First-time homeowners Greg and Chantal Hickman are familiarized with makeovers. He’s a stylist at Nordstrom. The few pulled out of their design art to give their dated 1961 house in East Dallas a hands on transformation. They gave the exterior a Palm Springs–motivated facelift, and also the interior today comes with an eclectic vibe which incorporates Greg’s handmade furniture.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Greg and Chantal Hickman and their beagle–Boston terrier mix, Lucy
Location: East Dallas
Size: 1,200 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Year built: 1961

Hilary Walker

Greg and Chantal, shown here, worked with a $4,000 layout budget for the exterior and a six-month time frame. They painted the brick a dark grey and the doorway a cheerful coral. Then they added a painted decorative display and replaced the walls. Modern planters and steel edging inspired from the low-maintenance landscaping and midcentury-cool design of Palm Springs replaced unruly shrubs. “We wanted it to have a more desert feel and drought-resistant plants to the horrible Texas heat,” says Chantal.

Gray paint: Porpoise (5 percent darker); doorway paint: Ardent Coral, equally by Sherwin Williams

Hilary Walker

Lucy lounges on a sectional that divides the living area that is open-plan. The couple found the “214” signal at local store Dolly Python. The figures represent the couple’s wedding anniversary (Valentine’s Day) in addition to a Dallas region code.

Rug: Samaya Soumak Jute Rug, West Elm; alloy bar stools: Again & Again

Hilary Walker

The Hickmans invested at a few midcentury modern pieces, similar to this lounge chair, to combine with their newer pieces.

Yellow pillow: Trade Days

Hilary Walker

Lush pots of greenery, in this way fiddle leaf fig, adorn multiple corners throughout the home.

Hilary Walker

This midcentury credenza, utilized as a TV stand, got a contemporary flourish with the inclusion of flocked damask paper.

Hilary Walker

The property’s kitchen was updated by the last owner but has been lacking interest. Greg measured and stained pine wooden slats and added them into the front counter to get a striking accent.

Metal bar stools: Again & Again

Hilary Walker

Hilary Walker

Greg, who sells his handmade furniture on Etsy, created this wooden bookshelf. The purple geode was picked up during a trip to one of the few favorite destinations: Marfa, Texas.

Drapes: West Elm

Hilary Walker

The bedroom features an impressive accent wall which Greg and Chantal made using Inhabit wall flats made from bark berry sugar. A black macramé hanger is a posh accent as well.

Wall tiles: Chrysalis, Inhabit; bed: stage, BoConcept; pillow: Lappljung Ruta, Ikea

Hilary Walker

Mementos collected from travels and experiences accent every room, such as in this bedside vignette. This polaroid of Chantal was taken at a graffiti park during a trip to Austin for the Fourth of July. The geode was accumulated while the two were on holiday with friends in Marfa, Texas.

Hilary Walker

To contrast the white accent wall, the remainder of the area is a warm grey. A rich wood midcentury credenza and moody art round out the area. The hardwood floors are original to the home.

Paint: Channel Seal Gray, Valspar

Hilary Walker

An excess bedroom acts as a multipurpose area; the Hickmans use it as a home office and for bicycle storage.

Hilary Walker

They maximized the space in this area by adding wall storage along with a shared desk. Greg created the shelves from uncooked cedar, as well as the couple bought the desk from a artist at Austin throughout a City-Wide Garage Sale.

Hilary Walker

With the help of Rocky Garza, another Dallas furniture maker using a similar flavor for industrial layout and rustic timber, the two built a dining table and benches for the outdoor patio.

Hilary Walker

A number of the pieces here, including the letter “H,” that the 7UP tin can and the cart, were sourced from flea markets, Craigslist, antique shops and estate sales.

Hilary Walker

“It’s very good to get support from each other,” Greg says. “That is key for us. We are a team on just about everything. I wouldn’t be doing half what I’m doing now if it weren’t for [Chantal].”

Your turn: Show us your creative house

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Couples that are creative take up space. They go around, have a lot of supplies and generally need private regions to feel inspired and work on projects. That’s why celebrity Cyrus Khambatta and painter Denise Johnson set out to include more room to their 1934 Seattle house, in the kind of a multiuse dancing and painting studio in their own garden.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Cyrus Khambatta, Denise Johnson and their daughter
Location: Seattle
Size: 1,500 square feet plus a 780-square-foot detached studio; 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms
That’s intriguing: The house previously sat on a flat lot with one lone apple tree. The homeowners completed their landscaping in part through Plant Amnesty’s Adopt-A-Plant and Green-Share applications.
Year constructed: 1934

Kimberley Bryan

Their new studio is based on the mother’s of Khambatta farm in Pennsylvania. Khambatta worked to build an carport structure. He later added a fourth wall with sliding doors.

Great care was taken to make sure that the studio was appropriate for dancers, together with layout pointers from friend Paul Thorpe. Crucial into the studio’s layout are its high ceilings without interior support columns. A basket stack of 1- by 3-inch planks beneath the bamboo was used to make a flooring with just enough give and spring.

Kimberley Bryan

Between Johnson’s painting and Khambatta’s dance, the multiuse studio is a busy location. To achieve it, everyone follows this rock path around the face of the main home.

Red paint: Leaf Rust, Rodda

Kimberley Bryan

Khambatta designed and installed these square windows to let in more natural lighting. The couple uses easily movable and removable things such as screens to give privacy or change the feel of this space.

Kimberley Bryan

The set made adjustments to their primary home, too. From the living room, they substituted wood paneling with drywall. They retained the ceiling paneling but whitewashed the timber to highlight its grain.

The floors throughout the primary level are original fir. It took two weeks to strip the aged, yellow end. Rather than restaining the floors, they refinished them with a high-gloss finish.

