A PK 22 Easy Chair by Poul Kjaerholm for Fritz Hansen adds a dash of yellow to the breakfast room.

It might not make you popular with your contractor, but for a more streamlined look, Chris recommends forgoing trim. "It lends a clean look with less visual clutter," the architect says. In their house, the doors, lights, cabinetry, and even wall sockets (all 22 by Bocci) are installed without trim. This allows the planar surfaces to recede and do their jobs without unnecessarily distracting the eye.

Abutting a costal reserve, the property has uninterrupted views of the Snowy River and surrounding wetlands

Bocci's 22 Series offers stealthy electrical, cable, USB, and phone outlets.

The three arms of the Apfel House stretch out to catch the best views of Ranco Lake and the Andes Mountains.

Mary and Kundan Bhullar built a shipshape country escape that sits lightly on the land in the Aravalli hills near Gurgaon, India.

The Armadillo is parked on a 1,000-square-foot lot that gives the couple ample outdoor space.

“Every time you challenge a basic assumption, there needs to be some method of expressing the fact that there’s new logic at work.”—Omer Arbel, creative director at Bocci

PeaceBOMB Bracelets by Article 22 "A22PeaceBomb3" $38.00 for three A special product with a special story. PeaceBOMB bracelets are crafted from the reclaimed metal of Vietnam-era bombs dropped on Laos during the United States' conflict in Indochina. Developed through a social enterprise that supports sustainable development through design thinking, its collaborators include Naphia spoon makers, Helvetas’s Rural Income Through Sustainable Energy Project and ARTICLE 22. These bracelets not only represent an opportunity for artisan families to generate income, but also tell a story about their makers and the legacies of a shared history. Buy the bombs back!"

Pebble Time Round by Pebble, $249 at pebble.com Pebble, the wearable tech company whose signature timepiece is a favorite among Silicon Valley disruptors, recently unveiled Pebble Round Time, the world's thinest, lightest smartwatch yet. Available in rich finishes, including rose gold, it is a dream accessory for the tech-forward and design-conscious.

Inspirational spaces

SLOT TABLE An acrylic table with a handy slot for magazines can be used straight up or tipped on it's side. Super sleek for a modern standout in a traditional home.

This kitchen features a sleek Henrybuilt kitchen system in white.

On a rocky bank, Hebra Arquitectos builds a breezy home that opens wide to nature.

The Colosseum Gladiatorial combat, animal hunts, simulated naval battles: what bloodthirsty and testosterone-fueled event didn’t go down at Rome’s Colosseum back in the day? Completed in 80 AD under the Roman emperor Titus, the three-tiered Colosseum stood 157 feet tall, featured 80 entrances and seated roughly 50,000 people. It’s still considered to be one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering, but it wasn’t for the faint of heart. During one seven-day festival in 240 AD, 2,000 gladiators, 70 lions, 40 wild horses, 30 elephants, 30 leopards, 20 wild donkeys, 19 giraffes, 10 elk, 10 hyenas, 10 tigers, one hippopotamus and one rhinoceros all died. By the time the Colosseum closed in 523 AD, it’s estimated that more than one million animals and more than 500,000 people had perished there. Photo by: lightmatter

British artist Hannah Sawtell and technologist Avi Flombaum created sawbaum.com, where users can create visual collages using multiple vine streams. "We wanted it to look like a visual comic book, with overlapping panels," said Flombaum. "And we wanted it to be fun!" Photo courtesy Rhizome.

Living Room

Bériault enjoys some leisure time in the lounge beneath the master bedroom.

Living Space

The ready-to-assemble series will be exhibited in Nomann Copenhagen’s flagship store in Copenhagen until December 5, 2013.

The architects introduced a two story “light slot" to filter natural light throughout the townhouse, creating an airy sensation even in the heart of the home.

Walter De Maria's 2004 Time/Timeless/No Time sits within a grand subterranean hall, its gleaming surface reflective the sunlight from above. When the sun sets, the space becomes far darker and the sculptures more mysterious. Photo Courtesy 準建築人手札網站 Forgemind ArchiMedia via flikr.

Track and spotlights are fixtures that are attached to a track that is mounted to the ceiling or hung off the ceiling, depending on the fixture.

Kele Dobrinski and Christina Valencia, of Sacramento, California-based Colossus Mfg., revamped a 2008 Starstream Starcraft camper that allows their family of five to comfortably explore nature in different landscapes for weeks at a time.

Bend Basket in Copper, designed by Gaurav Nanda for Bend, $320 at the Dwell Store Handcrafted in galvanized iron, then hot-dipped and powder-coated, this geometric bowl is rust-resistant, making it equally useful in the kitchen, bathroom, or office. It also comes in neon red, yellow, or white.

A simple kitchen includes a traditional wood stove, but much of the cooking is done outside, on the outdoor wood-fired grill.

Case Study House No. 22., The Stahl House

Living Space