A look at the small reading nook located on the level between the bedroom and ground floor.

The best.

5.0.2

Inspirational spaces

Bathroom of the Freunde von Freunden X Vitra Apartment Hanging plants and an open shower accentuate the bathroom’s light, airy layout. Sink by Alape, shower and fixtures by Dallmer and Dornbracht. Photo by Steve Herud

Architect Barbara Bestor added a striped floor of Santander Granada Tile, Douglas Fir cladding, and Granada Serengeti tile flipped to create a one-of-a-kind pattern on the wall.

The master bath commands one of the best views in the house.

Natural wooden walls clad the dining room corner, while a marigold lantern hangs above.

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.

2x Glass Bowl by Assembly Broken glass shards are embedded—and blunted—in this deceptively safe bowl that’s mouth-blown, molded, cut, and polished.

Anna Lynett Moss and Farrah Sit unveiled two glass tables and two leather-and-metal chairs at NYC Design Week 2015.

Like New York City, the fair is organized as a grid of blocks, punctuated by open spaces that provide places of social interaction. Also meant to combat "fair fatigue," Bade Stageberg Cox's L x W x D benches, extraordinarily simple in geometry, are "activated" only once they are populated by people sitting, lounging, or reclining on them.

The panel of judges awarded Best Material to Mosa.

A C-Frame catamaran currently docked in Prague’s Holesovice neighborhood, Port X is a buoyant dwelling for modular, modern living. Prague’s Atelier SAD finished the concept last fall, collaborating with a company that develops sailing boats to fabricate its curved exterior.

“It’s oriented for the river," says architect Adam Jirkal. “It doesn’t have an engine. We wanted it to be as low to the water as possible, to really work with the water.”

Bestor Architecture, Blackbirds, Echo Park, Los Angeles Blackbirds is a development of eighteen houses embedded in the hills of Echo Park; a progressive solution for high-quality dense housing in a city with little available land. The homes range from 1,200 to 1,900 square feet and are built around a living street; a central courtyard that comprises both landscape and parking areas, and serves as a stage for larger community functions. The placement of the houses in the hills mimics the older wooden houses of the area and deploys a strategy of “stealth density,” combining several houses into a single house-shaped volume. For instance, two free-standing houses are connected by flashing and the roofline creates the illusion of one house mass. Three houses, whose separation is masked, creates the illusion of two houses. This conceals the density of units by maintaining the neighborhood shape and landscape across the site. The community is a blend of private, semi-private, and public space, and promotes a sense of neighborhood by encouraging interaction and exchange.

For their 2012 'Best of Boston' issue, Boston Magazine commissioned the designer to create a toolkit, which included various sub-section headers, opening DPS, and lock-up for the table of contents.

Beats by Dre office by Barbara Bestor

And the winner for Best Craftsmanship went to Kaikado (even though their design hasn't changed since 1875!).

A closer look at the shadow-casting type.

Coffee and Tea Set, 1995-1996. Zaha Hadid (Iraqi, b. 1950). Sterling silver. Overall: 18 1/2 x 22 1/16 x 14 3/16 in, Tea Pot: 3 1/8 x 5 7/8 x 11 in, Coffee Pot: 3 15/16 x 3 9/16 x 11 in, Milk Jug: 2 3/4 x 7 7/8 x 3 9/16 in, Sugar Bowl: 2 3/4 x 3 9/16 x 3 15/16 in. Silver. Made by Sawaya & Moroni, Milan, Italy. Don't miss a word of Dwell! Download our FREE app from iTunes, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter!

Riffing on the Los Angeles phenomenon of people "murdering out" their cars—that is, removing all the trim and blacking everything out—architect Barbara Bestor and craftsman Eric Lamers covered most surfaces in this Los Angeles kitchen with matte black laminate, including the fridge and the overhead cabinets.

An outdoor version of one of Foscarini’s best sellers, the Havana Outdoor is ideal for lining paths. $588

The concept is adaptable for both land and sea.

Not Your Average House Boat With a cost of roughly 55,000 euros per unit, and available for order later this year, the Port X home can be wired to survive off the grid.

The flexible concept can range from a one-person dwelling to a family-sized float with a 1076-square-foot floor plan and a 538-square-foot terrace.

“As an architect, I’m interested in making social hubs and creating communities that people feel connected to tribally," Bestor says.

X marks the spot with House Industries’ X Ornament. An expressive font, the X has an ornate quality that dresses up the design. In addition to capturing the letter itself, the X also represents a kiss, making this a sweet token for a loved one.

Parachute x Clare V. Travel Kit, $199 at parachutehome.com Crafted from cozy 100% Merino wool, this design is a collaboration betweeen Parachute and Los Angeles-based designer Clare Vivier. Vivier's signature bold colors grace a blanket and eye mask whose carrying case doubles as a pillow.

Lucas Blok Untitled 7/7/14, 2014 60"x72” Acrylic on canvas