This Saturday we're hosting a Remodelista Holiday Market at Big Daddy's Antiques in Los Angeles. We'll be packing the warehouse with a lineup of 36 of our favorite local designers and indie shop owners—there will be familiar faces plus plenty of new talent. Please join us—we have your holiday shopping covered with a range of goods for him, her, the home, and more. Plus, Valerie Confections will be selling sweet and savory treats and The Juice will be pouring their latest daily raw, pressed offerings. 

When: Saturday, December 7th, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Where: Big Daddy’s Antiques, 
3334 South La Cienega Place, Los Angeles (Located one block west of La Cienega Blvd., off Jefferson Blvd., near Culver City.) 

Plenty of parking.  Admission is free.

Above: A sampling of the goods that will be available at the Holiday Market, courtesy of an all-star cast of 34 vendors: Airplantman, Baum-Kuchen, Brendan Ravenhill, Chariots on Fire,  CHAY, clé tile, Erica Tanov, g.COLTON, Haute Bohemian Groupe,  Heritage Culinary Artifacts, HLC Company Goods, Jess Brown, Joey Roth, Huddleson, IKO IKO, Knotwork LA, Llane Alexis, LE FEU DE L’EAU, Lost & Found, Myers Collective, Nickey Kehoe, Olmay Home, Otaat, Pope Valley Pottery, Richard Carter Studio, Saving the Season, Scout Regalia, Small Trade Company, The Brick House, Thomas Wayne Woodworking, TW Workshop, VanderMolen Ceramics, Whim & Caprice, Your Local Hive. 

Attention, Bay Area readers: We're hosting a Remodelista Holiday Market on Dec. 14, at Heath Ceramics, 2900 18th St, SF, from 10 am to 5 pm. Hope to see you there!

I love to decorate my apartment for Christmas, but, like most people, find little joy in taking down the decorations and putting them away.

For ease, I throw all of my ornaments and lights into a storage basket. This system works well for socks and sweaters, but has limited utility when it comes to holiday decor. Why? Because holiday decor gets tangled. Always.

This week, I entirely reorganized my setup, without giving up my basket: I sorted my holiday decorations using a roll of VELCRO® brand ONE-WRAP® ties: long, cuttable ties that wrap around just about everything and fasten to themselves. Everyone at Remodelista plans to follow suit. Here, the before and after:

Photography by Meredith Swinehart. 

Above: At the end of the holiday season, I toss all of my Christmas decorations into a basket. Not the worst organization solution I've seen, but not the best either. Photography shot with the Canon EOS 70D digital SLR camera, with Dual Pixel AF technology and built-in Wi-Fi.

Above: I'd moved the basket several times over the year, and fished through it for extra extension cords. So when I pulled everything out last week, I found a tangled mess of cords, lights, and garlands. 

Above: The solution for keeping tangle at bay: Velcro One-Wraps. (I admit, I initially wondered what advantage, if any, One-Wrap ties have over string. But I soon discovered definite advantages: I can gather decorations in one hand and fasten them with One-Wraps using the other. And One-Wrap ties don't stretch or loosen—at all—so whatever I secure stays put.) $9.34 for a 12-foot roll from Amazon. 

Above: Extension cords, Christmas lights, and beaded garland will now keep to themselves. 

Above: Sometimes the tiniest cords are the most annoying; these were constantly getting tangled in the wicker trees they're attached to. For these smaller decorations, I used Velcro One-Wrap Self-Gripping Cable Ties; $6.49 for 100 ties at Amazon. 

Above: One-Wraps come in handy even for less obvious items, like candles and dried berries. 

Above: My holiday napkins and leather gift wrapping string—previously "organized" by being thrown in a paper bag—also benefit from Velcro ties. 

Above: Though I had grand plans for finding shelf space for my decorations, I just tossed everything back in the basket. But this time, there are no tangles in my future.

-Meredith Swinehart

A guaranteed hit this holiday season: simple, well-made finds for the new arrival and his or her design-minded parents. 

To make sure we've got everyone on your list covered, we're posting a new gift guide every weekday from now until Christmas. See all of the Gift Guides to date in our archive.

Above: The French believe in dressing well starting at birth. From Paris-born, San Francisco-based Le Roi Booboo, the Grey Collar Shirt and Navy Shirt are both available in sizes from 3-6 months to 18-24 months; $52 each.

