VP1 FLOWERPOT LAMP Created by 20th-century Danish designer Verner Panton, the Flowerpot VP1 lamp is a stellar example of mid-century design. Designed in 1969, the ceiling-mount Flowerpot lamp takes its inspiration from the sunny '60s and is comprised of a pair of nesting spheres. A smaller sphere discreetly hides the bulb and is protected by the larger dome, both made from vibrant lacquered steel with a color-matched fabric cord.

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.

In the powder room on the main floor, &Tradition's Verner Panton-designed Flowerpot VP1 pendant pops against crisp, white subway tiles.

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.

Happy Accent Now that the interior’s palette is firmly in place, Winterhalder has slowly been adding splashes of color. E27 pendant lamps from Muuto in the kitchen and guest room have red cords; one wall in the guest room is also red, with matching red locker storage. The inside of the front door is painted bright green. “For me, they’re kids’ colors,” she says. “I just love them.” muuto.com

Designed by Arne Jacobsen, the aptly named AJ lamps were designed in 1960 for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark. Each lamp in the AJ series is elegant and eye-catching, while maintaining a refined simplicity in its silhouette. The AJ Wall Lamp features a sleek shade that emits directed light. The lamp is also available in a floor lamp and table lamp.

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.

Items that made the cut include a sofa from the Swedish company Ire; an Eames side table; a wall-mounted Artemide light; and a Moser pendant from Louis Poulsen.

The red acrylic hallway.

The Type 75 Mini Floor Lamp is a sophisticated floor light that is designed with small spaces in mind. The lamp is defined by its classic Anglepoise looks—it features clean lines and a simple shade—and a thin profile. Shown here in bright red, the lamp is also available in other colors including black, white, grey, and light blue.

"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

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.

The Red House, 2002.

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.

Vila D’Acosta-Calheiros hung a space-saving wall shelf in the library. The table is by Eero Saarinen; the Tolomeo lamp is by Michele de Lucchi for Artemide. The red beanbag-like Sacco chair is by Zanotta, as is the Sciangai coatrack in the hall, beyond.

In the master bedroom, a Droog Milk Bottle lamp hangs next to a Fluttua Bed designed by Daniele Lago. An artwork by Brooke Westlund hangs over a custom pet door for the client’s dog, Kona.

A black side table rests outside the bedroom hallway.

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.

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.

Unlike its next-door neighbor, R-House, TED wasn’t originally planned to meet the exacting Passive House standard. The building’s green bona fides came largely from four roof-mounted thermal solar panels and a 120-gallon water storage tank that architect Tim McDonald attests would have met nearly all of the home’s heat and hot-water needs. After submitting the proposal, though, he completed a course in the Passive House standard. Inspired, McDonald modified the original approach, ditching the tank and thermal panels in favor of a highly insulated, airtight envelope—the equivalent, he says, of shielding the house from the harsh Syracuse winter with a fur coat instead of a windbreaker.

Eclipse lamp by Alessio Bassan and Silvano Pierdonà for Capo d’Opera. See it at Salone in Hall 6, Stand B25.

“Considering all of the foot traffic around their property, [the owners] made it very clear that they wanted to find a way to maintain as much privacy in the home as possible,” architect Chad Mitchell says of this Denver home. “Thus, the main floor of the home is elevated from the sidewalk by about six feet.” The exterior siding is red cedar with a custom Sherwin-Williams stain.

The entire family makes good use of the music room, where they hold public and private Sunday concerts with local and international musicians.

Though the home’s common areas are largely white and monotone, the kitchen introduces a pop of red, the owner’s favorite color, through the glossy AGC kitchen backsplash. Stone pietra cardosa counters are used on the center island, along with white Corian around the perimeter. A Miele range, Sub-Zero refrigerator, and Piston stools by Shin and Tomako Azumi complete the space.

With its dramatic facade, the Cornwall House, located in Cornwall, Vermont, is adjacent to the town of Middlebury, Vermont, home to Middlebury College, where John McLeod is a visiting professor of architecture.

A Tab F1 floor lamp from Flos stands behind the Edward Wormley–designed Dunbar sofa.

Alex relaxes on the first-floor couch, with is filled with an array of pillows from Crate and Barrel, CB2, West Elm, Muji, and Blu Dot.

“At first we thought we might not need that much space, but then we started thinking long term. We look at this house as the home of our lifetime.” —Guido Chiavelli

Torsten Sherwood's Homage chair was originally designed for the Sesame Seed Project, an open-source design website. It is part of a series of designs made from standard sections of wood. By cutting the sections to length and screwing them together, anyone can put these chairstogether them quickly and cheaply. Photo courtesy of Torsten Sherwood.