For some time now, the work of designer Daniel Sachs and architect Kevin Lindores has been stopping us in our tracks. At their New York City firm Sachs Lindores, the duo specializes in complete-picture design—meaning that no detail is left to chance. That level of attention shows in the results, which are as thrilling and evocative as the best stage sets.

Today we're featuring a collaborative project: adjoining lofts on the Bowery that Simrel Achenbach of Brooklyn design-build firm Desciencelab combined and recast for star fashion photographers Inez von Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin; Daniel Sachs then joined the team to help furnish and decorate the 3,400-square-foot space. What had been a series of white boxes is now a sophisticated-rustic home sweet home, soaring ceilings and knotty pine paneling included.

Photographs courtesy of Sachs Lindores and Desciencelab.

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Above: A wall of wooden bookshelves holds the couple's vast book collection and showcases favorite art. Achenbach has a background as a fine woodworker and is responsible for the millwork throughout. 

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Above: "Inez and Vinoodh use sets and props for their work and have very strong ideas," Sachs says. "The project became very collaborative in a great way"—and led to unexpected choices, such as a pairing of Moroccan and Uzbek rugs, and an Isamu Noguchi Akari globe light to ground the 17-foot-tall space. See the globe light at work in other spaces in 5 Quick Fixes: Oversize Noguchi Lanterns.

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Above: Blocks of color create an abstract expressionist-like look in one end of the living room, with a pink-cushioned sofa that Achenbach and Sachs designed together. The crocheted Mushroom Pouffe is by Dutch designer Anne-Claire Petit. Above the dining and kitchen area, Achenbach expanded an existing mezzanine to create second-floor bedrooms for the couple and their young son.

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Above: A painted brick wall and low, wood-paneled ceiling lends a coziness to the dining area. The black walnut table was a group design that Achenbach built. A Roy McMakin chair stands at the head of the table, joined by vintage Charlotte Perriand rush seats.

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Above: Achenbach custom-built all of the kitchen cabinetry in bleached alderwood

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Above: The design has a pleasing geometric rigor—a jigsaw puzzle with every piece in place.

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Above: An alcove off the dining area is the perfect spot to collapse at the end of the day. The dark wood armchairs are rare vintage Perriand designs inspired by work she did with Le Corbusier.

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Above: Folksy knotty pine gets its moment in the big city. Sachs cushioned the built-in sofa with a custom mattress from Charles H. Beckley and pillows in Colefax and Fowler fabric. Inez and Vinoodh added the luxurious sheepskin throw.

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Above: A red Clay Dining Chair by Dutch designer Maarten Baas.

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Above: A floral upholstered wall serves as a headboard and room divider in the master bedroom. Vinoodh's closet is behind the bed. Natural light comes into the windowless room via sliding panels that open to the main room. The bentwood rocker is an antique.

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Above: The master bath's red cedar vanity echoes the lines of the kitchen cabinetry. The faucets are by Boffi. Heath Ceramics matte brown wall tiles—"so brown they're almost black," Sachs says—and a towel ladder drive home the organic and glamorous city-country theme.

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Above: Floral towels from Porthault.

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Above: A snug bed surrounded by cabinetry in a cabin-like room for Inez and Vinoodh's son. For more ideas, see 24 Built-In Bunks for Summer Sleepovers and 12 Wood-Paneled Alcove Beds.

Go to our photo gallery for hundreds of images of inspiring Loft Spaces, including An Energy-Efficient Oasis in Portland, Oregon.

And don't forget: Voting is now under way for the 2014 Remodelista and Gardenista Considered Design Awards. You can vote for the finalists every day until this Saturday, August 8. Winners will be announced on August 9. 

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From sliding panels to retractable doors, here's a roundup of ideas for concealing the dreaded flat-screen TV when not in use.

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Above: In a New York City loft, architect Lee Mindel of Shelton Mindel & Associates hides the TV behind a sliding panel.

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Above: A TV in a deep niche can swivel into the wall when not in use, via Tom Stringer Design Partners.

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Above: The Mirror Cabinet Media Solution from Pottery Barn is available in two sizes; the small ($381.65) fits most 50-inch TVs, and the large ($551.65) fits most 60-inch models.

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Above: A small TV concealed within a beadboard cabinet. Photograph by Laura Moss for This Old House.

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Above: A TV tucked under the stairs, via M|C Interiors.

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Above: Folding doors with piano hinges on a TV cabinet, via Country Living.

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Above: In a Marin County, California, beach house, designer Erin Martin covers a flat-screen TV with a vintage school map.

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Above: A small TV lives inside a kitchen cabinet, via This Old House.

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Above: A TV hides behind a sliding panel, via Sunset.

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Above: A flat-screen TV is cleverly concealed in a gas fireplace chimney clad in reclaimed white pine in this Hudson Valley home, featured in Country Living. Photograph by Mikkel Vang.

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Above: A San Francisco apartment with a hideaway TV, via Airbnb.

Want more ideas for concealing the TV? See 5 Quick Fixes: How to Display a Flat-Screen TV.

And don't forget: Voting is under way for the 2014 Remodelista and Gardenista Considered Design Awards. You can vote for the finalists every day until this Saturday, August 8. Winners will be announced on August 9. 

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Dar Mahjouba, the house of designers Martin Raffone and Bill McIntosh, is like hundreds of other riads jammed cheek by jowl in the dense quarters of Marrakech’s medina: a traditional Moroccan house with rooms ringing a central courtyard, and a roof terrace that provides the only view of an outside world. And yet the resemblance ends there. Amid the cacophony of the medina, the tranquil house is an elixir, a cool glass of milk surrounded by mounds of spice.

Having rented a riad myself only a few alleyways over at the northern edge of the souks, I know the relief of ducking through a low doorway to step from a world of overstimulation into a center of calm. Of late, Marrakech’s popularity as a destination has soared, as has design interest in all things Moroccan. Now there are dozens of riads to rent, most of them packed to the roofs with design clichés. Not so the riad reimagined by Raffone and McIntosh, each of whom has his own interior design firm in New York City (see Martin Raffone and William McIntosh Design.) The good news: They rent out their house when they're not there (for information, scroll to the end).

