We love our readers. Not only are they often smarter and more knowledgeable than us, they also have no qualms in letting us know when we're wrong—always pushing us to be at the top of our game.

Like the time I mislabeled a parquet floor pattern in Love Story: At Home with a Pair of Parisians and a reader wrote in and informed me that what I had said was "herringbone" was actually "chevron." If we were splitting hairs, I wanted to know why and consulted Henry Hudson from Cheville Parquet, a York, England-based wood flooring company who have just opened their first London showroom. Apparently it's all in the zigzag. "In the chevron, the wood blocks run point to point and the ends are cut at an angle to create a continuous zigzag design," Hudson says. "With the herringbone, the wood blocks finish perpendicular to each other, resulting in a broken zigzag."

Images via Cheville Parquet, except where noted.

Above: In a Botanically Inclined Interior in London, the owners selected a dark Chevron Pattern from Cheville in Double Espresso.

Above: A lighter wood (Smoked) was used for the Chevron pattern in this London house.

Above: In the Chevron pattern, the wood blocks meet point to point, creating a continuous zig zag.

Above: A kitchen in Copenhagen designed by Kobenhavns Mobelsnedkeri features a herringbone pattern.

Above: With Herringbone, the wood blocks finish perpendicular to each other, resulting in a broken zigzag. Additional details can be added like this Herringbone with Checkers Border.

Above: Cheville Parquet floors are engineered and can be laid on on overlay or over an under floor heating system. Realizing that the expense of laying and finishing parquet floors was causing them to become prohibitively expense, David Hudson (Henry's father) started experimenting with engineered floors; prices range between £58 - £87 a square meter.

Because all the blocks have to be cut at an angle to create the zig zag, the Chevron pattern costs more to produce than the Herringbone. Does this mean it looks better? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Considering installing a wood floor? See 1473 images of Wood Floors in our Gallery of rooms and spaces to find the right one for you.

It's a question that's often perplexed us: What to do with furniture and home decor that we no longer need? We're not keen on huge commission fees or shipping furniture across the country (or Craigslist, for that matter). Enter Chairish, a new online shop filling the void for those of us looking to offload great but unneeded pieces, as well as providing a reliable, vetted source for high-quality vintage furniture.

In business for only six weeks, Chairish is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Anna and Gregg Brockway; he's a veteran of internet ventures (TripIt, Hotwire), she's an obsessive re-decorator (and the former VP of worldwide marking for Levi Strauss). Their road to Chairish was a happy circumstance, says Anna, "We ended up having four kids in a two-and-a-half-year period." They moved several times to accommodate their growing family, and as they acquired new pieces they needed to offload others to fit their new home. The couple quickly learned of the hassles of figuring out eBay pricing and online payment, as well as the labor intensive efforts to sell at the local consignment store and realized that "this was a perfect problem for the internet to solve" hence their new endeavor.

Visit Chairish to peruse the offerings and for more information on selling your own loved but unneeded pieces. Insider Tip: Chairish is currently holding a special promotion on shipping, so check it out. Anna and Gregg are giving away a $1000 Chairish gift certificate to a lucky Remodelista reader. Sign up here to enter.

Above: We love the cheery colors of these Vintage Schoolroom Chairs; $55 each.

Above: An expandable midcentury Teak Dining Room Table is $750. 

Above: An antique Pine Baker's Table; $960. The goods span a range of time periods and styles, and are largely curated by Anna herself. She mandates that all pieces have great style, be in very good condition, and "the seller must be willing to part with their pieces at a great price."

Above: A pair of Bertoia-Style Bar Stools on offer for $240. At Chairish you'll find Roche Bobois alongside CB2 and eccentric barnyard finds, and prices range accordingly. "The fun," says Anna, "is in the mix and in the finding."

When chef Bertrand Grébaut opened his restaurant, Septime, in a remote corner of the 11th arrondissement, he told the New York Times: "I wanted to liberate good French food from expensive hotel dining rooms. The ceremony of haute cuisine has become boring." Grébaut speaks from experience (he started his career at the three-star L'Arpege and won his own Michelin star at L'Agapé). His new space is reminiscent of a Danish warehouse (was he inspired by Noma?), with a notable lack of frills.

