Above: Dreaming of an autumn weekend spent here. Photograph from The DIY Tiny House Made from Hemp: A Community-Built Mobile Home from Common Knowledge in Ireland. Photograph by Shantanu Starick, courtesy of Common Knowledge.

• We love everything about longtime Remodelista friend Julianne Moore’s NYC place—but especially this trusty Ikea find in her kitchen.
• Julie’s taking note of “What Endures”, an exhibit at Michaela Scherrer Atelier on “what we keep, what we nurture, and what we carry forward”, October 24 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Also currently on view: our friend Jessica Fish’s groovy, quilt-like drawings at Erica Tanov’s Berkeley atelier. (Hat tip: Fan.)
• Mark your calendars for a first-ever holiday market at the great Bovina Farm & Fermentory, coming up in November.
• And ooh, intrigued by this textile show in Petaluma, CA, going on October 17.
• Farrow & Ball is turning 80—and releasing some lovely wallpapers to celebrate.
• At the same time, we’re in the midst of a “color recession”. Thoughts?
• New Yorkers, you’re invited to “Daydream”, Sixpenny’s one-day installation in Elizabeth Street Garden, Saturday, October 17, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (open to the public).
• Quartz countertops are on the way out, at least in California.
• Annie’s eyeing The Weathered Bird, a new shop starring longtime favorite jewelry maker Ursa Major. (P.S. Look at these candles!)
• Mending goals.
• Immense curb appeal for a home that’s on the shadier side.
• Must-read: “In Praise of a Rough Lawn,” by Stephen Orr.
• This weekend, in Cairo, NY, our Hort & Pott friends are opening Night on the Sun, their latest “experiential retail destination for gardens, interiors and the in-between.”
• Weekend to-do: the prettiest fall front-door decor.
• Kendra’s signed up to attend the Fermentation Celebration at OmVed Gardens Oct. 17. Ticket info here.
• And ICYMI, the granny-chic design trend—but outdoors.

We didn’t get much work done the days we were both in the office, but we did exchange sources: for weddings and for interiors, too.

So when Hanna and her husband, Fred, bought a tumbledown saltwater farmhouse in Maine’s midcoast, I was eager for all the details. Hanna is a designer by trade (she recently launched her own outfit, Hanna Wiegers Design), but tackling your own place—particularly one that’s a “funny mix of periods,” Hanna says—is another thing entirely. And all while pregnant to boot. I wanted to know: What was surprisingly worth it? What would she happily never do again? And, importantly, where did she source everything?

I put all these questions to Hanna, who helpfully revealed the behind-the-scenes of the project, where she now lives with Fred; their baby boy, Bert; and Huey and Ozzie, their two cats. Read on.

Photography by Greta Rybus.

Above: “The house is on a peninsula with a vast network of walking trails and abundant conserved land,” writes Hanna. “Our view is of an island, so we’re largely protected from open ocean and its hazards and storm damage.”

AQ: I know a bit of the story, but tell me how you found this farmhouse.

HW: We were hunting and hunting and knew we loved the Pemaquid peninsula because we met at Camp Kieve about 30 minutes away when we were in college. It felt like we manifested it: We wanted a place with a giant old tree, a long gravel driveway, an old barn, and a big project. This ticked every box, plus it had the most incredible mix of pristine meadow and dense forest.

The property is what made us love the house, which is ironic because we first saw it on the most disgusting, sleeting day in early April; the power was out across the southern half of the entire state. But they had the generator cranking, so it was warm and cozy inside, and it felt like a little retreat from the world. Even in the sleet and slush, you could tell the property was magical, with heron roosts and osprey nests. A bluebird was building a nest in the giant maple tree in the driveway.

Above: Hanna also has a knack for native gardening.

AQ: What was the house like when you found it? What made you love it—and what stood out as oof, I can’t wait to change this?

HW: The house itself was a funny mix of periods. The entire first floor had been renovated with multiple additions in about 2001. The owners definitely had vast plans and ran out of money, so things felt unfinished or poorly done.

The second floor can’t have been touched since World War II. The bathrooms had peeling linoleum tile, sagging plaster walls, and a very scratched and tired cast-iron sink and tub (which we ended up giving to our painters!). There were wide pine floors that we wanted to keep, but in every crack between the boards there was so much lead paint that we couldn’t safely keep them. The upstairs felt like a perfect historic renovation project that needed help but not a full structural overhaul—the dream project for an interior designer.

Above: Hanna and Fred enlisted Michael Alderson Restorations as their contractor. In the entry is a vintage Henning Kjaernulf credenza that Hanna found at Nickey Kehoe, plus a Flos Gatto lamp.

AQ: What were your three main goals for this project?

HW: 1. Undo all of the weird things that the previous owners did. We’ve begun to do this but haven’t fixed everything!

2. Incorporate all locally made or vintage furniture and materials. When local wasn’t available, the goal was handmade or made using artisanal methods. We largely achieved this, with the exception of our upholstery, which was made in California and North Carolina. The plaster came from Montana, but there aren’t any New England plaster companies to choose from. The antiques and vintage furniture were all sourced in New England (shoutout to Brimfield) or NYC, with the exception of the dining chairs which I imported from someone in Denmark. There’s no such thing as perfection, but I think this project is a good example of my ethos of trying to avoid major big box stores and work with those I can develop a relationship with.

3. Update the bathrooms and tired second floor without compromising the historic beauty of a coastal saltwater farmhouse.

Above: The sitting area, Hanna tells me over text, is her favorite room in the house. Beneath a Melanie Parke painting is a sofa by Maine-based Bicyclette with Sister Parish upholstery. The recycled-fiber rug is from Rug & Kilim, the wall light is by Valerie Objects, and the candle sconce is from Noah Ancienne on Etsy. The vintage chair at right was Hanna’s grandmother’s.

AQ: What references/inspiration did you have in mind for the interiors?

HW: So many! I am a Remodelista/Pinterest/magazine/vintage book addict, so images abound in my brain. Rose Uniacke’s plaster and warm wood kitchen with the Axel Einer Hjorth Uno chairs was a touchpoint for the finishes of the upstairs. Ulla Johnson’s Brooklyn brownstone by Elizabeth Roberts. Every project that Reath Design and Nickey Kehoe touch felt important for textures and fabrics downstairs. And my grandma’s uncanny ability to create a home by mixing antiques and incredible art and new furniture.

Above: In the bright dining room, a table by Bicyclette in Maine is surrounded by vintage Danish dining chairs. Overhead: a light by Pinch. The walls throughout most of the downstairs are done in Seapearl by Benjamin Moore.

AQ: Give us an overview of the major changes you made.

HW: Downstairs, we painted throughout, refinished the maple floors, re-did the laundry room (with Tess Tile checkered yellow and white floors, Bench Dogs blue millwork with walnut countertops, Boråstapeter wallpaper, and Urban Electric Co lighting), and swapped out a bunch of light fixtures.

Upstairs was the bigger chunk of the project. We removed all of the lead paint-laden pine floors (which we saved to potentially strip and use in another project) and restored the plaster walls and ceilings, which were sagging and not doing great. We created a new massive wall of millwork in our bedroom where there was a tiny nonfunctional closet. We redid both upstairs bathrooms. There also were only pull-chain lights in the entire upstairs, and not a single plug. So the electrical work was a HUGE part of the renovation to get everything operational for a more modern life. Ditto the radiators: The heat was via very unsightly radiators from the 1980s ,and we replaced them with Runtal units, which I love.

Above: A stone fireplace anchors the living room. The Cisco sofas are done in George Spencer steel blue velvet; the coffee table (partly visible here) is the cone leg coffee table by Bicyclette; and a vintage Guillerme et Chambron sideboard is topped with a Rebekah Miles for Nickey Kehoe lamp. And in the corner, another heirloom: a vintage chair with yellow upholstery that belonged to Hanna’s grandmother.

AQ: How did you decide on the blue painted floors in the dining room? Is it boat paint, or something else?

HW: I wish I could take credit for the blue floors but they’re original! It’s actually linoleum.

Above: In the upstairs hall, a vintage Swedish runner from Sharktooth and pendant light from Lostine. Further down, the flush-mount lights are from Allied Maker.

AQ: Tell us about the plaster walls. What’s it like to live with them?

HW: Living with plaster walls is the greatest gift one can give themselves! We only did plaster upstairs because downstairs was a mix of drywall and original plaster walls, but everything had been painted, so plastering on top of that would have largely defeated the purpose of using plaster (avoiding paint fumes, allowing the wall to remain breathable, controlling moisture in the air—none of that can happen if there’s a layer of paint behind it).

But happily, upstairs was the original plaster and lath, so we could use it and get to experience how lovely it is to have a space with no drywall. It smells like warm wood and minerals upstairs, which is the most delightful smell. We had a lovely friend of Michael’s named Errol Towers apply the plaster, and it was amazing to watch him work. He was able to completely restore the original sagging laths and problem cracking areas in the ceiling, and he did it perfectly. I did take a virtual plaster application class with Jersey Ice Cream Co. to see if I might be able to give it a shot but I was too afraid in the end. We used untinted plaster from New Age Artisans and painted the trim and doors in Sherwin Williams’ Snowbound.

Above: A Noguchi floor lamp adds a playful element to the primary bedroom, with a Coral + Hive rug and a chest Hanna scored at Brimfield. The built-in wardrobes were designed by Hanna, built by Bench Dogs, and painted in Farrow & Ball’s Pigeon with birch trim to match the floors.”This is my favorite thing in the house,” Hanna writes.

AQ: We love a pale Scandi floor, and since there are many ways to get the look, would love to know your process.

HW: Yes! I did so much research on this. I wanted them to be completely matte but have a super soft feel underfoot. We went to a bunch of different mills in the midcoast to look at samples of local wood floorboard and settled on red birch from AE Sampson. We then had our flooring installer test a ton of different stains and finishes on top and landed on Bona Traffic HD Raw. The installer, who is definitely accustomed to shinier and waxier finishes, was like “this is wrong,” but it was EXACTLY what we wanted. It has the same color as the unfinished wood, which was what I wanted because it has a pink tone that reflects onto the plaster and makes everything feel warm and cozy.

Above: A peek into the guest room, with Tensira curtains, Rejuvenation hardware, and “a basket sourced at Trillium in Rockland,” Hanna writes.

AQ: Did you design anything specifically for living with a baby?

HW: I was pregnant during the renovation, which was insane—we moved in the week after he was born (would not recommend!). Bert’s bathroom was definitely designed to be playful for a kid, but I have things I’d do again to protect the house and the kid from each other. Some of the fabrics aren’t performance, and I’d also have designed the stair railing to be more kid-safe. It’s not to code at all, but it was historic and so beautiful that we couldn’t bring ourselves to remove it. It gives us a heart attack every time he walks down the hallway, though.

Above: The primary bath, with vanity by Bench Dogs. The blue wall tiles are from Fireclay and the plumbing fixtures are Kallista.

AQ: What’s the tweak that made a huge difference?

HW: Biggest difference is probably the Runtal radiators. I love the quality of heat that radiators give off. It’s just so pleasing and cozy, and the faint radiator sound feels nostalgic but these are very efficient and also made in the US.

AQ: On the flip side, is there anything you wouldn’t do again?

HW: To be honest now that I’ve lived with plaster, I don’t think I’ll ever paint anything ever again. Paint peels over time and smells bad after you do it (even when you use nontoxic paint), and repainting is such a slog with all of the sanding that’s required. Plaster requires almost no prep and it has zero smell. The texture on the walls makes everything glow. It feels simultaneously grounded yet ethereal. It’s a perfect material. Also, surprisingly, plastering was less expensive than painting!

Above: Porch and breakfast table, with a Tree of Life tablecloth from Block Shop’s new Shaker-inspired collection.

AQ: What’s next on the project list?

HW: The kitchen! It’s from the people who did the 2001 renovation and they really botched it, which is why it’s not pictured. The floors are blue linoleum, which we’ve actually become fond of and are quite functional, but the cabinets have a peeling plywood veneer on them, the organizational layout is terrible, the sink is tiny, and the oven barely works (to cook at 350 we have to heat it to 450)! So that, plus a major overhaul of the lighting in there, is the game plan.

Above: Hanna and Bert.
Above: Hanna and Bert by the sea.

For more of Hanna’s work, head to Hanna Wiegers Design.

And for more farmhouses the world over, might we suggest:

• The New Old House: A 1,300-Square-Foot French Farmhouse Rehab in Tellières-le-Plessis
• Upstate Update: A Writer’s Warm, Lived-In Catskills Farmhouse
• A Centuries-Old Farmhouse for All Seasons by Jonathan Tuckey Design

A few days later, we were delighted to see a full tour of Julianne’s place, and like all of the Internet, we’ve been poring over the details—and stopped short when we saw Julianne’s confirmation: Ikea indeed!

Have a look at the shelf we’ve been admiring all week—and maybe snag one for yourself. It’s hard-working yet considered and sure to come in handy anywhere that could use a little extra storage.

Above: Aha! Ikea’s Kolbjörn Shelf Unit is made from powder-coated steel; Fan notes that the soft, warm colorway is what makes it so appealing. It’s adaptable to any room in the house—bathroom, kitchen, entry—and rings in at $130.

N.B:  There are other storage styles and sizes available in the Kolbjörn collection, too, like this taller version; the featured image at the top of this story shows the shorter version.

For more go-to Ikea finds, see:

• Smooth Moves: Kompishäng, a Portable New Collection from Ikea
• The Editors’ Cut: Our Tried and True Ikea Finds, Budget Edition
• Future Collectibles: Favorites from Ikea’s Stockholm 2025 Collection

That was back in 2011—the sisters were 25 and 27—and the brand started as a collection of five geometric handbags that attracted a cult following. It led to a successful shop and workshop in LA’s Chinatown, where the line expanded to include housewares. In 2023, Kimberly and Nancy transitioned their business into a creative consultancy, Studio Building Block, offering industrial design solutions. And more recently, they opened Building Block Etc., a shop showcasing a tightly edited array of their own designs and work by fellow maker friends. Explains Nancy, “we’re drawn to pieces that have clarity in material and form, a sense of utility, and the ability to reveal more over time.”

