Reason enough to start a family: a new line of handmade furniture for the progressive nursery from three brothers who have raised ten children among them.

The company—called XO in My Room—is a collaborative effort; the eldest brother is a professional photographer and a furniture designer, the middle brother is in charge of logistics, and the youngest brother is the craftsman. Their mission? To create well-designed children's furniture made with quality materials and creative finishings. To see more, go to XO in My Room.

Above: The Jan Table in black and white is €650.

Above: The Theo Crib is €580.

Above: Olivia Dresser; €650.

Above: Jana Canopy Bed; €650.

Above: The Irene Writing Desk is €580.

The post is an update; the original ran on August 12, 2012.

Designed and manufactured in the UK by Outline Works, Trophy Bicycle Holders are meant to "look good in your house with or without your bike." We think they'd be especially useful for storing kids bikes. To learn more, go to Outline Works Ltd.

Above: Bull Horns Bike Rack in red. The ranch-style trophy bull horns are made of super-strong solid steel coated in soft-touch plastic. Fixings are included to install on any masonry or brick wall; £79 from Pedlars.

Above: Bull Horns Bike Rack in Yellow.

Above: The rack also comes in a Deer Antler design in black or white; £79 from Pedlars.

Children who grow up in New York City are often deprived of time in the natural world. But just off the traffic-jammed hubbub of Flatbush Avenue, hidden inside the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a one-acre miniature farm where for nearly a hundred years kids have hunkered down in the dirt to get to know insects and worms at close range.

Photographs by Jeanne Rostaing for Gardenista.

Above: The Children's Garden was the brainstorm of a young teacher named Ellen Eddy Shaw, who was distressed by the plight of poor children living in crowded tenements. She decided to create a place in the fresh air where they could learn gardening skills.

Above: Miss Shaw's Children’s Garden was the first to be established in a botanic garden—and it is the oldest continuously operating children’s garden in the world.

Above: Countless youngsters over the years have planted seeds, nurtured plants, and felt the giddy pride of biting into a pepper or tomato they themselves grew.

Above: Children are organized into groups of 10 to 12 based on age and grade. Each group is then assigned a specific area or plot to care for. Officials at the Botanic Garden estimate more than 1,000 children, ages 2 to 13, participate each year. Older students, enrolled in the Garden Apprentice Program, provide guidance and instructions.

Above: Adults are only permitted in the garden as caregivers limited to the tiniest participants… toddlers 2 and 3 years old. Otherwise grownups are admonished to stay out of the way and watch the children at work.

Above: Crops in the Children’s Garden are started from seed in spring. The young gardeners grow a lot of familiar produce, including tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, corn, and eggplants.

Above: But many plots reflect the ethnic diversity of the city's youngest gardeners. Tomatillos, edamame, and super hot peppers are also thriving.

Above: Vegetables are fine, of course, but even in Miss Eddy’s day, the Children’s Garden has always had room for the beauty of flowers.

Above: Today brilliantly colored zinnias, nasturtiums, and marigolds grow among the crops.

Above: On Mondays, when the garden is closed, the children’s army of statuesque yellow and red sunflowers stands watch. Some of their heads, heavy with seeds, are bowed. It almost seems as though they are mourning the absence of their exuberant young caretakers.

For more of our favorite New York City Gardens, see 25 images in our Gallery of rooms and spaces.

N.B.: This is an update of a post published August 23, 2012.

A child's bed is an opportunity to create a space of their own. From wall nooks to ladders, creative beds for children abound; here are 10 favorites. 

Above: A wood partition has been inserted into this room to created a quiet nook with storage underneath. Image via Home Design Board.

Above: In order to fit a bunk bed next to the window, London architect Michel Schranz of MSDA was left with an available width of 2 by 4s. Unable to find anything this narrow on the market, he decided to build his children's bunk beds out of Douglas Fir floor boards he scavenged from a friend's project. The ash posts are the only non-Douglas Fir elements. "Our children love it and they proudly show it to their friends," Schranz says. "Sometimes the bookshelf unit becomes a pretend shop or cafe and sometimes the entire bed turns into a climbing frame."

Above: There is an element of an ad-hoc tree house in this bedroom, featuring two mattresses on the floor and an elevated third mattress on an open slatted bed frame. Image via Decoracion Facilisimo.  

Above: A built in bed for a young fellow of nine; image via Happylines.

Above: A minimalist built-in bed for two in the Fosc House by Pezo von Ellrichshausen Architects.

Above: An enclosed box provides a fort for an aspiring pirate. Image via Hand Made Charlotte.

Above: Rooms within rooms provide bedroom spaces for children who live in lofts. Images via Lil and Cloe and Sassy Contessa.