The interiors are similarly unfussy, featuring rough wood tables, industrial lighting, menus delivered on office clipboards, and a mix of new (Tom Dixon) and old seating—one reviewer called the space reminiscent of the rustic warehouse spaces you find in Copenhagen (hmm, is he talking about Noma?). To read more about the "aesthetically flawless" food, go to the NY Times; for more information on the restaurant, go to Septime.

Above: Vintage industrial lights from Holland provide illumination.

Above: Grébaut, who studied at Penninghen Design School in Paris, enlisted Julien Cohen and his brother to help with the look and feel of the restaurant (their parents own cult store Merci in Paris).

Above: Simple tableware is mixed with vintage finds.

Above: The wood-clad bar and cement walls add texture to the industrial space.

Above L: A large industrial mirrored wall opens up the room. Above R: A window overlooks a small courtyard in the rear.

Above: A vintage wooden bucket is used to chill wine.

Above: The unfinished wood tables echo the wood clad bar.

Above: A small wine cellar is visible through a window in the dining room.

Above: The restaurant's exterior.

Over the years, we've shared our travel insights from our various forays around the globe. Now we're thrilled to bring you our first Travels with an Editor series, starting with my upcoming trip to Paris. Expect house tours, designer Q and A's, as well as a look into some of the less well known, offbeat (and very offline) shops and restaurants that we've been keeping in our mental dossier for some time.

But why Paris? It all started with my infatuation with stylist Clarisse Demory, whose blog, Ensuite, I've been reading for as long as I can remember. Then there's the Quarterly Studio Parties, held by ceramicist Cécile Daladier, we discovered a while back, and the color blocked interiors of designer Marianne Evennou. I was hooked. I lived in Paris briefly for a year a while back, but I had not seen the city like this before—a design community with a very under-the-radar approach. So forget the Eiffel Tower and walks along the Seine (OK, I'll be doing that too... again)—Paris offers so much more than that.

That said, some of our best sources have come from you, our readers; it seems like everyone has a Paris story. I'd love to know your favorite places to eat, stay, visit, and shop in Paris. (Add them to the comments box below).

N.B.: Want to know what I'm up to in Paris? Follow Remodelista on Instagram, @Remodelista on Twitter, and on Facebook all week (through May 10) and stay tuned for our Paris issue the first week of June. A bientôt.

Above (clockwise from above L): Talisa Sutton for Sherie Muijs, design in the 20th arrondissement by Marianne Evennou, Merci photographed by Talisa Sutton, jardins via Badlands, Astier de Villatte, and an invite to Cécile's spring Vodka Soirée.

French designer Marianne Evennou is all about color clashes, the kind that work in an unexpectedly harmonious fashion.

Her latest project is an artists' home in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, an area also referred to as the "Parisian countryside" for its remote, relaxed vibe. Each room retains a modernist appeal with washes of teal in the hallway, lime green in the dining room, blue-gray in the kitchen, and the bath in a deep terra cotta orange. Pair that orange with green marble tile and traditional fixtures and fittings to recreate the look (see our sources below). To see the rest of the house, visit Marianne Evennou.

Above: A traditional pedestal sink compliments the original black mosaic and marble tile.

Above: Consistent color is carried over to the radiator, painted black, in the corner of the bath. For more inspiration see our post: 5 Quick Fixes: Painted Radiators.

Above: An orange and black iron shower enclosure.

Above: The Marlowe Ceiling Fixture features jewelry-cast corners and clear frosted glass; available in a several finishes including satin nickel (shown). Contact Remains for pricing and availability.

Above: Farrow & Ball's Terre D'Egypte is a rich terracotta red with orange undertones. A gallon of "Estate Eggshell" finish paint is $105 directly from Farrow & Ball. Also consider Benjamin Moore's 14 Carrots from the Fiery Sunset collection.

Above: The Exposition Door Handle, shown in Statuary Black, is $370 from Urban Archeology.

Above: Marble Systems' Avalon Polished Marble Tiles are available in a size measuring 2 in a quarter inch by 5 in a half; contact directly for pricing and availability.

Above: Verde Saint Nicolaus Tiles (shown) are available in custom sizing from Italy through Stone Contact, while Marble Systems' Verde Shana Polished Marble Tiles are available in larger square sizes (12-by-12) and 18-by-18).