Above: It's never too early to expose young minds to good graphic design. The Three Little Pigs Story Poster by Chicago artist Christian Jackson is $55 from Oeuf.

We're happy to report that wood is an option again for children's basics. Above L: The Child's Nail Brush embossed with animal line drawings; $12 at Brook Farm General Store. Above R: The Child's Hair Brush, made in Germany of waxed beechwood; $24 at Brook Farm General Store.

Above: Miniature version of the pants we'd all love to live in, Organic Layette Leggings, shown in light gray and charcoal, are available in sizes from 6 months to 6 years; $24 each from Oeuf. 

Above: The Pebbled Terry Baby Bath Set from Coyuchi includes a bath mitt, washcloth, and hooded towel of 100 percent organic Turkish-woven cotton; $135.

Above: Made of curved pieces of walnut that are set in motion by air currents, the Camber Mobile by Brian Schmitt is an enchanting design for any age; $178 at Canoe.

Seeking a surprise for a baby's older sibling? See our Gift Guide: Handmade Presents for Children.

Having spent ten years at Schoolhouse Electric as the general manager and, later, as a designer director, Michelle Steinback knows the world of interior lighting exceptionally well. But recently, when furnishing her family's mid-century Eicher-style ranch house outside of Portland, Oregon, she couldn't find exactly what she was after. That's what led her to start making updated versions of modernist designs—and from there her new lighting company, Cedar & Moss, was born. The collection is affordably priced and ranges from midcentury globe lights and hourglass silhouettes to stripped-down sconces that channel the work of today's design stars. As we said, Steinback is well versed in the highlights of her field.

Above: "My hope is that they feel fresh yet familiar," says Steinback of her lighting designs. Shown here, the Alto Pendant, made from solid brass parts with a 10-inch blown glass shade; $189. The design is also available in a black and polished nickel finish, and with an opal shade. All of Cedar & Moss's parts are made in the US of heavy-gauge brass.

Above: The Alto Pendant in black lights Steinback's front entry. Cedar & Moss designs with a dark or brass finish are given a wax coating that imparts a semi-matte sheen.

Above L: The brass Fjord Rod Pendant, $149, is designed for a round bulb—bulbs aren't included with Cedar & Moss's lights, but the company sells them at reasonable prices. Above R: The Waterfall Cord Pendant is detailed with clear glass over brass and comes with a black- or gray-twisted cord; $149. Both designs are also available in a black finish and come in a variety of fixture lengths.

Above: The Tilt Cone light is made of brass with a black finish (also available in brass and polished nickel) and has an adjustable shade; $139.

Above: The Lindsey Adelman-esque Branch sconce in brass, $149. A companion design with a long side arm on the right is available for use as a pair. Cedar & Moss offers two versions of tube-shaped lightbulbs, the T9 Butterscotch, $7, and the T10 Clear, $2.

Above: The Tilt Long sconce lines the walls of Steinback's dining room. They're available in brass (shown), black, and polished nickel finishes; $85 each.

Above: Flint 1, a steampunk variation of the classic hardware store porcelain sconce; $29.

Above: Lights are finished and assembled at Cedar & Moss's four-room studio on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon; the setup overlooks a forested state park, which inspired the company name. See the full collection at Cedar & Moss.

Can't get enough lighting? Have a look at our posts Back to Basics: Low-Cost Lighting with High-Style Appeal, Atelier de Troupe's New Torche Sconce, and 5 Favorites: Sculptural Wood Pendant Lights. 

Located on a quiet side street in the heart of Navigli in Milan, 28 Posti is a 28-seat trattoria-as-social-experiment. Designed by architect Francesco Faccin and fitted out by inmates of the nearby Penitentiary Institute of Bollate, the interior features a mix of ancient (crumbling brick and plaster walls) and modern (lamps made from plastic bottles, sleek custom dining chairs).

Photos by Filippo Romano.

Above: The restaurant's glazed entrance with its number stenciled over the door.

Above: The original brick walls are still visible; the concrete floor is a new addition. On the menu: sprightly vegetarian and seafood dishes, such as cod confit with blu-violet potatoes.

Above: The concierge desk was made from reclaimed wood by trained inmates working in a prison carpentry shop. You can read about the program here.

Above: Faccin designed all of the furniture and it was fabricated in the prison workshop. It's hoped that the restaurant will become a showcase for the work that the detainees can do.

