At a home in California, wood and glass take the lead, including wood drawers with cutout pulls for a custom but simple look.

Kitchen

Custom Leather & Aluminum Door Handle by Rob Zinn for blankblank, Martis Camp Residence by Jill Dudensing Lifestyle + Design

Courtesy Walt Disney Pictures, Inc.

Io by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Fontana Arte, Hall 9 stand A15/B12 at Rho.

The Wire Potato Basket from Lostine is inspired by old potato farming baskets, matching the silhouette, sturdiness, and functional handles with a colorful twist.

BRONZE HANDLE BUTTER DISH $110 We love the simple, beautiful work of Portland based ceramicist Lisa Jones of Pigeon Toe. This hearty porcelain butter dish is enhanced by a square bronze handle giving it a modern but timeless elegance.

A3 Sportback e-tronby Audi In the e-tron, Audi seeks to translate the look and feel of a luxury vehicle into a hybrid, plug-in electric model. It closely resembles the brand’s popular A3 and is ideal for buyers who know and love the conventional version but want something environmentally friendly for quick trips around town. A single charge will take you 90 miles, and the car reaches a top speed of 90 mph. The e-tron will be available for purchase in 2014. audiusa.com

The Food Zone Fine-tuning your cooking and dining areas pays off in more ways than just saving resources. As in other functional zones, their success starts with awareness: Where exactly does your food come from? Where exactly does your trash go after you haul it to the curb? Playing an active role in your family’s food cycle can be eye-opening, and it often helps spark an interest in improving other house zones.

How House, the site of the May 17, 2014 reception and talk, and included on the May 18 tour. Photo by Tim Street-Porter.

This garage space uses iconic checkerboard floor tiles to contrast the rustic barn door that provides entry to the rest of The Barn.

Another view of the garage reveals its extensive space to house vehicles and protect them from the elements.

Saved from demolition, stripped of awkward alterations, and faithfully restored, these rehabbed homes prove how timeless midcentury design can be.

Designer Thomas Bentzen designed the DLM Table for Danish design studio HAY to blend the necessity of a side table with the portable functionality of a tray. The DLM acronym means “Don’t Leave Me,” which is a clever call to the table’s function. The round side table features an easy-to-grab handle that comes out of the center of the table, making it easy to carry the DLM with you around the house.

The curved handle straightens your wrist and forces you to push the scoop with your palm, which uses your chest and arm muscles rather than your wrist, making scooping easier.

In chic black aluminum and nylon, the Hook City Umbrella is light, durable, and fit to withstand a strong wind. Whatever the forecast and wherever you're going, this umbrella is guaranteed to suit the local climate.

A collaboration by renowned designers Sebastian Wrong and Richard Woods, the Wrongwoods Tray is a distinctive serving tray with a bold pattern and functional details. Created for Established & Sons, the tray is crafted from plywood and features a playful, colorful palette that lightens the density of the wood pattern within the tray. The Wrongwoods Tray includes two handles on either side, making it easy to transport.

Titanium Bottle Opener, $40 at the Dwell Store The Titanium Bottle Opener from Brooklyn’s Pat Kim Design is a simple accessory that can be easily carried in one’s pocket or hung on a hook. Made of durable titanium, this is an enduring bar accessory.

Tina Frey Large Champagne Bucket, $300 This large bucket is the perfect home for some bottles of bubbly. It is handcrafted from resin in Tina Frey’s Bay Area studio.

Find out how Passive House standards are being integrated into affordable housing projects in the United States.

To make the most out of a small footprint, Vorontsov experimented with some creative partitions. He explains how “the partitions we built were straight, and then we rounded the corners slightly in the studio" to create a little extra room. "We left the doors without architraves, and punctuated the detail with black doorknobs.”

The Follow Me Portable Lamp from Marset is another one of Fehrenbacher's favorites. “I love this adorable, mushroom-shaped lamp so much. It somehow manages to be both modernly minimalist and fairytale evocative without being overly cutesy. I love that it is an LED lamp, and that it has a wooden handle.”