Photography courtesy of Building Block Etc. (@buildingblock).

Above: The store is part of a former auto body shop enclave with a shared courtyard shaded by sycamore trees. The custom doorknob is shaped like a hole punch, a reference to the Building Block Etc. business card that the sisters hand punch themselves (see below).
Above: Nancy hammered the sign that signifies Building Block’s new incarnation. “We’re all about the human touch, an appreciation for process, and honest materials, so it all connects,” she says. “Plus the nails cast a cool shadow in the sun.”
Above: The shop is furnished with Enzo Mari’s designs—from his 1974 DIY design manual, Autoprogettazione. The pieces are typically made using scrap pine, but to give them an elevated look, Nancy and Kim had LA furniture maker Mark Morones build them out of vertical-grained Douglas fir. The hanging light is a fiberglas design available to order by Minjae Kim, an artist who shows at Marta, the gallery next door—they’re the ones who invited Kim and Nancy to be their neighbors.
Above: The space was originally a welding station and wood shop—”it was essentially a shed,” says Nancy. The sisters pulled up the vinyl floor and polished the existing concrete. The walls are painted Camouflage, a beguiling pale sage from Benjamin Moore that everyone asks about. The leather bags hanging on the peg rail are Building Block designs. Upstairs is a storage mezzanine.
Above: The shop’s hand-punched business cards sit on an Enzo Mari DIY table of Douglas Fir. The vintage Japanese glass vase holds buckwheat flowers from the courtyard displayed on antique Japanese fabric.
Above: Artist Kazumi Takigawa hand sews her paper bag-inspired waxed canvas totes in her Kyoto home studio. The cotton canvas is colored using organic, plant-based dyes, such as coffee, tea, and traditional mordants like aluminum and iron. Styles include Mini Funagata Bags,$75, Short Super Market Bags, $175, and XL Funagata Bags, $275. Mini Square Canvas Pillows are $115. For more, go to Object of Desire. Above: You won’t find the Wu sisters’ selections everywhere. Shelves display the locally made Iko Iko Tissue Box Dress of black silk taffeta, $80; Building Block’s own vegetable-tanned Leather Canisters, $110 and $125; and the Japanese Cube Kettle designed by Masataka Sugiyama; $80—it’s shaped to boil fast and has a built-in strainer for making coffee and tea in the pot.

A Few More Things We’re Eyeing

Above: The stainless steel Crescent Soap Dish, $105.00, is another in-house design with a thoughtfully detailed base: it can be positioned to collect excess water for countertop use and to drain water on a shower shelf. “We make cylindrical soaps with Life Research Lab, who are my neighbors,” says Nancy. Made from LA plant materials, they come in three scents, such as Makrut Lime and Clary Sage; $18.
Above: Building Block’s signature Biscuit Coasters, $18-$35, are vegetable-tanned leather fabricated in the sisters’ Taipei workshop by the same craftsman who makes their handbags. The leather, they note, “patinas in a lovely way” with age and use.
Above: For hanging “keys, a necklace, hand towel, or good luck charm,” Building Block Etc.’s Clover Hooks, $150, are hand sculpted and cast in aluminum by Antonia Pinter, a local artist who goes by A History of Frogs.
Above: Japanese potter Takeshi Omura’s small Scalloped Plates, $48, have hand-cut edges and are finished with a food safe iron oxide glaze. “They’re thin and lightweight and almost feel like metal,” notes Nancy.
Above: Nancy and Kim are proud to offer English artist Dean Edmunds’s one-of-a-kind welded metal pitchers, such as this Jug, $450. Made of stainless steel tubing that’s “manipulated through cutting and pressing, the forms are guided by the parts themselves,” they write. This one is show with Building Block Etc.’s own BB Short Tumbler, $48, part of a small collection hand-blown for them in North Carolina.
Above: A collaboration between Kazumi Takigawa and Building Block, the Woven Canvas and Leather Basket, $495, works as a catchall at home or a large handbag.

Building Block Etc. is at 3021 Rowena Ave. in Silver Lake; it’s open Wed.–Sun., 11-5.

For amazing browsing around the world, go to our Design Travel and Shopper’s Diary archives , including:

•  Œuvres Sensibles Shop and Atelier in Marseille
• Easing Back to Work: 12 Standout Desk Accessories from Wms & Co.
• Posters, Patterned Fabric, and More at Fine Little Day

“We opened up the bottom floor to what would’ve been the original layout when it was built, which actually fits perfectly with modern living,” says Isobel. “Since it’s Grade II* listed, we couldn’t move anything else. There are two walls of windows and one with a huge fireplace, so that only left one wall for cabinets.”

With the floor plan set, Isobel and Dominick considered the aesthetic direction for their old/new cookspace. Thinking that ornate, Victorian-style cupboards would clash with the medieval wood beams and stonework, the duo opted for minimalist custom cabinetry by Husk, with clean-lined flat Fenix fronts that highlight the rustic original features. As for the palette? The couple chose muted hues of rusty red, dusty blue, and gray-green because they would’ve existed in the 15th century, when this section of the house was constructed.

Let’s take a tour:

Photography by Pete Helme.

Above: Isobel and Dominick prioritized local materials and vendors for their kitchen overhaul. The floors are made of a Jurassic limestone called Blue Lias, which they sourced from a nearby quarry, and the Austin Lewis Stonemason building team all grew up in the area.
Above: Husk, the cabinetmaker, is headquartered around the corner from the couple’s former home in Bristol. The city’s iconic colorful houses inspired the color-blocked cupboard look. “These rows of terrace houses were painted with whatever paint they had left over from making ships and stuff, so it’s this idea that it’s cobbled together, brought from different places,” says Isobel. (See more on Husk in a recent story: Kitchen of the Week: Another Country + Husk in England.)
Above: The medieval era informed the specific hues Isobel and Dominick chose, like a rusty red that resembles the dye of madder root, a common pigment at the time. The walls were kept neutral in textured lime plaster.
Above: The large center island is equipped with oak veneer cubbies for displaying beloved objects and books.
Above: The pale beige Neolith sintered stone counter features an integrated Fisher & Paykel induction stovetop with an extractor fan that pulls air down and eliminates the need for a hood—Isobel’s “greatest excitement.” Conical, matte black sconces from House Doctor hang above.
Above: On the opposite wall, a deep custom larder provides much-needed storage for dry goods and preserves. “It’s a very practical kitchen,” Isobel says. “It’s a kitchen to have people in and to cook in. It’s a kitchen where you can just walk in in your wellingtons and dump some pheasant and a basket of apples and half a dead sheep, which is quite often what happens in that room.”
Above: The family pup, Kit, lounges in front of the 1400s fireplace, which once contained big, open flames. It’s been updated with an oval Dik Geurts wood-burning stove that’s suspended in the air. “I wanted to try and retain the image of a free fire,” says Isobel.
Above: Extra storage is tucked into a nook.
Above: Medieval stonework charms on the exterior, too.

For more rustic kitchens, see:

• Kitchen(s) of the Week: 6 Low-Impact Deconstructed Kitchens
• Kitchen of the Week: Earth Tones and Natural Materials in Pittsburgh
• Steal This Look: A Rustic Modern Kitchen in the Netherlands

N.B.: This story originally ran on November 28, 2024 and has been updated.

Above: Ferm Living’s Desert Lounge Chair, shown in Cashmere Cloud, is $515.
Above: Kaare Klint was inspired by British campaign furniture when he designed the Safari Chair in 1933. It’s now produced through Carl Hansen & Son and available starting at $2,090 in natural canvas through Hive Modern.
Above: The HAY Bernard Lounge Chair in natural canvas and oak was designed in 2019 by Sane Schneck; $1,995 at Design Within Reach.
Above: From Japanese designer Takeshi Nii, the Nychair X 80 was first introduced in 1970. Today is manufactured in beech, white canvas, and stainless steel for $595 at Jinen Store.
Above: The Nomad Chair in oak and canvas is €1,290 from We Do Wood.
Above: The OGK Safari Chair in beech and linen is $594 at Finnish Design Shop.
Above: Julie likes the Paulistano Canvas Chair, which she sourced from the Design Within Reach outlet in Brooklyn (see the chair in the bedroom of her Brooklyn flat in the featured image at the top of this post). Designed by Paulo Mendes da Rocha in 1957, the Paulistano is featured in the MoMA design collection. The chair is £1,127.50 at TwentyTwentyOne.
Above: The Børge Mogensen Canvas Chair in soaped oak and natural canvas; it’s currently on sale for $2,353 at Finnish Design Shop.
Above: Designed by Verner Panton and produced by Montana Møbler, the Panton Bachelor Chair, shown in natural canvas, can be found on various secondhand and auction sites. One we spotted recently: a Bachelor Chair with Ottoman from 1stdibs, $2,493.35.
Above: The Nikari December Lounge Chair is made with an oak frame and linen canvas upholstery; $2,536 at Finnish Design Shop.

For more lounge chairs, see our posts:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Leather Sling Lounge Chairs
• 10 Easy Pieces: Sheepskin Lounge Chairs
• 10 Easy Pieces: Classic Upholstered Arm Chairs
• 10 Easy Pieces: Leather Club Armchairs
• 10 Easy Pieces: Wingback Chairs

N.B.: This story originally ran on April 10, 2024 and has been updated with new links, retailers, and pricing.

Above: A modern root cellar, courtesy of Landscape Designer Visit: At Home with Emily Erlam in Norfolk. Photograph courtesy of The Modern House.
Above: A new take on raised beds: circular rings, as seen in OmVed in North London: A Community-Focused Garden, But Make It Chic. Photograph by Will Hearle.
Above: Think the time for planting is past? The Fall Garden: 7 Vegetables to Start Growing Now will convince you otherwise. Photo by Marie Viljoen.

Above: And autumnal gathering at Emily Erlam’s, too. Photograph courtesy of The Modern House from Landscape Designer Visit: At Home with Emily Erlam in Norfolk.

For more garden know-how and fall tips, head to Gardenista.

Read on.

The Sighting

Above: “Nothing gives me quite the same sense of peace and fulfillment as the sight of a well-stocked pantry,” says Martina, who prioritized the pantry above all else in the remodel of her London townhouse. “It is truly my pride and joy and my happy place.” Behind fluted glass doors, the shelves are stocked with uniform and good-looking glass storage jars—no disposables in sight.

The Source

Above: “I actually use a mishmash of different containers,” Martina emailed us when we asked about her storage jar sources. “Most of them are from good old Ikea or from Tala. But I also love to recycle supermarket jars or my mum’s jam jars! It all contributes to creating that not-too-precious aesthetic that I love.” Martina uses the Ikea 365+ Dry food Jars on her top two shelves, but for a glass alternative, try the Round Glass Storage Containers with Bamboo Lids from Crate and Barrel, from $9.95 for the small size. (The complete set is also available for $54.80.)
Above: We like Martina’s wide-mouthed glass vessels with wooden lids (good-looking; easy to scoop from). An Ikea version: The Etklatant Jar with Lid is glass and bamboo;, from $12.99. Also available? Rectangular versions in a slew of sizes and shapes.

Have a dependable source for good-looking glass storage jars? Let us know in the comments.

And for more design details, see:

• Remodelista Reconnaissance: The Ideal Ceramic Coffee Cups, Sans Handle
• Remodelista Reconnaissance: The Endless Appeal of Silver-Tipped Lightbulbs
• Remodelista Reconnaissance: A Bright Brazilian Chair in a Minimal Escape

N.B.: This story originally ran on November 4, 2022 and has been updated with new links and pricing.

Kai’s roots in Bed-Stuy run deep (she was born there and both her grandmother and mother live in the neighborhood), but she longed for land to call her own and more space—both literal and metaphorical—for her and her now four-year-old son to roam freely. She found it upstate when she stumbled upon a property (3 acres of mostly woods) on which stood a run-down 1960s mobile home. It was perfect.

Kai quickly drew up a plan—double the size of the original 700-foot structure; concrete floors; a simple, basic kitchen made up of workbench-style pieces; lots of pottery and baskets; a smattering of antiques; impactful furniture; and quiet moments of beauty everywhere—and hired a contractor to exact her vision. Soon enough, she was making weekend trips to the bucolic property, feeling the tension of city living ease with every mile. “When I’m here, I’m at peace,” she says. “My daily routine is much more structured, but not in the way you think. I can wake up and meditate and work out. And I do stuff around the house. I feel way more relaxed here versus in the city, where I’m trying to get those things in but am in more response mode.”

She’s grateful for the open space and what that can do for one’s sense of wellbeing—so much so that she wants to share it with others. “This property feels intended to be more than just a weekend home. I have all these friends who work in different practices that connect to wellness. We just came together and start doing these retreats—three last summer, each with a theme,” explains Kai (like “Sensuality and Sensitivity: Connecting to Your Senses Through the Four Elements”).

“It started last year when I was going through some personal transitions. I find that part of my healing comes from [being] surrounded by women going through similar transitions.” Today, as we speak by phone, she’s preparing for another retreat here, this time for a group of 9-year-old girls from her son’s school in Brooklyn. The theme: Rites of Passage, fitting for a property bought with the express purpose of personal growth and exploration.

Below, Kai walks us through her special place. (Follow her on Instagram @kaiaventdeleon for news of future retreats.)

Photography by Caroline Tompkins.