“We simplified and modernized,” Raffone says, “and grayed everything down.” He and McIntosh also turned to the best local resources, the artisans themselves, and had almost all the interior furnishings made to their own design. Here and there, traditional pieces such as tea tables and wooden stools make an appearance, but rather than swallowing whole the busy array of native Moroccan craft, as so many other transplanted homeowners do, they've opted for only a soupçon. All of which makes their riad more than just palatable. It’s the ideal home away from home in Marrakech.

Photographs by Martin Raffone.

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Above: The house isn’t so much whitewashed as dipped in cream. Nearly every surface has a traditional plaster treatment involving integral color and buffing that produces a soft sheen. Window frames, doors, and shutters are all painted a complementary warm, soft gray. The courtyard is shown here. Candle lanterns are ubiquitous in Marrakech; for ease of use, Raffone and McIntosh electrified theirs and wired them to wall switches. The curlicue motif of the wrought-iron rail inserts and window guards is a common pattern in Marrakech.

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Above: Off the courtyard a lounge area, commonly referred to as the bhou, is the most traditional room, and Raffone’s favorite spot. Lined with a banquette in a slate gray cotton and furnished with shutters as well as curtains from West Elm, it’s a cool place to retreat from the heat and intensity of the sun. Raffone and McIntosh designed the iron lights, which were made locally; the black paper lampshades came from BHV, in Paris.

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Above: A fig tree dominates the courtyard, providing the relief of shade plus greenery. In a corner a wall fountain replaces what was once a well.

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Above: Wood and rush stools from the souk neatly tuck under a stone-topped iron table designed by Raffone and McIntosh. To open up the living room to the courtyard, they enlarged a pair of windows flanking a shuttered doorway. Leaning in the corner is a baker's bread peel, a sculptural reference to the riad’s address, Derb el Ferrane (Street of the Oven).

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Above: Raffone designed a collection of linens, including this table runner, for Alnour, a local co-op that enlists the embroidery skills of women with disabilities. The name of the house, Dar Mahjouba, is monogrammed on Linen Napkins, thanks to stateside Etsy seller BetsyGrace. The ceramics and glassware were sourced locally, the flatware is Dine Noir from CB2, and the hand-shaped platter is the Como Aluminum Tray by Paola Navone from Crate & Barrel.

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Above: As is traditional in riads, the rooms are long and narrow—a mere seven feet wide. That constriction meant dispensing with typical furniture arrangements and instead introducing a uniform of sorts: Mattress-topped wooden banquettes of varying heights and sizes appear in each space. “We used systemization to make the house feel quieter and more modern,” Raffone says. Fireplaces are uncommon in Marrakech, but the designers wanted one for visual and physical warmth. In the living room, shown here, ribbed plaster tops a hearth with a wall-to-wall ledge of firebrick. A painting by Raffone hangs over the banquette. The leather-studded side chair, campaign chair, and Beni Ouarain rug are from Mustapha Blaoui, a favorite local source. (See High/Low: Beni Ourain Moroccan Rugs for sourcing ideas.)

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Above: At the opposite end of the living room, concrete shelves finished in tadelakt echo the horizontal ribs of the hearth. A higher banquette is paired with the Raffone and McIntosh-designed dining table of oak and marble. The patterned pillow textile is mud cloth from Mali. Additional imports include an Ikea chair and striped tablecloth from Zara Home.

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Above: The use of only three materials—local black marble for the counter and backsplash, black floor tile, and tadelakt (creamy for the walls and ceiling, black for the counter base)—make for a streamlined and graphic kitchen. Three metal downlights, two white and one black, light the space. (Learn about the benefits of downlights in Remodeling 101: How to Install Flattering Lighting.)

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Above: A wall of steel and glass brings light to a guest room with a skylight, and introduces a note of modern architecture to the house. A double set of curtains, sheer and opaque, from West Elm, modulates light and privacy. The forked branch is a ladder from sub-Saharan Africa.

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Above: A narrow slot, beveled to admit more light to the interior, captures a slice of the painted wooden screen of the mashrabiya, a traditional oriel window enclosed by latticework.

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Above: A view from the second-floor loggia of the mashrabiya.

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Above: Sheer linen curtains soften the posts of the loggia. Simple iron tables topped with wooden slats flank a double banquette, all designed by Raffone and McIntosh. The carved posts elevated on wire bases are tent stakes used by the nomadic Tuareg people of the Sahara.

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Above: The loggia's lights are a Raffone design of oxidized brass that hangs from hooks affixed to steel plates.

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Above: In the master bedroom, the designers introduced open shelves in place of a closet that occupied a niche. The top shelf turns a corner and widens to form a desk. The embroidered bedspread is from India; the whip-stitched linen throw came from Lilah Spirit in Marrakech. The earthy throw rug comes from the natural wool of local sheep. The linen slippers are from Muji.

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Above: A painting by Raffone stands next to a banded wooden tray used in the souks for serving tea (sometimes elevated on legs as a portable table) and at home for holding rising bread.

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Above: A built-in tadelakt ledge with a niche serves as a headboard for a banquette used as both sofa and bed in a narrow guest room. The traditional painted tea table matches the ones in the bhou. 

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Above: The riad's bathrooms are all seamless formations of gray tadelakt. The mirror was made by a man in the neighborhood who hand carves the frames and stains them with shoe polish. The taps are by Roca; the shower curtain and towel are from West Elm.

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Above: Uplit olive trees in terracotta pots set the rooftop terrace aglow. Raffone and McIntosh elevated a section of the terrace with an ipe deck, added an iron rail to the parapet, and created shade for the dining area via a triangular sail from Ikea supported by wooden poles from the souk. The black lounge chairs and white dining chairs are also from Ikea. (For more ways to keep the sun out, see Design Sleuth: Shade Sails.)

Dar Mahjouba is available to rent starting at $325 a night via Airbnb. It has three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and sleeps five. It's located in a quiet neighborhood in the Riad Laarousse district of the Marrakech Medina.

Source Moroccan design in our archive and tour La Mamounia's Royal Gardens on Gardenista.

Planning a vacation? We've found standout rental houses all over the world. For ideas, peruse our recent Summer Rentals issue. Or go straight to 33 Top Rental Houses Featured on Remodelista.

And don't forget: Today is the last day to vote for your favorite finalists in the Considered Design Awards. Vote now, and stay tuned: We're announcing the winners on August 9.

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Dutch designer Marianne Smink translates the welcome imperfections of hand-stamped and brush-painted designs in her screen-printed tiles.