Wall paint: Midnight Navy, Benjamin Moore; coffee table: David Smith (now closed); couches: Ikea

Kimberley Bryan

The couple added a thick timber plank mantel to their river-rock wood-burning fireplace. The corner mirror is a household hand-me-down, and covering the little window is a folded curtain panel dangling over a rod.

Kimberley Bryan

The main bedroom ocean-inspired wall color acts as a fitting background for a gallery of Johnson’s colorful and graphic original artwork.

Kimberley Bryan

The couple’s kid’s spacious bedroom is an ode to all things colorful and comfy. Khambatta left the Morroccan-inspired canopy bed by turning a table upside down and attaching it to a plywood frame. The cabinets underneath are repurposed kitchen cabinets. Damask drapes slide to offer her privacy.

Kimberley Bryan

Original French doors separate the dining area from the living area.

Side table: Cost Plus World Market

Kimberley Bryan

They opened up what was once a galley kitchen allowing an open flow from dining area to kitchen into backyard.

Kimberley Bryan

Cyrus Khambatta and Denise Johnson relax in front of one of her paintings.

Your turn: Can you work from home? Share your house with us

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It is fitting that John Eastman utilizes a classic freight elevator to access his property. As a large-scale abstract painter and maker of reclaimed-wood furniture because of his company, Eastman Tribe, Eastman wanted an industrial space where he is creative, meet with clients and still have all of the conveniences of home.

His downtown Pittsburgh loft delivers on both practicality and minimalist, industrial style. As an instance, sheets of corrugated metal produce partitions that specify the living spaces, whereas more sheets around the ceiling establish fixtures Eastman calls metal kites that produce cool uplighting. Meanwhile, charcoal-gray floors and white walls produce a gallery-recalling space that allows Eastman’s vivid paintings and rustic timber furniture pieces to stand out.

at a Glance
Who resides: John Eastman
Location: Downtown Pittsburgh
Size: 3,300 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom

Jason Snyder

Eastman enters his loft by way of a freight elevator. The signal overhead is classic.

Wall paint: Ultra Pure White, Behr; floor paint: Charcoal Gray, Behr

Jason Snyder

Looking to save money but also add a few industrial allure, Eastman used sheets of stainless steel to create walls that define the inside spaces. A orange accent wall highlights two first acrylic paintings from Eastman.

Wall paint: Citrus Blast, Behr; seat: Stripes Bench, Eastman Tribe

Jason Snyder

Eastman’s paintings and a live-edge java table that he made adorn the living area.

Sofa: St. Jean, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; java table: Stone Coffee Table, Eastman Tribe; art: John Eastman; floor lamp, metal seat: classic

Jason Snyder

Chairs, pendant lights: Ikea; table: estate sale

Jason Snyder

Eastman built this dining area barn table from salvaged industrial warehouse beams. Its center includes a painted candle well that is also used for bread.

The artist used a barn door to create the “XXO” bit; he painted the Ikea seats and classic locker red.

Pendant lights: Ikea

Jason Snyder

A metallic sink and vulnerable plumbing continue the industrial aesthetic in the restroom.

Jason Snyder

Wall paint: Lime Pop, Behr

Jason Snyder

For this little study space, Eastman painted a classic table white and additional classic black Windsor seats.

Jason Snyder

A bigger freight elevator enables Eastman to transport some of his first oversize paintings and paintings in and out of the studio.

French doors: Building Junction

Jason Snyder

Jason Snyder

Eastman calls for the corrugated metal sheets on the ceiling metal kites. They offer an economical alternative to replacing the worn cement ceiling while providing exceptional uplighting.

Sofa: Ikea; finish tables: Eastman Tribe; timber seat: classic

Jason Snyder

This drawing table was bought in the ’90s. Eastman has since painted and reconfigured it to match his existing filing requirements. “Two Ideas” by Eastman hangs above the table.

Jason Snyder

John Eastman, pictured here, plans to shake his kitchen soon.

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“We were meant to be together,” says homeowner Jessica Craig, describing her connection with the midcentury home she purchased in October 2012. “I knew I needed something midcentury with background, and as soon as I walked into the door, I knew I was home.”

Architects Lyle Rowley and Jack Wilson of Ju-Nel Homes constructed the home in 1967, and the layout has enjoyed decades of remaining power. “Their houses have none of the cool aloofness that can sometimes plague midcentury modern houses,” Craig says. And fortunately, the previous homeowners maintained that the home beautifully. A note left by former employer Charles Wilson reads: “I lived in this home from 1967–1999. I adored it. Please love it, too.”

Craig, who functions in the interior design industry, is keeping the tradition alive by elevating the space with a classy, welcoming vibe achieved through clever furnishings and midcentury flair.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Jessica Craig, her boyfriend, Juan Pinzon, along with their dog, June Bug
Size: 1,800 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
Location: Lake Highlands neighborhood of Dallas

Sarah Greenman

Many signature Ju-Nel features specify Craig’s living space: vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, paned glass along with an open connection to the kitchen, the latter of which was a charm during its structure.

The mother of Juan Pinzon, Craig’s boyfriend and housemate, owns a Ligne Roset store in Panama and had ordered the wrong color Togo couch one day. She gave it to the bunch, and it’s now Craig’s favorite piece.

The coffee table is from Pace, a prominent designer of metal, marble and glass pieces throughout the 1980s.

Paint: Balboa Mist, Benjamin Moore

Sarah Greenman

The Ju-Nel architects were very interested in producing cozy family spaces, and so they always placed a hearth at the middle of their living room designs.

