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This minimalist home outside of Antwerp was designed by AIDarchitecten with a simple black swing hanging underneath its covered patio. Photo courtesy of AIDarchitecten

An Egg swing from Patricia Urquiola’s Maia collection for Kettal sits in the garden.

Campbell’s Little Bird swing flies high alongside modern classics like the Eames shell chairs and Saarinen Tulip table.

Inspired by skateboards, the swing seats are made of European oak. “At first we tried bigger boards, but you can’t sit on them,” Parzyszek says.

This trapeze was made by my trapeze teacher when I was living in San Francisco and going to circus school. I lived in a big Victorian house with roommates. The ceilings were so high I could hang the trapeze and practice at home. Now, my kids are taking over: it's the first thing they do when they get up and the last before going to bed. The rug is an old kilim from Turkey; the Eames lounge chair is the one from my living room growing up in Paris (That is a testament to the great quality of this 30-something-years-old chair); the couch is from Room & Board. -Sophie Demenge

In the home of Dwell founder Lara Hedberg Deam, her child's room features Maija & Kristina Isola's Sola bedding for Marimekko.

Carpenter Matti Salminen, a family friend, built the birch cabinets and island for the kitchen of a new home outside of Helsinki. The architect, Tuomas Siitonen, situated a lofted family room on the mezzanine above.

The Cross Island, the new kitchen design by Ludovica+Roberto Palomba for Elmar is an elegant version of a trestle table, unusual for the kitchen, but the slim and light design creates an airy atmosphere in which to work. “For us the kitchen is always a room to work in,” said the designers. “We have given this island an innovative trestle shape to emphasize the idea of the cook working like an artisan." The Cross Island has a steel top with an integrated hob and sink, and is supported by three sets of steel legs. The casual design invites guests into the kitchen, making this work space a hub for entertaining and blending function and fun.

Gliss swivel stools and a Dowel bar stool share space in front of a custom maple kitchen island. The pendant lamps are by Lightolier.

The kitchen island, with a Raven countertop from Caesarstone’s Classico Collection, is illuminated by a set of April pendant lamps by WAC Lighting.

Bruce and Kirsty loved the idea of a kitchen island rather than traditional work surfaces around the walls. Bruce fancies himself a chef and hates to have his back to everyone when he’s cooking. This island, from the Boffi LT line designed by Piero Lissoni, allows guests to gather around for impromptu sushi rolling or casual breakfasts.

Opening onto the open-plan living and dining rooms, the aluminum Bulthaup System 20 kitchen with its nine-foot-long stainless steel island and Miele appliances has become a focal point of the house. Pressed in one seamless sheet of steel, the island, Picard says with the obvious pride of a satisfied customer, “is an amazing piece of engineering.”

Avid cooks, Jinhee and John spend part of every day around their custom-built kitchen island, surrounded by Compasso d’Oro barstools. The island is on castors, so it easily moves around the kitchen as needed. An edamame plant on their patio occasionally provides leaves for Korean dishes.

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Get the whole family involved in the kitchen, whether it be teaching young ones a tried-and-true recipe or exploring a new dish together.

Nicolas Gervais designed the pendant lights above the kitchen island, which was designed by Plasse and built by woodworker Stéphane Bilodeau.

Soft-toned wood finishes are the perfect touch for white kitchens with black countertops. The ribbon-mahogany seen here was built by Andrew Greene of Potomac Woodwork.

Architect Kevin Alter integrated wood from the original bungalow into the kitchen and covered the island in Carrara marble, with an interior clad in wood. A long table extends from the side of the island, and wine storage is integrated into one end of the island. New appliances include a Wolf range, a Broan hood, and a Miele oven and refrigerator. The Fucsia pendant lights are by Achille Castiglioni for Flos.

The smooth, raven-hued island in this kitchen is made of oak with a thin stone countertop. A Foscarini Gregg Pendant hangs overhead.