Selects

The home took six years to complete, but the accompanying indigo studio came together in around a year.

Mesdag is already at work building his next house — this one with wood dyed with his own indigo.

Plaster walls and stone countertops bring texture and earthiness to the space.

The sink and countertop are one piece of hand-carved river stone — eight people were required to carry it inside. “It was so heavy it scratched the floor when they brought it in,” says Mesdag.

Though the family often cuddles up at night in the central bed, there are private spaces for the kids if and when they need them.

Nato Studio added new lights to the already remodeled kitchen, including TK pendants over the island and sconces from Triple Seven. “For the lighting selections, we were looking for very natural materials that have a timeless feel, like brass and milk glass, as opposed to bringing in something that looked too contemporary,” says Cuttle.

“There was an art to the renovation. We wanted to bring the house into the 21st century while also paying homage to its history,” says architect Cristina Graff.

The couple opted for IKEA Lerhyttan cabinets, but sourcing was a challenge. "You can't really preorder the elements, so every Monday at 9, I'd be on their website to see what other elements I could find,

In legendary designer Jens Risom's home, the painted white brick fireplace is flanked by wood bookshelves that join to form a mantle.

Konstantin Grcic’s Venus chairs for ClassiCon surround a table by Poliform in the formal dining room. Hill selected the Flos chandelier designed by Marcel Wanders for its "Old World reverence." The sleek fireplace mantel was designed by Hill and cobbled together onsite from three solid slabs of limestone.

In a converted church in Connecticut, a modern fireplace and mantel design incorporates a ledge that functions as a bench and place for holding artwork or extra firewood. Above the fireplace, a Warhol collage is surrounded by a papier-mâché sculpture of no special provenance, a Vigliaturo glass piece, and a Picasso plate.

Architects Anne Marie Lubrano and Lea Ciavarra limited the material selection in their renovation of a town house dating from 1899. The powder room on the first floor is located in a former waiting area (the previous resident used the level for his dental practice). It features a custom Alabastro marble sink and fixtures by California Faucets. The architects kept the original marble fireplace, paying homage to the structure’s history. Benjamin Moore’s Super White paint was applied to the ceiling and the White Dove hue to the walls. "Positioning the faucets on the side wall emphasizes the horizontal," Lubrano says. "Wall-mounted fixtures feel less grounded and materials can continue uninterrupted below. We wanted the spaces to feel light, spacious and light-filled."

At a renovated farmhouse on a 19th-century homestead, a gas fireplace fronted in weathered steel warms up the lofty master bedroom, whose spare decor is framed with beams discovered in a Pennsylvania barn. The Tizio desk lamp is by Artemide.

In Los Angeles, homeowner Bill Thompson warmed up his otherwise dark living room with a series of Douglas fir slats applied above the fireplace, as well as other wood accents throughout the room; the slats provide both texture and pattern to the fireplace, acting as a focal point and emphasizing the space's vertical height.

The post-and-beam construction is highlighted by the use of white paint against the ceiling's natural wood finish, creating a chic, modern look.

Built at the end of the 19th century, 411 Vanderbilt Avenue is a brick carriage houses that originally sheltered the horses and coachmen for an upscale estate on Clinton Avenue. The luminous living room features built-in shelving, custom cabinetry, and a gas fireplace with a customized wood mantel by Fitzhugh Karol further enhance the interiors.