Parque Humano architects Jorge Covarrubias and Benjamin Gonzalez Henze from Mexico have designed some impressive buildings.

Such as the Casa en el Bosque (house in the forest) overlooking Valle de Bravo located 95 miles (150km) from Mexico City. The key design concept was continuity between the landscape and the building and the glazed structural window system helps to bring the outside in. What a location and design. Light, nature, and natural building elements - lot of wood and stone.

Another magnificent example is Casa Club Bosque Altozano, steel framed house covered by local stone - caged stone more often seen used for roadside noise reduction walls. This house is located on a natural ledge in hillside overlooking Montana Monarca in Morelia, Mexico.

Casa en el Bosque

Casa Club Bosque Altozano

Images Paul Rivera, ArchPhoto

Gh3 architects from Toronto have created some impressive glass houses. There is the Photographer's Studio over a Boathouse, House 60 and Russell Hill Road to name some of them.

House 60 was a 50s introverted house with small windows, before it was completely renovated and extended. The back of the house now has a two-storey glass wall and the front single-story height one. Add some skylights and open space and it is hard to believe what the house looked like before.

Take another example, a Photographer's Studio over a boathouse on lakeside in Ontario. Glass, open space and so much light.

Or house on Russell Hill Road in Ontario - a remodel of 70s house which was stripped bare and opened up to give a loft-like feeling and a fully glazed wall was installed to being the outside in. White walls and dark floors give a strong contrast to that house.

House 60 in Toronto

images Carlyle Routh, Gh3

The Photographer's Studio over a Boathouse in Toronto

images Larry Williams, Gh3

And last, the Russell HIll Road remodel in Toronto

images Ben Rahn, Gh3

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi has allegedly put this flat in leafy Hampsted in London up for rent claims the Telegraph. The location, in Winnington Close, in N2 is a prestigious address for that area, which explains the pricing. With a measly (!) $16k a week (the interesting UK way to calculate rent, resulting in different amounts month to month) this traditional-looking, but fully refurbished house of over 7500 sq ft (700m2) would be available.

The decor might look a bit over the top, but the design, both externally and internally, and especially the indoor swimming pool and the staircase with its glass balustrades are just stunning.

images by The Telegraph

Zaha Hadid is the person to go to when you want something very different and modern, and defined with sleek curves rather than corners. Her furniture and other designs such as shoes definitely have that recognisable style also.

As Russians are better known for their opulent, gilded residences, these renders of a ultra modern Russian house are delightful.It looks a bit like s spaceship eady to take off. As this hillside residence was surrounded by trees up to 70ft (20+m), a separate volume floats above it all to provide better views.

I hope we get to see the final outcome of both the exterior and the interior that will be done by the fashionable Candy& Candy.

image renders © Zaha Hadid Architects

I like eating toast. I also would like my toaster to look good. Now there is something new and exciting in that market. The Glide - designed by George Watson. It is a ceramic toaster thus combining new material with modern design. Something that you would not be ashamed of in your nicely set breakfast table.

I certainly would like one these beauties when they come to the market. Maybe in red?

image by Designboom

In my quest to find inspiration for houses I am trying to diversify location-wise. Here is the first interesting house in Midwest that I have managed to spot. This statement house built in Lenexa, near Kansas City was designed by large Kansas architecture company BNIM.

The exterior certainly qalifies for modern design, but the interior reflects more contemporary style and gets rather eclectic in some parts of the house.

images by KCH&C

Confused Direction. A company certainly delivers designs to the level as one would expect when their name is Confused Direction. This Germany-based design company has created some mind-tickling furnishings.

And a modern houseboat. Having earlier explored the modern treehouses, I now took a look at modern houseboats. This is a light-filled streamlined little oasis.

Here are some of the furnishings and accessories created by Confused Direction - some of which were used in the houseboat also

Mini FOk shelving units

Innovative Odu chair comes in multiple colours

Duine modular cushions

KIdney-shaped accessories

Table like a chocolate - Praline

images Confused Direction

It seems to me that California has a huge proportion of magnificent modern houses made of steel, concrete and glass and filled with light filtering through wall to ceiling height walls of windows, and that Sotheby's must be the prime seller of those houses. Here's another inspirational one from Santa Barbara, called quite suitably The Glass Pavilion.

