FRONT YARD WONDERLAND

not a property of Invitation To Inspiration

                       Alice had to fall through the rabbit hole to find herself a Wonderland...

Invitation To Inspiration duo just stepped outside into their next door neighbour`s  front yard and the magic happened...

 Without even wanting to, we found ourselves the land of wonders...

Take the leap of faith, your private Wonderland is just around the corner...

Maybe, even, in your own front yard... 

not a  property of Invitation To Inspiration

 Photo by Invitation To Inspiration

SOMETHING SMALL, SOMETHING SIMPLE...

Take nothing for granted as beautiful or ugly, but take every building to pieces, and challenge every feature. Learn to distinguish the curious from the beautiful. Get the habit of analysis - analysis will in time enable synthesis to become your habit of mind. 'Think simples' as my old master used to say - meaning to reduce the whole of its parts into the simplest terms, getting back to first principles.    
                                                                                                                         Frank Lloyd Wright


      Today, we want to share with you something small and something simple, yet beautiful.

It's a 3x5 m box  (named BOX HOUSE ) on Ilhabela Island, overlooking the São Sebastião Channel near São Paulo in Brazil. An old existing one-story house with stone walls and clay roof tiles have been redesigned by Alan Chu & Cristiano Kato arquitetos. The site is located at 100 meters above sea level, next to two enormous rocks...

Original house 

The new building has 2 floors. A white suspended box, where the bedroom is and it is possible to see the continent and the São Sebastião Channel. Under it, at street level, are the living room, kitchen and bathroom. The wood used on some doors and windows, staircase, shelves and furniture are leftovers of material used to make scaffoldings and molds for the white box reinforced concrete structure. 

If you ask us the original stone in contrast with pure white works beautifully...  

The view from the " BOX " is simply amazing!!!

 (via)

The picture above is from Alan Chu and Cristiano Kato`s home page. People who know INVITATION TO INSPIRATION duo, know how much we love animals. We find this picture simply adorable and we had to share it with you!!! The expression on Pug's face is priceless!!! He's probably thinking: " What did I do to deserve this??? ".

CRUMBS OF THURSDAY`S PHILOSOPHY

WHEN YOU`RE UNHAPPY, YOU GET TO PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION TO YOURSELF. AND YOU GET TO TAKE YOURSELF OH SO VERY SERIOUSLY. YOUR TRULY HAPPY PEOPLE, WHICH IS TO SAY, YOUR PEOPLE WHO TRULY LIKE THEMSELVES, THEY DON`T THINK ABOUT THEMSELVES VERY MUCH. YOUR UNHAPPY PERSON RESENTS IT WHEN YOU TRY TO CHEER HIM UP, BECAUSE THAT MEANS HE HAS TO STOP DWELLIN` ON HIMSELF AND START PAYIN` ATTENTION TO THE UNIVERSE.

photo via

 

IT IS BETTER TO BE SMALL, COLORFUL, SEXY, CARELESS AND PEACEFUL  

                                                             LIKE THE FLOWERS,

THAN LARGE, CONSERVATIVE, REPRESSED, FEARFUL AND AGGRESSIVE LIKE THE THUNDER LIZARDS- A LESSON, BY THE WAY, THAT THE EARTH 

                                                              HAS YET TO LEARN.  

                                                                                             Tom Robbins,  Jitterbug Perfume

Invitation To Inspiration`s to- do list for today:

• take ourselves less seriously
• become a sexy flower

Feel free to share the list with us!  

RURAL STUDIO...

RURAL STUDIO FILM: an ongoing sustainable live-build education project masterminded by professor Samuel Mockbee in Hale County, Alabama. The film’s focus was on building sustainable communities in deprived areas rather than providing technical insight into experimental building methods.

Experimental pod house made of cardboard bales, Rural Studio, Hale County, Alabama 
( Discovered via )

The film beautifully captures Sambo Mockbee's gifts both as an architect and as a teacher. As Mockbee and his students work with black and white families in Alabama, they present viewers with a powerful architectural vision. It is a vision that challenges architects to build exciting housing that is accessible to all our society. Congratulations on an exceptionally fine film.   

William Ferris

INVITATION TO INSPIRATION supports the idea that fine architecture doesn't have to be reserved for wealthy patrons or grand civic spaces...It is something that should belong to everybody...

THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ARE THE HARDEST TO SAY...