Craig refinished a classic dresser to use as a TV console. “Sometimes people give me strange looks when they visit bedroom furniture in the living area, but I think that it looks excellent!” She says.

Lamps, wood displays: Round Top Antique Fair; background: Yesterday’s News in Chronicle, Innovations; hearth paint: Wildwood Crest, Benjamin Moore

Sarah Greenman

Craig discovered that this gold bench at a consignment store in Dallas’ design district on Riverfront Boulevard. “It was pretty tarnished, which is why they had been having difficulty selling it,” she says. “But I loved the patina and left it.”

Artwork: Brant Williams

Sarah Greenman

Craig likes to entertain and host friends at the home. The dining area’s dark, moody wall color creates a romantic atmosphere and supplies the white furniture a lot of pop up. A huge picture window faces the front yard. Kelly Wearstler textiles adorn the window and chair cushions.

Wall paint: Bear Creek, Benjamin Moore; dining chairs: West Elm; table: Crate & Barrel

Sarah Greenman

The area recieves light from the west- and west-facing windows, rare for a dining space. Craig plays up the natural light with gold and brass details around the space. A bar cart holds spirits and classic barware.

Sarah Greenman

Craig has a knack for locating eye-catching classic furniture and decor. “It is not a special gift,” she says. “It is only patience. I will see things in a pile of crap that others don’t see because they’re moving too fast.”

A little bamboo dining table in the dining area carries a pair of midcentury lamps, classic barware and an orchid.

Artwork: Brant Williams; orchid structure: Grange Hall Urban Flower

Sarah Greenman

Craig discovered this elaborate entryway couch table at a furniture consignment store.

Wallpaper: Sumatra in Shell, Innovations; artwork: Brant Williams

Sarah Greenman

Vaulted ceilings, butcher block countertops and spacious shelves that showcase the homeowner’s bright green Fiestaware help produce a sense of space and simplicity in the otherwise narrow kitchen. “I love cooking, and this kitchen is set up really well,” Craig says.

Fiestaware: Macy’s; cabinet paint : Cos Cob Stonewall, Benjamin Moore

Sarah Greenman

Craig likes to groom the kitchen pub with curios and classic pieces. A tiered tray holds photos, potted moss and correspondence supplies. The classic Hermes 3000 typewriter, very similar to the one Jack Kerouac utilized, was a gift from Craig’s sister and brother-in-law.

Sarah Greenman

A sharp white parson’s shelves and desk keep the office clean and organized, even though a seat upholstered in classic fabric adds a little retro design.

Paint: Indian River, Benjamin Moore; desk: parson’s, West Elm (damage stack); shelves: Expedit, Ikea; lamp: Again & Again; classic chair upholstery: Fabric Yard

Sarah Greenman

Craig purchased this table for $20 at a secondhand store. The seat belonged to her grandmother. “There is something about a classic piece that exudes personality,” she says. “The trick to finding good stuff would be not to be judgmental. I tend to feel that a piece rather than see it.”

Wall paint: Indian River, Benjamin Moore

Sarah Greenman

A Jack and Jill bathroom divides the office and guest room. Craig want to replace the vanity with something more industrial.

Wallpaper: Manila in Cypress, Innovations

Sarah Greenman

Sarah Greenman

A classic mirror artwork piece pops over the guest room mattress, giving the space a ’70s vibe. Craig bought the mattress at a biannual pop-up shop hosted by Dwell With Dignity, a nonprofit group of interior designers and volunteers in Dallas who raise money to help create inspirational and soothing homes for families fighting poverty.

Wall paint: Indian River, Benjamin Moore; pendant: Floral, David Trubridge

Sarah Greenman

The L-shaped principal bedroom is a soft, relaxing area full of plush textures, neutral colors and individual touches. “I always tell my clients to stay away from complete bedding collections,” the designer says. “It is more fun to buy single pieces from different places to create your own look.”

Wall paint: Rockport Gray, Benjamin Moore; euro shams: DwellStudio; fur pillow: Anthropologie; coverlet: Bed, Bath & Beyond; headboard, side table: Weirs

Sarah Greenman

Craig infused a nook in the bedroom with a little bit of old Hollywood glamour by way of a zebra rug, a classic love chair, low light and soft curtains.

Sliding glass doors nearby open to a patio.

Wall paint: Rockport Gray, Benjamin Moore; couch: Again & Again; upholstery: Fabric Yard; centre pillow: Missioni; curtains: Restoration Hardware

Sarah Greenman

Craig’s mother made this clock by framing a knitted square where she attached classic buttons from her grandma. “All the women in my family are very crafty, and this clock was such a fun project,” she says.

Sarah Greenman

The designer refinished this classic vanity and cleaned up its first hardware. “I wanted to paint the vanity in a shade similar to the wall, so it didn’t stand out as separate from the space,” she says.

Vanity paint: Gargoyle, Benjamin Moore

Sarah Greenman

The main bedroom opens to the backyard. The first home plans show that all 3 bedrooms once had sliding doors that opened to this outdoor area. “I’d like to renew the doors someday,” Craig says.

Sarah Greenman

A live oak tree in front yard offers shade for 2 rock chairs, where the few like people watching.

Trim paint: Kendall Charcoal, Benjamin Moore; rock chairs: Round Top Antique Fair

Sarah Greenman

“I want to fill my home with things that make me feel good,” says Craig, seen here with June Bug. “I am motivated by texture, people, clothing and artwork.”

See more photos of this home

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Pittsburgh native Stacy Weiss, proprietor retailer Weisshouse, had just sold her renovated home when she stumbled upon a converted attic space in the ultrahip area of Shadyside. “I was looking for a rental while attempting to find something new to renovate,” she explains. This open area with tall ceilings and whitewashed bricks checked off everything on her wish list and enabled her to carry over everything out of her previous home.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Stacy Weiss
Location: Shadyside area of Pittsburgh
Size: 1,500 square feet; two bedrooms, 2 baths

Adrienne DeRosa

The feature wall in the living area sets the tone to the flat.

