The home’s built-in technology includes speakers by Current Audio installed in the ceiling in Valentine’s room.

This walnut tabletop version of Symbol Audio’s all-in-one hi-fi console unit retains the same vintage vibe while taking up less space. Made to order in Hudson Valley, New York.

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.

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

"It was always my dream to own my own audio set-up, and in my 50s – when I was finally able to build my own home – that audio dream came true," Hasui says.

Luke channels Jimi on the concrete floor of the open living and dining room.

“A Sonos home audio setup can be as simple or elaborate as the user chooses. A separate box controls up to 32 different sound zones within the home. They can play different music, or sections can be grouped together when necessary.”

PWS Wireless Speaker by Grain Audio, $249 at store.dwell.com Made with solid walnut with neutral graphite speaker grills and buttons, the PWS is small enough to fit in a backpack but produces enough clean, potent sound to fill a room.

Grain Audio PWS Wireless Speaker, $249 A Bluetooth-enabled device elevated by elegant walnut.

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

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.

A handsome duo of chairs also by Channels.

A Treeline Terrace Channelling Philip Johnson (Atlanta, Georgia) The brainchild of a local architect and designer who financed the construction themselves, the Berne Street Treehouse, located on Atlanta’s BeltLine system of parks and trails, provides a literal bird’s-eye-view of the forests surrounding downtown. The upper room (pictured), bathed in sunshine from the skylight, opens to a series out outdoor terraces. Listing at Both Floors Modern Glass Tree House

The Newbie Peachtree Audio’s Deepblue2 is a Bluetooth speaker, like hundreds of others, but this heavy one-piece system sounds more like a high-quality audio setup than you’d expect. Deepblue2 features fve speaker drivers, including a central woofer, and 440 watts of power. There’s an optical digital input for connection to a CD player or other digital source, but even YouTube sounds terrifc using aptX Bluetooth compression technology. Its $399 price may seem high for a Bluetooth speaker, but given its quality, performance, and versatility, it’s a deal.

This sleeping area includes a bookshelf and sconce.

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.

We love this lamp for its brilliant design features, including an etched lens that gently diffuses the light of its LED bulbs for comfortable task work. A single wooden dowel and metal base combine to create a clean and simple modern style statement.

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

The kitchen countertops are soapstone and the faucet is by Axor.

Lightweight and powerful, the low-energy, high-output Channel series is the epitome of sleek modern styling. The floor lamp brings clean lines to any room and looks spectacular next to contemporary low-slung sofas and mid-century modern classics alike.

Nendo envisions that designers and manufacturers who acquire the licenses for these designs can develop multiple variations with the objects.

Designed by a little-known architect in 1949, the now streamlined home honors its original bones.

The hanging textile, which is used as a room divider, is by artist Nathalie Van der Massen.

Atelier Branco built 3,229 square feet of shelving units to house all of the client's texts, documents, and books.