If the dreamy embrace of sofa travelling is what you're after, this tome by Rizzoli New York is guaranteed to set the scene for some serious house envy. Titled Scott Mitchell Houses and out this month, the book is a beautifully put together exploration of a series of Scott Mitchell Studio's finest residential projects.
The Los Angeles design studio was set up by Mitchell in 1999 and has since completed a range of private residences, inspired by the clean modernism of revered architects such as Richard Meier, Charles Gwathmey, Louis I. Kahn and Rudolph M. Schindler.
Characterised by their distinct use of light and material, which puts tactile, soft textures against concrete and natural materials on centre stage, these residences have a strong, unifying aesthetic that has become something of a signature for the studio. Mitchell's work effortlessly balances airy, geometric, contemporary architecture and comforting, subtle luxury.
courtesy Scott Mitchell Studio
The book's journey takes us through eight key commissions, spanning a variety of geographical locations and environments, from the Hamptons to Melbourne.
The studio aspires ‘to produce buildings, which are humanistic through their honesty of expression and integrity, with a refined sense of order, scale and materiality, creating spaces that transcend utility and style,' explains Mitchell.
Scott Mitchell Houses, offering a number of previously unseen imagery and new information, celebrates two decades of design from the dynamic firm – and also includes a foreword with conntribution by fashion designer Calvin Klein.
Holmby Hills. courtesy Scott Mitchell Studio
Holmby Hills. courtesy Scott Mitchell Studio
Paradise Cove. courtesy Scott Mitchell Studio
Paradise Cove.courtesy Scott Mitchell Studio
INFORMATION
Scott Mitchell Houses, published by Rizzoli New York, is availalbe from May 2020. scottmitchellstudio.com
-
The Alfa Romeo Junior and the ups and downs of modern automotive brand buildingCompact, sporty and neat, with over a century of heritage to contend with, the Alfa Romeo Junior is a flawed but fascinating EV
-
Tropical gardens envelop this contemporary Brazilian home in São Paulo stateIn the suburbs of Itupeva, Serena House by architects Padovani acts as a countryside refuge from the rush of city living
-
Forget the sensor-stuffed smart home and opt for these bots made from warm Danish oak insteadSwift Creatives have debuted their conceptual Wooden Bots, smart notification systems concealed within a trio of sculptural, highly crafted, but still recognisably robotic devices
-
Explore Tom Kundig’s unusual houses, from studios on wheels to cabins slotted into bouldersThe American architect’s entire residential portfolio is the subject of a comprehensive new book, ‘Tom Kundig: Complete Houses’
-
Ballman Khaplova creates a light-filled artist’s studio in upstate New YorkThis modest artist’s studio provides a creative with an atelier and office in the grounds of an old farmhouse, embedding her practice in the surrounding landscape
-
The most important works of modernist landscape architecture in the USModernist landscapes quite literally grew alongside the modern architecture movement. Field specialist and advocate Charles A. Birnbaum takes us on a tour of some of the finest examples
-
Jeanne Gang’s single malt whisky decanter offers a balance ‘between utility and beauty’The architect’s whisky decanter, 'Artistry in Oak', brings a sculptural dimension to Gordon & MacPhail's single malt
-
An idyllic slice of midcentury design, the 1954 Norton House has gone on the marketNorton House in Pasadena, carefully crafted around its sloping site by Buff, Straub & Hensman, embodies the Californian ideal of the suburban modern house embedded within a private landscape
-
Herzog & de Meuron and Piet Oudolf unveil Calder Gardens in PhiladelphiaThe new cultural landmark presents Alexander Calder’s work in dialogue with nature and architecture, alongside the release of Jacques Herzog’s 'Sketches & Notes'. Ellie Stathaki interviews Herzog about the project.
-
Meet Studio Zewde, the Harlem practice that's creating landscapes 'rooted in cultural narratives, ecology and memory'Ahead of a string of prestigious project openings, we check in with firm founder Sara Zewde
-
The best of California desert architecture, from midcentury gems to mirrored dwellingsWhile architecture has long employed strategies to cool buildings in arid environments, California desert architecture developed its own distinct identity –giving rise, notably, to a wave of iconic midcentury designs