Born in Utrecht, Smink studied print design at a fashion school in the Netherlands before moving to London for the Applied Imagination masters program at Central St Martins. That's where Smink refocused her interest to home design. Possibly without intention, Smink's tile and wallpaper designs, which she sells as Smink Things, all fall under Japanese wabi-sabi principles—with a Dutch edge. Much of her surface treatment is irregular and patterned with incomplete shapes. That's all intentional, and is part of the charm of Smink tiles.

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Above: The Quarter Circle tiles feature, in her words, "the simple but sharp outline of a quarter circle, only subtly visible...against a loosely painted background. "Together the quarters enhance each other and emerge from the square tiles, starting a circular life of their own." Each tile is 10 centimeters square (or about 4 inches) for £7.

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Above: The tiles are available in two color ways, both shown here: hues of tangerine and a teal that varies from green to blue tints.

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Above: The After Lowry tiles are abstractions directly inspired by English painter L.S. Lowry's depictions of northern England's industrial landscapes. Each tile measures 15 centimeters square (or about 6 inches); £8. Smink also offers pattern as a wallpaper, the After Lowry Wallpaper; £160 for a 10-meter roll (about 33 feet long) that's 52 centimeters wide (about 20 inches).

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Above: A detail of Smink's screen-printed tiles in neutral and grayscale colors.

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Above: The After Lowry tiles applied to a high kitchen wall.

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Above: The subway-style Going Overground tiles were inspired by the London Underground, "the most extensive tiling project ever undertaken in Britain," notes Smink. The tiles are 21 centimeters by 6.5-7 centimeters (or 8 inches by 2.5-2.8 inches) and are £7 each. 

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Above: The Going Overground design applies London's above-ground colors to a tile associated with the underground.

Shopping for the right tile? Have a look through all the Tiles featured in our Shop section. Then have a look at another favorite UK tile artist,  Neisha Crosland, in Artful Tiles from an English Textile Designer.

NOTE: You only have till the end of Friday to vote for your favorite finalists in the Considered Design Awards! You can vote once a day on Remodelista and Gardenista; we're announcing the winners August 9. Click below to let your voice be heard:

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• Remodeling 101: Wood Flooring Patterns
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All is in bloom this week on Gardenista. Come see a sampling of the week's highlights.

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Above: A nice way to give your driveway a bold stripe? Jeanne presents Ribbon Driveways in this week's Hardscaping 101.

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Above: "Trapping scent is as easy as trapping heat," writes Kendra. "Grow these flowers in a small garden or enclosed area where you like to sit out after dark. Then let your sense of smell take over." The rambler Rosa Adelaide d'Orleans, shown here, is one of Five Night-Scented Bloomers singled out in Trend Alert.  

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Above: Every year, Marie Viljoen returns home to Cape Town, South Africa, where she grew up. In this week's Garden Visit, she offers a big picture and close-up look at her mother's garden (watch for chameleons) and shares lessons learned. 

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Above: Landscape designers Earth Inc. combed through salvage yards to create this invitingly laid-back dining patio. Learn where to source the elements, masonry breeze blocks included, in Steal This Look.

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Above: The prettiest edible plant is the subject of this week's Field Guide.

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Above: Bay Area residents take note: There's an old truck in town kitted out to deliver flowers. Read about The Petaler.

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Above: A visit to Liberty of London, anyone? In Shopper's Diary, Kendra leads us on a tour of the store's eternally enticing floral fabrics.

It's the last day to vote for your favorite finalists in the Considered Design Awards. Click below to vote, and then stay tuned: We're announcing the winners on August 9.

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Tonight at 11:59pm ET, we'll close the voting for the 2014 Remodelista Considered Design Awards, and the winners will be announced Saturday morning. Each winner will be featured on Remodelista. Don't miss your chance to vote for your favorite rooms—cast your vote here.

Bonus: We're awarding five readers who vote in the Considered Design Awards a Staub four-piece, cast-iron cookware set. For details and how to enter, see Vote to Win: French Cookware from Staub. 

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To learn more about the finalists, click a category below. 

Remodelista Awards Categories

Professionals

Best Kitchen Space

Best Living/Dining Space

Best Bedroom Space

Best Office Space

Best Bath Space

Amateurs

Best Kitchen Space

Best Living/Dining Space

Best Bedroom Space

Best Office Space

Best Bath Space

To see last year's winners, go to the 2013 Remodelista Considered Design Awards archive. 

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• The Designer Is In: A Scandi Kitchen in a London Victorian
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We have a weakness for Donald Judd's modern daybed and the many variations it has inspired. But, in truth, the daybed's tall back and overwhelming depth make it best suited for those who have irritatingly good posture and no need for awkward postwork lounge positions.

A collaborative sofa from two Brooklyn, New York, artists—industrial designer Farrah Sit and textile designer Rebecca Atwood—offers the familiar shape with modified proportions and hand-dyed upholstery. "Judd's furniture was an inspiration for both of us," Rebecca says. "We talked about silhouettes and materials—we both share a love for maple and brass—and set out to make something that felt really livable." Toward that end, Farrah made some adjustments on the theme, lowering the frame and tilting the sofa back for comfort. Rebecca, meanwhile, designed the upholstery: The feather-stuffed seat cushion is covered in a metallic gold linen that "gets softer and better with wear," and the pillows are in pearl gray pattern that she makes using a modified shibori technique.

N.B.: Stay tuned in the coming weeks for a post on Rebecca's upcoming line of pillows, accessories, and fabrics.

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Above: The Maple Sofa is handmade to order in Brooklyn (allow two to four weeks for delivery); $6,000 through WorkOf.

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Above: The sofa is 79 inches long, 36 inches deep, and, with the pillows, 36 inches at its highest point.

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Above: A detail of the circular brass bolts that cover the joinery.

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Above: "Having the back at an angle really makes a big difference," Rebecca says of the sofa's comfort factor.

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Above: Each of Rebecca's pillows has an exposed brass zipper. The Striped Shibori Pillow is made from her hand-dyed fabric; the pillow back is in natural linen with a white linen stripe down, making the cushions reversible (and versatile).

See more by each designer in our posts: Fashioned By Desk Accessories and Pattern Language: Textiles from a Native Cape Codder. See other sofas inspired by Donald Judd's daybed in our post High/Low: The Modern Wooden Daybed. And have a look at more shibori in Shibori-Dyed Indigo for the Table.