Above: In back to back bedrooms, Canadian architects Christine Ho Ping Kong and Peter Tan from Studio Junction create a wall nook that is separated from the master bedroom by a sliding partition. Image via Studio Junction. 

Getting ready for visitors this summer? Have a look at Children's Rooms: Summer Bunk Room Roundup for more ideas on how to fit them all in. 

Forget all the other toys, all any kid really wants is a good cardboard box—especially when it's DIYed into a proper playhouse. We like this idea from stylist Aurélie Lécuyer in Nantes, France. For a similar budget conscious playhouse, see our sources below.

Above: Photograph via Le Dans La.

Above: Photograph via Le Dans La.

Above: Another eco-friendly non-toxic resource: Old Fashioned Milk Paint's SafePaint. Organic, biodegradable, zero-VOC, and non-toxic, one gallon is $45.95. For nine other options, see 10 Easy Pieces: Eco-Friendly Paints.

Above: Made in Germany, Aglaia Natural Paints are free of chemical solvents and made from beeswax, carnuba wax, chalk, citrus peel oil, clove oil, mica, and talcum; prices start at $51.95 for a gallon through Aglaia Paints. For more on the subject, have a look at Green Your Nursery: Choose Non-Toxic, Eco-Friendly Paints by Jasmin Malik Chua.

Take a look at Aurélie Lécuyer's home in House Call: Aurélie Lécuyer in France and Steal This Look: Pastel-Bright Children's Room.

When I was a little girl I used to play with my wooden dollhouse for hours. My house was very tradition, unlike today's DIY dollhouses which have a creative side to them; some are made from cardboard boxes, others from use of bookshelves. Here are five original dollhouses we've come cross lately: 

Above: A cupboard made into a dollhouse via Norwegian Boligpluss.

Above: A Dollhouse made from a bookcase and decorated using cardboard and wrapping paper. See a DIY tutorial on how recreate the house via blog Honest to Nod. 

Above: A dollhouse on wheels making it easy to maneuver from blog Mor till Mernee.

Above: A dollhouse made from paper boxes by architect Marie-Laure of studio La Maison de Loulou.

Above: A Ferm Living Dollhouse. If you like their wallpaper collection, here are step-by-step instructions on how to print them and use for your own dollhouse. 

Carina Schott, who writes the blog Nonchalant Mom, is one of those people whom I think of as a friend, but truth is I've only ever met her once (she's married to my friend Karim Hamid, an artist). It's really through Carina's blog and shop that I've kept us with the couple (they moved to the East Coast a while back). On her blog, she addresses the topic of raising two children in a refreshingly mellow, laid-back manner without a hint of perfection or pretending to do it all.

Several years ago, Domino published a piece on their home in Matunuck, Rhode Island. It was one of my favorite Domino house tours: indoor/outdoor living, not too big and with a simple, modern aesthetic. We asked Carina to give us an updated tour—our timing proved impeccable, as the house just went on the market as the family prepares to move West.

Carina talks us through the home she shares with Karim and their two children, Sander and Franny,

Photography by Robyn Ivy except where noted.

Above: Sander sitting outside on the back deck at an Ikea table and bench. Carina tells us, "This is where we sit outside. The area becomes a second room kind of—the kids bring out blankets and we eat lunches and dinners out here, but not in the rain. When it's really hot in the summer we put up large triangle sun shades, I love them—they look so good and it makes it so nice to be outside all the time—and when you have parties at night it's like having a party in a tent." Photograph by Carina Schott.

Above: Carina at the kitchen table, sourced from Crate and Barrel along with the benches.  She tells us, "Even when you are inside you are outside. We have lots of guests over for dinner—there is nowhere to go out to eat where we live so we almost always cook at home."

Above: The kitchen area with oak shelving and cabinets and a glass-tiled wall. Photograph via Nat Rea.

Above: Franny relaxing on a bean bag beside a Lamino Chair by Swedese.  On the radiant heated concrete floor is a Moroccan rug. Carina notes, "All our rugs are old Moroccan rugs from a guy in the Chelsea Market. This shot shows you how small our house is and how much we spend time together. There is really no privacy in our house—which is good I think—I always know what's going on with the kids; they have to be quiet while I am on the phone from time to time but I think it teaches us to be considerate and respect each other and the kids just can't go hog wild all the time."

Above: Marley sitting on part of the Togo Sofa from Ligne Roset with Lucky Fish Pillows from Nonchalant Mom. According to Carina, "This is where we spend all of our time. We haul out trays when we play/build—it's all done out here. We are big on playing games, our favorites are Rummikub & Parcheesi."