Weiss took advantage of the huge empty wall by producing a gallery display of artwork. Spanning the variety of styles and origins, the pieces are hung asymmetrically, giving a natural feel. While the notion of fitting all her artwork was initially daunting, this is currently Weiss’ favorite spot in her property. “I somehow managed to fit it and actually add to it from time to time,” she says.

Sofa: Charles Series, B&B Italia

Adrienne DeRosa

Oversize accessories, such as this aptly named Grande Hand Bowl from Global Views, suit the expansive quantity of the attic, while soft green botanicals ground the coffee table arrangement.

Adrienne DeRosa

An intimate dining area is just off the living room. Even though Weiss has many favorite places where she shops for her home, she gains from firsthand exposure to amazing finds. The classic Dakota Jackson dining seats were initially purchased for the store, but she loved them , she chose to keep them. Its wood-and-rod composition complements the form of the Eero Saarinen Tulip Table.

Adrienne DeRosa

Even though a common challenge of attic dwelling is producing an inviting environment, Weiss fulfilled this obstacle head on. “You must put lots of pieces in place so it doesn’t appear chilly,” she says.

Rather than working with a wish list of items and furnishings, Weiss takes a more emotive approach to picking what she brings home. By loving every bit she buys and then finding a place for it, she has created a relaxed environment where just about everything has a story.

For instance, Weiss’ parents bought the leather chair and ottoman from the’70s. “I was young, and I thought it was so awful,” Weiss shares. “Eventually I fell in love with it” She inherited the set about a decade back and still has not lost appreciation for it.

Adrienne DeRosa

An enthusiastic collector, Weiss displays items in classes frequently unified by a common topic, like female characters.

Adrienne DeRosa

By producing areas inside an open plan, Weiss made the most of the 1,500 square feet. A classic Turkish rug defines the seating area and produces a comfortable spot where she can relax or entertain. The set of self portraits with an artist named Liptiez, painted within a 20-year span, creates a contemplative backdrop.

Lamp: Noguchi Akari Floor Lamp, Weisshouse; armchairs: B&B Italia, Weisshouse

Adrienne DeRosa

Industrial meets classic from the guest bedroom with this Speedrail mattress from Area.

Maintaining consistency with the remainder of the attic, Weiss attracts the walls to life with lively and compelling artwork. The large scale paintings balance the room’s proportions and create movement among the furnishings.

Adrienne DeRosa

A fantastic feature to the attic is a wall breaking the guest room from the main living room. Being open round the top means that organic light from the living area pours over the wall to the otherwise living room.

Much of Weiss’ art set comes from musicians she knows or has worked with, and oftentimes they are represented in Weisshouse. The large-format photo shown here, by Chris Karavaugh, is a purchase from the local Mendelson Gallery. The scale of the piece stands up to the spacious quantity, while tailored black armchairs and a classic Karabagh rug round out the region.

Armchairs: Rietveld Chairs, Cassina

Adrienne DeRosa

In the master bedroom, Weiss strikes a balance between serenity and eye-popping colour.

Much like the remaining furnishings across the attic, Weiss transported these pieces over from her previous house and regrouped themletting their arrangement be ordered from the new area. “At this stage I am not actually searching for anything [new] specifically,” she says. “When I respond to something, I usually wind up keeping it indefinitely.”

Bed: habit by Cisco Brothers, Weisshouse; oversize poster: Ross Vintage Posters

Adrienne DeRosa

A bedside table from the master bedroom is adorned with hyacinth clippings in antique chemist bottles. These tiny natural details interrupts the geometry of the classic mod lamp and donate to the room’s feminine allure.

Adrienne DeRosa

A sculptural apparel form made by Weiss’ ex-husband, artist Karl Mullen, marks the passing in the dressing area. Weiss also represents Mullen in Weisshouse and holds a lot of his paintings in her personal collection.

Though the dressing area is out of the path of natural light, it doesn’t lack brightness. Cadmium yellow accents echo from elsewhere in the bedroom, lightening the nook and tying it in with the remainder of the area.

Adrienne DeRosa

This classic Broyhill desk functions as a dressing table outside the master tub. Weiss discovered the chair at Tri-State Antiques, among the favorite resources for unique products.

Lamp: Nautical Lights, Go Home

Adrienne DeRosa

A doll provides an otherwise formal wingback chair a lively disposition. “Her title is Funny,” Weiss says. She’s an exact replica of a doll which Weiss carried as a young kid. “I slept with the original into my teens till she awakens. My parents found this one in a flea market about 15 decades back,” she says. Although Funny came with a relatively large price tag, Weiss’ mother convinced her father to purchase it anyhow. Weiss says, laughing,”She twisted his arm I believe literally!”

In addition to providing the white chair a punch of colour, Funny imbues the area with a private connection which goes beyond cautious choice. Reinforcing the sentimental connection is a precious crocheted throw, knitted for Weiss with her daughter.

Wingback chair: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams

Adrienne DeRosa

Clean lines and white slipcovered seating allow colorful accessories to take visual priority in this bedroom seating area.

Following a friend’s proposal, Weiss utilizes a painter’s easel as a TV stand. This not only makes a statement, but it also allows the tv to be placed just about anywhere.

Adrienne DeRosa

Sunlight washes across the space via a huge bank of windows. The combination of furnishings offers the tranquility of a living space but with solitude that just a bedroom can offer.

