Let’s take a short tour of this small spot:

Above: One of four cottages on the rocky outcropping. The buildings use a patented design to minimize ecological disruption on the land, and each makes use of green energy and rainwater collection to run completely off-grid.
Above: Inside the Black House, as with all the cabins, everything is designed for efficiency. The design is by interior architect Päivi Meuronen and the furniture design by industrial designer Joska Heikkilä along with Majamaja.
Above: A fold-down breakfast table, for example, has uninterrupted views of the Baltic Sea. Photograph by Chikako Harada.
Above: (So does a pull-down reading spot in the Grey House.)

Above: Well-equipped kitchenettes disappear behind closed doors when not in use. Majamaja also offers food packages—breakfast and picnics delivered by way of a basket—as an add-on.
Above: “Wake up to the subtle sounds of seabirds,” with the sea just steps beyond the front door. Photograph by Chikako Harada.
Above: The cabins are fitted with solar panels—and ample deck space for taking in the views.
Above: For more info and to book, head to Majamaja. Photograph by Chikako Harada.

More off-grid retreats to puruse:

A DJ married to fellow DJ Lindsey Tipley, Myles is a former design blogger and a longtime car connoisseur (he’s currently a Porsche brand ambassador and Lindsey is a senior producer at global events company Tait). The couple have a 14-year-old son, Henry, and an 8-year-old daughter, Amel, and are New York transplants in North Atlanta where they’ve been fixing up a 1980s modernist house. Here’s what Myles suggests for discerning dads like him.

N.B.: Father’s Day this year is June 21.

Above: Myles and Henry. Photograph by Lindsey Tipley.
Above: The Studio Lima Y Stand TV Holder from On Shelf is currently on sale for $445 (marked down from $556). It fits TVs up to 65 inches.

“Mounting the TV above the fireplace has never been my favorite; I really like that there are now some great stands out there. I’m especially into this one—it feels like a much cleaner, more intentional setup, and if we’re trying to elevate dad’s experience of watching the Knicks win the finals, a properly placed TV seems like the way to do it.”

Above: The Bergs Potter Hoff ø30 Planter, $118, and Hoff ø30 Saucer, $48, both in Raw Rossa from Goodee. Featured image: the Hoff ø30 Planter in Raw Gray, $118, and Hoff ø30 Saucer, $60, in Emerald Glazed.

“Sunday mornings for me typically consist of brewing coffee, listening to music, and watering the plants. It’s my favorite few of hours of the week. I’m really liking this raw terracotta planter.”

Above: Haws x Gardenheir 1 Pint Watering Can in Shaker Beige; $78.

“I typically water the plants with the kettle that I use for coffee or the Vitamix pitcher. I think it might be time to have a proper watering can. This is a nice one, only in this color from Gardenheir.”

Above: Ceramic Incense Chamber by Apachaco from Lichen; $249.

“While watering plants I’m typically burning palo santo, a candle, or some incense. Something about it feels like a cleanse or a reset for the week. This incense chamber from the best shop in NYC, Lichen, caught my eye. It’s made in a pit-fired kiln and finished with beeswax.”

Above: Atlas Cedar Incense Sticks, $25, from Hello Yowie.

“Atlas cedar to go with the incense burner. It’s from Hello Yowie, a Philadelphia boutique hotel with a shop and cafe.”

Above: En Side Table by Makoto Koizumi for Miyazaki Chair Factory; $850 from Nalata Nalata in NYC.

“‘Not everything needs four legs to stand on,’ reads the description for this versatile design. ‘The offset support allows the table to tuck in close, extend out where needed, and slot into places where other tables wouldn’t fit.'”

Above: The Hanover Cap of broken-in cotton twill; $55.

“The perfect cap for beach days and for when dad has the top down on the 911. Hanover is a new brand by culture critic Chris Black of How Long Gone. Affordable classics all made in the US; I personally love Hanover jeans.”

Above: The Jack sunglasses in dark tortoise with black lenses by Thistles NYC; $380.

“Perfect summer shades from stylist/photographer Thistle Brown’s eyewear line. I picked up a pair last time I was at Dover Street. Love the shape and quality—they’re made of an eco plastic composed of wood pulp and cotton fibers.”

Above: Birdwell 300 Boardshorts from Pilgrim Supply; $125.

“Birdwell boardshorts looked good 20 years ago and they still look great today. Made in the US and such a good purple.”

Above: Terry Beach Towel of organic cotton from Tekla; $145.

“Danish bedding brand Tekla is a worthwhile splurge. Really into this olive-y taupe with fringed edges.”

Meal plan: “Bagels are perfect for Father’s Day. If you happen to live in Portland, Oregon, pre-order yours from Red Hen Bagelry, maker of some of the best bagels I’ve ever had—my sister Deirdre is the baker and owner.”

For more ideas, peruse our archive of Gift Guides, including Myles’s Father’s Day presents from 2025 and 2o24.

We’re happy to have that small claim to her fame, especially now that Ella’s cookbook is flying off shelves. The book is the result of her meticulous quest to find the best of the best (“why am I like this?”, she asks on the cover), putting 100 recipes to 24 rigorous head-to-head tests. Elsewhere, she’s contributed to T Magazine, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, and many others…and hosts a darn good dinner party. Oh, and her Instagram is an absolute delight.

Today she writes in from NYC with her go-to cooking tools and what she’s bringing to dinner—all the best of the best.

Photography by Graydon Herriott.

Above: Ella at work.

You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?

Joyce Chen scissors and a bouquet of bodega flowers

What’s on your bedside table?

Eight novels, of which I’ve read a total of like 100 pages; a mug of coffee

What’s your desert island design/art/architecture-related book?

Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cookbook (1961)

Above: May the best biscuit win.

What’s a film or TV show whose aesthetic has stuck with you?

The Lobster

What has been your best house upgrade?

Getting a dog. My entire adult life, I’ve thought that maybe the perfect lamp, or the most beautiful rug, or the silver-plated vintage candelabras I’ve collected would make me finally feel at home wherever I lived, but it turned out to be a Shih Tzu named Mouse, who leaves his toys and bones all over those rugs, and whom I could spend hours laying next to on the black parquet floors I never liked.

Your design pet peeve?

Books organized by jacket color

My go-to kitchen utensil is…

Offset spatula, bench scraper, food processor, Kitchenaid stand mixer

Above: A timely recipe: Strawberry Three Ways Cake (pg. 279).

What item from your closet do you have on repeat?

Various oversized blazers, a Kallmeyer striped long-sleeved tee-shirt, linen drawstring pants

Favorite design shop to visit?

Nickey Kehoe on 10th Street

What is the last thing you purchased for your house?

Lightbulbs

Something you’re coveting?

Wallpaper!

Above: What’s for dinner? Garlic prawns.

I don’t leave the house without…

My glasses.

Above: Our collective obsession: kitchens by Loose Parts. See more in this week’s Kitchen(s) of the Week: Freestanding Cabinetry by Loose Parts in Upstate NY. Photograph by Jonathan Hökklo.

• When two favorites collaborate: Join “A Shared Table” at King in the West Village location through June 14, with menu specials and custom bar room tables set by TOAST.
• Annie’s heading to 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen next week. On the agenda? Exhibits the city over, a long-table dinner, and breakfast at longtime favorite Atelier September. Keep an eye on the @remodelista Instagram for glimpses.
• Spotted: a look inside the home/studio of artist Adam Pogue (whose work we love—glimpse here).
• Ooh, Ravenhill Studio is offering their sconces in color for the first time; head here to browse.
• This hot springs hotel, just an hour from San Diego, looks great.
• We have to say we’re intrigued by this one-piece loo “with all the mod cons,” as Margot says, from the new Kohler x Studio McGee collection.
• File under Things to Plan a Trip Around: “Aalto Design: Shapes of Wellbeing,” on view this summer at The Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki.
• An underrated use for barstools.
• Add to cart: a very chic beach towel.
• Oooh, new antiques just landed at our favorite new online shop for unique outdoor furniture and accessories, Gallerie Green. (Read Margot’s story about the incredibly curated store here.)
• Introducing the “Meadow Daybed” by Sebstian Cox. (Hat tip: Annie.)
• The Apple House at landscape designer Tom Stuart-Smith’s Serge Hill Project just won a RIBA Award! (Read our story on Serge Hill here.)
• Imagine having a real gardener turn your yard into a beautiful flower garden—for free.
• Big garden news from across the pond: the restored gardens at Benton End are now open to the public. Kendra got a sneak peek (lucky lady); read her story here. And enter the Garden Museum’s raffle to win a free stay at the storied estate here!
• To do this summer: make art outside.
• In the good news department, listen to this short NPR segment about a program in Oklahoma that turns unused land on prisons into pollinator paradises. (Hat tip: Margot.)
• Do you know these 11 iconic mid-century outdoor chair designs?
• P.S. Our summer plans in a nutshell.

“I’ve known what it feels like to lack inspiration and feel stagnant,” writes Alice Katter, founder of Out of Office Network, which hosts creative retreats at an agriturismo in Italy. “It’s a response to a cultural flattening,” she continues. “As everything becomes algorithmic, online, optimized, and the same…”

The following immersive, hands-on travel experiences are among the most appealing we’ve uncovered yet.

Above: Anna Tasca Lanza in Sicily, Italy,

Years ago, Anna Tasca Lanza in Sicily hosted a weaving workshop with Studio AMOS, and the school has been on our radar ever since. While its retreats typically center on food—past hosts have included David Tanis, Julia Sherman, and Rachel Roddy—it occasionally ventures into craft, as with the weaving workshop and an upcoming sketching and Drawing retreat with Samantha Dion Baker. Photograph from Anna Tasca Lanza by Chiara Leto and Erika Pino for The Preserve Journal.

Above: Quilting at an Ace Camp Travel retreat.

Ace Camp Travel hosts creative retreats around the world: block printing in Jaipur, India; painting in Andalusia, Spain; basket weaving in the Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden; embroidery in Chiang Mai, Thailand; and many more. The premise is simple: travel centered on hands-on learning, lectures, and demonstrations led by local experts and practitioners.

Above: Out of Office Network creative retreat at Le Cergue, Italy.

Out of Office Network began as a digital platform supporting creative expression, founded by Alice Katter, who later developed a creative residency program at Le Cerque, an agriturismo outside of Rome. Unlike artist residencies, where established artists focus on and present a single project, Out of Office’s offerings might look more like a three-day botanical dye intensive with a textile designer. Katter also coordinates artist-led workshops in Barcelona, including silversmithing with Anna Ruiz Planella, indigo dyeing with Carlota Simó, and furniture restoration with Audrey Pogu.

Above: DescoverArtists at the natural dye retreat.

DescoverArtists is a global community of creatives that offers intimate, shared-home retreats for practicing artists, integrating workshops focused on skill development and exchange. They also host a Natural Dye Retreat on Chios, Greece, with George Petsikopoulos, created for just six selected participants (application required) and equally open to beginners, artists, and designers alike.

Above: Inside the Praktyka Creative Retreat in North Devon.

Praktyka is a creative retreat on the North Devon coast founded by Ania Wawrzkowicz and Henry Trew in collaboration with Niall Maxwell of Rural Office Architects (see our post on A Low-Impact Family Home in Surrey and Norfolk Remodel with Tithe and Piggery). Guests stay in architectural cabins while taking part in art workshops. Unlike many retreats, Praktyka welcomes group stays that include children. It also hosts curated programs that bring together participants from around the world, such as Coastal Walking and Printmaking, and a Mother’s Retreat featuring clay and jewelry making.

Above: Madame Voyage French Retreats in southern France.

Madame Voyage creates what it calls “slow travel French retreats.” Founded by two women from France, the company hosts week-long retreats in Provence, Toulouse, and along the Riviera. The retreats span both culinary and creative, with workshops in ceramics, floral design, watercolor, and more.

For more on residencies see our posts:

• En Résidence: A Guest House and Residency at Château de la Haute Borde in the Loire Valley
• ‘A Healing Place’: A Derelict House with a Designer Pedigree Is Reclaimed for Artists

In upstate New York, where June lives, she runs Loose Parts, her furniture company, which recently introduced the Workshop Kitchen, an adaptable, modular system of freestanding, solid-wood cabinets. “Working in interiors, you see the amount of waste that is generated in home renovations,” she says. “Kitchens in particular are problematic, primarily because the site-built systems and materials commonly used—MDF, laminates, heavily glued composites—are hard to disassemble without destroying them. I wanted to rethink the kitchen as a series of discrete furniture pieces that can move between homes and be repaired over time.”

Photography by Black & Steil, unless noted, all courtesy of Loose Parts (@loose_parts).

Jennifer June’s Own Workshop Kitchen

Above: June and her husband, Tim, a data scientist, live with their teacup poodle, Pebbles, in a hamlet just outside of Hudson, New York. The couple both have carpentry skills and approached the remodel of their 1850 house as a testing ground for clean building practices, including installing geothermal heating and lime plaster walls.

