Japan

The western wall, folded like a paper screen to provide strength, adds another jolt of visual interest.

The Wall Lamp is the simplest yet most adjustable of all of the fixtures in the Workstead line by Brooklyn-based design duo Stefanie Brechbuehler and Robert Highsmith. It can be utilized as a wall sconce, reading lamp, ceiling washer or even a task light. Shown here with a companion lamp, the Workstead Wall Lamp can be grouped with other wall lamps to create a versatile and graphic display. Complemented by a handsome black shade, the lamp is an elegant and flexible frame for a single bulb. The wall lamp is crafted from iron, steel, and brass in India.

The couple’s love for cooking and entertaining led Schultz to design a storage wall of wine that displays the bottles. The kitchen is articulated with sculptural Kartell Masters stools around the kitchen island.

The bedroom is painted white with one blue wall and built-in shelving. Wood floors, largely rugless, are luminous and wheelchair friendly.

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Color is deployed to grand effect in the space. The achieve the cerulean hue, the architects specified commercial acrylic paint and developed a hand-rubbing technique to control the opacity. "We're interested in common materials and creating space which is familiar and develops character and life with age," David says. "We look forward to the blue wash and soaped surfaces wearing in and the painted floor being reapplied and thickened."

IdeaPaint comes in a clear coat that can be applied on top of any color scheme.

Micene by Moonish, $324 per 36-tile box Made from formaldehyde-free plywood, the wall tiles can be configured in myriad ways. The magnetic mounting system is a boon for renters or frequent movers.

White-and-blue, wood-grain–patterned UonUon tiles by 14oraitaliana line the bathroom walls in a loft above the garage.

The eponymous founder and principal of Michael K. Chen Architecture resuscitated a four-story, 3,600-square-foot home in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood that was built in 1895 and had been abandoned for 20 years. Its newest owners—a tech investor and an art teacher at a public school—were inspired by the playful color palette that was still apparent underneath the building’s decay. "We had epic color palette meetings, looking at deck after deck for paint colors that spoke to us or provoked a particular sensation,” says Chen. “You don’t look at the color, you inhabit it.”

The library holds a wall-size blackboard for the Bancrofts’ four children, with a colorful permanent piece by local artist Derek Phillips.

Doors in every room open up entirely to the garden.

The entry sequence starts with a humble and compressed space that expands upon entry. The front door is made of repurposed wood.

The view down from the bathroom window provides a closer look at the white and green pendants that Annemie made from glass found at a flea market. The doors and windows were crafted by carpenter Peeters Schrijnwerkerij, the side tables are custom, and the chair is a vintage find.

In the main living space, a glass-and-steel bridge is suspended above the kitchen area, becoming a viewport that draws the eye towards the lake.

This stylized vintage trailer is the image of small-scale luxury.