All articles by Ana Lisa Alperovich

Ana Lisa is an independent writer and curator born in Buenos Aires and trained as an eco-designer at Goldsmiths University of London. In addition to writing for 6sqft she is a frequent collaborator at NYC’s Inhabitat, where she reports on global design week events and sustainable architecture. She also contributes to Australian BlackleMag, Argentina’s Casa Foa magazine and Inhabitots. She loves Japanese architecture and Dutch design, and is constantly in search of good ideas to share with the world. Currently she splits her time between Buenos Aires, NYC and The Netherlands.

May 3, 2015

1980s A-Frame Home in the Hamptons Gets a Renovation Fit for a Barefoot Lifestyle

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

The Red Dirt Road House is a stunningly simple A-frame home with no red in sight. Painted pitch black on the outside and featuring an all-white interior, this woodland retreat is minimal, modern, and has an Australian vibe to it. It was designed by Amee Allsop for a city-based Aussie client who mainly uses the property in the summer but also bought the property with dreams of hosting yoga retreats all year around.
Learn more about this Aussie-style home in East Hampton

Architecture And Design

April 29, 2015

18th Century Cottage in Columbia County Is Turned into a Modern Dutch-Style Family Home

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Today's dose of simplicity comes via a house extension upstate in Columbia County. This striking copper home was designed by architects Messana O’Rorke, who reimagined an eighteenth century wood cottage and integrated it into their modern design. Although the original property was neglected for a couple of years, the firm managed to turn the shelter, now dubbed Ten Broeck Cottage, into a stunning place to live, work, and play.
Learn more about this modernized 1734 cottage

April 28, 2015

Danish Product Designer Jonas Edvard Uses Fungiculture to Make Lamps from Mushrooms

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

By blending plant fibers and mushroom-mycelium into wonderful lights, Danish product designer Jonas Edvard proves that oyster mushrooms are much more than a tasty delicacy. He doesn't use factory produce, but rather grows these glorious luminaries over two or three weeks into a flexible, soft-light-emitting shade. Compostable and organic, this brilliant creation is called MYX and is one of the designer's brightest ideas.
Learn more about this design

March 20, 2015

i Ready O Turns Old iPhones into Retro Radios

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

As Apple releases new versions of the iPhone there are plenty of phones–those that have been discarded for not running the latest apps or holding a charge all day–filling our landfills. But Korean design studio PlusD is tackling the issue with their innovative i Ready O, which can turn any old iPhone into a new, cool radio. With minimalistic aesthetics inspired by the classic Dieter Rams designs for Braun, this object hacks Apple's planned obsolescence with sustainable design.
Learn more about i Ready O

March 17, 2015

Bookniture Is a Moleskine That Turns into a Handy Pop-Up Stool

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

After the terrible snowstorms and generally freezing weather we went through this winter, it goes without saying that spring can't come soon enough. And one of the best ways to enjoy warmer times is to be out in the park, hanging with friends, having an alfresco picnic, or catching up on some work. For these outdoor occasions, Hong Kong-based designer Mike Mak created Bookniture, a light and stylish Moleskine-like stool/table that combines books and furniture in one pop-up design that you can bring on the go.
Learn more about this book-furniture piece

March 16, 2015

Love Hulten’s Senescent Desk Comes with an Enchanting Self-Sufficient Garden Built In

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

If you feel you're spending too much time at your desk and too little time in nature, here's a way to bring a piece of the outside world in. Called the Senescent Desk, this whimsical work by Love Hulten comes with a self-sufficient gardening system that allows you to interact with a chunk of nature right at your desk—without all the work usually required when tending to plants.
Learn more about this desk with a garden

March 5, 2015

Gluck+’s Adirondacks Lake House Is Partially Buried Under a Luscious Rooftop Garden

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Simply called the Lake House, this unique, hidden getaway by NYC-based Gluck+ is completely immersed in the surrounding Adirondack Mountains. Designed for leaving the stress of urban life behind, it consists of a collection of buildings, each with its own purpose and style. Right at the top of the hill there is the Gatehouse Garage with its wooden skin, there are two smaller prefab Guesthouses within the woods, a big modern Family House and a wooden Boathouse on the lake's shore. But the most striking building of all is quite difficult to spot; the Recreation Building is concealed under its grassy green roof, sheltering an indoor swimming pool and art gallery.
Learn more about this green-roofed collection of guesthouses

March 3, 2015

RES4’s Beautiful Mountain Retreat Sits on Stilts for Privileged Views of the Catskills

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

The owners of this beautiful woodland dwelling have swapped the hustle and bustle of NYC for the sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains. Designed by Resolution: 4 Architecture, the Mountain Retreat was carefully crafted into its unique surroundings, partially resting on high concrete stilts to get the best views of the landscape. Combining warm cedar siding with cool gray concrete panels and glass, the stylish property takes full advantage of its picturesque mountain setting.
Learn more about this Catskill retreat on stilts