This house comes with 3.5 acres of oak groves, and despite being just five bedrooms, there is over 14000 sq ft (1300m2) living space, including a walnut-lined art gallery, which can house 32 classic cars if you are not a classical art collector.

There are amazing fireplaces both indoors and outside, and ultra-modern furnishings in somewhat zen-like simplicity. The most interesting detail for me, however, would be the completely glass-walled bathroom over the driveway to underground garage. Quite daring indeed.

images by Sotheby's

When we lived in the UK one of my favourite programmes used to be Grand Designs hosted by Kevin McCloud. They would feature ordinary people embarking on extraordinary renovations of old crumbling castles in Scotland or France, building modern architectural statements or carbon-neutral eco-homes buried under tonnes of soil and grass growing on roofs.

Every project always seemed to face impossible obstacles, run out of money and have the owners working both on the house and two to three jobs round the clock. In the end, however, they always seemed to pull it together and have a fantastic home to showcase. Luckily the show has also been turned into a magazine, which reaches also those living abroad.

The latest issue had a fabulous curvy house (that somehow reminds me of the revived children's series Barbapapas' house) with all those round windows and curvy walls.

images by Grand Designs Magazine UK

The fabulous house of Barbapapas

I find the designs from XTEN Architecture quite engaging and innovative. Just look at this Sapphire Gallery in Encino, California- a residential addition to an existing house to display owners' art collection.

The house has definite shape and volume. It is also a step towards greener designs since the building is completely powered by solar cells.

images XTEN Architecture/ Art Gray

Yet another brilliant house from XTEN Architecture - this time a white Bel Air estate that has been under construction since 2009. This house is of stone, wood and glass and set in a beautiful natural landscape.

And did I mention a 150 ft (50 m) drop from entry point to the lowest point to the property - quite a difference. I would definitely love to visit the house when it is completed (and furnished).

images XTEN Architecture

At first glance this house looks more like it is located in California or Colorado rather than in Johannesburg, South Africa, where it is currently offered for sale by the prestigious Sotheby's. Nice architectural shapes, modern pebble-framed courtyard with geometrical planting areas, use of water elements, and most importantly emphasis on lighting design.

I also love some of the owners interior decor choices, the restaurant-like bar setup under bluish lights in the kitchen, media room cushy and colourful scattered seating areas, and I spotted my long-time favourites - stone-shaped moon lights.

This Stairscaper model designed by Alessandra Faticanti and Roberto Ferlito from Barcelona-based architecture firm Nabito is waiting to be built in Abu Dhabi - following a first place position in the Total Housing Competition 2010. The inspiration came from a spiral staircase they saw in Istanbul.

It seems that Abu Dhabi is becoming one of the leaders of modern-day architectural jewels if this project goes ahead. It will be certainly modern architecture at its best, however, I might feel tiny bit scared entering one of the top floor apartments and knowing that there is nothing much underneath me and my little garden-balcony...and what about the fire escape stairs?

images by Nabito/dudye.com

The Berlin home of designer Mischa Woeste and her architect husband (partner in firm Fingerle & Woeste - creators of the apartment) is as colourful as her fashion label Smeilinener.  It is not only the decor of this penthouse that is full surprises, but also the shapes of the rooms and ceilings are unusual. Quite fittingly, the house is called Furious Nutshell.

This apartment has an unusual circular flow from room to room excluding the master bedroom in the middle of the house; that room can be closed off with sliding doors.

Bright pink bathroom, neon green study - mix of materials and in some room styles too. Very unconventional.