Their kitchen sits in place of the original and has cabinets of red oak. June selected their Fisher & Paykel 30-inch Induction Range partly because it has adjustable knobs instead of digital settings—and recommends it and their Fisher & Paykel panel-ready 24-inch Series 9 Integrated Refrigerator Freezer. The wall lamp is a reissue of Charlotte Perriand’s Applique à Volet Pivotant purchased secondhand from Somerset House, one of her go-to sources for vintage modern design.

Above: “I didn’t come to cabinetmaking through a traditional woodworking path,” says June, explaining that she studied printmaking at the Oregon College of Art and Craft. “My first experience working with wood came through carving print blocks; eventually, I became more interested in the carved object itself than the print it produced.”

Out of school, she had her own wallpaper line, which led to an interest in interiors—and her Parsons masters degrees in interior and lighting design. It was during the pandemic, while she and Tim were holed up in his family cabin in Oregon. that she devoted herself to fully learning carpentry: her late father-in-law was a builder and she had access to his workshop and all of his tools—plus a group of family friends who were longtime loggers to answer all of her questions. She now has her own fully kitted-out studio in Catskill, New York.

Above: June’s cabinets are entirely solid wood, including the drawer boxes, and have dovetailed joinery. She made the marble counter from a stone yard remnant. The floor is tiled with Clé’s unglazed Foundry Flats: Standard Issue bricks in Sand. The floor and cabinets are sealed with Osmo’s raw, matte finish of linseed oil and hard wax.

June uses hardwoods from “responsibly managed American forests, primarily in the Northeast and Appalachian corridor” and works with a family-owned mill in operation for four generations. “Wood wears in, not out,” she says.

Above: The black oxide drawer pulls are June’s signature hardware, which she has made to her specs. Her cabinets are designed to come apart easily—and she intentionally makes their construction visible: “when you can’t see how something is made, which is the case with most of what we’re surrounded by, it distances you from the fact that a person built it. When the design is apparent, users have agency to do things like fix and transform it.”

Hello Human Office Kitchen

Above: For Hello Human, an NYC public relations firm that represents indie creative businesses, including June’s own, she upgraded the office’s existing Ikea kitchen with modular maple cabinets and a stainless steel counter. Photograph by Jonathan Hökklo.
Above: The kitchen came with its banquette, which is accessorized with work by Hello Human clients, including the Dominik Tarabanski photograph and Myrna Pendant by Ladies and Gentleman Studio. Photograph by Jonathan Hökklo.
Above: The hanging shelves are maple with nickel hardware and fluted glass. Photograph by Jonathan Hökklo.

Loose Parts Showroom

Above: The Loose Parts main workshop in Catskill, New York, has a small, by appointment showroom where clients can see the designs and materials in person.  Her kitchens cost about $1,800 a linear square foot: small kitchens start at $14,000, medium at $24,000, and large at $40,000. All are solid wood built as furniture and price depend on materials choices and drawer count.

Shown here, a compact, L-shaped kitchen with an old cast-iron sink atop a cherry frame and black oxide hardware. The faucet is by Kraus. The Prong Fruit Bowl and Uni Wall Hook are by Brooklyn ceramic artist Virgina Sin. June found the grosgrain skirting fabric at NYC’s B & J Fabrics. Photograph by Jennifer June.

Above: A tiled and skirted fir shelf covers a radiator in the studio—the wood frame keeps the fabric from the heat. The paintings are by Gemma Bailey  and the ceramic pieces are by Lauren Cohen. Photograph by Jennifer June.

Details

Above: June invites clients to choose from a wide palette of woods and also reclaimed timber, which she used for this custom pantry. “The wood was salvaged from 1960s kitchen cabinet fronts that were painted pink. I sanded them to reveal the original ply and cut them as face panels. I powder-coated the vintage metal drawer pulls in blue.”
Above: June turns exposed bolts into ornament. These are on a sideboard of reclaimed Douglas fir that came out of an office in an old industrial building.

Loose Parts Workshop

Above: A self portrait by June of a cherry sideboard in progress. “My practice grew out of working in tight spaces, where pieces had to come apart and back together to fit through the door. Hence the name Loose Parts.”

She’ll be hosting an open house in her showroom (388 Main St, Catskill, NY) during Upstate Art Weekend, June 26-29 2026.

Some more adaptable kitchen designs:

• 6 Low-Impact Deconstructed Kitchens
• 8 Companies Designing Modular Kitchen Components
• Trend Alert: Sideboard as Kitchen
• 10 Easy Pieces: All-in-One Kitchen Workstations
• The Unfitted Kitchen: 14 Deconstructed Spaces

Above: Yes, this taller table requires stools rather than chairs, but we love the Kitchen Island from Clare de Boer’s furniture co. Roseland, “inspired by early American prep tables” and fitted with wooden casters; from $1,925.
Above: The Panton Move Table, a 1970s design from Verner Panton, who wanted an entirely flexible, modular table, is $2,563 from Hive Modern.
Above: The Parsons Table with Casters from Room & Board is available with the option of different glass tops (shown here with a gray glass top), marble, quartz, or granite; prices start at $1,968.
Above: Take cues from the restaurant kitchen: Stainless steel prep tables can be found for relatively cheap from restaurant supply shops and elsewhere; this Stainless Steel Work Table on Wheels is $129.99 from Wayfair.
Above: The Haworth Jive Swivel Table comes in a variety of wood tops and leg finishes; from $870 for the smallest size.
Above: An all-wood option: The Makerspace Mobile Project Worktable is made from solid maple; $963.99 from School Outfitters.
Above: Restoration Hardware’s Flatiron Rectangular Dining Table has a reclaimed elm top and is available in a variety of bases; it’s no longer available via RH but can be found via secondhand sellers. (Here’s a listing for $1,063 via AptDeco.)
Above: Designed by Giulio Lazzotti, the Quovis Table in stainless steel has lockable casters; it’s $799 via Lichen.
Above: Designed by Ferruccio Laviani, the Kartell Max Table 160 with Wheels is $1,429.55.
Above: And a pretty close lookalike from Ikea: The Anfallare/Krille Desk with bamboo top is ideal for petite dining spaces; $179.99.

The project is the work of Homework founder Kuan Chun Cheng (aka Marko Jan) and staff designer Huang Zhongwei in collaboration with Wolf Tea owners, David Yang and Arwen Hsiao. Arwen describes the results as “minimalist but infinite, marrying the richness and elegance of teas into the details.” We’re inspired to borrow many of these details for our own homes.

Photography courtesy of Homework Studio (@homeworkdesign_) unless noted.

Above: Wolf Tea specializes in small batch, single-origin Taiwanese teas. To open the store to the street and fill the interior with light, the designers introduced the arched windows and bifold doors to the long-vacant space.
Above: The building’s original green tiles seem fitting for a tea salon.
Above: “We wanted the intervention to sit naturally within the historic streetscape—contemporary, but not visually disruptive,” says Marko Jan.
Above: Wolf Tea owners David and Arwen note on their website that “Taiwan’s mountainous landscape houses the most diverse and rarest teas in the world and a profound tea culture.” They showcase “the purest and most impressive leaves” and love spotlighting it with antique furniture and lighting. Photograph courtesy of Wolf Tea.
Above: Arwen and David selected a vintage weathered counter for the center of the space. The walls were restored and left atmospheric; the flooring is the preserved original terrazzo “reminiscent of light and heavy tea roasts,” says Marko. The wall cabinet is a French antique.
Above: Arwen, who is the brand’s design director, purchased translucent cotton at the nearby YongLe Market and had it stitched into a pojagi, the curtain that divides the shop from the office.
Above: Arwen grew up in Alishan, one of Taiwan’s most celebrated tea regions, and is the one who sources their offerings. The covered bowls, known as gaiwan, she notes are the perfect wares for brewing and sipping whole leaf teas. Theirs depicts a smiling wolf surfing on a tea leaf. Photograph courtesy of Wolf Tea.
Above: Under a custom black steel window, Homework built a tea making area: “a functional working station that feels ceremonial and appropriate to the tea-making ritual,” says Marko. Photograph courtesy of Wolf Tea.
Above: Arwen and David came up with the “brass-detailed tea trolley concept: each of our stores has its own version.”
Above: Flower-shaped teacups and a fluted teapot. Photograph courtesy of Wolf Tea.
Above: Wolf Tea has two locations in Taipei and one in Kyoto. Some of its teas and wares, including the Kungfu Gaiwan Tea Set, are available online. This shop is at 106 Liangzhou Street in Taipei’s Dadaocheng district.

Another Homework tea room: A Taipei Tea House Built from “Sentimental Objects”

More design in Taiwan:

• At Home with Celebrated Architect/Designer Mao Shen Chiang
• Shu Shu House: A Serene Mountain Retreat in Jiufen
• Delicate Antique: A Rustic Vintage Shop in Taipei

The Sighting

Above: The ideal summer city bedroom, simple and inviting, as seen in ’70s Redux: A Barcelona Apartment Finds Its Groove.

The Source

Above: A moment for the bedding: It’s from Tekla, Fan reveals, but in which of the eight striped colorways? It’s Hopper Stripe, an unexpected brown/cream combo for all seasons. Pillowcases start at $55; a duvet cover at $230.

For more favorites, sourced, see:

• Remodelista Reconnaissance: A Ghostly Cloth Pendant Light
• Remodelista Reconnaissance: A Shiny Scalloped Sconce (Most Popular Light Edition)
• Remodelista Reconnaissance: The Two-for-One Headboard at The Quist

Borgia, who founded her Paris studio in 2015 after working for larger firms in Paris and Hong Kong, approaches renovation with restraint, reducing the amount of demolition and removal where possible while employing built-in solutions as part of the architecture itself. Here, plaster, light oak, and colored concrete make up a “micro-volume” interior, where even the furniture feels embedded into the space. Join us for a look inside.

Photography by BCDF Studio for Studio Pauline Borgia.

Above: A French door opens into a pocket-sized kitchen with a colored concrete floor and kitchen cabinets designed in dark-stained oak.
Above: A pair of half-cylinder sconces light the kitchen above a small built-in table. The chair is an antique walnut country chair from France. Vintage furniture throughout the apartment was sourced from Emmaüs.
Above: A 19th-century Rebus antique plate and a tulip dessert cup.
Above: Curved walls soften the apartment’s boxy shell. Borgia designed custom built-in storage throughout the apartment in light oak and plaster.
Above: The floors are newly laid oak planks.
Above: A half-circle desk in oak is built into the wall and paired with a vintage chair sourced from China. Above is a vintage two-tone Stilnovo Diablo Sconce.
Above: Borgia grew up in her family’s house in Corsica, where every room was designed in a different color. In that same spirit, she looks to color to create identities for smaller rooms. Case in point is the compact bathroom, designed in green-colored concrete and paint. Here, the bathroom is styled with ceramics from Bordallo Pinheiro. The sconce is by Alex and Manel Lluscà.
Above: The console is also built of colored concrete and set with a simple stainless steel sink.
Above: The schematic shows a flow from the entrance through living area and into the bath and kitchen. Also shown here are the lofted sleeping space and outdoor terrace.

For more small Parisian spaces see our posts:

• 269 Square Feet in Paris: Design Ideas from a Shoebox Apartment Reinvented By Marianne Evennou
• Making Space: A 350-Square-Foot Parisian Pied-à-Terre Studio from Corpus Studio
• Small-Space Soirées: 8 Tips from a Paris Apartment, Courtesy of Rebekah Peppler
• Order and Pattern in a Spirited Paris Apartment Remodel by Two Young Architects
• A Paris Apartment with Artful, Architectural Interventions from Corpus Studio

Photographs by editors, except where noted.