Above: Carina's office, which she confesses, "is a mess. It's really worse than this—I cleaned it up for this photo—it drives my husband nuts as he is a neat freak. See those cubbies, they are filled with fabric, beads, and flea market stuff—which I sell in my store from time to time. I work from home and then go in to my store and pack boxes to ship out to customers every day. (I'm kind of obsessed about shipping every day, all the UPS guys in town know me and I chase down trucks all the time—and when in doubt, you can always find them at Dunkin' Donuts."

Above: A yellow painted Thonet chair sits in the hallway to the kids room with a shoji screen separating the two spaces covered in Josef Frank's Windows print fabric.

Above: Franny's bed adjacent to the screen. On the window are some trolls collected from local antique shops and some from Carina's childhood.

Above: Carina on room sharing: "Franny and Sander share a room, which I love. They really like it too. The most wonderful thing I hear as a parent is the two of them talking to each other at night about their day (because we have no door on our bedroom—now that's not for everyone, but we like it).

Above: Franny's bedroom door. "We have hooks on the back of all the doors in the house for handy storage if you ask me. Franny takes over most of them with all her bags. She is the bag lady.

Above: A wall of photos in the master bedroom. "These are photos of our childhood and our kids and our parents. We use old frames and lots of Ikea frames," says Carina.

Above: The master bedroom with large photographs of Carina, Sander, and Karim. "We have not added Franny yet (oops)."

Above: The red door leads to Karim's studio, which is located in what was once a laundry shack. There are four buildings on the property, each with a letter or number on the door. "All of our letters are from Paula Rubenstein in NYC, we love her."

Above: A hammock in the garden near the studio.

Above: The pool with decking and square tables made from Ipe (built by Karim) that also double as seating.

Want to own the house? Check out the recent listing with Sotheby's. Take a look at our recent find in nearby Providence, RI: Stock Culinary Goods.

My daughter adores buttercups. We are clearing a patch of garden which has become overrun and it will be her patch. She wants to grow the things she likes and that includes the creeping buttercup. Other favorites are dandelions and daisies, bluebells and wild strawberries. For a child, they are all value-added, plants you can play with or eat. For an adult, they have to get out of the borders.

Photographs by Kendra Wilson.

Above: The best/worst moment in the life cycle of a dandelion depending on whether you are a child or a grownup.

Above: Bluebells are on my daughter's list of top five plants because they are shaped like bells and fairies live in them. There is undoubtedly something magical about a bluebell wood for children and adults alike. The double hit of color and scent is transcending and if fairies live in the flowers, then all the better.

Above: When the toys are not cleared away. This is a problem for many adults.

At the Chelsea Flower Show this year a small garden in the "Artisan" section attracted a lot of attention. It was a children's garden which was intended to provoke memories in visitors of their own childhoods. The tree house made out of old pieces of wood, the space hopper and the ancient teddies certainly took me back to west London in the '70s and would have struck a chord with most people who had had gardens as children, during any era since the 1950s.

Above: The Garden of Magical Childhood was down an alley of gold medal-winning gardens at Chelsea. Tucked away in a wooded area with birds singing, its location added to the atmosphere of the garden. This was about un-manicured areas, in which children are allowed to be themselves. Planting includes Linaria purpurea or "bombsite rocket." Other plants which are allowed to thrive undisturbed are great clumps of dock, stinging nettle, horse chestnut seedlings and lawn daisies.

Above: Marbles in the flower beds. How annoying is that? Here, they are semi-hidden among sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum), probably the most legit ground cover here; among clover, shepherd's purse, and bluebells.

Considering sweet woodruff as a round cover? Galium Odoratum is $29.95 for three plants from White Flower Farm.

Above: Another informal and respectable plant which appeals to children and adults alike, with its spheres of acid green, is the guelder rose or Viburnum opulus.

Children aren't the only people who call viburnums "snowball bushes." A Viburnum Opulus 'Roseum' Snowball is $39.59 from Grimm's Garden.

Above: Foxgloves and geum (shown here: G. 'totally tangerine'). These can be enjoyed by both parties. But what is that at the bottom? Meadow buttercup and greater stitchwort (Stellaria holostea). Oh dear.

A 4-inch pot of Geum 'Totally Tangerine' is available seasonally; $7.95 from Annie's Annuals.

We love chalkboard paint for a hallway, kids' room, or play area, but for those who prefer a neutral paint palette, hate the mess of chalk, or are just over the chalkboard wall, dry-erase paint is the solution.

Initially, the dry-erase paint market had only a few key players, but now you can find the paint in a variety of finishes and with safety and the environment in mind. Dry-erase paint is relatively odorless, low-VOC, and suitable for many applications like wood furniture, colored walls, bricks, and concrete.