Alert: Today is the last day to vote for the 2014 Remodelista and Gardenista Considered Design Awards. Winners will be announced Saturday, August 9. 

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• A Sisal Alternative: Soulful Rugs from Colombia
• Vote for the Best Living/Dining Space in the Remodelista Considered Design Awards: Amateur Category
• Pretty in Porcelain: Alix D. Reynis in Paris

Here's a look at what's on our radar this week.

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• Above: Perfect for summer: washed linen pillowcases. Photograph courtesy of Rowen and Wren.  
• Jaime Derringer of Design Milk walks us through her guest room makeover. 
• A look at Isaac Mizrahi's surprisingly restrained Greenwich Village apartment.

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• Above: Nowness celebrates five decades of Richard Meier's work in an exclusive interview with the architect. Photograph courtesy of Nowness. 
• If you're in San Francisco this weekend, head to Fort Mason for the American Craft Council Show. More than 250 makers and artists will be selling their wares August 9 and 10. 

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• Above:The Chamber of Curiosity, a new book by German publisher Gestalten, is about compelling apartments around the world. Photograph by Filippo Bambhergi.
• News for millennials: These 10 cities are the best places for you to buy a home. 
• A fascinating infographic about how the world's most creative people schedule their days. 

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• Above: In anticipation of our upcoming Down Under issue, we look at Melbourne artist Saskia Folk, who recently displayed her work in her own home as a part of the Melbourne Art Fair. Photograph courtesy of Interiors Addict. 
• Impending nuptials? Consider these home essentials for your registry. 

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• Above: Interior designer Schuyler Samperton talks with Lonny about her work and style (we're flattered that she names Remodelista as one of her favorite design blogs). Photograph by Grey Crawford. 
• Ryan Gosling wallpaper? We're on board.

To see more from the week on Remodelista, go to Patterns and Prints—and have a look at Gardenista's Patterns and Prints issue, too.  

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Kitchens by Jamie Blake of Blakes London (a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory) represent a particular gold standard: Seductive, white, and Scandi-like, they're rooms for living that also happen to operate as kitchens. In this week’s Designer Is In, Blake guides us through the project that started it all, a complete kitchen remodel in a Victorian terraced house in London. He's available for the next 48 hours to answer your questions, so ask away! 

Blake’s client and friend, photographer Malcolm Menzies of 82mm, requested  "a neutral and textured space that doesn't resemble a kitchen too closely.” Blake took advantage of the creative opportunity and masterfully mixed a wide range of materials, including reclaimed flooring, scaffolding planks, marble countertops, and even his own proprietary finish on the cabinet doors. The result is a room with a subtle, richly layered palette. “Sticking to the budget was a challenge,” Blake says, “but the months of investigation and experimentation paid off in new textures created out of old materials." Come and take the tour and then fire away the questions.

Photography by Malcolm Menzies of 82mm.

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Above: The kitchen is comprised of a long counter run incorporating appliances, sink, and storage along one wall. Blake resuscitated parquet flooring that he found in a salvage yard in London by sanding it back to its original color and then finishing it with a lime wash.

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Above: To add interest and texture to the ceiling over the cooking area, Blake added paneling and faux beams.

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Above: "The brick detailing on the wall is also fake," Blake says. "It's a plaster effect that can be purchased in a tile format and easily fitted onto the wall, then painted. The open shelving was fashioned out of reclaimed scaffolding planks." The plaster effect brick can be found at Faux Brickwork. 

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Above: The repurposed white AGA stove was found buried in the garden when the building team were excavating for the foundations. "Malcolm was very creative and easy to work with," Blake says. "The only parameters were to fit in the sink, fridge/freezer, and the AGA."

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Above: Carrara marble counters maintain the neutral white palette. See Remodeling 101: Marble Countertops for our intel on this popular choice for kitchens.

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Above: "Neutral and white was the request, so we used slight variations of the palette, both darker and lighter," Blake says. 

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Above: Gray denim updates the look of a vintage tufted chair purchased on eBay. The side table, another eBay purchase, is a wire wastebasket turned upside down.

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Above: The three pendant lights over the sink are from Lassco, an architectural and lighting salvage yard in London. The deck-mounted sink faucets are from Perrin & Row's Mayan line (since discontinued). "Skylights are a must in this type of renovation," Blake says. "They brings pools of light into the darker areas of a Victorian terrace."

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Above: The framing detail around the front of the butler sink is also used to anchor the cabinet units, and serves to highlight the texture in the cabinet doors.

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Above: The upper storage cabinet with a dark interior is a Blake design modeled on a classical Victorian dresser. "I wanted to achieve a mix of styles—the fresh clean palette contrasted by the classical glazed dresser," he says.

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Above: Reclaimed scaffolding planks with a lime wash are used to panel the wall of the dining area.

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Above: The vintage pendants hanging over the dining table are also from Lassco. 

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Above: A neutral, white medley of patterns and textures.

We recently featured another Blakes London kitchen: Endless Summer in a London Victorian. It was so popular, we enlisted Blake's help for Steal This Look: The Endless Summer Kitchen. And on Gardenista, more white interiors are spotlighted in Outbuilding of the Week: A Tiny Summerhouse in South London.

More Stories from Remodelista

• Voting for the Considered Design Awards Ends at Midnight
• Marrakech Modern: A Remodeled Riad for Rent
• 10 Easy Pieces: Designers' Favorite Prints and Patterns

Voting for the 2014 Gardenista Considered Design Awards is now closed. Thanks to everyone who submitted their projects, and to all who voted. We'll be announcing the winners shortly.

To see last year's winners, take a look at the 2013 Considered Design Awards archive. 

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• Table of Contents: Down Under
• Current Obsessions: Life on Display
• 12 Elegant Solutions for Hiding a Flat-Screen TV

Design-wise, there's a lot percolating Down Under that's fresh, simple, and perfect for the laid-back life. Count us in. That's why we're devoting this week to exploring the latest looks from Australia and New Zealand.

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Above: Photograph from our post Fast Espresso for Slowpokes.

Monday

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Above: The design duo behind this ensemble met as teens in Tokyo—he's French, she's Australian. In today's Furniture post, read about their Melbourne workshop and showroom.

