Minimalist and luxurious

Posted on July 9, 2022May 11, 2022Categories Home Renovation

 Construction,Home Improvement,Press Release Compiled by Team IAnD Photography: Bruce Damonte; courtesy v2com Studio Vara infuses warmth and a modern and spacious character into an uninspired white box of a loft in San Francisco… The two-level Soma loft residence is a 12-year-old beautiful white box with spectacular harbour and Bay Bridge views but was uninspiringly chopped … Continue reading "Minimalist and luxurious"


 
Construction,Home Improvement,Press Release Compiled by Team IAnD Photography: Bruce Damonte; courtesy v2com Studio Vara infuses warmth and a modern and spacious character into an uninspired white box of a loft in San Francisco… The two-level Soma loft residence is a 12-year-old beautiful white box with spectacular harbour and Bay Bridge views but was uninspiringly chopped up into many small rooms. Having worked with the owners on another home in the Carmel Valley, the designers work to bring a similar warm, modern and spacious character to it, accentuating the view, while offering two-bedroom suites for overnight guests. Removing the walls and soffits to expose concrete, and paring down to the essentials, the designers reimagined the space as a composition of planes and volumes in warm materials: concrete, wire-brushed and waxed European white oak, gunmetal grey panels and gallery white walls. These planes intersect in the open-plan, double-height living room, creating a fulcrum from which the apartment expands out. Tucking kitchen functions neatly into a compact minimalist white wall of white lacquer cabinets opens to expansive views over an oversized stone island with bar seating. A slender blackened steel stair of white oak treads and a frameless glass guardrail replaces the heavy original and serves as a focal point for the room.

The adjacent guest bedroom features a moveable wall of hanging panels that can be hidden away, allowing the living room to seamlessly double in size. On the upper floor, the master bathroom features custom back-lit steel mirror frames, travertine slab floors and shower walls and floating vanities made from wire-brushed waxed oak. A media loft overlooks the living room and is separated from the rest of the upper floor by a wall of custom cabinetry that doubles as a media unit and closet. Like many double height loft apartments in San Francisco, all windows are located along one side. Working with lighting designer Marissa Tucci, Studio Vara brightens the darker areas by highlighting architectural details with warm-tone LED strip lighting.

The lighting scheme highlights the kitchen cabinetry, media-loft built-ins, as well as along shower walls and backlit floating mirrors in the bathrooms. Using a vibrant Stark carpet purchased by the owners before construction started, furniture and art are selected to complement the natural material palette. Unique pieces include a custom steel and oak dining table and an upholstered bench. The entire exercise is led by a process-driven approach and a deep commitment to architecture as a material craft and a discipline grounded in ideas, with human-centric experiences at many scales. Soma Loft Residence is 2017 IIDA Global Excellence Award Finalist. Fact File: Architect: Studio VARA Interiors: Tony Ambus, Design Details Structural Engineer: Strandberg Engineering General Contractor: Upscale Construction Location: San Francisco to view images click on globalhop.indiaartndesign.com

Explore the Beauty of Malta’s Most Significant Churches

Posted on June 5, 2022May 11, 2022Categories Home Renovation


 Travel & Tourism Malta is abundant with religious culture, and is in fact one of the oldest Christian cultures in the world. Grottos and shrines will captivate you with their histories; the walls telling ancient tales of religious saints. The key attractions, however, are Malta’s magnificent churches. There are more than 360 churches located across the Maltese islands. The buildings are full of character and represent the true culture of Malta’s people. Not only will you be able to admire the history of these churches, but the architecture, too, is something to behold. The churches are often decorated with red or silver domes and boast many handcrafted stone sculptures. The Parish Church of the Assumption Located in Mosta, and commonly referred to as the ‘Mosta Dome’ or the ‘Rotunda of Mosta’, this church is recognized as having the fourth largest dome in the world. Its cir-cular shape makes for a stunning interior, and the building is packed with history. The church was built in 1860 and took 27 years to complete. Astonishingly, it was built by the local community themselves. Since the building was dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, people of Mosta come together annually to celebrate outside the church with feasts and merriment. St John’s Co Cathedral Probably one of the most well-known churches in Malta, St John’s Co Cathedral is si-tuated in the capital city, Valletta. The building known to be one of the finest examples of high Baroque architecture in the whole of Europe. It certainly has a striking interior; with marble tombstone floors and beautifully painted ceilings, it is a must see during your visit.