Above: The entire home is now just 1,400 square feet. Kai wanted to keep the scale small so as to not overwhelm the landscape.
Above: The dining area is in the original part of the home. To the left is the addition, which includes a new living room and two new bedrooms. An open shelf, holding a collection of wicker baskets and ceramic bowls, divides the old from the new. The handmade broom is from Shaker Village.
Above: Kai loves pottery. This vase is by a Mexican ceramicist. (See Trend Alert: Sculptural Visage Vessels, Eerie Edition .)
Above: In the new sunken living room, a quilt by Katrina Sanj and a sheepskin protect the Crate & Barrel sectional. (See Save the Sofa: 5 Easy, Good-Looking Ways to Protect the Favorite Seat in the House for more ideas.) You can tell the new part of the home from the old part by the type of flooring—the new part has concrete flooring; the old part, wood planks.
Above: Kai keeps a few throwbeds around for easy lounging. (See 10 Easy Pieces: Portable Mattresses for Indoors or Out.)
Above: Kai designed the stripped-down, artful kitchen. The crates from Ikea on the bottom shelf to the right hold utensils and cooking tools. Note the classic ceramic ceiling light sourced from Home Depot; it’s and inexpensive and elegant option and appears throughout the home.
Above: There’s nothing too precious in the home. Kai found this inexpensive sink on Amazon and the faucet, too.
Above: Kai’s collection of terra-cotta bowls from writer and curator Su Wu has pride of place.
Above: The guest room. “Each room had a mood board,” Kai wrote on Instagram of this space. “Everything was found through auctions, Etsy, and local furniture shops. It’s easy to play around with hints of color in a neutral colored space.”
Above: For the outdoor dining area, Kai commissioned a carpenter to make this set inspired by Donald Judd’s pieces.

See also:

• Unplugged: A Couple’s DIY, Totally Off-the-Grid Cabin in the New Hampshire Woods
• Steal This Look: A One-Room Cabin in the Catskills
• Kitchen of the Week: A Hip, Low-Key Kitchen in Topanga Canyon

N.B.: This story originally ran on May 26, 2023, and has been updated.

For more than six decades, California-founded Dacor has been considering both sides of that equation, introducing a series of innovations that have since become familiar features of the modern kitchen. Its current collection spans contemporary and transitional styles, with appliances designed to integrate into surrounding cabinetry or take a most visible role in the kitchen. Across the range, advanced features—from steam cooking and convection technology to precision refrigeration—are designed around the way a kitchen is actually used, making daily life easier rather than more complicated. Because ultimately, the best technology in the kitchen isn’t necessarily the technology you notice first; it’s what makes the room work better once you’re living in it.

Above: Dacor’s Contemporary Collection at home in a warm, wood-clad kitchen, where integrated appliances are treated as part of the architecture.
Above: Dacor’s built-in refrigeration has a fully wrapped stainless-steel interior and 3D lighting, with a panel-ready exterior that integrates into the surrounding millwork. Shown here is the 24-Inch Column Freezer at left and the 24-Inch Column Refrigerator.
Above: The 36-Inch Induction Cooktop features an LCD control panel, 9 flexible cooking modules, and induction power delivering up to 4800W of boost power.
Above: A closer look at the 30-Inch Combination Wall Oven with steam, which combines steam cooking with Dacor’s Dual Four-Part Pure Convection technology for precise, even cooking across multiple racks.
Above: The 24-Inch Wine Column is integrated directly into the cabinetry and can hold up to 100 bottles in three independently cooled zones.
Above: Inside the wine column, Precise Cooling Technology maintains temperature within +/- 0.3°F, while humidity sensors help maintain ideal conditions across its three zones.
Above: Closed again, the wine column becomes a slender glass-fronted detail within the cabinetry—an example of an appliance designed to integrate without disappearing entirely.
Above: A secondary refrigeration zone puts undercounter food and wine storage close to the dining table, keeping drinks and entertaining essentials separate from the kitchen’s primary work area. The 24-Inch Undercounter Wine Cellar is at left and the 24-Inch Undercounter Beverage Refrigerator at right.

For more, discover the full range of Dacor appliances.

That festive dreamscape that birthed a whole new palette for the holidays (blue and red? yes!)  is featured in her newest book, Once Around the Sun (dropping Oct. 14), a visual diary of the 1893 farmhouse she shares with her husband, Jonathon, as it moves through the seasons. Inside its pages are beautiful images of the interiors as well as the land, water, and sky just outside its doors—all of it evolving as the months go by.

Of course, the garden is where the seasonal effects are felt most acutely. Today we share Lisa’s garden-centric quick takes, with thoughts on cultivating the land, “the sort of miracle that never ever gets old.” 

Photography by John  Hesselbarth + Kate Foster, unless otherwise noted.

Above: Among the vegetables grown in their vegetable garden are peas, kale, and cabbage. “Not only does cabbage add really great visual appeal to the corners of garden beds but it also makes a mean soup.”

Your first garden memory:

Less a garden memory and more a plant-related memory: pulling the stamen through the base of honeysuckle blooms to drop the nectar onto my tongue. I remember feeling like I had discovered the most incredible secret.

Garden-related book you return to time and again:

Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit (a very good reminder on so many levels, in so many ways). The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing (I can’t technically say I return to this time and time again as I started reading it last year and have yet to finish it, but I can say that I’ve loved it so far and my inability to complete it has more to do with me than it has to do with the quality of writing or storytelling). And this wonderful essay, “Autumn, It’s No Garden Party,” by Michael Pollan.

Instagram account that inspires you:

@saipua: the OG, the G.O.A.T, all the superlatives. Her floral design is art of the highest order, her color palette game is next level.

Above: “The truth is that my husband Jonathon is almost entirely responsible for our gardens—from the building of raised beds and fences to  planting to caring for all the living things—he has the patience and attention span necessary to keep at it (two things I am woefully short on).”

Describe in three words your garden aesthetic.

Work in progress.

Plant that makes you swoon:

Oh, there are so many, for so many different reasons…. I’m obsessed with the size and grandeur of angelica and mullein, garden roses and gardenias for their heady scent, foxgloves and Turk’s-cap lilies because there’s just something about them isn’t there?

Plant that makes you want to run the other way:

Home Depot chrysanthemums.

Favorite go-to plant:

Honestly, I don’t think I have one! I really thought about this, I was sure that I did, but as it turns out, not so much. Maybe this is why I’m still trying to figure out the great puzzle of our flowerbeds…

Above: Harvesting chamomile with their dog, Gus. “After a whole summer we managed to clip enough chamomile to maybe make a cup or two of tea. The hilarity of gardening is not lost on me.”

Hardest gardening lesson you’ve learned:

Everything about gardening is the hardest lesson: the patience it asks for, the ability to keep trying despite failure year-over-year, the fact that the thing that does you in one year will be different from what does you in the next. Sometimes it’s too much rain, sometimes it’s too little, sometimes it’s the slugs, sometimes it’s the beetles, too much sun, too little—the list goes on and on.

Unpopular gardening opinion:

Sometimes it’s just not worth it.

Gardening or design trend that needs to go:

This is something I’ve only noticed in certain places, but there seems to be this strange trend of fake flowers in planters that I just cannot wrap my mind around.

Old wives’ tale gardening trick that actually works:

Putting shallow dishes of beer out to help mitigate slugs.

Favorite gardening hack:

I still have yet to learn one…I asked my husband who, as I mentioned, captains the ship of our garden and he said “What’s a gardening hack? It’s all work. Always.”

Above: “One of my favorite things about putting together a fall floral arrangement is taking advantage of the turning leaves—the rich golden hues of the changing foliage and the branches add incredible movement and drama. Fall arrangements are, by nature, a swan song of sorts—using the last of the blooms and the garden before the first frost takes them is the best kind of poetry. Here, the last of the dahlias and zinnias keep company with not-yet-ripened sungolds on the vine and some fall branches.”

Favorite way to bring the outdoors in.

Flowers from the garden or foraged.

Every garden needs…

Flowers from the garden or foraged.

Favorite hardscaping material:

This question is making me realize we have no hardscaping in our lives, but I do have a soft spot for pea stone (in theory).

Above: “This was actually taken at our friend Alexis’s garden late in the season when everything gets a little feral. Sungolds are (at least to me) a no-fail, no-brainer tomato to grow—I’ve never had a bad one. Bright pops of gold sweetness, the candy of the tomato world.”

Tool you can’t live without:

Garden clippers/snips.

Go-to gardening outfit:

Whatever I’m wearing that day, which is usually jeans and a t-shirt/sweatshirt.

Above: “You know the seasons are turning over when the goldenrod and asters start sweeping across fields and pushing through fences.”

Favorite nursery, plant shop, or seed company:

Locally: Barkaboom Native Plants—Chris is an incredible source of knowledge when it comes to native plants in our region and is a big proponent of using locally adapted ecotypes to help conserve local flora and the animals that rely on native plants, something we can all get behind. A little further south: Catskill Native Nursery in Kerhonkson is incredible; they carry the largest selection of North American native plants in New York with a focus on regional species. Story’s Nursery in Freehold is also a favorite.

On your wishlist:

Mullein, nicotiana, turk’s cap lilies, more bearded irises and hollyhocks too.

Not-to-be-missed public garden/park/botanical garden:

Wave Hill in the Bronx. The Landcraft Garden Foundation in Mattituck, NY.

Above: Photograph by Georgia Hilmer.

The REAL reason you garden:

Because I love beautiful things. Because the thrill of walking out your door and down to the garden to pick ingredients you grew to cook dinner with is unmatched. Because pushing a seed into the ground and watching it become something is the sort of miracle that never ever gets old.

Thanks so much, Lisa! You can follow her on Instagram @brass_tacks.

Above: “The most striking aspect of Mexico City guesthouse Pensión is that it looks unlike any other design-forward hotel on your Instagram feed,” writes Nicole in this week’s Design Travel story. Take a look around and see what we mean in Waking Up Inside an Image: A Surrealist Guesthouse, Restaurant, and Bookshop. Photograph by Ricardo Acuña, courtesy of Rafael Prieto.

• Are you following @grainandknot? Everything this “object maker” creates is so good.
• “Love that all of Block Shop’s quilts are reversible,” writes Margot. We agree.
• Tailoring Academy? Sign us up: The Nest in Providence, RI, will teach you to alter your own bespoke wardrobe.
• Also, this paper lamp workshop is the stuff of Remodelista editor dreams.
• Autumn Sonata has new Lower Manhattan outpost! (As for that headline: We’ve always said an emphatic yes.)
• Ooh, looking forward to the next iteration of Shaker Outpost.
• Wooed by the wood paneling and Alpine touches in this Swiss villa.
• Love, love, love.
• NYBG is celebrating Diá de los Muertos all through October. Vamos!
• It’s getting to be that time of year for gardeners. Here’s a reminder that a little vinegar can go a long way.
• “All I want for Christmas is this,” says Fan.
• No surprise Catherine Fitzgerald has been named House & Garden’s Garden Designer of the Year—have you seen her own swoon-worthy garden?
• An artist’s stunning contemplation on grief and loss.
• Must-read! Laura wrote a New York Times story on how gardeners are coping with extreme rain.
• Just nature doing its thing—and we’re here for it.
• ICYMI, Kendra’s story on a new community-oriented garden that is “rather chic.”

What began as a small three-room project has recently expanded to ten rooms, each with its own distinct design that feels like a little private world, alongside the launch of Café Ideal, a restaurant-bar on the ground floor with a menu by Prieto’s friend and frequent collaborator (and Remodelista favorite) Laila Gohar. On the second floor is Prieto and Jorge de la Garza’s bookstore, Librería, where you can pick up rare art books from independent publishers.

Eat, sleep, and shop all under one (sublimely designed) roof. Here’s a tour of the three spaces.

Photography by Ricardo Acuña, except where noted, courtesy of Rafael Prieto.

Cafe Ideal

Above: The new Café Ideal is set within an early-1900s Porfirian mansion on a quiet, tree-lined street in Mexico City’s Roma Norte neighborhood. The arched windows, iron Juliet balcony, and cantera stone facade are distinct architectural details of the period and place.
Above: The dining room at Café Ideal is an homage to 1970s Mexico City. Powder-blue archival fabric forms the pinch-pleat wall curtains, adorned with antique marble cameo portraits.

Pensión

Above: The reception room at Pensión features a linen pendant light by Marrow Project, marble plinth bench, antique plaster bust, and cheeky teal accent color. The wall-sized mirror imbues the space with a slightly off-kilter, surrealist feeling.
Above: The guest rooms are designed with a unique photographic wallpaper using analog photos taken by Prieto in collaboration with Wallpaper Projects. “The intention was really to give each room its own emotional backdrop, something immersive rather than decorative,” Rafael tells us. “A photograph carries memory and time in a way a pattern can’t. You’re not just waking up in a room; you’re waking up inside an image.” Photograph by Max Farago.
Above: A warm and inviting guestroom with a rug from Prieto’s Swimming Pools collection for Christopher Farr. The pinch-pleat wall curtains recall the ones in Café Ideal. “We approached each room with the instinct of a collector rather than the logic of a hotelier,” says Rafael. “Everything was chosen by someone who cared about it.”
Above: A guestroom bathroom with an original porcelain sink. When asked about the process of restoring a century-old building, Prieto said, “You work slowly, you listen to what’s there, you try not to force it. Patience and respect for the detail that already exists.”

Bookstore

Above: The second floor bookstore, Librería, with rare and independent art books. The modern books set against the backdrop of the Belle Époque stained-glass windows make for a brilliant contrast. Photograph by Adrianna Glaviano.
Above: Librería’s collection spans photography, architecture, design, decoration, ceramics, the culinary arts, and artistic monographs. Photograph by Adrianna Glaviano.

More standouts nearby:

• Rosetta: Mexico City’s Most Beautiful Restaurant?
• The Artisanal Apartment: Laura Aviva Creates a Mexico City Showcase for Her Design Collection
• Utilitario Mexicano: A Mexico City Shop Devoted to Useful Wares Only

“The first Frama kitchen was based on principles refined to their most essential,” explains the company. “The aim was to celebrate the essentials of cooking and being.” Frama has now taken its kitchen offerings to the next level: collaborating with Swedish cabinetmaker Kvänum, a century-old kitchen maker and supplier to the Swedish royal court, it offers Frama Modules by Kvänum, a line of kitchen components in two wooden frames.

