Articles

Designing a home or home extension is an exciting time.  It is a chance to reimagine how you live and create a space which is perfect for you.  Of course, there are numerous aspects to consider, including layout, materials and cost – all things an architect will help you with.

As well as making sure your new kitchen works for you, it is also worth making sure that it works for the planet, too. Looking after the environment might not be the first thing on your mind when looking to remodel your kitchen, and you may not be sure if it is even possible.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has been unprecedented situation that brought many changes to our daily lives very quickly.  For the team, as well as Clients, we set up a system to collaborate and discuss and manage projects via online tools.

Underground streams, sewers, water pipes, electricity, tunnels and underground railways, mineral formations and geological faults distort the natural resonance of the Earth thus creating geopathic stress (GS).  

We were invited to visit the furniture fair in Zaragoza (Feria Zaragoza) in January 2020, which is second biggest one in Spain after Feria Habitat in Valencia that takes place in September.

This renowned bathtub (but not only, as it turns out) supplier invited us to visit their offices in German. The tour commenced in Bette’s beautiful headquarters and was followed by a top secret factory tour.  

I have been well familiar with the brand and their products but seeing it all (or probably almost all) showcased in one place was totally astonishing.

Anyone who ever attended a design show knows that despite arriving with a carefully planned list of exhibitors, it is easy to let the discipline slip and find oneself being drawn from one stand to another.  And this was exactly what happened to me.

Especially, if this is your first construction or renovation project, it may feel not very clear where to look for an architect.  We have put together a short list of a few starting points that we could recommend and experienced Clients using them.  

If this architectural style was present during fifty years throughout Europe, it could be expected that it eventually reached Nice.  A number of buildings are part of this artistic trend, especially those located in the center of Nice.

There are many more aspects of services that architects provide.  They have an important role to play at every stage of a construction project and to each one they can bring something very meaningful.   

It is true that Nice, with its colourful facades, wooden shutters and large terracota-coloured Masséna square, does not, at first glance, remind us of the Haussmannian style, but this style has managed to creep in everywhere.

This year, after a few years of break, I made a last minute decision to attend the Maison & Objet fair in Paris.  My previous visit impressed me deeply and stuck in my memory.

This mini-series goes through the most common items to decide on for a renovation project. Separate chapters cover: kitchens, joinery, bathrooms, flooring, lighting, heating, garden

Art Deco has had a major influence on the architectural landscape of major French cities since its appearance in the 1910s. Nice is part of the very example of art deco style architecture.

The show encompasses an essence of high-end sector of the yacht design industry.  This is the place where one can meet many of the top designers, manufactures and of course to see the yachts themselves.  All of this in an amazing setting of beautifully situated Port Hercules.

When looking for a plot, the main 5 factors would be its location, size, orientation, view and of course price.  There are, however, some crucial checks to be made before committing to a project.

Being situated right at the coast-line is not the only case when a property can benefit from having a sea view. What’s more, often the price tag can be much much lower then too.

One of them was a fireplace in the living – dining room, which also opens up onto the kitchen.  A fireplace instantly brings in warmth and a feeling of relaxation into a space. 

The trip to Salone di Mobile in Milan was a real treat. I have never attended Salone di Mobile but heard about it a lot. It is one of the main annual interior design fairs in Europe, so a great place to learn about current trends and new products.

On 16th November 2017, we had a great pleasure to be a part of London Open Houzz @ Miele. The event took place in Miele’s showroom in Cavendish Place, London.

On 8th November 2017, we attended the opening night of The Holiday House London. The Holiday House is a truly unique idea with a 10 year record in the US.

The feel of the show is more modern / industrial, probably to a large extent thanks to being located at the newly redeveloped part of King’s Cross, which rich in its railway history. 

The biggest arts of the yearly London Design Week surely must be Decorex.  It brings under one roof some of the biggest suppliers to the interior design industry and attracts visitors from the UK and beyond.

If you own a house or a ground floor apartment, most probably after extending and/or refurbishing your property, you will have an outside space to think about.

These items can easily be fitted at the end of a construction project. The only consideration is if they need to have a niche in the ceiling – in a more contemporary design – or to avoid a visible pelmet cover;

Heating is a very important part of your home as it will need to keep you and your family warm for years to come. Heaters come in different shapes and type these days

The amount and location of sockets and switches need to be decided on before the works start. Although your Architect will make suggestions to their planning,

This is by far the most fun part – for us at least! Apart from the final paint colours and the joinery, this category gives the most amount of character to your rooms;

Colour and the type of wall finishes can completely transform a feel of a room. Imagine the same space with neutral colour walls,

Although the kitchen, which we discussed in Part 1, is also part of this group of items, here I am referring to wardrobes and other storage units,

These are decorative elements that will clearly set your rooms’ character. It is the little details that will add to the beauty of your new interior.

The choice of which floor finish goes in which room is part of the tender process – we call it Stage 2. The reason is mostly because of the preparation of the subfloor.

Unless you have a small apartment, you most likely have more than one bathroom to design and equip. A typical house has a powder room/guest WC near or under the stairs to the first floor,

I wanted to discuss these in a separate topic, even though they are part of the joinery group of items, as they are of course very important and sometimes you do not need any other joinery made.

If you are building an extension, you have the opportunity to have much larger openings than your property currently has.

This is by far the most important and personal decision you will need to make. It is the heart of your home, and the place where you and your family, and friends, will most likely spend the majority of time.

The Stefan Kuryłowicz Foundation invited in 2017 to a lecture from the series “From vision to project”, whose speaker was Jette Hopp from Snøhetta. “From visions to projects” is a series of lectures, organised since three years by the Foundation.

You may not know it yet, but the colours you might want to put on your walls next year have already been decided. A team of trend forecasters, as well as design experts,

We recently completed a 119 days long campaign on Instagram , where we shared and talk through various stages of a project, from the initial site survey up to the installation of fixtures and furnishing.

VORBILD Architecture is very excited to announce that we have been chosen by House & Garden for The List, a brand new directory of the best property professionals.

Grand Design Live Highlights

VORBILD Architecture had recently an opportunity to visit Grand Design Live at London ExCel. The multi-day event benefits not only professionals

On 1st April 2016, The Stefan Kuryłowicz Foundation in association with the Polish Cultural Institute in London, organised the first ever lecture by Arch. Amanda Levete in Poland

On November 3rd in the Lutyens Room at RIBA in London, Prof. Ewa Kurylowicz, held a talk called No Problem – Architecture! The lecture by Prof. Kurylowicz, one of the leading Polish Architects,

This year it was my first time that I attended PAD London. I must admit that I didn’t hear much about it prior and had mixed expectations, as there are so many fairs happening in London and

Early in June, we visited “Vision”, an interesting trade show held near Olympia, in London.

Loft conversions are extremely popular, primarily because they are one of the most cost-effective ways of increasing the living space of your property. Think about it…..usually it is a room as big as the entire footprint of your floor!