Bringing this corner of the room together is a one-of-a-kind rug by Pittsburgh artist Virgil Cantini. Both a painter and a sculptor, Cantini had traveled to Ecuador in 1969 to design an assortment of rugs and also have them woven. Weiss purchased this one, in addition to some of his artwork, from his estate market.

Slipcovered chair and couch: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams

Adrienne DeRosa

Showing an elegant layering of textures, white coral is displayed in addition to a Chinese antique table. Similar tables are offered through Weisshouse; each slice is a handmade original.

Adrienne DeRosa

Stacy Weiss takes a seat on her favorite spot in the attic. She says of her fashion,”I have been fairly consistent over time, but my eye has changed.” She credits the designers she works together:”We are always on the lookout for new ideas. It is a very creative environment — it leaves my creative juices”

Weiss acquired her layout start working for her family’s business selling blinds. While the business then was primarily involved with rugs and window treatments, she has spent the past 30 years enlarging the range of it as a destination for new and classic high-end furnishings, kitchens and sustainably sourced flooring materials.

Now two decades later, her carefully curated attic is evidence that there are times when bringing your work home definitely has its advantages.

Your turn: Share your creative attic with us

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It didn’t take long for designer Tessa Weerdenburg of Nu interieur | ontwerp along with her husband, Martin, to comprehend the potential of the three-story family home. The Scandinavian architecture and opinions of the water motivated the couple to buy the day after their first screening. As soon as they snapped it up, they changed it into a fashionable nest showcasing a contemporary lifestyle and creative, personal touches. “I really like the space we have,” Tessa says. “Having water around us makes us feel as though we’re on a vacation daily.”

at a Glance
Who lives here: Martin and Tessa Weerdenburg and brothers Lieve, Bente and Roos
Location: Pijnacker, the Netherlands
Size: 180 square meters (roughly 1,937 square feet); 4 bedrooms, 1 bath
That is interesting: Tessa created the bed linens for her brothers’ rooms .

Holly Marder

The family spends all the time at the dining area, which can be fundamental to the rest of the house. “On the weekendswe begin with breakfast, lunch and from 1:00 we find ourselves at the exact same table,” Tessa says.

Upholstered dining chairs give warmth and texture to the space. The light fixture, by Gino Sarfatti for Flos, catches the eye in the entry; it has a steel central structure with brass arms extending outside, each holding a single bulb.

Holly Marder

The first floor was one large, open space, therefore Martin and Tessa eliminated the kitchen in where the office is now to create a bigger kitchen. They also divided the kitchen and dining area by including a reflective wall. Though visitors can flow freely in the kitchen to the dining area, the wall provides just enough separation between the two busiest rooms in the house.

Holly Marder

Tessa gave this console to Martin as a present. It exhibits the family’s personal favorite items, including new photographs along with the children’s artwork. The cube-shape lamp is one of Tessa’s favourite bits.

Table: Habitat; lamp: Mr. Ed Bookend, by Roderick Vos for Functionals

Holly Marder

Open shelving provides the kitchen a light and spacious feel and holds the family’s crisp white china. The wide drawers beneath the stone countertops give ample storage to other kitchenware.

Holly Marder

The minimalist, tidy surfaces result in a practical kitchen that is as practical as it is fashionable.

Holly Marder

Views of this water were an appealing feature for the couple. They love spending some time at the dining room due to the connection with the outside: The outdoor patio sits along with a small waterway, and in summer time the doors are often left open.

Holly Marder

To create a peaceful environment, Tessa and Martin combined a neutral colour palette with texture, layering in white and black components to add comparison. “We wanted the house to seem warm and comfortable,” Tessa says.

Negative tables: Nu interieur | ontwerp

Holly Marder

Comfortable seating in front of the fire makes for a relaxing place. The fireplace has been an addition during the renovation.

Pouf: Casalis; carpeting: Perletta rugs

Holly Marder

Every component of this home has been designed with the family in mind. “We have really busy lives and also work a lot with our very own businesses,” Tessa says. “When we are in house, we would like to enjoy our lives with the children.”

This very small table and chair set in the family room provides a place for the girls to do arts and crafts or even browse novels without compromising on the room’s aesthetic.

Table: Nu interieur | ontwerp; white chairs: Ikea; wooden seat: classic

Holly Marder

Many vignettes around the house display family photographs together with decorative products. Tessa likes to encase things inside glass vases, as seen here with a cactus plant.

Candlestick: Ikea

Holly Marder

Layout and function go together within this contemporary TV cupboard, which Tessa and Martin made themselves. The footstool was also designed by Tessa.

TV cupboard and Kruk Tess footstool:Nu interieur | ontwerp

Holly Marder

An owl is encased on an integrated shelf.

Holly Marder

Just outside the dining space, a twisting staircase leads up to the bedrooms.

Holly Marder

Tessa’s creative bits extend to each of three of her brothers’ bedrooms, with bed linens she made herself.

Stool: Hema department store; mattress: Ikea

Holly Marder

Tessa created this linen and felt owl doll as well.

Holly Marder

This cozy little nook in youngest kid Bente’s bedroom provides the perfect location for doing homework and crafts.

Holly Marder

Middle daughter Lieve’s mattress was designed by Tessa. The layout adapts to function with a baby all the way to a young adult.

Bed: Willemien, Nu interieur | ontwerp

Holly Marder

Tessa also made this cosmetic felt garland, motivated by an idea she spotted on one of her beloved Dutch craft websites, Vlijtig.

Holly Marder

Patterned background and framed photographs of the 3 sisters add an additional personal touch.

Holly Marder

Tessa designed earliest daughter Roos’ bed, and Martin made it. A colorful row of cotton ball lighting adds fun and whimsy to the light-filled bedroom.

