Another simple, white kitchen with black countertops is this diminutive kitchen in Singapore. Light pours in through the large window, and a tiny but tasteful farmhouse kitchen table rests in the middle of everything.

Lalita stands in front of the coffee nook in the couple’s kitchen—one of several details that relates to their shared Brazilian heritage. Her childhood was split between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, while Fabio grew up in São Paulo before moving to various cities around the world as part of his career in advertising.

The craftsman pours water over the boards to halt the charring process.

In New York about two hours north of New York City, architecture and interiors firm BarlisWedlick created an eclectic compound designed to suit a client with an idiosyncratic wish list. In the kitchen, a custom Stickbulb LED lamp hangs above a kitchen island topped by concrete from Get Real Surfaces. The cabinets and island feature a modern version of a traditional board and batten siding that are given an even more contemporary feel with the concrete countertop.

In the kitchen, Dedo stools by Simone Simonelli for Miniforms pull underneath a poured-in-place concrete countertop.

In the living room, guests gather on a matching ebony sofa and daybed from Hudson and a pair of Jorge Zalszupin lounge chairs. An Yves Klein coffee table—filled with the artist’s signature International Klein Blue pigment— provides a vivid burst amid otherwise organic tones. The walnut-and-bronze cabinetry is a custom design.

A central challenge of the renovation was to integrate lighting into the architecture in such a way that “even if the space had no furniture, you could turn on the lights and instantly get a cozy atmosphere,” says Bjerre-Poulsen. After Europe banned incandescents in 2009 Bjerre-Poulsen turned to halogen fixtures, which are more energy-efficient and give off a similar quality of light. (He won’t use LEDs until their ability to render color is further developed, he says.) In Østergaard and Olofsson’s kitchen, he embedded a halogen strip in the underside of the wooden shelf over the countertop to direct light onto the work surface.

We are all bibliophiles and magazine-philes so Offi’s Embrace Media Table by John Green is perfect for extra storage. $299

A pair of matching Idea lights by Vesoi over a dining room table and chairs, both locally-made.

The walnut coffee table in the living room is by Samuel Moyer.

Pink & Brown’s Corkscrew Pendant Lamp lights the stair leading to the family room

Bistro Light chair by Ditte Hammerstrøm, 2007.

Adrian designed the Basic coffee table.

The coffee station features a professional-grade Rocket Espresso machine. Jang and King designed a stainless-steel pullout shelf for a cream and sugar station.

The master bedroom has a sitting area with a Twilight sofa from Design Within Reach and Noguchi's Prismatic tables from Vitra. The pillows are upholstered with Missoni's Kew fabric.

The Living Machine System operates partially underground and partially above ground. The visible parts of the system are planted with vegetation that not only aids the system, but creates an attractive garden.

In the kitchen and dining area, the Akoya pendant by Rich Brilliant Willing hangs over a Bend Goods Bistro Table; the Hoist Sconce over the Signature Hardware kitchen sink and faucet is also by RBW. A Material Kitchen cookware set and Kinto coffee set outfits the kitchen, along with Neenineen ceramics and Snowe glassware. A SMEG fridge adds a retro touch.

Tyler and Brown’s living room is packed with furniture yet manages to avoid feeling cluttered. The coffee table is a Nelson Platform Bench from Herman Miller, and the low tables are Tablo Tables by Magnus Löfgren for Design House Stockholm. The Nørreskoven fireplace is from Cleanburn Stoves.

Located in the Östermalm neighborhood of Stockholm, Cafe Foam channels "Spanish temperament with Scandinavian cool," according to its designers, local firm Note. Indeed, the interior features the prototypical Scandinavian blonde wood and spare detailing with splashes of magenta that evoke a more fiery feeling—an unexpected mashup as the latitudes (not to mention the design sensibilities) of Spain and Sweden are about as far flung as one can get in Europe.

Manual Coffee Maker Designer Craighton Berman says his new coffee maker is "at the intersection of slow food and design.”

Linda Hutchins and John Montague hired Works Partnership Architecture to turn a former Portland, Oregon, warehouse and auto repair shop into a versatile live/work space.

Bistro Bird Feeder Your friends will be tweeting this once they see how colorfully you feed your bird friends!

Very civilized coffee service at Karimoku New Standard gallery installation in Brera (plus new table by Scholten & Baijings).

Omaggio Coffee Press by Stilleben for Kähler, $125 from danishdesignstore.com Fresh brewed coffee served in a simple Scandinavian vessel. What more could one possibly want?

You can set the schedule up to a week in advance, and get push notifications when a fresh pot is ready. It brews at about 205 degrees Fahrenheit, and you can adjust the strength. You can also pause in the middle of the cycle in order to pour a cup.

Ziesel’s coffee table, made in 1993, puts her swirling, whimsical themes in a different medium, available at Design Within Reach.

Manual Coffee Maker The first entry in his new Manual houseware lines, the MCM exemplifies Berman’s approach, slowly crafting products at the intersection of design and food.

An example of one of Nakashima’s most iconic designs, this large piece was crafted from walnut.

Coffee and San Francisco!

One-inch-thick slate clads the fireplace in the living room, which opens to a terrace. The reclaimed coffee table is by Scott Chambers.

The team from the interdisciplinary firm Commune Design joins us to talk about their role in revitalizing the city of L.A., from their work on the city’s major residential multiuse projects to the recently opened Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles. Photo by Spencer Lowell.

Quaffing a perfect cappuccino is this writer’s true weakness.

Here's the cafe space, which is set off to the side of the building. The kiln (currently under construction) will be behind the bank of windows in the background. We love how the building hosts a multitude of uses: a social space for the neighborhood, retail, and manufacturing. It's also two local businesses supporting each other—a customer might come in for a coffee and come out with a new place setting, and vice versa.

Designed by Ariane van Dievot, the Avandi Candlestix Candle Holder Set is a series of three sleek candlestick holders. Crafted in solid brass, each candle holder has a decidedly modern shape, and includes a pointed top for both securing a candlestick and stacking other holders in the series. Each candle holder has a leather base branded with the Avandi logo.

The Aesthetic Union creates posters, business and greeting cards, and other printed matter.