Above: “Discovered at Futures Fair during New York Design Week: the work of Angela Burson, a Savannah-based artist whose room scenes are reminiscent of 19th century folk paintings. She aptly describes her work as exploring “the ripe potential for meaning-making in the relationships between objects.” – Margot Guralnick; painting by Angela Burson
Above: “Betsy Harris is a naturalist whose exceptional botanical photography and meticulous annotations changed the way I perceive Florida. She describes herself as ‘a dirt road enthusiast celebrating Florida’s rich botanical heritage.’ Also, she has a very cute beagle.” – Marie Viljoen; photograph by Betsy Harris
Above: “We been long fielding requests for a ‘big, soft chair’ from my daughter, and finally made our selection. It’s been a significant life upgrade. I had heard great things about Sixpenny sofas from a friend so we went with the Gabriel Chair in linen/feather down. It’s a superb reading chair, and if you strip it down of extra cushions, you can easily fit with a young child and read together. Really lovely.” – Alexa; photograph from Sixpenny
Above: “My main news, even while the Chelsea Flower Show has been going on, has been the arrival of our polytunnel (greenhouse). A bit larger than we would have asked for, but it’s an ex-display model from the Malvern Flower Show. It’s made by Keder. Their designs are known to withstand gales in the Hebrides; the walls are like giant bubble wrap.” – Kendra Wilson
Above: “This month I started something new: Detail Oriented, a monthly snail-mail delivery of small good things I’ve noticed/loved/delighted in, printed on real paper and sent each month right to your (actual) mailbox. Did I start this because I have a paper obsession? Quite possibly. If you’re interested in checking out this fledgling project, you can find me on Substack.” – Annie Quigley
Above: “Everyone is excited by the inflatable chair, but the piece from Ikea’s latest PS collection that most intrigued me was the folding chair!” – Laura Fenton; photograph from Ikea
Above: “I loved reading about landscape architect Gilles Clément and his approach to ‘spontaneous vegetation’ where design serves as a bridge between human presence and natural systems in perpetual change. Wildly wonderful. Featured on the account @1day1architect.” – Kier Holmes; photograph from Nxt Brand
Above: “My newest vase: the Bergs Potter Copenhagen Vase. I love that it’s essentially their classic terracotta pot—but in glass.” – Fan Winston
Above: “I’ve been poring over the new Collection 02 of aarticles, gallery of Kasia Sznajder and Fred Aartun. The collection includes everything from found Murano glass pieces, sculptures, ceramic vessels, to the most artful bookstand in history from Louie Isaaman Jones.” – Alexa Hotz; for more see our post A Testing Ground for Objects: Inside the Copenhagen Apartment of Kasia Sznajder and Fred Aartun of aarticles
Above: “I walked TEFAF New York (The European Fine Art Foundation) with an old friend this year, where I fell in love with a series of mirrors by a French artist named Line Vautrin, who I knew nothing about. According to her page on Christie’s, Vogue once dubbed her the ‘poetess of metal.'” – Nick Spain
Above: “I loved seeing the Keeps Architect Bed in a custom color at the Afternoon Light trade show. Colors are custom ordered, but one of the co-founders told me that they wanted to show designers that you could get rich, vibrant colors from the linseed oil stains they use.” – Kier Holmes; photograph from Keeps
Above: “Driveway dinners are my new summer obsession. The backyard, the patio, and the leafy enclave are all undeniably delightful, yes, but ever since a friend hosted a dinner party in her drive, the long table set with family-style platters and bowls, mismatched chairs pulled up all around, I’ve been really loving the ad-hoc-ness of hosting a driveway (or sidewalk) dinner party. I plan on channeling this spirit all summer for impromptu drinks and weekend dinners.” – Annie Quigley; photograph from Shared Space: Silke Bonde Atelier & Établi in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen

Have a look at our picks from previous months:

• Psst…What We Loved In April
• Psst…What We Loved in March
• Psst…What We Loved in February

Above: Weekend plans, courtesy of A Historic House in Béziers by Doux Août and Architect Maria Masgård. Photography by Doux Août of La Maison B.

• Now on view online and in locations coast to coast: Diane Keaton: Architecture of an Icon.
• Ooh, a green tag sale at a favorite gallery in Maine, going on June 5 and 6.
• And going on this weekend: BDDW’s scratch and dent auction.
• Julie’s eyeing Rachel Chudley Colour: a new bespoke paint co. by Donald Kaufman’s daughter in law.
• “Tested at Afternoon Light: a rolling desk chair designed by Hans Wegner that was never produced—until now. It’s newly out from Carl Hansen,” reports Margot.
• Admiring this new rug collection from Swedish furniture maker Massproductions.
• Would you try this hack for the TV? It’s a lookalike for a great design we saw last year in Copenhagen.
• Love, love, love the looks of “Souvenirs d’Enfance” (“Memories of Childhood”), an exhibit in a house in St. Tropez; info here.
• Annie’s in the market for an outdoor table and came across this wildly discounted option.
• A companion to Margot’s fun post on exquisitely miniature objects.
• Spotted: ramp butter at the Milkweed Inn, a funky little assemblage of places to stay in Michigan’s UP (hat tip: Margot).
• Both Annie and Fan are admiring this dreamy meandering boardwalk by Terremoto.
• Can’t believe these are wood pavers!
• A good reminder that composting doesn’t have to be complicated.
• Need summer outdoor planter inspo? Here you go.
• And 9 finds for a go-anywhere-and-everywhere summer, courtesy of the R/G editors.

It helped that Andrea Conti and Isa Cert, the principal architects, essentially had a blank canvas to work with. The apartment, on the fifth floor of a building from the 1970s, had been remodeled, again and again, to within an inch of its life, so they opted to remove everything and start from scratch. “All the original layers were in a really bad state under the renovation layers,” they explain. The client, a young hospitality entrepreneur with whom they’d collaborated before, also gave them “complete creative freedom; his only wish was to have three sizable bedrooms and a big open space for day use.”

Left blissfully alone to do their thing, the designers went to work, creating a new layout and thoughtfully adding in the high points of ’70s interior style: earthy tones, sink-in seating, metallic surfaces, and paneled wood. Let’s take a tour.

Photography by Claudia Mauriño, courtesy of Conti Cert.

Above: “The freedom that the client gave us was translated into a beautiful new layout. It consists of 200 square meters distributed in a large common living-dining-kitchen area, and then those three large bedrooms that the owner requested.” The custom iroko wood table is by Max Enrich, chairs by Rexite, shelves by BD Barcelona, and floor lamp by Ingo Maurer.
Above: An eat-in kitchen is enclosed by a steel and glass wall, a solution that allows for both separation and open flow.

Above: A wood-paneled wall and ceiling are warm counterpoints to the metal surfaces. The glass lamp on the counter is by designer Jaume Ramírez.
Above: Open to the dining area is the living room, awash in neutral colors except for the arresting artwork by the Ritsch Sisters. Both the safari chairs and the corduroy Togo chair are vintage. (See: Trend Alert: The 1970s Togo Lounge is Today’s Flop-Down Chair of Choice.) The daybed is custom.
Above: Floor-to-ceiling drapery separates the living room from the TV room.
Above: The extra-large sofa and blue wool rug are both custom. The aluminum coffee table is by Frama.
Above: In the bedroom, simplicity reigns. A ledge-cum-headboard also serves as storage space. The step nightstand is by Max Enrich. The striped bedding is by Tekla.
Above: “We used fabric curtains in the bedrooms, which combined with the wall-to-wall carpet floors helped us create these little cocoon-style rooms that we were looking for.”

For more projects by Conti Cert, see:

• Kitchen of the Week: Hardware Store Finds and Thoughtful Storage for a Professional Chef
• Two Flats Are Turned Into One Perfect Home for a Family of Five
• Let the Light In: A Barcelona Flat, Uncramped and Rejuvenated for a Young Couple

Seaside Bicycle Basket

Above: There is something deeply nostalgic and delightful about a bike basket. If you haven’t had one since childhood, consider Underwater Weaving Studio’s grownup version; you’ll find there’s no shortage of things to fill it with (greenmarket finds, clipped flowers, a bottle of wine and a book). Shop here.

Handwoven Market Stripe Mattress

Above: Is there anything more delicious than a summer nap outdoors? We think not. These cotton throw beds from TOAST add a little extra cushioning for front porch, beach, and backyard lounging. Shop here.

Outdoor Market Folding Chair

Above: Come summer (or anytime, really), we can’t resist a great folding chair. This one, from Hay’s new collaboration with British designer Jasper Morrison, folds up and stows in a carrier bag for toting wherever. It also comes in three striped colorways. Shop here.

East Fork Enamelware

Above: The best part about enamelware? It’s lightweight and nearly indestructible, perfect for dinners al fresco and kid-proof picnics. We’ve even found, from experience, that it can be thrown in a tote bag for an impromptu after-work hang on the beach. This year, we’re eyeing the fresh, vibrant green enamelware from East Fork. Shop here.

Aged Conch Shell Planter

Above: For a moveable garden, pots and planters can’t be beat: Move them around to chase the sun, or rearrange when company comes over. This one by Campo de’Fiori is a nod to the shell motifs we’ve been noting lately. Shop here.

Portable LED Lantern

Above: This indoor/outdoor lantern from Audo Copenhagen is ready to light the way wherever you’re headed—even if it’s just to bed. Shop here.

Also On Our Radar

• A beach towel with built-in game board? Genius.
• Take-anywhere tunes (under $20).
• And a stripe-y throw that can go from beach to bed.

Above: Japanese brand Hightide’s Penco Tiny Metal Container is a 4.2-inch-long version of a retro metal toolbox. Also available in red and green, it’s $12 USD from Neighbour in Toronto.
Above: The beechwood-handled Mini Garden Tool Set, $13.75, from Kikkerland is designed for indoor and small plant gardening.
Above: Preserve stems as you go: The Floral Society’s Mini Flower Press, $25, is sized to slip in a pocket.
Above: The Cotman Watercolour Sketcher’s Pocket Set, $38.49, is from Winsor & Newton, which has been making art supplies since 1832. Travel brush included.
Above: The size of a small notepad, this Penco Mini Clipboard, $8, from Boston General Store is ideal for grocery lists, receipts, and other details of life.
Above: Count the seconds with Hightide’s Mini Hourglass, $12, which runs for approximately 1 minute. Handmade by glass artisans, it’s also available in several larger sizes at the Hightide Store DTLA.
Above: “There was a little fur family, warm as toast, smaller than most, and they lived in a warm wooden tree.” Margaret Wise Brown’s Little Fur Family, with Garth Williams illustrations, comes in three faux fur-covered sizes, but the Mini Fur Family is the ideal—at least according to my daughter and me. It’s $9.99 from Flora and Henri.
Above: Among the appeals of Kikkerland’s Mini Doodle Kit, $17, is its tin case fitted with a sharpener and eraser. The companion booklet is a coloring book.
Above: Avid Remodelista readers know of our fondness for the Vipp pedal trash bin—it tops the Remodelista 100, our list of favorite everyday objects (see Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home). The Danish steel classic has been in production since 1939, more recently as the fully operational Vipp 3 Pedal Bin Miniature, $140, for tabletop crumbs and castoffs.
Above: Made of stitched cotton canvas, Muji’s Mini Canvas Tote Bag, $4.90, is just right for your pebble collection or favorite lipsticks. N.B.: Fans of Trader Joe’s totes can find its sold-out Mini Canvas Totes on the resale market.

For small-space living inspiration, take a look at:

• How to Live with Stuff and Little Space: A Creative Couple’s 17 Affordable Tips 
• 10 Petite Paris Kitchens by Marianne Evennou, Master of Bite-Size Design
• Steal This Look: A One-Room Cabin in the Catskills

More importantly, travelers visiting nearby Joshua Tree National Park can book a stay at the newly remodeled Twentynine Palms, California abode, which sits on 10 acres of mesquite-covered sand dunes. (To book, head to Airbnb.) Kelsey and Dustyn completely overhauled the stucco structure for their guests, replacing the (likely) asbestos floor tiles with engineered white oak planks, covering the walls in an earthy greige lime wash by Portola Paints, and restoring the original wood beams. They also maintained the historic brick fireplace in the center of the house.

The couple’s most impressive feat? Building a functional, eye-catching kitchen and dining zone in such a compact area. “It was a little tricky because when we walked in we were just like, where is the dining room? There was nowhere to sit, really,” Kelsey remembers. “We demoed a pantry and built in this bench in an effort to have more of a sitting space. And the kitchen layout was so small, so we wanted to keep everything as open as possible, so it feels bright and not so squished.”

Aesthetically, Kelsey and Dustyn were inspired by the dusty, arid surrounds, so they opted for a neutral color palette of beiges, browns, and terracottas. They also employed natural materials and incorporated vintage objects wherever possible, creating a cookspace that looks like it could have always been there.

Let’s take a tour.

Photography by Bethany Nauert and Victoria Aguirre.

Above: The first item that Kelsey and Dustyn purchased for the kitchen was the huge stone basin sink. It had been posted on Craigslist before they even started the renovation, but they knew they had to have it. “We found that sink on such a whim and so fast,” recalls Kelsey. “And I was just like, okay, the whole kitchen is getting built around the sink, no question. And then I found our burnished brass faucet on eBay, so that’s secondhand, too.” Photograph by Bethany Nauert.

Then, the duo crafted an L-shaped countertop and lower cupboards using tadelakt, an ancient Moroccan plaster that’s known for its waterproof quality. “It’s a little bit finicky as a surface, but it works for us,” Kelsey says. “We wanted that molded, organic look in here, with open cabinets, so it just was the perfect substance for us.”