Above: The whimsical PET lamps are made in Colombia from reused plastic bottles and textiles (I spotted the pendants at Conran in London last summer and wasn't sure what to make of them; seeing them in situ, I'm now on board). The lamps can be purchased directly from PET Lamp (prices start at $200 for the smallest size; medium, shown here, are $280). Photo via Why Not Monday.

Above: The tables, banquettes, doors, and wall paneling are all made from scrap lumber.

Above: Illuminated niches display Kenyan sculptures and artifacts.

Heading to Milan? Also don't miss Pave Cafe, design gallery Spazio Rossana Orlandi, and the World's Biggest Vertical Garden.

Below: Here's where to find 28 Posti in Milan's Navigli district.

Tasked with rebuilding an entire 19^th century townhouse behind a landmarked front façade on New York’s upper West Side, O’neill Rose Architects (members of the Remodelista Architect & Designer Directory) combined the glamorous proportions of pre-war architecture with the lightness and clean lines of modern living. 

Photography by Michael Moran.

Above: The restored front façade of the townhouse is landmarked and is the only original element of the building that remains. The architects added a new stoop to reconnect the parlor floor back to the street.

Above: The architects reinterpreted a classic 19th century curving stair. It begins at the parlor floor and ends at a modern penthouse on the fifth floor. 

The graceful proportions of the rooms are accentuated by streamlined architectural details that reference more ornate styles from the 19th century. Shown here, the parlor's grand arched front window.

Above: The three-legged Shell Chair by Danish designer Hans J. Wegner introduces timeless midcentury lines to the front parlor and sets the tone for things to come.

Above: The architects' use of streamlined paneling adds scale and texture to the lofty dining room. The wood floor is in a herringbone pattern throughout the parlor floor. (Like the look? See our post Chevron and Herringbone: Spot the Difference.) The hardwood Dining Table and multi-colored Wishbone Chairs are Hans J. Wegner designs. 

Above: The architects built several scaled models of the fireplace mantel to determine the angles of the stones. They then asked the contractor to make a mock-up to scale to get a better understanding of the shape of the mantel in relation to the room. The final design is made of Avion, a soft brown honed marble from Spain. 

Above: With a long island running through it, the streamlined kitchen features cabinetry on one side and a fireplace and built-in bookshelves on the other. A window wall opens it to a new breakfast room extension in the rear, which, in turn, opens onto a terrace. 

Above: The kitchen countertops are made of Imperial Danby marble from Vermont quarries. "We use this stone in a lot of our projects because it's beautiful and local for us," says architect Devin O'neill. 

Above: Custom-designed kitchen cabinets maximize storage by using all of the room's available height. For kitchen cabinetry essentials, see Remodeling 101: 5 Questions to Ask When Choosing Your Kitchen Cabinets.

Above: The delicate spindles of the black wood stair rail are modern in their detailing and remind us of Windsor chair spindles. 

Above: The master bedroom is situated in the back of the house, where the architects weren't beholden to the original design. The room opens onto a new terrace that sits above the kitchen extension. The maximize views the glazing extends from wall to wall.

Above: The bedroom's stand alone bathtub is filled from wall mounted fixtures on the side.

Above: Natural light from above filters down the stairs.

Above: On the top floors of the house, the design, as O'neill explains, "becomes less and less formal, gradually shedding the historic detailing." The remodel culminates in a modern penthouse with a terrace, shown here. A window wall makes the division between the inside and outside disappear.

Above: "We worked closely with the NYC Landmarks and Preservation commission to develop a modern rear façade within the historic footprint of the original building," O'neill says. The stepped back penthouse and terrace are hidden from view.

Want to see more work by O'neill Rose? Have a look at Porch Appreciation in Connecticut. Or see Julian King's Minimalist Moves in a Chelsea Townhouse for another New York townhouse project.  

Add a whimsical note to an interior with an avian-inspired light; here are five we are currently coveting.

Above: Hard to resist: the Alouette Collection of avian-inspired lighting from Atelier Areti, a team of far-flung European designers who work collaboratively. The pieces are handmade from powder-coated metal and fabric-covered cable with brass joints. The Alouette 1 Bird Wall Lamp is newly available in the US via Camerich Los Angeles for $665 in black with brass detailing, as shown, or in all black or all white for $545. The showroom's website is pending; in the meantime, email info@camerichla.com or call 310-881-6199. N.B.: the light is also available from European online sources, including I/Object, who sells the Alouette Bird Wall Lamp in white with brass for €320.

