Collage, designed by Stephen Ormandy: “The design was influenced by the floating nature of lily pads and the opportunity to combine individual sculptural shapes into a cohesive useful object”.

The Premaydena House by Misho+Associates was designed as a "box within a box," in which two interior structures—an open-plan living space and two en suite bedrooms—sit within an exterior envelope. Inspired by the region’s fiery orange lichen and the indigenous waratah shrub’s bright flowers, the colorful exterior panels are made of heavy-duty galvanized steel to guard from Tasmanian winds, which can reach up to 60 miles per hour.

In February of 2007, two San Francisco art and travel addicts purchased a 3,200-square-foot former Chinese laundry and tooth-powder factory with column-free interiors and a zigzagging sawtooth roof in lower Pacific Heights. They customized a pair of shipping containers to accommodate their collection and reflect their passions, and hired a local company to sandblast the interior to expose the board-formed concrete walls and replace the carpeted floors with Georgia hickory pecan planks to further lengthen the loft and make it look more like a warehouse.

Homeowner Simon Doonan stands next to the front door. "We have flamboyance, and we’re not inhibited about anything. [Architect] Gray Organschi gave [the house] that intellectual rigor needed to make it beautiful. We were well matched."

Lawrence and Alice confer in the ground-floor kitchen. Traces of color are visible everywhere, including the orange-and-yellow curtains and pink coathooks.

For its Fall/Winter 2015 collection, Chilewich released Color Tempo, a series of placemats in five gradient colorways.

Webber + Studio went with a bold, orange hue for these kitchen countertops. Past the front door and a short hallway lies an expansive living, dining, and kitchen space.

The bright orange frame of this glazed door adds a sense of modern exuberance to the deck off of Francesco Moncada and Mafalda Rangel’s bedroom. The sunny, open space reveals both a Loop chair by Willy Guhl and the tile rooftops of Syracuse, where the water is never far off.

Kate and Gerald relax in the living room.

Lucinda Stacking Chair from CB2A classic café chair in a slick new color way can be used indoors or out. $69.95

The three levels of the house transition from public to private: The ground floor is composed of the kitchen and living-dining area; the bathroom and closet occupy the mezzanine, accessed by a ship’s ladder; and the sleeping loft hovers a couple steps above. The seminal 1970s tome A Pattern Language, written by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, and Murray Silverstein, inspired the layout. “I’m a huge proponent of the [book],” says Azevedo. “I like the ideas of a bed as an alcove, natural light on two sides of a room, varying ceiling heights, and different levels of privacy.”

The materials palette that I chose is light in color with a few splashes of color. This lightness holds the space open and gives it a contemporary feel.

Basement Family Room

In the kitchen, Walker continued an earthy color scheme. The range and wall oven are by BlueStar, the hood is from Zephyr, and the island is Caesarstone.

Architect Bill Ryall installed vertical circulation elements, opened an unobstructed 47-foot-long view from front to back, and kept the ceiling beams exposed to create a loft-like environment.

The orange-painted MDF cabinets add a pop of color to the sun-washed kitchen.

The color of the Fishers’ front door was inspired by an old Land Rover Defender’s hue, which Charlie had Benjamin Moore custom-match.

An orange chair and cream ottoman of Risom's design.

The orange his-and-hers lamps in the bedroom came from Högner's sister's childhood bedroom. "My sister prefers new things," said Högner. "But my dad can't throw anything out.

Basement Family Room

For architect Stephen Chung, the design of his Wayland, Massachusetts, home was all about blending into the natural environment. The first floor is a serene composition of white and wood. The demand for a domestic office space inspired him to build up, adding a second floor for him to "experiment." In a departure from the Cape Cod aesthetic that rules his block, he was able to give the addition a modernist take, while also literally reflecting the existing landscape of the neighborhood. The entire 1,100-square-foot adjunct that encompasses his second story office-studio, master suite, and fort for his two young sons is swathed in mirrored siding and plate-glass windows.

The couple snapped up a 2,600-square-foot late-18th-century flat, which they’ve since filled with vintage finds and Hayon’s own designs and prototypes.

Yolo Colorhouse / Paints Poster-sized sample swatches, a host of attractive colors, and nontoxic paints let pint-sized paint company Yolo Colorhouse handily compete with their mega-sized corporate competitors.

Tribeca Manufacturing Building New York–based architect Andrew Franz undertook the renovation of a landmark circa-1884 former soap warehouse in Tribeca, originally designed by George W. DaCunha in the Romanesque Revival style. Franz reorganized and modernized the six-story building—which retains its original 16-foot beam ceilings, brick walls, timber columns, and elevator winches from the former freight shaft—by incorporating steel, glass, handmade tile, and lacquer to complement the masonry and heavy timber. An interior courtyard and rectangular mezzanine are situated below the original 16-foot gull-wing ceiling planes.

The exterior of the new, two-story home in East Austin, Texas was designed with a minimal palette, bronze windows, and steel details in order to blend into the existing cityscape.

Xystum Color Block vase by CB2. Postmodernism appropriates classical cues in a Pop-y, contemporary manner. Therefore, this vase’s name, a Greek architectural term loosely translated as “portico,” is apropos.

A 1960s midcentury home in Austin was renovated by local practice Webber + Studio, with a second story added while preserving the home’s original character.

Challenged by the dimensions of the narrow lot, the team worked through significant programmatic and logistical constraints during the design and construction process. The final concept for the layout was a modern take on the side hall plan. The living spaces are stretched back deep into the lot, and strategically raised above grade to allow sunlight to penetrate into multiple living spaces. The multifunctional courtyard serves as outdoor workspace, gardening area, children's play area, and covered parking during winter months.

Scattershot openings in the single-story home omit a soft glow at dusk.

For a cost-conscious 2,000-square-foot renovation located 30 minutes outside of Austin, Texas, architect Nick Deaver took a look around for inspiration. He spied galvanized metal cladding on the region’s sheds and co-opted the inexpensive, resilient material for his own design. He then applied locally quarried Lueders limestone near the entrance—a warm contrast to the steely facade.

Citrange Orange Squeezer: This simple tool from Royal VKB fits on your cup and filters out the seeds as you juice, eliminating the sticky middle compartment. $18

A closer look at a finished Balloon Bowl.

In Situ Design and Lilian B Interiors adapted a six-story brownstone in midtown Manhattan into a boutique hotel with 33 guest suites. Each floor received what the designers call a “visceral” color treatment using Benjamin Moore paints, including Outrageous Orange.

Images by Raw Color hang in a room upstairs.

Here's the weathered wooden dining table where the family gathers for meals and conversation.