Ever the arranger, Aumas makes another vignette in the kitchen amid vintage vases and bowls.

Eric Ripert invited Dwell into his personal kitchen he co-designed with Poggenpohl and made us the perfect cod basquaise.

Slabs move about the factory on trolleys (somewhat like the cable cars in Dwell's hometown of San Francisco!).

A diamond-toothed saw cuts the block into slabs. Catch a Vine video clip of the process here.

The cut slabs are buffed and polished. See a Vine video clip of the machine in action here.

After sorting, the pieces are boxed and ready to ship to distributers located around the world.

Workers excavate portions of the mountain to determine where the best-quality stone is; they won't go through the entire laborious process in lower-quality sections. Then, they remove blocks measuring three meters by five meters and weighing 22,000 kilos each; that's the same as about ten small cars! Here, a block arrives at the factory for processing. (This is a different type of marble than the nearby Blanco Macael.)

Our journey starts millions of years ago, before Spain and Europe as we know it existed. This land used to be submerged deep underwater. Over time, minerals and salts were transformed into sedimentary rock. Travertine, limestone, and marble descend from the same components and represent various phases of calcification. On the top, travertine is the most porous and pitted. Dig a little deeper and you'll find limestone. Deeper still, is marble, which is the most prized and valuable. It takes about 250 million years to form marble.

A computer analyzes each tile, then sorts it by grade.

Some slabs are trimmed into tile (these pieces don't have mats on the back).

Cosentino owns a lease to mine this mountain. Here, you can see the various layers of rock in the quarry. Through excavations, they've gradually excised portions until they hit the marble motherlode. The mine has been producing marble blocks for 40 years and has an expected lifespan of 40 more years. The trade name of the stone is "Blanco Macael," referring to the city from which the stone originates. It's one of the many varieties of natural stone the company distributes.

Resin is applied to fill the gaps in pieces with uneven surfaces. Here, workers test various resins on sample tiles.

Since some slabs are more fragile than others, a backing is affixed to prevent cracks and breaking. Here, workers quickly spread the glue.

Then the marble moves to quality control for inspection.

Stacey and Doug get down to business making drinks. Photo by: JUCO Read more: dwell.com/slideshows/...

In the Furniture and Accessories zone, Maine-based furniture company Thos. Moser showcased the Fahmida Chair. Plans for the black walnut chair—a collaboration between the brand and Pratt graduate Fahmida Lam—were also on display.

Chip and Fiorenzo collect ashes from Husk's wood-burning stove and, after sifting, incorporate it into a ceramic glaze. So not only is Husk's dishware local, it's recycled from its own backyard!

The apparel on display includes Hanky Panky's lingerie and Tabii Just's bullet-proof jacket. Photo by SITU Studio.

"99 percent of the miniatures featured in the book were made painstakingly with hand tools: Xacto knives, sandpaper, felt, a needle and thread, strips of basswood, and mahogany—things you can find at a great art supply store," Chun says. "I only recently got a Dremel rotary tool to help with sanding the curves of a Saarinen dining table. But overall, the simple, clean lines—often pure geometry—found in mid-century and Danish modern sensibilities helps with creating pieces at this scale."

Every space, including the living and dining sections seen here, has “furniture, objects and artworks that bring us memories,” says Smud. The bench, coffee tables, and dining table are by the late Alejandro Sticotti.

Furnishings on view include works by Scott Jordan, Tri-Lox, and Spuni, all Brooklyn-based manufacturers. Photo by SITU Studio.

"Making It In NYC" brings New York manufacturers to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Photo by SITU Studio.

The Swedes' take on making waste into useful products.

Something fishy was on display in Reykjavik’s only product design gallery, Spark Design Space. Roshildur Jonsdottir’s model making kits featuring fishbone pieces, delighted children and adults. Complete with a set of paints and brushes, crafters could create a variety of designs. The idea was described by Roshildur a as collaboration between scientists, fish producers and artists.

A close-up of Lars Rank adding dots of color to a ceramic plate.

Drawings that went into the making of the SOS Children's Village in Chicago.

The automotive design process at General Motors involves countelss talented people from ideation to production. After designers come up with ideas for interior and exterior styling—think: the shape of seats, the contouring of a console, the overall look and feel of a cabin—craftspeople create life-sized prototypes at the Interiors and Exteriors Studio. They evaluate the design to see if it's something that can be produced on a large scale given the tools and machinery that's readily available. Even the most minute stitch.

If you frequently entertain guests in your home, or love holding long leisurely dinner parties on the weekends, it’s a good idea to keep these points in mind when designing or remodeling your kitchen. Here are some tips on how to turn this functional area into a space that's fit and fun for gatherings.

Little surprise that model-making should also be one of their strong suits.

Over the years, McIntosh has added computer-controlled machines to its assembly line, like this one, which churns out about 5,000 circuit boards per month.

Bias Block : Walnut This handmade walnut block is not only rich and beautiful but practical for catching juices when carving the holiday bird or roast.

A fitting epigram for an architect, but for Studio Gang in particular: Gathering is the beginning of nest making.

The cookies come in cute boxes, making them great (albeit not inexpensive) gifts.

The sunken living room is just one of many grade changes inside the structure. “We were adamant that we didn’t want something domestic,” says Andrew. “We wanted something surprising, that was hyper-animated, and that, when you moved through it, changed all the time.” The sofa, designed by the couple and Levenbetts, is upholstered in cotton velvet. The Habibi side tables are by Philipp Mainzer for e15, the fireplace tools by Fort Standard, and the doors by Fleetwood.