Bed: Nu interieur | ontwerp

Holly Marder

The bathroom is modern and includes a wood-sided tub, stone tiling and a rain shower in a nook behind the vanity.

Light fixture: Artemide

Holly Marder

The master bedroom keeps to the subdued colour scheme located throughout the rest of the house. Minimalist closet cabinetry keeps clothing tucked away neatly.

Holly Marder

The artwork above the mattress is by illustrator Sanne van Winden, who created those two drawings of Tessa and Martin’s old house in the historic town of Delft particularly for them.

Holly Marder

The Scandinavian-style architecture and waterside place uttered Martin and Tessa’s hearts when they first saw the house.

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Los Angeles area residents Robert and Petra Wirsching were hesitant about leaving the vibe and culture of big-city life for those suburbs of Orange County, California. But one unbearable triple-digit August day, the couple went for a cruise south from their home in Encino in their 1969 Cadillac convertible to see a friend in Laguna Beach.

“As we neared the coast, we noticed the exterior temperature got cooler and cooler,” remembers Robert. “We thought, this is something we can get used to.” As they approached Pacific Coast Highway in south Laguna Beach, they were awestruck by the view of the Pacific — so awestruck they missed the turn into their buddy’s house.

Going back, they handed a tract of homes that seemed just like a midcentury modern utopia. “Petra went nuts,” says Robert. A couple of months afterwards, the couple left their familiar digs and buddies in L.A. and purchased a fixer-upper in that exact same Laguna Niguel area.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Robert and Petra Wirsching; their son, Marco; and their cats, Rocky and Zucchini
Location: Laguna Niguel, California
Size: Around 2,500 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, studio apartment downstairs
That’s intriguing: A Mark Bennett print Constructed for Wirsching, a fan of the TV series I Dream of Jeannie, hangs on the fireplace.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

The main living area is really one big room. A low, thick-walled chopped yellow divider separates the kitchen from the living room and supplies one of the very few actual walls in the principal regions of the home.

Designed from the late architect George Bissell in the early 1960s, the home integrates the indoors with the outdoors, which makes the transition almost seamless. The surrounding land was mostly undeveloped whenever the homes in the tract were constructed, allowing for sea views from all. Rather than partitions, Bissell designed floor-to-ceiling glass windows and sliding doors. As a result, there is hardly any wall space on which to hang artwork.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Before the Wirschings could inhabit the home, some hefty remodeling required to happen. Fortunately, Robert is a general contractor specializing in timber finishing, cabinetry, floors, tile setting and high-end painting.

Among the first things he did was replace the faded burgundy carpets. In its position went ash hardwood floors, extending into the kitchen. Shiny, embossed 1970s-era background was removed, and walls were painted white, but for the panel separating the kitchen from the living room.

Among those cats, Rocky, rests on the Design Within Reach couch here. The granite table was purchased at a consignment store, and the blue glass bowl is Murano.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

The Wirschings’ home is two stories. The main living space, including the backyard, is about the second degree, constructed against an embankment. When you enter the home, the door to the right opens into the garage, and to the left is a big studio that Robert uses within an office.

The entryway is a landing pad for the family’s comings and goings. Jackets become hung on the Henry Miller Hang-It-All, while a white IKEA locker under the staircase holds shoes. Balls and athletic equipment are corralled in big black wire floor containers. The horizontal shelves will also be IKEA.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Once the new floor and improvements were in place, the Wirschings moved in, adding their set of different Eames and other midcentury chairs and tables, lamps, accessories and paintings.

The fiberglass-shell rocker is an original Eames chair, as would be the bent plywood Eames Herman Miller chairs.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

A 1960s mahogany game table functions as the dining table. “Most dining tables are 30 inches high,” Robert says. “This one is 27.5. It was custom built for someone who liked to gather ’round the table and play cards maybe have a couple drinks.” The table and leather captain’s chairs came from a consignment store in West Los Angeles.

The few additional thick glass to cover the surface, allowing for a view of this gorgeous, rich wood with no stress of scrapes or water stains. The silver Bar is a retired Nambé piece; it retains orange and royal blue Kosta Boda votives.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

The open design blends the living room, dining area and kitchen altogether. To break up the space, the pair grouped an original Wassily chair (made by Marcel Breuer) and Barcelona seat (made by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe) and an Eames tulip table create an intimate setting beside the fireplace.

Hanging on the fireplace wall is a Mark Bennett printing designed for Wirsching, who is a fan of the older TV series I Dream of Jeannie.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Robert designed and remodeled the kitchen around five years back. The kitchen consists of cherry wood cabinetry with a horizontally positioned grain, Caesarstone countertops, and Fisher & Paykel appliances, such as a drawer-style dishwasher.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

The dining room space provides a view of this Wirschings’ backyard.

Petra’s proudest moments as a homeowner are when she’s entertaining guests. And that would she enjoy sitting at her dining table nowadays? “President Obama, Frank Gehry, Brad Pitt and Adele,” says Petra, adding, “Of course, Adele would possess to sing!”

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Art by Mark Bennett decorates the hallway.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Son Marco’s room is modest, but space is economized with an IKEA bookcase for a storage and headboard. A glowing red accent space pulls together the youthful space, and a floating shelf offers additional storage.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Since Marco’s room is modest, Robert and Petra capitalized on the perpendicular space in the room, adding a loft space above the built-in cupboard. They installed carpets, a railing and a ladder so Marco can have easy access into the nook.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

While the in-ground swimming pool takes up much of the garden, areas are established with specific activities in mind. Wood decking was put over the concrete to generate an outdoor living room and a location where Marco and his buddies can be viewed by an adult while in the pool. Additional “rooms” and outdoor spaces in back incorporate a raised vegetable garden, a koi pond, a dining room, a barbecue, and Petra’s prized teahouse escape.