The most important things are the hardest to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them -- words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they're brought out. But it's more than that, isn't it? The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you've said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That's the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear. 

                                                                                                   Stephen King, Different Seasons

photo by Invitation To Inspiration

Najvažnije stvari je najteže reći. To su stvari kojih se sramimo jer ih riječi umanjuju, a kad ih izgovorimo, stvari koje su se činile neograničenima dok su bile u našoj glavi, stisnu se na običnu, životnu veličinu. Ali ima tu još nešto, zar ne? Najvažnije stvari su preblizu mjestu gdje je zakopano naše tajno srce, kao putokazi prema blagu koje bi neprijatelji rado ukrali. I dogodi se da s naporom otkrijemo neku tajnu a da nas ljudi čudno gledaju, ne shvaćajući što smo uopće rekli ni zašto smo mislili da je tako važno da smo bili na rubu suza dok smo govorili. Mislim da je to najgore. Kad tajna ostane zaključana ne zato što nije ispričana nego zato što je nitko nije razumio. 

                                                                                  Stephen King,  Jesen izgubljene nevinosti 

A PALACE OF OUR OWN...

A little furry friend crashed our photo shoot :) 

A pair of Chuck Taylors walking across a 1 700 years old emperor`s palace. 

Sounds insane?

Not, if you live in Split!

    We take the life inside the palace for granted, forgetting how special and magical it is.  

INVITATION TO INSPIRATION duo finds the architecture of their hometown to be a powerful inspirational force. 

The vivid spirit of ancient Rome walking hand in hand with hectic, contemporary way of life- that`s what we`re all about!

We may not be queens, but we sure have a palace of our own...

                                Top: WGW    Parka: DOROTHY PERKINS   Jeggings: TOPSHOP  

                               Bandana: ACCESSORIZE   Sunglasses: H&M     Sneakers: CONVERSE 

               Photo by INVITATION TO INSPIRATION inside the walls of Diocletian`s Palace

LAZY SUNDAY...

BLANDITO ( transformable pad for lazy living ) by ORADARIA DESIGN is furnishing product for the lazy moments...It's a sofa with no back, no legs, no arms, nothing. It’s kind of a big pillow that could be folded, wrapped, twisted in whatever way you want. Completely removable and washable.

What do you say...? Do you want it...?

INVITATION TO INSPIRATION believes it`s the perfect nesting place for lazy Sundays... 

Have A Nice Day Everyone! 

ONE WITH NATURE

Is it possible not to fall in love with this project? If you ask INVITATION TO INSPIRATION this is how architecture should be- minimal and in perfect harmony with nature.

It is located in the province of Cáceres ( Spain ) and designed by architectural firm A'baton. The idea was to transform an abandoned stable into a stunning family home by completely renovating it in a way that would be respectful of the environment.

Problems related to the electricity and water supply were solved through sustainability systems: a solar panel system with storage batteries was developed to supply energy during the summer; turbines were installed taking advantage of the course of the the two streams that run through the estate providing electricity for the winter.

 The supporting walls in the interior were replaced by light metal pillars.

The concept of Japanese architecture, the feeling that the place you're in is outside. The constant perception of outside, of meditation, of enjoying the outside, nature of the impermanence around you...

...so we always have contact with the exterior, trying to put inside all the spaces from the outside...It`s a Japanese concept...TO SIMPLY ADORE THE NATURE! 

...and something else very beautiful- gifts from nature, when you play with it...the reflections of the water inside the house... NATURE IS FREE, IT'S LIKE A GIFT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT, YOU HAVE IT HERE, YOU CAN ENJOY IT, YOU ONLY HAVE TO RESPECT IT...  

Observing and admiring nature helps you generate your own respect as well! 

This fountain is where they collected water originally...so we're trying to recover nature in its course...It goes under the house and continues to the river. We`ve tried to recover all that should be here naturally. We've  brought a type of architecture which we see as the best way to live, but what we had found here was magnificent...

The stone found in the surrounding area was used to build the house and the swimming pool. 

The facade is still in the original stone and mud, though given the facade`s deteriorating state, they were forced to add cement behind it.

We find this project simply beautiful - the stone, the landscape, the pool... and the way that nature is respected is truly inspirational... 

... it`s all about the water from the rivers...

   A minimal and natural house in an impressive landscape leaves INVITATION TO INSPIRATION speechless...

Find out more about this stunning project here.