New York architectural designer and builder Tom Givone is on a mission to explore "the contrast between historic and modern and play these extreme elements against one another." Case in point: Givone's four-year renovation of a dilapidated 1820 farmhouse in the Catskills that he describes as "a study in contrasts—fully restored to its period grandeur while featuring purely modernist elements." 

The Floating Farmhouse is situated at the edge of a waterfall, two hours from New York City, near the hamlet of Narrowsburg, and the good news is, it's available for rent.

Above: The kitchen resides in a modern addition that echoes the roofline of the original house. The 22-foot-high glazed curtain wall is skyscraper glass in a steel framework; it overlooks a brook and a gazebo.

Above: The kitchen's hand-hewn beams were salvaged from a Pennsylvania dairy barn.

Above: Bluestone countertops and lacquered cabinetry contrast with a vintage concrete sink. The floor is polished concrete.

Above: The kitchen has a wood-fired pizza oven faced with oxidized Cor-Ten steel.

Above: A look at the kitchen's oxidized steel framework. 

Above: The open-plan living room/family room/dining room has its own steel-front fireplace and original wide-plank floors. The wainscoting and ceiling coffers were built from pine trees felled and milled on the property.

Above: In the master suite—one of five bedrooms—the bed is floated in front of an antique mirror and alongside a wood-burning fireplace. 

Above: A shingled eave (featuring the house's original cedar roof shingles) adds an outdoor touch in the master bedroom.

Above: An 18th-century Italian marble sink seems to hover, thanks to angled supports concealed in the wall. The house has 2.5 baths.

Above: An austere bathroom combines old and new elements. 

Above: Faucets from Hudson Reed contrast with a 19th-century wood and zinc bathtub, salvaged from a Lower East Side tenement and encased in stainless steel.

Above: An old cast-iron bed frame and a minimalist layout in a farmhouse bedroom. The windows have their original wavy glass.

Above: Another bedroom is well-suited for children or a pair of single travelers.

Above: A simple outdoor shower. (If you love outdoor showers, have a look at Bathing en Plein Air, our roundup of 29 inspired examples.)

Above L and R: New (steel-framed skyscraper windows) and old (traditional rockers on the cantilevered front porch). The house is available to rent from Homeaway; its sleeps nine and costs $600 a night. To see more of Givone's work, including dramatic Before shots of the Floating Farm, go to Givone Home.

Looking for more rustic-modern inspiration? Browse our Farmhouse Style posts and have a look at Barn-Like Living (Only Better).

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on November 12, 2012 as part of our Harvest issue.

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At 31 Chapel Lane, online purveyors of Irish linen and tweed, shopkeepers Damien Hanningan and Joy Fu like to encourage "the laying of Sunday linen on the midweek table." We're with them: in addition to being better for the environment, cloth elevates every meal. Based in Cavan, Ireland, 31 Chapel Lane sources its materials from Irish Linen Guild–approved mills; its napkins are 100 percent organic Irish linen.

Photographs by Rincy Koshy. Styling by Ciara O’Halloran.

Above: With its crisp red-and-white check, the Sorrento Irish Linen Napkin has a bistro charm; €13 each or €75 for a set of six. 

Above: The Florence Irish Linen Napkin is in a blue plaid; €13 each or €75 for a set of six.

Above: The Belton Irish Linen Napkin (top and third layers) comes in brown and navy, and is good for mixing with other patterns; €13 each or €75 for a set of six.

See more options from 31 Chapel Lane in our post Farm to Table: Graphic Linens from Ireland. For classic Irish style have a look at Required Reading: Essentially Irish by Josephine Ryan. And on Gardenista, quench your summer thirst with A Family Recipe for Elderflower Cordial via Dublin. 

Still setting the table? Peruse all our Table Linen posts.

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A couple of years ago, when a search for a decent bedside light came up short, marketing executive Jamie Long decided to make his own. He was so pleased with the results that he put the lamp on eBay instead of by his bed. It immediately sold, and Long Made Co. was born. Today Jamie and his wife, Carissa, run their small business from their 1885 shotgun house (think narrow and long) in Houston's Old Sixth Ward.

Inspired by vintage pharmacy, dentistry, and jewelry lighting made by longstanding firms such as O.C. White, Faries, and Lyhne, Long Made Co.'s designs are notable not only for their classic American style but also for their solid construction and attention to detail. All lamps are handcrafted by Jamie from high-quality brass or steel, and all machined parts are made in the US.

Above: The Articulating Brass Lamp has a solid metal arm and a gas-station-style shade in dark aluminum gray; $235.

Above: Made of burnished steel and brass, the Patina Scissor Lamp is one of several extension lamps in the collection. The shade can be angled up or down, and the scissor arm swings left and right and is retractable; $175.

Above: Designed to showcase an Edison bulb, the solid brass Petite Edison Table Lamp also comes in a wall-mounted version, the Petit Edison Wall Light; both are $135 (bulb not included). For shaded light, there's the Petite Wall Lamp with Parabolic Shade; $159.

Above: Inspired by classic midcentury swing-arm lights, the O.C. Industrial Stump Lamp with Parabolic Shade has adjustable steel and brass parts; $269.

Above: The all-brass O.C. Industrial Wall Lamp with Parabolic Shade can be mounted on a wall or ceiling; $269. 

Above: A look at the vintage-style detailing on the Articulating Brass Lamp (the first design shown).

Looking for more lighting? Browse the hundreds of options in our Shop section, and see Kendra's report on Industrial Lighting from the Edge of the Cotswolds. For an industrial look outdoors, go to Gardenista's roundup of Black Wharf Lights.

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For children, a built-in bunk bed is not just a place to sleep—it's a hideaway from adults and a nook to share with a sibling or friend. An ideal addition to a family summer house, the built-in bunk is also a space saver. For practical types and dreamers alike, here are 24 memorable examples.

Above: Bunks in a Danish summer house designed by JVA Architects via Archdaily.

Above: Bunk beds are slotted into a hall in the small summer house of stylist Jenn Cranston, featured on House and Home Canada via The Style Files.

Above: Striped linens on a tidy quartet of bunk beds in the Hamptons summer house of Glenn Pushelberg and George Yabu. Photograph by Eric Striffler for the New York Times.

Above: Bunk with built-in storage in a Palm Beach cottage featured on Home Life.

Above: Built-in bunk beds in a Shelter Island summer house designed by Wettling Architects. The room was the winner of the Best Professional Children's Space in last year's Remodelista Considered Design Awards. (Stay tuned to cast your vote later this month for the 2014 Considered Design Awards.)

Above: Rope ladders lead to bunks facing one another in a beach house designed by McAlpine Tankersley. Learn where to source the ladders in our recent Design Sleuth: Nautical Rope Bunk Bed Ladder.

Above: Wooden bunks in the Auckland, New Zealand, house of architect Michael O'Sullivan and his partner, Melissa Schollum. Photograph by Patrick Reynolds for Dwell Magazine.

Above: Bunk beds with built-in shelves in the London home of Anita Kaushal, designer and author of The Family at Home.

