The V4 House by Studio MK27

Situated in Brazils Sao Paulo, the single story home known as the ‘V4 House’ by Marcio Kogan’s Studio MK27, makes full use of the build site, stretching to the extremities to utilize the exterior garden area as well as interior zoning. A barely-there floating staircase has been built into the brickwork of one of the outside walls to lead you surreptitiously from ground level to roof terrace, where an outdoor lounge area awaits.

Whilst not exactly a child friendly area, due to the obvious lack of a safety boundary, the roof decking provides a perfect platform for entertaining a more adult crowd–providing not too much balance compromising alcohol is involved!

Retractable glass doors allow the inhabitants to feel fully immersed in the surrounding environment, either behind the warmth and protecting of glazing, or with the sides of the dwelling fully opened up to allow a completely seamless indoor-outdoor living experience.

The interior is set out with laid back Scandinavian vintage furniture, and decorated in natural wall textures to compliment the natural stone and concrete build, and the natural backdrop of the garden.

The stylish V4 House has made the shortlist in the Housing category of the 2012 World Architecture Festival.

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IKEA Bathrooms

Done flipping through IKEA’s 2013 catalog? The Swedish furniture designer and manufacturer have always seemed to have a handle on the compact nature of many of our modern homes, offering handy storage solutions in sensible proportions, and their ideas on bathroom design most certainly follow this space maximizing trend. IKEA bathroom designs show busy family rooms, often utilized as dual-purpose places for laundry washing duties, all combined in a neat and handy package.

This wash area becomes a practical clothes-drying space with the addition of a ceiling mounted rack, which can be lowered on a pulley for loading and unloading.

The ultra compact proportions of this area are put to full use with the installation of neat individual shelves and using a mini stool as a bath-side table.

Black and white work really well in a small space like this, as the stark contrast plays with the visuals, throwing off scale.

Wall mounted units reveal more floor space to trick the eye into seeing a larger available area, whilst still offering bags of storage space.

Bleached wood with gloss white provoke a clean Scandinavian design style, and lovely little touches like dual height pegs and booster steps make this a truly family friendly space.

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Teen Workspaces

Unfortunately, teenage life can’t always be about going out with friends and having fun, these crucial years are also a time to shape future careers and hone a craft; so here is a wealth of teen workspaces to inspire those developing minds!

This laid-back attic space utilizes space up to the rafters to house an extensive selection of literature and reference books, with the desk situated to take full advantage of the largest source of natural light.

A mezzanine level allows more space for study in this shared room, with individual desks skirting two walls of the perimeter.

This teen dream space has an airy and sophisticated palette, resulting in a calm place to concentrate.

Another shared bedroom has split the floor space with a simple curtain and dividing wall of box shelves, allowing siblings the opportunity either to communicate and collaborate, or gain more privacy to individually hit the books.

Of course, a teen study space doesn’t always have to be shut away in the confines of a bedroom; a neat work area set out in a quiet living room gives the whole family somewhere to take care of business, and also allows you to keep and eye on how your young ones are doing.

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