1995 Rocket by Eero Aarnio for Artek.

The almost-entirely tallowwood kitchen is custom. Muuto pendant lights, bar stools by Alvar Aalto for Artek, a Vola faucet, and a ceiling fan by Beacon Lighting finish the room.

German Artist’s Mike Meiré’s version of the Artek Stool 60 gives the iconic stool some pop. $390

Alvar Aalto’s Stool 60 In lieu of a coffee table, three of these stackable stools were grouped together. $308

In the living area, Brothers sits on an Artek stool while perusing a selection from his library.

Waechter Architecture reimagined a traditional gabled home in southeast Portland without significantly altering the original building. A simple coat of red paint abstracts the century-old structure, creating a residential work of art.

1960Kiki Stool by Ilmari Tapiovaara for Artek.

“The packaging can be seen as a vehicle of our values: functionality, sustainability, natural materials, aesthetics, ethics, and ecology.”—Marianne Goebl, global director of Artek

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 Rocket stool, Aarnio’s 2007 design for venerable Finnish producer Artek.

Since surrounding neighbors can overlook the one-story property, Thomson created a roof detail that is environmentally friendly and attractive: “the bio-diverse [green] roof is planted with indigenous species of flowers and grasses,” he says.

The Pirkka line for Artek from 1955—which includes this low stool—embody the the kind of organic modernism for which Finland is known. The versatile design is available in a range of heights (low, counter or high bar), wood finishes, and types of seating.

Eero Aarnio designed Artek’s Rocket Stool in 1995. It blends a simple circular seat and cylindrical body with legs that resemble the base of a rocket ship. A playful design, the Rocket Stool will make for a thoughtful design gift. Also available in Baby Rocket Stool.

The steel canopy protects the residents from Seattle’s notoriously rainy weather as they walk from the entry gate to the front door.

By inserting a tunnel made from 36 reclaimed commercial doors and tearing down a handful of walls, LOT-EK and contractor Andreas Scholtz brought light into the formerly unused dark hallway in Maurice Russell (right) and Jorge Fontanez’s apartment. The glossy Safety Red paint by Benjamin Moore catches the light by day but “becomes a richer, darker, very relaxing red at night,” Fontanez says.

Designed by Alvar Aalto in 1933, the classic Artek Stool 60 is considered the definition of functionalist furniture design. The Hella Jongerius Edition of the stool recasts Aalto’s classic design with colorful seats and legs, including this blue seat with charcoal legs. The result is a thoughtful re-imagination that retains Aalto’s classic, functional design.

Designed by Alvar Aalto in 1933, the classic Artek Stool 60 is considered the definition of functionalist furniture design. The Hella Jongerius Edition of the stool recasts Aalto’s classic design with colorful seats and legs in different wood finishes, ranging from metallic silver to a rich walnut color.

Rival task chair by Konstantin Grcic for Artek. This birch chair, available in a high and low-back version, is a great pick for home offices, adapting to any task at hand.

Emilio Nanni designed the Twist bar stool for Zanotta. With a steel frame and polyester cord, the perch is durable and sculptural.

The bathroom features Chromtech tile, a Toto toilet, Kohler vanity, and powder-coated steel countertop.

The 1968 house’s shape—a rounded triangle topped with a sweeping concrete roofline that suggests a helmet as it rises above huge banks of windows—lends itself totally to Kukkapuro’s philosophy. “It is a structure in waiting, prone to change as the landscape around it—not yet a form, rather a possibility,” he says. “It changes in harmony with the seasons and the moods of its inhabitants.”

The red acrylic hallway.

Dan Pacek, left, and John Roynon prepare cocktails at their 12-foot “display island” in the renovated kitchen of their home in New Jersey. The couple bought handles matching those on their Thermador refrigerator and used them on a set of pantry doors, one of which conceals the steps to the basement.

"[Artek's] Aalto stools in their springtime outfits."

The kitchen is outfitted with a duel-fuel range by Bosch, a Diamonte Canopy hood by Faber, a LaPerla dishwasher by Miele, French-door refrigerator by LG, Blanco sink, and Compact Smart overn by Breville. Catifa 46 stools by Arper are stationed at the bar. The counters are quartz and the cabinets are solid maple. "Given that the owners’ intention was to stay and age in the house, we decided that the materials needed to be elegant and timeless and, in essence, could also age well in place," Tedesco says. "This led to devising a refined and warm palette of natural finishes. White carrara marble, oiled clear Douglas fir, and maple floors and millwork create a light, warm interior with a reddish hue that emanates when the sunlight washes the woods. The selection process included R-and-D on the materials to assess their ability to be both robust enough to handle every day wear and tear in the short term and acquire a beautiful patina long term. We also researched MSDS charts to ensure they were safe, non-toxic, and would not off-gas."

A simple Japanese-inspired stool can go double- or triple-duty in the home, and the dark red adds visual interest. $189 at BoConcept

"Like the old farmhouses and barns of the Champlain Valley, the Foote Farm House has a clearly ordered wood frame on a sturdy foundation, an exterior skin made of local materials, an economy of form with tried-and-true proportions, a central fire place, and a common-sense relationship to the sun and the weather." - Architect John McLeod

Moskow Linn Architects of Boston tackled this ground-up renovation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for a client who wanted to maximize efficiency. Photo by Eric Roth.

"Architecture exists through states of contrast; the building as a bridge between a wooded forest and a field, a strong roof line against a backdrop of trees or mountains. In these states of contrast we truly start to see where we live." -Architect Steve Kredell

The walls are covered in Graniplast, a tinted acrylic finish. Nathan Pereira Arquitectos y Diseño advised on the facade, floors, and finishes. All the bedrooms are off one hallway; the three children’s rooms were designed by Vanessa Clark.

The Red House, 2002.

Shigeru Ban's red 10 Unit System for Artek at LongHouse Reserve. Photo via Artek Americas.

A 12-foot “display island” gives this kitchen programmatic function—food and drinks are prepared here; cooking and cleaning are consigned to the back—and helps make it a welcoming space, whether homeowners Pacek and Roynon are entertaining or simply enjoying time to themselves. The soft green hue adds an inviting touch.

The Bristol stool on the second story landing is by Modern Home.