Above: Platform beds and slatted bunk from our post 10 Favorites: Creative Beds for Children.

Above: A wall of built-in bunk beds in a bedroom designed by Lisa Sherry via Lonny Magazine.

Above: Four bunk beds in a tight space in the home of designer Justine-Hugh Jones, in Sydney, Australia.

Above: A twin and queen bunk bed, a combo that works well for growing teens; design by Orrick & Company of Greenwich, CT.

Above: Curtained bunk beds by M. Elle Design; photographed for Elle Decor.

Above: Corner bunks at Alys Beach in Florida.

Above: Dramatic built-in bunk beds in a Moscow loft designed by Ruetemple Architects; photograph via Archdaily.

Above: Bunk beds in a 540-square-foot Oregon cottage owned by designer Jessica Helgerson, from our post A Scandinavian Cottage in Portlandia.

Above: All-white wooden bunk beds in a cottage featured on My Scandinavian Retreat.

Above: Bunk beds in a coastal house designed by Shareen Joel of Share Design via Nordic Design.

Above: Four bunk beds in a bedroom featured on Marie Claire Maison. (If you like the painted paddle, see Trend Alert: 11 Rooms with Oars as Decor.)

Above: A bunk bed box built into the wall. Photograph from our post 10 Favorites: Creative Beds for Children.

Above: Bunk beds with steps at the Atlantic Residence, a rental in Essaouira, Morocco, via The Modern House. (See another Modern House rental in our recent post A Modern Houseboat in Berlin.)

Above: Salvaged-wood bunk beds by Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek in a bedroom at the Château Bethlehem, in Maastricht.

Above: Bunks with a rope ladder in the San Francisco home of interior designer Susan Greenleaf via Lonny Magazine.

Above: A rustic streamlined built-in bunk at the Berge inn in Aschau, in southern Germany, from our post Berge by Nils Holger Moorman.

For more of our favorite children's spaces, see 10 Children's Swings for Indoor Play and 15 Radical Kids' Climbing and Sliding Spaces. Ready to shop for a set of freestanding bunk beds? See 10 Easy Pieces: Bunk Beds for Kids Rooms. On Gardenista, have a look at An Architect-Designed Playroom in a 1908 Garage.

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Wondering how to achieve that clean, hardware-free look for your cabinetry? Touch latches may be the answer. These ingenious contraptions are mounted behind cabinet doors, enabling them to open and close with a gentle push. Sound too go to be true? Touch-latch hardware has its fans and detractors. Here's why.

Above: In a remodeled Brooklyn kitchen by Oliver Freundlich of Oliver Freundlich Design, the island is fronted by shallow storage cabinets that have touch-latch openings so they look invisible. See more at Cobble Hill Kitchen Makeover, Before and After. Image by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

What is touch-latch hardware?

A touch latch is composed of two parts: a latch mechanism and a corresponding strike plate. These latches can be used on a wide variety of doors, ranging from single- and double-cabinet doors to large solid-slab doors. They're usually paired with Concealed Hinges for a complete, hardware-free look. 

Above: A remodeled kitchen in Austin, Texas, by architects Rick and Cindy Black, includes a pantry wall of teak-fronted cabinets that are concealed thanks to touch-latch hardware. Image by Whit Preston via Rick and Cindy Black Architects. 

How do touch latches work?

There are two types of touch latches: mechanical and magnetic. Both use springs to drive cabinet doors open. (The strength of the springs—their push and pull force—is measured in pounds; it's important to have a pound rating that provides enough power, or "throw," to open your doors.)

Mechanical: Mechanical touch latches use a ratchet and spring mechanism. When the door is closed, the ratchet engages and holds the door closed. When tapped or touched, the ratchet releases and the spring mechanism pushes the door open. A benefit of mechanical touch latches is that they can't be accidentally opened by objects falling against the inside of a cabinet door (a good thing for those living in earthquake zones). But they are finicky; the pin and the ratchet need to be perfectly aligned. 

Magnetic: The more commonly used magnetic touch latch employs a magnet at the end of a spring-loaded plunger. When the door is closed, the plunger is pushed inside its casing, compressing the spring behind it. The plunger is held in place by a small catch, and the door stays closed because of the magnetic plate that clings to the top of the plunger. When the door is pushed, the plunger is compressed slightly, disengaging it from the stop and releasing the spring, which pushes the plunger out and the door open. N.B.: This hardware is not to be confused with the commonly used magnetic catches that hold cabinet doors closed but have no opening mechanism; they require a door handle or pull. 

Above: Touch latches by Japanese hardware company Sugatsune include the Sugatsune Magnetic Touch Latch for Small Doors (L), with a pull force of 2.6 pounds, and the Sugatsune Mechanical Touch Latch (R), with a pull force of 6.6 pounds; $2.65 and $4.99, respectively, at Woodworkers Hardware (more sizes and styles available).

How do you install touch-latch hardware?

Installing touch latches is simple. The latch is placed (with screws) inside the cabinet or door frame so the plunger is flush with the front of the frame when it is in the closed position. The latch is typically positioned near a corner, in an area where it will be out of the way. The corresponding plate is screwed to the inside of the door. 

This Old House offers a great tip for placing the strike plate: "To position the plate properly on the inside of the door, color the back of the plate with a chalk, lipstick, or a felt-tipped marker, then affix the plate to the latch, the marker side facing out. When you close the door, the inked plate will leave a slight mark on the inside of the door where the plate should be positioned."

Above: A magnetic touch latch installed in the lower corner of a bottom cabinet. Image via Rockler Woodworking and Hardware.

Where are the best places to use touch-latch hardware?

Touch-latch hardware is most commonly found in kitchen and bathroom cabinets. There are considerations to make before you race to equip your home; some situations are better suited than others for touch-latch hardware. Here are some questions to ask.

• Will you be accessing the cabinet frequently while cooking? If so, touch latches may not be the way to go because cabinets will get smudged by greasy hands.
• Is your cabinet high gloss or mirrored? Speaking from experience (my mirrored bathroom cabinet has a touch latch), fingerprints are a huge issue.
• Is the visual impact of no visible hardware key to a section of your kitchen? Upper cabinets and island cabinets are often great choices for touch-latch hardware. 
• Do you have storage closets and cupboards in high-traffic areas? Protruding hardware can be a hip or shoulder hazard, which touch latches avoid.
• Are you furnishing a minimalist interior? Touch latches are a good solution for a custom credenza or clean-lined office cupboard.

Above: Henrybuilt, maker of custom kitchens, furniture, and storage systems, tends to limit the use of touch-latch hardware to upper cabinets that are not accessed often. "Anything with a soft-closing mechanism (which is what we use on our doors and drawers), doesn’t work well with a touch-latch. And below counter height, touch latches can get bumped by knees and hips and opened accidentally, which gets annoying," says Henrybuilt vice president, Chris Barriatua. "Once you factor in all the practical considerations, touch latches are only right for limited applications." Image via Henrybuilt.