Above: The floating shelves, as well as the cabinet fronts, are made of antique wood that Kelsey and Dustyn found at The Original Round Top Antiques Fair, a massive event that occurs four times a year in Texas. “Tons of vendors come from around the world, and it’s very dreamy,” Kelsey describes. “There was this guy selling architectural materials, so we grabbed a bunch of wooden boards, knowing we would use them for something in the house.” Photograph by Victoria Aguirre.
Above: The couple nestled a 24-inch Smeg refrigerator next to the space-saving banquette, which they outfitted with weathered chocolate leather cushions that were custom-made by an Etsy artisan. The two little vintage tables, with their iron bases and stone tops, are from Santa Ynez General. Photograph by Bethany Nauert.
Above: When it came to backsplashes, Kelsey and Dustyn were thrifty. They repurposed leftover bathroom tile to line the tadelakt countertop and used a sheet of brass behind the stove. “It’s just something affordable that looked a bit unique, added a pop to the kitchen, and could easily be installed,” Kelsey says. “We literally went to a metal shop, bought a sheet of brass, and screwed it to the wall.” Photograph by Bethany Nauert.

“We don’t have insulation because we don’t have a built-in roof, and we have exposed beams, so we can’t fit any can lights inside the ceiling,” says Kelsey. Instead, the duo hung industrial pendants from the wall and swagged them over ceiling hooks for overhead illumination.

Above: For additional counter space, the couple affixed slabs of concrete to the center and sides of the old brick fireplace. “It’s the key moment, so we had to build around it and make it work,” Kelsey says of the original feature, which she and Dustyn converted from wood-burning to gas. Photograph by Victoria Aguirre.
Above: Rustic kitchen tools and stainless steel cookware from Great Jones double as decor when hung from a matte black rail. Photograph by Victoria Aguirre.

For more kitchens (with brass backsplashes), might we suggest:

• A Sensitive Remodel That Celebrates the ‘Undercroft’ in Brisbane, Australia
•  The Catskills Farmhouse of Two Brooklyn Creatives, Weekend DIY Edition
• Riverside House: A Normandy Guesthouse from an Upstart American Restaurateur

N.B.: This story originally appeared on June 1, 2023 and has been updated with new information.

That sensibility aligned naturally with Swedish architect Maria Masgård, who studied at the Royal Institute of Technology and heads her own firm in Stockholm. In 2024, Masgård and her husband, Stefan, purchased La Maison B, a three-story historic house in the center of Béziers that had been remodeled repeatedly over the years. Plasterboard, laminate, and layers of paint concealed the original stone walls and beams beneath.

Working in collaboration with Doux Août, the approach became less about renovation than uncovering: stripping the house back to its original structure and allowing the materials to reemerge. Lime walls were revealed and paired with a natural micro-cement. The renovation is ongoing and deliberately slow. Join us for a look inside.

Photography by Doux Août of La Maison B.

Above: A kitchen designed in reclaimed wood and raw pine with stone counters, zellige tile, and a pair of Serax Seam Pendant Lights by Seppe Van Heusden.
Above: A round dining table with a collection of 001 Dining Chairs in pine from Vaarni. Above is the HAY Ellipse Paper Shade. The landscapes of the Gorges du Tarn are painted by Tim Bickerton.
Above: The team designed built-in seating with a linen pad beside the chimney. They sourced a vintage Edin and Lina Kjellvertz Washi Paper Lamp found on Dusty Deco. The team uncovered lime walls and applied a natural micro-cement from Spanish company Mas Maya.
Above: A Linen Table Lamp from Zara Home sits between two linen loveseats in the living room. Stripping back paint revealed a section of wallpaper the design team chose to showcase.
Above: A main bedroom with floors covered in Mas Maya micro-cement, softened with layers of linen and pendant lights in linen from Ceci Ferrero.
Above: The main bath is designed with chestnut drawers and a quartzite top. The shower beyond is tiled in zellige tile. The team sourced the Olympia No.4 Terres de Rêves Pendant designed by Anita Le Grelle for Serax. The copper faucets are by Koperenkranen Belgium.
Above: In addition to the interior walls, Masgård designed a custom bath and console finishing them both in Mas Maya minerals. The bath is fitted with a custom faucet from Koperenkranen Belgium.
Above: Masgård and Doux Août retained the original terracotta tiles. They added a Rice Paper Lampshade from HAY.
Above: The architect and designers fully transformed the staircase that runs between the three floors by repairing the structure and softening edges into a sculptural form with the use of Mas Maya micro-cement and the expertise of a local painter.
Above: A look down the hallway between rooms on the second level.
Above: A charming compromise between old and new with original walls, new micro-cement finish, original tile, antiques, and new linens.
Above: A concrete Wall Lamp No.1 by Thijs Prinsen in the bedroom. The outlets are porcelain fittings from Fontini.
Above: Reclaimed shutters found in a storage room in the house and a quartzite countertop and sink. The copper faucet is from Koperenkranen Belgium.

For more French farmhouses see our posts:

• The New Old House: A 1,300-Square-Foot French Farmhouse Rehab in Tellières-le-Plessis
• Atelier Vime in Brittany: An 18th-Century Childhood Home Lovingly Updated
• Les Bains Gardians: White Horses and “Conscious Hedonism” in France’s Camargue
• Maison Légère: Restoring Balance and Harmony in France
• D’une Île: A Rustic Retreat in Normandy with Cottages to Rent

Above: The Frama E27 Table Light, shown here in White, is $89 at Lightology.
Above: The OneFortyThree Solid Color Shaded Sconce, shown in off-white Diamondback, is $180.
Above: Ikea’s super affordable Sunneby/Molnart Pendant Lamp rings in at $37.99.
Above: The Anglepoise Type 75 Mini Table Lamp, shown in Mole Grey, is $200 at Design Within Reach.
Above: The classic Artemide Teti Wall or Ceiling Light is $116 at Lightology.
Above: The classic Noguchi Akari 1A Lamp is $195 at Noguchi Shop.
Above: Designed by TAF Studio for Muuto, the E27 Pendant Light is available in 14 colors; it’s normally $167 but currently on sale for $133.60 at Design Within Reach.
Above: From Rejuvenation, the glass Roland Table Lamp comes in four colorways including Sand (shown); it’s currently on sale for $159 (normally $199).
Above: The Anglepoise Original 1227 Wall Light, shown in Jet Black, is $160 at Horne.
Above: The ever-affordable Ikea Fado Table Lamp in White is $29.99.

For more lighting picks, see our posts:

• 10 Easy Pieces: White Globe Pendant Lights
• 10 Easy Pieces: Metal Pendant Lights
• 10 Easy Pieces: Classic Metal Desk Lamps
• 10 Easy Pieces: Porch Lights

N.B.: This post was originally published on November 1, 2010; we have updated it with new and additional product selections and current pricing.

Here we list sources for the styles seen in Patmos (and for more on the project, see Color and Quiet: An 1700s House in Patmos, Greece, Restored by Studio Krokalia).

Above: The custom sofa is anchored with natural pine wood and finished with layers upon layers of striped kapok pillows and a sofa topper.
Above: A pair of natural rattan loungers at the entryway to the outdoor living area.

Paint

Above: For a similar warm-toned white-taupe, try Farrow & Ball’s Dimity.
Above: “We color-matched a grey used locally,” says Pallas. “You just take a scrap to the local paint shop and they copy it!” For something similar, there’s Farrow & Ball’s Blue Gray.

Furniture & Lighting

Above: For a rattan lounge chair similar to those seen in the living room, the Rattan Kim Lounge Chair with Ottoman is $613.50 from Hudson Grace
Above: The Classic Table with marbled black ceramic top is $749 at Room & Board.
Above: Designed by Verner Panton for Montana Møbler, the Panton One Lounge Chair is $1,120 at Danish Design Shop.
Above: The pendant light is the Terracotta Medium Pendant from Hand and Eye Studio in the UK.

Textiles

Above: The Tanant Tribal Pillow in Dark Blue and Gold is currently on sale for $71.20 at Scout & Nimble.
Above: The Tensira Kapok Mattress Bedroll in Navy Blue and Off White Stripe is $325 at Goodee.
Above: The Tensira Cushion in Natural Navy Stripe is $100 at Diani.
Above: The Jute Boucle Rug in Flax is $429 for the 6-by-9-foot size at West Elm.

For more Greek interiors, see our posts:

• A Rustic Idyll for Four in Mykonos, Greece
• Kitchen of the Week: A Greek Architect’s Ode to Minimalism
• Restaurant Visit: Il Buco in Athens

N.B.: This story originally ran on October 25, 2022 and has been updated with new products, links, and pricing.

Fun fact: the oldest known version of the game was found in King Tut’s tomb. For modern pharaohs, there are Prada and Bottega Veneta dominoes (($3,350 and $5,100 respectively). Also peruse the wide array of vintage decks for sale online at comparatively bargain prices.

Above: Moon Dominoes, $20, from Fredericks & May are made of Baltic birch and feature phases of the moon in place of the classic dots (“pips” in dominoes lingo).
Above: Commune Design collaborated with custom guitar maker Wylie Gelber on this hand-crafted Gelber & Sons for Commune Domino Set, $525. It’s shown in violet and is also available in crimson, yellow, aqua, and brown.
Above: Play with your dominoes and eat them too: a 28-tile Pure Dark Chocolate Domino Set is $45 from Casa Bosques, Mexico City’s art and design bookstore with a sideline in artisanal sweets.
Above: Another Fredricks & Mae twist: Flag Dominoes, $20. “Silkscreened nautical flags communicate numbers 0-6.”
Above: From Etsy, the Colorburst Wooden Domino Set is currently marked down from $57 to $42.75 via The Craft Houses.
Above: Pottery Barn’s Resin Dominoes Set is on sale for $46.97, originally $99.50.
Above: Printworks Wooden Dominoes Set is $30 from the Forest & Field Collective, a Vermont-based online shop of well-made gifts.
Above: Materia Madura is an innovative Puerto Rican workshop that makes building materials and other designs from waste: it turns coffee grounds into limited-edition Dominoes, $62.

Also on our radar:

• The New Neutral: Pale Yellow Kitchens and Spring-y Finds in Palest Yellow
• Trend Alert: Perforated Brick Takes Center Stage
• The Surprising Zing of a Red Chair

The house is situated on a 63-acre property where the owners sought to transform “a scattering of unremarkable Victorian buildings and unwelcome 1990s additions into an unconventional, daring, and contextually rooted country homestead grounded in an environmental sensibility,” the studio writes.

As a former brickworks, the site already had a history of material extraction. Research into the surrounding geology—including William Smith’s 1815 geological map of England—revealed clay-rich soil beneath the property, prompting the architects to explore rammed earth not as novelty, but as architecture. Existing buildings were demolished, their aggregate combined with excavated clay from the site itself to create the raw material for the new walls. “We turned the site into a quarry,” explains Jonathan Tuckey. “Digging, drying, and sifting the clay.”

The resulting house is defined by a series of earthen volumes linked by lighter timber-and-glass structures, with interiors shaped by textural and material simplicity. Working alongside Todhunter Earle Interiors and landscape designer Pip Morrison, the studio has created a low-impact house that feels generous, tactile, and monumental—with a footprint to match. Here’s a look around.

Photography by Jim Stephenson for Tuckey Design Studio.

Above: A far cry from London living: the clients are a retired couple from London looking to prioritize their passions of gardening and horse riding.

Because rammed earth remains uncommon at this scale in the UK, the first six months were spent testing material blends and construction methods alongside Austrian rammed-earth specialist Martin Rauch of Lehm Ton Erde. The team ultimately avoided cement and lime stabilizers altogether, determining a 25/25/25/25 ratio of clay, demolition aggregate formed of crushed brick and concrete, locally sourced limestone gravel, all mixed with water. The material is ancient—rammed earth has been used as a building technique as far back as the Neolithic era, but the application is entirely new.

Above: The house walls were built up in layers and compressed manually by builders walking up and down on top using a rammer.
Above: Environmental measures were comprehensive: natural and reclaimed materials, high thermal mass and insulation, triple glazing, ground source heat pump, photovoltaics, and rainwater collection.
Above: The two main rammed earth volumes are linked with a kitchen/dining pavilion framed in timber and glass.
Above: Up to one meter thick in places, the unstabilized rammed earth walls carve out niches, benches, and deeply recessed openings throughout the house, their surfaces finished with a protective casein coating.
Above: The kitchen was designed custom with walnut joinery by Orwells Furniture. The worktop is Moleanos limestone. The kitchen faucet is from Studio Ore.
Above: Set among rammed earth and oak framing are two Miele wall ovens. A custom island at center is designed with a cantilevered worktop for dining.
Above: Interior designer Emily Todhunter explains: “The challenge was the balance the architectural sensibility of the project with the clients’ very textured lives and possessions, while also reversing the traditional country-house concept of shutting out the elements by closing the curtains and lighting the fire.”
Above: Layerings of the clients’ collection from artwork and 19th century antiques to geometric flatweaves.
Above: A reading nook window in a room with mahogany-stained plaster walls. The wall light is the Soren Wall Light from Pinch.
Above: Wood paneling is stained with Tikkurila Valtti wood stains.
Above: The main bedroom is finished with a rattan ceiling.
Above: A WC made of chestnut joinery.
Above: A hand-carved wood sink made from Macracarpa/Monterey cypress sourced from Devon and made by Isabel Coulton.
Above: A rammed earth turret is designed with an oak staircase completed with the expertise of Robert Lynch.
Above: The project is a modern adaptation of a castle-like architectural language. The turret stair is illuminated by a single Soren Globe Light 700 from Pinch.
Above: Rammed earth is pared with oak, limestone, clay plaster, and copper with interiors informed by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows.
Above: The house feels less “built” than compacted from the landscape itself.

