County Farmhouse Cottage

Thomson notes that the uniformity in the property is a nod to minimalism, but there are small details that distinguish one room from another. The size of the flooring tiles, which are heated, change in size from the front of the home to the back in order to create a “varied rhythm,” he says. The timber ceiling is painted with Farrow & Ball’s Charleston Grey.

Farca also designed the custom millwork throughout the house, such as the swinging door leading into the dining room. The leather Siren dining chairs are by Holly Hunt.

The historic Tudor details of the home, including dark wood floors, a stone fireplace, panel wainscoting, and crown molding, were all characteristics the homeowners loved....they just wanted the home to feel lighter, with a design sensibility that read more modern and less traditional. Along with that the home had to be family-friendly and cater to a household with young children. Amy Carman Design chose vibrant turquoise Chesterfield sofas to give bring traditional style into the room while giving it an adventurous edge. The sofa style was also chosen for life with kids-- no matter how children play on a Chesterfield, there will never be cushions to fluff or reshape. Likewise, the upholstered ottoman was chosen for its lack of sharp edges. Mirror: Restoration Hardware. Lamps: Kelly Wearstler.

M. Bedroom detail - Brendan Ravenhill sconces, Ethnicraft side table, Room & Board bed, custom wainscotting

After restoring and renovating the interior of their four-story brownstone in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, Jeff Madalena and Jason Gnewikow—creative entrepreneurs and self-described interiors obsessives—outfitted the historic 1910 space with a minimal black-and-white palette, down to the stair railing and original moulding and wainscoting. Sparse, modern pieces—like a two-pronged sconce they designed for the parlor-floor landing and a Cy Twombly print in the adjacent family room—provide elegant counterpoints to the architecture.

A new kitchen at the front of the house completes the trifecta of reworked rooms on the main level. It fits nicely into the notion of balancing new and old elements throughout the house, with oak detailing married to exposed brick, offset by strip lamps. The Hee bar stools are by HAY, the Caravaggio P3 pendants are by Light Years, and the range oven is from Britannia.

White paint with just a hint of gray dominates the farmhouse, reflecting Kolasiński’s love of bright spaces. The pine wooden floors were also enameled in a white oil imported from Denmark.

Nicknamed the Floating Farmhouse, this 200-year-old home inspired one former copywriter to delve into architecture as a living. Inside, renovator and owner Tom Givone mixes vintage and industrial decor. Photo by Mark Mahaney.

The interior scheme prevents clutter in a variety of creative ways, including concealing a heat pump in the walls and installing flush-fitting LED spotlights. The architects explain, “Since the redesign, the prevailing impression is one of spaciousness, the suffusion of light and simple elegance.” A statement-making Hope Suspension Light by Luceplan is an elegant addition to the living area. The table, which was designed by the architects and fabricated by VHB Memmingen, is surrounded by CH24 Wishbone Chairs by Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen & Son.

A consistent wood palette makes the interior feel cohesive.

In the hall, the designer allowed the original details to resonate. “The old building has a lot to tell us,” she says.

The Wishbone Chair (1949), also known as the Y Chair, marries a hand-woven seat and steam-bent frame. The chair, an undisputed modern icon, has been in continuous production since its introduction in 1950. Inspired by portraits of Danish merchants sitting in Ming chairs, this was the culmination of a series of chairs created in the ‘40s. Photo courtesy Carl Hansen & Son.

In 2005, Gretchen Rice and Kevin Farnham acquired a 1908 home in San Francisco that had been remodeled in the 1940s by well-known local architect Henry Hill. Their series of small interventions have kept the design intent of the 1940s renovation—including an enclosed atrium, wood wall paneling, and unusual built-ins—while updating the home for contemporary living. In the dining area, Metropolitan side chairs by Jeffrey Bernett for B&B Italia surround a Surf Table designed by Carlo Colombo for Zanotta.

Copper Shade Pendants by Tom Dixon over the island contrast the room's light palette, while a white Flos Skygarden lamp over the dining room table blends into it.

The kids room is outfitted with built-in bunk beds.