Husband-and-wife founders of Calico Wallpaper Rachel and Nick Cope show how easy it can be to put a personal, design-led touch on loft living—even when it’s a rental. When the Copes rented a Red Hook loft in an industrial 1860s warehouse, the couple turned their rental into a testing ground for their marbleized wallpaper business and installed wallpaper in each of their rooms. The custom pieces take inspiration from the loft’s immediate surroundings and characteristics—from the silver-and-gold marbled mural that complements the loft’s exposed structural beams to a color-gradient wallpaper in the primary bedroom that takes cues from the sunset seen from Red Hook.

Waechter Architecture reimagined a traditional gabled home in southeast Portland without significantly altering the original building. A simple coat of red paint abstracts the century-old structure, creating a residential work of art.

Since surrounding neighbors can overlook the one-story property, Thomson created a roof detail that is environmentally friendly and attractive: “the bio-diverse [green] roof is planted with indigenous species of flowers and grasses,” he says.

Faudet-Harrison designed these modern coat hooks for SCP.

Painted by hand, then photographed, enlarged, and printed digitally, each of Calico’s designs are made to be custom-sized for a space. The result: a visually immersive environment that reads more as a mural, with an expansive, non-repeating pattern. While the Copes recommend carefully priming any surfaces for large-scale installations, a smaller swatch can add an equally impactful accent when framed and hung, as shown in their home office.

The steel canopy protects the residents from Seattle’s notoriously rainy weather as they walk from the entry gate to the front door.

By inserting a tunnel made from 36 reclaimed commercial doors and tearing down a handful of walls, LOT-EK and contractor Andreas Scholtz brought light into the formerly unused dark hallway in Maurice Russell (right) and Jorge Fontanez’s apartment. The glossy Safety Red paint by Benjamin Moore catches the light by day but “becomes a richer, darker, very relaxing red at night,” Fontanez says.

The bathroom features Chromtech tile, a Toto toilet, Kohler vanity, and powder-coated steel countertop.

The red acrylic hallway.

Bicycle Sauna, H3T Architects, 2011 Equipped with the necessary hookups to tow behind a tandem bike, this richshaw-like contraption is a sauna that, amazingly, can fit six. Heat is generated by an internal fireplace and trapped by the polycarbonate hood.

This handmade, copper-plated bike’s minimal aesthetic is reminiscent of vintage track bicycles. Each bespoke fixed-gear bicycle by Detroit Bicycle Company is made to order based on individual measurements. ($4,200)

1924 - The production of bicycles starts at Miele’s new factory in Bielefeld, Germany.

A simple contrast between a cathedral and bicycle demonstrates the breadth of variety on this Tumblr.

Independent bike company Tokyobike will launch a new, lightweight bike designed in collaboration with New Balance.

Cinematographer Wilmot Kidd sweeps the roof of the Red Hook industrial building that contains his home.

In the open-plan living area, a wall covered in Calico’s Lunaris Midnight—inspired by moonscapes and outer space—sets the tone for a vignette of darker furnishings, including a vintage credenza that doubles as an entertainment center, equipped with a Sonos Playbar.

Flavored Doughnut Coat HooksUK-based All Lovely Stuff makes these delicious coat hooks from solid beech wood and strawberry pink, chocolate brown, and sugar white paint, of course. $38

The “mid-ground” between the three structures serves as a community hub. Dick takes advantage of the site’s shared bicycle storage and its proximity to a popular bike lane.

"Like the old farmhouses and barns of the Champlain Valley, the Foote Farm House has a clearly ordered wood frame on a sturdy foundation, an exterior skin made of local materials, an economy of form with tried-and-true proportions, a central fire place, and a common-sense relationship to the sun and the weather." - Architect John McLeod

Brilliant Bicycle's Astor in Laguna Blue, from $299 at brilliant.co Brilliant Bicycles is on a crusade to return bicycle shoping to simplicity: its website offers a simple series of questions (versatile riding versus relaxed riding, hilliness of your paths, and your height) to determine which Brilliant bicycle is best for you. Each bike is handmade and shipped directly to you. Brilliant Bicycles offers two adult and two children's bikes as well as this $15 gift box whose material samples and gift card can help the recipient pick out their new bike.

Moskow Linn Architects of Boston tackled this ground-up renovation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for a client who wanted to maximize efficiency. Photo by Eric Roth.

"Architecture exists through states of contrast; the building as a bridge between a wooded forest and a field, a strong roof line against a backdrop of trees or mountains. In these states of contrast we truly start to see where we live." -Architect Steve Kredell

The walls are covered in Graniplast, a tinted acrylic finish. Nathan Pereira Arquitectos y Diseño advised on the facade, floors, and finishes. All the bedrooms are off one hallway; the three children’s rooms were designed by Vanessa Clark.

Sandy Design Help Desk in Brooklyn The Sandy Help Desk program pairs owners of devastated homes with architects who provide rebuilding advice. "Frankly, everyone is learning by doing in this situation, and they’re getting this great, rich volunteer experience working with the 90% of the population who can’t afford an architect but really need it in this particular situation," Minnery say. "Architects rarely get to engage with the public, so I get really exited about that, because we all know more about each other and become more sensitive about the social issues we’re trying to tackle." Photo by Archtecture for Humanity

The Red House, 2002.

This handmade, copper-plated bike’s minimal aesthetic is reminiscent of vintage track bicycles. Each bespoke fixed-gear bicycle is made to order based on individual measurements. For a selection of modern cycling accessories, view this story.

The streamlined shape of the home kept slab, framing, and roofing costs down, Pavonetti explains. A barn red shade on the front door adds a touch of farmhouse whimsy to the modern structure.

One family in Seattle, Washington, looked past a sloping landscape and saw the opportunity to build their dream home. Resembling a modern-day metal treehouse, the Hale and Edmonds residence is nestled within the edges of a wooded park. The house’s exterior of paneled grey is perfectly balanced against the accent of the orange frame, proving that there’s a chance for subtlety with the bright color.

Aurora Ray, a color-gradient wallpaper inspired by the sunset as seen from Red Hook, accents the master bedroom, furnished with a custom bed frame by VIDIVIXI. The couple also designed a collection named after their daughter, Willow, exploring the movement of water and trees.

Though Bruce has thus far only managed a week or two here or there on the island, he's hoping to make it a more frequent—and extended—part of his regular routine. "I'm thinking about going out for a month to write," he says.

Another of our favorite home office ideas on a budget? Incorporate a basic office space in the upper level or attic of the house, like this small workstation on the upper level of this magnificent, midcentury, A-frame prefab home off the coast of Rhode Island. Here, an airy push-open window provides a refreshing ocean breeze for this sparse workspace.

Eazy side chairs by Whiteonwhite line one side of the custom-designed table by LOT-EK. Castore suspension lights by Michele De Lucchi for Artemide hang above, and a custom rug by Liora Manné lies below.