Architect Janna Levitt devised a creative emellishment for a residence in Canada. Photo by: Philip Cheung

Bulbo Quadra and Cynara Part of the movement to utilize LED lights to popularize and expand indoor farming, Bulbo adds a touch of Italian panache to your indoor soil-and-seed endeavors. The unobtrusive design and light footprint—the Cynara, pictured above, looks like a small, overturned pot—make them easy to use in a variety of situations. Photo by Ottavio Montanari

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.

WeMo LED Lighting starter set by Belkin, $130 The energy-efficient, fully dimmable LED bulb offers the equivalent brightness of a 60-watt incandescent and will last over 20 years. With Belkin’s app, you can control the bulbs from anywhere and even program them to turn on and off when you’re on vacation.

Wireless M Lamp, $220 at the Dwell Store The innovative Wireless M Lamp was inspired by miners’ lamps of the 19th century. Designed by British designer David Irwin for Juniper, the M Lamp is a portable task lamp that can be used in a variety of spaces, including bedrooms and offices.

Six staircases, many open to outside light, serve as pathways between the private interior spaces.

The countertop is a solid aluminum plate. The cooktop, hood, and dishwasher are Miele.

The Cielo Lamp from Pablo is defined by its use of simple, circular shapes. The lamp is comprised of a cylinder that yields to a flat circular LED panel. The Spanish word for “heaven” and “sky,” Cielo is a pendant lamp, and can be hung from a variety of ceilings, whether the light is used in an entryway or to illuminate a dining room table. This light balances color with a white stem—helping to balance the boldness of the color. Also available in black.

How smart is the smart home if nobody can understand it? That's the question that drove Shaun Springer to create Astro, a lighting and audio startup that believes smart home solutions should be as simple as screwing in a light bulb.

The 66-watt LEDs in the Ariel lights are rated to last for up to 13 years with continuous use.

"The smart home space is littered with companies that have catered exclusively to the savvy technophile. These products offer a bevy of features and tech-specs with largely unnecessary integrations to attract the innovators and early adopters," Springer writes about the challenges of scaling smart home technology. "The high-tech terms and confusing instructions read like the list of side-effects in a pharmaceutical ad, deterring mass market adoption."

At night, the exterior is lit with small LED bulbs for minimum impact. Steps are carved directly into the mountain landscape, leading visitors into one of the home’s two main entrances.

Though most of the home's interior comes without a splashy designer's name attached, the bathroom is kitted out with a toilet, sink, and bath/shower from Jasper Morrison's line for Ideal Standard. The cabinets are from an Ikea kitchen system.

Tallow candle by Ontwerpduo.

Composed of two simple components, the Brick Lamp has an industrial look that will complement a rustic interior or provide a distinctive contrast to a sleek, modern room. In two different shades of black, the Brick Lamp is a neutral light with a sculptural slant. Designed by Philippe Malouin, the lamp is comprised of a perforated concrete brick and an aluminum cylinder outfitted with an LED array. The LED can be moved in a variety of places, making it an adjustable lamp for a desk, nightstand, or shelf. The Brick Lamp’s horizontal LED is balanced by the substantial, vertical brick, making the lamp a balanced light source.

Composed of two simple components, the Brick Lamp has an industrial look that will complement a rustic interior or provide a distinctive contrast to a sleek, modern room. In two different shades of black, the Brick Lamp is a neutral light with a sculptural slant. Designed by Philippe Malouin, the lamp is comprised of a perforated concrete brick and an aluminum cylinder outfitted with an LED array.

A ‘light soffit’ offers a dynamic view of the stream below, providing both visual and audio stimulation. Throughout the year, the studio is filled with the sound of water, from the ocean waves to the rain and drizzle, to the flowing stream below. The artist, who has a longstanding connection to the site, focuses on “art which leaves marks at once permanent and delicate,” much like the structure itself.

Minimal interventions by architect Andrew Simpson allowed this former jam warehouse outside of Melbourne, Australia, to be turned into a family residence. "To draw light and ventilation into what was a poorly oriented and deep footprint, an extensive number of operable skylights were introduced on the north- and south-facing roof pitches, and a large void connecting the floors was strategically positioned to also take advantage of this amenity," Simpson says. American oak floorboards and Dulux paint were used throughout the property for continuity.

Alabax Large light by Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. $135 A surface-mounted porcelain shade fabricated in Portland, Oregon.

Above the sink in the kitchen, you can see one of Bocci’s first 57 chandeliers. Photo by José Mandojana.

Color is one way the architects differentiated the structures, as in the custom doors they designed for the entrances in contrasting light and dark light finishes.

It took Susanna several layers of sanding—and then finally tossing her water-based paint and selecting the proper oil-based formula—to get the floor as white as she'd envisioned. But she couldn't be happier with the result. “The apartment looks bigger when there are white surfaces for the light to bounce on,” she says.

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.

Quickly recalling the warm, organic, functional design of Scandinavian modernism, the Marstrand Candle Lantern ($180) by Skargaarden can be used indoors and outdoors. Its leather strap can be comfortably held or easily hung on the wall.

Last but not least, the Carrie Candle Lantern ($110) also mixes modern design with time-tested illumination (in this case, the humble candle). Designed by Norm Architects, its powder-coated steel design is at home on a patio, in a living room, atop a dining table, and throughout the modern home.

But best of all, the CREE LED Bulb emits a natural, incandescent-like light, making it a great bulb to light any space in your home. Plus, you'll feel good when using it: conversion to LED-only lighting could cut lighting-based energy consumption in half.

LUP CANDLE HOLDER Inspired by Scandinavian tradition and the short daylight hours of the Northern climate, the Lup Candleholder brings warmth and light into the home. The minimal construction creates a continuous line and minimal form.

LUMBERJACK CANDLE HOLDERS Danish designer Simon Legald was inspired by the silhouette created in a tree trunk as lumberjacks slowly chop away toward its center when he conceived of this colorful series of Lumberjack Candle Holders. Each set is carved from a single, cylindrical piece of solid wood. Made in Denmark.

Assorted candles by Wary Meyers, $28.50 each Made in small batches in Cumberland, Maine, these groovy paraffin and soy wax candles come in a range of scents, including Hippie Hollow, Sea Melon, and Violet Pepper.

Something Festive: Giving something festive is all well and good but even better is if that something can also be displayed year round. Consider a beautiful candle holder like the Lup Candle Holder designed by Shane Schneck for HAY.

A glass door on the north side sits opposite a glass window on the south wall that overlooks a birch tree forest. Skylights pull light into the interior. "Even though the artist paints landscapes, she didn't want to be distracted by the beauty of her surroundings while in the studio, which led to the limited apertures," Peterson says.

James works on his balsa-wood blimp in the family workspace, illuminated by a Kelvin LED Table Lamp from Flos.