Dlandstudio’s Sponge Park would bring greenery and people to a contaminated area while simultaneously contributing to its recovery. Image provided by dlandstudio.

This diagram shows the many agencies with jurisdiction over the proposed Sponge Park area. Image provided by dlandstudio.

By repainting doors and updating the handles, you’ll refresh the heart of your home without the need for a full redesign.

Sponges and gentle brushes serve as great assistants when looking to remove grime and stains around caulking.

Founded in 2005 by Susannah C. Drake, dlandstudio architecture + landscape is an inderdisciplinary design studio based in Brooklyn. Its design for a "Sponge Park" along the Gowanus Canal, a federal Superfund site, envisions a "working landscape" that will improve the environmental conditions along the park over time. Image courtesy of dlandstudio architecture + landscape.

Hoop Brushes by Fredericks & Mae, from $64 Handmade by the New York–based studio, these circular, maple-and-horse hairbrushes are almost too good for the domestic chore. Available in 4, 7, and 10–inch diameter sizes.

This handy storage concept by Parisian brand ENO finds a new function for the traditional wooden bristle brush.

The Kitchen and Bath zone featured the latest designs from GE Monogram, TOTO, and Hansgrohe, among others. Hansgrohe Metric faucet.

1993 Stefano Giovannoni designs Merdolino toilet brush for Alessi.

2005 Paolo Ulian designs Brush Ring toothbrush.

Design*Sponge managing editor Amy Azzarito.

For when there just isn't storage space to hide away certain water closet accessories, designer Josh Owen created the WC Line. Made from silicone and tanoak wood, this three-piece set includes a wastebasket, plunger, and toilet brush. It's available in black, white, red, blue, and orange.

Skultuna Brushed Brass Flower Pot, from $125 Swedish designer Monica Förster elevates the form of the traditional terra-cotta flower pot in this spun-metal planter.

Designed by Swedish designer Monica Förster, the Brushed Brass Flower Pots celebrate the shape of traditional terracotta pots and elevates the look with a luxurious material selection. Maintaining the historical production methods of the Skultuna factory, these flower pots are made through the traditional practice of metal spinning.

Native New Yorkers, the Merola family have long held a tradition of spending summers in Rhode Island. When they learned the costs of renovating their existing cottage would significantly outweigh the benefits, they instead opted to build new. The result—a distinctively modernist box structure clad in milled slats of charred, brushed, and oiled cypress manufactured by Delta Millworks—sits nestled within the marshy landscape of Quonochontaug Pond.

The Birillo Toilet Brush lends a touch of elegance to an otherwise dolesome household chore. Created by Italian-based designer Piero Lissoni, the Birillo Toilet Brush is made from shatter-proof PMMA in opaque white and high polished stainless steel to create a mirror effect. Perfectly compliments the rest of the collection of Birillo bathroom accessories for the modern home.

Modern furniture brand Brush Factory was founded by Rosie Kovacs and Hayes Shanesy in 2009. Their lineup includes streamlined wood pieces, like this walnut dining table with a solid leg base.

Solid Wood Nailbrush from DWR, $20 (item no longer available)

For small, low-ceiling rooms, try the Velo Hugger Ceiling Fan. At just 14 inches in length, the Velo will circulate airflow without disrupting compact spaces. The Velo is available with or without an overhead light, in sleek brushed nickel or a decidedly modern gloss white.

Left to right: Duo by Stotz Design for Blomus, the Merdolino toilet brush by Stefano Giovannoni for Alessi, and the Vipp 11 Toilet Brush by Vipp

Entry bench and wire-brushed fir wainscoting.

Designed by Monica Förster, the Brushed Brass Flower Pots celebrate the shape of traditional terracotta pots and elevates the look with a luxurious material selection. Maintaining the historical production methods of the Skultuna factory, these flower pots are made through the traditional practice of metal spinning. Photo: Dwell on Design 2015, shown with Tokyo Elevations Print and Brooklyn Landmarks Print from studio esinam and Forma Sculptural Candle Set from Bower.

Chicago, Illinois Lift Brushed Copper Fruit Bowls by fferrone design, from $260. These sculptural serving pieces by Felicia Ferrone are handcrafted in brass and finished with the metal of the moment: copper.

Kai and Téa brush their teeth in the upstairs bathroom shared by all. “We went with the 1950s thing—a family bathroom,” explains Blatt. The sinks are by Kohler.

Bottle Rocks by Brush Factory. The cork stopper’s black walnut or maple wood tops are modeled after stones, and no two are exactly alike. Made in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Another variation on the pattern, designed by architect Tim Bade, appears on the brushed-aluminum guardrail. - Austin, Texas Dwell Magazine : November / December 2017

One of the best ways to combat the grime in between window blinds, hinges, etc. is with a sponge or cloth that has been dampened in either mild soapy water or a mixture of vinegar, water, and baking soda.

Brush glue along the remaining edges and fold over. Set this aside to dry flat.

A brushed nickel industrial faucet

An installation of mismatched handmade shelves makes a display area for another enigmatic assortment of objects, including a Wanders Sponge vase (1997), made by soaking a real sponge in clay, which burns away when the piece is fired. The same technique was used on the silver-plated teddy bear above it. The dolphin and Buddha figures—perhaps a reminder of Wanders’s role in mainstreaming kitsch—illustrate the designer’s interest in ordinary, popular decorative objects.

The couple and their friends spent hours clearing brush and felling at-risk oak and madrone trees. “There was no view at all,” Molly says. “You had to duck and peek through thick oak brush just to see that there was anything on the horizon.”

Image converted using ifftoany

The brushed brass drawer pulls are from Amazon.

The floors are an Appalachian wire-brushed White-Oak with a custom stain.

A detail of the light grey brushed oak floors with marble accent lines.

Vintage Etched wire-brushed walnut flooring with built-in heating is used throughout the home.