Above: The Highgate Handshower with Diverter is available in a chrome (shown) and nickel finish for $1,100 from Waterworks.

Above: Restoration Hardware's Kent Mirror is available in four different finishes and three different sizes; the medium size at 32-by-40 inches is $315.

Above: We think that Urban Archeology's Serge Mouille-inspired Saturn Wall Sconce would give a similar modernist look to the white ceramic sconces in Evennou's bathroom; prices range from $715 to $1,100.

Above: Siro Design's Stainless Steel 34mm Hook in polished stainless steel is $6.57 from Alema Hardware.

Above: Waterworks' Cumulus Bath Towel is made from 100 percent terry cotton and garment washed. Available in white, ivory, slate (shown) and plum for $75 each.

Above: The Dornbracht Madison Widespread Three-Hole Mixer with a 5 3/8-inch projection; $1,044.80 in polished chrome at Quality Bath. For more options, see our 10 Easy Pieces: Traditional Deck-Mounted Bath Faucets.

Above: The well-priced Toto Promenade Pedestal Sink (LPT532.8N) measures 24 by 19 inches; $254.90 at Amazon. See 9 other options in our 10 Easy Pieces: Traditional Pedestal Sinks.

Above: The Extra-Small Vipp Trash Bin is $249 from Design Within Reach.

Remodeling your bath or thinking of remodeling after seeing this one? Sift through all of our Bath posts in our archive and for more color, like mint for instance, see our previous post 5 Favorites: Minty Green Bathrooms, Retro Edition.

We're always on the lookout for functional yet design-worthy hardware for the bath, so naturally we were intrigued to learn that Australian designer Marc Newson had turned his attention to the humble shower drain.

Above: Infinity Drain collaborated with Marc Newson to create a new line of linear drain covers that feature a hexagonal cutout pattern inspired by the interiors of the Lever House Restaurant in NYC. Making its debut at the upcoming International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York, the Infinity Drain Marc Newson Series will be available through Infinity Drain Authorized Dealers starting in June 2013.

When we think of reclaimed furniture, Nadia Yaron and Myriah Scruggs of Nightwood immediately come to mind. The pair collects what they call "lost furniture" in the Brooklyn area and reconstruct pieces from the fragments—and they've been doing it from the start, well before the reclamation trend began. 

But Yaron and Scruggs aren't limited to furniture and cabinetry and have been working with designer Doug Newton of Remains Lighting in Bushwick to create a series of weighty brass lighting with a vintage appeal. Each retain the natural patina of their materials and most require a two- to three-week lead time; contact Nightwood for more information.

Above: The Bell Jar Pendant Lights are made from brass and copper; $200 each.

Above: The Bell Jar Sconce has a brass/copper arm that extends 34 inches; $320.

Above: The Fountainhead Desk Lamp requires a chandelier light bulb up to 40 watts maximum; $560.

Above: The Fountainhead Standing Lamp is 66 inches tall; $960.

Looking for more from Nightwood? See our post on their Brass Mobile and Furniture in our Archive.

There's nothing like a vintage marble sink to up the ante in your daily ablutions. Here are five current favorites.

Above: In New York-based designer Tom Givone's Floating Farmhouse, a vintage marble sink seems to hover, thanks to angle supports that are concealed in the wall. 

Above: Italian firm b-arch used a reclaimed marble sink to add a note of rusticity in Prato. See A Family Apartment in Italy, Modern Classics Included for more.

Above: A hand-carved Turkish marble basin sits against white subway tiles in the cottage of Byron View Farm, Queensland, Australia.

Above: A sink that has been sculpted out of a single piece of marble sits in a modern bathroom. Photo by Vangelis Paterakis via House Logic. 

Above: A Victorian marble sink has a wood back splash in Oswald's Mill, Pennsylvania.

Why stop at the sink? See 41 images Marble Bathrooms in our Gallery of rooms and spaces to add a bit of luxury into your bathing routine.

I first discovered Neisha Crosland's work via her fabrics and wallpapers (I framed several of her wallpaper samples in inexpensive Ikea frames for instant art, but that's another story). Now I'm admiring (and coveting) her line of handmade matte glazed tiles, available in a range of delicate geometric patterns.

