from a comfortable distance i'll admire

Berlin architect Axel Schultes was not permitted to make structural alterations to his turn-of-the-century home. Instead, he devised movable “towers” - industrial shelving on casters.

Bold beauty. A modern approach in a Mexican house is to build an enclosed staircase out of what appear to be structural beams. Everything about this simple staircase is consistent with the way the rest of the interior has been treated - pink, rough-textured walls and solid floor and woodwork - and much is made of the sunlight that casts wavy shadows through the slatted ceiling.

Ivy, boxwood, and hanging baskets soften the house’s facade, and the painted exterior wall trim enhances the European ambience.