Above: A mix of tacked-up memorabilia, photographs, and a small sketch from Cocon in France. For the classic high gloss white finish, Rust-Oleum's Specialty Dry Erase Paint Kit can be used on drywall, masonite, wood, cement, and metal and is a water-based formula; $21.97 for 27 ounces from Home Depot.

Above: For use on different materials like wood, concrete, and brick, Clear Dry-Erase Paint has a transparent finish; $130 for a can that covers 50 square feet from Whitey Board on Etsy.

Above: A tree drawn in white chalk board paint from IdeaPaint. Their low-VOC CRE-8 Water Borne Paint is $28.99 for the Lil' Bit Kit (which covers 3 square feet). For more, see Walls, Windows & Floors: IdeaPaint Dry-Erase Paint. Another option is Sherwin-Williams' Dry Erase Coating, which is LEED certified and meets the Ozone Transport Commission's specifications; available directly from Sherwin-Williams.

Above: In addition to the clear coat from Whitey Board Paints, IdeaPaint makes a Clear Kit that covers 50 square feet for $225. Photograph via IdeaPaint.

Looking for more kids room inspiration? Get radical with Children's Climbing Walls, 10 Children's Swings for Indoor Play, and Black-Accented Children's Rooms.

As property values in metropolitan areas continue their prohibitive rise, young urban families are always on the hunt for creative affordable living solutions. Founding partners of Canadian architecture firm Studio Junction, Christine Ho Ping Kong and Peter Tan designed their own home in Toronto to explore how they might use ancient architecture to transform urban infill into habitable plots, creating their own brand of urban alchemy.

Photography by Rob Fiocca. 

Above: The greatest challenge to building a home on an urban infill site is the potential lack of natural daylight. Studio Junction found inspiration in the ancient form of courtyard housing to solve the problem on their site in a mixed-use industrial neighborhood and designed two courtyards; one at ground level and the other on the second floor. The light from the secondary courtyard brings natural daylight into the bathroom and laundry on the second floor as well into the office on the first floor.

Above: The courtyard on the ground level separates the house from the office studio, creating a communal space for both structures and functioning as the primary source of natural daylight. 

Above: The living room, kitchen, and dining area all look onto the courtyard.

Above: A view from the house across the courtyard into the couple's studio workshop.

Above: The studio workshop has two sources of natural daylight; borrowed light from the communal courtyard, and light from a continuous skylight above.

Above: The couple run their architecture practice from this office, which is top-lit from the secondary courtyard at the rear of the house.

Above: Tan, a woodworker as well as an architect, built the majority of this finely crafted house.

Above: The second floor courtyard catches the sun.

Above: Japanese shoji style screens allow the light from the courtyard to come through the bathroom and into the hallway.

Above: A built in bed and storage divide the children's room from the master bedroom. A sliding partiton within the bed provides easy access in both directions. For more innovative children's beds, see 10 Favorites: Creative Beds for Children. 

Above: The original contractor warehouse that sat on the typical infill site in a mixed-use industrial Toronto neighborhood. Image via Dwell.

Above: Studio Junction's Courtyard House under construction. Image via Dwell.

For another creative affordable urban living solution where Remodelista Architect and Designer Directory member Elizabeth Roberts helps two families share one house, see The Architect is In: Elizabeth Roberts Adds Value in Brooklyn. 

The entries are streaming in to the Remodelista Considered Design Awards, so we thought we'd give you a sneak peek of some of the submissions so far (and don't forget to send us your own favorite space by June 14!).

As always, we love a mix of amateur and professional spaces; we're still looking for submissions in these categories: Best Office (home and professional offices, live/work studios, DIY/crafting spaces, work tables, kids' study spaces, home office solutions for small spaces) and Best Dining Room (formal and informal, rustic kitchen tables, breakfast nooks, at-counter dining). 

The deadline is Friday, June 14; to enter, go to Remodelista Considered Design Awards. (And head over to Gardenista for a peek at their entries.)

When Bea Johnson, her husband, Scott, and their two children moved from a large house to a temporary apartment while they were looking for a new home in Marin, they put much of their belongings in storage and lived with just the necessities. Doing so proved to be an epiphany when they realized that they really did not need all the stuff that they had accumulated. This was also the genesis for Bea's move to embrace simplicity; soon after, she started her Zero Waste Home to document her travails. She points out that it was a slow process to begin with, but once she started paying attention to consumption and the way her family lives, the easier it became. Here she tells us how we can do the same with 10 ways to live with less.

Photography by Bea Johnson of Zero Waste Home.