Known for her oversized graphics and symmetrical geometric motifs, the Royal College of Art-trained textile designer finds inspiration in nature; for ordering information, go to Neisha Crosland.

Above: The Florentine Domino Tiles in Parma Violet.

Above: The Haveli Boomerang Tile in Black on Cream.

Above: The Haveli Lattice Dot Tiles in Wax on Blue.

Above: The cement Florentine Molly Tiles in Granite.

Want to see more of Crosland's work? Go to Paris in London: Neisha Crosland's garden oasis.

Imagine if Remodelista and Gardenista HQ had a shop where we sold all of our favorite homewares and gardening goods (a recurring fantasy in these parts); it could very well look like this.

Designer Phillipe Malouin of Post-Office renews what was once a doctor’s office into online design magazine Dezeen's North London headquarters, including a new Watch Store to complement their online store. With details like reclaimed Victorian windows, floor-to-ceiling gray curtains (which conceal doors to the kitchen, bathroom, and storage), and an abundance of green plants, it really wouldn't take much to persuade us Remodelista and Gardenista editors to move in.

Unless otherwise noted, photography by Luke Hayes via Dezeen.

Above: A glass divider made of reclaimed windows provides separation between the meeting and work spaces in what was previously the waiting room of the doctor's office.

Above: Plants in galvanized buckets hang below the skylight in the meeting room while cacti adorn the wall.

Above: For his window collage, Malouin sourced most of the Victorian windows from eBay (a great deal of research was required to find windows of the right size).

Above: Dezeen uses Malouin's Market Table in their meeting room.

Above: The windows in the roof reminded Malouin of a greenhouse.  Filling the room with plants creates an outdoor feeling.

Above: Gardenista editor Michelle would happily take credit for these potted cacti which animate the wall.

Above: Customers can come and purchase watches in the Watch Store while Dezeen members of staff work in rooms nearby.

Above: The new Dezeen Watch Store is located in what used to be the reception of the former doctor's office.

Above: Tools for packing and distributing products hang on pegboards for easy reach. (See DIY: Pegboard Kitchen Organization Inspired by Julia Child to see the use of pegboards in kitchens.)

Above: Dezeen director Rupinder Bhogal and designer Phillipe Malouin stand in front of the welded-wire display units that were designed with an industrial supplier and inspired by locker changing rooms. Photo by Daniel Stier via Wallpaper.

Above: The offices of Dezeen from the North London streets of Stoke Newington.

See 50 images of Industrial Windows in our Gallery of rooms and spaces to see how windows can drive the character of a space.

White porcelain door knobs—popular from the Civil War to the 1930s— have a classic appeal. Here are 10 of our favorite options:

Above: Classic and clean, the White Porcelain Door Knob is $38 at Rejuvenation Hardware.

Above: Thomas Hoof Produkt in Germany offers a Porcelain Door Set, which includes two knobs and two key rosettes for €44.

Above: NYC-based high-end hardware purveyor Nanz is the holy grail of hardware; locate a dealer and peruse the offerings at Nanz.

Above: The Classic Rosette Door Set in white porcelain and polished chrome is $76.95 from Amazon.

Above: This Pair of White Porcelain Door Knobs has a solid brass shank and polished chrome base and is $38.99 at Amazon.

Above: Emtek's Ice White Door Knob Set is $94 from Low Priced Door Knobs.

Above: Nostalgic Warehouse's White Porcelain Knob is meant for indoor/outdoor use; available in six different metal finishes for $41.57 from Knobs and Hardware.

Above: Emtek's Almond Knob; $82.36 at Knobs and Hardware.

Above: The Door Knob Passageway Set in white porcelain and chrome is $73 each or $67 each when purchasing a set of three at The Renovator's Supply.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on June 29, 2009.

Susan Kim, owner of San Francisco-based Workshop (which Julie and I have been frequenting forever), has a great eye both for clothing and design. She sells well-made, thoughtfully selected clothing and goods intended to last forever. Her approach to clothing is not too different from her approach to interior design.

Susan lives comfortably (and impressively) with her not-quite-yet-teen son in a 660-square-foot Victorian cottage. As she says, "I don't need a lot of furniture and I'm not a big bathroom or bedroom person. Some people think the kitchen is the center of the house, but for me, the dining room table sets the tone. It's where family and friends get together."  To that end, her living area is anchored by a large dining table that seats up to 10 (when she needs more room, she can open the door and spill out onto her courtyard garden). 

