Dikembe Mutombo to be honored by Fulton County tomorrow

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Beautiful Basics: The Brass Light Switch and More by Meljac

Have you ever noticed how an unattractive light switch can really drag a good room down? On the flip side of the spectrum, meet Meljac of France, makers of, if you ask us, the World's Most Beautiful Brass Switches, Sockets, and Other Wall Fittings. We discovered the company in 2013 and have since checked back in many times to see more. Here's what we found.

Above: Established 20 years ago by engineer Andre Bousquet, Meljac has supplied wall hardware to Versailles, the Louvre, and a who's who of French designers. Its designs are solid brass that comes in more than 25 finishes (brushed nickel with brass buttons, for instance, is shown here). All are made to order at the company's factory outside of Paris and can be customized.

Two years ago, Meljac established LVL-USA to introduce the line to the trade in the US and Canada. Contact LDL for pricing and ordering information.

Above: Meljac's lighting controls for the US market are focused on home automation systems—not meant for replacing a switch or two, but intended to work with full lighting setups. The outlets and data plates, however, are all UL-listed for standard US line voltage, so they can easily work in both new construction and retrofit jobs.

Shown here, at Hotel La Reserve in Paris, Meljac's Tuliipe reading lamp with an anthracite finish alongside a wall switch with push buttons for scene lighting and an all-off toggle switch. 

Above: A sampling of Meljac's toggle lighting controls and, on the far left, a bronze-finished video intercom system plate, which can be used to replace an existing plate. The white light switch is back-painted glass.

Meljac toggles and push buttons are available as either "latching" (simple on/off) or "momentary," which allows for them to dim and also to serve as window shade and curtain controls. Jean-Luc Deschaine of LVL reports, "We are currently developing a line voltage dimmer switch that will allow for a simple replacement of your light switches."

Above: Meljac refers to its light switches as keypads. Here, a chrome-finished brass version with push buttons for multiple lighting options and on/off control.

Above: The company also makes minimalist outlets for walls and floors—these flush-mounted, waterproof Sol models are in architect Joseph Dirand's Paris kitchen. Meljac's outlets for the North American market have UL-listed tamperproof sockets. Photograph via T.

Above: A double USB outlet (bottom) and series of keypads, including, far right, a custom version laser-engraved with the client's own hand-drawn symbols.

Above: A double light switch and outlet in a finish known as argent patiné. For advice on where to position outlets, consult our Remodeling 101 series, including Where to Locate Outlets, Kitchen Edition.

Above: Meljac makes thermostat covers (shown here, top) and alarm system plates, too, that are on our wish list. For more details, go to LVL.

Not upgrading your electrical system anytime soon? Consider replacing your Switch Plate Covers for a small change with a big impact. And take a look at Walhub's Hardworking Switch Plates. 

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Sober Luxury in Downtown Antwerp

Architect Hans Verstuyft works his magic in a duplex penthouse located in a 1960s office building in Antwerp, Belgium. The building's exterior is nothing special (think repetitive stacks of steel and glass), but the interiors tell a different story. 

Photography via Hans Verstufyt Architecten, unless otherwise noted.

Above: The exterior of the building in downtown Antwerp.

Above: A view of the interior wrap-around space.

Above: Filtered light through the courtyard tree is sketched across interior walls, shifting throughout the day.

Above: The brass ceiling lights, seen here and throughout the penthouse, were designed by Hans Verstuyft from solid brass. Verstuyft patinated the brass, he says, “for a more sober aspect.” Photograph via Indico Painting.

Above: Floor-length curtains offer privacy.

Above: The raw-edge sofa is upholstered in Kvadrat wool.

Above: Verstuyft designed the kitchen, which features massive sandstone blocks. “The idea refers to an old brick build kitchen, like the earlier days in French farmhouses,” says Vertstuyft. The countertops and narrow shelf are also built of sandstone, and the shelf sits on a set of custom brass support rods.

Above: The kitchen interior features wooden storage boxes, which, as Vertstuyft says, “make it all less designed and more alive." Photograph via Indico Painting.

Above: The table and countertop shelving are American walnut. Photograph via Indico Painting.

Above: "Fireplaces add a homey ambience."

Above: Closets are built in to the walls with vertical lats on each cabinet to serve as pull levers.

Above: In the bedroom, the rhythmic nature of hidden storage creates the affect of a wall finishing.

Above: The freestanding bathtub was made to measure in aluminum. It was initially to be covered in stone but midway through the project Verstuyft changed his mind and clad the tub with boat paint inside and a thin brass sheet outside. Verstuyft patinated the new Vola bath faucet by brushing it with an acid treatment.

Above: Outside, a counter flow rooftop pool allows for swimming with the Antwerp skyline.

Above: The floor plan details the ground office floor (L) and penthouse levels (R).