 
Remodelista: What do you have in your living room?
Bea Johnson: A living room is for entertaining, watching TV, and reading. Things that do not accommodate these activities have no place here. Generally all that is needed is a place for your receiver and cable box, comfortable seating, a couple of throws, a reading light, and maybe a coffee table (we use a tray instead). We added a living wall to allow plants to clean our indoor air, and chose a hanging chair to simplify sweeping. The less on the floor you have, the easier it is to clean. We also found that over time we grew tired of pictures on walls, and that once the novelty sensation went away, we would not even look at them anymore. I also find artwork to be a burden to move. Today, I prefer murals as they add color to a room without adding to your load. They are easy to change (simply paint over when you no longer "see" them) and they do not need to be packed for a move.

RM: What's essential in a kitchen and what can you do without?
BJ: You can achieve a simple kitchen in three easy steps: 1. Empty drawers and cupboards and let go of all the things that you know you do not use. Donate duplicates—this is a good time to let go of toxic plastic spoons. 2. Put aside items you are hesitant to give away (in the attic or in a box) and test your usage over a couple of months. You'll realize it's OK to give away those items that you do not really need. 3. Refine. Question even those things you always thought you had to have. I let go of my vegetable peeler and have lost the reflex to peel those veggies that do not need peeling. As a result, food prep is much faster, my compost output (peelings) is considerably reduced, and we benefit from the vitamins that are locked into vegetable skins.

 
RM: Your zero-waste approach to a pantry?
BJ: Find out what your staples are, and stick to one type of each. For example: there is no need to hang on to several types of rice and pasta; your least favorite will get pushed to the back of your cabinet and get spoiled by the time you have the energy to clean out your pantry. For example, we store one type of pasta, one type of grain, and one type of legume. When we finish one, we buy a different type (we'll go from lasagna to penne in our pasta jar).

RM: In your dining room?
BJ: If the purpose of a dining room is for dining, what do you really need in there besides table and chairs? Our dining table is our most-used piece of furniture in the house. Keeping it uncluttered eases the transition from homework to dining. We keep a bowl of fruit in the center of the table to make it irresistible for the kids to grab some as a snack—it's functional decor. We keep the fruit bowl on nesting trivets so when we set the table, we remove the bowl but leave the trivets so they never leave the table and I never have to wait around with a hot dish in my hands.

RM: Approach to decor?
BJ: We decorated our stairs with some of the kids drawings. We figured that instead of letting them sit in a "memory box" we would put them to good use and enjoy them as part of our decor. To create the collage, I simply applied varnish (white glue also works) to the risers of my steps, then applied the paper, then coated it with the same medium (varnish or glue).

RM: How do you keep the accumulation of stuff in check with your kids?
BJ: The kids have learned that the simple life makes cleaning their room a breeze. They have also learned that when they grow out of something, they can turn around and sell it on eBay or Craigslist to buy an age-appropriate replacement. They sold their Legos recently, for example. When they were younger, we went through their toys together and they picked their favorite toys. We then assigned a bin to each type of toys. (I go more into depth about the process in my book, Zero Waste Home).

RM: How have you enlisted your children in this approach to living?
BJ: When we started simplifying our lives, our boys were 5 and 6—they are now 11 and 13. We thought that by the time they reached their teenage years, things would be tougher, but they have in fact been easier. They have lived simply now for half their lives and they no longer ask for things because of peer pressure. I find myself asking them if they want something more than they ask me.

RM: What are your essentials for a bathroom?
BJ: When we remodeled our bathroom, we took cleaning and efficiency into consideration. I do not enjoy cleaning bathrooms so we tiled the whole room and created a "wet" bathroom. The shower is open and the floor slanted. When it's time to clean, we can simply hose the floor down and wipe it clean. We do not have open shelves but a medicine cabinet to store our necessities.

RM: Advice on tackling the bedroom and even more importantly, the wardrobe?
BJ: What else do we need in there besides a bed and reading lights? For the wardrobe, there is a very simple rule that I like to remind my clients (I offer simplifying services): "What you do not have does not need to be organized!" The less we have, the easier life becomes. Paring down your wardrobe is about picking your favorite pieces (the ones you always find yourself reaching for) and having a closet full of things to wear. It does not hinder decision making, it makes it easier to make choices and it greatly reduces our washes. Our boys, for example, have eight tops and four bottoms per season. It has taught them to manage their wardrobes, they now think twice before changing mid-day for no reason. It shows on laundry day.

RM: So this is all you have?
BJ: Today we only live with the necessities and we could not feel happier, free from the burden of stuff. "Living with less" has allowed us to "live more," by opening time in our lives to do the things we enjoy doing. Our lives are now based on experiences versus stuff. Living simply has even allowed us to rent our home when we're gone to fund our holidays, weekend getaways, and trips abroad.

