YStudio Mechanical Brass Pencil, $100 at the Dwell Store Everyone will want to swap an old No. 2 pencil for this heirloom-quality brass instrument from YStudio. Weighty when in hand, this pencil gives a sense of purpose to note taking, doodles, or sketching. The materials used in the pencil allow it to oxidize over time, creating a distinct patina. Or, it can be treated with bronze oil to keep its luxe shine. This image depicts a shiny new pencil on the right and an aged pencil on the left.

Ystudio Brass Mechanical Pencil, $100 at the Dwell Store With a hexagonal body recalling a traditional no. 2, this brass mechanical pencil by Ystudio is made of a weighty mix of brass, copper, and phospor, which accrue goregeous patina over time. It comes with a matching pen.

Pencil digital stylus for iPad by FiftyThree, $60 at shop.fiftythree.com FiftyThree recently introduced this stylus to work with its popular Paper app—a virtual notepad, canvas, and sketchbook that helps users express themselves creatively online. Pencil is available in sustainably harvested American walnut or brushed graphite.

Looking like a ray gun from an early sci-fi serial, Loewy’s prototype pencil sharpener has been an icon for decades, memorialized (as depicted in the stamp above) as a teardrop-shaped catalyst for streamlined industrial design.

NOEM integrated the mechanical systems behind a purple screen for users to access. This “hub” is the first thing visible upon opening the front door.

Shopping Mall Fruit Basket, a painting by Peter B. Hastings, shares space with a special-edition Royal Copenhagen tea set and a photograph by Tokyo-based artist Keith Ng.

To deter all bird collisions, his home’s Ornilux windows use a specialized inner coating to reflect ultraviolet light visible to the birds but invisible to the human eye.

Duroplast Single Pencil Sharpener These pencil sharpeners are made by DUX, the oldest German brand for high quality pencil sharpeners, established in 1908 and continuing production in Geretsried, Bavaria. Made from blocks of Duroplast (Bakelite). Duroplast was the material used to produce the body of the Trabant peoples car, manufactured in East Germany until the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Pencil Holder, Carla Tennenbaum

Pencil Sharpener Ring by Monika Wyndham “MWRing” $225.00 for one "Over the summer I met Monika for the first time at a coffee shop in Brooklyn. Among other things, I asked her to be in a show we were curating at the time for SoHO's Partners & Spade. She said sure, and that she wanted to do a ring. She had not only never cast anything before, but she also had just two months to whip something up. What a champ. When I finally saw the finished ring, I was floored that she was able to develop such a perfect piece in so little time. These rings are fully functional, shiny silver and real heavy. Monika is the type of artist that will be making very strong work for a very long time. If you do purchase this ring, consider it an investment. I have no doubt that its value will increase once the world takes notice of the killer stuff that pops out of this woman's head."

These pencils rank an 11 on the awesome scale.

Design advocate and architect Anne Pearson founded Vancouver Special as a retail store that offers good design to everyone. The store mixes Scandinavian and Japanese design with local designers and artists.

With its simple profile, the Cup Lamp is an unexpected multitasker. In addition to its primary function as a dimmable LED lamp, the light includes a storage cup at the base designed to hold pens and pencils or other small knickknacks.

Richard Tuttle, Oval [383], 2001, colored pencil and graphite. Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine, Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection. Copyright © Richard Tuttle, courtesy Pace Gallery. Photography by Dennis Griggs.

Limited edition Fedrigoni special papers sample book.

Studio David Thulstrup incorporated green spaces into this old pencil factory in Copenhagen to transform it into a modern home for photographer Peter Krasilnikoff.

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Richard Tuttle, Five Circles on Two Panels, 2001, colored pencil and graphite. Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine, Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection Vogel Collection. Copyright © Richard Tuttle, courtesy Pace Gallery. Photography by Dennis Griggs.

Closet space comes at a premium, so peruse our editor-approved racks to add some easy clothing storage.

Amber Jensen's waxed canvas pencil case.

In a converted church in Connecticut, a modern fireplace and mantel design incorporates a ledge that functions as a bench and place for holding artwork or extra firewood. Above the fireplace, a Warhol collage is surrounded by a papier-mâché sculpture of no special provenance, a Vigliaturo glass piece, and a Picasso plate.

The stairs lead to a sleeping loft outfitted with a mechanical skylight.

What would you give to a recent college graduate? A wooden pen, a wooden propelling pencil, an aluminum pen case, and an aluminum business card holder from Muji. Wooden Hexagonal Mechanical Pencil, $6.50.

Exterior Perspective Sketch of Aluminaire House

New Yorkistan, 2001, by Maira Kalman and Rick Meyerowitz. Gouache and pencil on paper.

The Wish List at the Victoria and Albert Museum (September 13-21) Consider it a fringe benefit of being part of the design cognoscenti. This quirky group exhibition, sponsored by Benchmark and the American Hardwood Export Council, asked famous designers and architects such as Zaha Hadid and Paul Smith to put in a request for a personal object, which would then be created by an up-and-comer. The spherical pencil sharpener, above, is Norie Matsumoto's attempt to spruce up Norman Foster's workspace.

The Eraser Pick & Mix from Present & Correct is a grab bag for your desktop—select between 3 and 12 and you'll get a random selection of vintage "rubbers."

A special Dutch treat—chocolate sprinkles, best eaten on toasted, buttered bread.

The lower level of Maison Amtrak has two studies, storage space and houses the mechanical equipment for the house. The two bathrooms upstairs are directly over the mechanical services, keeping cost and noise down.

The courtyard brings natural light into the lower level of the home, which has a den/media room, guest suite/workout area, and storage and mechanical.

The pencil-themed desk and stool are by Pierre Sala.

The built-in cabinets at the entry include special storage for Ryan and Rory's running shoes. (They're both long-distance runners.)

The master bedroom features a pencil-and-acrylic work by Geoff McFetridge and a Vibia sconce.

Image courtesy A.Quincy Jones Collection at the UCLA Library Department of Special Collections

Image courtesy A.Quincy Jones Collection at the UCLA Library Department of Special Collections