February 26, 2015

Lap Pool and Art Gallery Update This 18th Century Farmhouse Built Amongst Silos

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Within its perfect rural setting, Gluck+ renovated and extended an 18th century farmhouse into a country retreat. Called Farmhouse with Lap Pool, it features a mix-and-match style, combining the old with new, modern details, all while paying respect to the surrounding environment and the site's history.
See more photos here

February 24, 2015

Gluck+’s Bridge House: Three Centuries of Rural American Architecture in One Interconnected Home

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Bridge House by Gluck+ rethinks the typical country retreat, which is oftentimes just a nondescript, run-of-the-mill house built in a remote area. Located in the hamlet of Olivebridge, this unusual design combines three centuries of American country architecture in one home. Its unique assemblage consists of various volumes, each with a different style and material, joined by long and lean bridges, a gesture from which the home gets its name.
Learn more about this interconnected woodland retreat

RES4’s Modern Prefab Home Beautifully Combines Wood and Stone in the Catskills

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

With a monolithic entrance wall sandwiched between two contrasting wooden volumes, this home makes a bold statement in the Catskills region of New York. Designed by Resolution: 4 Architecture and called Catskills Suburban, the dwelling is one of more than 30 prefab "Modern Modular" homes under the studio's belt. A contemporary factory-built house, its design and building method minimize costs while maximizing time and money.
Learn more about this striking prefab design

February 22, 2015

The Bovina Residence: A 19th-Century Wooden Barn Gets a 21st-Century Upgrade

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Brooklyn-based Kimberly Peck gave a 19th-century barn a stylish 21st-century upgrade. To make the stunning Bovina Residence, the architect restored and relocated the old farm building to its new location in Bovina, the town that gives the home its oxen-like name. Due to the extremely cold winters in the Catskills, insulation was a primary concern, but once that was out of the way, the architect designed some stunning, eclectic interiors using plenty of reclaimed wood, which provides the house with an undeniable warmth.
Learn more about this renovated barn

February 20, 2015

Gluck+’s Inverted Outbuilding Features Corrugated Copper Hangar Doors

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Nestled among Douglas fir trees in Lake George, New York, sits an ultra-modern building with a corrugated copper facade. Designed as a guesthouse for a summer family retreat, the Inverted Outbuilding by Gluck+ beautifully combines wood, glass and rusty copper. The unusual use of the industrial material gives this home a totally unique look, emitting a warm maroon glow when the sun hits it.
Learn more about this copper-skin guesthouse

Architecture And Design

February 13, 2015

OBRA Architects’ Centrifugal Villa Is a Wooden Home with a Hollow Heart

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

OBRA Architects' Centrifugal Villa is not your average wooden family home. Located on a five-acre site in Southampton, it overlooks a pristine agricultural reserve framing the green landscape through its many all-around windows. Its name comes from its original circular layout, which in the architects' own words, is "arranged around a hollow center, as if the heart of the house had somehow fallen outside its body."
Learn more about this centrifugal wooden home

February 11, 2015

CWB Architects’ Bug Acres Uses a Screened Porch to Bring the Outdoors In

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Standing among an idyllic garden with centenarian trees, a stream and granite rocks, this beautiful Woodstock retreat is perfect for a relaxing weekend away. Dubbed "Bug Acres," it was built to replace an old property that used to stand on the same site, and it was exclusively designed for "amplifying the owner’s visual and auditory experience of the landscape from the interior spaces," according to CWB Architects. Our favorite part of the house is the screened cedar porch, which comes complete with minimal decoration and a sweet wood-burning stove, letting you be one with nature from the comfort of a warm home.
Learn more about this woodland retreat with a stream

February 8, 2015

Sebastian Errazuriz’s Bizarre Magistral Chest Hides Valuables Behind Its Spiky Skin

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Chilean-born, New York-based artist, designer, and activist Sebastian Errazuriz isn't happy simply designing nice things to please the eye. Through his work, the internationally acclaimed creator wants to provoke some thoughts and make exceptional pieces, tackling everything from political artworks to experimental furniture. Just take a look (but do you dare to touch?) at his Magistral Chest, a porcupine-like chest of drawers that can hide and protect your most valuable treasures inside its spiky shell.
Learn more about this spiky chest of drawers

February 6, 2015

Cubitat: Sleek Plug-and-Play Unit Shelters a Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom and Living Room

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

A new plug-in home station for small-space living has just made its global debut. Called Cubitat, this giant "Rubik’s Cube" by Italian designer Luca Nichetto and developer Urban Capital, packs every modern convenience you need into a compact construction. The minimal storage container is divided by function, sheltering a fully equipped kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom and a living room inside its sleek silver shell.
Learn more about this magical cube

