No whiteware here. In this moody apartment in Berlin, multi-toned charcoal gray subway tiles make up the backsplash, which contrasts with the pop of rosy color on the kitchen cabinets.

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

The old wood floors throughout the open-plan space are painted a dark eggplant. The vintage PP19 armchair is by Hans J. Wegner for PP Møbler. The painting above it is by Ruben Toledo, a friend of Peter Fehrentz, the resident. A trio of Tom Dixon lights hangs over the Pirkka dining table, with bench seating by Ilmari Tapiovaara for Artek. The Berber rug is from Morocco, purchased from the Paris shop Caravane.

Sheer gray curtains by Ulf Moritz for Sahco add to the apartment’s moody atmosphere.

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.

The copper-colored leather pouffe is one of 48 DIY projects featured in Fehrentz’s book, Made by Yourself. The English edition will be published in 2014.

A polished concrete floor was selected for its durability. Using a design move inspired by Japanese architecture, Bruzkus introduced a change in height to help separate the sleeping area from the living area.

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)

By using color, wood, and polished concrete floors, this apartment in Berlin is full of personality. In the kitchen, polished statuario marble covers both the island's countertop and the backsplash in the custom kitchen cabinet block. PSLAB designed the light fixtures, and the island has open shelving incorporated into it for easy access to cookbooks and other reading material.

The cozy bedroom is clad in oiled oak.

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.

Design Publishing Editor in Berlin, Germany "Quite a few of our things come from places like Bolia, BoConcept and Hay, combined with flea market finds and DIY pieces. I built that table together with my dad. I had been looking for a table that would function both as a desk and a dining table for quite some time, but what I found wasn't either quite right or just too expensive. So I asked my dad, who's very handy, if he'd come to Berlin for a weekend and help me build my own table. It's exactly how I wanted it. The chairs came from a vintage store around the corner. I don't know if it's true, but the owner told me they were once used in a church in Denmark, and I varnished them to match the table top."

Fehrentz designed the sofa and had it upholstered in fabric by JAB Anstoetz. He cast the concrete base of the table lamp. The 1950s teak coffee table is vintage.

Corner of a building in Berlin, Germany.

The boat is a trimaran, a multi-hull steel-constructed boat with one main hull and two outrigger floats. The three-room boat hotel is located on Lake Rummelsburg, a small bay on the Spree River located on the east side of Berlin.

Light filters through the apartment from both the east and west sides. The coffee tables are by Bruzkus Batek for komdo.co. Kim Layani designed the rugs.

InFarm Loft In their industrial loft in the Kreuzberg neighborhood, Guy and Erez Galonska have built a cottage industry around indoor farming, including a farm-to-table supper club. Photo provided by InFarm

"Residential | repetition"

Artist Franz von Lenbach built his studio in 1886, four years after he added his home. He commissioned German architect Gabriel von Seidl to design it in Neo-Classical Tuscan style. von Lenbach's intention was to build a monument to his art. He filled it with paintings and statuary from his many trips to Europe and furniture from Tuscany. When the villa was built, it was on the only road now called Luisenstrasse, that let up to the Nymphenburg Palace, (c. 1664) the summer home of the royal family of Bavaria. Because the royals would be passing it and going to and from their palace, the city of Munich set out rigorous rules for its design. In other words, the villa had to be stunning, giving the royals something nice to look at. And, it is. Today, 450,000 visitors each year enjoy von Lenbach's studio and home. Image courtesy of Lenbachhaus Gallery and Museum.

Architect Ester Bruzkus of Bruzkus Batek redesigned a compact apartment in Berlin to serve as her home. The previous layout had two bedrooms and one bathroom, but Bruzkus created an open-plan arrangement with only one bedroom to free up space. A folding wall can be pulled out for privacy. Custom furniture joins pieces by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller and Gervasoni. The bathroom is enclosed within the black cube, which can be entered from either the bedroom side or the living room side. The paintings are by Berlin-based artist Niki Elbe.

Designer Boris Berlin with his Fiber Chairs at Muuto's showroom in central Copenhagen. Of the Iskos-Berlin design, which carries on a strong modern tradition influenced by the Eames shell chair, Berlin says, “One of the most difficult and noble disciplines is to design without eccentricity." The chair's supernormal silhouette translates to different uses with four different bases (powder coated steel, sled, swivel, and wood), while the seat portion is 100% recyclable thanks to its eco-friendly composite mix using 25% wood fibers, 70% PP (polyproplene) and 5% coloured polyproplene.

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

Fehrentz displays his collections of art and objects throughout his apartment. The chair is a vintage Chiavari from the ’60s.

A sliding door divides the verde bamboo granite bathroom from the bedroom.

“I could see immediately what walls should stay and what should be ripped out and changed. I had a fantasy about how to transform it into a very personal place." —Peter Fehrentz

Fehrentz designed the wardrobe; the doors are covered in canvas printed with a baroque landscape scene. The curtains are by Dominique Kieffer.

Friederike Hamann (Berlin, Germany) Hollander was rarely surprised by people’s homes, and they rarely changed her image of who these friends are or would be. “There are all of these alarmist headlines about how people online aren't who they are in real life, that they ‘curate’ personas,” she says. “But we all curate in real life as well.”

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.

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.