Photography by Mimi Giboin for Remodelista.

Above: Susan's small galley kitchen houses all the essentials, including a collection of pottery and tableware. She's wearing one of her own cardigan designs that she knitted herself.

Above: Susan recovered the 1952 Florence Knoll sofa, picked up in a local vintage store, with fabric by Alexander Girard. Around the table is a mix of chairs including a Bertoia and a few Eames.

Above: A 1952 George Nelson cupboard holds Susan's son's lunch box essentials. "I don't believe in buying new furniture," she says. "There are many well-designed and very loved pieces of furniture that are still floating around out there."

Above: A Mexican bag atop a grass Guatemalan stool that doubles as a side table.

Above: Storage drawers and units designed by LA architect Lindon Schultz house bedding, clothing, books, photo albums, and CDs.

Above: Embroidered Dosa poufs, made by Susan's sister, designer Christina Kim (unfortunately, the poufs are hard to come by—there's a waiting list).

Above: Another of the George Nelson pieces that doubles as a pantry and is used for cutlery, napkins, and Susan's son's candy drawer.

Above: Susan at her dining table. She credits her grandmother (who raised her and her sisters in Korea) for instilling in her a sense of aesthetics. "She never pointed out that this was a nice way of doing things, it's just what she did," Susan says.

Above: The small courtyard with lilac bushes in front of Susan's house.

Check out more creativity from the Kim family; Dosa 818 in Los Angeles.

During our recent remodel, we discovered that our house was completely devoid of insulation. After hours of research we found the perfect solution: newspapers—or, more precisely, the equivalent of 48 years of Sunday newspapers.

We had searched high and low for green products to use during our remodel, and discovered that one of the most efficient products is an insulation made from recycled newspapers. The insulation, called Green Fiber, is blown using a powerful machine with a mulcher on one end and a long spray hose on the other—think high-velocity paper shredder combined with a fire hose. Yes, it is a messy and dusty affair, but I can attest it's worth the hassle. For more information, go to Green Fiber.

Above: Newspapers provide the bulk of the filler for the cellulose insulation.

Above L: When we tore down the kitchen wall, we noticed there was no insulation. Above R: The kitchen wall with the cellulose insulation added.

Above: After knocking down several walls and exposing studs (which allowed for new wiring and plumbing), we were able to easily add the insulation before the walls were rebuilt with sheetrock shown here.

Above: Our newly insulated kitchen wall. 

Want to learn more about Green Fiber Cellulose Insulation? Check out this video.

Are you getting ready to tackle a kitchen project? Here are 20 Remodeled Kitchens to admire. 

Did you see (and admire) the Los Feliz house designed by LA design group  Commune in Vogue this month? Add a tiny bit of Commune's organic mod vibe to your own space with these rounded Ball Hooks made from unfinished birch.

Above: The Ball Hook is easy to install, and includes drywall anchors; $30 for a set of two from Commune.

Above: The rounded arch of the ball keeps bag straps and jackets in place.

Shop Coat Hooks, Hangers, and Rails in the Hardware section of our Shop.

Spotted lately: bricks used in unexpected ways (as kitchen island base, as herringbone floors, as a decorative motif): here are five of our favorite examples (OK, seven—we couldn't help ourselves).

Above: The brick hearth and mantle are surprisingly modern looking in this Norfolk barn by Carl Turner Architects.

Above: Gray stone bricks in a kitchen from Ina & Matt Studio.

Above: Bricks function as herringbone pattern floors at this Danish summerhouse via Purple Area.

Above: A brick kitchen counter from Frank Visser and Mirjam Bleeker's book Dutch Architects and Their Houses.

Above: Bricks support a rustic wood column in a converted barn from Dutch design studio Ina & Matt.

Above: A minor brick detail accents the Dinesen wood floors; see our post on Walls, Windows & Floors: Dinesen Wooden Floors in Denmark.

Above: Bricks made pale with a light wash of white paint from Norm Architects in Copenhagen.

This post is an update; the original ran on July 24, 2012.

