Interior

The vintage credenza once belonged to the architect’s grandmother, and the framed drawing on the right is by Graham’s mother, artist MJ Levy-Dickson.

A club from the Fiji islands is mounted on the wall of the fireplace that divides the living and dining rooms. The dining room—furnished with two Cab chairs by Mario Bellini for Cassina, a pair of Cowhorn chairs by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen, the Barcelona Table by Mies van der Rohe for Knoll, and a Y61 stool by Alvar Aalto for Artek—has no windows, but lightwells on either side of the chimney provide brightness. Another design by Wegner, the Chair, peeks out from the dining room.

Vignettes of contrasting colors, materials, and shapes frame every corner. A one-of-a-kind chair by Peter Shire sits in the hallway; near the sculptural staircase is a sconce for Yamagiwa and a sterling silver centerpiece for Memphis, both by Sottsass.

Taking cues from their style-conscious clients, Portland-based Jessica Helgerson Interior Design transforms an Amagansett home into a light-filled, Scandinavian-inspired getaway.

Taking cues from their style-conscious clients, Jessica Helgerson Interior Design transformed an Amagansett home into a light-filled, Scandinavian-inspired getaway.

Reading nook and skylight.

This curvy vintage velvet moment feels ripe and rich in a deeper chartreuse shade. Surrounded by midcentury furnishings, this darker yellow sofa projects sophisticated confidence, the kind that only improves with age. Photo courtesy of Studio CMP #chartreuse #colorcrush #color #yellow #design #mydomaine

The renovated kitchen/dining area boasts views of the garden through sliding doors by IQ Glass. Ultratop flooring by Mapei and custom millwork in Lebanese cedar give the space a practical, industrial quality.

Sconces overlook the living room like a pair of eyes. The furnishings of the architect’s design are fully stocked with pillows made from exotic patterned fabrics.

In downtown Singapore, marble, light wood, soft hues, and subtle touches of gold come together to create a stylish, light-filled, and textured apartment. Remodeled by the Singapore-based architecture and interior design duo Takenouchi Webb, Apartment G is a 3,875-square-foot, third-floor apartment near Singapore’s main shopping area Orchard Road, with large sections of glazed windows that look out to lush tropical trees.

Many home buyers are looking for some original or character-defining features.

Eden Locke also holds Hyde & Son, a third wave coffee lounge that turns into a wine and cocktail bar at night. Open to guests and non-residents, the shared space is headed by James Wise, an internationally recognized barista. Here, the warmth of bent wood, cane, wicker, and terra cotta balances the more industrial materials of brass, stone, cement, and steel in a lush, vegetal environment. Explains Grzywinski+Pons, "We amplified the visual warmth of the long Scottish light with an approach that leaned towards the sophisticatedly tropical."

So often, the hotel experience means being confined to a bed. Locke’s bespoke, L-shaped sofas allow guests to lounge, work, or entertain guests during their stay, whether that be one night or several weeks long. The distinctive interiors feature muted pastel hues punctuated by bursts of texture and contrasting color. Amenities like cocktail kits, bespoke toiletries by Locke’s Kinsey Apothecary brand, T2 teas, and Rude Health whole-grain granola are additional touches that help the guest feel at home.

See Carlos and Antoine's Barcelona kitchen in our special 100 Kitchens We Love issue, on newsstands April 5, 2011.

One of the greatest design challenges, according to Franz and Paré-Mayer, was reimagining the dark, unfinished garage space in a way that would “establish [it] as primary, instead of an afterthought to the original floor above.” This was achieved by layering open, linked spaces on the ground floor and sticking to a few carefully selected materials for cohesion and fluidity. There are hardly any hallways in the home; every space serves a function. Polished concrete floors continue throughout the new living level, and a bent metal dining chair with a reclaimed Douglas fir backrest made by Scholz sits in front of an open white oak staircase.

This converted attic in a turn-of-the-century building in Berlin’s Charlottenburg neighborhood has a large skylight close the bathtub, on the side-slope of the roof, which allows one to look up at the sky while having a relaxing soak.