Above: The Lampe Volant by Godefroy de Virieu is modeled after a badminton birdie; €149 via L'Atelier d' Exercices.

Above: The Lucellino Wall Sconce by Ingo Maurer is $335 from Lumens.

Above: Designed by Ed Carpenter and made in the UK, the clip-on Pigeon Night Light is available in gray, white, black, yellow, hot pink, or orange; £67 at Theo Theo.

Above: The clip-on Bird Light instantly transforms a bare bulb into a bird in flight; €45 from Hommin.

We're eternally on the hunt for inspired lighting. Check out our collection of recent Lighting posts. Have a thing for birds? Go straight to 14 Ways to Feather Your Nest.

One morning after our son's school drop off, my husband walked in with a bothered look. "What's wrong?" I asked. "I just sat though an hour-long interrogation," he responded.

In pursuit of adopting a cat, he had been sternly interviewed and subjected to a thorough character assessment and custody evaluation. Luckily, we knew he had passed when we were invited back as a family, but were surprised to discover that Carl, our chosen cat, had a close sister. Without hesitation, we returned home with the pair. And now that the holidays are upon us, here's what we're considering for our new family members (and ourselves).

To make sure we've got everyone on your list covered, we're posting a new gift guide every weekday from now until Christmas. See all of the Gift Guides to date in our archive. And dog lovers, stay tuned for tomorrow's post.

Above: Carl at play on top of our living room mantel. (Scroll down to see Silvia, Carl's sister.) Photography shot with the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 digital SLR camera. Small in size, enormous in performance.

Above: Stackable Cat Dishes—for use by people and felines—handmade by designer Leah Goren in her signature black cat shape. The plates are available via Leah's Etsy shop, but tend to sell out the day they appear. Contact Leah via her Etsy shop, Leah Reen Goren, and she'll let you know when the next batch is coming.

Above: For tossing, chasing, and chewing, the Sisal Twist Cat Toy is made from sisal, wool, and yarn by Etsy seller and handmade cat toys specialist Tux and Tabby in Brighton, England. It comes in four colors; $6.62 each. 

Above: The Cat Bed is handmade from felted wool gray with white detailing. The design is made to order in four sizes, from cats that are 9  to 20 pounds, and available from Agnes Felt via Etsy; $63 - $90. 

Above: Whether there's a cat on your bed or not, accessorize with the Cat Nap Pillowcase Set, patterned with a charcoal drawing that's screen-printed with water-based ink. The pillowcases are US-made, available in standard, queen, and king sizes, and come in four different colors: white, cream, mocha, and green tea; $32 for a pair from Xenotees. 

Above: The Hepper Hi-Lo Scratching Post features a curved blond plywood frame layered with recycled corrugated cardboard. It can be set in a high or low position—cat's choice—and is $79 from Hepper

Above: A design created in response to two favorite feline activities, climbing and lounging, the Cat Trapeze is a tiered hanging contraption with a hammock at its base. It comes in two sizes: the Two-Pillow Trapeze in white is $89.99, and the Three-Pillow Trapeze in natural is $99.99. Note that insert cushions are sold separately (starting at $19.99 for two), or the maker suggests stuffing the cases with something you have on hand, such as old towels.

Above: Designer Leah Goren (whose cat dishes we featured above) prints the Picasso Cat Scarf using her own hand-carved block stamps. It comes in silk charmeuse, shown here, and silk chiffon, $96. 

Above: Our cat Silvia doesn't consider any surface off limits.

Here at Remodelista, more than a few of us are cat obsessed. See Julie's Cats, Etc. Pinterest board and check out her contribution to Catster: Would you Pick Your Home's Color Palette Based on Your Cat?  Also don't miss our post Elevated Pet Style via Brooklyn.

Red is a great house color, but only the right red will do. We searched high and low for the best exterior red paint colors, only to learn that the range of "right" reds is surprisingly wide. From traditional farmhouse reds imbued with orange to pink-inflected shades for bold front doors, a good red is sophisticated and versatile.

Swatch photographs by Meredith Swinehart. Photography shot with the Canon EOS 70D digital SLR camera, with Dual Pixel AF technology and built-in Wi-Fi. 

