Here's a detail shot of the stool. The leather comes in four options—black, chocolate, tobacco, and saddle—and the brightly hued backing fabric comes in ten—sky, radish, egg yolk, cream, camel, charchol, sand, mocha, chocolate, and black.

Architect Ulrich Hamann's rendering of the new addition to the Lenbachhaus Museum and Gallery; the Stadtische Galerie Im Lenbachhaus. Image courtesy of Lenbachhaus Gallery and Museum.

Inspirational spaces

Because their loft is a rental, David and Im Schafer built everything to be removable.

British artist Hannah Sawtell and technologist Avi Flombaum created sawbaum.com, where users can create visual collages using multiple vine streams. "We wanted it to look like a visual comic book, with overlapping panels," said Flombaum. "And we wanted it to be fun!" Photo courtesy Rhizome.

I.M. Pei, Luce Memorial Chapel (1963) When architect I.M. Pei designed this chapel for Tunghai University in Taiwan, he had to take local conditions, like typhoons and earthquakes, into account. His plan, which, included a curved roof of glazed, diamond-shaped tiles and interior ribs of reinforced concrete that run like ribbons towards the cross mounted on the roof, was an elegant solution to the challenges of the local environment. Photo courtesy Valter Wei, Creative Commons

Broken, 2014. I.M. Pei's Fountain Place in Dallas, Texas, built in 1986. “He used angles, triangles, planes and prisms to create a seemingly impossible visual space with this building,” says Olic. “The view from the east makes the structure seem broken and folded down the middle.”

In the bathroom, they did "basically surface things," says Im.

Luce Memorial Chapel in Tunghai, Taiwan, 1963, by I.M. Pei.

The crumbling stone walls of a 17th-century farmhouse in the remote countryside of Dumfries, Scotland, presented a unique renovation opportunity for Lily Jencks Studio and Nathanael Dorent Architecture, the teams behind this project. Rather than demolish the old walls, they inserted a crisp, modern home within them, so as to emphasize the site's history and passage of time.

Outside, a triangular saltwater pool overlooks breathtaking views.

A yellow epoxy floor matches the sconce in the tiny bathroom that sits under the staircase.

Heva was designed by A6A and manufactured by My Little Loft. A spacious deck and large glass doors allow for seamless indoor/outdoor living.

Here's IM Pei's Meyerson Symphony Center done up for the holidays.

Illustration via drawastickman.com.

“I’m a huge fan of yellow,

Piet Hein Eek's wooden chairs add a touch of color to the monochromatic apartment. "I'm a fan of simple modern furniture, with a twist," says Carr. "I wanted to buy everything from Piet Hein Eek."

Photo from blackandwtf.tumblr.com

One of the witticisms found on livethesheendream.com.

It's tough to be productive when you're uncomfortable: the 11+ Bottle Humidifier ($90) is a superbly sculptural device that can improve any office atmosphere, visually and literally. Its ultrasonic nebulizer automatically deactivates when its water is completed, ensuring no energy is wasted.

Local sailboat shops wanted thousands to make the 13-by-13-foot curtain that hides the Wall of Storage. "We we called my parents in Bangkok, gave them the dimensions, and they got it made for 150 bucks." says Im.

The Schaffer's furniture includes an Eames Aluminum Group lounge chair ("and ottoman!" adds Im.) A coffee table made of glued, corrugated cardboard was the couple's first project together, when they met in college eight years ago.

Casa Volta, located in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, sits among a lush landscape mere steps away from the Pacific Ocean. The almost 1,300-square-foot plan is made of six rectangular areas—alternating between open terraces and the three covered structures.

“I don’t paint landscapes when I’m here because I can’t compete with the natural beauty,” says Yael.

Bestor consulting with her demolition crew, in her kitchen-to-be. I'm hoping to get Bestor blogging about her renovation on Dwell.com—so stay tuned for that!

Ulysses word cloud poster from beautifulwordsbeautifulart.com.

“I studied architecture as an undergrad, and even though I’m in interiors now, that education of not overpopulating spaces, of letting the building be seamless, has always carried through for me,” says Caroline.

"Some people want a manicured garden, but I'm of a different mindset," says Patnaik. She left the grounds untamed and organic. "If we're building in the wild, I want to live in the wild."

Series 11 Nightstand by Blu Dot, $699

I'm not in the market for dolls these days, but I'll be damned if these plush gals from goodbyebluemonday weren't adorable.

The L-shaped kitchenette is outfitted with minimalist black appliances and fixtures.

Dubbed Small But Fine, a student-built 280-square-foot cabin in Finland connects with the outdoors and features a minimal footprint. Not pictured is a detached outhouse with a composting toilet.

A large bed was deliberately chosen so that Kiki can grow into over it time. The vertically oriented plywood echoes the vertical lines of the hone’s timber cladding.

One of the more understated of the series, I'm quite fond of the rough ropey texture against the leather.