Above: Space is at a premium in designer Tim Clarke's attic bedroom. To keep storage hidden, he designed his closets and shelving behind tongue-and-groove paneling with invisible touch-latch doors. Image via House Beautiful. 

Above: Hardware can look fussy on clean-lined furniture, such as this floating credenza, a DIY project from the Brick House that makes use of touch latches. 

Is all touch-latch hardware created equal?

Not at all. The market is flooded with inexpensive, poorly made hardware that's to be avoided. A 99-cent touch latch might be enticing (especially if you're outfitting a number of cabinets), but going cheap will likely cost you more in the long run when replacements are required. Touch latches are a hardworking piece of machinery with small parts and latches that need to stay in alignment. It's worth investing in hardware that's made from high-quality materials and built for durability.

Above: The gold standard: Industrial Touch Latches, shown here in closed and open positions, from Austin's St. Louis Designs, a company that manufactures latches for use in aviation (think Learjets) and marine interiors. Made in the US, their hardware uses noncorrosive alloys with titanium components and is engineered for precision, high-load, and longevity. It's reflected in the price: $95 per latch from Better Building Hardware. But with a 12-pound opening force, one of these latches is all you need for a full-size, solid-core door. 

Are there alternative ways to achieve the no-hardware cabinet look? 

Yes, here are two good options.

Use minimalist hardware. Consider discreet cabinet hardware, such as edge pulls that practically disappear. "When our clients mention wanting a kitchen with no pulls—a common request—the first thing we do is dig in a little to figure out what’s behind that. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, it’s not really about no pulls, it’s about making sure the hardware is cohesive with the rest of the design," says Henrybuilt's Chris Barriatua.

Go hardware-less. When it comes to cabinets, San Francisco designer Dagmar Daley advises "getting rid of the dog and pony show." Daley likes cabinets with simple beveled edges on top for fingers to grab. "Go basic: It keeps costs down and there are fewer things that can break." 

Above: Dagmar Daley's kitchen has a streamlined wall of walnut cabinets and drawers. Instead of invisible hardware, openings have beveled edges at the tops that take the place of pulls and knobs. Tour the kitchen in the Remodelista book. Image by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

Touch-Latch Hardware Recap

Pros

• Invisible, creating a hardware-free look.
• Easy to use.
• Mechanical touch latches prevent cabinets from opening when knocked from the inside (an earthquake-safety plus).

Cons

• Can open when accidentally bumped.
• Can result in fingerprints and smudges on doors.
• Does not work with soft-closing drawer and door mechanisms.
• Wears out faster than other types of hardware.

Considering cabinetry? A must-read from our resident architect, Christine: 5 Questions to Ask When Choosing Kitchen Cabinets.

In addition to invisible hardware, see other Extras Worth Considering in Your Remodel. Looking for gate hardware? Check out Gardenista's favorite Garden Gate Latches.

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A seaside respite for midcentury architecture aficionados: Located on Hayling Island, off the Hampshire coast of England, this three-bedroom house was designed in 1963 by British architect Hedley Greentree, who was just starting his practice. Its open-plan spaces, clean lines, and exposed brickwork reflect the influences of 20th-century masters, such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier. A modernist anomaly in a British coastal setting, it's available for rent—and the beach is minutes away.

Photographs via The Modern House.

Above: The house has been extensively refurbished and updated in recent years, but the original cedar ceilings and floors of rare Brazilian Paraná pine are intact throughout.

Above: In an otherwise neutral palette, color makes an appearance in the upholstery of the dining room chairs—a version of Verner Panton's 1958 Cone Chair—and the refrigerator in the kitchen beyond. 

Above: A careful balance has been struck between maintaining the best features of the original design and creating a comfortable, up-to-date 21st-century kitchen. 

Above: Floor-to-ceiling glazed openings allow in natural light from the courtyard garden, keeping the dining and living room airy and bright.

Above: All horizontal surfaces, including the floating stair treads, are wood.

Above: Light from above casts shadows over the open-tread cantilevered stairs, one of the original features of the house.

Above L and R: Painted brick walls add texture to the neutral palette.

Above: Upstairs, a second living room with a wall of windows runs along the width of the house. It overlooks the garden below.

Above: A white-framed TV sits unobtrusively on the coffee table.

Above: Painted brick walls and Brazilian Paraná pine floors continue into the bedrooms. A white butterfly chair in the corner is in keeping with the midcentury architecture. Learn about the origins of the chair in Object Lessons: The Classic Butterfly Chair.

Above: The house has three bedrooms, each with a double bed, and sleeps six. 

Above: A long, trough-like sink maximizes space in the upstairs bathroom.

Above: The house is on Hayling Island, a vacation destination known for sailing and windsurfing. It rents for £1,300 a week; go to The Modern House for more details. 

The map below shows the location of the house on Sea Front road and its proximity to the beach. Hayling Island is an hour-and-a-half train ride from London.

If you like the materials used in this house, see 10 Favorites: Exotic Wood in the Bath and Another Brick in the Wall. And on Gardenista, have a look at the World's Best Outdoor/Indoor Teak Furniture.

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A strip of leather is a DIY project waiting to happen. We've presented leather drawer pulls, knife racks, napkin rings, and curtain rods, to name just a few. Here's a new use: Build your own magazine rack. Five designer-bloggers lead the way. Not feeling handy? The first example is available for sale.

Above: Created by Stockholm design student Mathilda Clahr, the Strap is made of vegetable-tanned leather and comes in black, nude, and brown. Clahr notes that the hangers can also be used for stowing napkins and cutting boards, scarves and bags, and as curtain tiebacks; they're 250 SEK from Clahr's online shop. Have a look at the Straps put to work at Odalisque.

Above: Finnish designer and photographer Riikka Kantinkoski of the blog Weekday Carnival made her magazine rack using nothing more than leather belting that she hung from a String Pocket Shelf. 

Above: Joyce Croonen, writer of the style blog My Dubio, made a Leather Strap Magazine Holder using white leather belts. She got the idea from Weekday Carnival (see above) and writes that she simply cut off the buckles, attached the leather to a staircase near her workspace, and used strong tape to connect the ends: "It was one of those done-in-a-minute DIY's."

Above: Designer and builder Matt of the shop and blog Wood & Faulk made this DIY Mail Basket by suspending leather strapping from a wood frame; see all of the details on Design Sponge. 

Above: A project from Norwegian blog Brigg: two wooden towel bars and a pair of matching leather belts create a shelf for holding magazines, books, and newspapers; see DIY: Easy Leather Strap Wall Shelves.

Looking for more DIY ideas? Here are 10 Projects Using Leather, and have a look at two of my own projects: DIY Leather Curtain Rods and A Storage Tray Made from a Single Piece of Leather. We've featured a lot of leather drawer pulls; for a sampling, see 10 Easy Pieces and Braided Leather Drawer Pulls for $1.25.