Photography courtesy of Frama.

Frama’s Kitchen Modules in Ginger

Above: Christophersen describes the new line as “traditional craft meets Frama’s distinctly straightforward aesthetic.”

The modules are made of birch, here stained a warm hue they’ve dubbed Ginger, with milled stainless steel pulls.

Above: The freestanding wooden components are offered with stainless steel or stone countertops. They’re paired here with Frama’s customizable Shelf Library system and stackable Ceramic Tableware. The appliances are all by Miele.
Above: “Without the need for mounting to walls or floors, ultimate flexibility was the practical point of inspiration,” writes Frama.
Above: A sideboard offers flexible open and closed storage and can also work elsewhere in the house. Frama’s offerings now range from tables and chairs to towels and perfume. “Most of my work has been about asking what is the least I could fill it with, and removing things, stripping them back,” Christophersen told The Modern House journal.

Frama’s Kitchen Modules in Chestnut

Above: Frama notes that its kitchen designs were originally created for urban settings but look equally at home in the countryside. These examples are made of stained birch in a color called Chestnut.
Above: All of the modules are freestanding pieces of furniture. The countertops here are Jura Beige limestone.The stainless steel shelves are from Frama’s Shelf Library system.Above: The faucet is the Tara Mixer by Dornbracht and that’s Frama’s signature Hand Wash. The brushed aluminum Tasca Table and oiled pine Bracket Chair are also by Frama.
Above: Kvänum gets the hidden details right.
Above: Kvänum makes the Frama Modules to order and ships internationally.

Here’s Frama’s former kitchen system, pop-up in Brooklyn, and 2024 Rivet collection of Shiny Aluminum Shelves and Side Tables.

Three other sides of Kvänum:

• Kitchen of the Week: A Hushed Old-World Swedish Design
• A Classic English Kitchen in a Grand Copenhagen Remodel
• Steal This Look: A Dream Dressing Room from Sweden

N.B.: This story originally ran on October 17, 2024 and has been updated.

Above: In recent years, Danish brand Tekla has popularized percale striped bedding. Shown here is the Percale Duvet Cover in Flint Stripes; $230-$455 at Tekla.
Above: The Organic Crinkled Percale Sheet Set from Coyuchi is available four different stripe variations (shown here is Indigo Stripe) for $248.
Above: Korean brand Papiyot makes the French Blue Stripe Button Duvet Cover and the French Blue Stripe Mattress Box Cover.
Above: The Christy Calder Stripe Bundle Sheet Set comes in pink (shown) or blue; prices start at $165.75 to $208.25 at Christy.
Above: Magniberg makes the ultimate in striped bedding: the Wall Street Duvet Cover in Oxford is a patchwork of various stripe patterns; prices start at $198 for the duvet set.
Above: The Aiayu Duvet Set and Pillow Case in Mix Dark Wheat starts at €148; it’s also available in two shades of blue stripes.
Above: From Ever Lasting, the Arthur Pinstripe Bedding Set comes in brown or black, both with red piping; $239.
Above: The only option on our list that isn’t cotton, Nordic Knots’s Linen Blend Sheet Set comes in a striped set; prices start at $880 for the 5-piece set.
Above: The Percale Sheet Set at Parachute comes in four shades of stripes; $264-$324 at Parachute.

For more bedding sources, see our posts:

• Trend Alert: Poplin Bedding in a Confident Palette
• 10 Easy Pieces: Simple Linen Bed Covers
• 10 Easy Pieces: Editors’ Favorite Linen Sheets
• 10 Easy Pieces: Simple White Sheets

The Sighting

Above: The kitchen in question. The light, Alexa reports, is a vintage Space Age Double Arc Mushroom Wall Lamp by Dutch manufacturer Dijkstra.
Above: But where to find something similar?

The Source

Above: Behold, some real-deal vintage options: The Vintage Large Metal Double-Arc Wall Lamp by Dijkstra, circa the 1970s, is $921.24 on Etsy.
Above: The Midcentury Space-Age Arc Mushroom Wall Lamp by Dijkstra Lampen is $834.37 from Etsy.
Above: And from Chairish, the Vintage Space Age Mushroom Arc Wall Lamp from Dijkstra is $614.

More sources, uncovered:

• Remodelista Reconnaissance: Silver-Tipped Lightbulbs, Always a Bright Idea
• Remodelista Reconnaissance: Sculptural Table Lamps Made From Scrap Paper
• Remodelista Reconnaissance: A Ghostly Cloth Pendant Light

The couple worked steadily for three years taking on an impressive amount of the tasks themselves: laying brick walls, building cupboards, and tiling baths. But completion happened thanks to a helpful deadline: the impending arrival of their son, Lou.

Overhauling their previous place, an apartment in Brussels, gave Arthur and Kelly the courage to take on a needy house. The two welcomed the opportunity to build: in addition to creating a loft-style living area, they turned the wrecked attic into a full third floor. And to plant: Kelly discovered gardening during the pandemic and introduced greenery indoors and out.

Join us for a tour—and for a look at Kelly’s container gardens and green roof, head over to Gardenista.

Photography by Tim Van de Velde, courtesy of Atelier Avondzon.

Above: “It was a charmless late 19th century terrace house with a rotten roof,” says Arthur. The couple preserved its glazed white brick cladding (scroll to the end to see the façade and a few rooms as they were). The green-glazed plinth tiles inspired the use of green on the new windows, garage door, and gutter.
Above: Arthur and the family’s Irish terrier, Rudi. Before the couple moved in, there was no nature in sight. Now there are plants growing indoors and out: here, wisteria climbs around the entry.
Above: The exterior required the most work:  “We only kept the street façade and the structure of the floors,” says Arthur. The concrete steps lead up to a green roof.
Above: Arthur and Kelly, both 31, worked on the house throughout the first years of the pandemic. Arthur trained as a civil engineer architect and this project gave him firsthand building experience. Kelly discovered her passion for landscape design.

The Living Area/Kitchen

Above: The living floor—one flight up from the garage—had been divided into a trio of rooms. Arthur opened it up by inserting steel beams. Birch plywood partitions, here in front of the stair, appear on every floor, and there’s now under-floor heating (and a heat pump on the roof). The Pillow Sofa is a Muller Van Severin design for Kassl Editions.
Above: “We deliberately left the brickwork visible but finished it with a thin layer of plaster and paint applied with rough brushes,” says Arthur. To support the new roof, they had to first rebrick the party wall shown here, which enabled them to create these built-in shelves and their kitchen cupboard (below).

Kelly found the modernist chair at a flea market. Note the instant plant stand made from concrete blocks.

Above: Arthur and Kelly built their round dining table themselves. Its shade of blue reappears here and there: on the sofa and on their bed.
Above: The birch plywood partition rises in front of the stair, and close to the kitchen, holds storage cupboards and the fridge.
Above: Muller Van Severin’s Wire C Cabinet: was “the first thing we bought when we sold our apartment,” says Arthur.
Above:  Arthur’s design for the kitchen was inspired by Richard Rogers’ 1969 Rogers House. It was custom made by Bossuyt, a Belgian company specializing in stainless steel components for professional chefs.
Above: Kitchen tools hang from a rod in the built-in cupboard. The tripod light is Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni’s 1954 Luminator Floor Lamp still in production by Flos.
Above: A stove, microwave, and dishwasher are incorporated into the hidden far side of the island.

Downstairs

Above: The tiled front entry is fitted with more built-in plywood storage. Arthur had the bathroom’s space-saving accordion door made from leftover fabric by a hospital supply company.
Above: The couple’s bedroom has tall new windows overlooking the garden.
Above: The room steps up to a wardrobe, sink, and capsule shower (made of wood finished with, what Arthur describes as, “the same waterproofing polyester used on canoes”).

Upstairs

Above: What had been a tiny ruined attic was rebuilt as a full top floor, with two bedrooms (one is currently in use as an office).
Above: “We chose not to work with a hall and to make the doors ‘invisible,’ so that the central space can be used optimally as a second living space and playroom,” says Arthur. “By stopping the partitions short of the ceiling, you get light in the morning and evening.”
Above: Arthur designed and tiled the upstairs wraparound bath himself using porcelain stoneware squares from Winckelmans. The wall cabinet is sanded aluminum modeled after Muller Van Severin designs.
Above: The floor opens to a terrace used as an outdoor dining area. The checked dog pillow is the Fritz Bed from the NYC company Approved by Fritz.

Floor Plans

Above: In addition to the garage, the ground floor houses an entry area, bedroom, WC, and laundry,
Above: The living area and kitchen are now one big room that overlooks a green roof in the back of the house.
Above: The new third floor is designed courtyard-style around a main living/play area.

Before

Above: The house dates to the late 19th century and haas been updated over the years—Arthur says the glazed brick on the façade likely “happened sometime in the 1970s.” The mansard roof was entirely replaced.
Above: A look at the conditions as they were. Asbestos was everywhere including under the linoleum and behind the wallpaper.
Above: The existing eat-in kitchen.

We recently featured a Colorful 1951 Willy Van der Meeren Kitchen in Brussels that Atelier Avodzon masterfully updated.

Another young couple’s impressive own home:

• Izat Arundell’s DIY Design and Build Stone House in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides

N.B.: This story originally ran on June 17, 2024 and has been updated.

Photographs by editors, except where noted.

Above: “On a recent Scandinavian vacation, my husband and I headed straight to Restaurant Daphne, star chef Frederik Bille Brahe’s just-opened canteen. It’s rightfully known as the coolest new kitchen in Copenhagen, and we are still dreaming about his deconstructed artichoke.” – Margot Guralnick
Above: “Lately I’ve been loving our bath towels from Baina, the New Zealand towel brand from Bailey Meredith. I like the ivory set for the bath but have long been curious about some of the more bold patterns for the beach—next summer maybe.” – Alexa; photograph from Baina
Above: “I was really excited to see that longtime Remodelista friend and architect Solveig Fernlund co-wrote and illustrated a children’s book called The Egret and The Buffalo with Milah Libin. It’s a story of the symbiotic relationship between a family of egrets feasting on bugs that pester a family of gentle buffalo—with graphic illustrations by Libin and watercolors by Fernlund. You can order it through their publisher Dizzy Books.” – Alexa Hotz; illustration from The Egret and The Buffalo
Above: “I recently visited Niwaki’s ‘pop up’ at Nickey Kehoe in NYC. The store has greatly expanded their selection of Niwaki products and it was so fun to see them in person—and to meet the founder Jake, whom I interviewed for Gardenista last year.” – Laura Fenton
Above: “In an effort to optimize sleep during this busy fall season, I recently did a pillow re-up. I’m a longtime adherent of latex pillows, particularly the sort you can adjust yourself by adding or removing fill. I bought these from Naturepedic which I love for both bedding and children’s mattresses.” – Alexa Hotz; photograph from Naturepedic
Above: “We were in Kauai a couple weeks before Hurricane Lowell devastated the island. We stayed at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, which is situated in the most breathtaking location. It reopens this weekend, but I imagine the rest of the island is still far from a full recovery. If you’re interested in helping, consider donating here.” – Fan Winston
Above: “Recently, I was taken by these electric blue curtain tiebacks from the 1940s at a new (to me) store, The Falls, which sells found an up-cycled pieces made in collaboration with Indian artisans.” – Nick Spain
Above: “As part of my quest to make my sofa as comfy as possible, I’ve been in pursuit of a new ottoman. I had four criteria: Must be small boned for a small space. No leather. Under $250. And, ideally, with some hidden storage. Happy to report Ikea’s Strandmon fit the bill: $150 and it fits two sets of feet. But what makes it is this pretty slipcover—I love the pattern.” – Annie Quigley; photograph from Ikea
Above: “Woodland Mod is a beautifully curated home goods store in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, filled with everything from kitchen essentials and tabletop finds to thoughtful decor and gear for the garden.” – Adam Szafranski

Have a look at our picks from previous months:

• Psst…What We Loved this August
• Psst…What We Loved in July
• Psst…What We Loved in June
• Psst…What We Loved in May
• Psst…What We Loved in April

Above: Snapshot, and bedside inspiration, from Design Travel: Hotel Wren in Twentynine Palms.

• The making of the modern cook space: “The Kitchen and Its Discontents” is on our must-visit list, on view now at LACMA.
• And newly open in Copenhagen: the Vipp Apartment (Annie got a sneak peek in June—it’s worth a stop if you’re in town).
• “Forty-five percent off?! Wish I could go,” writes Fan about Swiss furniture co. USM’s sample sale and design market, going on Sunday, September 27 in Brooklyn.
• Happy 10th birthday to this iconic modular shelving line.
• Looking for an autumn refresh? Start with these 27 earthy new paint colors.
• Attention, attention: Commune is popping up in NYC.
• Also, Toast is having a wildly good post-summer sale right now.
• Are you going to LA Design Weekend?
• We’re always enamored by the work of Katie Lockhart, and so is this photographer.
• Love, love, love.
• Museum ateliers to visit in Paris.
• Relatable.
• Niwaki x YMC? Yes, please.
• Jenni Kayne x Business & Pleasure? More, please.
• “Required reading for all gardeners facing a fall abundance: The Golden Door Table, the just-published cookbook from the California spa that grows its own—and serves seconds because the cooking is so beloved,” writes Margot.
• Also on our reading list? Flowerprint: Dyekween Amanda de Beaufort’s guide to botanical dying. (Learn the 5 must-have flowers she recommends for a starter natural dyes garden here.)
• This gives “freshly laundered” a whole new meaning. (Hat tip: Annie.)
• “Obsessed with this Sausalito company that makes bags and outdoor accessories like cushions, sun shades, and furniture covers out of repurposed sails,” says Fan.
• Heads up: New Yorkers. Free flowers for all! Artist CJ Hendry’s viral Flower Market is returning to NYC’s Rockefeller Center this weekend.
• Can’t consume all the cherry tomatoes growing in your garden? An idea…
• P.S. Need a little workday lift? These might help.