RM: One simple takeaway for living with less—beyond composting and carrying bags to the market?
BJ: Our Zero Waste lifestyle is based on applying the 5 R's: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot. The most important thing one can do to stop waste and clutter entering the home is to simply say no. Think before accepting something that is handed out to you. Turn down flyers, freebies, party favors, business cards, single-use plastics (such as flimsy grocery bags), and fight junk mail. Accepting these things not only creates a demand to make more, they are a waste of resources and once they are brought into our home, they add to the clutter and require effort to dispose of them later. Refusing is the first rule to living a Zero Waste simple lifestyle. Give it a try, you'll be amazed how much stuff you'll be able to stop from coming in.

Above: Zero Waste Home is available on Amazon for $13.72.

You can read more on Bea in an interview that Gardenista editor Michelle Slatella did several years ago for her New York Times column when they were neighbors.

Little Cube, the brainchild of Paris-based illustrator and designer Sarah Betts is about playful wallpaper and other textiles for children and their dreams—the next best thing to having an illustrated storybook on their nursery or bedroom walls.

Above: Alexa's just come back from Paris (she'll be showing us all her finds next week), so it's not a surprise that Paris is her favorite print in this series.

Above: Lions & Tigers is for all those who dream or have dreamt about joining the circus; £165 per roll.

Above: For those who are color shy, Frames offers a more neutral background. 

Above: Birdcages has a soft pastel palette. 

Above: Summer Rabbits will remind children of their favorite season all year round. Little Cube wallpapers are available through Bouf with free shipping on all US, UK, and Europe orders. 

Thinking about wallpaper?  See 129 images of ways to use Wallpaper in our Gallery of rooms and spaces. 

Last summer, I spotted a great looking teepee in the neighborhood that seemed like a perfectly do-able DIY. So much so, I was compelled to investigate. Greg Pitt had made if for his two young children, as the family likes to hang out in their front garden to catch the sun at the end of the day. While he and his wife, Kelly, enjoy cocktails, their two children play (and ideally repose) in the teepee. 

Greg told me that he put it all together in two hours with six bamboo poles, three large painters drop cloths, some nuts and bolts, a hole punch, and some rope. Read on for instructions.

Photography by Mimi Giboin for Gardenista.

Above: "It's easiest to start at the top, then move around the frame to attach the cloth to the poles. 
I left the cloth a little bit longer for the door."

Above: "I used three painters drop cloths—15 feet by 20 feet—the bigger the better. Cut each one into a large triangular piece then take an angle off the top so that the pieces fit together."

Above: "Wrap the drop cloth around the bamboo pole and attach it to the next piece of drop cloth with a washer and a 1-inch bolt. Use a hole punch for making the holes in the fabric."

Above: "Use washers and bolts to attach the drop cloth to the poles."

Above: Gregg tied the six poles together at the top of the teepee with some rope.

Above: Tie the six poles together at the top with a piece of rope.

Above:  Here's what Greg has to say: "Create a frame out of six bamboo poles (12 to 15 feet are an ideal length). Use longer poles if you want a larger tent."

This summer, Greg is thinking about jazzing up the tent. He say, "I might put some Gesso on the outside and paint stripes around it. I have all this old house paint I could use. A cool lime green would look great." We're hoping the neighbors like it, too.

To see more on the Pitt's garden, check out our previous post on Gardenista.

Well-behaved vines soften the message of a security fence in a suburb on the edge of Sydney, Australia. Landscape designer Anthony Wyer built scaffolding and trained bougainvillea to grow on it. Here's how to recreate the look to make any fence look friendlier.

Above: Photograph via Anthony Wyer + Associates.

It looks like a lot of work, but all it takes to get the look is a fast-growing vine and some inexpensive hardware store purchases to create a trellis for it. 

Above: Photograph via Healthy Home Gardening.

In Australia and similar warm climates, Bougainvillea Glabra is a fast grower. A white Bougainvillea 'Ms. Alice' is available seasonally from Stokes Tropicals; $29.95. 

In colder climates where bougainvillea won't survive the winter, you can train wisteria against a wall. For step-by-step instructions see DIY: Train a Wisteria Vine Not to Eat the House.

Above: Make a grid using inexpensive hardware purchases (you can also buy them from Sears). A sturdy component is a 3.75-inch-long stainless steel Lag Eye Bolt (Top) is $1.99 apiece; Stainless Steel Cable is $62 for a 125-foot roll, and Stainless Steel Turnbuckles are $24.05 for a package of ten.

Above: Anchor the bolts into the fence posts create a grid pattern. Then thread the cable through the bolts.

For more fast-growing vines, see Alternatives to Ivy: Vertical Growers.

Where to go on a Friday night after a long week of work, kids in tow? In most neighborhoods, options are few—except Brooklyn.