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Fifteen years ago, Jamie Rosenthal opened her lifestyle store, Lost & Found, in what she dubs “a gritty, urban sliver of Hollywood proper.” The venture began as a single shopfront—a documentary filmmaker turned stylist, Jamie wanted to shine a light on boutique clothing lines and housewares made by unknown studios. Gradually, Lost & Found expanded into the stores around it; it now occupies a whole block, offering a mix of hard-to-find, small-batch designs sourced from across the globe. And yet it remains a bit out of the way and semi-secret.

But not for much longer. Anthropologie just unveiled its new Shop in Shop project, and Jamie was asked to be the first retailer to create a handpicked home collection. The mandate was “to see the world through my eyes,” she tells us. "In the same way that we have the farm-to-table movement that celebrates the farmer and chef, I'm interested in who creates these pieces and how they make their way from around the world into our everyday lives. This is the story I want to tell.” Here's a sampling.

Above: Jamie collaborated with designer and art director Nelson Sepulveda to create the Lost & Found Chef's Canister made of stoneware and olive wood; $50.

Above: Lost & Found Shibori Napkins are 18.5-inch squares hand-dyed by West Africa textile specialists Tensira; $24.

Above: The 40-inch-tall Lost & Found Woven Basket is made by Medina Mercantile, a company that works with small weaving initiatives around the world; $298

Above: Lost & Found Glass Bottles by Nelson Sepulveda range from $68 to $78. 

Above: The Lost & Found Hanging Macrame Planter is by up-and-coming Berlin design studio Llot Llov. It's made of polypropylene, steel, and glass; $998.

Above: Lost & Found Olivewood Serving Trays by Nelson Sepulveda are $48 for the small and $68 for the large.

Above: The Lost & Found Woven Bench is 60 inches wide and has a woven string seat; $598.

Above: The stoneware Lost & Found Matte Tumbler, another design by Nelson Sepulveda, is $14.

Above: Made of plastic and cotton, the Lost & Found Knotted Fringe Mat is 51.25 inches long and available in sapphire (shown), blue, green, and rose; $40. 

Go to Anthropologie for the full Lost & Found collection. And for more of Jamie's finds, see our posts on Lost & Found's Deck Furniture, Michele Keeler Towels and Dip-Dyed Towels from Japan. Another LA retailer who we avidly follow? Have a look at Dosa.

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My knowledge of guest room niceties is a family legacy. For several years my mom owned a bed-and-breakfast in the Napa Valley. When she opened the inn, she told me that it had been her lifelong dream to run her own business. But it was clear that the dream was really all about stocking the best amenities: Organic hand soaps and porcelain bedside carafes led to sprigs of lavender on turned-down bedsheets.

When it comes to setting one B&B or rental house or guest quarters apart from the rest, it's all in the details. We've created a list of six amenities—each with a high and low option—guaranteed to give an instant upgrade.

Liquid Hand Soap

Above: Aesop's Resurrection Arromatique Hand Wash is $39 for a 16-ounce bottle. Photograph from Makers & Brothers of Dublin, which also sells the soap.

Above: Packaged in a similar amber-colored bottle, Murchison-Hume's Superlative Liquid Hand Soap is $12 for 17 ounces, and a 32-ounce Refill Liquid Soap Bottle is $16 at Mill Mercantile. Also available through Amazon.

Bath Towels

Above: Restoration Hardware's white Turkish Bath Towel is currently on sale for $22 (marked down from $28).

Above: Ikea's basic white Hären Bath Towels are $2.99, and Hären Hand Towels are $1.99.

Bed Linens

Above: The UK's White Company offers Italian 400-count, cotton percale sheets. The Savoy Bed Linen Collection includes pillowcases from £25 and fitted and flat sheets starting at £70 and £72, respectively. For more options, see 10 Easy Pieces: Simple White Sheets.

Above: Parachute, a Los Angeles company specializing in affordable Italian luxury linens, sells the Venice Sheet Set (a fitted sheet, duvet cover, and two pillowcases) for $249. Read more about Parachute in Eat, Pray, Love: Luxury Linens for Less, and find more Bed Linens in our Shop section. 

Water Carafe

Above: Crate & Barrel's Bedside Carafe with Glass is $24.95.

Above: The Bedside Carafe with Tumbler is $15 from Canvas. For more of our favorites, see 10 Easy Pieces: Bedside Water Carafes.

Linen Fragrance

Above: Blended in the Austrian alps with lavender and orange oil, Susanne Kaufmann's Calming Pillow Spray can be used as a bed linen or room spray; $28 for 2.5 ounces at The Line. For more finds from The Line, see A Soho Dream Loft (Where Everything Is for Sale).

Above: The Laundress Linen Spray is a subtle lavender solution for use when ironing or steaming and as a room refresher; 16 ounces for $14.95 at Crate & Barrel.

Sewing Kit

Above: For guests' clothing emergencies, the Merchant & Mills' comprehensive Sewing Notions Set is $75 at Kaufmann Mercantile. Photograph via Aesthetic Nest.

Above: Muji's Portable Sewing Kit contains small quantities of the essentials; $4.95.

Now that you have the guest room covered, don't miss 7 Essentials for the Bath, Landlady Edition and the Best Summer Beach Towels. Looking for a house to rent? See Editors' Picks: 15 Favorite Vacation Rental Resources. 

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Designed by prolific Cape Cod architect Charles Zehnder in 1970, the Kugel Gips house—once slated for demolition—is the first of a series of restoration projects by the Cape Cod Modern House Trust, a group dedicated to documenting and preserving Bauhaus-era houses on Cape Cod by architectural luminaries such as Marcel Breuer, Nathaniel Saltonstall, and Eero Saarinan.

The house, which overlooks Northeast Pond, is available for rent during the summer months (a portion is tax-deductible); in the autumn and spring, artists and scholars can apply for a residency program. 

Above: The Kugel Gips House is a reflection of Zehnder's interest in the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and his time spent with the architect during his years at the University of Virginia.

Above: The structure is surrounded by a series of long cantilevered decks and roof overhangs. 

Above: The living room features a minimalist brick hearth. Photograph by Yorgos Efthymiadis. 

Above: A view of the modest kitchen partitioned by a shingled wall. Photograph by Yorgos Efthymiadis.

Above: The kitchen is sectioned off by a long island with a cooktop. Photograph via CCMHT.

Above: The living room overlooks Northeast Pond, one of Wellfleet's many freshwater kettle ponds.

Above: The modest sleeping quarters have concrete brick walls—according to the Cape Cod Modern House Trust, Zehnder was influenced by the geometric concrete bunker formations in Normandy.

Above: Concrete walls continue into the bathroom.

Above: The deck overlooks a forest of scrub pine.

Above: The clear waters of Northeast Pond. Visit Cape Cod Modern House Trust for booking information about the Kugel Gips house and two CCMHT rentals.

Above: Well worth a read: Cape Cod Modern: Midcentury Architecture and Community on the Outer Cape ($32 from Amazon) by Peter McMahon and Christine Cipriani, with photographs by Raimond Koch. And worth watching: our friend Malachi Connolly's feature-length documentary, Built on Narrow Land, the story behind the Outer Cape's modern architecture of the 1960s and 70s. 