Tuesday

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Above: Actress Naomi Watts has a talented brother, fashion photographer Ben Watts. Tuesday's Steal This Look presents (and dissects) his peaked-ceiling bathroom. (And if you're in the midst of pulling together some rooms, have a look at our Steal This Look archive.)

Wednesday

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Above: In Wednesday's Rehab Diary, Christine presents a rolling shepherd's hut that was sourced on eBay and considerably spruced up by the creatives behind kitchen line British Standard.

Thursday

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Above: One of our favorite design shops presents everyday goods from New Zealand, including this fringed wool blanket made by Godmother Stansborough. Find out who she is and read more about the bedding in Thursday's Fabrics & Linens post.

Friday

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Above: In Friday's Hotel Visit, we investigate an ideal place on Byron Bay to chase summer, Airstream Trailer for two included.

Over at Gardenista, they're also celebrating design Down Under this week. 

More Stories from Remodelista

• Stay Tuned: The Remodelista Considered Design Awards Winners Will Be Announced Soon
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The one-story brick Victorian in Prahran, a suburb of Melbourne, had been extensively remodeled in the 1980s and was a jumble of small spaces that lacked light, access to the outdoors, and a logical floor plan. Enter Studio Four, a Melbourne architecture and design studio that righted all those wrongs by restructuring the internal flow and introducing a new kitchen and second story living quarters. Designed so that everything has its place—and to withstand a daily pounding from its young occupants—the house exudes practicality and good cheer.

Photographs by Shannon McGrath via Est magazine, unless otherwise noted.

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Above: The new kitchen viewed from an outdoor dining area with concrete pavers and a freshly painted brick exterior wall. Concealed sliding doors link the two spaces.

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Above: The floors, island, and stools were custom-built of American oak that was selected, Sarah Henry of Studio Four told Dezeen, "because of its soft color and uniform grain." Svelte steel open shelves run along the main kitchen wall, providing storage and display space, and, notes Henry, "minimal visual bulk."

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Above: The kitchen island extends into a dining table surrounded by a set of Ch20 Elbow Chairs by Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen & Sons.

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Above: The seamless counter run has beveled-edge cabinet openings. Learn about Invisible Cabinet Hardware in Remodeling 101. The room in the back contains a butler's pantry and laundry. Photograph via Arch Daily. 

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Above: The kitchen is open to the living room but raised on an oak plinth to separate the two. As Studio Four explains, "With subtle changes in floor and ceiling levels, and the introduction of new joinery elements and controlled openings, each space becomes further defined." Photograph via Arch Daily.

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Above: Built-in shelves frame a wall in the living room, which is at the heart of the original house. 

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Above: A slatted wood chimney wall rises above a black steel hearth. The architects say they tied together the room by introducing a series of horizontal and vertical elements. The side table is the Around Table by Muuto.

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Above: The living room overlooks an internal courtyard that provides a green backdrop and, as Studio Four points out, "an apparent extension of space." Photograph via Dezeen.

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Above: Original Victorian detailing has been preserved in a hall off the living room that leads to the front door, the master bedroom, and a study.

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Above: The master bedroom has a platform bed that introduces the only color in the room. For similar wire-framed cotton lights, see today's post on Pierre & Charlotte's designs, and our earlier feature on the Koushi Lamp by Mark Eden Schooley. 

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Above: A Jielde Loft Floor Lamp serves as a bedside light.

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Above: The clean-lined master bath overlooks one end of the courtyard. Photograph via Dezeen.

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Above: A crisp, white, Scandi-inspired palette extends to every room and fills the house with light.

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Above: Two children's rooms and a bath occupy the new second story. This one has a Jielde Loft Floor Lamp and a dandelion vinyl wall mural. Like the cheery look? See Here Comes the Sun: 10 Bedrooms with Yellow Accents and Trend Alert: 8 Yellow-Painted Floors.

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Above: A longitudinal sectional study of the house presents the tidy new room arrangement. The second story is stepped back and barely visible from the exterior. Notes Studio Four: "In contrast to the existing Victorian spaces in the front of the dwelling, which provide enclosure and a sense of seclusion, the new living areas to the rear promote openness and interaction." Image via Studio Four.

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Above: A cross section of the remodel. Image via Studio Four.

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Above: A plan of the first floor shows the kitchen addition, the courtyard off the living room, and the master suit discreetly sectioned off at the front of the house. Image via Studio Four.

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Above: The new second floor has two children's bedrooms and a shared bath. Image via Studio Four.

For hundreds of Children's Room ideas, peruse our photo gallery, including 24 Built-In Bunk Beds. And for another Victorian remodel with a Scandi twist, see House Call: Endless Summer, plus The Designer Is In: An All-White Kitchen in London.

More Stories from Remodelista

• The Designer Is In: A Scandi Kitchen in a London Victorian
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• Marrakech Modern: A Remodeled Riad for Rent

Romance as business: Pierre, a Parisian, met Charlotte, an Australian, in Tokyo when they were teenagers. After living in Paris (where he played in a rock band and she worked in film), they moved to Melbourne and started their bespoke furniture company. The couple's influences range from Japan to Scandinavia and France; to see the full line, go to Pierre + Charlotte, or if you're in Melbourne, visit their showroom at 15 Purcell Street.

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Above: The Pye Dining Table features an oval top fixed to a pedestal base. Prices available on request.

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Above: The Kokeshi Sideboard is made of American oak.

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Above: The M15 Lounge Chair has a removable cotton cover that comes in 48 colors. 

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Above: The Pacman Table Light is AU $440.

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Above: A view of the shop with the rectangular Pierre + Charlotte Butler's Coffee Table in the center. Available in a range of finishes, it's shown here in bleached and limed oak.

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Above: The Pacman Pendant Light is AU $440.

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Above: On a trip to Japan, the couple met a master dyer in Kyoto who uses a natural fermentation process to dye cotton with indigo. Their indigo wall sconce (shown above) makes use of his fabric wrapped on a steel frame (it's also available in white linen).

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Above: The wall-mounted indigo sconce is AU $330.

Looking for small furniture workshops? See our Furniture posts, and take a look at Another Country in London, and Sawkille Co. in upstate New York.