For more modern design inspiration see our posts:

• 12 Minimalist Concealed Kitchens
• Best House of the Year: A Minimalist Country Manor by David Chipperfield
• Mastering Warm Minimalism: Ilse Crawford in Copenhagen
• The New Modernism: 20 Best Minimalist Swimming Pools on Gardenista (where you can spot the same rooftop pool by Hans Verstufyt)

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Table of Contents: Luxe Minimalism

Noticed lately: a move toward glamorous minimalism. We're gearing up for a week of luxe, understated design.

Above: Lighting by Apparatus Studio, a premier purveyor of the new look in luxury.

Monday

 

Above: World's chicest bath? We think so; it's just one of many features we're admiring in Monday's Architect Visit.

Tuesday

Above: A new line of beds and bedding from a Swedish company in our Bed Linens and Beds department. 

Wednesday

Above: Light switches and outlets so attractive they qualify as decor. 

Thursday

Above: Janet explains the ins and outs of metal doors in our Remodeling 101 section.

Friday

 

Above: Trend alert: We're rounding up our favorite curvy (and glamorous) staircases.  

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Current Obsessions: Summer's Last Glow

Read on to see what we loved this week:

• Above: In anticipation of our upcoming Luxe Minimalism issue, we're examining three Ikea kitchens that have been redesigned by Danish architects. Photograph courtesy of Reform. 
• Although it's a little early for ghouls, we're touring America's haunted houses. 
• To celebrate the 50th anniversary since Le Corbusier's death, here are 50 little-known facts about the architect. 

• Above: On Friday, September 11, designer Erica Tanov and artist Emily Payne come together for an exhibition of their latest work at Erica Tanov's Berkeley shop. 
• Live like Katharine Hepburn in Los Angeles for $1.7 million.
• Ugly Belgian houses. 

• Above: Product designer Ariane Prin mixes metal dust with plaster to create rusted homewares.
• A home in Bedford, New York, that once belonged to Muppet's creator Jim Henson is on the market for $1.2 million. 
• Table for Two transforms from a desk to a dining table. 

• Above: Mapiful creates minimal, custom maps for any city. Photograph courtesy of Decor8.

Instagram and Pinterest Pick of the Week

• Above: We're following textile designer and natural dye expert Rachel Duvall (@rachelduvall) on Instagram. 

• Above: Looking for ways to display a collection? Head to product designer Ange-line Tetrault's Collection board for inspiration.

For more Remodelista, see our Best of Summer issue and don't miss Gardenista's week of Heat Waves. 

 

 

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Atlanta Hawks announce five-person Athletic Performace staff

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New Naturals for Fall from Coyuchi

Coyuchi, a Remodelista favorite for organic linens, is giving away a $1,000 Gift Card to one lucky Remodelista reader. On Wednesday we shared some choice Coyuchi Classics, and today we've gathered five favorites from Coyuchi's new offerings for fall. 

New to Coyuchi? The Marin, California, company makes highest-quality organic and ethically made linens for bed, bath, table, and more, and has long been a Remodelista go-to source for bedding, towels, and gifts. For more from Coyuchi, follow our shared Nature-Inspired Textiles board on Pinterest. 

Scroll below for our Coyuchi picks for fall, and don't forget to Enter to Win a $1,000 gift card from Coyuchi by September 10. 

Above: Coyuchi's new Cascade Coverlet is the ideal extra layer for turning a lightweight duvet into a bed ready for colder nights. The blanket is made of 100 percent organic cotton, woven in Portugal, and stitched with an all-over pattern to give it a rumpled, quilted appearance. It's available in four colors—(from top) Granite, Alpine White, Pale Ocean, and Indigo—and priced at $298 for full/queen and $348 for king. Matching Cascade Shams are available in standard ($58) and Euro ($78). 

Above: The artwork for Coyuchi's new Dotted Lantern Printed Sheets was painted with a fine-tipped watercolor brush, inspired by intricate patterns found throughout Morocco. The pattern was reproduced in exacting detail in two shades—Deep Pewter and Tonal Oceans—on white 200-thread-count organic percale sheets. Standard sheet sets (one flat sheet, one fitted sheet, and one pillowcase for twin, two pillowcases for larger sizes) are priced from $248 for twin through $348 for king.

Above: The newest addition to the Coyuchi bath towel range, plush Cloud Loom Towels are made of extra-long staple organic Turkish cotton for a luxurious, slightly shaggy feel. The towels are available in five colors, including (above right) Palest Ocean and Natural, starting at $18 for a washcloth through $68 for a bath towel. At left are Coyuchi's beloved Mediterranean towels—thin but absorbent, in the traditional Turkish style; $8 to $68.

