Furniture designer Pat Carson created a plethora of custom fixtures for this guest room, including a riveted aluminum Murphy bed. The best Murphy beds raise and lower easily, often requiring only one hand. This unique wall bed employs a hand-cranked wheel-and-pulley system.

Two San Francisco art and travel addicts overhauled a loft—and customized a pair of shipping containers—to accommodate their collection and reflect their passions.

In the guest bathroom, Givone installed a hand-chiseled sink made of 17th-century marble quarried from the hills outside of Rome.

“The old living room and balcony on the sixth floor were transformed into the master bedroom with an en-suite open bathroom,” Hammer said. Flos lighting illuminates the space above the vanity.

Burnt Credenza 07 by Rob Zinn

In the Spotlight“I’m a huge proponent of lighting as architecture,” says Nix, who suggests illuminating objects instead of empty space. “Light on an object creates ambiance.” In their apartment, they’ve trained track lights from the Polish company LightArt on the Cube, as well as on the handmade cabinetry. The fixtures, which Novak-Zemplinski describes as “good quality and inexpensive in comparison to more well-known brands,” are also installed at the MoMA in New York. lightart.pl Practical DecorationOne of the secrets to living neatly in a small apartment, says Nix, is lots of storage space. To that end, the couple built big cabinets along the walls. To create a sense of visual unity throughout the eclectic but compact space, the couple hand-carved the tree pattern from the kitchen into these cabinet doors (from a template) using an electric router. It’s more than ornament: The cutouts eliminate the need for jutting cabinet pulls. biolinia.com

Designed by Kaj Franck in 1945, the Toto Wooden Dolls are turned from wood and hand painted. Each of the dolls features clean lines and primary colors, which show a conscious continuation of the Bauhaus legacy—something the savviest kids will appreciate. The Toto Wooden Dolls are a historical design gift that make a decorative accent when not in use.

LLaumett refers to the extended patio as its own entity—a calm place to sunbathe or stare out to the ocean at any time of day. It is made of pine and covered in an opaque Osmo glaze. The chairs were constructed by the owners.

A closer look at a Wallpiercing.

A closer look at the typography.

The family sits around, and under in the case of four-year-old Kaz’ma, the sunken table for a snack. Makiko made the covers of the mats her mother sent from Japan by hand. The black lamp is from Ikea.

Architect Thor Olav Solbjør of SAAHA uses wood to communicate with the surroundings. When building out a 750-square-foot addition to a country home in Jar, Norway, set amid pine forests, his team used charred cedar, a traditional Japanese building material created with charcoal to develop a simple black box that adds space without taking away from the surroundings.

The owners, a couple who work at home, clamored for more space with the new addition. Solbjør created dramatic entrances, such as these stone steps leading into the kitchen, to heighten the contrast between the old and new.

Solbjør and his team utilized traditional Japanese techniques to create the midnight-black cedar exterior. Leftover wood from the owner’s farm was charred with charcoal and then stained with ink to add additional depth and a rich tone.

A simple black box in many ways, the Ankersvingen Annex succeeds with its simplicity; it adds space without subtracting from the surroundings. “It was a really neat connection between the house and garden, which was totally lacking with the existing architecture,” says architect Thor Olav Solbjør of SAAHA. “We took the stunning views of the fjord as the starting point.”

More hand-woven lighting by S.C. Vizcarra.

A closer look at the CDs. They were painstakingly hand-joined together with lengths of twisted wire.

It was vital for Solbjør to highlight the home's expansive view of the Oslo fjord.

The airy new bathroom contains no traces of the somber exterior finish.

Bower is releasing a series of mirrors that were sourced and cut in New York City.

Made in the Pacific Northwest with 100% USA beeswax, the Totem Candles are a sculptural take on a home decor staple. Hand-turned on a lathe, each of the candles features intricate elements that are reminiscent of traditional woodcarving.

Solo Hand Pump Sprayer, $15 at solousa.com Florists and landscapers love Solo's built-to-last goods, like this handheld mister that gently quenches any plant's thirst.

The main inspirations for the interior design were Palm Springs modernism and David Hockney's painting A Bigger Splash, which lent the space its burnt-orange walls and pastel accents.

A closer look at "Power Up."

A closer look at the Gramophone Chandelier.

A wider look at the building's siting.

Workers then sand the chair forms by hand.

View of the interior looking toward the door.

Another pick for the bathroom—these hand-carved soapstone bowls and trays from India are appealingly earthy and organic.

The cup's 13-ounce interior tracks your consumption and issues suggestions accordingly—for example, once you input your height, weight, gender, and other metrics, the Vessyl will tell you how much water you need for a day’s worth of hydration. If you’re hitting the soft drinks, it’ll show how much sugar you’ve consumed as well.

Created as a collaboration between Meg Callahan and Hawkins New York, this handmade quilt is inspired by sailor’s knots and the skies of the American west. The hand stitching recalls traditional American quilting techniques, while the screen-printed graphic gives a decidedly modern feel to the quilt. The 100 percent cotton quilt is both graphic and subtle, making it a bedding choice that suits a variety of interior spaces.

The Murphy bed is raised and lowered by a a hand-cranked wheel and pulley.

Entrance door having brass flowers and heavy wooden hand craving

A gift that is both festive and functional, the Totem Candles from Grain are hand-turned on a lathe, giving them the look of carved wood. Made in the United States from 100 percent beeswax, these candles are available in three distinct sizes.