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• DIY: An Easy Terracotta Pendant Light
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In his latest culinary venture, Ruyi Dumpling & Wine Bar, Melbourne restaurateur Sheng Fan wanted a design that's as simple and fresh as the home-style dumplings he specializes in. His mandate for Melbourne architect Hecker Guthrie was to take tradition and turn it on its head. As Fan points out in The Urban List, “Chinese restaurants in the West are still very clichéd and predictable, with the interiors all red, green, and gold.” At Ruyi, earth-based tones update the familiar, while a mix of natural materials and finishes such as plywood, brass fixings, and handmade ceramics lend an entirely contemporary feel. 

Photography by Shannon McGrath via Yellow Trace, unless otherwise noted.

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Above: Polished concrete floors and and pale wood furnishings give the restaurant a pared-down, utilitarian feel. See our primer on Polished Concrete Floors in Remodeling 101.

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Above: The traditional strong reds and greens typically seen in Chinese restaurants have been translated into oxblood red Concrete and Wood Pendants by Thai designer Decha Archjananun and sage green shelving. 

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Above: Bench seating is fashioned out of plywood wall panels that are held together with polished-brass dovetail joints.

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Above: Linen and leather cushions provide bench comfort. Note the under-the-seat storage.

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Above: A brass rail with hooks offers diners an easy place to hang coats.

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Above: Sculptural Edizioni Zeus Occasional Tables by Prospero Rasulo are dotted around the dining area. Their porcelainized Gres finish works well with the restaurant's handmade crockery.

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Above: Fashioned by Melbourne ceramic artist Andrei Davidoff, the stoneware is on open display for easy access.

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Above: Natural light filters in through large shop-front windows and is diffused by woven blinds. In 5 Strategies for Covering 50 Windows—for Under a Million Dollars and Remodeling 101: Simple Roller Blinds, we explore inexpensive window covering options.

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Above: The restaurant's fare is served in traditional bamboo steamers. Image via The Urban LIst.

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Above: Two bands of white tiles in two different sizes add texture to the face of the bar. See our White Tile Pattern Glossary for more ideas on how to use white tiles. 

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Above: In the bathroom a circular mirror hangs from a brass rod. The lighting that emanates from behind causes the mirror to glow like the moon, an important symbol in Chinese culture.

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Above: Potted plants introduce more green, as does the restaurant's clean and simple signage. 

Ruyi Dumpling & Wine Bar is in Melbourne's Chinatown.

If you're planning a trip to Australia, be sure to consult our City Guides for design-worthy destinations. On Gardenista, have a look at Fowlers Flowers in Melbourne. For another inventive Chinese canteen, see On Tap: Beer with Chinese Herbs at Beijing's First Microbrewery.

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A while back, we reported on the open shelving trend in the kitchen. Lately, we're noticing an offshoot: the haphazard, deconstructed box shelving variation. We're on board.

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Above: A Brooklyn kitchen by design firm Workstead features a wall-mounted box shelving system. See more at An Urban Cabin Made in Brooklyn.

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Above: In a kitchen by Melbourne-based Whiting Architects, box shelving functions as both display space and storage opportunity.

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Above: The Mini Stacked Shelf System by JDS Architects for Muuto allows you to create a customizable shelving unit.

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Above: Box shelves via Swedish shop Granit. Photograph via Raw Design Blog.

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Above: A pastel kitchen in Denmark by TVIS, spotted on Boligcious.

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Above: Artist Kirra Jamison's Melbourne kitchen features open box shelving. Photograph by Derek Swalwell via InsideOut Magazine.

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Above: A kitchen shelving system by Danish company We Do Wood.

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Above: An Airbnb flat in Copenhagen via Little Big Bell.

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Above: Wall-mounted storage boxes in a Scandinavian kitchen via Hitta Hem.

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Above: A Swedish kitchen with reclaimed wood boxes as shelving by Stockholm designer Katarina Grundstromer.

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Above: Box shelving via New Zealand shop Nest, via The Design Chaser.

Interested in more storage ideas? See Kitchen: Open Shelf Roundup.

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Born in London, raised in Australia, and now based in Manhattan, fashion photographer Ben Watts (brother of actress Naomi Watts) escapes the city to a shingled house in Montauk. The setup, which we spotted in Lonny Magazine, overlooks the ocean and has an overall laid-back vibe that we can't help but attribute to Watts's Aussie background. The master bath is especially appealing; masculine, airy, and bright, it has an easy look we'd like to replicate. Here are some of the elements.

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Above: The sun-filled room features a peaked ceiling with exposed beams. The walk-in shower has dual rainfall showerheads and is clad in classic subway tile. The marble-topped double vanity is paired with traditional faucets and offers open shelving—the space stays clutter free thanks to baskets and wall hooks. Photograph by Ball & Albanese for Lonny Magazine. 

The Basics

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Above: The Weathered Oak Double Washstand comes in five finishes and four marble-top options; $3,295 from Restoration Hardware.

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Above: The Hemnes Mirror in a gray/brown finish is 65 inches by 29 1/8 inches. It can be hung horizontally or vertically; $98 from Ikea. 

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Above: The Kohler 8-Inch Traditional Round Rain Showerhead in polished chrome is $273.97 on Amazon.

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Above: The Kohler Purist 1-Handle Thermostatic Valve Trim Kit with Cross Handle (valve not included) comes in six finishes (polished chrome shown here); $197.85 from Home Depot. 

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Above: Minimalist Franklin Wall Sconces add an industrial look to the bathroom. The sconce comes in three finishes (shown here in Antique Black); $79 from Schoolhouse Electric.

The Accessories

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Above: The Schoolhouse Electric Douglas Fir Coat Rack has cast-iron hooks on a recycled board that came out of the company's own factory. A Four-Hook Rack is $45 and a Six-Hook Rack is $55 from Schoolhouse Electric.

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Above: The Matchstick Roll-Up Blind in natural starts at $16 (24 inches by 72 inches) from Oriental Furniture. For more options, see our posts on Japanese-Inspired Matchstick Blinds and Simple Roller Blinds.

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Above: Made of yarn-dyed cotton, the Horizontal Stripe Bath Mat comes in slate (shown here) as well as pale blue and yellow; $29 from West Elm. 

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Above: The Honeycomb Tassel Hand Towel is $10 from West Elm. 

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Above: The Byholma Basket comes in three sizes and starts at $7.99 from Ikea. 

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Above: The Land's End Women's Turkish Terry Calf-Length Robe is $65, and the Men's Turkish Terry Calf-Length Robe is on sale for $59.99.