This cathedral is also abundant with history. Built in the 1570s, it was dedicated to St John the Baptist, and is also as a shrine to the Knights and Officers of the Order, whose tombstones make up the intricate marble floor. Metropolitan Cathedral of St Paul This cathedral was built in the 17th century in Mdina, on the site of a Norman church that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1693. Tradition states that it is the site where Roman governor, Publius, met St Paul and was converted to Christianity. The magnificent building stands out from Mdina’s narrow streets, boasting another of Malta’s impressive domes. The interior holds some famous artworks, as well as beautiful marble tombstones. How to Get There To visit these fantastic historical spots, you will need to fly into Malta Airport. Taxis can be pre-booked before you fly to take you from here to your required destination. Journey times are usually quite short, depending on where you stay. Pre-booked transfer services are reliable, safe, and usually have friendly drivers who will take you straight to your desired holiday spots.

If you’re looking to arrange an easy transfer in advance from Malta Airport, taxis are definitely the way forward. Author Plate Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct, the number one provider of shared and private airport transfers all over Europe and northern Africa. If you’re looking for afford-able Malta airport taxis Lu-kas and his colleagues can make sure that you and your luggage get to and from the airport swiftly and safely.

The world’s first free-form high-rise exoskeleton

Posted on May 11, 2022May 11, 2022Categories architecture design


 Travel & Tourism,Construction,Entertainment Asia’s most popular entertainment destination, Macau opens Morpheus, a new flagship hotel for its City of Dreams integrated-entertainment resort… Located in Cotai, Macau, City of Dreams combines entertainment, diverse accommodation, regional and international dining with 20 restaurants and four hotels, shopping and a casino with 475 gaming tables to create an exceptional entertainment experience for visitors from around the world. Informed by Zaha Hadid Architects’ (ZHA) signature fluid forms within China’s rich traditions of jade carving, the Morpheus’ design combines dramatic public spaces and generous guest rooms with innovative engineering and formal cohesion. Conceived as a vertical extrusion of its rectangular footprint, a series of voids is carved through its centre to create an urban window connecting the hotel’s interior communal spaces with the city and generating the sculptural forms that define the hotel’s public spaces. Linked at ground level with the surrounding three-storey podium of the City of Dreams resort, the Morpheus houses 770 guest rooms, suites and sky villas, and includes civic spaces, meeting and event facilities, gaming rooms, lobby atrium, restaurants, spa and rooftop pool, as well as extensive back-of-house areas and ancillary facilities. The design resolves the hotel’s many complex programmes within a single cohesive envelope.

ZHA was commissioned to build the hotel in 2012, when foundations were already in place of a condominium tower that did not progress. ZHA has designed the Morpheus as a simple extrusion of the existing abandoned foundations; using this rectangular footprint to define a 40-storey building of two internal vertical circulation cores connected at podium and roof levels, where the many guest amenities are required. This extrusion generates a monolithic block making best use of its development envelope that is restricted to a 160m height by local planning codes. This block is then ‘carved’ with voids. The underlying diagram of the hotel’s design is a pair of towers connected at ground and roof levels. The central atrium in-between these towers runs the height of the hotel and is traversed by external voids that connect the north and south facades. These voids create the urban window that links the hotel’s interior communal spaces with the city. Three horizontal vortices generate the voids through the building and define the hotel’s dramatic internal public spaces; creating unique corner suites with spectacular views of both the atrium and the city. This arrangement maximises the number of hotel rooms with external views and guarantees an equal room distribution on either side of the building. In-between the free-form voids that traverse the atrium, a series of bridges create unique spaces for the hotel’s restaurants, bars and guest lounges. The atrium's twelve glass elevators provide guests with remarkable views of the hotel’s interior and exterior as they travel between the voids of the building.

