Architect Janna Levitt devised a creative emellishment for a residence in Canada. Photo by: Philip Cheung

Another simple, white kitchen with black countertops is this diminutive kitchen in Singapore. Light pours in through the large window, and a tiny but tasteful farmhouse kitchen table rests in the middle of everything.

Achieving such efficiency and maintaining the integrity of the wetlands and woodlands on the property meant more research for both the designers and the resident—just getting approval for the siting of the buildings and the driveway took eight months—but Hague is hardly one to do things half way. “A lot of times couples engage in house-building, like birds. I'm doing this solo, more like a monk,” he says of the deeply personal undertaking.

Six staircases, many open to outside light, serve as pathways between the private interior spaces.

Architect Ben Waechter wrapped the upper floor of Nick Oakley’s house in inexpensive black corrugated steel. By rounding the corners, Waechter avoided unsightly trim at the edges.

Though most of the home's interior comes without a splashy designer's name attached, the bathroom is kitted out with a toilet, sink, and bath/shower from Jasper Morrison's line for Ideal Standard. The cabinets are from an Ikea kitchen system.

Plants wrap around the perforated aluminum railings for a natural touch.

A ‘light soffit’ offers a dynamic view of the stream below, providing both visual and audio stimulation. Throughout the year, the studio is filled with the sound of water, from the ocean waves to the rain and drizzle, to the flowing stream below. The artist, who has a longstanding connection to the site, focuses on “art which leaves marks at once permanent and delicate,” much like the structure itself.

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.

Above the sink in the kitchen, you can see one of Bocci’s first 57 chandeliers. Photo by José Mandojana.

Color is one way the architects differentiated the structures, as in the custom doors they designed for the entrances in contrasting light and dark light finishes.

It took Susanna several layers of sanding—and then finally tossing her water-based paint and selecting the proper oil-based formula—to get the floor as white as she'd envisioned. But she couldn't be happier with the result. “The apartment looks bigger when there are white surfaces for the light to bounce on,” she says.

Rich, dark concrete panels and colorfully dispersed windows wrap the exterior in varying permutations.

In New York about two hours north of New York City, architecture and interiors firm BarlisWedlick created an eclectic compound designed to suit a client with an idiosyncratic wish list. In the kitchen, a custom Stickbulb LED lamp hangs above a kitchen island topped by concrete from Get Real Surfaces. The cabinets and island feature a modern version of a traditional board and batten siding that are given an even more contemporary feel with the concrete countertop.

Fabric-clad wardrobe doors custom designed by INTERIOR-iD, along with Joseph Giles leather pulls, add texture to the master bedroom.

A glass door on the north side sits opposite a glass window on the south wall that overlooks a birch tree forest. Skylights pull light into the interior. "Even though the artist paints landscapes, she didn't want to be distracted by the beauty of her surroundings while in the studio, which led to the limited apertures," Peterson says.

AURA LIGHT Intending to take light to an elemental place, the Aura Light from Ladies & Gentlemen Studio features two simple, primary elements: the light source—the bulb—and the illumination, which is highlighted by a brass ring. The result is a simple but sophisticated fixture that can be used as a singular suspended piece, or can be grouped with other Aura Lights for a more dramatic, installation-like effect. When the Aura Light is turned off, the minimalist pendant looks delicate and spare; it does not interrupt its environment. When it is illuminated, the aptly named Aura Light produces a lovely, halo-like diffusion of light, enhanced by its metal ring.

Light Strings A visual representation of age versus time spent online, this brightly lit display at the TICdate festival produced a visual metaphor for data consumption.

At Lasvit's Salone exhibition: the LED-illuminated Moulds pendant lights by Jan Plecháč and Henry Wielgus capture the moment when molten glass emerges from its mold.

Triple-glazed, frosted windows emit soft, filtered light against pale gray and blue surfaces inthe master bathroom. Lucian Field matte-glass and Lucian Mosaics penny round tiles, both by Ann Sacks, line the floor and walls.

While Brooklyn brownstones conjure up memories of their turn-of-the-century roots, they also remain the modern-day face of New York’s coolest boroughs. With brownstone living, however, comes responsibility—many of these classic beauties are in need of renovation and restoration. Here are 10 standout, renovated brownstones that retain their original charm with added contemporary cool.

Remodeled by resident and interior decorator Jill McCoy and her husband David Hassall with the help of architect Paul Molina, the open-plan living space opens to a small outdoor area. French doors and a wall of windows bring in light. An Eames lounge chair and a Noguchi table add a modern sensibility.

López insisted on a concrete pathway that winds through the trees, so visitors don’t have to enter through the driveway.

Light floods the living and dining rooms, meaning Schneider rarely needs to turn on a lamp during the day.

A dim Toronto Tudor gets an airy new look. The home’s second-story hallway, which serves as an open office and library, was suffering from a severe lack of light. Lifting up one side of the old pitched roof made room for a linear skylight, which faces south to allow in as many rays as possible, and the modification transformed the top floor into a loftlike double-height space. Inexpensive detailing then added texture and scale: Simple plywood panels attached to cold-rolled-steel frames serve as guards along the stairs.

Their dining room and sitting area used to be an uninsulated greenhouse; now it’s a light-filled space where the family gathers for meals at a weathered table and Åsa curls up on two custom daybeds, designed by Bjerre-Poulsen, to read and look at the garden.

Pendants are often located over a table or kitchen island because they provide ambient or task lighting

Despite a tight site, light floods into every room, including the restroom in the guesthouse.

Alexander and Apolo find a sunny spot for story. The slanting roof and ample dappled light makes curling up no chore at all.

“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.”

In the kids’ bath, Ann Sacks slate tile is again used on the floor, while Heath tile in a more playful Mango hue makes for a cheery wall feature. The tub is wrapped in Celador quartz, which continues up the surrounding walls. Tom Dixon Felt pendant lights hang outside the second-floor hallway.

Unassuming by day, the exterior glimmers in the evening thanks to punctures that mimic the night sky. Photo by: Philip Cheung

Purdy, Eva Luna, and Simon play cards under a Louvre Light by Established & Sons.

Views of the Orobie Alps can be seen from the home’s windows, which also feature larch frames. A lampadina light by Flos sits on the nightstand.

Thanks to a contemporary interior that she’s been updating for a decade, modern architect Abigail Turin has learned to love her traditional 1925 San Francisco home. Rather than indulge her impulse and strip away the home’s traditional flourishes, Turin embraced the dark in her striking living room—the deep paint is Le Corbusier’s 4320J from Les Couleurs Suisse. An iconic Arco lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos, Charles sofas by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia, an Extra Big Shadow floor lamp by Marcel Wanders for Cappellini, and a painting over the marble fireplace by Martin Barré shed a little light.

For a more affordable wall-mounted reading lamp, consider the Crane Light by Cincinnati-based manufacturer Yes. $199 from yescincinnati.com