Across the street from the Garden District mansion where vampire novelist Anne Rice used to live, writer Julia Reed bought a three-story Greek Revival house in New Orleans—barely a year before Hurricane Katrina swept through town.

Reed and her husband spent the next few years renovating the storm-damaged house, which became the subject of her book The House on First Street. For help outdoors, they turned to Nashville-based landscape architects Page/Duke, who re-imagined the space as a classic courtyard garden:

Photographs by Page/Duke.

Above: Ferns and azaleas flank the iron garden gate at the house on the corner of Chestnut and First streets.

Above: Reed documented the story of how both her house and her city got rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina in a memoir she wrote on her laptop. A few days before she was due to turn in the manuscript, the house was burglarized and her computer—on which she had stored the only copy—was stolen, forcing her to rewrite the book.

Above: Of the Page/Duke design philosophy, partner Gavin Duke says: "We like to use trees to form a canopy; which would create an outdoor room."

Above: After the storm and contractor problems,"my friend William Dunlap, an artist whose work graces our walls, gave me a spot-on working title: 'A Year in Provence Meets The Poseidon Adventure,' " Reed wrote in Elle Decor.

For a tour of more of the Julia Reed's New Orleans courtyard garden, see the rest of the story on Gardenista.

See more of our favorites in our Garden Visit section.

Spotted (and admired) recently, the Aspect Pendant from Sacramento based, Schmitt Design. The multi-faceted translucent porcelain lamps are slip cast and glazed in a polished finish. Part art object, the lamps give out a diffused warm glow when illuminated. See details below to order or go to Schmitt Design.

Above: The Aspect Pendant Light: slender version is $380 and the squat is $430.

Above: The slender version of the Aspect light with diffused glow.

Above: The pendants come with a choice of cable colors shown here: nougat-white, teal and gray.

Daniel Hale is that rare designer who deftly combines art, craftsmanship, and architecture; join us on a tour of his Napa Valley home, which he shares with his wife, Chris, and their children. Hale studied architecture on the East Coast, lived and worked in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence for two years, and in 2002 moved to the Napa Valley, where he's worked on projects with private clients and notable designers such as Erin Martin, Mariette Himes Gomez, and Stephen Shubel.

His own house in St. Helena has been (and still is) a work in progress, a laboratory of sorts, featuring an organic use of repurposed materials and layered with texture and handcrafted detail. Every piece and surface tells a story: "My inspiration comes from a variety of sources, including ancient art and architecture and modern works—a synthesis of old and new. I like the idea of taking objects and letting the materials shine for what they are, so that the end result is something greater than the sum of its parts." The house, with its multi-layered patinas, is living proof of this philosophy. For more information on Hale's work, visit Serendipity Rising.

Photography by Daniel Hale.

Above: The cedar-lined entrance to the house evokes thoughts of Tuscany.

Above: The swimming pool is nearby a vegetable garden (not seen in this photo) that supplies the family with seasonal produce.

Above: A pigeonnier tower is reached by a catwalk from the main house.

 Above: The terrace overlooking the swimming pool features chairs created from tree trunks.

Above: The front door is made from reclaimed barn siding; the house was originally a barn and was converted into a small home over the years.

Above: The living room opens onto covered terraces on either side of the house, which not only afford views of the neighboring vineyards but also allow for cross breezes. Hale made the table, crate sofa, and bench, largely using reclaimed materials.

Above: Hale made the sofa frame using wooden crates (repurposed from a delivery of stone from Turkey).

Above: The open kitchen features a table and a suite of chairs made by Hale (he also designed the chandelier). Note the inscription on the metal band around the rim of the table top.

Above: Hale's four-poster bed has candle holders atop each post.

Above: Hale covered the walls in traditional stucco concrete in earth tones mixed with dirt from his land. The bedside table in the foreground is made from stacked drawers.

Above: A view into the master bathroom from the closet toward the zinc-clad tub. Hale made the light fixture, cupboard, and perforated sliding window panel.

Above: A terrace off the living room. Much of the house opens to the outdoors, thanks to floor-to-ceiling pocket doors.

Above: The large pocket doors on either side of the house are made from reclaimed redwood inset with panels of raw steel. Hale created a patina with stove-black and then added a coat of wax.