For more innovative projects from Tuckey Design Studio, see our posts:

• Modernist Makeover: Tuckey Design Studio Resurrects an Abandoned Villa on Lake Como
• A Family Home in a Seaside Church in Devon: A Tuckey Design Studio Creative Reuse Project
• Trevarefabrikken in Norway: A Former Cod Liver Oil Factory Turned Hotel by Tuckey Design Studio
• An Updated Cornish Longhouse by Tuckey Design Studio
• A Little Bit Elizabethan, a Little Bit Rock ‘n’ Roll: A UK Recording Studio Turned Family Home
• “A Minimalist Monastery-Like Space”: A Victorian Townhouse in Knightsbridge Restored and Recast

Above: Over at The Quiet Botanist, makers of candles, teas, chocolates, and soaps in “homage to the natural world,” R/G subscribers can take 25 percent off sitewide with code GARDENISTA25, now through May 31.
Above: And at longtime Remodelista favorite Evangeline Linens in Maine, R/G subscribers can take 25 percent off their offerings—including wool bed blankets, cotton throws, and just-right-for-summer linen coverlets—now through May 31 with code REMODELISTA25.

Happy browsing!

Above: We’re calling it: stained glass is making a comeback. For further evidence, see Pale Fire: The Renewed Appeal of Stained Glass. Photograph via Inigo.

• “I’m excited to see this exhibit of bedding from 200-year-old futon specialist Iwata of Kyoto at Nalata Nalata,” reports Margot. Stop by: It’s on view at the Japanese design gallery in the East Village through the end of the month.
• Now open in Chatham, NY: Shaker Outpost by Maira Kalman (glimpse here).
• A timely collection, from the niche co. Color Makes People Happy: paint colors inspired by ice cream flavors. (“I love everything about this,” says Fan.)
• Ooh, we like the looks of Between Friends, a collab by Heath Ceramics x Alabama Channin (hat tip: Laura).
• Five women who shaped design (psst: tour the French riviera home of one of them here).
• Brook Farm General Store is closing its doors after 17 years; shop their closeout sale here.
• Intrigued by this paper lamp workshop.
• Save the date: a once-in-a-while BDDW scratch and dent auction happens next weekend.
• A tablescape…at sea.
• Can every storefront look like this, please?
• The Gardener Store in Berkeley just unpacked a bunch of goodies from Morocco. Here’s a peek.
• Can’t get to Great Dixter? Here’s a wonderful behind-the-scenes video of the storied estate by the How My Garden Grows podcast.
• “Possibly the most hyped rose launch ever but it’s such a pretty flower,” writes Clare of David Austin’s newest hybrid: The Sir David Beckham Rose. (Yes, you read that right.)
• Here’s what you can do to help the sidewalk trees on your block, courtesy of the folks at BBG.
• Seven plants worth investing in, according to Sarah Raven.
• It’s that time of year again! Will you be doing the Chelsea chop?
• And speaking of, have you read Kendra’s reviews of the most memorable gardens at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show? Go here and here.
• In case you missed it: 23 great sales going on this weekend, from linen sheets to appliances.
• P.S. Have you entered our Goodee giveaway yet? The winner will receive design-forward finds for a full patio refresh (a $1,600 value).

The cottage in question is a small 19th-century structure in the city’s Bywater neighborhood, tucked in the shade of two leafy Louisiana cypress trees that keep the house cool on even the steamiest summer days. Built in 1836, the Creole cottage is made of wood reclaimed from old barges used to ship lumber down the Mississippi, the gaps filled in with heavy-duty sail canvas and plaster; today, Kerry Moody is its steward and inhabitant. Write Nell and Rachel in their book: “It was a crude construction method, but one that suited the first owner of Kerry’s cottage: a Dutch sailor who had married a Creole woman.” Adds Kerry: “I imagine he was away at sea at lot of the time. This would have been such a beautiful place for her to live alone, because it feels very protected.”

Fast forward a century and a half, when Kerry stepped into the cottage for the first time. The house was then owned by an American Mardi Gras historian, and the interiors were decorated to suit, with purple and green walls, boas and feathers covering every inch. “It was breathtaking,” Kerry told Nell and Rachel—though not quite his taste. Now a stylist and antique hunter himself, he set about restoring the interiors with “some Creole elegance” in mind, “evoking some of the mystery and sweetness of the Creole past.”

Join us for a look:

Photography by Matt Russell from Life Inside a Cottage.

Above: The cottage, with sweet green shutters. It’s tucked behind a tropical garden; the twin Louisiana cypress trees were saplings when Kerry moved in.
Above: Kerry left the cottage’s simple layout untouched: four equal-sized rooms at the front, with two small rooms at the back connected by pass-through space, now the kitchen. “When guests show up, they feel the energy in the cottage, because you can walk around it in a circle and you can see that every inch of the house is used,” Kerry told Nell and Rachel. “I think that’s what makes it so special. In fact, sometimes I have a hard time trying to get people to leave.”

Above: When he began work on the house, Kerry counted on Patrick J. Dunne, the founder of culinary antique shop Lucullus—where he was starting his career as a stylist—to outfit the interiors, stripping off layers of wallpaper and repairing the plaster. One night he tore down the drop ceilings himself and made a delightful discovery: the original beadboard underneath.
Above: The interiors are done largely in rich, sunny yellows. “As a Creole of color, I have always been equally proud of my African heritage and my French roots,” Kerry told Nell and Rachel. “Those roots have certainly influenced my aesthetic. Having grown up as a Creole child, my mother was very elegant and very beautiful. She just had that simple style about her, and I wanted my home to feel like the style that I grew up with.”
Above: With the interiors carefully restored, Kerry furnished each room with antique finds—many of them transported back from sourcing trips to France, where his great-grandmother is from. In the kitchen is a 19th-century wooden pastry table with a marble top, found on one such trip; Kerry, an avid baker, had it shipped all the way home to Louisiana.

Above: Also in the kitchen: a generous copper sink.
Above: Collected dinnerware.
Above: Kerry at home. He’s also converted the upstairs loft space into a bedroom and bathroom that he says is “just magical, especially when it rains.”
Above: When Katrina hit in 2005, Kerry needed to leave quickly, leaving behind his beloved home and antique pieces, in particular an oil painting he’d wanted to take with him of a young Creole man he’d found, lost, and found again, almost impossibly, in France. When the floodwaters subsided, he returned home to find his cottage untouched. Twenty years on, it continues to be a refuge in the city.  ‘That’s what’s so wonderful about old houses,” Kerry told Nell and Rachel. “They really take care of you.”

For more on the book, see our feature Required Reading: Life Inside a Cottage, from the UK to Japan. There are so many more cottages in its pages than what we’ve covered here; Life Inside a Cottage is available from Barnes & Noble, or check your local bookseller for a copy.

Plus, more in NoLA:

• Hotel Peter & Paul: A Former New Orleans School, Wholly Transformed
• Mosquito Supper Club: Intimate Dinners in an Old House in New Orleans
• Seaworthy: An 1832 Cottage Turned Old-World Oyster Bar in New Orleans

Welcome to Meanwhile, on Gardenista, in which we take a look at the goings-on over on our sibling site. In this week’s edition: Start to look for pocket gardens and you’ll notice them everywhere: climbing up urban facades, in tucked-away niches, and in secluded backyards. Here, three sightings:

Above: First, a favorite from this year’s Chelsea Garden Show: a lush garden with thoughtful details and tucked-away places to sit. See our full report in The Beauty of Imperfection: A Favorite Garden at this Year’s Chelsea Flower Show. Photograph by Jim Powell for Gardenista.
Above: How to make the most of a small precipitous backyard in San Francisco? With tiered, tucked-away lounge spots—and a cedar soaking tub at the top. Take a tour in A Steep Woodland Garden in San Francisco Reimagined by Talc Studio. Photograph by Jorden DeGaetano, courtesy of Talc Studio.
Above: No backyard? Cities are bursting with blooms, too. Might we suggest a walking tour? If you’re in NYC, you can follow Marie’s Manhattan Wisteria Walk: Exercise for the Florally-Inclined (our kind of exercise).

If you’ve been waiting—as we have—to freshen up the bedroom or treat yourself to a truly serene outdoor space for the summer months, now’s the time: There are steep discounts to be had on linen bedding, tableware, and patio furniture and on once-in-a-blue-moon purchases, too (mattresses, appliances, state-of-the-art kitchen composters).

Here are 23 sales our editors have bookmarked:

Above: Soil to Studio’s Namita Block-Printed Tablecloth (see below for sale details).

• Freshen up the bedroom for the warm months: Parachute is offering 25 percent off everything and 30 percent off bedding bundles.
• And at Brooklinen, take 25 percent off sitewide and up to 50 percent off bundles.
• Over at Gardenheir, take $25 off orders $150+ with code MEMORIAL.
• Our friends at Goodee are hosting their anniversary sale, with up to 40 percent off select finds for indoors and out.
• At Soil to Studio, take 20 percent off hand block-printed table linens, bedding, and more; enter code BLOCKPARTY20 at checkout.
• Rejuvenation is offering up to 60 percent off and free shipping with code FREESHIP now through May 25 (exclusions apply).
• And Williams-Sonoma is offering up to 75 percent off kitchen tools and more, also through May 25 (exclusions apply).
• In the market for a nonmattress? Naturepedic‘s GOTS-certified mattresses and bedding are 20 percent off; non-toxic option Happsy is offering 20 percent off with code MEMORIAL20, Avocado is offering up to 20 percent off their organic mattresses; Saatva‘s offering up to $650 off; and Helix is offering 25 percent off sitewide.
• Been waiting to upgrade an appliance? Take advantage of discounts and tiered sales at AJ Madison.
• Or: Curious about Mill, the at-home food recycler? Take $125 off now through May 25, no code needed.
• At Neighbor, take 15 percent off outdoor lounge, dining, and accessories sitewide.
• A rare sale at Ikea: Take 50 percent off select items online and in store through May 25.
• And Finnish Design Shop is offering “up to 30 percent off nearly site-wide” for a limited time.
• For cheerful beach accoutrements, Business & Pleasure is offering 20 percent off sitewide with code MDW20.
• Over at DWR, take up to 30 percent off in-stock styles (including Hay’s great outdoor collection) and an extra 25 percent off markdowns.
• Now through May 31, Revival is offering tiered savings: Take 20 percent off orders $350–$749 and 25 percent off orders $750+, no code needed. Excludes gift cards and swatches.
• CB2‘s Memorial Day sale includes lighting, furniture, outdoor finds, and more at up to 50 percent off.
• Over at Terrain, take up to 30 percent off goods for the patio and beyond.
• And at Nordic Knots, select rugs, curtains, bedding, and more are 15 percent off this week only.

Happy browsing!

Above: Moving the window placement to this spot “was one of the best decisions we made, and I am so glad that our designer thought of it!” says Gillian. The original window was on the left wall and looked into their neighbor’s window. The ceiling lights are simply lightbulbs screwed into porcelain lampholders by Leviton (just $8.22 each at Home Depot).

Instead of knocking down walls or adding more windows (which would have have meant less storage space), though, she and her husband, at their designer’s urging, opted to move the sole window. “We really struggled trying to fit everything we wanted into the room: unobstructed countertop space, open shelving, a 36-inch fridge, and a large window overlooking the garden. We couldn’t seem to make it all work without compromising,” says Gillian.

Above: Custom floating shelves by Lock & Mortice are now where the original window once was. The stove is from Ilve’s Nostalgie line. The cabinets by Kitchen Art Design are painted Benjamin Moore Classic Gray; the walls painted in Bauwerk Lime Paint’s Chalk.

“When our kitchen designer suggested we remove the existing kitchen window, with my love of natural light, I couldn’t fathom removing a window. But doing that meant we could have all the things on our list, and with it being a smaller room, having a large window on the adjacent wall would replace the light we lost.”

Above: One of the perks of custom cabinetry is carving out storage space from the tiniest corners. The brass cabinet door knobs and drawer pulls are all from House of Antique Hardware. The refrigerator handles, in unlacquered brass, are from Rejuvenation.

The couple worked with Vancouver-based Kitchen Art Design on the remodel. “Our wish list was pretty long. I had been designing this kitchen in my head for many years, so I had a pretty specific idea of what I wanted to do,” says Gillian. “The biggest challenge was fitting all of the things we wanted into the space. There were many back and forth drawings with our cabinet designer.”

Above: Ferm Living’s oak and brass Sector Shelf is a perfect fit next to the pantry.

In the end, they got everything they wanted: “It’s a dream come true in every way.” Below, she details her best kitchen remodel decisions.