Love the colour of the fuchsia staircase

This light is like a halo

The green Saarinen Pastilli chair works well with the purple hues of the wall units

Sliding doors can be used to close off the master bedroom

Even the doorframes are asymmetrical

Child's room filled with light and colour. Note also the zig-zag ceiling

Tiled floors connect these two rooms - interestingly this sunken bathtub is separated from the kitchen only with a curtain

Kitchen has a collection of light sources

The roof terrace is rather zen in design

The terrace plays with natural elements

The storage units utilise the full height of the room

This green study is more traditional in furnishing choices if not colour-wise

Truly pink on pink -bathroom. The mosaic look like Bizassa glass tiles

Floorplan of the house showing the colours of the rooms

images by Fingerle & Woeste and Andreas Meichsner - feature in The New York Times

dRN - del Río-Núñez Architects from Santiago, Chile have an impressive portfolio of modern buildings. In Quinteros region in Chile, by the Pacific Sea, they designed the Baronia house with an interesting u-shaped structure where the two sides of upper floor are linked via sea-facing decking structure. The structure is made of corten steel to battle the decay caused by severe weather conditions.

The interior is of bolted wooden frames, which offers flexibility in terms of room arrangement. The house was built in 2009 and totals 1600sq ft/150m2. What a location for this impressive house filled with light and space and humble simplicity.

images: dNR/S. Pirrone

I like this round Omega bookshelf from Roche Bobois. It reminded me of the clothing display I saw at Nordstrom in San Francisco. I actually might prefer the slightly asymmetrical display rack of the two!

I also liked the structure of the building where Nordstrom is located, the multi-level central atrium and the cupola at the other end. The shopping centre also had some nice resting areas where I spotted a table worth mentioning despite its slightly beaten up appearance

Roche Bobois vs...

...the rack at Nordstrom

Layered modern cupola

Top-down view of the central atrium

The cathedral-like cupola at the shopping centre

This delighful table might be a bit worn out, but the design still stands out

It's official that green can be fabulous too. Here's a look into a prefabricated green house created by Italian architect Roberto Semprini - known for his futuristic style which promotes dynamic home design, being eco friendly and utilises the latest technology. Yet he still manages to create beauty while keeping balance and harmony integrated in the designs.

Note some great details in house such as the staircase that reminds me of pebbles on the beach, the gilded tiles in bathroom adding instant glamour and the curvy outdoor chairs and furniture. I also like how the kitchen is with typical Italian design style kept simple by storing everything, appliances included, in wall-to-ceiling storage while not being used.

images: Roberto Semprini

This certainly is something new. A lovely white Swedish house in little Landskrona, Sweden. But this house comes with a twist - a modern one. Nestled between two more traditional houses this Japanese style inspired house with a glass door allowing people to peep in is certainly something different.

Read the full feature on the home of Johnny Lökaas and Conny Ahlgren in Dwell magazine  - article on Guys and Walls.

Images Dwell/ Mark Seelen

Maison & Objet 2011 in Paris took place a few weeks back and here's my favourite piece from Ligne Roset there. The Rewrite designed by GamFratesi. This would be ideal for our little schoolgirl to keep her focused and cocooned when doing homework and it would also prevent all the school papers and supplies falling on the floor. Truly beautiful form and function in one.

I also like the Confluences sofa collection, what a burst of colour and using the new trend, counterforms, as characterised by the interwoven yin-yang or puzzle-type effect designs.

images Ligne Roset

Italian architect Roberto Semprini has created this eye-catching sauna - just love all the curves. Add a nice sound system, some eucalyptus scent - and voila, that could be an amazing experience. Followed by a little dip to a pool and relaxing in the inviting floats while sipping Champange...

image Roberto Semprini

Norway-based Icelandic architect Gudmundur Jonsson created this magnificent Casa G in the scarce countryside area in Iceland reflecting the landscape it was built on. Each direction has very distinctive characteristics - towards south the view is to the sea and islands, towards east the glacier, towards north a triangular mountain and towards west a river and a canyon.

The materials: wood, concrete and glass reflect the shapes of the nature; for example the southern curves reflect the seaside, tilted surfaces in another part of the house the flow of the glacier. The interior of the house matches the exterior - grey and brown tones of the earth, the reflection in the lake. Sumptuous ensemble.

images by Gudmundur Jonsson

The former F1 champion Kimi Räikkönen is selling his largest house in Finland. This is the most expensive house even put for sale in the country with a current asking price if €14.5M ($19.7M) and the rumour goes that before formally going in sale the house was put on "silent sale" for €2M ( $2.7M) less. Pretty big rise in price in times where the general price level is rather stable. Räikkönen himself holds his main residence in Switzerland, where the family recently moved into a lovely modern house called Villa Butterfly.

