by James Balston | Nov 9, 2015 | Architecture, Contemporary, Designers & Architects, Spas
The Parthenon in Athens is quite possibly the single most influential, and therefore important building, in western civilisation. Without this great Greek original, the buildings of the Roman Empire wouldn’t have been possible, and without that, there would have... 
by James Balston | Jun 17, 2013 | Architecture, Bars, Cityscape, Hotels, Restaurants, Spas, Travel
That was the memorable title of a 1969 film in which a tour guide, played by Ian McShane, herds a coachload of American tourists around 9 European countries in 18 days. Hardly a holiday, the schedule required the poor travellers to be up at the crack of dawn each day,... 
by James Balston | Dec 11, 2012 | Leisure, Lighting
Chances are, if you have a cellar, that it’s used for storage; wine perhaps, or no longer used toys. It’s probably got a damp problem. Few of us are lucky enough to have one of these at the bottom of the stairs. The current fashion for building downwards,... 
by James Balston | Feb 21, 2012 | Home Cinemas, Homes, Leisure, Lighting
Asking how long it takes to photograph a house, is a bit like asking ‘how long is a piece of string?’ Is a single wide angle shot of each room all that’s required? Or does everything down to joinery details and fabrics need to be recorded? For some... 
by James Balston | Jan 5, 2012 | Architecture, Leisure, Restaurants
If you ever take the train into Victoria, you may have noticed the large apartment blocks that have sprung up between the station and the river. Two of the buildings, by Make Architects, have distinctive metallic cladding imprinted with tree shapes. While one side has...