Created by Polish design studio WamHouse, this modern design might strike some as unusual. The Egg Table is not your average wooden furniture unit with cozy chairs around it, but a colorful product with an original shape, inspired by nature.If you will check out the last picture of this post, you will see how the mystery slowly unravels. It takes a tree, a bird and its future egg envisioned in a pan to create this type of indoor furniture. And it takes someone with a high level of imagination, humor and extravagance to have it in their home. Mix these features together and you have a cheerful table, suited for contemporary interiors, with a minimalist design. Would you consider having this egg-inspired table in your home? And where would you place it?

Spain’s western province of Caceres is home to a perfectly adapted sculptural residence that originated in an abandoned stable. Estate in Extremadura by studio Abaton, with offices in Madrid, is a remarkable home that slopes down the hill to the south, capturing views of the valley below. This house is one of the milestones of Abaton’s permanent pursuit of innovation – it shows that creativity, great use of material and natural resources can revive an abandoned piece of land. Solid stone walls pierced by large wooden doors, vertical windows and glass walls shape a simple and modern structure.

Metal pillars were used to reinforce the building and allow the architects to reshape the natural light sources and rearrange the interior spaces. The former haylofts became the bedrooms and the open floor plan was designed to include the living / dining areas and two bedrooms downstairs and the rest of the private spaces upstairs. Two streams on the property provide electricity via small turbines and the water is diverted to a fountain found in the interior courtyard and further down to the storage pool in the back. With many beautifully simple details, the Estate in Extremadura is a reshaped oasis of natural elements.

West 21st House is a sustainable family residence designed by Frits de Vries Architect and located in Vancouver, Canada. Outdoor patios and gardens at every level define this home and ensure a good indoor-outdoor connection. Here is more from the architects: “Designed and oriented for passive solar usage the project also employs ultra high efficiency windows, solar hot water heating and a high performance heating / cooling system, including heat recovery that allow the home to operate with low energy consumption. The careful selection of appliances, plumbing fixtures, and lighting also reduce energy and water consumption. Interior elements, such as flooring and millwork, include recycled materials and low/no emission finishes. Planters on the roof reduce heat reflectance and rainwater runoff”. The interiors pay tribute to modern design and inspire openness and flexibility. Have a look!

If you are in search of a home that provides ultimate comfort, combining “Thailand” and “infinity pool” means you are on the right track. In my case, the eye-catching element of this mansion was the lush vegetation surrounding it. Perched on top of a cliff in Phuket, Villa Yang is a four-bedroom home with quite a few spectacular features. Here are just some of them, according to the official project description: “The villa’s ‘yin yang’ sensibility is a study in complementary opposites, mixing elements of classic, soft-lined Thai architecture and tropical gardens with the hard, crisp lines of contemporary furnishings. Lounge and entertain over the wondrous Andaman Sea in Villa Yang’s open-plan kitchen, dining and living area or outdoors from the 15-meter infinity pool deck. The four-level villa offers individual privacy with four elegant bedrooms, each with a private en suite and sea view deck“. The residence was envisioned by Thai architect Charupan Wiriyawiwatt of Hong Kong-based Naga Concepts and can be rented online here.

A few weeks ago, Pantone, the global authority on colour and provider of professional colour standards for the design industries, made its annual announcement detailing which colour was to be designated Colour of the Year for 2012. This announcement signaled the end of the reign of the vibrant, energetic and fesitive shade of pink that Pantone call PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle and a new colour was given the responsibility of wearing the crown into 2012.

According to the colour experts at Pantone, 2012 is all about about the vivacious and enticing hue that is known as PANTONE 17-1463 Tangerine Tango. Helping us to restore our energy reserves and giving us a much needed boost in the new year, Tangerine Tango is a spirited reddish orange that is both provocative and attention grabbing.

To get the low down on this vibrant new hue, Freshome spoke to colour expert and Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, Leatrice Eiseman.

Pantone recently announced that the Colour of the Year for 2012 is Tangerine Tango. What are the main characteristics of this colour?

LE. Tangerine Tango provides the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward. Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenalin rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.

What factors led you to select this shade of orange as Colour of the Year for 2012?

LE. The Colour of the Year selection process is very thoughtful and time consuming. To arrive at the selection each year, Pantone quite literally combs the world looking for colour influences. This can include the entertainment industry and films that are in production, traveling art collections, hot new artists, popular travel destinations and other socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from technology, availability of new textures and effects that impact colour, and even upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention.

For the past few years, the colours selected by Pantone for Colour of the Year have been quite bright and vibrant. What is the reason for this?

LE. We felt that people need the encouragement of uplifting colours in this difficult time. We have a big gray elephant in the room, so we don’t want to do gray as the colour of the year!

Do your colour trend predictions influence the market or does the market influence your predictions?

LE. It works both ways.  When designers and manufacturers see our choices, they will often incorporate the colour into their designs or lines.

How can Tangerine Tango be used to best effect in residential interiors?

LE. Energize interior spaces with Tangerine Tango patterned home accessories. Pillows, bedspreads and tabletop accessories in this high-impact hue will add spice to any room. Use it as a dramatic background wall, especially behind a neutral colour in a sofa.  Then you can pick up some orange in your pillows, lampshade, and area rug.

Thank you Leatrice for your input. Well, orange has already proven to be gaining in popularity with fashion designers and in the beauty industry, but 2012 will see this vibrant colour making its way into our homes, helping us to bring a sense of energy into our interior spaces. From furniture, kitchen appliances and lighting, to flooring, kitchens and bathrooms, using this high-impact hue will add spice to any room. And luckily for us there is no shortage of products for the home in this dynamic colour.

What do you think of this vibrant, energetic colour? Will you be using it in your home this year?

Toronto-based studio Altius Architecture designed a 4,500 square foot family residence with a fantastic collection of interiors. Located in Canada, just south of Collingwood, in the heart of the Clearview area – hence the name – the Clearview Residence was completed last year, in 2011. Nearby, the woodland and pond offered the architects a perfect setting in which the modern house can communicate with the surroundings. Dark-framed glass walls and elegant vertical windows flood the interiors with natural light during the day and seem to give back the borrowed light during the night.

Materials were chosen to evolve with the ever-changing scenery. Architects “incorporated the ever evolving characteristics of corten steel, the earthy tones of a deep grey/blue ‘Cape Cod’ pre-finished wood siding, as well as other products like slate and ipe wood decking.” The two story contemporary home features sustainable technologies like the geothermal lake loop and green house and was built using local materials. How many of you prefer a modern home by the pond?