Pretty Wall Calendar

Above: We’re suckers for a real old-school print calendar—nothing digital about it. This bright option from Wms and Co. is undated, so you can hang it up and get going whenever you please. Shop now.

Wool Chair Cushion

Above: The office chair becomes a little more comfy—and homey—with a cushion to sit on, like this merino wool option from Graf Lantz. (Bonus: It’s feline coworker approved.) Shop now.

Accoutrements for Afternoon Caffeine

Surprisingly Good-Looking Charger

Above: Extension cords have come a long way. Margot recently corralled some much, much, much better-looking options—like this pleasing cube that helps keep chargers in order. Shop now.

Stone Objet

Above: Annie’s not big on store-bought paperweights when a found rock does the job. The exception? These smooth stones, wrapped in bamboo to beguiling effect by Santa Fe-based Betsy Bauer Studio. Shop now.

Woven Wastebasket

Above: When it’s just papers and odds and ends you’re tossing, you can spring for a pretty wastebasket, like this one from Finnish maker Verso Designs. Shop now.

A Delightful Danish Pinboard

Above: Another on Margot’s wish list? These standout pinboards from Copenhagen-based Københavns Møbelsnedkeri, which look stellar even undressed. Shop now.

Book Holder

Above: San Diego-based Unfnshed makes solid birch plywood furnishings that pop together in a minute, no tools needed—which makes their tabletop book holder even more appealing. Use it to keep notebooks, reference books, and inspiration within easy reach. Shop now.

Do-It-All Pegboard

Above: And in Julie’s own place (shown here), she swears by an all-purpose pegboard from Kreisdesign for keeping desk essentials in order. Shop now. (Photograph by Matthew Williams, styling by Alexa Hotz, for Remodelista, from Before/After: A Remodelista’s Refreshed Parlor Floor Flat in Brooklyn Heights, NY.)

Also On Our Radar

• These canvas organizers were designed for the potting shed, but they’re excellent for a closet-sized office.
• This pretty curtained desk stows away work at the end of the day; made by a company in Brooklyn.
• And a longtime favorite of our editors, finally back in the rotation at Ikea.

Plot twist: In 2022, owner Jen Mankins closed her stores, moved to Sweden, and shifted her focus to interior design.

Here’s the backstory:

“I lived and worked in Brooklyn for more than two decades before my college boyfriend-turned-husband and I decided to move to Sweden with our twin toddler sons in 2022,” Jen says. “Our timing coincided with me landing my first professional interior design with Brooklyn-based clients I knew through Bird. Luckily, even though I was moving 4,000 miles away and embarking on a new profession, they didn’t blink an eye.”

In concert with Ingui Architecture, a NY firm known for its focus onm sustainable living, Jen designed the interiors of a six-story landmarked brownstone from 1895. Her inspiration? “Sweden has been hugely influential for me personally and continues to be a never-ending source of design inspiration. On my earliest visits to Stockholm with my husband, I was immediately drawn to the colors and patterns of Josef Frank designs championed by visionary retailer Estrid Erickson at Svenskt Tenn. I was charmed by the whimsical ceramics of Stig Lindberg and Lisa Larson. (Although I can’t deny that my first experience with Swedish design was via Ikea, the design emporium that has for over 80 years brought Swedish style to the masses.)”

Join us for a tour of Jen’s recently completed project:

Photography by Jessica Antola.

Above:  A brass Dodo Egg Light with a painted finish from London-based Swedish designer Beata Heuman illuminates the entryway. “The stairs are painted in Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace,” Jen says. “It ‘s a great classic soft white that has no dominant strong undertones, so it is neutral, looks great in light or shadows, and it’s bright and fresh without feeling too cold or stark. The entrance floor is tiled in classic 2-by-2-inch square black and white marble to evoke what might have been there originally. The vestibule is papered in Josef Frank’s classic Citrus Garden from Schumacher.”
Above: “On the parlor floor, we created a neutral envelope using Color Atelier lime paint in Old White and sheer linen floor-to-ceiling curtains. We punched the interiors with color on almost every upholstered piece of furniture, printed pillows, and dining chairs, colorful lighting and lamps, and a custom checkerboard rug from Salam Hello.
Above: The Curved Sofa from Nickey Kehoe is upholstered in Rose Uniake Hemp in Ivy. The Filigrana S3/S4 Ellipse Pendant is by Established & Sons for Flos (for more ideas, see our post Remodelista Reconnaissance: Festive, Lollipop-Like Pendant Lights). The chairs are upholstered in color-coordinated velvet from Manuel Canovas in Brique and Sienna
Above: The Harper dining table from UK-designers Pinch is surrounded by vintage chairs upholstered in Josef Frank’s Baranquilla Wine. “We used white oak chevron flooring throughout the interiors; it creates a warm, welcoming environment,” Jen says. The brass Walska Pendant Light is from Urban Electric.
Above: “We kept the kitchen quite classic, with a combination of white painted and natural oak millwork and two coordinating countertops: Blue de Savoie marble from ABC and for the island Super White Quartzite. The millwork is painted in Farrow & Ball Schoolhouse White, another great soft, neutral white with muted warmth and good depth.”
Above: The wall sconces are painted metal, and the island pendants are cream ceramic, both giving subtle material textures without any bold color statements.
Above: “We wanted the primary bedroom to have a warm glow, so we used Farrow & Ball Dimity, a soft, pale taupe that almost reads as pink. The Pinch bed is upholstered in Rose Uniake Heavy Linen in Storm.”
Above: In the primary bath, checkerboard towels from Baina add a note of whimsy.
Above: The primary bedroom features an adjoining study area.
Above: “My favorite space is the communal area on the children’s floor, where we created the coziest, but still massive, 11-foot reading nook upholstered in Sister Parish Mahalo performance fabric in Summer Blue. The walls are papered in Christopher Farr Cloth Cactus Flower wallpaper in Grass designed by LA architects Commune.
Above: “The girls wanted bold, floral wallpapers in their rooms,” like Amy Wilder’s  Flora Sprout shown here.
Above: A kid’s bathroom is lined in 8-by-8-inch Clé cement tile in Paste and Mallard.
Above: A girl’s bedroom is wallpapered in Josef Frank Klöverblad.
Above: A girl’s bath  is lined in 8-by-8-inch Clé cement tile in Paste and Rose.

For more Nordic design, see our Scandinavian archive.

N.B.: This story originally appeared on June 20, 2025 and has been updated.

Good thing Craig happens to be a furniture designer and maker who recently started fell, a multi-disciplinary design studio co-founded with architect Hilly Murrell (the two met while studying architecture at university). Craig and Jessie’s tiny home became fell’s laboratory, “an opportunity to explore ideas that had been developing in the previous years,” he says. “The main question was ‘could a kitchen be made without the use of sheet material?’—to which the answer was ultimately, yes.” Rather than resorting to using plastic and MDF (medium-density fiberboard) plywood boxes, Craig built a sustainable kitchen with solid beech cabinets and dovetail drawers.

As for the lack of space, Craig’s solution was to design the combination kitchen/dining/living area holistically, leaning on custom light wood built-ins and furniture pieces for cohesiveness. “We focus on the material first, designing and making within the constraints of each material,” he explains. “We’re all about minimising the number of processes and details to highlight the natural beauty, using good materials, and making pragmatic decisions to create a practical and functional end product.”

Craig and Jessie sold their flat not too long ago (see the listing here on The Modern House). We can’t wait to see what they do with their new space. In the meantime, let’s tour their first renovation project.

Photography courtesy of The Modern House.

Above: Craig chose soaped beech wood for their kitchen cabinets. “I learnt about soaping furniture whilst working at Carl Hansen & Son. It is a traditional and very commonplace finish in Denmark and across Scandinavia, which uses natural soap flakes dissolved in water to build layers of protection on the wood. This gives timber the closest finish to a raw state. Soaped furniture…picks up grease from hands and in this case cooking. I love this expression of human interaction and the story that is told through this patina.”
Above: In a small space, a wall of cabinets would have been overwhelming, Instead a slim floating shelf with metal rail and hooks is both useful and beautiful. Along the same lines, an integrated refrigerator is critical in downplaying the kitchen-ness of the space. Just beyond the small hallway is the bedroom.
Above: Our favorite feature in the room? This drying rack drawer. “I was fortunate enough to visit John Pawson’s Home Farm and got a bit of a tour from John himself. In the small breakfast kitchen, he had a sliding tray that held a toaster, kettle, and coffee machine in a similar location [next to the refrigerator]. Due to the proximity to the sink in our case, it made sense to use ours as a draining rack drawer, to hide away the drying dishes.”
Above: Craig also built the floating bookshelf, the console under it, and the dining set. “I made everything in the flat apart from the sofa, all with the same approach,” says Craig. The stove is from Smeg.
Above: Another view of the area opposite the kitchen. The pine floorboards, original to the home, were sanded and refinished with soap as well.
Above: “The table is oak, along with the long bench, and the stools are ash. I love how all of the varieties of timber unify when collaged together.”

See also:

• Kitchen of the Week: Rethinking Perfection in a Cabinetmaker’s Own Kitchen
• Steal This Look: Making the Most of a Small Kitchen in Vancouver
• Carved in Wood: The Bespoke Home of a Self-Taught Carpenter and an Interior Designer

N.B.: This story originally ran on November 14, 2024 and has been updated.

Above: “Currently dreaming of adding a sweet Bonni outbuilding to my garden,” writes Fan, “even though there are two insurmountable obstacles in my way: I don’t have the space, and the company is based across the Atlantic in Oxfordshire, UK.” Read more nevertheless in Object of Desire: Bonni Outbuildings.
Above: Gather ’round: a minimalist fire pit keeps the patio comfortable long into the cooler months. See our picks in 10 Easy Pieces: Modern Wood-Burning Fire Bowls.
Above: Reimagined, the driveway becomes not just a prettier spot to park but an extension of the garden—perfect for perching with morning coffee. Take a look at a few ideas in Yes, You Can Park Here: Naturalistic Permeable Driveways.

For much more, including tasks to do in the garden now that fall’s officially here, head to Gardenista.

Above: The Nordic Knots Acre 01 Rug (also shown in the featured image above) is handwoven in small batches from abaca; it’s currently available from the EU site only, from €1,495.
Above: The Design Within Reach Indra Indoor/Outdoor Rug, shown in Tide, is currently on deep discount: $858 for the 9-by-5 size. It’s also available in grey fog.
Above: The Sloan Indoor/Outdoor Rug is available in six colorways; from $119.90 from Quince.
Above: The Danish AYTM Redono Rug in taupe is available at Nordic Nest.
Above: The Annie Selke Samson Handwoven Indoor/Outdoor Rug is $498 for the 5-by-8 size.

Above: The Ferm Living Hem Rug is made from repurposed PET yarn; starting at $145. Likewise, the Way Rug is also made from PET yarn; $425 for the 5×7 size from Lumens.

Above: The Nanimarquina Tres Outdoor Rug, shown in black, is made of recycled PET to adapt to environmental conditions; starting at $2,545 at TRNK.

Above: From Swedish brand Pappelina, the Mono Rug, shown in Granit, is available in a wide range of hues directly from Pappelina.

For more rugs, see our picks:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Washable Rugs, Neutral Edition
• 10 Easy Pieces: Solid Gray Area Rugs
• 10 Easy Pieces: Neutral Wool Area Rugs

N.B.: This post was originally published on April 10, 2013. We have updated it with new products as well as current pricing.

The Sighting

Above: Spotted in the Italian interiors: a great-looking iron candle holder (alongside a sculptural chair by Dale Stephens of TMPL Studio). But what of the candle holder?

The Source

Above: Aha: The candle holder in question is a vintage wrought iron number, circa the 1960s; this one (from Proantic) has since sold, but similar ones can be found via antiques retailers and dealers online. Or…
Above: …Or, consider one of a slew of wrought-iron candle holders, available online. This Twisted Wrought Iron Candle Holder, for example, is $40 from Cottage Home.
Above: From Nickey Kehoe, the more stately Forged Iron Candelabra is $80.

More Reconnaissance:

• Silver-Tipped Lightbulbs, Always a Bright Idea
• Sculptural Table Lamps Made From Scrap Paper
• Versatile Yellow Stools in a Philly Art Studio

A designer, artist, and photographer, Elisabeth happens to be the originator of Fine Little Day, a Swedish creative studio that produces “objects with actual personality,” such as posters and patterned fabrics: not long ago we spotlighted Fine Little Day’s Combination Showroom and Shop. So when Elisabeth invited us to see the seaside escape she and Dennis recently built for themselves, we eagerly accepted. What would the two want if the choices were all theirs?

Surprisingly, the property they bought came with a derelict house and plans for its replacement—”the builder [Kustbyggarna] who also sold the land had hired Marieke DeGraeve, an architect friend, so he could offer a package solution. We loved the site and Marieke’s drawings right away,” explains Elisabeth. Of course, much personalizing and fine-tuning of the plans followed. Come see.

Photography by Elisabeth Dunker, courtesy of Fine Little Day (@finelittleday).

Lower Level

Above: The steel-framed, pine-paneled house is located Bokenäs, the northern-most part of Sweden’s west coast and overlooks a fjord. Marieke DeGraeve, who is Belgian and based in the area, notes that the spot offered “two remarkable strengths: pine trees on one side and sweeping sea views on the other.” It also presented distinct challenges: a relatively narrow footprint and shifts in elevation.

“The essence of the design lies in bringing these elements together,” DeGraeve continues. “The terrain made it possible to create an engaging split-level configuration resulting in a sequence of spaces that frame the forest and open toward the horizon.” Shown here is the back of the staggered structure, which opens to the kitchen. The house’s entrance upstairs leads to the living area and bedrooms.

