Just off an internal courtyard, a mudroom provides a prime place to keep sneakers. Each family member has their own shelf, backlit by windows that illuminate every pair.

The materials palette that I chose is light in color with a few splashes of color. This lightness holds the space open and gives it a contemporary feel.

In the kitchen, Walker continued an earthy color scheme. The range and wall oven are by BlueStar, the hood is from Zephyr, and the island is Caesarstone.

The color of the Fishers’ front door was inspired by an old Land Rover Defender’s hue, which Charlie had Benjamin Moore custom-match.

The couple snapped up a 2,600-square-foot late-18th-century flat, which they’ve since filled with vintage finds and Hayon’s own designs and prototypes.

Yolo Colorhouse / Paints Poster-sized sample swatches, a host of attractive colors, and nontoxic paints let pint-sized paint company Yolo Colorhouse handily compete with their mega-sized corporate competitors.

Xystum Color Block vase by CB2. Postmodernism appropriates classical cues in a Pop-y, contemporary manner. Therefore, this vase’s name, a Greek architectural term loosely translated as “portico,” is apropos.

March is a purveyor of modern kitchen essentials.

Images by Raw Color hang in a room upstairs.

Here's the weathered wooden dining table where the family gathers for meals and conversation.

Three’s Company Inspired by the minimal color scheme of a hotel they stayed at in Bali, Winterhalder and Ehlers decided to limit their palette to three colors: anthracite black, concrete gray, and a light larch wood. The first move was to paint the backyard wall gray. Next up for a coat of dark paint was the villa’s old-fashioned wooden staircase, which the couple didn’t like but didn’t have the budget to replace. The consistency works to unite the different styles found in the house. “Somehow,” says Winterhalder, “it all fits.”

A pressed-steel Parallel shelving system by Terence Woodgate holds books and mementos.

Marbelous Wood by Snedker Studio. Danish designer Pernille Snedker Hansen’s custom installations involve treating local Nordic wood with a marbling effect in toned-down hues.

Container Store finds, like galvanized-steel shelving in the kitchen, maximize storage.

A color swatch and color chip of Pantone's 2013 Color of the Year.

Poodle by Devine Color.

Flamingo by Devine Color.

Just Glaze Double-glazed windows are typically composed of two layers of glass with a layer of air in between. You might spend more on them upfront ($200–$1,500 each), but the extra insulation can save loads on your heating bill and more than recoup your investment over time. weathershield.com

The gradient lives on. Patricia Urquiola for Moroso at Salone.

The original building was designed by Kohn Shnier.

Morera was also attracted to cacti's resilience. "They thrive in the worlds harshest conditions, and not only do they thrive, they look completely bitchin' while they're at it!" he says. "I started collecting them…big time. I would say I had over 2,000 specimens in my personal collection at one time."

Here's a sample menu from the restaurant. "We wanted to subtly nod to the early to mid-20th century through choices like the logo 'stamp' for the packaging and hand-embossed menus on recycled cream paper stock," says Hooper.

The space functions as a showroom for the brand's modern wares. It displays the beloved products Umbra has developed over its 35-year history.

Over five years ago, Bong and Rossy, an interior designer, opened their first concept store in Cubao X, an area dedicated to design innovation. "We decided to open the store with the goal of breathing a fresh air of our particular design aesthetic to the local design community," Bong says.

The bathroom includes a sink Bornstein discovered in a secondhand store.

The four neutral shades of the tile are also suitable for outdoor applications.

The bed in Sara’s room has been in the family since the early 1900s.

Marsala (18-1438), an earthy brownish red, has been dubbed Pantone's color of the year for 2015. Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, describes it as "nurturing and fulfilling... Marsala is a natural fit for the kitchen and dining room, making it ideal for tabletop, small appliances and linens throughout the home."

Keiko and Taku Shinomoto have two simple rules for their store: that the items come from Japan and that they have been well made by artisans. Just off busy Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, California, the shop carries homewares such as Kaikado metal tea canisters.

Color Explosion in the Bedroom

The store's entrance includes a three-story facade with vertical wood slats and glass storefront.

The recipe for each color is attached to its corresponding fabric swatch, and after the designer chooses the right combination, the recipes are sent to the color kitchen. Some colors, such as beige and gray tones, are more difficult to produce than others; turquoise is notorious for sticking poorly to fabrics. “We have our trade secrets that ensure that the colors work,” says Anu-Mari Salmi, the production manager.

Aesop, San FranciscoLocated on the shopper's paradise of Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights, the cork-and-pine shop cuts an understated figure when compared to flashy retail outlets like Jonathan Adler or Marc Jacobs down the block.

Visit Mjölk in Toronto, Ontario, Tuesdays through Sundays at 2959 Dundas Street West or shop online at mjolk.com. Watch our slideshow of Daoust and Baker's favorite products in the shop.