In the renovation of a 1950s building in Royan, France, interior designer Florence Deau selected a fleet of vintage and new furnishings.

The dining room features 1970s leather-and-brass dining chairs and a table concocted from a brass-and-silver base and a custom lacquered top. The cheerful blue paint enlivening the doorway is from Emery & Cie.

Sitting Pretty The ground floor was originally two rooms; now it’s been transformed into one continuous space. To compensate for a low ceiling, Kiely’s team dug into the ground to create a true sunken seating section leading to the garden. Built-in sofas, an Eames rocker, a stool by G Plan, and concrete tiles outfit the space. Kiely chose a neutral charcoal finish for the Malm fireplace to balance the green linoleum floor and her own Rhododendron wallpaper in Sunflower.

Kitchen Confidential Kiely and architect Maxim Laroussi designed the kitchen unit. “I originally didn’t want an island, but I liked what we did because it feels like a piece of furniture. It’s cozy to cook around,” Kiely says. Panels of orange and olive Formica accent the 1950s-inspired piece, which houses a cooktop by Smeg. A checkerboard of closed cabinets and open shelves offers storage against the far wall for Kiely’s collection of dishes, knickknacks, cookbooks, and small appliances, like the KitchenAid stand mixer and radio by Vita Audio. The floor is green Marmoleum, selected because it feels warm underfoot. Kiely’s own Stem dish towels and ceramic storage jars add more lively color to the room.

Textile designer Orla Kiely’s renovated London Terrace House is punctuated by her distinctive palette and motifs.

In addition to her beloved midcentury style, Young developed an appreciation for Scandinavian design while abroad in Europe in her twenties, evident in the pared-down bedroom.

Home of the Brave In the ground-floor eating area, the design team wrapped the walls in rich walnut to instill warmth often found in mid-century homes. “Sometimes one bold move is enough. Be brave with fewer statements,” Kiely advises. “Go for the big thing rather than lots of little things.” Kiely’s Upholstered Dining Chairs from her House collection surround a Danish vintage dining table. Her Gloss vases adorn the hallway console, which is also from her House line.

Her office is filled with refurbished finds and originals—–like her updated take on a ’60s-style desk and “slouch” chairs, from which she chats with her partner, Katherine Catlos.

A portrait of the designer. “Architecture, to me, is the most beautiful of the arts. I always knew that I wanted to design, but only [if I could] create products over which I had total control.”

“For me, an idea can come from anywhere,” says Tim, an artist who has an interest in product design, and often incorporates found items into his work. “I really enjoy the challenge of finding an object and responding to it.”

Designer Christiane Hogner, Bruxelles

Use this as a guide to finding the right architect for your new home or renovation—and what to expect during the process.

Barbara Hill's Dancehall/House in Marfa, Texas September 14, 2010 Misty Keasle

A vintage chest of drawers supports the playful forms of a Nesso lamp, designed by Giancarlo Mattioli for Artemide, and a collection of Holmegaard ceramics.

Barbara Hill's Dancehall/House in Marfa, Texas September 14, 2010 Misty Keasler

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.

On the north-facing facade, it’s easy to discern where the original glass doors used to open directly to the deck. In spring of 2012, Block Island contractor John Spier replaced the entire wall of glass panels.

Hella Jongerius / Jongeriuslab in Berlin

Originally, glass doors opened to the deck, but after years of gusty winds, it was decided that a side entrance, protected by a sliding steel door, would be the preferred entrance.

A bright-yellow “R” sign, from a truck that used to deliver furniture from Jens Risom Design, sets off the southern facade. When Jens designed the house, he stipulated that he wanted cedar shingles, not the asphalt ones that came with the original design from the catalog.

A set of her pill-shaped Tatti containers, made from turned wood and artisan glass, adorn Nuutinen's desk.

Armed with a keen eye for design and a yen for vintage furniture shopping, Glee star Jayma Mays and actor Adam Campbell revitalize a formerly jumbled Los Angeles house. On an outdoor deck space, the couple placed their fire engine red fireplace, found at the Rose Bowl Flea Market.

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

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.

The master bedroom boasts a 1970s tufted headboard from Heals Leather and a wall covering of burlap, wool and silk by David Hicks. The bed covering is vintage, 1950s, and the Blocks linen basket was designed by Donna Wilson and made by the People of the Sun, a nonprofit based in Malawi.

Read something. If you already watched Contagion, try out some pandemic-related reading—Severance by Ling Ma, or Pale Horse Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter. Or, read the Social Distancing Manifesto. Find out what the heck “Cottagecore” means. Hint: it’s as quaint as it sounds. Create an Instagram account for your pet. If ever there was a time to post and share infinity pictures of your cute (or ugly) dog doing cute things, this is it. Dream about travel. Dive into Dwell Travel stories to plan that next trip, for when this whole thing finally settles down.

In Kathryn Tyler’s finished home, a palette of wood, concrete, and painted brick forms a neutral backdrop for vintage treasures, including a $30 dining table, $3 poster, and a set of 1950s Carl Jacobs Jason chairs she snagged on eBay for $400.

Here's what you need to know before undergoing a building project with a contractor but no architect.

When not in use during winter, the tub is hidden from the home’s view. The entrance has a sheltered overhang for car parking.

Best Practice Architecture transformed a former garage in the Oak Park neighborhood of Dallas into a light-filled casita filled with art by local makers and vintage finds.

Claudy Jongstra kneels with a family cat in the yard behind her office and home, which she shares with her partner, Claudia Busson, and their two sons, Eabal and Jesk. Behind her is a small dinghy that the family uses to navigate the numerous irrigation canals that traverse the farmlands throughout Friesland. Despite its modest scale, Jongstra’s studio has worked on major collaborations with Hella Jongerius,Tord Boontje, Steven Holl, andRem Koolhaas, in addition tofashion design for Alexander van Slobbe and costume work for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

Designer Omer Arbel develops his latest works inside an eclectic Vancouver home filled with a teeming assortment of pets and prototypes. Hanging over the bench is our first Bocci 14 light fixture. I feel like it would be bad luck not to have it in the house. Other pieces in the kitchen—like the wooden island Aileen found in an alleyway and the yellow ceramics by Knabstrup, a Danish company active in the 1960s—we’ve collected along the way.” Photo by José Mandojana.

Here's Kathryn Tyler in her office located in the home she designed for herself and her boyfriend, surrounded by design books and magazines for inspiration. Clerestory windows above the bookshelves let in ample light.

Mid-century designer Jens Risom's A-framed prefab family retreat, located on the northern portion of Block island, is bordered by a low stone wall, an aesthetic element that appears throughout the land.

Meg’s inspiration: The design of the Lucky Linden was something Meg carried along with from many years in her sketchbook. She loves the Art and Craft styled RV’s and was sure that if she built a tiny house RV someday, this would be a her inspiration. What she like most of this pattern is the low sloped roofs, pop out dormers on the front as well as back and especially the bungalow look from the Sears and Roebuck kit houses which were prevalent in the 1990’s.

A touch of nostalgia marks the upstairs home office, furnished with several vintage pieces: a teak Danish dresser, a Hans Wegner armchair, and Jo Hammerborg’s 1962 Orient pendant, made from a copper shade with rosewood detailing.