic Space Needle and blocks from the Seattle Waterfront!

via Freshome.com – Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter

Sometimes, less really is more – and architectural necessities designed to be hidden can become clever accents and integrated decor. At just a few thousand dollars, this live-and-work residence for an architect-and-artist makes the most out of a small interior space and necessary accessories, with gorgeous results.

The single most compelling (and unifying) design element is a less-than-likely choice by Guilherme Torres: a series of cable-carrying tubes that interconnect the interior electrical system. Curving lines converge, diverge and terminate along clearly-planned paths, joining in junction boxes then splitting off and traveling around the home again. Hiding these would have cost far more than what has been done here, where they are exposed and treated as part of the overall aesthetic of each room.

Bare concrete walls and built-ins are balanced by a few detailed antiques, like a hanging chandelier and old wooden wardrobe. Black- and white-painted areas as well as exposed brick offer further material variety, without requiring any serious structural work – most is left as it was, while painting a new layer is relatively easy.

Recessed lighting set against a white exterior, entered from a contrasting black room, makes the closet appear refined and elegant, but a drop-down panel is not difficult nor expensive to suspend.

There are a number of lessons to be taken from this architectural-and-artistic experiment, but perhaps most of all: when shopping at the hardware store, consider the palette of materials before you – particularly the items you plan by default to stow secretly in the wall (often at great expense). Could these take the place of other interior design objects?