Above: Top row, left to right: Benjamin Moore Cottage Red; Benjamin Moore Million Dollar Red; Farrow & Ball Rectory Red; and Farrow & Ball Blazer. Bottom row: Benjamin Moore Caliente; Sherwin-Williams Solid Color Stain in Cape Cod Red; Benjamin Moore Heritage Red; and Cabot Solid Stains Barn Red. 

Above: The proprietor of Seattle housewares shop Watson Kennedy used Benjamin Moore Million Dollar Red on his Vashon Island, WA, home and shed. Million Dollar Red leans towards orange, unlike some of the pink reds in our lineup, but it's significantly brighter than the farmhouse reds like Barn Red. House photo by Jane Dagmi via ColorChats.

Above: Painted in Farrow & Ball's vermilion Blazer, this door was a finalist in the company's Great Outdoors Competition and belongs to Sinéad Allart of France. Blazer is the lightest of all the reds in our group.

Above: Another finalist in Farrow & Ball's front doors competition, this one, from Pinky Laing of the UK, is painted in the company's Rectory Red. According to Farrow & Ball, a vermilion color (like its Blazer shown above) was historically inexpensively using red lead. The lead blackened over time, turning vermilion paint into a shade similar to Rectory Red. This one is the pinkest of our bunch, followed by Caliente then Heritage Red. 

Above: Chicago-based Wheeler Kearns Architects used Sherwin-Williams Woodscapes Solid Color Exterior House Stain in Cape Cod Red on this country house and artist's studio in Indiana. The shade is the lightest of the farmhouse reds in our lineup; Barn Red is darker, followed by Cottage Red. Find more images of the project in Architect Visit: Camp Charlie by Wheeler Kearns. Photo by Tom Rossiter.

Above: This shingled house from the portfolio of Portland, Maine, architects Kaplan Thompson is painted in Cabot Stains' Barn Red, a true orange-toned farmhouse red. Photo by Trent Bell.

Above: Discovered on the blog Jay's House, a house in Benjamin Moore's Cottage Red, a brick color that is the darkest shade of our group.

Above: Designer Ken Fulk updated a San Francisco Victorian with a front door in Benjamin Moore's Heritage Red. Photo by Francesco Lagnese via House Beautiful. 

Above: P2 Design of LA used Benjamin Moore's Caliente on this Brentwood house, spotted on Delorme Designs. 

Not ready for red? Browse our recommended exterior paint picks in White, Gray, Black, and Green.

Remember your first garden? And how exciting it was to plant your first tulip, prune your first shrub, and water your first tomato plant? Now imagine if you had been able to afford the proper tools—a good folding saw, a pair of pruners, a kink-free hose with a shiny brass nozzle—to tend that garden. This holiday season, you can encourage a young gardener with a dream starter gardener set.

We've partnered with The Home Depot to scour the store's aisles for everything you need. And we've wrapped it all up in a gilded window box:

Photographs by Michelle Slatalla. Photography shot with the Canon EOS 70D digital SLR camera, with Dual Pixel AF technology and built-in Wi-Fi.

Above: We painted a wooden window box (with the aid of Martha Stewart's Vintage Gold Satin Metallic Paint, which is $5.48 for a 10-ounce jar) and stuffed it with gardening essentials: three kinds of jute and twine for different outdoor chores; a trowel; tulip bulbs to force indoors or plant in a garden bed; a hose with a brass nozzle, pruners; a folding hand saw, and a pair of buttery pigskin work gloves.

We also tucked a selection of Assorted Succulents (three for $15.96) into the window box so the beginner gardener on your holiday list can get started with indoor potted plants while waiting for the ground outdoors to thaw.

Above: Our gift comes in a box that is reusable in the nicest possible way: it's a 24-inch-long weather-resistant Pennington Wood Window Box ($16.97), gilded for the holidays.

The window box holds a selection of twines useful for gardening chores: a 200-foot roll (L) of green Jute Natural Twine is ideal for tying plants; and (Center) a 525-foot roll of biodegradable Natural Sisal Bundling Twine can support loads of up to 8 pounds ($4.21), and (R) a 190-foot roll of soft, easy-to-knot Jute Twine is $2.33.

Above: A pair of Firm Grip Grain Pigskin Medium Work Gloves is $8.87.

Above: A foldable Fiskars Pruning Saw with a 10-inch carbon steel blade has a wooden handle; $15.97.