Lark Cafe is the brainchild of journalist Kari Browne and lawyer Lori Kranczer, both mothers who couldn't find anywhere in their Brooklyn neighborhood to relax with a bite to eat—or work away on their laptops—and comfortably bring their kids. With the help of architect Kimberly Peck (a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory), the pair opened Lark in an open, loft-like space with plenty of bright color and a playroom for romping via an attached event space.

Lark means business when it comes to supporting neighborhood families. The cafe hosts events including a weekly new parent meet-up, parent and baby movement classes, and concerts for kids. A "Babes and Beer" happy hour on Friday nights supplies easy meals for kids (like cheese quesadillas) while adults can relax with their own dinner, beer or wine included.

Photography by Mary Jane Farnsworth and Kimberly Peck.

Above: Peck sourced Marais A Side Chairs and Low Back Stools from Industry West, some in bright yellow, others in white and raw galvanized steel. In the back, Peck designed banquets with kids in mind. "They are very solid and easy for kids to climb up on without hurting themselves, unlike chairs."

Above: "The main design element is the plane created by the pendant lights throughout the space," Peck says. They are Boja pendant lights from Ikea, spray painted with a high gloss bright yellow paint at an auto body shop. Note the small divider of wood slats at the back, designed to give some privacy to the bathroom entry.

Above: Considerations about what kids would touch and climb on drove decisions like cladding the front of the counter with wood.

Above: The addition of the wood elements—all in pine—at the banquet, counter, sliding barn door, dividers, and niche served to warm up the space.

Above: Peck had new concrete floor installed for an industrial but clean feel.

Above: Peck added a narrow countertop along the windows so people can sit and look out the window while sipping their coffee. 

Above: The event space functions as a playroom for most of the day. Carpet tiles from Flor provide flexibility—they can be removed for events where a carpet isn't needed, and kids move the tiles to create individual seating areas (and also just to play with them).

See 365 images of surprisingly versatile Yellow in our gallery of rooms and spaces. 

Is it possible that a colorful desk lamp could enhance a child's study habits? Probably not, but it could make studying slightly more fun.

Above: Industrial Task Lamp; $79 from West Elm.

Above: The Lore Lamp from Schoolhouse Electric is $178.

Above: It's not cheap, but it is lifetime-lasting; the Tolomeo Micro Table Lamp is available in a range of colors; $440 from Y Living.

Above: Arod Work Lamp; $39.99 from Ikea.

Above: CB2's Carpenter Bright Orange Lamp is made from high-gloss powder coated steel and is $69.95.

See all our task lamp lighting picks here.

What is it with the Brits and bespoke kitchens?  We've just come across deVOL Kitchens, an East Midland outfit founded in 1989 by two design graduates from Loughborough University, Philip deVries and Paul O’Leary (the name is an amalgamation of their initials).  We're taken with their kitchen cabinetry and laundry offerings inspired by simple Georgian and Victorian furniture from Ireland, England, and Wales with a dash of Quaker and Scandinavian influence added for good measure. Here's a roundup of some of their offerings.

Above: deVOL's Shaker Kitchen line is a modular version of the company's classic line.

Above: The Classic Work Table made from oak.

Above: Garlic Chopping Board in oak: £25.

Above: Classic Kitchen Cupboards available in any size and finish.

Above: Towel Rack in ash for £120.

Above: A Shaker cabinet with tea towel from Thornback & Peel.

Above: Fruit Picking Ladders available in custom color painted rungs for £170.

Above: A full height Shaker Cupboard.

Above: A selection of cabinet knobs and bin pulls.

Above: The Cotes Mill showroom located on the river Soar sits on the site of the original mill built over 1,000 years ago.

This weekend, New York-based Robert Stilin talks about classic design in his renovation of an “old fashioned” family compound in the Hamptons. He is available for the next 48 hours to answer any and all questions. Ask away!

With over twenty years of experience running his NYC- and Hamptons-based firm, Robert Stilin a member of the Remodelista Architect and Designer Directory, has developed a reputation for a classically modern style that is tailored to the needs of each client and project. In the restoration of a late 19th century Sagaponack farmhouse with two barn structures from the 1940s, Stilin applies a highly developed sense of layering, from old to new, in order to transform the three buildings into a coherent compound for a 21st century family. “Layers in general create depth and interest; mixing materials and pieces from different time periods adds to the comfort of a space, and I am all about comfort,” Stilin says. 

Photography by Joshua McHugh. 

Above: In the living room of the farmhouse, Stilin establishes a neutral palette which he carries throughout the three buildings. " My clients have chosen to live in a very classic setting; the house is very exposed to the outside and is surrounded by beautiful farmland and it's very much about the outside coming in," Stilin says. "With all the color coming in through the magnificent views, you do not need as much color inside." While the living room is actually painted Benjamin Moore's Tapestry Beige, it appears green because of the exterior greenery and the green glass lamp which has been converted from an antique glass bottle. 

