Tom Givone’s clients, Rose and Steve Smith, teach overseas and have owned their house for 26 years. They intended to fix it up slowly and retire there. As one problem led to another, they reached a point when they felt their only option, as Rose put it, was to “burn it down.”

Invader by Danish designer Maria Bruun is a stackable storage module in three sizes that can provide storage or display space as needed. Its stability is ensured by a metal core within. As the designer's statement reads: Home is where your stuff is.

A glass-lined shower with a Hudson Reed showerhead adds a modern touch to the second-floor bathroom. A pane of privacy glass lets natural light enter the room.

Architect Cass Calder Smith embarked on a gut renovation to join two apartments inside a SoHo building, resulting in a 1,600-square-foot residence. He redid the floors in oak and redesigned the wall of windows that frames views to the east.

Twist a Twill BlanketMade in Denmark from 100-percent new wool, Tina Ratzer’s twill patterns are great lightweight throws to have around the house, we particularly love the light gray color way. $139

Graft Sideboard: "Strong and stable, the Graft sideboard offers concealed and open storage, finished in soft tones of grey laminate and natural unfinished oak timber. The unit has two solid oak drawers with concealed drawer runners and two adjustable shelved compartments," says Welsh. ($3,557)

In the living room, a Lake credenza by BDDW is topped with a Bauhaus chess set and a portrait of Ernest Hemingway by the artist Yuriy Rudnev.

Monya Eastman's "Peggy" console.

Sided in smart white lacquer and topped with glass, this four-in-one dining table by Ozzio seamlessly transitions from a casual dinner to a feast for 12.

Laarman used digital algorithms to generate the aluminum Vortex Console and accompanying bookshelf. Photo by Andrew Bovasso; courtesy of Friedman Benda and Joris Laarman.

For Ligne Roset's Hellobye console, designer Marion Steinmetz focused on the details. A mirror is located on a flap door that's attached via leather straps and a side drawer keeps essential items at arm's reach. The piece features a black-stained ash veneer and steel frame.

“Ideas come to me in stops and starts, and often at really inopportune moments (like when I have deadlines for other projects) so I am always trying to find time to test out ideas in my shop when I get the chance. I don't dwell very long on things or sketch a million variations; I do better just jumping in with mock ups or foam and paper models, and then refining the physical models until I am ready to build the prototype. I have lots of prototypes floating around the shop and my house.”

"We did not have long term plans, we just want to express the things that we like, to create home products using local craftsmanship with a global outlook," Bong says. Pictured, Heima's Geonna console.

Lower level floor plan.

Upper level floor plan.

The ever-changing daylight, plus the use of curtains and lighting options, means that Ahlgren and Lökaas enjoy a variety of different atmospheres.

The tiny apartment is filled with clever space-saving solutions, including built-in storage and transforming furniture.

The ever-changing daylight, plus the use of curtains and lighting options, means that Ahlgren and Lökaas enjoy a variety of different atmospheres.

The new custom kitchen is situated in the original structure. The window is a new commercial unit with an operable frameless center pane and was set so that the countertop could tuck right underneath it to create a 1/4-inch shadow line.

Elements of Craft at Mint Gallery (September 13-21) Amid a gallery show focused on the influence of craft on design, the organic overtones in the work of Andrea Forti and Eleonora Dal Farra, who collaborate as Alcarol, stand out as gorgeous examples of nature's inherent beauty. Their new Undergrowth console, edged with moss frozen in resin, adds an unexpected green touch.

The modern staircase was built with the same salvaged wall planks that are used as flooring throughout.

A wood console provides structural support and anchors the open floor plan, creating a natural division between the living room, dining area, and office.

Matthew LechowickHidden media console, is a mix-and-match cabinet integrating household media components, and Reveal, a wall clock that tells time by rotating 72 individual wood pieces.

The updated kitchen is outfitted with stainless steel appliances, including a Bosch range, a Fisher & Paykel refrigerator, and a Frigidaire range hood. The faucet is Hudson Reed.

The client requested a porch, so Givone built one with columns made of anodized aluminum, the same material used in the siding of the addition, and stainless steel cables. "Even though it's a traditional, covered porch, it has very modern materials," he says.

"You sketch a concept, model it, but to see it actually take shape is always surprising." Givone says. "Building this specific structure, that payoff was more dramatic. It looked just as I had imagined and rendered it, by hand in Play-Doh, all those months before."

Givone sourced a slab of marble for the sink and countertop from Thompson Stone in Montague, New Jersey.

The elongated stems of this modern cutlery set suggest chopsticks with the function of Western utensils. Choose among five types of wood handles, including ones in wenge and teak.

THE FRANK GEHRY RIGHT TWIST CUBE This cube is a multipurpose piece, as it can be used as a side table or a stool for sitting. Designed with a graceful twist, the cube works well as a singular accent, or as a complement to other pieces in the Frank Gehry collection.

Neely has been buying Dansk pepper grinders at antique shops for the past ten years.