A couple takes a minimalist approach to their Brooklyn apartment, focusing on supple materials, subtle gradations of color, and custom finishes by local craftsmen. The Mandayam–Vohra family gathers under one of Workstead’s signature three-arm chandeliers, shown here in its horizontal configuration. Bartenschlager designed the white cabinets and is responsible for the walnut counters both on the kitchen island and near the stove.

At a design-focused mansion in Belgium, the soaring atrium is home to a jacaranda high board from the 1960s, a chrome and glass lamp from Italy, a black leather chair and footstool by Sergio Rodrigues, a Berber rug, and a pair of photographs by the Brazilian artist Luiz Braga.

A new office sits at the front of the house, and its moody walls and bookshelves contrast the other rooms' mostly light and neutral palette.

Chickens foraging in an enclosed garden with vertical planters.

Often a designer or client may start their search in an inspirational place like a showroom or a project they love and admire. Showrooms are spaces (and sometimes entire stores) that are used to display goods for sale by specific companies.

Completed in May 2018, the Crossfield Street House is the residence of architect Jonathan Pile, his wife Katherine, and their five-year-old son.

In this updated 1950s Portland home, a light gray Neo sofa by Bensen harmonizes with warm wooden walls, ceilings, and floors, as well as a red-and-mustard-yellow vintage rug.

The box-shaped extension plays off the familiar farmhouse typology, creating a series of intriguing contrasts.

A painting by Ginger’s grandmother hangs above a midcentury dining set Ginger found on Craigslist.

A modular shelf system by Alu provides a more sculptural take on the classic bathroom vanity in this Toronto home.

Linda Taalman and Alan Koch, of Taalman Koch Architects, completed work on their glass iT House, a lovely, minimal home that tests the limits of living lightly on the land in the desert near Joshua Tree National Park. The bath and basin in the bathroom are by Duravit, and the orange wall is by Three Form.

Detail of the kitchen

Looking from the open-plan dining area, through the kitchen to to the new living space, one gets views of the tree canopy through a high-level band of frameless glazing.

Power House High This structural reboot of a former power plant now has a much different purpose. Another post-industrial, LEED Platinum-certified showpiece, this century-old structure, which once housed rows of massive coal burners that provided all the power for Sears, Roebuck & Company's 55-acre corporate headquarters (as well as the air pressure for the pnuematic mail tubes), now boasts a pair of charter schools.

Riga High-Rises Z-Towers (NRJA, 2004-2015); Preses nams (Jānis Vilciņš, Ābrams Misulovins, 1978); Saules akmens (ZENICO PROJEKTS, TECTUM, 2002-2004). Photo by: Uldis Lukševics, NRJA

A look at the small reading nook located on the level between the bedroom and ground floor.

The open plan, high ceilings, and white walls all amplify the light that streams into the living room, accented with a Barcelona Couch by Mies van der Rohe for Knoll and two Blythe Pony Cube ottomans by Gus Design.

High windows on the east and west façades catch the sunrise and sunset, increasing light within the home. “They’re very simple and lo-fi,” Larsen says.

During the worst of the recession, companies looked to DIY and low-cost creativity to innovate. One company to jump aboard the creative revamp bandwagon is the notoriously cheap Motel 6 chain. The pillar of downmarket roadside accommodations, Motel 6 is reskinning their shabby (and not chic) interiors to give them a touch of modern minimalism and an air of modest luxury. Check out the changes here.

Using i.design EFFIX, a high performance material conceived by Italcementi, Luca Galbusera designed a table centerpiece for outdoor use. Luca Galbusera, winner of the Concrete Design International Competition, will show work as part of Alessi's Design Lab exhibit at WantedDesign.

This sleeping area includes a bookshelf and sconce.

Dacor products suit tech-savvy home cooks. The Discovery Dual Range oven wirelessly connects to a tablet via the brand's iQ app for a customizable kitchen experience.

Tangent Vase by High Gloss, $90 Handmade to order in Brooklyn, this asymmetrical vase features a raw speckle and a luscious, almond-dipped glaze.

Plans for the QueensWay call for turning an inaccessible area at its northern end into a small park featuring a playground and rain gardens to reduce flooding in heavy rain.

At Elevation After hiking nearly 20km through steep terrain, Syangboche was a very welcome sight. I’ve experienced high-altitude hiking before when I summited Kilimanjaro, but in Mustang, with elevations reaching 15,000 feet, it was definitely a new and challenging experience. I often had to stop to catch my breath along the path.

An inaccessible, overgrown space on Yellowstone Boulevard could become an access point to the QueensWay, with seating, landscaped plantings, and a small play area and garden.

High Tide Shelving System.

Jeffrey Shumaker, chief urban designer for the New York City Department of City Planning, calls out the High Line, the wildly popular public park built on an elevated abandoned railway, as an example of cities seeing potential in underutilized spaces. "As delegations from other cities and countries visit the High Line, they always ask, 'How can we create our own High Line?' The answer I always give is the same: Think of something that's unique to your place, some place that's embedded in the fabric of your city that can have a similarly transformative effect," he says.

The viaduct between Atlantic and Liberty avenues in Ozone Park will feature new walkways, seating areas, and a bike bath.

A rendering of the QueensWay as it would appear near Metropolitan Avenue. Supporters say the QueensWay would provide safe walkways and bike paths for easier access to shopping areas and Forest Park, in addition to creating outdoor learning areas for three nearby schools.

Recreation areas would be added atop the QueensWay's elevated section, while pathways would connect commuters to the A subway line.

The QueensWay would run below grade for nearly a mile through Forest Park. Currently overgrown and unused, this section, called the ravine, would provide opportunities for year-round recreation.

Annemie Lathouwers grew up in a forested enclave on the outskirts of Antwerp, Belgium. A nature preserve filled with stately pines, the area lured her back when she and her husband, David D’Hulst, began thinking about trading their house in the city for greener surroundings.

In the open-plan living area, one of the highlights is the natural light-filled kitchen from Italian manufacturer Armony.