Every weekend away needs a deck of cards. Designed by graphic designer Clara von Zweigbergk, the CVZ Playing Cards are recast in a minimalist, design-focused style. With new graphic icons, these cards also feature a bold red backing that will add rich color to a tabletop.

Built in a friendly suburb in Arnhem, the aluminum facade has a unique metallic powder coating which changes color according to light conditions.

The design by Assume Vivid Astro Focus, the art collective founded by Brazilian artist Eli Sudbrack, features layered shapes of different depths in a graphic palette of black, white, and red.

The interior of the Kiasma focuses on the use of natural light.

Paring an overhead light down to a simple, elemental form, the Disc Pendant Light from Workstead is an elegant light with an exposed bulb. Available in brass and blackened brass, the light consists of an arm and adjustable ten-inch disc. The light can be suspended straight from the ceiling, or the disc can be rotated to redirect light as needed.

For Lance Hosey, aesthetic attraction isn’t a superficial concern—it’s an environmental imperative. The author of The Shape of Green: Aesthetics, Ecology, and Design will join us onstage for a talk that proposes new and groundbreaking ways to bridge the gap between "good design" and "green design."

Artist and corrective-exercise specialist, Ruth Hiller, moved to Winter Park, Colorado from New York knowing that her home would be glass and steel with wraparound windows. She hopped on the phone with architect Michael Johnson, he drew the sketch, and it took a mere five minutes to decide on the design. The common areas are suspended and cantilevered over the backyard ravine, offering views of a winding mountain creek while also doubling the square footage. A Bathyscafocus by Focus Creations fireplace warms up the modern abode.

Focus divider by Tengbom for Offecct. Meant as a temporary haven for an open office plan, this structure improves upon the old cubicle model with a clerestory window and a laminated felt interior.

The photography-focused Gallery at Dock 410.

Mélanie Laurent (left) and Ewan McGregor (right) star in writer/director Mike Mills’ BEGINNERS, a Focus Features release. Photo credit: Focus Features.

Education was a key focus of designer Bruce Mau's talk. Photo courtesy Compostmodern.

Sandy Chilewich and architect Joe Sultan, proprietors of textiles firm Chilewich|Sultan designed their own vacation home together in Columbia County, in upstate New York. On a simple wooded lot, they developed a contemporary loft-style home with furnishings from B&B Italia, Feel Good side chairs by Flexform, and a suspended, contemporary Ergofocus fireplace from Focus.

A concrete block hearth serves as the focus of the main living area as well as the delineation of the main entrance.

The focus of the renovation was the kitchen, where the textures of tiles and brickwork play backdrop to considered, bespoke carpentry.

A more narrow window focuses the eye on tree trunks, creating an “abstracted view of the landscape,” says the firm.

The focus was on creating a comfortable home for family life—and open-plan living spaces were essential.

The goal with the Lodge was to simplify the original structure to focus the experience on the natural setting and framing the coastline's exceptional views.

The low windows in the master bedroom focus the view on the backyard, not the neighbors. Christopher designed the solid poplar platform bed.

We pushed the pool as close to the valley edge as possible to let it focus on the down-valley views

The stylish staircase provides a strong focus for the open-plan interior, and was constructed out of fir plywood by Duerksen himself.

The ladder-like staircase was designed as a modern, whimsical addition to an otherwise midcentury-focused design. "I use it as a drying rack,

We'll overlook Tom Wolfe's scathing critique of modernism and focus on the cleverness of this blog's one-liners instead.

The organizational method, which focuses on neatly highlighting your belongings instead of discarding them, is rife with potential as an interior design philosophy.

The living room features a “Focus One” couch by Kasala, which sits across from Arper and Catifa 46 dining room chairs by Hive Modern. The pendant lights that hang above them are “Easy” by Kartell.

In the living area, floor-to-ceiling windows by Schüco frame a Gyrofocus suspended rotating fireplace by Focus. At night, a crackling fire appears to hover in the dark.

The renovation features a pulpit-like mezzanine that overlooks the main living space. This new cantilevered structure creates a focused central nucleus for the home.

The couple doused the interior in Benjamin Moore’s Simply White to create a bright canvas for their antique furniture and to focus attention on the outdoors.

Front view of the FlatPak House in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When the architect first told his wife about his idea, she said, “It’s about time you focus on a house for me!” He continues, “It’s like the old story about the cobbler whose kids have no shoes.”

Academy Award nominee Christopher Plummer (left) and Ewan McGregor (right) star as father and son in writer/director Mike Mills’ BEGINNERS, a Focus Features release. Photo credit: Focus Features

“The backyard, which was kind of the focus of the project, was overgrown and quite disconnected from the house itself,” said architect Nigel Parish. The glass doors of the addition open onto a patio and lawn where the kids can play.

Nina’s goal in the bedroom was to create a "simple, soothing" space with a focus on light. Handmade indigo pillows from Mali and a tranquil beachscape photograph taken in Iceland embody the nature-inspired connection between African and Scandinavian design.

Sustainability focused Etica Studio designed this eco-house to be a nature-inspired hideaway for its owner, the architect's sister. The solar-passive home runs on renewable energy and was built using a mix of environmentally friendly materials and salvaged elements.

Views from the main living area focus on the surrounding vegetation. "Instead of placing the house on the spot with the best view, it is situated in a way that is tailored to the specific terrain, and gives prominence to the views from the outdoor room," write Lung Hagem Arkitekter.

Lauren and Brittan Ellingson, the owners of Notice Snowboards, a custom snowboard and wakesurf company in Whitefish, Montana, approached Workaday Design and builder Mindful Designs to concoct a new lake home for their family. The brief was, perhaps unsurprisingly, focused on getting the family outdoors as much as possible.

Since the photo shoot, the couple have placed a desk in the triangular window nook and use the perch as a workspace. “There’s just something about it that hugs you,” says Shelley. “I feel very focused and relaxed when I’m here.”

The kitchen spills out into the living room, where the focus is on a Saarinen Tulip table, Eames fiberglass shell chairs, and lamps by Achille Castiglioni.