“The home is quite small, but designed in such a way that you don’t feel it,” Herrin says. Lift-slide openings by Quantum Windows & Doors, which were fabricated fewer than 50 miles from the house, make the main living space seem larger.

Tall indigenous wetland grasses grow fecund, right up to the border of the saltwater swimming pool.

Maggie Treanor waters plants around her rural home.

ROMA's Domus Mineral Paints are made from natural materials and are free of toxic chemicals and asthmagens.

Mila designed the home’s concrete pool, which is finished with a custom plaster. The pool area includes sleek chairs from Cast + Crew.

A 41-foot-long heated saltwater pool includes a submerged tanning ledge. The hot tub was created using concrete and stucco. The outdoor area includes lounge chairs from Jøna’s curatory, Cast + Crew.

"Beauty," Olafur Eliasson, 1993. In this work, a spotlight shines through a layer of mist to create a rainbow that's only visible from certain angles.

Domus Mineral Paints by ROMA.

Mary Henning and Ann Wansbrough's renovation of a semidetached cottage enables them to use 75 percent less town water than the average two-person home.

Located in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, the original 1916 factory building was converted to rental units in the 1980s and condominiums in 2005. The extensive drop ceilings were probably cost-saving heating measures by the original owner. With the apartment facing the less-exposed North and West elevations, the architect had to maximize the amount of sunlight the space could admit.

The Best Watering Can Although they admit that a watering can is a luxury (any old pitcher will do the trick) having a good watering can does make the chore easier. They recommend the Haw Bosmere V115 5-liter because it “produces a gentle rain the spindliest seedlings could love.”

The home's windows are from Fleetwood Windows & Doors, while the sofa is from Teak Warehouse.

Eujin: Soma Water Move aside Brita and Bobble, because there's a new water filter in town. And it's 100% biodegradable and sleeker than that decorative object perched on your living room table. The simple and elegant design (which immediately reminded me of Dieter Rams) is all thanks to great talents Markus Diebel, IDEO's design director, and incase's cofounder Joe Tan, who designed the curved beauty and Manual's Tom Crabtree who took the helm on packaging. The release date is near, so I'd hop to it if I were you.

In the backyard, Umerani and Fashandi decided to limit the lawn to minimize water consumption.

The Mineral Springs house consists of a modern 1,000-square-foot addition to a farmhouse that's clad in Cor-Ten panels.

They installed water-saving artificial grass on their patio for pup Moxy to enjoy.

Still-pristine tableware.

A freestanding tub from the Water Monopoly.

At night, the entire studio glows like a lantern, its light amplified by the reflection in the seasonal pond. I

The simple, pared-down aesthetic and the open-ended time frame of the project—along with the couples’ building and design skills—helped Odgård and Lyng Hansen achieve their renovation on a miniscule budget, with a project outline that ebbed and flowed with Odgård’s professional successes in product design.

A skylight carved into the spa building appropriately fills this relaxation zone with natural light.

A creative couple remodeled a workman's cottage on the northern edge of Brooklyn. Margarita McGrath and Scott Oliver of Noroof Architects termed the 1,650-square-foot brick house "Pushmi-Pullyu," in reference to the interior-exterior flow.

1993, Pierluigi Cerri.

Cultivating a garden not only helps you and your family live a greener lifestyle, but also saves on grocery bills, too. Start a fruit and vegetable patch in your backyard or roof terrace; and if you live in an apartment with limited outdoor space, try growing herbs and even vegetables inside.

How did the collaboration come about with Soma Water? After meeting with Mike we were immediately drawn to the idea of rethinking how we filter our water while also helping to solve the global water problem. There was great synergy and chemistry and we started to get to work. Tell us a little more about the design process. We set out to create the best water drinking experience and brainstormed different ideas and scenarios. We then created a few concepts and prototypes to validate our ideas. Soma went with the most iconic which happened to be one of the more challenging designs to make into a real product. We had to fail a lot along the way, chartering new territory, exploring what worked and what didn't, but we were also able to apply and further develop and apply our design process to facilitate creative decision-making and hone in on making the best idea a tangible reality. Looking back, this was an amazing process to see a big idea come to life.

Container was commissioned by Original & Mineral to come up with a new identity and packaging. The containers recall the classic milk bottle shape with custom disc caps that top off the design.

My BrooklynIn My Brooklyn, Kelly Anderson and Allison Dean address gentrification in downtown Brooklyn. Watch the trailer here:

Way to make a first impression. Container crafted the Discovery Kit for Original & Mineral, an Australian haircare company—a post-meeting treat box left by the sales team after their initial visit to a salon. Includes a brand book, informational DVD, and several minis from their line.

Pool

The Vision of Paolo Soleri: Prophet in the DesertDirector Lisa Scafuro documents the life of visionary architect Paolo Soleri, the subject of the recent Rewind story appearing in our September 2013 issue. Here's a clip:

Along with terraces on each floor, the penthouse also includes a private wraparound roof deck that features a Jacuzzi and 67-foot salt-water lap pool that stretches out over Manhattan.

A photo of Verner Panton from 1993. © Panton Design, Basel

While not connected to the house's irrigation, the saltwater pool has its own solar-powered saline pump and cleansing system.

Flow features undulating wood blocks and is from Bodies of Water.