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Above: The handmade glass Bedside Carafe with Tumbler, shown here in aqua, is $22 from Canvas Home. See more options in 10 Easy Pieces: Bedside Carafes.

See the rest of Ben Watt's Montauk house on Lonny.

For more ideas to steal, browse all our Steal This Look posts. Gardenista recently featured Steal This Look: A Danish Summer House with an Outdoor Shower, and here are 29 Inspiring Outdoor Showers.  

Do you prefer a single or double vanity? Read which gets Gardenista editor Michelle's vote in Domestic Dispatches. 

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We have a fondness for the earthy warmth of terracotta lighting—see 10 Favorites: Terracotta Pendant Lights. But it wasn't until we spotted Australian garden designer Joost Bakker's DIY approach that owning a clay pendant seemed too easy to pass up.

Bakker is a master at elevating the terracotta flowerpot: He designs stand-alone iron planters and large vertical gardens full of them. And for his own family home in Monbulk, Australia, just east of Melbourne, Bakker devised dozens of unusual lighting options. Our favorite is the upside-down flowerpot lampshade that hangs in the main bedroom. I'm no electrician, but I sleuthed the parts and easily copied the look for my own apartment. Here's a step-by-step tutorial.

The Inspiration

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Above: Joost Bakker's weathered terracotta flower pot works well with a wood sideboard and brick wall. Photograph by Sean Fennessy for The Design Files.

Materials

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• A terracotta flower pot, about six inches in diameter at its widest point
• Pendant cord set, such as the Nylon Cord Set in white from West Elm, $29, or Ikea's Hemma Cord Set, $5
• Clear Globe Light; $6.99 from Amazon or your local hardware store
• Needle-nose pliers
• Phillips head screwdriver
• 3mm Hex L Key (needed for use with the West Elm cord set, but not necessarily all cord sets)
• Wall bracket (optional)
• Baking soda, water, and paintbrush (optional)

Instructions

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Step 1: To make the light, begin by dismantling the cord from the bulb socket. This is a fairly simple process, but directions may vary slightly depending on the pendant cord you choose. Using the West Elm Nylon Cord Set, I first unscrewed the bolt holding the cord to the socket casing with the hex key. (If you go with Ikea's Hemma Cord Set, read the dismantling instructions from Instructables.)

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Step 2: Using a Phillips head screwdriver, unscrew the light socket from the metal housing. Then unscrew the wires, remembering the placement of each for later, when you reattach the parts.

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Step 3: In the cord kit that I worked with, I found three electrical wires (green, white, and black). The white and black wires were connected to the socket itself and could be easily unscrewed. The green wire was screwed into a fitting inside of the metal housing, so I used a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove it. Cords and sockets can be wired a number of ways, so consider looking up tutorials online for specific instructions on how to dismantle yours.

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Step 4: Once you've disconnected the cord from the metal housing, you can string the flowerpot through the cord (the standard hole in the bottom of pots is perfect for this). Then retrace your steps to reassemble the cord to the socket.

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Step 5: You can either hardwire the pendant cord according to the manufacturer's instruction, or, using a shelf bracket, wrap the cord around the bracket to hang the light.

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Above: The finished results. I opted to leave the terracotta untreated, but for a rougher look, you can add a patina to the pot by brushing on a solution of baking soda and water. (Note that this creates an indoor-only finish—it washes off when wet.) We'd love to see pictures of your finished flowerpot lights hanging in room settings.

See some of our favorite handmade terracotta pendants in Terracotta Pendant Lights by Thomas Housden. For more do-it-yourself lighting projects, visit DIY: A New $60 Lindsey Adelman Pendant Light, DIY: An Industrial Wall Light for $15, and DIY: The $7 Pendant Light Redo.

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The last time I was in an Aesop store, I felt a sudden onset of calm that I'm still trying to pinpoint. It could have been the vetiver in the air, or the sensation of washing my hands in a great porcelain basin, or the hand soap itself of "petitgrain exfoliant." The Australian apothecary line was founded in Melbourne in 1987 and ever since has advocated the use of its formulations as "part of a balanced life that includes a healthy diet, sensible exercise, a moderate intake of red wine, and a regular dose of stimulating literature." There's that calm feeling again.

To drive home the Aesop ethos, each store—across 11 countries—has a site-specific design set up for browsing and lingering. And our favorite element in just about every location is the prominent wash basin. Here are 19 of the most memorable.

Australia

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Above: Designed in collaboration with Melbourne architect Rodney Eggleston of March Studio, the North Melbourne store is housed in a former Victorian manor. Eggleston preserved the copper-framed windows and trio of Venetian fountains with brass garden faucets.

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Above: The work of Kerstin Thompson Architects, the Emporium shop in Melbourne has a sink, register island, and perforated screen of spotted gum, a native Australian hardwood. 

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Above: The store in Balmain, a suburb just west of Sydney, was created in collaboration with furniture and lighting designer Henry Wilson, who exposed the raw sandstone walls. The white industrial shelves and sink are made of Australian woods and powder-coated metal.

United States

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Above: Aesop's San Francisco store features reclaimed timber box shelving and was designed by NADAAA.

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Above: Aesop's Chelsea location in New York City has a trough sink and walls collaged with back issues of The Paris Review, the shop's neighbor on Ninth Street.

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Above: The Nolita location in New York City was designed by Jeremy Barbour of Tacklebox Architecture. Barbour used the New York Times as a building material—2,800 copies of the newspaper were cut into 400,000 strips and then stacked and bound, and offset by oak detailing. The store is equipped with a deep farmhouse sink for washing hands.

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Above: The B is for Brooklyn location, inside the Invisible Dog Art Center, in South Brooklyn has a rotating visual art installation and simple shelving. Lacking plumbing in the center of the store, the long, antique wash basin is equipped with its own water and refuse supply.

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Above: The West End store in Portland, Oregon, was designed in collaboration with John Randolph, who sourced shou-sugi-ban-treated Douglas fir and a large antique wash basin that he set up in the center of the store. Intrigued? See our post on Shou Sugi Ban as Siding and Flooring.

United Kingdom

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Above: Ilse Crawford of Studioilse designed Aesop's Mayfair store in London, located in a Victorian mansion. Crawford restored the interior, adding a wash of dark mint green, modern lighting, and industrial shelving. The large round wash basin is a restored antique as well.