To see the Hatch Cottage, another Cape Cod Modern House Trust property (also available for rent), go to The Outermost House: Modest Modernism in Wellfleet. And in The New York Times, Penelope Green captured the vibe of my Cape Cod childhood in A Childhood Home, and Poet's Muse.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on August 9, 2010 as part of our Cape Cod Modern issue.

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• The Seaside Rental: A Midcentury Beach House in the UK
• The Urban Rental: A Modern Houseboat in Berlin
• Editors' Picks: 15 Favorite Vacation Rental Resources

Over the years, we've featured dozens of design-worthy rental houses on Remodelista. Here's our roundup of our greatest hits. (You might want to bookmark this post.)

Australia

Above: Ellis House in Kyneton, Victoria.

Above: Byron Bay Holiday House.

Bahamas

Belgium

Above: Belgian Guesthouse in West Flanders.

France

Above: Casamidy's Rue Michel le Comte in Paris.

Above: Casamidy's Rue Conde in Paris.

Above: Villa Solaire in Haute Savoie.

Above: A Holiday House in the Languedoc.

Germany

Above: Freunde von Freunden Apartment in Berlin.

Above: A Modern Houseboat in Berlin.

Greece

Above: An Aegean Idyll on Tinos in the Cyclades.

Italy

Above: Alexander Waterworth's Masseria in Italy.

Above: La Pedevilla: A Holiday House in the Italian Alps.

Portugal

Above: Baixa House in Lisbon.

Scandinavia

Above: Hotel Magazin 1 in Gotland.

Above: Black and Bright House on the Danish Island of Mon.

South Africa

Above: A Whitewashed Villa in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

Spain

Above: Alemany 5 in Girona.

Above: El Cancho Beach House

Switzerland

Above: Huberhaus in the Upper Valais.

United Kingdom

Above: A Seaside Loft in Cornwall.

Above: Midcentury Seaside Rental in Hampshire.

Above: A Seaside Cottage in Cornwall.

United States

Above: A Midcentury Modern in Wellfleet. Photo by Raimund Koch for Cape Cod Modern.

Above: Hatch House in Wellfleet. Photo by Raimund Koch for Cape Cod Modern.

Above: Kugel Gips House in Wellfleet. Photo by Raimund Koch for Cape Cod Modern.

Above: William Brown Project in Upstate New York.

Above: The Floating Farmhouse in Upstate New York.

Above: A Woodsy Cabin in Echo Park, Los Angeles.

Consult our City Guides for shops, restaurants, hotels, and other design-worthy destinations wherever you go.

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• Current Obsessions: Setting Sail
• Expert Advice: The Ultimate Rental Checklist, Landlord Edition
• Discovered at Anthropologie: Lost & Found

I've always admired the person who owns a weekender—a bag just right for two day's worth of clothing, and nothing like my own jumbled mess of dirty canvas totes. The difference is this: The girl with the canvas tote bags rarely gets away on the weekends, and the person with zipped-up weekender is seasoned in the ways of leisure travel. To inspire more getaways, here are five bags to grab (plus a luxury find that can take you from work to play).

Above: Everlane's Twill Weekender is made of sturdy, water-resistant twill with leather handles. It comes in nine colors; $95.

Above: Cuyana's canvas and leather Weekend Bag, comes in mustard (shown) and black, and is lined in bright orange fabric. It's 30 inches wide and 10 inches deep—large enough, according to the company, to hold five outfits, three pairs of shoes, and a toiletry bag; $120.

Above: The Handmade Leather and Canvas Weekender Bag (shown left) is made by Kaufmann Mercantile in collaboration with an American leather company. It's designed to hold about two day's worth of clothing and to fit in the overhead compartment of a plane; $198. The smaller Handmade Canvas and Leather Carryall Bag (shown right) is $179.

Above: This linen Italian Folding Travel Bag has vegetable-tanned leather straps and reinforcement. Ideal for light traveling and shopping, it folds down to a height of about three inches; €185 at Manufactum in Germany.

Above: Peg and Awl's Waxed Canvas Weekender is waxed canvas with straps made of leather reclaimed from World War II gun slings. The bag has one external pocket and two small internal pockets, and is available in five different colors; $320. For canvas totes, Dopp kits, and aprons, see Gardenista's 10 Easy Pieces: Etsy's Best Canvas Carryalls

Above: Made by Remodelista Market alum Sara Barner in her Portland, Oregon, studio, the Weekender Bag is English bridle leather with hand-stitched handles and an adjustable shoulder strap. Available for $825 in black at Table of Contents or in tan, medium brown, and dark brown directly from Sara.

For a glimpse into our own daily commute bags, see Style Counsel: Work Totes for the Long Haul. Learn the history of the Classic Canvas Tote (and five to buy) in this week's Object Lesson.

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• Style Counsel: Finnish Fashion from a Marimekko-Trained Designer
• 10 Favorites: Father's Day Gift Guide
• Bicycle Bags from Save the C

If you love entertaining, you know how satisfying it is to pull off a dinner party for a crowd. The only downside? The cleanup. That's where GE Monogram's Fully Integrated Dishwasher comes in; it's capable of handling 14 place settings in one load—and it has adjustable racks that make fitting odd-sized serving pieces easy. Cleaning jets (102 total) reach all corners of the washer's interior, meaning no plate or spoon is out of reach. And perhaps best of all, the machine is quiet—it's lined with sound-absorbing materials and has a smooth running pump—so you may need to check the front LED display to make sure you remembered to turn the dishwasher on.

Above: Monogram dishwashers are eco-friendly, with settings that allow you to save water by washing a half load using either the top or bottom rack. Fully Integrated Dishwashers start at MSRP $1,599*. 

Above: Monogram dishwashers are installed flush with kitchen cabinetry, and dishwasher fronts are customizable to match your kitchen cabinets.

Above: The dishwasher's top rack is adjustable to fit tall stemware or salad plates. Tines on the lower rack fold down to accommodate bulky pans. Dedicated bottle jets deliver a complete clean to wine carafes, sports bottles, travel mugs, and other challenging items.

Above: The uppermost cutlery drawer glides out to hold an entire flatware collection—including ladles, carving knives, and other cooking and serving utensils. There's also an additional three-piece silverware basket on the bottom drawer.

Above: The dishwasher's interior is made of stainless steel. A high-output drying fan has multiple speeds to prioritize time or eco-friendliness when drying your dishes.

*Resellers unilaterally establish their own resale prices and margin requirements.

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• Temperature Check: Color in the Kitchen
• 10 Easy Pieces: Summer Drinks Dispensers
• Kitchen Tools with a Masculine Edge

Michelle and crew have moved outside for the summer—"We're ready to sleep anywhere there's a breeze," she says. Take a look at the decks, sandy-floored rooms, and other indoor/outdoor living options they've turned up this week.

Above: Jeanne leads us to a small beach hotel in Portugal, an hour south of Lisbon, designed for luxuriating in the sand. Go to Outbuilding of the Week for the tour.

