When JAC Interiors was commissioned to revive an old 1,200-square-foot Hollywood home, the clients—a young couple who the designers call "fun and quirky"—requested the firm find a way to transform the space with as little construction as possible. The fireplace is a custom-made, three-dimensional feature that stands in stark contrast to the soft woods and white walls that make up the rest of the room.

The architects added a small circular skylight to serve as a vertical focal point in the center of the fifth floor. The quarter-sawn white oak risers produce a beautiful rippled grain highlighted by the abundant natural light.

Kastehelmi Cake Stand Professor Oiva Toikka's Kastehelmi, Finnish for "dewdrop," evolved from a technical challenge when Toikka started using glass droplets to cover joint marks left on the surface of pressed glass pieces. The result was a popular range of glassware decorated with beads of glass that glisten like dewdrops in the morning sun.

Just what the weather ordered: a handsome umbrella stand by Umbra.

Every lady in the Dwell office has admired the Arbor Jewelry Stand by Quebeçois designer Zoë Mowat more than once. $425

Traditional veneered jewelry chests feel stale. Freshen up the modern boudoir with the Arbor Jewelry Stand by Quebeçois designer Zoë Mowat. A detachable dowel supports hanging necklaces and bracelets while snug colored platforms keep tiny pieces safe. $425 from the Dwell Store

Humanscale's QuickStand height-adjustable desktop station can be outfitted with the OfficeIQ system, the idea being that you don't have to purchase all new equipment if you'd like the feature. Click here to learn more about shopping for ergonomic office furniture

Simultaneously sculptural and pragmatic, the undulating form of the W Magazine Stand’s molded plywood is both pleasing and useful. It’s compact enough for small spaces, though you may be loath to cover up the figurative grain pattern of the walnut with your magazines.

A small recess is built into the wall, acting as a side table.

Pork Chop, the dog, has plenty of comfortable places to nap between meals.

In the kitchen, Dedo stools by Simone Simonelli for Miniforms pull underneath a poured-in-place concrete countertop.

Linen Place Mat From festive gatherings to everyday breakfasts, the Linen Placemat adds warmth and style to any meal. Made from durable and machine washable 100% linen, the Linen Placemat from Fog Linen Work will become softer with each use making it ideally suited for everyday dining rituals and special occasions.

The original leather sofa introduces an additional texture to the living room, and loud wallpaper brings a splash of visual interest. JAC also incorporated a new loft railing and ladder to climb to the next level.

Jansen+Co Cake Stand Young Dutch design house Jansen+Co adds to its growing collection of brightly colored ceramic servingware with cheerful pedestal stands. Layout cupcakes, pies, cake of course, or anything you want to display on your tablescape. Traditional form meets contemporary styling in the minds of Jansen+Co founders Anouk Jansen and Harm Magis. Find this item at the Dwell Store.

ARTEK 115 UMBRELLA STAND Modernist designer Alvar Aalto interprets his iconic sculpted birch form into a utilitarian and elegant umbrella stand. Made from shaped, naturally lacquered wood with a brass tray base to catch extra moisture, the Umbrella Stand 115 is a stylish resting place for rainy day necessities.

An industrial take on the cake stand, this hardy piece by Tom Dixon is made of durable steel plates.

From Plywood Office, the Rack of Coats takes a necessary household accessory—a coat rack—and reimagines it as sculpture. The Rack of Coats is defined by its graceful curves, which are created from steam-bent solid wood that is sourced domestically from a small Wisconsin mill. Beneath the curved wood coat hooks, the Rack of Coats includes a convenient table, providing storage space for keys, coins, mobile phones, or even a purse or work bag.

Tool Stand We love this galvanized Tool Stand for it's simplicity, beauty, and versatility.

There's plenty of beach reading on hand.

The team makes highly specific custom pieces, like hand-welded jewelry displays and an art installation by Sarah Sze, as well as its new line of off-the-shelf hardware and accessories, like the Burner Stand mirror (shown here). Photo by Stuart Goldenberg.

Another view of the master bedroom.

From Japanese company Yamazaki, the Recycling Bag Stand is an innovative accessory designed with urban living in mind. The simple accessory unfolds to a standing position that can hold several plastic bags—from grocery shopping, takeout, and other errands—enabling users to directly recycle plastic containers, cans, and other items into the bags.

The table’s base, which itself is an additional storage container, rolls easily into place to support the surface.

The home created by Patternity, the design duo comprised of Anna Murray and Grace Winteringham, plays with geometric shapes.

The collection of essays places the foundation in context with historical ways of organizing knowledge while anticipating new methods and systems for handling information.

Crawford's design incorporates various audio-visual elements. "We had two projections on loop," she says. "One is a film of all the daily actions and rituals that take place in any home throughout the course of a day. The second is a stop motion slideshow of all the objects and 'things' we touch and interact with in the course of a day. These run to a soundtrack that captures the sound of home, and are offset by a fragrance we have developed with London-based fragrance expert Azzi Glasser. We wanted to capture the smell of an old sofa, aging wooden floorboards, and extension cables."

Placed Places by William Wegman

KANVA designed this addition to an existing warehouse in Montreal's industrial east end as the headquarters for a mid-sized landscaping firm. Transparent and opaque elements intermingle to create an open space reminiscent of a greenhouse.

A built-in nightstand in the bedroom.

"We wanted to create a sensory installation that engages visitors with sight, sound, smell and touch," Crawford says. "The hope is that people will connect to these and be triggered to think about their own experience and the concept of home."

The Studioilse installation by Ilse Crawford is a multisensory experience showcasing the "layers of life" within somebody's home.

Place Saint Sulpice in Paris.

The home contains a trio of kaleidoscopes that create optical illusions.

Opening in September of 2012, The South Place is the first hotel project by restaurateurs D&D London who nestled this new 80-room Design Hotel on the extremities of Shoreditch, making it a go-to for well-heeled creatives and their bespectacled cohorts. Conran and Partners peppered the bright rooms with macro houndstooth loungers, craft gin stocked minibars, and glass-sided tubs—a daring and sexy take on the ubiquitous clawfoot. Rooms from $299.

MU Flatware Place Setting, $90 at the Dwell Store Created by award-winning Japanese architect and designer Toyo Ito for Alessi, this distinctive cutlery set draws on the tactile sensation and minimalist look of chopsticks.