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The captivating and colorful cityscape of Reykjavik, Iceland is composed of both traditional and contemporary architecture. Photo by: Jesse Chehak

The décor at the newly opened MAR Restaurant (December 2012) reflects the historic harbor of Reykjavik. Black treated wood panels conjure up the old harbor houses and pendant lights hang from fishing nets. Local designers Hafsteinn Júlíusson and Karitas Sveinsdóttir of design studio HAF did the interiors, while ceramic designer Guðný Hafsteins created the tableware and graphic designer Siggi Odds contributed with some elements of the décor. Photo by: Tiffany Orvet

Ryan Mastro, "Iceland."

Next door is the restaurant Forettabarrinn. The name means “starters bar” which corresponds with the small tapas-style dishes they serve. Like Netagerðin, the restaurant is also set up as a space to both enjoy what’s on offer or to get work done, or perhaps a bit of both. Photo by: Tiffany Orvet

At the end of the harbor is a small peninsula called Grandi. Here you find Kría Cycles, a truly do-it-all bike shop. They’ll fix your flat tire or build you a custom bike from scratch. They’ll even serve up an Espresso in their café while you ponder the benefits of fixed gear vs freewheeling. Kria was started by Iceland-based English architect turned workshop owner David Robertson in 2009. Photo by: Tiffany Orvet

Hamborgarbúllan is another popular and distinctive restaurant on the Path. It was a coffeeshop until Tommi Tómasson opened his burger shop here in 2004. Photo by: Tiffany Orvet

The Harbour Path, or Hafnarstígur in Icelandic, was developed by architect Massimo Santanicchia together with Mattia Gambardella and Ragnar Már Nikulásson in 2012. It’s a playful painted path that starts at Harpa and continues for about 1 kilometer, connecting Harpa and the downtown area to the Fishpacking district of the Old Harbour. Photo by: Tiffany Orvet

Tom Givone's current weekend abode, nicknamed the Floating Farmhouse, is—so far—his capstone project, a synthesis of personal taste, material experimentation, and historically sensitive restoration: a living laboratory for how to bring the vernacular past into the present.

Overhead cabinets now can be easily swung open for ease of access. The kitchens are priced at IKEA’s usual retails. A 10 by 10 foot kitchen fitted with Sektion cabinets will range from around $1,300 to $2,200, excluding appliances.

Black and white kitchen tiles add visual interest to this stunning modern kitchen by IKEA.

A tiny outbuilding offers a cozy living space inside a simple shell.

As the facade of a Bates Masi-designed home in Water Mill, New York, rises from eight to 14 feet high, the mahogany planks subtly widen. “It was quite a demand to make of the contractor,” architect Paul Masi says. “But the design was so much about traveling through the site and weaving [the house] together with the deck.”

Fed up with flashy, environmentally insensitive beach homes, architect Gerald Parsonson and his wife, Kate, designed a humble hideaway nestled behind sand dunes along the New Zealand coastline. Crafted in the image of a modest Kiwi bach, their 1,670-square-foot retreat consists of a group of small buildings clad in black-stained pine weatherboards and fiber-cement sheets.

And don’t miss the inviting headquarters and shop of reigning royalty when it comes to fashionable Icelandic wool sweaters. They’re called Farmers Market, and their studio at the very end of the peninsula is worth the trek. Photo by: Tiffany Orvet

Northern Lights Bar (Iceland) designed by Minarc, nominated in Café/Bar category.

The family spends summers and school vacations at the bach. New Zealand's relatively mild winters mean they use the house year-round.

Tanya Wexler and Amy Zimmerman linger in the breezeway designed to draw eyes, and footsteps, from the driveway through the house to the gently sloping backyard and swimming pool beyond.

Kex is the Icelandic word for biscuit, and the 132-guest hostel was built in an old biscuit factory on the Reykjavik shore overlooking Mt. Esja in the distance.

A view of the restaurant, Sæmundur í Sparifötunum, which serves fancy pub food made using local ingredients.

The check-in desk doubles as a tourist information booth; the staff can make travel arrangements and book tours.

Kayak in hand, Tom and Will make a break for the beach.

For an extra $10, your room can include breakfast—and the chance to graze at this very attractive buffet.

Steinunn is the fashion brand of Steinunn Sigurðardóttir. Always memorable, Sigurðardóttir has a flair for the dramatic. As does her studio space. Photo by: Tiffany Orvet

Across the street, a multi-use complex-cum-culture house brings together a batch of Icelandic artists from different genres. From great food and music, to designers working with textiles, ceramics, upholstery, and more. Photo by: Tiffany Orvet

For a bit more money than the cost of a dorm bed (though not much more!) you can book a guesthouse-style room with made-up beds and a view of the ocean and mountains on the other side of the Faxaflói bay.

The lobby is decked out with vintage furniture sourced mostly from small American cities.

Shielded from the Atlantic wind, this cozy patio is a popular hangout for visitors and locals alike.

The back wall of the lobby is dedicated to a library and reading area.

Beyond the gas fireplace by Spark Fires, a Ball pendant lamp by George Nelson hangs over a custom cedar table in the dining area.

A view across the display island to a breezeway betweent the house and the garage that Pacek and Roynon created as part of their home addition. They use the space for entertaining and food service when the weather cooperates.

A Lakeside Prefab in New Jersey A New Zealand expat and her son use their prefabricated lakeside New Jersey retreat as an outdoorsy counterpoint to city life. Photo by: Mark Mahaney Curious on what was popular last week? Click here!

IKEA chairs join a table from CB2; a Kawneer triple-sliding door opens to the family’s new ipe deck.

The Irwin pool house designed by Landis Gores in 1957 boasts a central room with high ceilings and an unobstructed view of the landscape. In 2005, the Town of New Canaan purchased the property and added exhibition spaces, as well as rooms for lectures and events. The small pavilion also houses an oversized, monumental brick fireplace design that divides the main space from the kitchen area.

The exterior mixes pale gray wood on the vertical volume, and fiber cement and black brick on the horiztonal volume. The three trees in the front yard were maintained during the renovation process.