lightjunction at designjunction at The Sorting Office (September 18-21) A fest-within-a-fest dedicated to high-end illumination, lightjunction showcases new designs and installations from dozens of brands, such as Blackbody, Anglepoise, and Jake Dyson. The Hero Lamp (above) by Buster & Punch exemplifies the brand's steampunk aesthetic.

After an unprecedented year of earthquakes, hurricanes, and fires, a bright light has been shed on the benefits of building with concrete.

With its name rendered in a searing neon red, hometown hero Kartell drew a crowd like moths to a flame. Inside, too, lighting by the Milan maker was the draw. At this point, Olga and I are at about 5,000 steps and feeling unfazed.

Las Cuatro Milpas Restaurant — 1875 Logan Ave., 619-234-4460

Located in their hometown of Istanbul, the Art8 art gallery was completed in 2006.

In the kitchen, minimalism prevails. Jared notes that the use of plywood was loosely inspired by design seen in the 1960s Sonoma County Sea Ranch community. "It's something that one of my heroes, [architect] Barbara Bestor has done very well," he says.

The 510 Cabin is one of Leggitt's designs, executed with the help of student apprentices.

The rear wall with stacking sliding doors opens to surrounding decks and the "hero" view.

The open-plan kitchen, dining and living room honors the home's original design and heroes the existing stone wall.

Friends from Tonko's hometown of Bregenz, Austria, commissioned the studio when they acquired some land next to their home. They use it for drawing and sketching, as well as creating clay and gypsum sculptures that are later cast into bronze. Since the area is close to where he grew up, Tonko was incredibly familar with the view from the hillside.

Located in the client’s hometown of Beechworth, the holiday retreat sits on a hill with beautiful valley views of the township below.

The Flick House’s contemporary brick facade references traditional architecture in the owner’s hometown in Central Java.

The cover of Murakami Versailles.

Serving as a hero piece in the kitchen, the Fisher & Paykel 36” Dual Fuel Freestanding Range is finished in a sleek black color that provides a visual contrast worthy of its central position.

Pendant by Matthew Fairbank Design.

Clock by Ding3000 for Discipline.

The structure of the coop was inspired by the new bus shelters and newsstands in New York City.

HGTV star, interior designer, and pup-lover Alison Victoria stands next to The Wesley, named after one of her own dogs. It's inspired by her hometown of Chicago.

William Lamson's Solarium.

"The sculpted kitchen island bench is a true hero of the space," says Lynch. "It anchors the generously scaled entertainment space while its weighty legs, honed marble finish, and soft, beveled detailing make it an artistic piece in its own right."

A Seattle family tasked Atmosphere Design Build with creating a sustainable dwelling in Nevada City, California, the matriarch's hometown and a historic mining community. The firm's material-driven approach channels the pioneer spirit of the gold rush, without compromising comfort or high-efficiency standards.

Hero's main products are prints (many of which are concert posters they've been hired to create) as well as totes and shirts.

“I love this low-level stair window. It’s at head height when you’re at the bottom of the stairs; it gives you a glimpse of, and connection to, the garden outside. Most of the windows capture what I’d call ‘hero shots,’ but some, like this one, are completely unexpected.”

Villa Bio is situated a little over an hour outside of Barcelona in Llers, a green, hilly, sun-bathed sprawl near Figueres (hometown of everyone’s favorite mustachioed surrealist, Salvador Dali). The hydroponic rooftop garden grows out of volcanic stones. The home is conceived as a giant C-shaped spiral.

Soft Rocks by Tanya Aguiñiga.

The Anita shelf as seen on The Blog on the Bookshelf.

For more information on the Uncensored campaign, please visit sonatauncensored.

"The triangular highlight frames views of the old Edwardian pressed metal roof and chimneys," the architects say of the triangular window to the left. "Like a traveler reflecting upon their hometown from abroad, we look back at the original part of the house, see its foibles and imperfections, and love it all the more for these eccentricities."

Hero's designs are also wearable. Mark and Beth don't yet screen the shirts themselves but have made that one of their next goals.

A custom headboard made of triangular pieces of black walnut is the clear hero of this 1954 Airstream renovation by ArtisTree, a designer of custom treetop and small-space homes. Because sustainability was a priority in this project, the floors are made of recycled wood (treated with the Japanese burning technique, sho-sugi-ban, to darken them), and the tiles in the bathroom are created from recycled glass.

James Ransom's emailed version of one his promo cards.

Andre Dekker of Rotterdam-based Observatorium.

Hero Photo

Heroes