Above: “We enjoy simple luxuries, passionate craftsmanship, and effortless aesthetics.” This is Elisabeth’s Fine Little Day philosophy, which she and Dennis applied to their new home. Operating on a tight budget—”we had to build it in stages and switch banks to get financing”—they finished the interior with “honest materials”: pine plywood and radiant-heated, polished concrete floors, resulting in what Elisabeth terms, “a house that does not ask too much.”

Dennis, who is a physician, happens to also be passionate about design: he sketched the kitchen table and benches and their carpenter built them—and all of the cabinetry—on site. The fringed bench cover is a vintage handwoven röllakan runner from a second-hand shop. The red Rey stool is by Hay (and currently on sale at DWR). Ulla, their beloved companion, is a Boston Terrier.

Above: The kitchen cabinet interiors are from Ikea finished with custom plywood fronts. The Arch Straight Pendant over the table is a Johan Lindstén design for Swedish lighting line Oblure. The range is a Bertazzoni: “best stove we’ve had: fast, practical, and good looking.” The laminated birch wood Rutig Tray, $53, is one of Elisabeth’s own designs available from Fine Little Day.

Entry Level

Above: A glimpse into the living room surrounded by pine woods. Elisabeth and Dennis saved by using plywood paneling and concrete flooring throughout, but splurged on, among other things, a heat pump and under-floor heating. Adding a basement and attic skylights were also big expenses.
Above: The denim-upholstered convertible chairs are from Ikea: they’re a 2025  reissue of Tajt, a design by Gillis Lundgren first produced in 1972. The collection is part of Ikea’s Nytillverkad collection, only available in Europe.

The wooden cubes are a signature of Elisabeth and Dennis’s living quarters: these were made by their carpenter and are used throughout as tables and storage.

Above: The sofas and chairs double as lounges and extra beds. The hall doors lead to the bathroom and two bedrooms.
Above: Elisabeth and Dennis found their pendant lights—Pia Mandarin faceted fabric lights designed in the 1940s by Swedish architect Tore Ahlsén—in a vintage shop. They came out of a library and required cleaning and rewiring, enabling Elisabeth to choose red cording. The stairs in the back lead down to the kitchen and up to a mezzanine.
Above: Elisabeth designed the Water Lilies Wool Blanket on their bed. It’s paired with Evelina Kroon Field Cushions, both from Fine Little Day.
Above: Classic, affordable square white tiles and black grout in the main bathroom. By adding a basement, they were able to put in a mechanical room, laundry, and second bath downstairs, freeing up space here for a bathtub.

Mezzanine and Attic

Above: The mezzanine serves as a second hang-out spot—so that even when the house is full with family and friends, it never feels crowded.

Note the homemade storage cubes. And also the free weights: in recent years, Elisabeth, who says she was never in the least bit athletic, has become a fitness powerhouse and inspirational leader: see her doing pull-ups on Instagram @elisabethdunkerr and stay tuned for her book on becoming fit in middle age. “Hormones broke me,” she writes. “Strength put me back together.”

Above: Built-in storage cabinets throughout “swallow” just about everything and keep clutter out of the picture. Note the balcony safety net: “it’s the kind of netting used in soccer goals,” says Elisabeth. “The light passes through it beautifully, and it gives off a bit of a sea-life feeling.”
Above: The attic hideaway has bedding from Marimekko. The artwork is Fine Little Day’s Anthill Poster, $71, by Karin Cyrén.

Out Back

Above: The house’s pine exterior is finished with iron vitriol, a one-time, brushed on layer that adds a patina.
Above: Welcome to the North Sea’s Gullmarsfjorden. Elisabeth and Dennis built the house envisioning a place they would eventually want to retire to—but understandably soon found themselves spending as much time here as possible.

More Scandi seaside retreats:

• A Coastal Norway Home Built (Almost) Entirely from Dinesen Flooring Scraps
• A Design Couple’s Modern Danish Summerhouse for Rent in Liseleje
• A 1970s Cabin Makeover on the Danish Riviera
• A House of Douglas Fir in a Forest in Denmark

Above: Tensira’s cushion covers, mattress covers, tablecloths, and kitchen cloths are designed in Paris and handmade in Guinea. Now through the September 28, use discount code REMOD20 to take 20 percent off your purchase. To peruse, head to Tensira.
Above: With code GARDENISTA20, extend Galanter & Jones‘ up-t0-20-percent-off Fall Pre-Sale through October 6. Good on their Kosmos (pictured) and Apollo collections. The heated seating (warms up to 120°F) comes with a three-year warranty. Photograph by Laure Joliet, courtesy of Galanter & Jones.

Happy browsing!

Above: Fall has us craving fresh-looking interiors. Case in point: this week’s The Architect at Home: Saba Ghorbanlinejad’s Compact Paris Apartment. Photography by Mary Gaudin for Saba Ghorbanalinejad.

• On our wish-we-could-go-to-this list: “Los Angeles Sets a Table” at Ravenhill Studio; going on two upcoming Sundays: September 27 and October 4.
• Who knew? This Japanese kettle might look like it’s been severely…squished, but it boils water much faster.
• London Design Festival is going on now (wrapping up September 20). Here are nine must-see exhibits.
• Also spotted in London: this “One Tool, One Stool” exhibit (on view through this weekend).
• New lights from Beata Heuman!
• Just in time for lounge season: We love the laidback look of Mimi, Hay’s newest sofa line.
• Provincetown’s coolest restaurant just opened a cottage rental we all have our eye on.
• Kostas Anagnopoulos and Jesse James’ newest venture is a restaurant and it looks just dreamy. “The interiors, the food, the flowers, all of it,” says Fan.
• Gardenista friend Lindsey Taylor will be leading an art tour and foraged floral arranging workshop at Magazzino Italian Art in Cold Spring, NY, on Sept. 26.
• An A+ roundup of stylish outdoor shower setups.
• ORCA’s September drop of vintage watering cans is already sold out, but it’s a good reminder to source vintage for your outdoor needs. (Check out Etsy.)
• Our kind of bouquet.
• We’ve written about Hollister House in Washington, CT, before, but this video really brings the stunning garden to life.
• And ICYMI, 14 of the Best Independent Nurseries, According to Garden Pros.
• Psst.: In tomorrow’s Extra, Extra, we’ll have exclusive discounts at Tensira and Galanter & Jones for subscribers looking up to cozy up their couch and patio for the cooler months. Stay tuned!

In 2025, Saba acquired a 47-square-meter apartment in an Art Deco building overlooking the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. Its conventional cellular layout largely ignored the view, so she consolidated the living spaces along the park-facing side and moved the bedroom to the quieter courtyard. The bathroom was treated less as a room than a series of functions woven into the plan, with full-height pocket doors allowing the apartment to shift between openness and privacy.

The apartment also gave Saba the opportunity to explore the materials she had long imagined for herself: warm okoumé, stainless steel, black lacquer, and deep-blue mosaic. The resulting look is rigorous but not austere, its more emphatic elements balanced by pale walls, tactile surfaces, and the trees beyond.

This is the first home Saba has designed for herself, and its success lies in how naturally it accommodates the day. “I particularly love the morning ritual of using the bespoke vanity and bathroom, getting ready for the day, and of course looking out towards the park,” she says. “Those everyday moments are what make the apartment feel most successful to me.”

Photography by Mary Gaudin for Saba Ghorbanalinejad.

Above: The palette combines Blanc Anzèr (CH1 0026) walls and a continuous microcement floor with okoumé, stainless steel, high-gloss black lacquer, and deep-blue mosaic.
Above: Saba removed the apartment’s cellular arrangement and consolidated the main living spaces into one room spanning its two park-facing windows.
Above: A Charlotte Perriand Les Arcs Light on the wall.
Above: The characterful living room is designed with plum-colored velvet, deep orange, and a rotation of flowers.
Above: Michel Ducaroy 1973 Togo seating in the living room.
Above: Raised above the floor, the kitchen was designed to read as a suspended piece of furniture rather than a technical installation.
Above: The kitchen incorporates a Bosch cooktop with an integrated extractor and a Dornbracht Tara Ultra tap. Above is a vintage Space Age Double Arc Mushroom Wall Lamp by Dutch manufacturer Dijkstra.
Above: A vintage Scandinavian dining table is paired with Brutalist chairs. Beyond the windows: the treetops of the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont.
Above: A detail of the 1960s Brutalist T-chairs and a framed Joan Miró lithograph behind.
Above: A view into the bedroom reveals the integrated okoumé wall storage and space-saving pocket door.
Above: The nearly 10-foot-high shower is lined from floor to ceiling in deep-blue glass mosaic by Hisbalit and framed in marine-grade okoumé.
Above: In a niche by the entrance, the basin and tap rest on a bespoke stainless-steel support. The mirror, soap dispenser, and toothbrush tumbler are mounted directly to the wall.
Above: Instead of allocating a separate room to the bathroom, Saba distributed its functions throughout the apartment.
Above: Set in front of the glazed partition, Saba’s bespoke vanity has pivoting drawers in place of conventional runners.
Above: Architect Saba Ghorbanalinejad at her own bespoke vanity.
Above: The bedroom was relocated to the quieter courtyard side. A glazed partition separating it from the shower admits natural light into the bathroom.
Above: A 2.6-meter-high sliding door in high-gloss black lacquer turns the bedroom into a self-contained suite. When closed, it reflects the park’s trees.
Above: A quiet corner of the bedroom showcases an architect’s clever trick: creating a built-in wall shelf behind the bed to replace the need for bedside tables which would otherwise occupy precious real estate in the compact footprint.
Above: The former apartment floor plan cut the 47-square-meter (500 square feet) space into two main rooms with the kitchen situated closer to the bedroom than living space.
Above: In just four short months, Saba executed her design, creating one open space for living/dining/cooking and moving the bedroom to the courtyard side of the apartment.

For more work from Saba Ghorbanalinejad, see our posts:

• Plan Study: A 1970s Apartment in Oberkampf, Paris, Reconfigured by Saba Ghorbanalinejad
• A Once-Dormant Stone Barn in the French Countryside, Reimagined by Saba Ghorbanalinejad
• Multiplying Light and Space: A Compact Paris Apartment with a Vintage Quality
• Kitchen of the Week: A White-Out Kitchen Extension in Paris from Saba Ghorbanalinejad

We discovered the Japanese collection at the New York design show Shoppe Object and admired its economy of line and material—each piece is made of stainless steel and has a problem-solving purpose. Now, we all want skinny spoons for narrow jars and mini combs for shredding scallions.

Above: Eatco’s utensils are crafted in Japan’s metalworking hub, Tsubame-Sanjo. Tools shown here include Hasami Shears, $59; the Toku Egg Whisk, $24; and Sulu Mortar and Pestle, $39, all from Chef Knives to Go.
Above: Eatco’s Saji Slim Long Spoon is for reaching into narrow-necked receptacles.
Above: The Saku Leek Cutter’s sharp blades also slice scallions and green onions for garnishing salads, soups, and noodles; $26.95 from Akazuki.
Above: Never go chasing errant kernals with the Poro Corn Peeler; $16 from Kiriko.
Above: If unspreadable butter is your pet peeve, Eatco has a solution. The Nulu Butter Knife’s perforated blade creates soft strands. One edge is serrated for cutting bread and the handle is angled up for cleanly resting the knife on the table; $19.95 from Kiriko.
Above: The Muku Avocado Cutter, $24 from Chef Knives to Go, is another multipurpose invention: the compact, cupped knife can split the skin, remove the pit, and scoop or slice the flesh.

More of our favorite kitchen finds:

• Editors’ Picks: A Dozen Vintage Kitchen Tools We Swear By
• The Refresh: Japanese-Style Sinkside Accessories
• 10 Easy Pieces: Essential, Low-Tech Kitchen Tools

Originally built for industry workers’ children in 1966, the school was abandoned in 2010: “It had been mothballed. It looked like there had been some kind of event that had caused the pupils and staff to flee at speed, leaving everything behind. The exterior was pretty rotten. the roof leaked, and windows were broken,” she says. Surprisingly for the duo, seeing the building “at its worst amplified the majesty outside.” The modernist property on the banks of the narrows between Loch Eil and Loch Linnhe clearly had huge conversion potential.

Space and budget were key priorities at the time. The couple had been living in Edinburgh for 10 years and had always rented somewhere large enough for both of them to have a home studio. However, when their landlord decided to end their long tenancy, they struggled to find somewhere affordable to live and carry on their creative practices. Exploring industrial spaces was one possible avenue, which eventually led them to the 300-square-meter school and to a whole new chapter in the West Highlands.

From the moment they moved in, “the work was full on for around five years.” Ziggy (aka Lomond Campbell) had just released his debut album, and one track in particular, The Lengths, seemed to sum up the long road that lay ahead of them. Susie became the project manager and builder while Ziggy tried to bring in cash—a mortgage was out of the question due to the non-standard commercial status and dilapidated state of the building—and help in between work trips. Neither of them had any renovation experience but had studied sculpture and were practicing creatives. “It turns out that this armed us with a lot of problem-solving skills and an ability to look at any new task as an opportunity to explore a new process,” Susie says.

In addition to rebuilding a place to live and a place to work, the couple transformed the original school kitchen into a rental annex to allow architecture, art, design, and nature lovers to enjoy a peaceful break in the Highlands.

Let’s have a closer look at their clever renovation and unique apartment offering.

Photography by Matt Butter, David Van Dartel, Megan Redden, and Mark Newton, courtesy of  The Lengths Studio.

