Mint green-painted ironwork and tiles connect the indoors to the outside more fluidly.

The Max-A studio is also built with a pine frame, though it has pine panelling on the ceiling, while the main house ceiling is painted a warm white.

Wood decking extends out to the yard.

Amending Meeuwissen’s early request for an open bathroom space, the architects devised a more private chamber with an overhead skylight and walls in stone tile from Intercodam Tegels.

After - living room (Rubio monocoat floors, Chantilly lace walls, used fireplace)

99 by Von Tundra and Lydia Cambron $13,000 Oregon-based Von Tundra’s unit combines three different storage options—a rack, drawers, and boxes—into a multipurpose dresser.

The Armadillo is parked on a 1,000-square-foot lot that gives the couple ample outdoor space.

Shopping Mall Fruit Basket, a painting by Peter B. Hastings, shares space with a special-edition Royal Copenhagen tea set and a photograph by Tokyo-based artist Keith Ng.

This outdoor chair from designer Damian Velasquez is both striking and strikingly comfortable—you might not believe you're sitting on metal. The mesh design is sturdy, but has just enough give to conform to your body. The heat-dispersing, wind-resistant powder-coated stainless steel construction makes it a smart addition to your yard.

O Table by Half 13 $2,800 This curvy powder-coated stainless steel outdoor table, fabricated by Damian Velasquez in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is available in nine vibrant colors.

Wooden decks can be added to heighten the indoor-outdoor living experience.

Room 606 in the hotel is preserved exactly as Jacobsen designed it. "I love the idea of preserving history," Hayon says. "But hotels are made to be used and furniture faces a major test in these spaces. It's interesting to see history by looking at the color choice and choice of elements in a space." To book a stay at the hotel and see the Jaime Hayon suite and Arne Jacobsen room, visit radissonblu.com.

Cedar louvers increase privacy and shade on the second-floor deck, where Carole and Duane relax with granddaughters Natalie and Allison and their friend Katherine.

Landscape architect Kevin Campion went to great lengths to protect the poplar trees during construction. Delta Millworks charred the cedar gable fronts following the shou sugi ban technique.

A Rafa Kids swing hangs below the loft bed near the large desk designed for playing with Legos.

Shumaker Design + Build Associates honed in on natural light, rich tones, and earthy materials to update this Chicago kitchen. The renovated kitchen now boasts a ten-foot-long banquette paired with a West Elm table, offering seating for everything from quick breakfasts to grand dinners.

Light pine finishes make the interiors feel airy and spacious.

A built-in closet and chalkboard surface in the entry keeps things tidy and the couple's to-do list in order.

The panoramic window defines the space. "It's the most important architectural element in the room," Hayon says.

Opulent Louis XVI décor may not exactly be mod, but contemporary British architect David Chipperfield helped re-imagine the Café Royal—where louche met lux—that re-opened in December 2012 with renovated parquet floors, cast-plaster walls, a new Champagne and Caviar lounge, marble hammam, and restored ballrooms once frequented by Liz Taylor, David Bowie, and Oscar Wilde. Rooms from $530.

An opaque sliding glass door separates the bathroom from the dining area. White tile with pink-colored grout ties the two spaces together.

A pool cage with a retractable awing makes the pool deck feel like a natural extension of the home's interior, while the terraced construction lifts the building up above the level of floods and storm surges.

With the help of architects X+L Studio, Nynke Meeuwissen and Mark Aink rehabilitated an old school outside of Amsterdam into a comfortable roost for their family of five. The former gym—with original herringbone parquet floors—is now the living room, furnished with Minotti sofas, a Danskina rug, and a Gyrofocus wood-burning stove.

The Heddle Suite is "the look is one of New England design turned on its head

Local sailboat shops wanted thousands to make the 13-by-13-foot curtain that hides the Wall of Storage. "We we called my parents in Bangkok, gave them the dimensions, and they got it made for 150 bucks." says Im.

The first-floor rental unit features a table from an 11th-century monastery turned pub.

A white Bulthaup system fits cleanly into the 13-foot-long kitchen.

do it: the compendium, Independent Curators International (ICI), New York and D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, Inc., May 2013, 448 pages. ISBN: 978-1-938922-01-5. Foreword and acknowledgements by Kate Fowle and Frances Wu Giarratano. Introduction by Hans Ulrich Obrist. Essays by Bruce Altshuler, Hu Fang, Virginia Perez-Ratton, and Elizabeth Presa. Available to purchase at Curators International.