Petra and Robert oil and sand their teak garden furniture with linseed oil every couple of weeks to maintain its warm, rich brown colour. Petra’s collection of blue and white ceramic bought while traveling or at estate sales or antique stores makes for a beautiful centerpiece.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Japanese and Far East accessories and decorations were added to Petra’s teahouse. Petra is a nurse that frequently works shifts and awakens for work about 4:30 a.m., so she frequently flows for a restorative day nap on her Futon inside.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

More than 100 dead rosebushes were removed from the yards in front and back. The landscaping was created more indigenous to the area and simpler to maintain.

Ever the vintage furniture shoppers, the Wirschings found this pair of pool lounges at a garage sale in L.A.. They were produced around the 1950s or 1960s out of fiberglass.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

The exterior includes a yellow-green painted door. The identical hue is taken up to the second degree. Two little children’s chairs and a Japanese-style fountain at the side of the door welcome all to the diverse home.

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An artist enclave on Raft Island overlooks Carr Inlet in the southern end of Puget Sound, Washington. About one hour in Seattle, this modern architectural wonder was designed and built by the owner’s son, Randall Lanou, from BuildSense from North Carolina. Barbara Lee Smith and her husband, Mel, were hands-on all the way, creating a masterpiece both inside and outside.

Tucked between the ocean and the sky, and surrounded by evergreens, two constructions constituting a home and art are a careful combination of pure timber, corrugated metal and steel. Nearly 95 percent of the timber from a current 1968 A-frame has been repurposed in everything in the floors and decks to the stairs, closets and wine cellar. Artwork by Barbara hangs as comfortably here in her home as it does in museums and galleries around the world, although Mel’s intricate wood designs are integrated into hand-hewn tables and wall hangings.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Mel and Barbara Lee Smith, married for 41 years
Design and location: Modern Loft on Raft Island, Gig Harbor, Washington
Size: Main house, 3,200 square feet; independent artist studio, 900 square feet

Wendy K. Leigh

Having a distinctive style cultivated by their own son and architect, Randall Lanou, the most important home has complete views of Puget Sound. Carefully honoring the first A-frame constructed by means of a boat builder, the Smiths and their general contractor Willie Tompkins returned the structure to its base, then reused nearly every piece of the first cedar planks, beams and shingles.

Wendy K. Leigh

Mel fashioned an great piece of Sequoia into a desk weighing approximately 200 pounds following the timber dried. It took nearly six months to build, and breaks down into two pieces for smaller, more intimate dining when the couple is home independently. Though the home was only finished in 2008, their four grown children have all made their marks on the inside and exterior spaces with assorted pieces of artwork, design, and photographic collections.

Wendy K. Leigh

Rooms flow into one another, with all the kitchen framed by bamboo topped with little frosted supply closets. Cubbyholes for displaying artwork are carved into the walls. The neighboring living room includes built-in bookshelves and a fireplace.

Wendy K. Leigh

Natural splits from one slab of Sequoia are combined together using a Japanese method known as bow tie or butterfly repair.

Wendy K. Leigh

A wood and metal walkway overhead permits views of the open-concept alive, diningroom, kitchen and living room spaces. Original artwork by the Smiths and their peers is strategically positioned throughout the home. Wooden ducks parade throughout the street in memory of Barbara’s dad, a lifelong decoy collector and maker.

Wendy K. Leigh

Spice racks are built into the kitchen cabinets and roll out for use. Floors in the kitchen, as well as through the house, are re-milled cedar in the first home.

Wendy K. Leigh

The guest bathroom is a work of art in itself, with antique metal linotypes placed above ceramic tiles. Barbara and Randall pictured the layout and worked together to create this spectacular montage in what would be failed wall area in many houses.

Wendy K. Leigh

The counter of the guest toilet is lined with antique linotype as well, and set into a concrete slab poured by the owners.

Wendy K. Leigh

A counter in the master bath includes genuine ammonites carefully placed into limestone. Ammonites are extinct, fossilized marine animals whose shells are collector’s pieces. The floors are created from walnut, while showers feature marble and combed bluestone.

Wendy K. Leigh

On the master bedroom , an intricately designed coat is lovingly mounted. Barbara’s middle name, Lee, takes following the man who wore this garment to his marriage.

Wendy K. Leigh

Layered vertical columns varying in heights from 7′ to 8’5″ stand guard midway up a flight of stairs. They are a part of a tapestry art installation by Barbara. She says the layout came to her in a dream when she was a young girl, and went on to garner acclaim in exhibitions in London and Poland.

Wendy K. Leigh

At a nod to the past and present, Mel constructed a dumbwaiter to transfer objects from the top floor to the reduced, emerging into the kitchen space. Even more often associated with earlier time intervals, these easy”lifts” are non-motorized and easy to assemble, using pulleys and ropes to take things down and up the stairs through the day.

Wendy K. Leigh

Mel is proud to point out that his wine cellar cost $7.86 — to the claws. The wine rack is constructed from sticks of cedar in the first home, when it had been milled to make the tongue-and-groove for the new floors. The timber which has been trimmed from the ends now retains their impressive wine collection, which is largely comprised of”barters” with individuals that are faking to have a piece of Barbara’s artwork for their home.

Wendy K. Leigh

Though this Raft Island home is a digital museum holding outstanding pieces of art within its own structure, the private work of the proprietor herself provides the most intimate glimpse into the philosophies at work behind this architectural gem. Hidden details reflect a world view that is not immediately apparent. Barbara is a fiber artist, working with non-woven industrial materials that belie a hot, earthy approach to living. The piece atop the Mexican desk is an archetypal boat design common in Indonesia and Africa.