Above: From an old school kitchen to a stylish, self-contained 25-square-meter annex, Susie and Ziggy’s modernist conversion offers a kitchen, living/dining area, bathroom, bed nook, and private entrance in a stunning location. As throughout, the “design was dictated mainly by the building itself and the colors around it,” says Susie, adding: “We have an attachment to everything in there. Every artwork, piece of furniture, and fixture has a story and a good human behind it.”
Above: “It’s satisfying when you come up with a way to retain some of the history of a space,” says Susie. In that way, Susie and Ziggy decided to reuse the hotplate framework from the school kitchen, then replaced the worktop and shelves with cast concrete and refitted the original sink. The extra unit for the cooker and hob echoes the original framework. Small but well-equipped, the kitchen is bright and uncluttered, and the pegboard wall mount is the perfect showcase for the owners’ midcentury and Japanese-inspired finds. Note the still life by Susan Castillo and the repurposed terrazzo trivet.
Above: The cozy bed nook used to be the school cupboard; the bathroom was the sluice cupboard and exterior entrance into the school kitchen. By moving the doorway into the studio to another wall, the duo was able to increase the room they had to create the bathroom; removing the modular wall panel between the cupboard and kitchen allowed space for the nook and a king-size bed.

The couple got a lovely surprise when they started stripping the plasterboard off of the walls and learning about the building’s structure. The 1960s prefabricated school was designed using Vic Hallam’s Derwent System, which allowed for easy expansion or division of spaces. “The walls were constructed using beautifully built modular panel frameworks, held together with coach bolts. To change spaces we were able to unscrew the panels and refit them into their new position without lifting a saw,” says Susie.

Above: The warmth of wood and mustard awaits in this cleverly remodeled bathroom featuring a deep Japanese-style bath, copper rainfall shower, and a 1930s mirror passed down from Susie’s grandmother.
Above: The owners do not take simple comforts for granted after experiencing a couple of “pretty tough Highland winters” when they first moved into the damp, leaky ruins. Today, guests can relax and enjoy the warmth of a wood-burning stove in the living/dining area.
Above: An annex with a view. Stay there long enough, house-binoculars in hand, and you may spy osprey, white-tailed eagles, buzzards, or otters. Or, ship-gaze, lose yourself in a book, or admire a painting by Vivien McDermid, one of several pieces exchanged by artists who took part in the couple’s earlier barter-based creative residencies. The sheepskin-clad lounge chairs are from a “very kind friend.”
Above: “Eat in the Scottish al fresco style (inside with the door open),” just a few meters from the shore. The dining table was a relic from Susie’s grandparents’ house, and it took the couple a whole year to clad the building (i.e. “burning, wire brushing, oiling, burning (again) 2,500 linear meters of Siberian Larch… with one roofer’s torch.”)
Above: Artist owners Susie Brown and Ziggy Campbell enjoying a moment with their Border Collie, Bo.
Above: The view of the docks across the loch. The old primary school was built for workers’ children during the Highlands’ industrial boom in the 1960s. “The local community felt that the building was an eyesore” when the couple first moved there, they say.

Despite suggestions to pull down the building, the couple were intent on renovating the existing structure. “With creativity and vision, so many old buildings could be repurposed; this in itself is a win for the environment,” says Susie. From start to finish, they reused materials left in the school, salvaging flooring, resizing doors, and repurposing windows for their future greenhouse, for example.

Above: As the Before and After photos  testify, the renovation was a true labor of love, carried out by listening to “the history of the place, the environment, and most importantly, to the building itself.”
Above: The surroundings: ancient woodlands, mountains, a loch, and a working ship’s dock.

For more information about The Lengths studio, and to book a stay, head here.

N.B.: This story originally ran on January 29, 2026 and has been updated.

It’s the brainchild of fashion designer Jamie Blakey and travel journalist Julia Ashwood, who got friends in creative fields to invest and worked with sustainability minded design-build firm Balanced Earth to create a splashy, sybaritic retreat. “Like a rock and roll afterparty from the seventies,” is how Ashwood described their vision to Vogue Australia.

Blakey and Ashwood reveled in the details—note the vintage craftsman furnishings and JB Blunk monographs—and Sun Ranch has quickly landed on top travel lists all over. Tag line stitched on the back of the robes: “Hotel of Good Times.” It’s been a profitable venture, too: the place sold last year for more than $15 million (Blakey, Ashwood, and investors paid $3.9 million in 2021 and poured two years of work into it). James ane Sophie Raper, the mystery buyers, reportedly plan to continue operating the resort as is.

Even if a visit isn’t in the cards, the design is worth seeing: you might consider applying some of these retro ideas in your own good-time quarters.

Photography by Anson Smart, courtesy of Sun Ranch.

Above: In addition to transforming the original ranch house and building six off-grid barns as guest quarters, the Sun Ranch crew regenerated the property by “welcoming” 10,000 native plants and trees. Balanced Earth also added solar panels and rainwater tanks all over.
Above: The original structure is now The Rambler Long House, home to The Lair, the sunken hangout where breakfast is served. Note the built-in lounge in tiger-print velvet. The beaded hanging light is one of several custom pieces artist Lana Launay made for Sun Ranch: see our recent story on her natural material sculptural lamps.
Above: Guest quarters feel like the sort of places, says Ashwood, “where a band would escape to create an album, or perhaps Jack Kerouac would write a novel tucked up by the fire.” The barns have paneled-wood interiors, each with two bedrooms off an open-plan living area.
Above: The barns also have full kitchens with bars of recycled brick and Astra Walker copper faucets—go to our DIY Plumbing Trend Alert to see more.
Above: A barn living room with custom daybed and vintage live-edge burled root table. The resort’s wool rugs are hand-woven in Argentina for Pampa, an Australian line with shops, fittingly, in Byron Bay and Venice Beach, California,
Above: Hand-carved chairs and a claw-footed table on a barn deck. The furnishings throughout are a mix of vintage and artisan made, some of which Blakey and Ashwood picked up on a road trip around the American West.
Above: Shades of terracotta, avocado, and golden yellow in a bedroom. The bedding is French linen. Find similar washed linen sheets and duvet covers at Merci.
Above: Not your grandparents’ ranch bathroom: painted paneling, geometric tiling, and Astra Walker’s copper piping Eden Shower Set and Eden Sink Set.
Above: Shades of red can look restful. Pool Suites have painted headboards and Lana Launay hanging lights.
Above: Pool rooms also have private lounge areas with chaises for two and outdoor showers.
Above: A suite with a wood-burning stove, Lana Launay stitched paper light, and in-room kitchen/bar. Admiring the tapestry? We found a vintage Handwoven Wall Hanging just like this one on Etsy for $175—it was purchased in Scottsdale, Arizona, by the seller’s mother about 45 years ago.
Above: Is it time to reconsider living with combinations of orange, yellow, and red? The tiles throughout are from Artedomus.
Above: The mineral pool is built from basalt gathered on the property. Nearby wood-fired sauna and ice bath included. Yes, there’s also horseback riding at the ranch, as well as a “cosmic cowboy extras” like cacao ceremonies and tarot readings. Go to Sun Ranch for more.

An easy segue to seventies style and color? See Hawkins New York’s Hardware Essentials.

More immersive retreats:

• Les Bain Guardians: White Horses and “Conscious Hedonism” in France’s Camargue
• Hotel Wren in Twentynine Palms
• Quinta do Pinheiro: A Portuguese Farm with Guest Cottages and Nearby Beaches

N.B.: This story originally appeared on August 1, 2025 and has been updated.

Above: Designed by Michele de Lucchi for Alessi, the Plisse Drip Coffee Maker features an automatic start button; $350 at Alessi.
Above: Fellow, makers of sleek coffee accessories, offer the Aiden Precision Coffee Maker: pour-over-style coffee made from an ultra-modern, all-black machine; $399.95 at Fellow.
Above: The Ratio Six Coffee Maker Series 2 emulates a manual pour over with a bloom cycle allowing grounds to settle before pouring additional hot water; $379.95 at Williams-Sonoma.
Above: The Smeg Retro 10-Cup Drip Coffee Maker comes in a range of colors, shown in white, for $259.95 at Nordstrom.
Above: The xBloom Studio Coffee Machine includes a grinder, brewer, and scale while mimicking a pour-over with a rotating stream of water; $599 at xBloom.
Above: The Moccamaster by Technivorm KBGV Select 10-Cup Coffee Maker “perfectly synchronizes grind, brew time and temperature to brew world-class coffee in just six minutes,” ideal for mornings on the go. It’s available in a slew of finishes; $369.95 from Williams-Sonoma.
Above: The Coffee Maker by Swedish brand Aarke has stainless steel components (also featured in our roundup of 10 Easy Pieces: BPA-Free Coffee Makers); $400 from Aarke.
Above: The Breville Luxe Brewer Glass Drip Coffee Maker (shown in Almond Nougat) allows for “one-button brew” or cold brew options—or a totally customized brew of your choice; $319.95 from Crate & Barrel.
Above: A complete brewing machine making brewed coffee, cold brew, and espresso, the Bruvi BV-01 Brewer comes in Cream & Sugar (shown) and all black; $338 at Bruvi.
Above: Simple and pared back, the Zwilling Enfinigy Glass Drip Coffee Maker has a wide stainless steel showerhead “to evenly moisten coffee grounds, an aroma tube for superior circulation, and a blooming function that releases carbon dioxide from the grounds for a smooth, pleasant taste.” It’s currently on sale for $169.97 from Nordstrom Rack.
Above: The simple Café Speciality Drip Coffee Maker in brushed stainless steel with copper-colored accents features wi-fi connection and brews up to 10 cups across four different settings; currently on sale for $299.95 at Williams-Sonoma.

For more coffee culture accessories, see our posts:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Glass Coffee Pour Overs
• 10 Easy Pieces: Stovetop Espresso Makers
• 10 Easy Pieces: The Best Espresso Machines
• 10 Easy Pieces: Coffee Grinders

N.B.: This story originally ran on May 15, 2024 and has been updated with new and updated images, products, links, and pricing.

Above: A look at the clever nightstand: It’s suspended from thin ropes so that it can hang down–or stow away when not in use, not unlike a tray table on a plane. (Note the wooden latch up top.) Photograph by Edouard Sanville.
Above: The nightstands in another guest room. All you need to give it a try: a plank of wood in a finish of your choice (and a small block or bracket underneath to help support it), two lengths of rope. and a wooden latch (often called a “turn button” or “turn button catch”). Photograph by Florian Touzet.

For more simple DIY ideas for the bedroom, might we suggest:

• DIY: A Simple, Fresh Headboard Hack
• DIY Idea: Effortless Window Coverings with Hardware Store Supplies
• 11 No-Buy Room-Changing Ideas

N.B.: This story originally appeared on August 22, 2025 and has been updated.

It’s the kind of easy swap we’ve long admired. But where to source such a silvery bulb? Read on.

The Sighting(s)

Above: Our reminder of the enigmatic appeal of chrome-tipped bulbs came from Frederik and Caroline’s kitchen, where they’re paired with simple white sconces (and some creative work with the electrical cord). Photograph courtesy of Reform from A Family Kitchen in Copenhagen with Uncommon Style.
Above: But we’ve previously admired silver bulbs, too, including in the French home of French stylist and costumier Céline Sathal, where a solitary silver bulb hangs from the ceiling. Photography by Eefje de Coninck for Remodelista from La Vie en Rose: Inside a Costumier’s Dreamlike, DIY Maison in France.
Above: And small chrome bulbs replaced regular white ones in Sarah Lonsdale’s own California bath, as seen in 10 Tips for Transforming a Rental Bath on a Budget. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

The Source

Above: Silvery lightbulbs are easy to source. The keywords you’re looking for are “half-chrome lightbulb” or “silver-tipped lightbulb.” Shown is the 60W G40 Chrome Tip Bulb, $14 from Rejuvenation, and other options are widely available from Nostalgic Bulbs ($4.95), Ace Hardware ($7.99), Lamps Plus ($3.98), and Home Depot ($9.89).

For more design details uncovered, see:

• Remodelista Reconnaissance: A Cane-Back Rocker in a Designer’s Summer Bedroom
• Remodelista Reconnaissance: Interior Shutters in a Workstead-Designed Retreat
• Remodelista Reconnaissance: The Ideal Ceramic Coffee Cups, Sans Handle

N.B.: This story originally appeared on September 9, 2022 and has been updated with new products and pricing.

Few among us, though, can claim to return from a trip and build an entirely new house inspired by the local architecture spotted while on vacation. But such is the case with Vikki, the globe-trotting client of Australian architecture firm Curious Practice. “Vikki traveled extensively through Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands and was taken by the sense of connectedness and kindness of family in the more traditional regions,” says architect Warren Hasnoot, explaining the unconventional design of her Newcastle beach house.

Instead of bedrooms shunted into hallways, they are open to the main open kitchen and living area to encourage congregation and connection. Instead of doors that close people off from one another, there are blinds for temporary privacy. And instead of layers of plaster and molding and paint on the walls, the frame of the house was left exposed and unfinished, a choice that fit both the client’s budget and preference for honest materials. (All told, the project came in at just under $400,000.)

“The brief was always described as a flexible home that could accommodate different family arrangements, but mostly Vikki spoke about the grandchildren and an interesting place for them to explore and feel safe,” says Warren.

By these measures (and more), Curious Practice has succeeded. Let’s take a tour.

Photography by Katherine Lu, courtesy of Curious Practice.

Above: One of the challenges of the design for Vikki’s Place (the project name) is that it’s sited in a flood-prone zone, but that also “became the project’s greatest opportunity,” says Warren. “The [design] is non-conventional in comparison to its neighbors. However, this is something more houses are going to have to deal with in relation to increased extreme weather patterns and rising sea levels.”
Above: The living happens on the second level, above the carport and entry courtyard. A simple kitchen with plywood built-ins and stainless steel countertops greets visitors. From the architect’s statement: “An interior of craft and honesty is prioritized over style or glamour.”
Above: The kitchen bleeds into the living room.
Above: “The client said they wanted no plasterboard, they described it as a ‘dead’ material,” says Warren. “The fine—and at times playful— resolution of the ‘unfinished’ and raw materials allows the inhabitants flexibility and opportunity to express themselves.”
Above: Two bedrooms are lofted and open to the public spaces. The multiple levels encourage playfulness and exploration.
Above: Blinds for the two bedrooms and and a sliding door for the bathroom (center) provide a little privacy.
Above: “The materials used are only those which are required, and the maker’s mark is celebrated through exposed construction detailing with everything on show. This approach is reinforced through the design of open joinery, exaggerated plumbing, and custom light shades.”
Above: One of the bedrooms with ample light.
Above: The smaller bedroom fits just a bed.
Above: There are multiple opportunities via sliding glass doors for easy indoor-outdoor living.
Above: The only truly discrete room is the studio, which has a separate entry from the shared balcony.
Above: The studio bedroom has its own kitchenette and bathroom.
Above: One of Warren’s favorite features turns out to be the carport: “The idea of a carport instead of a garage is so much more appealing when you consider how the space can be used when unoccupied by a car. The way this space connects to the gardens and how it becomes an outdoor room protected from the sun and rain was a nice surprise.”
Above: The street-level view from the carport.