Photography by Gillian Stevens. (To visit her photography site, go here. To see her fashion brand, go here. To follow her on Instagram, go here.)

Pocket Doors

Above: “I really love our pocket doors on the pantry. It’s a hidden coffee station, and I love being able to open those up while we’re making coffee or getting the kids’ lunches packed. It would have made the kitchen feel really closed off and awkward if they didn’t slide in the way they do.”

Integrated Appliances

Above: “Our fridge, dishwasher, and garbage are all integrated into the cabinetry, along with the custom hood box that is painted to match the walls. And two pantries hide the coffee machine, toaster, and microwave. I really love that when I am in my kitchen, I am not looking at stainless steel appliances,” says Gillian (in an outfit from her line), who also gushed about her Fisher & Paykel two-drawer dishwasher. “I didn’t know I could love a dishwasher so much.”

Oversized Window

Above: Gillian’s absolute favorite part of the remodel: these antique windows that look out onto the garden. Bonus? She found them for only $300 on Facebook Marketplace. “We had our contractor touch it up in places where the wood was in bad shape,” says Gillian. “I had gotten several quotes back for making a custom window exactly like the one we have. I was shocked when I saw the exact thing I wanted for basically pennies in comparison, and made my husband race over immediately!”

Carrara Marble

Above: A must-have for Gillian? Carrara marble countertops and backsplash. “I looked at so many different options and was told by most fabricators to stay away from marble, but they have been my dream countertops for so long and it was a total non-negotiable for me.” She found the marble at Bordingnon Stone.

Lazy Susans

Above: The lower corner cabinets each have what Gillian calls “super Susans.” “They provide an impressive amount of storage space, much more than I thought they would. After years of awkwardly reaching to the backs of lower cabinets for heavy pots and pans, the turntables are a gift straight from heaven.”

Splurge-Worthy Faucet

Above: The faucet wasn’t the most expensive item in the kitchen, “but because there were other options I was considering at lower price points, picking this Georgian-Era Bridge Faucet by Perrin & Rowe felt like a total splurge. I love it so much, and the way the brass has patina’ed is stunning.”

N.B.: This post is an update; the original ran on September 30, 2021.

For more on small kitchen designs, see:

• Kitchen of the Week: Going Big with Color in a Small Space
• Steal This Look: A Small, Chic Kitchenette for a Creative Studio in SF
• Kitchen of the Week: Tiny Kitchens from Japan, Micro Apartment Edition

Not surprisingly, its design is the work of longtime Remodelista favorite (and it seems everyone else, too) Elizabeth Roberts. The clients tapped the sought-after architect to reimagine the small, one-story office, nestled between brick rowhouses on a quiet residential block. Prior to the renovation, “the space was functioning and outfitted as an office,” she says, but “the acoustic tiled ceilings, vinyl flooring, and no detail” did it no favors. 

Here’s how Elizabeth and her team transformed the space and imbued it with a “historic Brooklyn meets contemporary creative” vibe. 

Photography by Chris Mottalini, courtesy of Elizabeth Roberts Architects. 

Above: The structure was likely built in 1855 and was once used as a barbershop. “They loved the historic storefront, the charm of it, and the convenience of it,” says Elizabeth of her clients’ attraction to the property. “The single story sidewalk access [makes it feel] uniquely connected to the neighborhood.”
Above: The building consists of a trio of street-facing doors and large windows. The middle door serves as the front door, which opens into a cozy waiting/lounge room. The disco ball is the client’s own, “totally a reflection of their fun-loving approach,” says Elizabeth.
Above: The office is appointed with a mix of new and previously owned furniture. A vintage Wittmann Hochbaret Modular Leather Sofa anchors the room, along with a pair of Arne Jacobsen 4700 Chairs. The Venetia Round Side Table is from Lulu and Georgia.
Above: Across from the lounge area is a meeting table surrounded by Hay Neu 10 Chairs. Grace Clear Holophane Pendant lights hang over each space.
Above: No motivational posters in this office space! The clients’ collection of posters and art adorns the walls. Behind the desk is a vintage Charles Pollock Executive Chair; in front, a pair of vintage Afra & Tobia Scarpa Dialogo Chairs in brown leather. The rug is from the Mansour Modern Swedish collection.
Above: The all-black paint job lends both a historical and modern feel to the exterior. For our roundup of architects’ favorite black paints, go here.

See also:

• Home Office Aha!: Københavns Møbelsnedkeri’s Fabric-Covered Pinboards from Denmark
• Steal This Look: Designer Rose Uniacke’s Serene and Airy Office Kitchen
• Holiday Gift Guide 2025: 11 Old-School Office Goods that Are Useful and Delightful

N.B.: Bonus: Most of these are currently on sale for Memorial Day.

Above: The Serena & Lily Eastham Bed Blanket in White is $358 for a full/queen size.

Above: The lightweight Air Cotton Coverlet from Parachute is made from triple-layer cotton gauze. Normally $249 for the full/queen size, it’s currently on sale for $149.25.
Above: Designed by Yumiko Sekine of Fog Linen, the Cotton Blanket is made in Lithuania, hence the Lithuania word Senovinis meaning “old fashioned.” The blanket is $197 at Fog Linen.
Above: The Essential Cotton Bed Blanket is made from Turkish cotton in a herringbone weave; it’s normally $198 for the full/queen size but is currently on sale for $148 from Serena & Lily.
Above: The classic Coyuchi Cascade Organic Matelasse Blanket, shown in Undyed, is normally $298 for the full/queen size, currently on sale for $238.40.

Above: The brushed cotton Wyatt Blanket is fully reversible; $250 for the queen size from Area Home.
Above: The Company Store’s Cotton Weave Blanket comes in a wide range of colors; $149 for the queen size.
Above: The Made Here New York Cotton New Wave Lightweight Throw is $160 at West Elm.
Above: From Garnet Hill, the Isa Stonewashed Organic Cotton Blanket starts at $99.
Above: And from Quince, the Organic Ribbed Cotton Coverlet is $104 for the full/queen size.

For more blankets see our posts:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Camp Blankets
• 10 Easy Pieces: Winter Wool Blankets
• 10 Easy Pieces: Picnic Blankets

N.B.: This post was originally published on June 10, 2013. We have updated it with new products, updated links, and current pricing.

Above: The grand entry at the newly revamped Hotel Château Royal Berlin in Berlin, with architecture by David Chipperfield and interiors by Irina Kromayer.
Above: A stained glass transom window by Charlestowne Stained Glass Company, in a house designed by Basic Projects in Charlestown, South Carolina.
Above: A stained glass privacy window in a bath by San Francisco designer Lauren Geremia.
Above: The hallway at the newly revamped San Vincente West Village, with interiors by Rose Uniacke, features a bespoke stained-glass window. “I worked with a San Francisco glazier on this and I’m thrilled with the result,” Uniacke told Christies. “I wanted to create something modern and exciting while also making a nod to a past tradition.” Photo Simon Upton via Rose Uniacke.
Above: A stained glass kitchen back door in an LA project by Frances Merrill of  Reath Design.
Above: The dining room at the Hotel Château Royal Berlin features sliding stained glass doors.
Above: An abstract stained glass window by Molly’s Magick Glass for LA jewelry studio Unearthen.
Above: A stained glass pocket door in a project by Toronto-based Studio Cajole, working with Cabin Glass.

Above: In a kitchen by Sharon, Connecticut-based firm Hendricks Churchill, the designers inserted opaque stained glass into the swinging pantry door: “that way the homeowner doesn’t have to worry about keeping the space tidy when guests arrive,” Heide Hendricks says.
Above: In an Oakland kitchen, Jerome Buttrick of Buttrick Architects worked with Theodore Ellison Designs to restore and create new stained glass leaded-glass windows.
Above: A stained glass kitchen window detail in a Norwood village house listed with UK-real estate agency Inigo.
Above: Stained glass doors open onto a garden area; photo via Maison Flaneur.

For more trend alerts, see:

• Kitchen of the Week: ‘SMILF’ Creator Frankie Shaw’s Newfangled Old-Fashioned Remodel by Reath Design
• Trend Alert: Standout Hardware That Packs a Punch

What is its provenance? And where can we find it?

Read on.

The Sighting

Above: The light, despite its delicate look, makes an impact even in this Pocketbook loft with a double-height ceiling. Photograph by Sean Davidson.
Above: The interiors at Pocketbook are eclectic—a mashup of minimalism, Shaker influences, and industrial design—and the light fits perfectly into this mix. Photograph by Adrian Gaut.
Above: The fabric light is a soft counterpoint to the metal, wood, and brick that dominate the hotel’s interior design. Photograph by Adrian Gaut.

The Source

Above: We spotted vintage Teli lights at some of our favorite stores, including Somerset House, which sold this unique striped version. From the site: “Teli was born to exploit the quality of soft filtering light of Raflon, a new polyethylene fiber which was manufactured by a subsidiary of Kartell and used for packaging. Fabricated in white lacquered metal with a chromed metal structure and polyethylene fabric lampshade.” This model (now sold) was $3,400.
Above: Béton Brut is selling a vintage Teli for £5,500. We also found the light on Etsy, where one merchant is selling it for $4,839.

See also:

• Remodelista Reconnaissance: The Endless Appeal of Silver-Tipped Lightbulbs
• Remodelista Reconnaissance: A Shiny Scalloped Sconce (Most Popular Light Edition)
• Remodelista Reconnaissance: Festive, Lollipop-Like Pendant Lights

Fowlkes, which is run by husband-and-wife team, VW and Catherine Fowlkes (they studied architecture separately—he at Harvard, she at MIT—while living together), rose to the challenge by deftly streamlining both exterior and interior. Out went the window shutters and the center hall. In came the Poul Henningsen front door light, the Finn Juhl sideboard, and the  custom cabinetry in place of partitions.

It’s a makeover that transformed the house from the kid next door to international sophisticate. Let’s take a tour.

Photography by Jenn Verrier, courtesy of Fowlkes Studio (@fowlkesstudio).

Above: The new looks begins at the entry. The Italian owners—she’s works for an international organization; he’s in tech—are confirmed modernists, hence the painted brick (it’s Blackened from Farrow & Ball at 50 percent tint), new Marvin casement windows, orange steel stair rail, and aforementioned Poul Henningsen copper sconce. “On a block of buttoned-up red brick [it’s in Spring Valley], these details help the house stand out,” says Catherine. (Scroll to the end for a look at it Before.)
Above: “The furniture is almost all well-known pieces from a mix of Italian, French, and Danish modern designers and architects. Every home our clients have lived in has incorporated these pieces, even their parents’ house,” says Catherine. The Vico Magistretti Chesterfield-style Raffles sofas and circular Sen tables are available from De Padova, a Milan-based company with a showroom in downtown NYC.

Note the new linear moldings that the architects introduced throughout—each room in a different design that’s a translation of the traditional. “Rather than create wood paneling on walls we applied square-cut wood (sticking) to the drywall and also created a custom crown,” explains Catherine. “It provides an elegant backdrop for the more contemporary, and in some cases, colorful furnishings.”

Above: A Finn Juhl sideboard, a 1955 design still in production, stands in the den, which has a newly wide open to the living room. The circular hanging light is the Sorry Giotto from Catellani & Smith, an Italian company that supplied the majority of the lighting—the owner is an old friend of the family. The living room and den are painted Farrow & Ball’s Ammonite.
Above: A Ligne Roset’s Prado Sofa and Saarinen Womb chairs add primary color to the den, which, the architects describe as “oriented around a custom monumental fireplace surround clad in honed Super White marble flanked by metal bookshelves.” Note the new crown molding and “sticking” on the ceiling. The wooden  floor is the existing white oak refinished.
Above: In lieu of the center hall, custom cabinets two feet short of the ceiling serve in several spots as partitions and provide ample storage. (Scroll to the end to see Before and After floor plans.) The island, topped with honed Saffron White marble, is the only division between the kitchen and dining room. The cabinets, fabricated by Mersoa Woodwork, are wire-brushed white oak with stained walnut pulls, knobs, and toe kicks—the two-toned wood on George Nakashima’s Straight-Back Chair inspired the color combination (see the stool version in the pantry below).
Above: “The copious storage provided by the partition allowed the homeowners to forego upper cabinets in the main part of the kitchen, opting instead for a large picture window in front of the range,” write the architects. “The header over the window bulges out in a gentle curve to accommodate the exhaust fan, leaving the large window unobstructed.” Of the adjacent butler’s pantry they say: “Because the kitchen is on full display to the dining area, some real estate was culled from the existing  garage to create a second, adjacent kitchen area where dishes could be piled out of sight.”
Above: The fridge and a second sink and dishwasher are tucked out of sight in the pantry.
Above: The pantry and island sinks both have Grohe Essence Single-Handle Faucets in different colors. The Lucenera sconce is from Catellani & Smith, an Italian company that supplied the majority of the lighting—the owner is an old friend of the family.
Above: The dining room cabinets are inset with a textured fabric as a way to distinguish them from the kitchen millwork.
Above: A David X. Levine painting hangs in the dining room, where tomato-red Wishbone chairs surround &Tradition’s Drip table. The oak cabinets are shorter than the ceiling, says Catherine, to “allow light to bleed throughout the first floor and blur the distinction between furniture and architecture.”
Above: Two bedrooms and a bath were combined to create the primary suite: “The space is organized around an oak bed wall that recalls the downstairs millwork and separates the bed chamber from the closets which, in turn, lead into the bathroom,” write the architects. The bedside String Cone and String Sphere lights are Michael Anastassiade’s designs from Flos.
Above: The bath has Venetian plaster walls and a white oak vanity topped with honed Petite Blue limestone. The burnished nickel faucet is from Phylrich’s Transition line.  Above: Zia’s Cotto Tiles (Toltec Red Clay and Red Clay 4 x 4) step up to a Victoria + Albert soaking tub.