Above: You can take teak anywhere; it's weather-resistant and sometimes it's even a bargain. See High/Low: 5 Teak Garden Classics (the folding stool is by Dansk tableware designer Jens Quistgaard).

Above: Shutters needn't be just decorative; they can provide insulation in cold weather and ventilation in warm, which explains why they're making a comeback. Find answers to all your shutter questions in Janet's Hardscaping 101: Exterior Wooden Shutters.

Above: Take a trip to The Hedges in the Adirondacks with Michelle to hear the most entertaining travel chronicle of the summer so far (plus the story behind the ring toss contest).

Above: We're happy to stay home—as long as we can stare at this week's Gardenista Roundup: 8 Nap-Worthy Summer Bunkhouses. And for summer indoor and outdoor campouts, see 10 Easy Pieces: Canvas Teepee Tents.

Above: In Garden Visit: The Hobbit Land Next Door, Michelle presents the view right over her own fence. This is her neighbor Linda's plant hospital.

Above: Caught sight of something flickering dangerously close to your closet? Go immediately to Erin's DIY: Modern Mothballs (No Chemicals Included).

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• Trending on Gardenista: A Flower-Filled Fourth
• 5 Favorites: Rope Chairs
• Domestic Science: A Magic Fly Repeller

With the rise in online rental sites like Airbnb and VRBO, it's easier than ever to snap a few photos, create a listing, and rent out your house or apartment. The tricky part comes after the tenants arrive and the questions start rolling in: Where does the trash go? How do you work the TV remote? Why does the Wi-Fi keep breaking?

Julie and I have rented out our Wellfleet house over the years, and in my role as landlord I've developed an appreciation of what tenants need for a successful stay. And on the flip side, we've rented flats in Rome and London through VRBO and learned what the experience is like from the tenant's perspective. Here are some simple, affordable ways to keep both camps happy. 

Create a House Information Checklist 

This is the document that will save you the most time and reduce tenant aggravation. And it doesn't have to be in a hotel-style three-ring binder—all you need is a page or two that spells out the operating instructions for your house. Keep it on your computer and print it out (and maybe laminate it) as needed. This way, it's a living doc that you can update.

Here are the key topics to cover.

Parking: Are there permits, restrictions, or limits that should be explained?

Above: Photo via Bolig (from 17 Doors).

Garbage and Recycling: What day does it go out? Do the bins need to be put in a particular place and later stowed somewhere else? What are the rules for recycling? 

Linens: If you're providing linens, explain where they are kept and what to do with them at the end of the stay.

Bathrooms: If your house empties to a septic system be sure to tell your tenants about what can go in the toilets. Leave any special instructions for the showers, and make sure you have good shower liners in place.

Above: Amanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen's Ultimate Laundry Room. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

Washer and Dryer: Any important instructions or restrictions, such as high efficiency detergent only? 

Wi-Fi and Internet: Spell out all necessary passwords. If your Internet router is hidden, let your tenants know where to find it (see more on this topic below).

Lawn and Garden: Is it OK to pick the tomatoes? Are there timed sprinklers that will soak everything left out on the lawn overnight? 

Fireplace: Is the fireplace off limits? If OK to use, any special instructions for operating the flue and getting a fire going?

Outdoor Barbecue: If gas, is there propane in the tank? Where is the best place to refill? Does the barbecue need to be moved away from its current location to be used safely? 

Local Emergency Contact: If you won't available, whom should tenants contact in case of a household emergency? Consider paying a local handyman to handle these requests directly.

Neighbors: Anything that the tenants should know about the people living around you?

Pets: Do you allow them? If so, any rules that should be followed?

TV and Media: Supply easy-to-follow operating instructions for the TV, stereo, and other media devices.

Keys, Locks, and Alarms: How will your renters get keys to the property? Is there a particular way you want the house locked? Are there any alarms that require instructions?

Exit Checklist: Provide a concise list of what you would like the tenant to do when leaving. Be sure to cover lights, keys, heat, and garbage.

Make Sure Your House Is Renter-Ready

Get these five details in order and you're all set.

1. Wi-Fi Strength and Reliability

Having top-quality Internet and Wi-Fi service is a must for any property that's rented regularly. Too many times of late, my family and I have arrived to find spotty coverage and a limited number of allowed simultaneous connections. In all cases, the problem could be traced to an old router. Fortunately, reliable routers keep getting better and less expensive: I recommend the NetGear R6250 ($150) or any of Apple's wireless routers. For a small investment, solid Wi-Fi ensures content tenants. 

2. TV and Music

Above: The indispensible JamBox; photo by Laure Joliet.

Make sure you provide clear instructions on how to use the TV remote—it's the rare renter who is able to figure this out without your guidance (and at least one email SOS). As for music, nearly everyone now travels with their audio collection in their mobile or laptop. Getting that music piped into the house's sound system in your rental should always be a snap. But often a critically important cable is missing: the one that connects the back of the stereo to the headset jack of the portable device. This is a $10 cord that can make or break whether favorite tunes get amplified during your renter's vacation. When I rent a house, I always pack a cord. A newer, more complete travel option to consider is a compact Bluetooth speaker, such as the Jawbone Mini JamBox ($110). Light enough to travel in your backpack or handbag, it provides sound for big rooms—no cables required.

3. Cleaning Service

For weekly or longer rentals, it's a good idea to hire a weekly cleaning service to come into the house and clean for the tenants while they're there. This gives you some extra eyes to check out how things are going, and also ensures that the house is kept up on a regular basis. Many owners call out the cleaning service as an extra but required fee; others just include it in the overall cost of the rental.

4. Locked Cabinets or Closets

Make sure your valuables stay out of harm's way: put locks on a block of cabinets or a closet or two. As Julie says, "If it can be broken, it will be broken." For finishing-touch advice, see her post 7 Essentials for the Bath, Landlady Edition and Alexa's High/Low: 6 Essentials for Stocking the Rental House.

Above: Photograph by Winnie Au for Refinery 29.

5. A Welcome Bottle of Wine and Flowers

Not essential but worthwhile; it will make a good first impression and keep your tenant in a positive frame of mind if they do encounter any problems during their stay.

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Here's what's on our radar this week:

• Above: A look at the home of Harper Poe, designer and owner of global textile emporium Proud Mary. Photograph by Olivia Rae James. 
• A warm weather refresher that is almost too pretty to drink. 
• The family cottage revival, Laguna Beach edition. 

• Above: Summer score: Dalilah recently showed up with a natural canvas rucksack from This Is Paper of Warsaw, one of our online haunts.
• To be filed under French fairytale: the home of Julia Leach, creator of fashion brand Chance. 
• Curious to see George and Laura Bush's Crawford, Texas, digs?

• Above: In preparation for our Bastille Day issue next week, we came across the eccentric apartment of Nicolas Ouchenir, a Paris calligrapher. Photograph by Fred Lahache. 
• The ultimate party pitcher.
• The perfect velvet stool? 
• Our obsession with London designer and antiques dealer Rose Uniake continues. Here's why. 