As one of the world's leading hotels, the building’s exoskeleton optimizes the interiors by creating spaces that are uninterrupted by supporting walls or columns. The world’s first free-form high-rise exoskeleton, its rich pattern of structural members at lower levels progresses upwards to a less dense grid of lighter members at its summit. Morpheus draws on a ZHA’s 40 years of research into the integration of interior and exterior, civic and private, solid and void, Cartesian and Einsteinian. Space is woven within structure to tie disparate programmes together and constantly make connections. Setting high environmental standards, long-life specifications are applied throughout the building to strictly limit requirements for maintenance and replacement. Besides using locally sourced fabrication to the highest international standards, the hotel’s intelligent building management system responds in real time to usage and environmental conditions to minimise energy consumption. check out the images on indiaartndesign.com

General Information on Modern Floorings

Posted on December 1, 2021October 10, 2021Categories Home Renovation


Flooring is the term used for the enhancing your floors. Talking about current globe of floorings, the market is replete with any types of floorings like laminate flooring, linoleum, carpets and raised flooring. Hardwood flooring can definitely enhance the look of your home decor. The variation in style of flooring hardwood can suit to every place of your home like living room, bedroom etc. But many people still give preference to tiles as wood flooring can absorb moisture if you do not give adequate attention to it. It can also increase the resale value of your home. It has a classic look that can provide a cool aura in any room. If given proper care it can retain its look to very long time. Keep in mind heavy and regular spillage on it can spoil and crack it. Also clean it on a regular basis and dry the spilled water quickly. If it accidentally gets dents, repair it quickly before it further spreads.

The rusty and classic look of it will never go out of fashion. Your investment on it can surely prove to be lucrative. Another type of hardwood flooring is pre-finished hardwood flooring. It comes in different types of wood like Oak, exotic and Maple. It gives a clean touch to your home. It comes in various colors which suites your every taste and you can matches them with your home interior. Coming to laminate flooring, it is quite affordable and has great charm. Also, less time is required for its installation. So, you don't have to wait long for getting it installed. The hassles and problems during the time of installation can be chiefly avoided by use of it. Laminate flooring greatly suites your furniture items, the light color of it can be matched with your furniture. This is the reason why millions of people are going for it. The exotic decor it provides to homes is unparalleled. Also, many textures available in it make it an ideal choice. You can simply search over internet to find a good company of your choice in your area that deals with wholesale hardwood flooring and other types of floorings. You can consult with your neighbors, friends and kindred who already have a flooring experience in their home. They can help you in finding a good one of your need and requirement.

Choose A Quality Area Rug Using A Sampling Program

Posted on November 4, 2021October 10, 2021Categories architecture design


Will so many manufacturers, construction techniques, styles, patterns, colors and price points it's no wonder choosing the perfect area rug can be extremely difficult. Part of the best practice for this adventure is utilizing an extremely affordable sample program in conjunction with your experienced interior designer who has access to design trade programs with quality area rug manufacturers. Here are three simple steps for how to chose a quality area rug: Step-1 Design Consultation: Work closely with your professional interior designer by asking them to educate you on how-to buy a quality hand crafted or hand woven carpet. Your designer will help define your style, understand your budgeting priorities and ultimately guide you toward the rug with the color, pattern, texture, scale and construction quality that are perfect for both your room and your budget.

Keep in mind that the interior design industry has evolved to offer many online interior design options for affordable consultation and purchasing services. Step-2 Order Samples: When you think we have found the area rug of your dreams your interior designer can order a small sample and have your beautiful little hand crafted or hand woven item shipped directly to your home. Step-3 Live With It For Awhile: Most design industry sample programs allow you up to 90 days to try before you buy. Experience the durable hand-made quality as you compare the rug sample during different light at different times of the day. See how it holds up to kids, dogs and foot traffic. Feel free to put some sample paint splotches on the wall or order some flooring or fabric samples in order to compare your rug to new colors and textures you are thinking about for your updated interior design.

The sample program you choose should ensure that both returns and exchanges are easy. Our favorite area rug sample programs offer a full refund within 90 days. It must be in in resaleable condition. You just pay return shipping, which is quite affordable. If you love it, and chances are you will, exchange it for the full size area rug of your dreams. The best area rug sample program credit the cost of the sample 100% toward your purchase of the new area rug.

Commercial Cleaning Equipment – For Immaculate Maintenance at Work Front

Posted on October 10, 2021October 10, 2021Categories Home Improvement


Whether it is a commercial setting or a home setting, maintenance is a must in order to provide the best of working or living conditions to the people. As a result it becomes imperative to draw your attention towards commercial cleaning equipment if you own an office or an industrial workplace where there are a number of people coming and going day in and day out. Supply Line Direct is one such online stop that offers an expansive cleaning supply range that will help in maintaining pristine working conditions. Getting hold of the right commercial cleaning equipment is undoubtedly a daunting task but once you get it right, you can rest assured that you will get only perfect cleaning results and that too in a short span of time. And to top it all, these results are yours for lesser money too.The conventional cleaning procedures have been slowly replaced by equipment that will enable the user to accomplish the task faster. Therefore covering larger areas has also become very simple now-a-days. Therefore with the appropriate kind of the cleaning equipment in work you can definitely have a sparklingly clean ambience in the commercial setting, in the office setting or in the home setting.

