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Joshua rigged a hanging closet for $45, using a kayak holder and PVC pipe. The system went through a couple of iterations, and there is a "hole graveyard" on the ceiling, he says, along with a stray pulley left over from an earlier version. "I like seeing the progress," says Joshua, who streamlined his wardrobe so it would fit in his new closet.

The roof was extended over an outdoor patio to give it cover and ensure that it’s a comfortable space on both hot, sunny days, and in the rainy spring, or fall.

Douglas fir laminated beams hover over the stairs that run from the top floor to the roof garden. The couch is by Sentou, while the chairs are from Vitra

New custom walnut cabinetry syncs with the rest of the built-ins throughout the home, to create a pleasing rhythm in the open plan. The backsplash is Heath Ceramics tile, and the counter is Pental Quartz. Open shelves at the rear overlook a cozy den, and allow sightlines out the new windows at the front of the home.

A gorgeous quartzite slab covers the custom white oak island, chosen to match up with the flagstone floors.

"You can see [with] this building how the design is in the small details and at the urban scale," says Cynthia.

The space below the stairs in this revamped Brooklyn brownstone was turned into a cheerful play area for the clients' two boys. "We built an egg shaped 'nook' underneath the staircase, and filled it with soft ‘pebble’ pillows," adds architect Frederick Tang.

A new stair wrapped in a metal cocoon and painted with bright blue leads up to the attic which the couple converted into the primary bedroom.

One of the tricky things about low bed frames is that bed linens are designed to hang off the mattress, usually down past a box spring. So if you’re letting your mattress rest directly on the floor or are placing it on a platform bed, you'll want to let the sheets and covers flow evenly onto the platform so that it looks considered, yet casual.

The architects removed the shutters and swapped in casement windows. Benjamin Moore Gray now coats the brick, and a metal roof protects the porch.

Stylist Hilton Carter turned a wooden tiger head into a vessel for an air plant. Without knowing anything about the item’s origins, he thought it was fate when years later he stumbled upon similar objects while in Mexico for his wedding.

Michael Benjamin Lerner of the band Telekinesis collaborated with local prefab builder NODE to build a 392-square-foot DADU in Lerner’s Seattle backyard. The builder took care of design, permitting, site prep, and the foundation and framing. Michael tackled the finish work.

New storage, multifunctional pegs, and pegboards help a New York City lawyer make the most of his 710-square-foot apartment. In the foyer, StudioKCA turned a closet into a valet area.

A view from the mezzanine reveals how white walls, finished in lime-based mineral plaster, gently diffuse light through the space. Aside from the bathrooms, the architects steered clear of barriers and doors to maintain a sense of openness.

Inside, tile flooring was replaced with concrete. The freestanding, kiva-style fireplace was in working condition when the couple bought the house, but the wall of windows behind it was obscured by plantation shutters and plastic treatments. Today, the living room is bathed in sunlight and new dual-pane glazing frames the Santa Rosa Mountains in the distance.