For more minimalist architecture, see:

• Raw Materials: A Minimalist Longhouse on Denmark’s Fanø Island, Starring Plywood and Clay
• Outside In: A Multi-Generational Retreat on Whidbey Island Welcomes Nature Inside
• Minimalist Perfection at LA’s Maru Coffee

N.B.: This post was first published May 2021.

My first visit to Hudson was last November, two days after a massive windstorm had swept through the Hudson Valley and taken nearly every fall leaf with it. I loved the town anyway, but I knew I needed a redo. This summer, my husband and I finally made our return, trading bare trees and frigid walks for hydrangeas, afternoon swims, thunderstorms, and more antique shopping than our luggage could reasonably accommodate. 

We drove up from New York City and made our first detour before we even reached Hudson, stopping in Millerton, where I promptly bought a gorgeous vintage rug from a shop on the main street. By the time we reached our destination, I had fully mapped out our future life Upstate. Below, my highly opinionated guide to Hudson.

Photography by Adam Szafranski.

The Amelia 

Our home base for three nights was The Amelia, a charming B&B and historic old home just off Warren Street that quickly became part of our daily routine. After spending the mornings walking around town, eating, shopping, and then eating some more, we’d retreat to the backyard pool for the afternoon, surrounded by towering hydrangeas and grasses. 

One day, we struck up a poolside conversation with a woman who writes for The New York Times. Naturally, we ran into her again later that evening while drinking martinis at what had, within roughly 24 hours, become our favorite bar in Hudson. More on that in a few. 

Hudson Diner

After a long, winding drive up from New York, we wanted exactly three things on our first night: a burger, a cold martini, and somewhere we didn’t need a reservation. Hudson Diner delivered on all three. 

Circles Bagels 

I was not prepared for the sheer size of my bagel at Circles. It was enormous, delicious, and just what we needed before setting off for another full day of walking Warren Street and convincing ourselves that, yes, maybe we could get that chair back to Seattle somehow. 

Bartlett House 

About a 10-minute or so drive outside Hudson in Ghent, Bartlett House was one of the places I knew I wanted to revisit from my first trip. The café and bakery are housed in a gorgeous historic building. We sat outside on the front porch overlooking the garden below, coffee in hand. 

The Maker Hotel / Serre 

For one of our dinners, we decided to splurge a little and booked a table in the conservatory at The Maker Hotel, in their newer (refreshed) restaurant, Serre. Dinner was excellent, including one of the best roast chickens I’ve had, and our server was hilarious. But the real show arrived toward the end of the meal, when a thunderstorm rolled over Hudson. Within seconds, the entire restaurant went quiet. All you could hear were the clinks of forks and knives against plates while rain pounded against the glass ceiling overhead.  

Red Dot Restaurant & Bar 

And then there was Red Dot. 

A family friend who grew up in Albany told my husband and I that we had to stop in at least once while we were in Hudson. 

We went three times. 

Two of those visits were in the same night where we closed down the bar with our new favorite bartender (Lionel), whose phone number we somehow left with, alongside a handful of local regulars we’d met. The drinks were great, but what stuck with me most was the hospitality. Red Dot is one of those increasingly rare establishments where you walk in knowing no one and somehow leave feeling like you’ve been coming there for years. It’s something I wish more restaurants and bars, frankly anywhere, could recreate. 

We never actually made it past the bar, which gives me an excuse to return to try the restaurant. Next time we’ll be having dinner in the back garden. 

The Shopping 

We were so excited about all the shopping to be had in Hudson that we purposely packed light to leave room in our luggage for our return trip.  

Our final haul included the aforementioned vintage rug from Millerton, a canvas painting from The Modern Exchange, a metal basket from The Antique Warehouse, and an assortment of small tchotchkes collected from shops along Warren Street. And, of course, we stopped at FINCH, which manages to combine an exceptionally good home and furniture assortment with men’s clothing and accessories. 

The best discovery required no purchase at all: spotting our very own Gardenista book on display, looking quite at home and in good company. 

Until Next Time 

By the end of three nights, Hudson had officially carved out a special place in my heart. I can very easily imagine my husband and I living there one day, whether part-time or full-time, with a garden, an old house that probably needs far more work than I’m anticipating, and, apparently, a small bar where everyone knows each other. 

Besides, moving there may ultimately be the more practical choice. How else am I supposed to buy all the furniture that won’t fit in my checked bag back to Seattle? 

Above: A tech- and clutter-free work space for a clear head. Photograph by Paul Massey, from For Your Inspiration: 19 Home Offices We Love, Remote Work Edition.

• How awesome is this? The Brooklyn Public Library has just launched a craft library! Patrons can check out crafting supplies like knitting needles, screenprinting equipment, crochet notions, even a metal stamping kit.
• Learn to make a hand broom—for free—at the Metropolitan Museum of Art today, from 1-4 pm. No need to register. (Hat tip: Annie.)
• Cool collab alert: St. Frank x Artifact Uprising photo albums.
• DWR’s semiannual sale is happening! Take 25% off everything, up to 40% off on select products.
• A willow basket-weaving class at Stissing House that includes a country lunch? Sign us up. Details here.
• The ghostly fabric-paneled pendant light trend continues. We recently spotted this version (by Ladies & Gentlemen) in a project by Landed Interiors.
• Another trend that has legs? Swagged fabric as headboard. Annie first wrote about it here and just spotted it again here.
• Maybe our wardrobe closets could all use a yellow stool?
• Ooh, a new Ikea collection.
• “The Latest Wealth Flex: Big Trees.” Discuss.
• Planning a wedding? We found the sweetest DIY for you.
• This tour of renowned landscape architect Dan Pearson’s inspired low-impact farmhouse in Somerset is a must-watch. (Hat tip: Fan.)
• Autumn lawn chores, sustainable edition.
• An artist’s illustrated guide to “East Hampton’s secret garden of unusual trees.” (Hat tip: Laura.)
• We’ll be revisiting this video over and over until summer returns next year.

Granted a five-year rental lease—which they recently extended—they took a sensible approach and overhauled the interior economically with a lot of white paint. And then they made a mobile to hang in their cavernous new quarters. The Alexander Calder–inspired brass design caught the attention of friends, who immediately asked for their own. That was by request and entirely local until Rivka started posting as @lpln.de on Instagram. In the past  few years, Lappalainen has been fielding orders from around the world; look and you’ll notice Lappalainen mobiles all over Instagram in the homes of a certain band of Scandi-loving aesthetes from Amsterdam to Tokyo. Count us among the admirers; a while back we presented their work—see Object of Desire—and today we’re exploring their headquarters.

Photography by Marc Krause for Lappalainen, unless otherwise noted.

 Living Quarters

Above: The 400-square-meter (approximately 4,305-square-foot), two-story warehouse had been empty for five years when the couple decided to move in. “It was old and dirty, the water pressure left much to be desired, the windows were thin, and you could hear the wind whistling throughout the entire building,” Rivka tells us. “But we signed the lease right away.”

“The top floor, where we live,” she explains, “had been a party house, divided into six rooms, each a different color. We tore down some of the walls and painted everything white from floorboards to the wooden beams.” The result is a room that fulfills many functions: a dining area that can seat up to 10, a simple kitchen, a home office, a play area for their three-year-old, Maria, and a cozy living area.

Above: Lappalainen’s [product id="968730"]Black Dots[/product] mobile, $377 via their Etsy shop, hangs in the work area. The desk came out of the office of a Frankfurt book publisher and the sideboard is a vintage Danish design.Art on the gallery wall includes paintings and prints by Silke Bonde, and photographer/blogger Riika Kantinoski of Weekday Carnival.

Above: The extra-long table—two joined Ikea dining tables—is surrounded by Arne Jacobsen Series 7 and René Jean Caillett fiberglass chairs.

The top floor has 54 windows. Though the building is equipped with “an ancient oil heating system,” the family instead relies on wood stoves, one on each floor (see top photo). “It’s a lot of work to constantly carry firewood, but it creates a wonderful and romantic warmth,” says Rivka.

Above: Lappalainen mobiles were joined by are a collection of handmade [product id="992022"]Brass Candleholders[/product]; $84 each.
Above: The kitchen is divided from the dining area by a rolling work table made by Wilfrid. He also made the articulated light over their Ikea sink and over the last few years has been working on a Lappalainen lighting collection. The door leads to a pantry and just out of view on the left is a large metal army locker painted white and used to hold pots and pans and tableware.

The lights hanging over the dining table are Louis Poulsen’s iconic PH 4/3 Pendant Light, which are known for being glare-free: “They don’t dazzle when you sit at the table; they make the most perfect light,” says Rivka.

Above: The couple’s young daughter, Maria, has her own work table. Her child-size broom is from a Montessori shop.

The floor, Rivka says, was painted with a water-based paint and has to be redone every year: “It’s a lot of work.”

Above: Maria’s wood toy stove is a Schöllner from Echtkind. The illustrations above it are by Dutch artist and fellow Insta sensation Saar Manche.
Above: The piano came from Rivka’s grandmother, who was a piano teacher. The family love to make music and sing together. The candleholders are a Danish classic, the ByLassen Cubus design.

Note Maria’s toy storage in baskets on metal and wood shelves made by Wilfrid. “One shelf is hidden immediately behind the sofa, so that the first glimpse of the room is calm rather than toy-filled,” says Rivka.

Above: A homemade birch ply daybed and midcentury sofa anchor the living area. The brass-and-glass nesting tables have since been moved out—”they’re too dangerous to have with a young child.”
Above: The new coffee table is a round design from the seventies. The white loveseat is the [product id="602087"]Klippan[/product] from Ikea with a slipcover that gets washed several times a month: “We often have dusty clothes from working downstairs, so a top priority here is that all the furniture is easy to clean.”
Above: The all-white main bedroom is tucked under the rafters.
Above: A metal locker holds Rivka’s jewelry and makeup. Children’s books are stored in a wicker jardiniere from a flea market in France.
Above: Maria at play in her older sister’s room with a moody blue wall (and a space heater for warmth in winter). The stacks of books are awaiting a new shelf. Wilfrid made the long-armed brass light using a fifties shade. Photograph by Rivka Baake.

Studio

Above: The 200-square-foot workshop is on the ground floor. When the couple took over the space, there was much to remove, including ivy-covered boards on all the giant windows and a stage.

Wilfrid made the sculpture by wrapping branches in iron and then burning the wood away. The articulated lights are a forthcoming Lappailanen design.

Above: Half of the space serves as a showroom and meeting area.
Above: A 1960s black leather sofa, flat files, and Lappalainen Brass Mobiles.
Above: The green-legged work table came out of a tailor’s shop.
Above: A stump and other tools of the trade. All of Lappalainen’s designs are made by hand in the workshop.
Above: Brass and copper cutouts for mobiles.

The Building

Above: The building is made of multicolored brick with a band of clerestory windows over the formerly boarded-up tall windows. The couple are glad to have recently extended their lease: “the life we lead here with work and family under one roof is just right for us,” says Rivka.
Above: Terracotta tiles cover the entry and roof. Go to Lappalainen to see more.

Explore three more artists at home:

• A Ceramic Artist’s Enviable Life on the Scottish Coast
• Hudson Valley Hues: At Home with an Inventive Textile Designer
• A Textile Artist at Home on the Hampstead Heath

N.B.: This post has been updated with new links; the original story ran on January 14, 2018.

Above: From Avolt of  Stockholm, the Square 1 Power Strip has three electrical sockets and two USB-C ports, all outlet-ready for North America. It also comes in several colors; $26 from Wms & Co.

Above: Shinola’s die-cast metal 2 Port Power Supply, $225, is made in Michigan by Byrne Electric.
Above: The Counterpart USB-C Charger—”a charger that respects your space”—has a clever retractable cord and a plug that folds flat for travel; $45 from Wms & Co.
Above: The Counterpart Colorblock, $45, is a limited edition, two-toned charger available directly from Counterpart.
Above: Ikea’s compact Västmärke wireless charger, $9.99, “works with most mobile phones when used with a compatible magnetic case.” The cable can be wrapped around the inner core for travel.
Above: The Verve Triple Power and Charging Outlet, another made-in-Michigan Byrne product, has a walnut case and fabric-wrapped cord. It’s $179 from Room & Board, which also offers Single Power and Charging Outlets; $149.
Above: Power everything at once—Lexon’s silicone rubber Peas Hub-C power strip; $29.90, has two USB ports and two USB-C ports.
Above: Most Modest’s Niko Power Strip—a favorite from our book Remodelista: The Organized Home–is made in the US of white ash with a colored knitted cable cord; $235.45 from Lightology.
Above: LightCorp’s powder-coated metal Nik Power, $325 from West Elm, delivers charging where you need it by clamping onto desks and tables, and can be customized with additional AC or USB ports.

Go to the Remodelista Home Office archives for more finds and inspiration, including:

• 3 Ways to Create a Home Office Anywhere (And Put It Away at the End of the Day)
• Interior Designer Suzanne Pardij’s Tiny, Lovely Home Studio, DIY Brass Pegboard Included
• Home Office Aha!: Københavns Møbelsnedkeri’s Fabric-Covered Pinboards from Denmark