Before

Above: The brick Colonial was built in the 1980s.
Above: A view from the dining room of the center-hall entry: The plan was traditional down to the wainscoting. The white oak floors were preserved but refinished with the dark stain removed.
Above: The kitchen was white on beige.

Floor Plan: BEFORE

Above: The downstairs was formally divided with the two living rooms to the left of the hall, and a dining room and kitchen on the right. That’s the garage on the far right.

Floor Plan: AFTER

Above: Fowlkes Studio introduced a more organic flow between the rooms. “The hallway wall that divided the front hall from the dining room was entirely demolished and replaced with a continuous run of millwork: the first stretch houses the coat closet and is accessed from the hall.  The second run, adjacent to the dining room table, accommodates the family’s china and glassware. The cabinet then stretches into the kitchen where flipper doors expose a coffee station. These oak cabinets then take a left turn at the end of the hall where they offer a broom closet and other storage around a portal to the powder room.” A back section of the garage became the butler’s pantry.

Also by Fowlkes Studio:

Outbuilding of the Week: A Guest Cabana in Washington D.C.

N.B.: This story originally ran on February 12, 2024 and has been updated.

By contrast, a visit to Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge the other week (admittedly a house museum and not a pub) had the opposite effect: All was balanced, everything was considered. Each room had a different bunch of fresh flowers, casually arranged in a well-chosen vase. Without them the effect would have been quite different, given that the house, once lived in by Jim Ede and his wife Helen, has not been inhabited for 54 years. Kettle’s Yard is the most vital art collection I know. How much of this is because of flowers?

Photography by Jasper Fry, except where noted.

Above: Flowers beside with the famous pebble spiral, a green glass fishing float, and a shell (once used for christenings in the tiny church next door) in Jim Ede’s bedroom. There is also a small vase of flowers on the edge of his bath. Photograph by Paul Allitt.

Part of the reason people love Kettle’s Yard is because it’s so personal and alive. The interiors don’t change, but the flowers do, and they are put together by visitor assistants. Picked in Murray Edwards College gardens, their own gardens, or bought from the flower stall at Cambridge Market, flowers are set in a natural and unassuming way between arrangements of glassware, shells, and pebbles, corresponding with these objects and with the artworks on the walls. White slipcovers on chairs might get shabbier, but the flowers bring life.

Above: Kettle’s Yard was made by connecting four decrepit cottages, saved from demolition. It is overlooked by St. Peter’s Church and its bucolic bluebell-laden graveyard near the center of Cambridge.

The Edes lived in Kettle’s Yard for only about 16 years. Jim Ede remodeled the row of condemned cottages to share his collection of art, amassed over decades of curating, traveling, writing, and being a “friend to artists.” His knack for friendship, mixed with an ability to appreciate talent where others failed, meant that he was able to get a lot for very little. The displays that he put together were carefully balanced, a mixture of valuable art and invaluable found objects.

Flowers added to the dynamic; he gave floral paintings the prominence he felt they deserved in a modern art collection, and cut flowers were given his equal curatorial attention. “This beauty will cost us nothing,” he would say. In setting out his vision for the new kind of art gallery that was Kettle’s Yard, he wrote: “Its special feature would…be one of simplicity and loved qualities.”

Above: In a second bay window, a low table (from Morocco) and another flower arrangement, this one with yellow and purple petals that correspond with Christopher Wood’s picture, Flowers, hanging below seat level on the right. It is one of the paintings that inspired the current show at Kettle’s Yard.

The Edes shared Kettle’s Yard and its contents during “open afternoons,” in which students, and anyone interested, were encouraged to not only sit down and make themselves comfortable amid the only collection of modern art in Cambridge but to take some back to their rooms. An art loan system is still in place. This couldn’t have been further away from conventional notions of art appreciation at the time, so it was with irony that the Scottish artist Ian Hamilton Finlay described Kettle’s Yard as “the Louvre of the pebble.”

There is a similarity between Kettle’s Yard and Finlay’s garden, Little Sparta, near Edinburgh: Both places display art as a permanent collection in which the artworks are animated by ephemeral living material—flowers in one, and evolving scenery of a living landscape, affected by light and weather, at Little Sparta. In both cases, the experience of the place is in itself a work of art.

Above: The dining room, actually a narrow nook by the side of a fireplace. When the cottages were joined together, they became a long living space, interspersed by chimneys and hearths. Yellow is a theme, in flower and paint.

In the dining room at Kettle’s Yard, a tall jug sitting on a built-in bench is as good a place as any for an arrangement (leaving more room on the narrow refectory table). Flowers in this room also tend to be tall, reaching up to the painting shown here, part of William Congden’s Istanbul No.2 (1953). Roses are generally avoided as they can seem too formal, and Jim Ede had an aversion to tulips, probably for the same reason.

Above: On the “bridge” connecting the 17th and 19th century cottages, a small conservatory is home to a Ben Nicholson painting, ceramics, stones, and a plexiglass disc—as well as house plants, some grown as cuttings from the Edes’ original collection.
Above: Every week, a visitor assistant from Kettle’s Yard picks up a lemon from Marks & Spencer, having considered it carefully for vitality and form.

Placed on a pewter dish and burning through the gloom of Alfred Wallis’ Seascape (circa 1928) just above, a ritual lemon draws the eye to a yellow accent in a Miró painting (Tic Tic, 1927) on the adjacent wall. A final note: Jim Ede insisted that reflections in the pictures’ glass frames, revealing windows, some room details, and silhouettes of people, added to the experience of seeing that painting in that place.

Above: “There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so, he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted.” So wrote Matisse, to which I would fully concur; flowers are not a flimsy subject for an artist. And yet discussions of flowers in art (and I have written a book on them) are usually framed with an apology: “They are just flowers, but…” As the exhibitions curator of Kettle’s Yard, Andrew Nairne, reminded the assembled press at the opening, flowers are there for the big occasions: birth, death, and everything in between. From the current exhibition at Kettle’s Yard, at left, Cedric Morris, Irises and Tulips (1935). Private collection care of Philip Mould Gallery. Right: Winifred Nicholson, White Campion (1940s). © Trustees of Winifred Nicholson.

The appealing mixture of fresh flowers, and some very good paintings of flowers, at Kettle’s Yard inspired the current show in the gallery across the courtyard, Handpicked: Painting Flowers from 1900 to Today. Two of the most popular pictures at Kettles Yard are Winifred Nicholson’s Cyclamen and Primula (circa 1923) and Christopher Wood’s Flowers (1930), and both are represented in the show along with work by other friends and contemporaries of Jim Ede, including Cedric Morris, Eric Ravilious and his wife Tirzah Garwood. Some of the atmosphere of the old house has been brought into the contemporary gallery space, too: a small shelf near the entrance, fora time used for anti-bacterial hand wash, is now a plinth for a fresh display to accompany whatever paintings are on the walls.

N.B.: For more on Kettle’s Yard, see 12 Design Lessons from Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge.

Above: Wish we were here. Photograph by Anna Malmberg from Minimalists in Mallorca: Hands-On Remodelers September and Colin Moore’s Latest Rescued Wreck.

• “Will never tire of gawking at the homes of artists,” writes Fan. “This one is particularly good.”
• Currently browsing Goodee’s Anniversary Sale, with up to 65 percent off finds for the home and garden. (P.S. Have you entered our Goodee giveaway yet?)
• We love sculptor-designer Simone Bodmer-Turner’s debut tableware designs. (“She’s one to watch,” reports Margot, who stopped into Simone’s NYC popup at 109 Thompson Street.)
• Speaking of ceramics pop-ups, SIN has a temporary storefront at 135 Wythe Avenue in Brooklyn, now through May 25.
• TOAST’s New Makers were just announced (we particularly love Hannah Watts’ sfgraffito wares).
• Audo Copenhagen’s high-style showroom opens stateside.
• No surprise: Tracee Ellis Ross has great taste in kitchens.
• One of our favorite shops is now open in Brookline, MA.
• We’re all eyeing Ikea’s fun new PS 2026 collection, which is in stores now and online May 22.
• “10 ways to garden for the planet.” (And while you’re at it, here’s how to grow an organic lawn.)
• Summer trip planning: Did you know you can tour the French Laundry’s culinary garden?
• Poppy Okotcha sings the praises of forget-me-nots—and we’re totally sold!  Perfect for the cottage-core garden.
• Stressed? Let this excellent slide show of pretty Tuscan courtyards soothe your nerves.
• Upstate New Yorkers: Troutbeck is ending May with a flourish of outdoor events: a flower arrangement workshop tomorrow, a barbecue May 23, and an indigo-dying course May 24.
• And! Our nomination for “the plant we’re seeing everywhere these days.”

“The man that lived here was born here and then died here as well,” Amalia says. “He had kept it in a very rudimentary state where there was no central heating, the windows were completely rotten, and the cooking and bathing facilities were very basic. But what was amazing was that all the original features—like cornicing and picture rails and fireplaces and layouts and door handles—hadn’t been tinkered with at all.”

The duo maintained as many historic elements as possible in the existing living areas, which they furnished with their collection of vintage treasures that make sense with the century-old surrounds. Then, they pivoted to a modern aesthetic for the conversion of the unfinished attic into an architecture studio and primary suite, using Okoume plywood and Troldtekt cement-bonded wood wool panels for a raw, minimalist effect. Let’s take a tour.

Photography by Ståle Eriksen.

Above: Between the spacious floor plan and intact details, Jody and Amalia didn’t need more convincing to purchase their nearly 100-year-old home—the lush greenery in the area was just icing on the cake.
Above: Despite Jody’s protesting, Amalia insisted on keeping the original door, which isn’t totally airtight. To prevent cold air from seeping inside, they fashioned a semicircular hanging rod with long Scottish felt curtains. “We added this antechamber as you come in, in the hope that it’ll mitigate the draft a little bit,” she explains. “It forms a thermal envelope, and it also gives this layer of entrance, especially in the winter when we draw the curtain.”
Above: Ketley Brick tile, which is typically employed outdoors, moves from the foyer, through the kitchen, and into the backyard. “We liked the idea of using it inside, knowing how much battering one brings in, especially in the wetter months,” says Amalia. “It’s really practical.”[/gallery_caption]
Above: The couple sourced a vintage spindle-back Ercol sofa from Portobello Market for the living room; it’s topped with Sophie Taueber-Arp-inspired pillows.
Above: Another additoion: a red travertine hearth for the original fireplace.
Above: A variety of chairs by midcentury design icons like Borge Mogensen, Ray and Charles Eames, and Poul Kjærholm pair with a maple dining table. The bookshelves are from HAY.
Above: For two reasons, Jody and Amalia eschewed built-ins—even in the kitchen. “The idea was to not have fitted joinery or fitted furniture but to take it away from the walls and put them on little feet so that they feel inserted,” Amalia explains. “That’s partly to give the idea of this old Arts and Crafts influence, but also we thought it would give a bigger sense of space by doing that.”
Above: The couple opted for brick-colored Valchromat cupboards with walnut feet, “to not have a contrast, to merge” with the floors, Amalia says.
Above: In the backyard, Jody and Amalia recycled old materials that they no longer needed indoors. “We tried to reuse as much as possible,” says Amalia. “We took out one chimney breast and one fireplace, which we used in our garden for paving. Timber boards that we took out because we wanted to add under-floor heating are used as fencing.” For additional curb appeal in front, they repurposed old roof slates that they had to replace as pavers.
Above: The indoor/outdoor setup.
Above: The stairway landing.
Above: Pale green glass mosaic tiles from Mosaic Trader cover the floors, walls, and T-shaped pony wall in the bathroom. “We often try to challenge ideas of what a shower room should be, but it’s the first time we put the WC almost in its own cubicle area, facing towards the garden, and the shower separate,” says Amalia. “It’s a small space, but actually it really works.”
Above: The couple’s daughter sleeps in a vintage spindle-back Ercol bed that came with the house (and enticed them to buy the matching sofa for the living room). The bay window is fitted with a semicircular rod and long curtains, similar to the entryway and the bay window downstairs.
Above: Jody and Amalia converted the unfinished attic into an architecture studio and primary suite using Okoume plywood and Troldtekt cement-bonded wood wool panels. “There’s quite a bit of contrast from the softness of the original 1930s detailing,” says Amalia. “It’s got a much more raw aesthetic with the exposed timber rafters and brickwork that we just painted and didn’t try to fix very much or beautify.”
Above: The duo debated building a dormer, since they didn’t want to add too much to the home, but ultimately needed it to accommodate all their work necessities.

