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

Perched just above the edge of the Narrows, the house is an ideal place to live surrounded by the wild beauty of Ketchikan.

The FL/Y Suspension Light was designed by Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell. Light and airy, each pendant light has a semi-sphere shape that evokes the look of bubbles.

Designed by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina for Artemide, the Tolomeo family of table and task lamps adds brilliant lighting to your desk or reading area. The Tolomeo lamps are defined by their fully adjustable bodies, which enable you to set the lamp to different heights, depending on your lighting needs. It is available in a Classic Table Lamp, Classic LED Table Lamp, LED Lamp with Motion Sensor, Micro Table, Micro LED Table, Min Table, Mini LED Table, Midi LED Table, and Mega Floor Lamp. All are on sale for 15% off until October 22, 2015.

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.

“A building can have far greater impact than the space it stands in.”—William Carpenter, architect and resident

New zoning allowed for a zero-lot-line structure, but required a public storefront, which Carpenter uses as an art gallery.

Lightroom 1.0, a photography studio, is a freestanding structure on the property. “Together, they represent an autobiography of my career,” Carpenter says.

Omer Arbel, the creative director at industrial design firm Bocci, was given three parameters when he began designing a home for his colleague Randy Bishop: Create a “profound” connection between the internal and external spaces; build only one level; and, most crucially, utilize a wealth of 100-year-old beams salvaged from a series of warehouses owned by Bishop’s ancestors.

The Doo Wop Suspension Light, originally called the Navy Light, was first designed in the 1950s in collaboration with the Navy Buildings Department. The pendant was prevalent during this time period because of its practical functionality and distinctive look. Although this pendant light is a modern take on the classic, the Doo Wop Pendant uses the same production methods as the 1950s, including hand-spun shades that are completed with a fine rolled edge.

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

Located just off the kitchen, this room was originally designed for dining—the adjustable Ligne Roset Crescendo coffee table can be raised to 28.75 inches—but most days Bill and Abbie prefer to eat outside or at their casual Caesarstone-topped kitchen island. Today the space serves as a sunny reading spot and guest room, with a convertible futon (from Ligne Roset, since discontinued) and a set of leather-and-steel Paulistano armchairs from Design Within Reach.

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.

The Doo Wop Suspension Light, originally called the Navy Light, was first designed in the 1950s in collaboration with the Navy Buildings Department. Although this pendant light is a modern take on the classic, the Doo Wop Pendant uses the same production methods as in the 50s, including hand-spun shades that are completed with a fine rolled edge.

The kitchen is a long sleek space.

The kitchen features custom cabinets with Caesarstone countertops. The appliances are Bertazzoni and Whirlpool.

When building such a modest structure in a large landscape, designer and client often had to defend their vision to their collaborators. “We knew this house was going to be for Maggie and she would live there alone,” designer Lauren Moffitt says. “But people are always projecting for future resale. Putting in the smallest size of anything—to any subcontractor, it’s just not reasonable.”

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.

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.

“Creative people like to be challenged. We’re often surprised by an approach we didn’t expect.” —Jean-Baptiste Souletier

Suspension 01 by Tim Richartz

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.

The house was designed as a long, linear structure to accommodate the residents’ request that visitors always feel connected to the site as a whole.

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.

The two tiny homes were designed by CAST Architecture.

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.

The open living and dining plan is flooded with natural light. The wicker PK22 lounge chairs are by Poul Kjaerholm for Fritz Hansen. The suspension lamp is by DePadova.

With its easy access, the flat roof is never hard to maintain.

Facing the front facade on the English basement level, a sectional of Dixon’s design punctuates the otherwise neutral hues with a stately purple. The lamp is a double-suspension Tolomeo from Artemide. The reupholstered Thonet chair lends balance to the room through its own asymmetry.

A linear suspension light from the Mile Collection by Lambert & Fils hangs above the nine-foot-long black granite island.

AURA LIGHT Intending to take light to an elemental place, the Aura Light from Ladies & Gentlemen Studio features two simple, primary elements: the light source—the bulb—and the illumination, which is highlighted by a brass ring. The result is a simple but sophisticated fixture that can be used as a singular suspended piece, or can be grouped with other Aura Lights for a more dramatic, installation-like effect. When the Aura Light is turned off, the minimalist pendant looks delicate and spare; it does not interrupt its environment. When it is illuminated, the aptly named Aura Light produces a lovely, halo-like diffusion of light, enhanced by its metal ring.

For a Toronto couple with a love of minimalist Japanese architecture, a sleek, storage-packed kitchen was the first priority in their home's renovation. In the kitchen, white oak used for the cabinets, kitchen island, and dining table is finished with double-boiled linseed oil, which can be reapplied by the homeowners as the wood mellows and patinas. The custom beveled edge for the island's "Blizzard" white Caesarstone countertop forgoes the standard one-inch countertop overhang to save on space and maintain a sleek feel. A Vola faucet is used with a sink by Mekal.

Swirl vase by Susanne Harder, $234. Susanne Harder is a Danish ceramicist whose delicate work is exclusively sold at Totokaelo.

Blade Runner by LaCie, $299 Philippe Starck took a break from designing motorcycles and furniture to create this four-terabyte hard drive. Besides the cool geometry, the blades dissipate the heat built up by the spinning disks.