Above: Staying true to the architectural integrity of the farmhouse, the main house has the original wood floors (which still creak), doors, and trims throughout. In the family room/den, Stilin covers the windows with half height curtains, adding a level of privacy without weighing the room down. "I also like to think that the look of the curtains is classic with the period of the house," Stillin says. The indigo print pillows by Lisa Fine Textiles and Vanderhurd add a level of comfort and color while the vintage brass accordion lamps from the 1940's mix another layer of history into the room. 

Above: For Stillin, mixing furniture and textiles is about shape, form, texture and comfort, all of which culminate on the upper landing of the stair hall. "Everything here has visual interest and functionality," Stillin says. "The dryness of the wood mixed with the crispness of the lamp creates a wonderful dance and while the mirror is a light box sculpture, it also functions as a mirror."

Above: In the master bedroom, Stilin added a classic modern fireplace made of bluestone with a bleached white oak surround. "We went to great lengths to restore the original unfinished trim and doors of the architecture in order to blend in our modern additions. There's an organic quality about it which I quite like," Stillin says. "Age and history make this house really comfortable."

Above: While the original shutters help to retain the character of an old farmhouse, Stilin felt the master bedroom space would also benefit from the scale and proportion of a four-poster bed and designed one out of iron to contrast with the wood in the room.  The ceiling light fixture made from vintage patinated metal boxes from R.E. Steele Antiques complements the iron bed.

Above: In the children's bedroom, Stilin fashioned a headboard with reclaimed wooden boards from one of the existing barns on the property and painted them a soft white.

Above: Stilin's design for the vanity references the Hamptons vernacular shingle style and the overall feel of the house while the frame for the mirror provided another opportunity to use the reclaimed wood from the adjacent barns. A light by the French designer Christian Liaigre adds an unexpected but subtle glamor to the rustic bathroom. 

Above: In the classically detailed and proportioned New England entry hall, Stillin mixes in midcentury Italian coat hooks sourced from Wyeth and a vintage Arts and Crafts style umbrella stand sourced from his own shop in East Hampton. 

Above: Stilin's design approach to the the 1940s barns was to give them a more loft-like feel in contrast to the 19th-century farmhouse aesthetic; all the trim has been painted white and the floors are concrete. The original exposed beams recall a structural history that is particular to the barns. In the living room of the guest barn, Stilin hangs a series of vintage industrial lights from the 1950s in contrast to the beams. "The lights are very functional for the space and the shape and form have a nice graphic relationship with the beams," Stillin says. "The texture of the glass and bronze play off well with the crisp painted walls and concrete floors." 

Above: The second barn, a former working barn, was converted to a gym with solid black rubber tile on the floor. "The wall was already painted with the white stripe, so we just cleaned it up and left it how it was," Stillin says.  "It is very graphic and I love it."

See The Architect is In: A Home in the Hamptons Designed to Endure for more architecture in the Hamptons. Remodelista Architecture and Designer Directory members Stelle Lomont and Rouhani renovate a beach house for a three-generation family in Amagansett. 

Last month, Alexa headed off to Paris armed with little more than a camera and a list of all our favorite French designers and creators, including Clarisse Demory, Cécile Daladier, and David Rager and Cheri Messerli. This coming week, we give you a behind-the-scenes look into their homes and insights into their favorite Paris finds, plus visits to our favorite shops and restaurants. And in the meantime, this is what's been on our radar closer to home.

• Alexa visited Lucile Demory while she was in Paris; stay tuned for her Style Counsel profile on Lucile. Photograph by Natalie Weiss for Remodelista.
• Across the pond is a $25 million mansion in Brooklyn's Park Slope, via Brownstoner.
• Unlock your front door with your phone. Julie's eyeing Yves Behar's latest design: the August Smart Lock spotted on Endgadget.

• Do we need another Josh Vogel spoon?  Sarah thinks so. Vogel's work will be on display at March SF from June 6th where fellow Hudson Valley resident, artist and basket maker Jonathan Kline will also be showing his sculptural pieces.

• One of Alexa's favorite stops in Paris: Pierre Jeanneret and Le Corbusier's La Maison Roche.
• And if you do happen to be in Paris, Droog will be providing Parisians with a taste of their Hôtel Droog at the Merci store from June 4th to the 15th—and three lucky couples will be sleeping there overnight.

• With the upcoming MoMA exhibition on Le Corbusier, Christine has been checking out this sartorial essay and wondering if the clothes maketh the architect.

• Speaking of Bauhaus, how about a bit of Gropius Inspired Food Photography? Via Architizer.
• Finally, if you are looking to crack open some vino this summer, Stacey is checking out Real Simple's wine-buying tips.