Above: An expandable bed from Moebe, made with a Welsh quilt that also came with the house, fits snugly beneath the apex roof. “The eaves go straight to the floor,” says Amalia. “We resisted the idea to close it, and this was definitely not pageantry. We thought, ‘Let’s just leave it, even the unusable bits. Let’s not put drawers everywhere.'”
Above: A peek into the tonal primary bathroom, modeled after Eastern European bathhouses.

For more by the architects, see: A Kismet Renovation in Highbury, London, by O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects.

Photography by Space Content Studio for Martje Overmeer Interiors.

Above: The original farmhouse tiles are in tact. The walnut table and built-in sofa are custom by Overmeer. The dining chairs are vintage sourced from Morentz Gallery.
Above: Integrated into the cabinet below the coffee area is a stainless steel compost container.
Above: The custom cabinets are all done in oak with an ultra-thin brushed stainless steel worktop. The wall oven is a Siemens. The wine refrigerator is a Liebherr. The faucet is a Quooker stainless steel tap.
Martje Overmeer Netherlands Farmhouse Kitchen Photo by Space Content Studio
Above: Cafe curtains for privacy in the ground floor kitchen. Maha Alavi’s Cercle Pulls are at left.
Above: The pendant light above the dining table is the Alba Top Pendant from Contain in Mallorca. The piece on the wall is by Frederique Bruijnen sourced from Art Salon Anaïs.
Above: The built-in sofa is upholstered with Milma YP2003 virgin wool from Designs of the Time.

For more Dutch kitchen renovations, see our posts:

• Kitchen of the Week: A Dutch Interior Designer’s New Setup for Cooking, Crafting, and Gathering
• Kitchen of the Week: The Curtained Kitchen, Dutch Modern Edition
• Kitchen of the Week: A Cross-Pollinated Wooden Kitchen, Laundry, and Workspace in the Netherlands
• Resurrecting a 1908 Worker’s Cottage in the Netherlands: A Young Couple’s Weekend DIY

Take a look at their pinboards. If they inspire you to upholster your own, there are a slew of YouTube How-To videos, but KBH’s are so lovingly detailed we can’t guarantee comparable results.

Photography by Philip Høpner, courtesy of Københavns Møbelsnedkeri (@kobenhavns_mobelsnedkeri).

Above: “Our intention was to design a pinboard that is beautiful in its own right, even without anything pinned to it,” explains KBH. This one is framed in fumed oak.
Abov: KBH only describes the featured cotton as “an intricate woven textile.” We think we recognize it as Lost and Found, a Kit Kemp design from Christopher Farr; available in the US from L.A. Design Concepts; $448.50 per yard.

Above R and L: A red pinboard framed in Oregon pine and a yellow pinboard framed in natural oak./gallery_caption]

Above L and R: A green pinboard framed in natural oak and a blue pinboard framed in fumed oak.

Above: Københavns Møbelsnedkeri pinboards comes in four fabric colors and three woods. They’re 9570 DK ($1,500).

More projects by Københavns Møbelsnedkeri:

• Kitchen of the Week: Art and Soul in a Copenhagen Kitchen
• The New Nordic A-Frame (KBH supplied the kitchenette)
• The workshop’s popular pivoting mirror is featured in Model/Design Ambassador Camilla Vest’s Soho Loft

Above: Designed by Studio Böttger, the Pala Dresser with Mirror is currently on sale for $3,986.50 from DWR. Alternatively, the taller Pala Dresser is $3,216.50. Both are available with or without mirror and in oak or walnut finishes.
Above: From Design Within Reach, the Raleigh Dresser is available in oak and walnut is currently on sale for $5,171.
Above: The Blu Dot Peek 4 Drawer Dresser comes in White Oak and Rustic Walnut for $2,395 at Blu Dot.
Above: From Artless, the Oliver Small Dresser is made of solid walnut with plywood drawers; $5,544 at Horne.
Above: The Room & Board Anton Dresser comes in various shapes and wood types starting at $2,999.
Above: The Burger Chest of Drawers comes in solid oak (shown) and solid teak; $3,779 at Lekker Home.
Above: The De La Espada 007 Atlantico Tall Chest of Drawers starts at $7,225 at Hive Modern.
Above: The Emerson Dresser comes in a variety of shapes and wood types for $3,399 at Room & Board.
Above: The Ikea Tarva Five-Drawer Chest in pine is an affordable $249.99.
Above: Designed by Philipp Mainzer for e15, the Imari Chest Drawers is available through e15 online.

For more bedroom furniture see our posts:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Modern Wood Bedside Tables
• 10 Easy Pieces: Under-Bed Storage Solutions
• 10 Easy Pieces: Media Consoles and Sideboards

N.B.: This story originally appeared on November 18, 2020 and has been updated with new products, links, and pricing.

Featured photograph by Eric Piasecki, from Kitchen of the Week: A Design Couple’s Ikea-with-a-Twist Kitchen in Connecticut.

Above: The Dumais’s kitchen is small, just 150 square feet. “To help keep our renovation costs at a minimum, we used Ikea for the cabinet interiors and added plain front doors, drawers, and side panels from Semihandmade,” says Kevin.”We ordered them unfinished so we could paint them.” Charlie built the island himself. Photograph by Eric Piasecki.
Above: Other DIY elements include the small surface-mounted brass ceiling fixtures, which Charlie made as “retrofits that plug into the existing recessed lighting,” he says, and the whitewashed V-groove pine paneling he installed himself. (Charlie designs and makes lighting for a living; see Studio Visit: Ceramic Statement Lighting by Dumais Made.) Photograph by Kevin Dumais.
Above: Their one big splurge: the Calacatta Tucci marble counters from Stone Source. Photograph by Kevin Dumais.
Above: The console table is another homemade piece. Charlie used butcher block salvaged from his childhood home; the legs are industrial piping painted in Benjamin Moore White Dove enamel. Photograph by Kevin Dumais.

Cabinets & Shelves

Above: Ikea’s Sektion cabinet frames range in price, depending on the size and finish. Pictured is a Sektion base cabinet frame (shown with doors).
Above: Semihandmade’s DIY Slab Doors come unpainted and unfinished.
Above: The couple used reclaimed oak barn boards for the open shelving. An inexpensive lookalike: Ikea’s Tranhult Shelf; $20.
Above: Kevin and Charlie painted Ikea’s Ekby Valter brackets, but they have since been discontinued. For a similar look, try the Sanshult Brackets; $7.

Lighting

Above: Rejuvenation’s Foster Fitter Flush Mount is a good lookalike; it’s $379.
Above: Charlie made the brass ceiling lights himself; for a similar look, try Meraki’s NOK Ceiling Light, $85.
Above: The Ferm Living Cone Shade in Black Brass is $169.

Appliances

Above: Their Bosch 800 Series 30-Inch Slide-in Gas Range is $2,899 at Home Depot.
Above: Their exact Blomberg fridge used is no longer available, but the similar 30-Inch Counter Depth Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator is $1,849 at AJ Madison.

Paints

Above: Benjamin Moore’s Sag Harbor Gray was used on the cabinet fronts and window trim. (For more yellow kitchen inspiration, see The New Neutral: Pale Yellow Kitchens On the Rise.)
Above: The base of the island is painted Benjamin Moore’s Essex Green.
Above: The walls are all painted Benjamin Moore’s White Heron.

Surfaces

Above: John Boos’ Maple Table Tops are available from ButcherBlockCo.com.
Above: You can find Calacatta Tucci Marble at Stone Source; call for pricing.

Etc.

Above: Brass details, like the switch plates the couple found on House of Antique Hardware’s website, add warmth to the gray kitchen. This Mid-Century Switch Plate is $23.99.
Above: The couple sourced their Ellis Wood Cabinet Pulls from House of Antique Hardware as well; $46.99 each.
Above: Kohler’s Purist Single Handle Swing Spout Kitchen Faucet in matte black is $708.75 from Ferguson Home.
Above: The Chantal Whistling Tea Kettle in copper is $295 at Williams Sonoma.

For more country kitchens we’re keen on, see:

• Kitchen of the Week: Hudson Valley Farmhouse Kitchen Reborn
• Kitchen of the Week: Country Chic in Sweden, Minimalist Edition
• Steal This Look: An Antique Dealer’s DIY Kitchen, Painted Checkerboard Floor Included

N.B.: This story originally appeared on December 22, 2020 and has been updated with new products, links, and pricing.

Fortunately, Thom and Bret, a couple who together run TBo, are masters at well-composed revisions (scroll to the end to see their many projects that we’ve featured—and note the way they build cohesion and serenity into all their work).

Reports Bret of the tasks at hand: “Some issues were more immediate: the surrounding greenery was nearly swallowing the house, trees were growing through parts of the roof, and a chain-link fence used for a dog run had a prison-yard feel. Some issues were aesthetic but felt no less dire: the bathrooms and kitchen needed full gut renovations. And the windows, doors, and skylights were falling apart. We also made fundamental layout changes to improve circulation.

All that said, much was worth saving: “The house came with a great California-Sea Ranch/Mission-Style sensibility that beautifully suits the area and its rolling horse pastures.” Join us for a tour of the update, plus a glimpse of the project Before and In Progress.

Photography by Matthew Williams, courtesy of TBo (@tbo_partners).

Above: The house, now cleared of overgrowth and given a softened roof line, “sits more tenderly into the surrounding fields and forests,” says Bret. Scroll to the end to see the structure as it was.
Above: The architects preserved the deep eaves on the south façade, which overlooks a meadow. They replaced the roof and all of the windows and re-stuccoed the exterior.
Above: The newly open-flow living area has a preserved Douglas fir beamed ceiling ceiling and new oak floor.
Above: The original arched chimney breast is newly plastered and open to the surrounding living space. That’s an Alvar Aalto vintage Tank Chair in front of the fire.
Above: The 1980s renovation and additional wings had kind of pinned the kitchen into a dark core,” says Bret, noting that they reconfigured the layout to allow easy passage between all the living spaces.

They replaced “white laminate on its last legs” with cabinets of vertical grain Douglas Fir that “feels both well-dressed and relaxed.” The integrated j-pulls, Bret notes “allow the wood to take precedence.”

Above: ‘We looked to materials that would complement the wood ceilings and earthy Saltillo tile and feel at home with the tendencies of the house,” says Bret. A giant new skylight over the island “bathes the space in soft, diffuse light.” The appliances are by Thermador.

Bret says they expanded the tiled area by “feathering in new tiles with old.’ They also replaced damaged areas with new handmade-in-Mexico Saltilllo Tiles from Pyramid Imports of Houston. “We scoured every tile place, and this was the only one that almost exactly matched the vintage examples.”

Above: The kitchen island is framed with Balsaltina, a fine-grained gray Italian volcanic stone sourced from ABC Stone also used on the counters and backsplash. The island is inlaid with McIntones Ceramics tiles in Flannel from Complete Tile.
Above: Mutto’s Strand Open Pendant Light hangs over an antique farmhouse table with views from every angle.
Above: A Saltillo-tiled mudroom hall leads into the kitchen and media room (which is painted a Benjamin Moore color called Terracotta Tile).
Above: The architects clad the primary bath in clear cedar and built a custom cedar enclosure for a Kohlmer bathtub with Waterworks Flyte collection fittings.
Above: As part of TBo’s “daylight strategies to better connect interior spaces with the surrounding landscape,” the Balsatina-tiled parents’ bath became one of loveliest spots in the house.
Above: An unused attic was transformed into a study with new windows, Douglas Fir-paneled ceiling, and a spiral stair.
Above: Rooms pop in and out of the rebuilt bedroom wing (see it in progress below).

Floor Plan

Above: In addition to opening the living areas, TBo’s revisions in their words “softened massing, expanded glazing, and carefully framed views.”

Pestrak, the original architect, died in 2024, but Bret tells us their clients inherited a tube filled with blueprints and drawings.”It’s always an incredible experience to look through documents charting the original design process—and to see some of the meandering paths taken before arriving at the finished ideas.”

Before and In Progress

Above: The house came with “very steep shed roofs that were popular in the 1970s, but felt a little out of step with the landscape,” says Bret. “We worked with an engineer to reframe the rooflines and soften the massing.”
Above: The living room had been divided from the kitchen and dining area.

Above: The bedroom wing was entirely “reorganized” to contain two kids’ bedrooms, a playroom, and the primary bath.
Above: In dark corners, TBo inserted light wells and tubes. This one frames a skylight tube that illuminates the kid’s playroom.