Vacuum cleaners are one of the most important cleaning supply equipments that make life a lot easier than without it. It becomes important that one spends quality time in arriving at the best vacuum cleaner for the kind of task it needs to perform daily is pretty Herculean. The amount of grime and dust that get collected in the carpets, in the upholstery and floors is just unimaginable. With numerous players in the market trying to catch the attention of the people, there is stiff competition for the buyer too to get the best one that will perform well in any given condition.Cleaning schedules keep differing from one commercial setting to another. Where a few settings are fully covered with carpet a few others are not as there is a lot of grease and grime involved in it. So, it calls for different kind of a cleaning supply, one that would fight these tough stains and grease easily.There are different types of commercial cleaning equipment available in the market and you need to choose one that best suits your requirements at hand. As mentioned earlier, when one particular setup needs superficial cleaning daily, another setup would need rigorous cleaning procedures in place to achieve that kind of cleanliness.

So, it is not just the question of getting the right vacuum cleaners, it is also getting the right kind of brooms, mops and brushes and scrubbers too to get everything right.Take a look at the catalog that the online store has in place of the various cleaning supply items and you will perhaps be able to easily decide on the kind of equipment that you will need for your commercial setup. Shopping for these equipments has also become so enjoyable that all it needs is just a click of the mouse and you can get the stuff delivered at your place within two to three business days.

Save Time And Money With This Great Home Improvement Advice

Posted on September 5, 2021August 8, 2021Categories Home Renovation

Home improvement jobs are a great way to increase the value of the house. There are some simple ideas about renovating your house in order to increase your house's value. The following advice will show you how to do so with the minimum expense and effort.

It is wise to trim any branches that are overhanging your roof. In a storm they may break off, fall and spear your roof. In a snowstorm they will dump their load of snow, which may accumulate as ice. Also, falling leaves from these branches may accumulate and cause dampness on the roof, and clog the gutters.

If you're tired of running out of hot water, consider getting a tankless water heater. Tankless heaters give you hot water only as you need it, without having to have a holding tank. By only heating the water you'll immediately use, you can also save money on energy. They also take up much less room than traditional tank heaters.

Update the lighting in your home to add brightness. Changes in lighting fixtures and adding additional wall lighting can bring a entirely new look to your home. Buy energy saving bulbs to reduce your overall energy costs and consider investing in a smart lighting system that will automatically turn off lights when not in use.

If you don't want to refinish your old and weathered wooden floors, you can instead, give your home a cottage style boost. Buy some oil based paint and choose some affordable stencils. Use the stencils and paint to re-design your wooden floors. Add some cute designs in varying patterns, to give a full on-cottage look to your home.

These tips can help you get more from your home without losing money. If you decide to sell, you can make your house stand out by making the correct improvements.

Simple Solutions For Home Improvement Projects

Posted on August 8, 2021August 8, 2021Categories Home Improvement

Some may not think home improvement is a job they are capable of undertaking themselves. People often try these types of projects and fail. Home improvement is nowhere near as tough as some say. The text below contains a variety of great ideas for you.

When it comes to home improvement, consider remodeling either your kitchen or bathroom first. These are two of the best ways that you can add the most value to your house. If possible, add an additional bathroom to your house as this is always a way to boost the value of your home.

As you begin your home improvement project, remember to be flexible. Projects may take longer than you would like, may cost more than you want to pay and may eat up more resources than you planned on using. Be flexible in all stages of the process, and you will find that the project will be a more enjoyable experience for you.

Install ceiling fans to disperse heat and cooling better throughout your home. During the mild seasons, ceiling fans can provide all the cooling you need. Throughout the colder winter months, your ceiling fans can spread out the warm air from your heating system faster, cutting down on expensive heating costs.

Linoleum is a great alternative to tiling, as it is much more wallet friendly. However, it can get scuffed quite easily with use. You can quickly get rid of linoleum scuffing by rubbing white toothpaste on it with a cloth. Another quick fix is spraying WD-40 on the affected spot and making sure to degrease the area when you're finished, with soapy water.

