In Kathryn Tyler’s finished home, a palette of wood, concrete, and painted brick forms a neutral backdrop for vintage treasures, including a $30 dining table, $3 poster, and a set of 1950s Carl Jacobs Jason chairs she snagged on eBay for $400.

Maja's room is filled with toys and includes a little desk area for drawing and writing.

In her spacious kitchen, Mahnaz Fashandi prepares for Persian New Year with her brother Mohsen and her parents Mohammad and Azam.

Claudy Jongstra kneels with a family cat in the yard behind her office and home, which she shares with her partner, Claudia Busson, and their two sons, Eabal and Jesk. Behind her is a small dinghy that the family uses to navigate the numerous irrigation canals that traverse the farmlands throughout Friesland. Despite its modest scale, Jongstra’s studio has worked on major collaborations with Hella Jongerius,Tord Boontje, Steven Holl, andRem Koolhaas, in addition tofashion design for Alexander van Slobbe and costume work for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

Use this as a guide to finding the right architect for your new home or renovation—and what to expect during the process.

Her office is filled with refurbished finds and originals—–like her updated take on a ’60s-style desk and “slouch” chairs, from which she chats with her partner, Katherine Catlos.

Thijske Noordhoek relaxes in her study-cum-bedroom.

Another view of her studio.

This portrait of furniture maker Sophia Lithell's Malmö studio captures a work in progress, the Näver stool, which is a piece created with birch bark using traditional weaving techniques.

Homeowner Nancy Church wanted a steel staircase inspired by a Jean Nouvel design. Her architect and contractor collaborated on an economical version that is used both inside and out.

Martin’s master bathroom, outfitted with a tub tricked out with jets and chromatherapy lights, allows her to soak in the luxury of her own home.

Hella Jongerius / Jongeriuslab in Berlin

Singer/songwriter Jihae on her rooftop.

Our 2012 picks for presents include unique and - we say - downright fun twists on classic gifts for her like jewelry and handbags.

A set of her pill-shaped Tatti containers, made from turned wood and artisan glass, adorn Nuutinen's desk.

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The designer frequently travels to her workshop in Germany, where she collaborates with her team.

Hill at her dining room table.

Anton at her studio, with her wares. Photo courtesy of Lesley Anton.

Özdemir works at her desk, conveniently just a few blocks from her flat.

In the renovation of a 1950s building in Royan, France, interior designer Florence Deau selected a fleet of vintage and new furnishings.

Irish-born actress Cornelia Hayes-O’Herlihy gazes across the Venetian roofscape. Her cozy glass enclosure rests atop the new home designed by her husband, architect Lorcan O’Herlihy.

Pernette Perriand-Barsac, Charlotte's daughter and her personal assistant for over twenty years, hand-selected items that belonged to her mother from her own home to display inside the refuge. Her mother's sunglasses are set up alongside her camping equipment.

Here's Kathryn Tyler in her office located in the home she designed for herself and her boyfriend, surrounded by design books and magazines for inspiration. Clerestory windows above the bookshelves let in ample light.

Church prepares a healthy lunch.

Tina Hovsepian explains her Cardborigami prototype.

Pegboards are a natural tactic for kitchen storage, especially in rentals. "A pegboard is a good way to hack a rental kitchen without spending much money," Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelman says. "Julia Child hung her pots and pans and utensils on one. Even if you can’t take that physical pegboard with you—they're really inexpensive—you can set all the pegs up in another kitchen.” More tips from Perelman in our November issue.

De Gunzburg travels often to her workshop in Nepal where she makes rugs for other interior designers as well as for her own collection, S2G Design. Already a hit in Europe, her collaboration with Atelier Courbet is her first foray into the U.S. market.

This was her first more polished model, clad in a quilted cover she stitched up in her studio.

Marianne Schram reads in her bedroom while her husband, Koos Sweringa, looks in from the stairs below.

Pepa gets a better view of what Gorman is explaining in the girls’ bathroom from her stump stool.

Tagliabue and her husband, enthusiastic book lovers, collected thousands of volumes for their library.

Bestor consulting with her demolition crew, in her kitchen-to-be. I'm hoping to get Bestor blogging about her renovation on Dwell.com—so stay tuned for that!

Rene Daoust, principal of Daoust Lestage Inc., uses large swaths of cobalt-blue and slate in her in her home.

Anne Cormier, principal of Atelier Big City, uses bold colors in her kitchen and dining area.