• Above: This week Alexa went to the opening of the Grand Banks oyster bar-sailboat docked at Pier 25 in Tribeca. For more on what we're up to outside of the office, follow us on Instagram.

Looking for a getaway? Consult our Summer Rentals issue for ideas and inspiration. In Gardenista's Summer Bunkhouse issue, porches, tents, and teepees await. 

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• Expert Advice: The Ultimate Rental Checklist, Landlord Edition
• Greatest Hits: 32 Top Rental Houses Featured on Remodelista
• Discovered at Anthropologie: Lost & Found

This weekend, architect Rafe Churchill and designer Heide Hendricks, members of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory, talk to us about the design of a fully sustainable, color-filled farmhouse in rural New England. The two will be available for the next 48 hours to answer any and all questions. Ask away!

Seeking a retreat from the city, Churchill and Hendricks’s clients, a couple with two children, purchased a parcel of land with open fields and broad views in the northwestern corner of Connecticut on the Massachusetts border. Their vision of rural life included a net zero farmhouse and barns—structures that generate as much energy as they consume—along with a four-season garden with permaculture projects, composting beds, an orchard, and a managed forest. 

They also had a specific look in mind: the couple arrived at the first design meeting with Robert McCloskey’s classic children’s book One Morning in Maine and pointed to the illustrations of a sensible, simple farmhouse as exactly what they envisioned. Passionate about and committed to sustainable living, they also asked that their farmhouse include state-of-the-art green technology. “This house has a well-insulated exterior shell, a geothermal system, solar power, rainwater collection, a freshwater pool, and permaculture farming,” Churchill says. “We’ve seen many attempts at this program before, but the schemes often end up getting caught up in the technology, resulting in a modern farmhouse. We were determined to build a traditional farmhouse.”

“The approach for the interiors was on the spare and utilitarian,” Hendricks says. “Our several visits to Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, influenced our thinking. We had to accomplish a mood with very little decoration, so everything we brought in was completely necessary.”

Photographs by John Gruen. 

Above: The look of the house is based on classic New England farms built at the turn of the 19th century. Churchill positioned the building toward the back corner of the open land, enabling the owners to capitalize on several views, including ponds, a nut grove, a small orchard, and a spectacular sunset.

Above: In developing the color palette for the project, Hendricks made site visits to study how the natural light affects each room throughout the day. During this early phase, she also made repeat trips to Hancock Shaker Village where she admired the Shakers innovative use of hits of color. "They used bold yellow oxide on the exteriors of some of their buildings, and introduced it inside on the trims and floors," she says. "For this project, it was established early on that the plaster walls would be left pure chalky white and the trim would become the foil for introducing color."

Above: In the kitchen, which is on the west side of the house, bright yellow cabinets and trim—painted in Babouche by Farrow and Ball—are contrasted with custom-fabricated black soapstone counters and sink. "Views out the window of meadows filled with goldenrod and black-eyed Susan helped choose the colors," Hendricks says. "The yellow is brightest in the morning but then mellows to a mustard by the evening." The ceiling pendants over the island are from PW Vintage Lighting and the faucet was sourced from Nor'East Architectural Salvage.

Above: The floors throughout the first level are Southern yellow pine finished with Bona Naturale. In the dining room, a Skygarden S Pendant lamp by Marcel Wanders hangs over a table made by Ralph Gorham of Brooklyn Farm Tables and George Nakashima Straight Chairs. 

Above: A paneled wall with built-in shelves and drawers adds texture and warmth to the living room. As with yellow in the kitchen, the color in the living room—Folly Green, a discontinued Farrow and Ball shade—was selected in response to the room's location on the east side of the house. "The view is of gardens and a seasonal stream with a wooded hillside backdrop," Hendricks says. "We felt the room should be a place for lazy winter afternoons and long evenings by the fire, so we selected a cool, calming color."

Above: Churchill incorporated his clients' appreciation of Shaker irregular cabinetry into the room. "Knowing that this is a family house, I designed the drawers for storing board games and art supplies," he says. "In a corner of the room, there's a game table that's often set up with an ongoing project or game."

Above: The mudroom, the family's primary entrance into the house, has a woodstove that keeps the space toasty and a Reclaimed Sawn Brick floor from Ecologie. "For whatever reason, when the owners are entertaining, this ends up being the room where the men and even the boys hang out," Churchill says. 

Above: Exposed framing in classic wood frame suggests that a room isn't insulated. This net zero house, however, is well insulated: It's constructed with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) that are hidden between the traditional shingle cladding on the exterior and the framing and sheathing, which are left visible in the mudroom. "The owner and his two boys have processed loads of kindling in this room," says Churchill.

Above: The design of the stair rail was also influenced by Churchill and Hendricks's visits to Hancock Shaker Village. The balusters are painted to separate them from the rail, which Churchill wanted to call out as a sculptural element. A window blind made from vintage lace is quietly impactful in this otherwise minimally decorated space.

Above: In keeping with the owners' commitment to sustainability, Hendricks resolved to source all of the furnishings within a 100-mile radius. "Many of the purchases were made at secondhand stores, antiques centers, and estate sales," she says. "For new furniture, we tried to select only manufacturers who follow green practices." This bed was made by the Country Bed Shop of Ashby, Massachusetts, and the primitive side tables are from Hunter Bee of Millerton, New York.  The black banker's chair was found at Doodletown Farm Antiques in the Millerton Antiques Center, and the vintage rag rug came from the Housatonic Valley Rug Shop. 

Above: Knowing that other technologies would be concealed within the house, the owners wanted the solar panels to be visible. Churchill installed a 10 kW solar array over a pre-weathered Galvalume standing-seam metal roof. "A solar array should only be installed over a new roof because the panels will outlast most roofing materials," he notes. "Not only does a standing-seam roof outlast all other roofs but the system now also has aluminum mounting clips onto which panels can be mounted directly, meaning no holes in the roof. That's a huge bonus for metal roofing."

While the 10 kW solar grid generates enough power to run the electrical requirements of the house and the barn, including the geothermal system, the overall property falls short of being completely net zero because of the high-velocity circulation system required to run the freshwater pool. See Remodeling 101: Solar Paneling Primer and Hardscaping 101: Standing Seam Metal Roofs for more on both systems.

Above: The location of the screened porch on the south side keeps the house shaded. A "whole-house fan" in the attic also cools the interior: At the end of each hot summer day, the fan pulls in the fresh evening air and draws it up through the house. The daybeds from Hob Nail Antiques in Wingdale, New York, are covered in Sunbrella ticking fabric from Leslie Hoss Flood Interiors.

Above: "The decision to screen the porch was pretty obvious," Churchill says. "Not only can it get pretty buggy after sunset but also the screening of the porch really adds to the intimacy of the space and allows for sleeping in the open air." The table and chairs were a housewarming present that originally came from a family cabin where the owner of the house had spent his childhood gardening and exploring in the woods.

Above: On the exterior, the designers chose complementary colors: Yellow Oxide for the shingles and Flint for the door, both from Benjamin Moore.

