Bi-fold doors connect the main residence to the backyard, which features a large swimming pool, a 200-square-foot pool house, and an outdoor kitchen.

Simple utilitarianism at its finest: Takagi's Simple Machines series of stools, benches, and tables in white oak.

This tripod F/K/A table lamp was one of SoHo staple Matter's inagural MatterMade Collection #1.

Takagi's Bluff City pendants are work lights with a kick of color and a hint of copper.

The houndstooth in the Houndstooth Valet comes in the perforations of the acrylic panels. It's a nice nod to menswear while also lightening up what could be a flat black surface.

Dutch design continues at Atelier Courbet, where a series of hole-filled furniture by designer Gijs Bakker will be on display. (175-177 Mott Street)

Belgian studio Ateliers J&J exhibited furniture and shelving with an industrial aesthetic.

A refreshing alternative to the ever-popular Eames chair, the Vienna is a 3-legged stool composed of a sculptural (yet comfortable!) metal seat shell and walnut wood legs. Available in various colors.

Standing at 19" x 19" x 34", the Houndstooth Valet by designer Jonathan Dorthe of Atelier-D in Montreal plays home to whatever gentlemanly accoutrements you may need it to house.

The two primary components of the Houndstooth Valet are its maple frame and acrylic shelves.

We're big fans of Hans Wegner's Valet chair because it marries two pieces of furniture. Here, Dorthe seems to have taken a step ladder as his point of departure, another functional move for this handy piece.

Atelier Swarovski Home is a new collection of accessories from the luxury brand, with pieces designed by Daniel Libeskind, Ron Arad, Aldo Bakker, and more. See it at Via Cusani 5.

Maglia rug by Atelier Ruckstuhl. This floor covering is made of fique, a fiber found in Colombia that has historically been used for bagging coffee and produce. Spun by hand and knitted together with oversize needles, these rugs present an irregular texture expressed through a choice of five bold hues.

Horses Atelier Best friends Heidi Sopinka and Claudia Dey took a leap of faith in 2012 when they set their writing careers aside to make a line of dresses. After two years, the Toronto designers now have a roster of boutiques from Toronto to Tokyo featuring their deceptively simple pieces.

The slim profile of Takagi's five-legged American Gothic table debuted at Bernhardt Design's ICFF Studio in 2009.

Siedlung Halen, Atelier 5, 1961, Green Roof Study. Images provided courtesy The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture Archive of The Cooper Union.

This little stool was made for milking, with maple legs and leafy seat.

Swiss design studio atelier oï has created a line of soft storage boxes that complement USM storage systems. See it at the USM booth at the Rho fairgrounds, Stand F14, Hall 20.

Atelier Brancusi, located in a small one-level building in front of the Centre Georges Pomidou, is open everyday from 2-6PM. Admission from the Pompidou is not required.

The founders of Atelier Areti: Gwendolyn and Guillane Kerschbaumer.

The Atelier Brancusi collection consists of 137 sculptures, 87 bases, 41 drawings, 2 paintings and more than 1,600 photographic glass plates and all original prints from the hand of the artist.

Sculpting in wood brought Brancusi towards larger pieces, which ultimately led the sculptor into architecture. The studio also served as a place for regular testing, photographic posings, and essays.

It wasn't until 1920 that Brancusi faced the humilitation of seeing his Princess X (1916) get withdrawn due to alledgedly pornographic material from the Salon des Independants. It was this momentuous event that inspired the sculptor the desire to create his studio as a place of exhibition. The studio eventually became a haven and space for his original works' "doubles."

Known as the patriarch of modern sculpture, Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957) was born in Romania, but made his career in France. After studying in Bucharest and Munich, the sculptor received additional training at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France, working under fellow sculptors Antonin Mercié and Auguste Rodin.

Atelier Areti's sculptural grid-like Squares floor/wall lamp is designed to lean against the wall, but can also be attached to the wall or suspended from the ceiling.

When Jean-Guy Chabauty and Chris Barrie of Atelier Moderno began tackling the space, they decided to stay true to the character and grace of the old autobody shop. "We wanted to retain the spirit and the grit of the original space as much as possible, while creating something modern, comfortable, and alluring," says Barrie. "Sometimes you really need to work to get that character." After playing with a few options for the 1,600-square-foot building, they decided to keep the existing envelope untouched, instead focusing the bulk of the $250,000 renovation project on building out an open interior that included reclaimed and rich materials.

The kitchen area was built around the concept of different surfaces working together: stainless steel countertops for work, white Corian for preparation, and solid white oak for storage. A landscape painting by Chabauty's grandfather hangs above the sink, adding a note of serenity to the room. The kitchen contains a Viking range and oven, a Bosch 800 Plus Series dishwasher, a KWC Eve faucet, a Liebherr HRB 1100 refrigerator. Artek A110 Pendants hang above the dining table, a custom oak piece surrounded by chairs from HAY.

The open living space showcases the bright, streamlined furniture pieces of Chabauty's own creation (apart from a few vintage pieces, the bulk of the furniture in the home is custom-made).

Might be most suitable for the kids' room, but it's a sure bet that the Brub Brum table cart will unleash the inner kid in all of us. Not only is is completely capable of accepting the weight of a TV set atop its smooth table, but it also features spacious shelves to hold all types of media, such as books, magazine, and DVDs.

In the bathroom, a small bioethanol EcoSmart burner, along with radiant hydronic in-floor heating, provides warmth in a stark space.

Chabauty chose a black door on the outside of the structure to maintain the original, unassuming exterior. It can still throw off guests who aren't sure what to expect when they walk inside. "People still think it's a business or an office," he says. "They're always surprised."

Handmade in Germany, the powder coated metal Cone wall and ceiling lamp consists of two black cones that are connected via a joint, allowing the larger version to be move freely.

A close-up of the steel counter shows the Artemide Miconos lamp hanging near the sink, as well as the diffused light that streams in via a set of skylights arranged throughout the roof.

An example of a space with good bones, the original shop floor provided the designers with a blank canvas.