Ab Rogers dons a bold suit that suits the spirit of the accompanying decor he designed.

In the guest room, for example, the built-in unit contains a pull-down Murphy Bed, which makes the most of the elongated space.

High ceilings with restored gypsum mouldings are another nod to the structure's historic past. "The project is best understood as an art gallery whose main objective is to offer the best possible frame to exhibit art whilst at the same time providing an optimal experience for its users," says Victor Alavedra, a partner of the firm. Glass doors connect the kitchen to the guest room beyond.

The firm also framed all of the original mosaic tiles with oak parquetry, a discrete detail that blends seamlessly with the material palette of the new cabinetry throughout, while also accentuating each mosaic composition to appear almost as a graphic rug. The pendants above the kitchen workspace are Duo pendants by Anglepoise.

In Barcelona's Eixample district, young firm Built Architecture updated a historic 19th-century flat with an eye towards preserving its colorful mosaic tile floors, which date back to the early 1900s. In the dining room, a sculpture by Laurent Martin Lo hangs suspended above the table.

The cabinetry extends all the way to the large master bedroom at the end of the hall; the bathroom is also accessible from the guest room.

The cabinetry also accommodates a compact library, which can be accessed from the guest room. "The perimeter of the apartment is completely free by concentrating the intervention in one single and continuous volume that works as a spine," the firm explains.

In the guest bedroom, cabinetry was installed at just below the ceiling height to bring natural light into the space. The central cabinetry unit unites various areas of the home, and serves multiple functions, depending on the room.

Typical of historic homes in Eixample, the apartment's rooms are laid out along two central corridors that meet to form a 'V' shape. The firm's update to the space centers around the addition of an oak cabinet wall, which adds generous storage to the narrow floor plan.

A floor plan shows the unique dimensions of Casa AB, centralized around two main corridors, which the firm says is typical of Eixample homes. The service areas of the home (kitchen, dining bar, guest room, bathroom) are aligned along one end, where the cabinetry was installed; situated along the other are the communal areas, including the sitting room, dining room, and library.

Set on a southeast-facing slope, the AB Cabin is fitted with double-glazed windows that frame views of the town of Taihape and rolling hills beyond.

House O, designed by Jun Igarashi, forgoes hallways and interior doors in favor of casually interconnected rooms.

Swedish design by Metagram art AB, www.metagram.se

AB Design Studio transformed a warehouse into the headquarters of Forms + Surfaces in Carpinteria, California.

A&B Awards, a set of modern trophies.

Sleeping nooks that look like the grooves in a block of cheese.

A look at the living room in the show apartment by Ab Rogers Design. Bespoke pieces by the Goldfinger Factory include the aluminum planter base and glass table with cardboard base.

Antarctica - Setting foot on the 7th continent Private tour groups have been visiting Antarctica since 1969. Today there are lots of choices among operators sending ships, planes, and helicopters to Antarctica between November and March (the summer season). Many trips start in Southern Argentina, and ship-bound journeys include on-board lectures and access to experts on the ecology of the Antarctic during the cruise. Passengers can kayak around icebergs, or spend a day watching penguins, seals, and whales off the coast. Photo by: Christopher.Michel

North America - Biking the wine valleys of Northern California Almost half of the wineries in the United States are located in California, and many of those are in the valleys north of San Francisco. Wine tasting and winery tours are a drunkenly entertaining way to learn how grapes become wine, but the process involves more than crushing and fermenting grapes. One needs to see the agriculture that goes into America’s wine making, and touch the grapes on the vine, to really appreciate the drink. Work off that hangover by cycling along the winding roads of Napa and Sonoma. Photo by: needoptic

South America - Volunteering in the Peruvian Amazon The Peruvian Amazon is only home to 5% of Peru’s human population, but about 5,500 plant species and 760 animal species unique to Peru live here. Animal rehabilitation centers protect sections of this diverse ecosystem, and trained conservationists help create a safe place for wounded and sick animals. The goal of these reserves is to release healthy animals back into the jungle and teach visitors about the importance of the Amazon. Many encourage volunteers to become involved in the care and preservation of the Peruvian Amazon, giving them a firsthand understanding of the region's ecological diversity. Photo by: cavallotkd

Europe - Touring the cultural centers of Central and Eastern Europe Paris and Rome are beautiful, but there's more to Europe than taking the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower and eating gelato at the Colosseum. Eastern Europe is home to castles, cathedrals, world-famous symphonies, modern art museums, and great beer, wine, and pastries. The cities of Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Prague, and Budapest are important cultural centers with citywide art and architecture dating back to the Renaissance. Charles Bridge in Prague has been standing since the 12th century, and Vienna’s city center is home to both Habsburg architecture and modern design. Photo by: Dimitry B

Africa - Summitting and safariing in Tanzania At 19,341 feet, Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa. It takes a minimum of six to eight days to reach the summit, during which climbers contend with not only changes in altitude, but changes in climate as well (snowstorms occur close to Kilimanjaro's peak). But reaching the top via one of six routes is a serious achievement, and offers the chance to see both Tanzania and Kenya from above. Serengeti National Park is a five-hour drive, or short flight, from Kilimanjaro airport and is home to some of Tanzania’s biggest animals, including lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, and rhinos. The park has safari lodges and campsites, and tour operators organize excursions throughout the park. Photo by: Tambako the Jaguar

Asia - Exploring nature and culture in China The Chengdu region of China is home to the world's largest population of Giant Pandas. Panda reserves in and around Chengdu focus on protecting the bear’s natural habitat and researching their behavior (best job ever?). Certain reserves allow volunteers to interact with and care for these endangered species. Elsewhere in China, Beijing has some of the country's most important cultural landmarks. Principal among them is the Forbidden City, built during the Ming Dynasty and now home to the Palace Museum. Xi’an, located between Beijing and Chengdu, has the Terra Cotta Warriors archaeological site. This necropolis was originally built for Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, and is thought to have contained over 4,000 life-size soldiers and other figures sculpted out of terracotta. Photo: Chi King

Australia - Transitioning from Outback to tropics by train Riding the Ghan makes for a three-day transcontinental train journey over the plains, deserts, and mountains of central Australia. The route starts either near the beaches of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, or north in Darwin. In between, travelers get a sense of the continent's changing environment as they trundle to Alice Springs, from which a six-hour drive will bring them to Uluru (Ayers Rock). Near the top of the Northern Territory, travelers can stop at Katherine and spend a day at nearby Nitmiluk National Park, a tropical counterpoint to the arid Outback. Photo by: huskyte77

Not everyone has a credibility bookcase. Your kids’ discarded toys and jackets may be strewn on the floor, or your roommate is in the throes of an online boxing class. Perhaps your cat is licking its unmentionables, and it’s not quite the scene you want to set for your one-on-one. Luckily, Zoom makes it easy to manifest the environment we want if the environment we have isn’t ideal. If you’ve ever wanted to dial in from a Dwell house, now’s your chance.

The AB Cabin is set in the middle of high country with Mount Ruapehu to the north and the Ruahine Ranges to the south. The building takes inspiration from the surrounding timber-framed houses and metal-clad farm buildings.

For a concrete guesthouse in Stone Ridge, New York, LevenBetts designed an onsen-inspired bathroom with a steam room and a hinoki tub.

Formerly an aging dive bar, this acclaimed restaurant in Montecito, California, was transformed by AB Design Studio into an inviting and high-end eatery with a 20-foot-long custom accordion-style door system.

A primary suite was created on the new second level, complete with a freestanding tub.

Robertson restored the existing rooms in the front of the original house, and redesigned the back of the home to have a much more modern, indoor/outdoor living experience.