Above: "When designing for sustainability," Churchill says, "select the best materials and windows your budget can afford, and then find some more money to guarantee you stick to the program. A compromise on durability will undermine all efforts for long-term sustainability. We were fortunate that our clients understood this and were interested in learning with us."

Above: The house has a classic New England farmhouse layout with public rooms on the first floor arrayed around a central hall.  

Above: The four-bedroom second floor.

Above: An illustration from Robert McCloskey's One Morning in Maine. Image via Betsy's Cove. 

For more on Structural Integrated Panel (SIP) construction, see Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory member Kimberly Peck's barn conversion in The Architect Is In: A Rural Barn Transformed for Modern Living. Another favorite mudroom can be seen in the The Architect Is In: Romancing the Country in Nashville. And on Gardenista, have a look at 8 Nap-Worthy Summer Bunkhouses. 

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• The Country Rental: A Floating Farmhouse in Upstate New York
• The Mountain Rental: A Holiday House in the Italian Alps
• Wine on Wheels: Union Wine Co. in Portland, OR

True, the dancing in the streets took place yesterday, but we're extending Bastille Day to a full week of Francophilia. What does the best Gallic design look like right now—and where can it be sourced? Stay tuned for the answers.

Above: A boutique hotel in the Pigalle with artist-furnished rooms and a summery courtyard restaurant. Take a tour at Escape to Love: Hotel Amour in Paris.

Monday

Above: In the foothills of Tuscany, Villa Lena is a combination hotel, historic villa compound, and creative center with artists in residence. In Monday's Hotels and Lodging post, Alexa shows us the new vacation place to be right now.

Tuesday 

Above: Did you know that the flutes on the Picardie tumbler were inspired by 18th-century French crystal (and possibly Gothic archways, too)? In this week's Object Lessons, Megan tells the story of Duralex and its unbreakable bistro ware. Shown here, the Petite Picardie at Quitokeeto.

Wednesday

Above: The world's chicest range is now posing as a piece of furniture: In Wednesday's Appliances post, Janet unveils the latest from La Cornue. To see Julianne Moore's ahead-of-the-trend, La Cornue–equipped kitchen, go to 5 Design Lessons from Julianne Moore.

Thursday

Above: Who doesn't love windows that double as doors? They can transform a garage into a guest cottage, as shown here—and there are countless other applications (as well as a few downsides). Learn when to consider installing French doors in this week's Remodeling 101.

Friday

Above: We have a weakness for clean-lined furniture, especially when finished with marble. You, too? In Friday's Furniture post, Justine presents a new design line that stopped us in our tracks.

Have a look at Gardenista this week—they're also in the midst of a French frenzy.

Behind in your Remodelista reading? Peruse all our Back Issues, and see what we're up to on Pinterest.

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It was an undeniably plum assignment: Interior architect Remy Meijers was tasked with introducing clean-lined architecture and furnishings to a century-old mansion in The Hague. His clients, a French couple with minimalist leanings, wanted to retain the best of the original while making it look new again. Mission accomplished? Let us know what you think.

Images via Unfinished Home. 

Above: Sun streams into the high-ceilinged drawing room through conservatory-style glazing introduced at the back. Meijers had a hand in not only the architecture but also much of the furniture design, including this sofa with generous proportions. 

Above: A simple wood panel with bench seating defines space in a modern way while subsuming a large TV. The wood-slat coffee table is another piece from Meijer's repertoire.

Above: The low bench is covered in felted wool. 

Above: When the pocket doors between the drawing room and dining room are open, space flows freely between the two.

Above: A muted palette of white, pale grays, and warm wood tones defines the remodel.

Above: In the kitchen, a richly variegated stone countertop introduces another texture to the palette. The stools are by Meijers. 

Above: A stack of Vincent Van Duysen Ceramic Containers create a modern Flemish still life. 

Above: In the well-preserved stair hall, Meijers injects a modern feel by cloaking the space in white offset by wainscoting in a subtle purple-gray. 

Above: In the large, high-ceilinged bedroom, the bed is elevated on an upholstered base and Meijers uses gray paint to define a more intimate space within the space. The pendant lights are Tom Dixon's Beat Lights.

Above: The Iona Cheval Mirror by Pinch is a full-length, pivoting elliptical mirror with a base that supplies storage for accessories. 

Above: The bathroom is a three-zone design: double-sink, shower, and bathtub.

Above: A reflective surface in the shower area keeps the space from feeling too dark or enclosed. 

Above: A gray rectangle painted on the wall unifies the room's three zones.

Interested in seeing more renovations of 19th-century buildings? Have a look at A Scandi Furniture Designer at Home in Paris and Love Story: At Home with a Pair of Parisians. And on Gardenista, see Paris in London: Neisha Crosland's Garden Oasis. 

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• The Architect Is In: The New Connecticut Farm, Sustainable Edition
• The Country Rental: A Floating Farmhouse in Upstate New York
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French company Meljac was founded by Andre Bousquet, an engineer by trade who noticed that electrical equipment was lacking in the aesthetics department. His solution? A line of sockets, switches, and other fittings featuring refined finishes and quality craftsmanship. Now his products have finally ventured across the pond: Meljac's first foray into the US market is focused on low-voltage lighting systems—not meant for replacing a switch or two, but intended for a full lighting system upgrade. The cost is comparable to Lutron or Creston low-voltage hardware but with finishes that no other line offers. 

Meljac hardware is available to the trade in the US through LVL. (Note that Meljac sockets are UL approved, but its switches are not.)

Above: Meljac's designs are inspired by industrial 1930s France; notice the drop-shaped toggle switch. 

Above: Meljac hardware is made in France of high-quality brass. Switches are available in 16 finishes and eight styles, including the Round Plate 2 Two-Way Switch, shown here in brushed nickel. Contact LVL for pricing and ordering information.

Above: The Eclipse Collection Plate 1 Two-Way Switch, shown in rifle gun slate. 

Above L: The Oval 1 Two-Way Switch in brushed nickel. Above R: The Limoges Collection Porcelain Plate 1 Switch in white porcelain with a chrome toggle. 

Above: Meljac offers a range of controls for lighting as well as temperature and sound. Here, the simple Plate 1 Dimmer Switch. 

Above: Reminiscent of nautical hardware, the Round Plate 1 Ground Socket has a water-resistant cover. UL-approved for US line voltage, Meljec sockets will fit in a US outlet box.

Above: The Plate 1 Socket with Cover is made of thick brass. Shown in a blasted nickel finish, the plate is also available in a screwless option for an even cleaner look.

Above: Meljac's first products were switches and sockets, but its range soon expanded to other tools such as thermostats and doorbells. We like the Aluminum Macaroon Doorbell, shown here. For more, go to Meljac. 

Not upgrading your electrical system anytime soon? Consider replacing your Switch Plate Covers for a small change with a big impact. Or how about using nail polish to create Easy, Colorful Switch Plate Covers?

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on June 6, 2013, as part of our Travels with an Editor: Paris issue.

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