 Looking for more reclaimed interiors with style? Check out the Tin Tabernacle Tea Room by Bailey's in the UK as well as the Cafe.

We've rounded up a selection of electric freestanding ranges offering professional-style looks and the latest in technology, bringing more power and flexibility to electric-powered cooking. In our research, we discovered that size is one of the biggest limitations; we found nothing over 30 inches (the size we have featured here). Our choices here offer front-placed controls (no reaching over the heat source to operate the appliance), professional-style knobs and handles, and new features like hot-surface warning lights, high-power elements, and flexible convection ovens. 

(N.B.: Freestanding ranges differ from slide-in ranges in that they have finished sides, which offers more flexibility for installation. We did not include slide-in ranges in our selections.) 

Above: Viking was the first to offer a professional-style electric range. The Viking Professional Series Custom 30-Inch Electric Range (VESC) features four high-infrared cooking elements as well as a "bridge" element between the right front and right rear elements, which can be used with a portable griddle or extra large pan.  The 4.7-cubic-foot oven has a rapid preheat system and dual convection features; $5,879 at AJ Madison. Viking also offers a freestanding range with an induction cooktop; the Viking Professional Series 30-Inch Pro Style Induction Range; $7,279 at AJ Madison.

Above: In addition to the standard finishes (stainless, white, and black), the Viking Professional Series Custom 30-Inch Electric Range (VESC) is offered in custom colors including Apple Red (L) and Graphite Gray (R); $6,349 at AJ Madison.

Above: The Viking D3 Series 30-inch Freestanding Electric Range has five surface elements that utilize ribbon technology for rapid heating (elements reach full power in about three seconds). The 4.7-cubic-foot convection oven features several different cooking modes. Available in stainless (as shown), black, and white for $3,599, and in a range of custom colors for $4,099 at AJ Madison. 

Above: The GE Cafe Series Freestanding Smoothtop Electric Range offers five heating elements, a warming zone, a 5.4-cubic-foot convection oven and warming drawer; $3,199 at Home Depot.

Above: The Dacor Distinctive 30-inch Freestanding Electric Range features a black ceramic glass cooktop with four burners in different sizes, including one flexible triple circuit element (allowing for different heating areas). It has a large 4.8-cubic-foot convection oven and comes with a 6-inch backguard; $3,399 at AJ Madison. 

Above: Our budget entry is the Summit Professional Series 30-Inch Freestanding Electric Range with a 3.69-cubic-foot oven, four coil elements on a black porcelain cooktop, a digital clock and timer on the back guard, and a storage drawer; $809 at AJ Madison. 

My greatest architectural pet peeve?  Buildings (newer ones in my observations) that don’t breathe. And by this, I mean stuffy with a distinct lack of circulating air, which I attribute to window size and inappropriate amounts of insulation; but the actual reason was more fundamental - the building materials weren't actually breathing.

Passionate about natural building materials, Cornwall, UK-based, Katy Bryce and Adam Weissman have reclaimed ancient building processes. Twelve years spent on restoring and building with cob (an ancient building technique made from clay, straw and sand, it's similar to adobe) turned into their first book, Building with Cob, followed by a second book Using Natural Finishes. Their company Clayworks provides clay plaster walls where the top coat finish has an integrated pigment which provides the walls with a natural color and finish; no painting required. An attractive finish with a low carbon footprint (85 percent less than that of painted sheet rock walls), the walls are highly porous and breathable, which also means moisture is less likely to be trapped within the walls, minimizing staining and deterioration.  It’s easy to see why HRH The Prince of Wales is a fan.

Above: Clayworks' naturally pigmented clay plasters come in a range of pre-mixed colors.

 Above: In a modern setting, clay plaster walls have a monolithic feel.

Above: Bryce and Weissman used clay plaster on the walls of their own home.

Above: Bryce and Weissman converted a 300-year-old cob, oak, and thatch granary into their home.

Above: Bryce and Weissman turned their passion into two informative books; Building with Cob, ($31.73 from Amazon), and Using Natural Finishes, ($31.94 from Amazon). In the UK, Building with Cob and Using Natural Finishes are each £16 from Amazon UK. 

Plaster walls create an old-world feeling even in a modern setting. See 20 images of evocative Plaster Walls in our Gallery of rooms and spaces.