Many people believe that making improvements to their home themselves is too difficult. People always try to make their homes better, but they often fail. And it's not always hard. Just take these tips to heart and invest the time and effort necessary.

What Things To Do For Home Improvement

Posted on July 31, 2021July 31, 2021Categories Home Improvement


Home improvement is a lot more than just installing a new toilet. It is truly a progressive hobby. It has so many techniques and products that require a keen eye, precision, and a sharp attention to detail. Do you have what it takes? Regardless of your answer, here are some tips to help you.In order to properly improve your home, you must have the best tools for the job. These are the ones that utilize metal parts inside rather than plastic. Plastic is not that durable and will be way more likely to break over a long period of time as opposed to metal.A great home improvement project that will add value to your home is to add a water filtration system. This is usually a very easy home improvement project that can be done in just a couple of hours. There are units that can be installed under the kitchen sink that will filter your sink water.

If you are looking to purchase new furniture, try not to get anything too big. The bigger the furniture is, the more cluttered a room will look. Instead, try to go with smaller, tasteful pieces. Arrange them in a way that the room is still easy to navigate in and out of.If you sit on your chair cushions long enough, eventually they flatten. A great way to bring life back to your cushions is setting them in the sun. The sun helps the moisture evaporate from the cushion's fillings, bringing the bounce back. Make sure to flip the sides of the cushion, and don't leave it out too long, as the sun can make the fabric colors fade.Home improvement has become a popular pastime in recent years, and if a homeowner is somewhat handy he can increase the value of his home more than just a little. Home improvement stores are common and most offer instruction in nearly every area of home improvement. Almost anyone can paint a room or put down flooring with a little guidance, and even those changes can increase the homes value.If you have the space and it is allowed under city ordinances, consider adding an extension to your home.

The extra space can be used as an office, den or family room. Consider putting a skylight in your addition. These add ons will increase the value of your home considerably.Install ceiling fans to circulate the air in your home. During summer the fan can be adjusted to blow down, and during the winter it can adjusted to draw the air up. This increases the efficiency of the utilities in your home so that you pay less in heating and cooling costs and save energy.Now you see that home improvement is a lot more than just buying and painting things in your house. It takes skill and an eye for pleasant aesthetics. You don't want your home to look slovenly, so why not take some time to learn how to do it right? The above tips should have given you some helpful advice.

Things That Will Help Improve Your Home Renovation Project

Posted on June 16, 2021July 31, 2021Categories Home Renovation


It can be very enjoyable to do some home improvement projects, particularly if you have a little bit of imagination and are willing to use it. Of course, no two projects are going to be the same so it is necessary for you to really think about what you are doing and how it is going to fit in with your overall lifestyle. You also need to consider the materials that are going to be used in the home improvement project. In this article, we will review a few of the specific items that need to be considered so that you will make the most out of the project, both in the way that it looks and how it is designed.The first thing that I would like to mention is the fact that the supplies that you use for the home improvement project are going to make a big difference in the project itself.

Many people try to cut corners by spending a little bit less on paint and other supplies but in reality, there is no substitute for quality. If you purchase any substandard products, it will likely show when the project is finished. Spending a little bit more on a high quality paint and other supplies will not only make it easier for you to do the home improvement project, it will make a much nicer looking project, overall.It is also important for you to consider some of the options that may be available, even among those high quality items. For example, if you are going to be doing any work in the bathroom or the kitchen, it is likely that you are going to be using some form of thin brick or glazed tile. When you begin to look at the options that are available, you might feel a little bit overwhelmed so it is important to keep things as simple as possible. Try to choose a line that is high quality, yet within your budget. That will help to narrow the field of choices and make it easier for you to decide.Are you going to be doing all of the work yourself or are you going to be hiring some or all of it out to a contractor? This can also make a difference in the project, especially when it comes to the planning phase.

A contractor is going to be able to give you specific guidance on the materials that are necessary for the job. They can also give you a rough estimate of how much it is going to cost, depending upon the supplies that you choose. Just make sure that you choose a reliable contractor that is well-known in the area for the services that they provide.Finally, be prepared to have the home improvement project disrupt your life for the length of the project. Depending upon the part of the home that is being redone, you may actually be displaced for a short amount of time. Just make sure that you plan for this in advance, both mentally and physically and you will be able to get by just fine.