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Above: In London, the Marylebone location was a maternity clothing store before Paris architects Studio KO stripped the interior, spray-painting the brick a reddish putty color. The wash basin is made of cast concrete and has an unfinished oak board as a sink caddie.

France

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Above: Designed by Paris firm Cigue, the Marais store in Paris has walls of polished concrete with a central island of polished marble. The large wash basin was made from a plumbing lid, a former piece of Paris infrastructure.

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Above: The Aesop Montmartre store, also by Cigue, features a sink of powder-coated black sheet steel set into an oak countertop. For more on the architects, see our post A Nonconformist Kitchen in Paris.

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Above: The work of Italian firm Dimore Studio, the Saint-Sulpice store in Paris has a large brass vanity that stretches across one side of the room, a black-and-white marble floor, vintage mirrors, and pink velvet walls. See more by the architects in our posts Ancient Meets Modern in a Milan Apartment and Luxury Redux at the Grand Hotel in Milan.

Germany

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Above: With its floor-to-ceiling concrete tiles in the style of Gerhard Richter, the Mitte store in Berlin, by architects Weiss-heiten Design, is an homage to the city's Bauhaus. The sink was salvaged from a 1950s farm and stands in contrast to the otherwise modern interior.

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Above: The Karlspassage store in Stuttgart was designed by Einszu33 in a palette of charcoal gray. The central sinks are Nero Assoluto black granite with faucets made from galvanized metal plumbing parts.

Hong Kong

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Above: Piping reappears in the copper faucets of the Aesop Hong Kong Elements store. The triangular wash basin sits in a wood-clad island in the center of the store.

Japan

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Above: The Aesop Kyoto store was designed by Shinichiro Ogata of the Simplicity team who drew inspiration from Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s essay "In Praise of Shadows" and the vertical alignment of Japanese script, among other things. The island sink is made from copper plumbing.

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Above: Designed by Torafu Architects, the Kawaramachi store, on Kawaramachi Street in Kyoto, is made of concrete and a porous stone called Ōya with accents of bright mint. The same green was used for the wash basins, which are paired with brass faucets.

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Above: In Ginza, Tokyo, the Aesop store was designed by Jo Nagasaka of Schemata Architects, who kitted out the storefront in brick and concrete. The sink is inset in a brick countertop with a brass wash basin and taps. Photograph by Alessio Guarino via Arch Daily.

For more design-worthy shops to visit all over the world, have a look through our City Guides. And to see Aesop products featured on Remodelista, visit our Shop section and our post A Hong Kong Apothecary Made from Reclaimed Ship's Wood.

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Stripes have a somewhat checkered history. Medieval society was deeply suspicious of fabric patterned with lines and made it the textile of outsiders, deemed suitable only for court jesters and ladies of the night. Later, stripes became the uniform of crewmen, slaves, and prisoners. It wasn't until Queen Victoria dressed her son Albert in a striped sailor suit toward the end of the 19th century that attitudes were adjusted. By the time Coco Chanel discovered the Breton fisherman's shirt in the 1920s, stripes had taken on a much happier aspect, becoming synonymous with relaxation—and ideal for use on deck chairs, pajamas, beach towels and bed linens. Here are some summery classics available by the yard.

Five to buy

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Above: Ian Mankin specializes in striped cotton and linen produced by one of the last remaining cotton mills in Lancashire, England. See Ian Mankin Stockists for vendors all over the world, including US sources.

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Above: Robert Kaufman Medium Stripe Denim is $10.72 a yard at Purl Soho. It's approximately 40 inches wide and is quilting cotton weight.

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Above: This heavy French Cotton, woven in the Basque region of France, is ideal for upholstery, table linens, and espadrilles, among other things. It's 72 inches wide and available in a variety of stripes (including Sunbrella Outdoor Fabric and Oilcloth). The cotton is $68 per yard at Les Toiles du Soleil. For more on the company, see our post Sunny Striped Fabrics from France. Photograph via Canet-en-Roussillon.

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Above: John Lewis Cranmore Stripe Fabric is a cotton often used for Roman blinds (which the store makes to order). It's 137 centimeters wide and £15 per meter at John Lewis in the UK.

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Above: Natural Striped Black Linen is made from flax grown in Lithuania and is 150 centimeters wide. It's available from Etsy seller Linen by Inga; $59.98 for two meters.

Object Lessons columnist Megan Wilson is the owner of Ancient Industries and curator of the Remodelista 100 presented in the Remodelista book. Watch for her column every Tuesday, and have a look at her past posts, including last week's Object Lesson on the most basic (and beloved) of striped fabrics, Classic Mattress Ticking. We featured Megan's new shop in our recent post Purveyor of the Practical and the Timeless.

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• Stay Tuned: The Remodelista Considered Design Awards Winners Will Be Announced Soon

We couldn't be happier with the results of our second annual Remodelista Considered Design Awards: You submitted more than 1,000 projects, our panel of judges selected the finalists, and you voted more than 50,000 times—and pinned and Tweeted your favorites. A huge thanks to all participants.

Each winner will be receiving a limited edition Jieldé SI333 Signal Desk Lamp in Bronze, as well as a profile post on Remodelista—watch for them over the next few weeks. And head over to Gardenista to see the results of their Considered Design Awards. 

Without further ado, congratulations to our winners!

Amateurs

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Above: Best Amateur Kitchen: Maya Ivanir in Los Angeles, California. 

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Above: Best Amateur Living/Dining Space: Theresa di Scianni in East Hampton, New York. 

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Above: Best Amateur Office Space: Caitlin Long in San Francisco, California. 

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Above: Best Amateur Bedroom: Anne S. Holtermann in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. 

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Above: Best Amateur Bathroom: Deborah Bowman in Calistoga, California. 

Professionals

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Above: Best Professional Kitchen: Space Exploration in Brooklyn, New York. 

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Above: Best Professional Living/Dining Space: Massim Design Studio in Brooklyn, New York. 

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Above: Best Professional Bedroom: Hyde Evans Design in Rockaway Beach, Washington. 

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Above: Best Professional Bathroom: Etelamaki Architecture in Brooklyn, New York. 

For a look at last year's Considered Design Awards—including finalists and winners—see the 2013 Remodelista Considered Design Awards archive. 

More Stories from Remodelista

• Object Lessons: Classic Summer Stripes
• Table of Contents: Down Under
• Stay Tuned: The Remodelista Considered Design Awards Winners Will Be Announced Soon