Of the seven steps in Michael Pozner’s not-quite-500-square-foot aerie in Greenwich Village, five contain drawers. His small set of table and chairs is from CB2.

On one side of the house, a white central staircase leads to a split-level landing the Robertsons call "the reading room." "We needed a place to hang out and for the kids to read," explains owner Vivi Nguyen-Robertson. Awaiting the birth of the couple's son, she relaxes in a built-in reading nook in the library.

A 2009 Cedric desk by Kay + Stemmer occupies the study.

A pair of windows shed a bit of light in the bedroom, which boasts a lofted bed and workspace with a sink and closet beneath. The sink is by Lacava and the tap is from Fluid Faucet's Wisdom line.

Our kids are our future—teach them to be conscientious and kind to Mother Earth with these sweet, informative children’s books.

The white plaster inside the home signals a continuation of the outdoor facade. The cave-like nook was inspired by the fireplace in Swedish architect Erik Gunnar Asplund's summer house.

The house features Bayerwald sliding windows and highly insulated fixed glass; low-VOC paint from Benjamin Moore; and big overhangs to the south to shield summer sun and allow winter light. It was important to the family to integrate sustainable materials and strategies.

Now that you’re expected to work from almost anywhere—your sofa, an airplane, a rickshaw in Kathmandu—and your “desktop” fits in the palm of your hand, are actual desks still necessary? We thought it over, called in six of our favorites, and came away answering, emphatically, yes! Desks are more than places to park your unopened bills or pound away at your laptop; they are receptacles for your creative dreams, holding the promise of inspiration and focused attention every time you pull up a chair. (And you can’t really say that about the kitchen table.) Check out six modern, stylish desks here. Photo by Peter Belanger.

A pressed-steel Parallel shelving system by Terence Woodgate holds books and mementos.

Key to the space-efficient floor plan is a strategically placed set of recessed areas, includingthe sleeping nook and writing desk.

This bookshelf and storage credenza are part of the "Modern" collection.

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

Have your children help you go through their book collections and pick out what books they haven't read yet. If you are able to safely leave your home, you can coordinate curbside dropoff book exchanges with friends.

Amy requested a quiet, sunny reading nook with a view; In Situ obliged with a built-in bench housing her collection of books.

To highlight the existing architecture of the home, Hill retained the dark polish of the casement windows, which she finds enhances period details instead of undermining them. In the rear sunroom, the vintage Case Study furniture pieces with Plexiglas bases are from Metro Retro in Houston. A Bourgie lamp by Kartell is atop an old marble end table by Knoll, and the Gan kilim rug pictures a branch motif echoed in the kitchen and breakfast room.

Simpson runs his practice, WireDog Architecture, from his home study, where custom bookshelves line the perimeter of the mezzanine for a storage solution that doubles as railing.

Santiard says that there was a lot of investment in the French ski industry in the 1960s and 1970s and many of those buildings have deteriorated. The city of Les Menuires is in the middle of a five-year plan to modernize its resorts and offers some incentives to rehab older buildings if they meet certain requirements—having a lamp for each bed, a certain mattress quality, ample storage, and a well-equipped kitchen, among others. "The city really pushed us to make a little chalet inside this massive 70s building," says Santiard.

Sam Shah and Anne Suttles asked architect Kevin Alter to renovate their 1920s bungalow in Austin, Texas, and add an addition, which contains a living area downstairs and an office upstairs. They tucked an office nook under the stairs; the Eames chair is a hand-me-down from Shah’s father.

Counterweights Drum pendant lamp by George Kovaks from Lumens hangs above a Docksta table from Ikea.

For a family in Lima, a team from local firm 51-1 Arquitectos built Casa Serpiente, which meanders around 25 existing trees. Husband Irzio’s study is among the few ground-level rooms in the 4,300-square-foot house.

A reading nook near the kitchen offers a quiet space to take in verdant garden views. Architect Stephen Andrews constructed the accent wall using salvaged shiplap from the 1930s, while Britt crafted a custom cushion that contains minimal fire retardants, which are carcinogenic.

Whether you’ve given up on houseplants after past failures, are totally new to the green thumb game, or just want to get a refresher course on the hardiest plants out there, this list is for you.

A Rejuvenation sconce and a Pfeifer Studio stool accent the reading nook built into the hallway.

It’s simple to make lasting changes to your home, wardrobe, and everyday life that are kind to the planet.

A built-in reading nook in the bedroom frames a window that overlooks the backyard.

A reading nook is built into a window frame in the primary bedroom, where hexagonal terracotta tile lends color and texture.

The Trues host parties in the glass-walled structure, located steps from their vacation home, or they escape to it to catch some rays and read a book. Bill reclines on cushions hidden under the reclaimed-fir floorboards that are propped up with Sugatsune hinges.

Suzanne and Brooks Kelley at the back of their 1,100-square-foot guest cottage.

In 1962, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architect Arthur Witthoefft won the AIA's highest honor for a home he built in the lush woods of Westchester County. Having fended off a developer's wrecking ball, Todd Goddard and Andrew Mandolene went above and beyond to make this manse mint again.

The culmination of the collaboration was the design’s simplicity: a single neutral, durable, versatile volume that can easily host a changing collection of hobbies, art, furniture, and guests.