Above: Coyuchi's new 500 Thread Count Supima Sateen sheets are the grandest in Coyuchi's lineup of Supima—a long staple premium American cotton of superior softness and durability (read more about Supima on the Coyuchi Blog). Sheets and duvets are available in two colors—Alpine White and Natural—and start at $448 for a full/queen duvet tahrough $598 for a king sheet set.

Above: Coyuchi's new Cambria collection is truly global: The duvet takes its name from Cambria, California—an ocean-loving town on the central California coast—and is made in an Indian factory that recycles 98 percent of its wastewater. Upon closer inspection of the collection's irregular indigo stripes, you'll find tiny woven diamonds—shapes inspired by traditional African blankets. The well-traveled Cambria starts at $298 for a full/queen duvet, with matching shams from $58.

Don't delay: Enter the Remodelista + Coyuchi $1,000 Giveaway by September 10.

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The Cult of the Courtyard: 10 Houses with Amazing Interior Light

Interior courtyards blur the boundaries between landscape and architecture. They make adjacent interior rooms feel larger and offer a unique combination of fresh air and privacy.

We all want to spend more time in nature, and residents of houses with glass-walled interior courtyards experience a bit of the great outdoors from the comfort of their homes. In structures with courtyards nestled between separate wings, the courtyard is often the most direct (and refreshing) route from one part of the house to another.

Here we've rounded up 10 houses with interior courtyards designed by members of the Remodelista + Gardenista Architect/Designer Directory.

Above: In a densely concentrated neighborhood of modest dwellings and businesses, this Austin house by Alterstudio Architecture is private on the outside while providing communal outdoor space via an internal courtyard. All rooms adjacent to the courtyard have natural ventilation and light.

Above: Also by Alterstudio, this interesting Austin design is situated in a less interesting subdivision. The architects drew attention away from the surrounding neighborhood by turning the focus inward to a courtyard filled with creeping zoysia grass connected to the front of the house by a glass hallway. The structure's architectural focus is the centralized outdoor space and its rear view.

Above: Jennifer Weiss Architecture of San Francisco remodeled a William Wurster house with full-height glass walls abutting the kitchen, dining, and living rooms, making the courtyard an extension of the main open living space. For more from the architect, see Steal This Look: J. Weiss Kitchen & Bar in SF. Photograph by Lucas Fladzinski. 

Above: London architects Stiff + Trevillion turned a Victorian vicarage into a single-family home. The resulting part-Gothic, part-modern design features a skylit courtyard to ease the transition from the interior portion of the house to the exterior. See more of the firm's new/old aesthetic in A Victorian Remodel with an Industrial Edge.

Above: This East Hampton house by Deborah Berke & Partners was sited on the far corner of a 1.4-acre property as a way to leave as much of the yard as open as possible. The courtyard shown above is one of several discrete outdoor spaces designed to highlight the landscape. For more by the firm, see Architect Visit: Deborah Berke Artist's Studio in New York.

Above: When Mesh Architectures renovated a Brooklyn house with a garage that filled the entire property lot, the architects created an interior courtyard instead of a typical rear yard. A great room, master bedroom, and master bathroom open onto the courtyard, expanding each of those rooms outdoors, particularly in good weather. For more from the architects, see The Architect Is In: Romancing the Loft with Mesh Architectures. 

Above: This compound in Stinson Beach near San Francisco was renovated by Pfau Long Architecture and Marin, California-based Blasen Landscape Architecture. The owners wanted usable outdoor space but had to contend with salt air and extreme winds, so the designers found a solution in a protected courtyard sited among the main living spaces and outbuildings. For the full story, see A Beautiful Seaside Garden at the End of a Dirt Road. Photograph by Marion Brenner. 

Above: Architects Edwards Moore renovated a small workers' cottage in Melbourne, adding multiple interior courtyards to lend an outdoor component to the living spaces. The walls of glass help to bring natural light into the all-white interior. For more on the design, see The Magic of Two Courtyards in Melbourne. Photograph by Fraser Marsden.

Above: Renovated by Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects, this Hamptons house is composed of a two-story bedroom wing and a one-story series of communal spaces connected by an open courtyard. According to architect Viola Rouhani, "Every meal happens in that courtyard." For more on the project, see The Architect Is In: A Home in the Hamptons, Designed to Endure.

Above: Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture designed several interior courtyards in an austerely modern Marin house. The courtyards function as art pieces that extend the size of the adjacent rooms. For more by Cochran, see Garden Visit: Andrea Cochran's Courtyard Vignettes.

For more ideas, peruse our Gallery of Rooms and Spaces. And for more courtyards, see The Magic of Two Courtyards in Melbourne and, on Gardenista, LA Confidential: A Private Courtyard Garden Goes Luxe on a Budget.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on June 6, 2014, as part of our Indoor/Outdoor issue.

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