Living spaces

The living room is furnished with a cherry-red Rest sofa and ottoman by Muuto, a Nest footstool by Foersom & Hjort-Lorenzen for Cane-Line, and a Redondo armchair by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso. A Kast modular storage unit by Maarten Van Severen for Vitra sits under the television.

The family room contains furniture reminiscent of Ligne Roset’s Togo collection and a CH 07 egg-carton lamp by Salvadoran designer Eugenio Menjívar.

The acclaimed Italian designers Ludovica + Roberto Palomba carved a serene retreat out of a 17th-century oil mill in Salento.

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.

Norman Millar and Judith Sheine designed the built-ins in the living-dining area, which were made from vertical-grain Douglas fir. Vintage Dutch industrial chairs are arranged around a black walnut dining table that, like the madrone coffee table, is by Urban Hardwoods.

Marimekko's spring/summer 2015 home collection, the work of Finnish artist Kustaa Saksi, features patterns and products inspired by the sea.

A 200-year-old factory in Umbria is transformed into an inviting home by designer Paola Navone. In the seating area, a trolley found at a flea market functions as the coffee table alongside an expansive Navone-designed sofa for Linteloo. Custom pendants by photographer Mark Eden Schooley hang above the dining table. Photo by Wichmann + Bendtsen.

The residence is located on Crosby Street, which is part of the landmarked SoHo Cast Iron Historic District. Once a manufacturing and industrial area then an artists' enclave, the neighborhood is now a retail hub. This particular loft used to be a light bulb factory, which informed the renovation's materiality. All of the natural light enters the apartment from the living room windows. 590BC worked with Tamara Eaton Design to furnish the interiors, which holds a mix of refined and rough-hewn pieces. A vintage Harry Bertoia chair holds court with a B&B Italia sofa, shag carpet by Shansom Rugs, steel side table from Global Views, and steel Arco coffee table from Room. Throw pillows upholstered in fabrics from Upstate, Maharam, and Romo add punches of color. Photo by Frank Oudeman.

Floor Play Subverting the traditional, conservatively cozy British barn conversion, Carl Turner created a getaway in rural Norfolk for himself and his friends to visit, repose, and consider the beauty of agrarian minimalism. In the converted barn, a modern fireplace with a sleek, shiny chimney contrasts with the wide, reclaimed wood floorboards and textured exposed brick wall.

Goneau highlighted the red brick wall in the living room by leaving it bare and protecting it behind museum-quality glass. The space also features a floor-to-ceiling window that’s coated on the outside with a reflective film, letting residents keep their curtains open by day without fear of being seen from the street. The green sofa is by St-Laurent Domison and the white oak chairs are by Hans Wegner. All other furniture is custom.

The interiors of Hugh Smallen's 1963 Becker House are accented by a rich blue that connects the two levels, while a vibrant yellow draws attention towards the living room.

The Design Files Open House 2013 features furniture by Jardan, like the Nook sofa in the living room. Shown here are pillows by Bonnie and Neil and L.O.T.S, and a coffee table by Dinosaur Designs and The Forty Nine Studio. Mondrian Blue wall paint by is applied to the rear wall. Photo by Phu Tang.

A row of Nahtrang pendant lights creates an axis, anchored by the enormous custom bookcase framing the dining room artwork. The seating at lower left is the ASA Armchair by Bernardo Senna; the dining table charis are by Martin Ballendat for Anima Domus.

A wider look at the impromptu gallery wall.

The living room features an eye-catching Tiuku grandfather clock by Covo. The Gus sofa is from Lekker.

The picture wall is adorned with images collected from family, colleagues, and estate sales. ”I kill plants, so cacti are our friends,” Peter says of the succulents along the low table behind the Design Within Reach sofa, just over which an Established & Sons Font clock keeps time.

Concrete stairs leading up to a sleeping loft are illuminated with wall sconces.

A cozy reading nook fits underneath the stairs, saving floor space in the 1690-square-foot home.

Sam Shah and Anne Suttles asked architect Kevin Alter to renovate their 1920s bungalow in Austin, Texas, and add an addition, which contains a living area downstairs and an office upstairs. They tucked an office nook under the stairs; the Eames chair is a hand-me-down from Shah’s father.