Julia: How to Make a Concrete Camera Are you looking for a creative project for the weekend? Well look no further! Why not make a pinhole camera out of concrete? I came across this DIY tutorial and was surprised that this unlikely material was being used to make a camera. How wonderful!

@cozystylishchic: "Love the bright pop of red on this shower handle from #franzwiegener #dod2014 #dwellondesign"

Door Handle by Alvar Aalto Believing that grasping a door handle is akin to shaking hands with a building, the Finnish architect paid great attention to user interaction. Leather-wrapped door handles were but one of his methods of offering a welcome touch.

Simple and refined, the Amsterdam Bag from Maharam lends casual elegance to modern utility. Made from waxed cotton canvas, the Amsterdam Bag is sturdy and enduring. The interior pocket provides additional storage and organization, while smartly-stitched leather handles add sophistication to the bag. The Amsterdam Bag can be used as a work bag, shopping tote, or oversized purse, and its neutral palette will complement business attire, and casual weekend attire alike. The bag can be handheld or slid over the forearm for a chic look.

Designed by Brendan Ravenhill for Areaware, this bottle opener is designed with ultimate functionality in mind. Carved from walnut wood and featuring a contrasting black painted handle, the simple bottle opener contains two small magnets—one that allows the opener to stay on a refrigerator door when not in use, and another that catches the bottle cap after its been opened to avoid the hassle of a runaway cap. The opening mechanism—a bent nail—gives the opener an uncomplicated and utilitarian sensibility, making it straightforward and useful.

SmartSelect Deluxe Steam Mop with Handle Command (BDH1760SM) by Black & Decker, $120 Turn the dial, and the mop dispenses the right amount of steam for the floor surface while dislodging floor debris. When you finish, throw the cleaning pad in the washing machine.

With a shape that is at once unexpected and timeless, the Kanto Magazine Rack is a container that has been stripped to its most essential form. The Kanto can hold a stack of magazines, books, or newspapers, and can even be used to hold firewood beside a hearth.

Drawing his inspiration from his blacksmith grandfather, Timo Sarpaneva created a timeless and ingenious design that is as functional in the kitchen as it is appealing on the dining room table. Produced by Finnish brand Iittala, the Sarpaneva Casserole includes a wooden handle that gives the pot a natural sensibility, and it can be removed when the casserole is used in an oven. Cast-iron cookware is a safer, longer-lasting alternative to non-stick cookware, meaning this iconic design is prime to become an heirloom piece.

From Colorado’s Topo Designs, the Backpack Tote is designed with utility in mind. Taking the silhouette of a classic tote, backpack straps were added to create two carrying options. The versatile Backpack Tote is a thoughtful gift for urban and mountain adventurers alike.

A new 2015 addition to Yield Design Co.’s fleet of products, the Field Bag is a versatile tote that can be used for a variety of occasions. It can be used for taking lunch to work, packing a picnic, shopping, or even as a shopping tote. The Field Bag includes two side pockets that are roomy enough to fit a wine bottle in each pocket. The bag is comprised of water-resistant duck canvas, and includes copper rivets and vegetable-tanned leather handles. Each element in the Field Bag is made of materials made in the United States, and is assembled in Yield Design Co.’s St. Augustine, Florida studio.

With a shape that is at once unexpected and timeless, the Kanto Magazine Rack is a container that has been stripped to its most essential form. The Kanto can hold a stack of magazines, books, or newspapers, and can even be used to hold firewood beside a hearth. The Kanto includes a convenient handle, making it easy to move the rack without having to carry its contents separately. Made of pressed birch plywood, the Kanto is sturdy and simple, and is designed to communicate with existing decor, rather than distract from it. This design is on sale for 15% off until October 22, 2015.

A part of Dutch brand Jansen+co’s My Mug series, this XL mug is just the vessel to deliver an extra-large serving of morning coffee. The mug is available in several colors, and each features a contrasting handle.