When Pablo Pérez Palacios’ Mexico City–based architecture firm PPAA was tasked with building an apartment tower to meet La Colonia Roma's need for additional housing, he faced a problem familiar to developers in historic neighborhoods everywhere. The site was occupied by a dilapidated home that dates to 1925, and local laws required that the facade and part of the structure be maintained. PPAA’s innovative approach was to cut the original three-story home in half, preserving enough of the building to front the street and hold two apartments replete with classic Victorian details like high ceilings and restored millwork. In the back of the lot, they designed a sleek eight-story apartment tower that would hold an additional nine apartments, for a total of 11 units. Not bad for a site that was previously an uninhabited single-family house.

Apparel options for a 56-degree day from wevther.com.

from Sthlm website

A super minimal World Cup calendar helps us keep up with the schedule.

Studio visit with Scholten & Baijings.

Random Studio, an interactive digital design studio based in Amsterdam, and Petrovsky & Ramone created Our Kisses, a wish-bone shaped contraption that invites viewers to kiss one end while a camera hidden at the other end records them. The project aimed to bring strangers together onscreen with a simple human gesture that extends beyond race, age, and gender. The installation was originally created for the Oxymoron exhibition of Petrovsky & Ramone during Beijing Design Week 2013.

Delta Shelter, a cabin getaway on the same property as the Rolling Huts. We visited the owner and his wife during one of our visits to get an in-person reference for Tanner Construction. It was wonderful to see the house in person after drooling over it in the pages of Tom Kundig: Houses. Photo by Tim Bies.

Website design for Attariat.

Mamukko's website design by Tatabi Studio.

Website design for RBA.

Seen on a tablet, HSC's website features a beautifully-lit photograph, while a white "flag" creates a simple division.

A vibrant yellow pocket door adds a playful splash of color in the bathroom/laundry area on the lower level.

Our original notes of space needs for our house program.

Our man on the hunt for mica.

Our oven is also a toaster.

Located in the suburbs of Reykjavík, this midcentury gem was first designed in the 1960s by Guðmundur Kr. Kristinsson, one of the first postwar architects in Iceland. However, after being sold, the new homeowners determined the property was in need of a thoughtful revamp in order to be a suitable modern home for their growing family.

Another of Paweski's painted plywood sculptures. You can also find Paweski's work at Studio Spruzzi, a studio he recently launched with his partner Gillian Garcia producing multifunctional lighting. Shown here, Stacked Plaques (Navy), 2014; birch plywood, beech hardwood, steel, copper rivets, enamel, and wax. Image courtesy of the artist and Herald St, London.

Ferry says of Paweski, "Matt speaks a distinctive visual language that is manifested in his wood & metal-based sculptures."

Matt Paweski says of his sculptural work, which is influenced by two-dimensional drawing, that "The sculptures build volume through slight shifts in plane, in physical cuts in material and the colors layered over them. The works continually reference aspects of furniture as a starting point, both structurally and materially."

Part of a larger collection by Michael Anastassiades for Flos, the IC Lights C/W1 Wall Light is an elegant orb supported by a perpendicular steel stem.

A wool vintage rug from eSaleRugs its below the light oak bed-frame from Article. The sheets are an organic sheet set from Target, adorned by a natural linen duvet cover, and pillow shams and oversized throw from Pom Pom at Home.

Travelers usually focus on Antwerp's centrally located Cathedral of Our Lady, but to our eye, the smaller, Gothic St. Paul's Church was even more stunning, with its sombre, graphic black-and-white interior and collection of 17th-century paintings by Flemish masters. Don't miss the beautiful but haunting sculpture garden on site.

Big Walnut Bowl by On Our Table “It’s clean and contemporary and well-crafted. It’s something you’re going to have forever. It speaks to contemporary life.” -- Julie Nicholson “It’s a gentle bowl, with this very beautiful, warm walnut.” -- Shaun Moore

Our suburban house, up for sale.

Our favorite designs are these blue ones.

A small terrace outfitted with an H55 easy chair by Björn Hultén offers a view of the San Francisco Bay.

After our visit to Ceramica we stopped into a bustling market in Coyoacan for a small bite. The amount of amazing food on display was staggering.

Matt Paweski's Square Knot (Red), 2014. Euro-beech hardwood, steel, copper rivets, enamel, and wax. Image courtesy of the artist and Herald St, London.

In the kitchen, flat-front cabinetry from MTR joins Inax' round Pom Ponette backsplash tile with a slightly transparent pastel glaze.

Looking south down our street in Fall.

A glimpse into Matt Paweski's Los Angeles studio with photographer Brian W. Ferry. Ferry first saw Paweski's work in South Willard gallery in early 2012, and shot the artist at work in early 2013.