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February 4, 2015

Govert Flint’s Futuristic Computer Chairs Allow You to Click with a Kick

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Although our bodies are designed to move, the furniture we possess is usually based on a monofunctional posture. Day to day, we tend to segregate our basic bodily needs and just stare at screens, often forgetting how important it is to keep joints and muscles moving. To compensate for this inertia, we'd like to introduce you to "Segregation of Joy" by Govert Flint. This innovative skeletal seat allows you to take different postures and move freely, and boost your health and happiness, all from the comfort of your chair.
Learn more about this interactive seat

February 2, 2015

A 1960s Woodland Residence Gets a Modern Extension Set on Stilts

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Updating an old home comes with its challenges, but when you're faced with an unconventional site like the one seen above, adding a room isn't as easy as pouring some foundation. When approaching this project in Pound Ridge, Method Design wasn't afraid of thinking outside the box, and they applied a clever, eco-friendly design solution to the challenging renovation: a new room set on stilts. This beautiful addition is not only functional, but it also perfectly mirrors and melds with its sloped and wooded locale.
Learn more about this striking eco-extension

February 1, 2015

Altius Architecture’s Wooden Boathouse Puts a Contemporary Twist on Traditional Canadian Design

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Toronto-based Altius Architecture took inspiration from traditional Canadian Muskoka Lake boathouses to build this stunning, tranquil retreat in upstate New York. Dubbed Lake Joseph Boathouse, the contemporary wooden home features a stark black pitched roof and is connected to the land by a wooden platform and a wooden bridge on the upper level. Although the overall design was driven by strict local guidelines, the architects have managed to create a magical weekend home designed to enjoy the beautiful mirrored waters.
Learn more about this lake retreat

Architecture And Design

January 30, 2015

Philippe Malouin Designs Space-Saving Hanger-Chair Hybrid

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Hosting dinner parties can be a challenge for those of us who live in cramped city apartments. If you don't enjoy asking your guests to eat while sitting on the floor, there's a simple space-saving solution that will help with this common dilemma. Created by London-based, Canadian-born designer Philippe Malouin, the Hanger Chair is an elegant collision between, you guessed it, a hanger and a folding chair. When you don't need the extra seating, you can hang the chairs in the closet, neatly and out of sight.
Learn more about this innovative chair with a hook

January 30, 2015

Cedar-Clad House on Mt. Merino Boasts Breathtaking Views of the Hudson River and Mountains

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Award-winning firm Joel Sanders Architect specializes in designing residential spaces with an approach that merges architecture, interiors and landscape. One expertly-executed example is the design of a house on Mt. Merino. The contemporary home located in Hudson is perched at the peak of a mountain and features a distinctive butterfly roof and beautiful cedar and bamboo cladding. Being so well-sited, this lovely retreat takes full advantage of iconic views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains.
Learn more about this stunning modern home

January 29, 2015

Stephen Moser’s Luxurious Renovation of a 1950s Ranch Was Inspired by a Treehouse

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Architect Stephen Moser gained thirty years worth of experience by working in contemporary luxury projects, including a hotel/spa in Beirut and private residences in New York and London, as well as by creating fashion boutiques in Asia for the likes of Chanel and Armani. He recently set up his own practice, translating that experience into refined homes like the Mamaroneck Residence. This family home is actually a beautifully renovated 1950s ranch that features stylish interiors, custom-made wooden furniture, an indoor pool, and even a treehouse, which served as the inspiration for the whole redesign of the house.
Learn more about this treehouse-inspired home

January 26, 2015

Hilla Shamia Blends Tree Trunks and Aluminum into Beautifully Imperfect Furniture

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Tel Aviv-based designer Hilla Shamia has a thing for what she calls "controlled imperfections." And this particular interest is what makes her Wood Casting furniture line so poetic and special. Hilla's unique tables, stools, and benches are made by casting molten aluminum into wood—an unusual pairing of two very different elements that when fused not only reveal surprising details, but a third element born from the unlikely marriage.
Learn more about these striking designs

January 25, 2015

Stay at the Dreamy White Pine Camp President Calvin Coolidge Once Called His Secret Retreat

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

If you need a few days out of the city to disconnect from the world and reconnect with nature, we can recommend a gorgeous spot in the most magical of pine-scented locales. Situated right in the heart of the Adirondacks and immersed in a forest of majestic trees, the White Pine Camp is a lovingly restored, historic accommodation built by the rich and powerful of the Gilded Age. Featuring a number of cozy cabins and cottages for rent, this rustically grandiose retreat also once served as the secret summer house of President Calvin Coolidge.
Learn more about this pine-scented spot in the Adirondacks

All articles by Ana Lisa Alperovich

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