Kaskisaari certainly is a fancy area of Helsinki, but the other houses for sale in the neighbourhood are in a totally different class. There are just a few places for sale around €3.8m ($5) nearby.

The first comparable is a brand new, semidetached one-level apartment with 450m2 (4800sw ft) and 6 bedrooms with a shared seaside front. Several of these apartments from the same complex are still for sale.

Here's another options for sale in Kaskisaari. This house was built in 1965 and might benefit from a small upgrade, but it is detached home and comes with its own shoreline. Also the price reflects the age, as the house is on the market for €2.3M ($3.1M). I like the spa department and the little pool inside the house - image swimming in it while watching the stormy (or frozen, snow-covered) sea.

images: Etuovi, Oikotie, realtors

Hong Kong -based Alex Choi design & Partners does the minimalist look well. They recently did a minimalist Hong Kong pad where the interior focus was on lighting and creating a new staircase to terrace rather than the actual furnishing.

My favourite though is this private villa in Santa Monica. Beautiful staircase, volume, levels, lots of light, simple lines. Need I say more?

images: ALEXCHOI design & Partners

Chic boutique hotel Le Caméléon in Costa Rican rain forest in Limon certainly looks like worth a visit. And for once this is a boutique hotel that doesn't eat the whole budget. Sleek, modern design combined with amazing nature of green Costa Rican rain forest.

Colours and scents everywhere. This 23-room hotel is located in Costa Rica's Caribbean side meaning that there are soft, long beaches to enjoy in walking distance.

Room decor is pure white with splashed of colours from cushions and other accessories remind of flowers in the rain forest. Relaxing for the eye and mind.

images: Jesetter & Le Cameleon

When we had our house in England I was looking for a solution for unusually-shaped large windows. I was thinking of electronic blinds or curtains but I could not find a good specialist provides. Now I have spotted several here in US, Motorized Solutions being one of them. These blinds come with infrared controls - I like the idea of a controller you can carry with you also rather than just using the control panel on the wall. I will definitely mark these companies on my shortlist.

I certainly learned a few things from the time we had our large windows, and will make sure to avoid similar mistakes if we will have large windows in the future house.

1. Do not put a grand piano into a room with direct sunlight, large windows and no window treatments. You will end up fussing with temporary sheets, humidity and temperature measurements and praying for rainy days

2. Think carefully where your grand piano goes as you cannot move it yourself again, and it becomes very expensive to call someone in every time you change your mind (or you decide to redo the floor)

3. Take nice photos when your house is finished - it is always great to compare and enjoy the before and after photos. All I seem to have is either no photos before, or photos when one or few items have entered the room but nothing when things were finally finished...

The back atrium view in our old house

Grand piano entered the atrium with no window treatments and before painting

Next attempt was to put grand piano to the study and move a lounge area to the atrium - unfortunately just half-finished view after painting (walls Dulux Cream Caramel, accent wall Bleached Lichen)

Some of the solutions I have found by far:

Motorised solution from Rotech for large windows

Irregular window solutions from Motorized Solutions

Design Resources solutions for very tall windows

I like this feature on Wall Street Journal (link to full feature& photos) about a cantilevered glass house in Berkshires. It was designed by Boston architect Warren Schwartz for his family as a vacation home. The house is a rectangular made of glass and steel, sloping down a hill before cantilevering for 45 feet (14m).

But it is not only the exterior that is unique in this house - all bedrooms are separated by walls of frosted glass from the hallway and the translucent plastic doors slide away to reveal en-suite bathrooms. This million dollar home got inspiration from a family trip to the Grand Canyon, where they had stood at the precipice of a cliff watching the sun rise. Very unique indeed.

Images: Eirik Johnson for the WSJ