Wendy K. Leigh

Roaming concerning the upstairs, various objects call out using their own narrative. This table was recovered from an architectural store, in which the Smiths learned that it was built by Floyd Gompf, a master furniture maker who produces functional”sculptures” from sterile materials.

Wendy K. Leigh

A framed lithograph by Robert Stackhouse has been the inspiration for the layout of the outside deck, which is viewable directly below an adjacent window. A fire pit onto the deck is constructed of bricks which once lined the base of the first house’s fireplace.

Wendy K. Leigh

Raft Island is a tiny community of about 750 residents, joined by a quaint bridge crossing Henderson Bay across from Gig Harbor. The Smiths needed their home to adopt the natural environment that is so vital to the lifestyle here, for instance, towering evergreen forest property next to their property. They discovered a way to enhance the gardens while staying true to the landscape by integrating the work of local artist Tom Torrens. A gong along with a birdbath are a part of the collection of his creations.

Wendy K. Leigh

When you first approach the house after following a winding driveway, Barbara’s art studio is the very first thing that pops into perspective. It’s joined to the main home farther down by a wood and steel walkway, mixing two constructions into natural extensions of home and work. Red corrugated metal frames the entryway of the studio; the whole lower side overlooks the water.

Wendy K. Leigh

From the adjacent art studio, Barbara functions with an intricate process involving painting, stacking and layering with bits of non-woven fabric that are stitched into patterns, resulting in a fluid landscape which at first seems like a watercolor painting.

Wendy K. Leigh

Though her studio is grand, with lots of levels of design and creativity inherent in the open spaces, Barbara invariably starts each day before sunrise, sitting in a comfy window seat, surrounded by her books and sketches. Facing her diagonally is a wall in which she pins her ongoing bits, placed so her attention could collapse upon them by an area, to ascertain how every one needs to progress.

Wendy K. Leigh

As if the baths in the primary house weren’t esoteric enough, the one from the art studio takes the cake. A wall constructed of Lutradur, her signature working cloth since 1983, is decorated with a montage of exotic art pieces and suspended out of hardware which once graced a barn door. Barbara’s new interpretation of a door slides back and forth to show (and hide ) a tiny bathroom.

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It is amazing to consider packaging has changed through recent years. We drink our milk out of cartons and (preferably ) recycle unlimited numbers of plastic soda bottles. But back in the day, glass bottles and timber crates packaged up milk, soda and more. These crates have hung around for decades, and they are now considered classic paintings for decorating with an industrial edge. I love the notion of repurposing vintage crates as shelves. Reusing some thing in a brand new way is the ultimate form of recycling. Here are a lot of ways to place those timber crates to great use.

Little spaces: Shops must make smart use of every inch of space to exhibit their products. I love this smart display at Caribou Baby in Brooklyn. The shallow timber crates are the perfect shape and dimensions to exhibit their apothecary selection of products.

Nested together: The proprietors of Caribou Baby discovered their classic crates at Brooklyn local source Kings County Salvage.

Apothecary display: If you are lacking a medicine cupboard, you could use a couple of wood crates as wall shelving to house the collection of lotions and potions. I love the way pots of cream have been stored in the slotted soda cage at Caribou Baby.

Baileys

Crate storage out of Baileys Home and Garden – EUR 24

The fantastic grid: If you can score an entire lot of fitting vintage crates, make a wall grid with them for a single eye catching storage bit. I love the thought of storing your shoes in these timber crates — the alternative would look fantastic in a mudroom. UK shop Bailey Home & Garden sells those classic crates, but they are easy enough to find stateside. Etsy is a great online source for searching down classic crates.

Urban Outfitters

Classic Pop Shop Shelf out of Urban Outfitters – $24

Kitschy display: Many classic crates arrive branded with a symbol that definitely adds to the kitsch appeal. Fasten one crate to the wall within an instant display case for your collection of glass bottles, trinkets, classic postcards — you name it.

Etsy

Old Crate Sign Box 3-in-1 Upcycled Wood Screen by polkadotHOME – $68

Modern minimalist: Wait, did I mention modern? Yes, we’re talking classic crates, and people are traditional terracotta pots. But if you choose a classic crate and simply put in a few plants with a single diverse object you love, the spare fashion feels really contemporary-cool.

Etsy

Repurposed Jewelry Screen by stealthfox on Etsy – $40

Antiques keeper: Many of those classic crates include a grid of timber slats inside to maintain the glass bottles from breaking. Turn the crate on its side and you immediately have small shelves inside the box. Add a couple cup hooks and your imagination, and you’ll create a pretty display piece for all your jewelry — from bangles to necklaces.

Window box: In my last apartment, I had a enormous sunlit windowsill. So I decided to turn my classic soda cage into an instant window box. I loved the way the plants seemed peeking out of the cage.

Etsy

Medium Sturdy Wooden Rustic Reclaimed Classic by rustynailvintage – $28

Open pub : A worn classic crate makes the perfect container for storing your favorite liquors. You’ll instantly create the sense of a classic speakeasy with a rustic wood cage maintaining your bottles at attention.

Three Potato Four

Dairy Crates – $105

Construct a bookcase: If you are a tenant and wish to lessen the holes you put in your walls, then you can create freestanding shelving with timber crates of the boxy variety such as these classic crates with metal borders.

Etsy

Classic Wood Beverage Crates – $48

Unexpected colors: You’ll occasionally find classic wood crates (often old soda crates) in another colour. These classic Seven-Up crates are among my favorite examples — the red typography on white seems rad.

More: How to Create a Rolling Storage Crate

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