Above: A trowel is an essential hand tool for planting, transplanting, weeding, moving, and smoothing soil. An Ames Ergo Gel-Grip Hand Trowel is $7.97.

Above: A pair of Fiskars Bypass Pruners suitable for both left- and right-handed use is $8.97.

Above: A 10-inch Estwing Sportman's Leather Grip Handle Axe comes with a leather storage case to protect the blade and is $34.97.

Above: A 25-foot-long WaterWorks Kink Free Heavy Duty Hose is $15.47 and an Orbit 5-In Adjustable Brass Nozzle can deliver a jet stream to clean siding—or a fine mist to water potted plants; $7.67.

Above: A bag of 25 Pink Impression Tulip Bulbs is $17.75.

What to bring to a holiday party? Skip the bottle of wine and tote something handmade instead. 

Here, we share five DIY holiday host and hostess gifts, some of which take minutes and others a few hours to pull together. Pick the ambitious projects if you have the energy and desire, or toss some foliage in a ceramic vase and call it good. Time expenditure doesn't buy beauty: we think all five of these gifts are equally charming.

Above: This DIY wreath of foraged boxwood and cedar will smell beautiful and add a holiday note to any table, wall, or door. Get the how-to from Gardenista's Erin Boyle in her blog, Reading My Tea Leaves: Boxwood and Cedar. 

Above: Sometimes what's on the outside counts. This petite package from Reading My Tea Leaves is made from magazine pages tied with metallic string and adorned with winterberries; ideal for wrapping up Lindt LINDOR Truffles.

Above: We're charmed by the simplest holiday arrangements. Allow Remodelista's own Justine Hand of designskool to show you how to recreate the look in 5 Quick Fixes: Pine Branch Holiday Decor. 

Above: Did you know that mulling spices are surprisingly simple to make? Find the ingredients and instructions in Reading My Tea Leaves: Mulling Spices.

Above: Are you as entranced by these as we are? If you have some time before your gift is due, try your hand at making bayberry candles, a traditional Cape Cod craft. Read Justine's thorough how-to in The Romance of the Homemade Candle.

Lauren Snyder started her career as a fashion stylist in New York before shifting her focus to decor and the everyday objects we surround ourselves with. The result? Her recently opened shop, The Primary Essentials, in Brooklyn's Boerum Hill.

An extension of Snyder's own apartment just down the block (but in adjacent Fort Greene), the shop brings together her border-crossing interests in design, fashion, food, and culture. And, yes, this being Brooklyn, local artists are celebrated—including Snyder's architect (and boyfriend) Keith Burns, who helped her transform what had been a dark photo studio into a gallery-like display space with windows at either end. Burns kitted out the shop with custom storage built from waxed maple ply and butternut hardwood, and a countertop in a cloudy shade of blue marble. It opened in time for the holiday season; have a look.

Photography by Jonathan Hökklo courtesy of The Primary Essentials.

Above: The shop window presents a far-ranging selection of Primary Essentials' essentials, including Ben Medansky's ceramic Coffee Dripper and an Arrow by Fredericks & Mae.

Above: Tie-dyed indigo textiles hang next to Edward Wohl's Cutting Boards, priced from $88 to $225 each. The Primary Essentials presents objects in small batches and the offerings are continually shifting. 

Above: Made for the shop, a long table of butternut hardwood with angled steel supports serves as the main diplsay for tabletop goods. Along the wall are a trio of quilts with Rothko-like color blocks by Hopewell Workshop; contact The Primary Essentials directly for ordering information.

Above: An array of ceramics by Ben Medansky, Hasami Porcelain, and Humble Ceramics.

Above: The sales counter is made from large slabs of Palissandro blue marble; its tile carpet was created from concrete tile squares in a black-and-white cube pattern.

Above: Among the offerings, handmade cherry wood utensils by Jonathan's Spoons and body oils from Jiva Apoha.

On the prowl in New York? Check out all of our Metro Area finds. You might run into Julie at Brooklyn's Best Breakfast.

Location of The Primary Essentials in Brooklyn:

Say hello to the holidays (and the onslaught of family and friends). Here are 10 tips for surviving—and even enjoying—the season's steady stream of visitors.

Above: An artist couple's minimalist loft in Philadelphia, designed by architecture firm Qb3, is a prime example of storage and organization done right.

1. Declutter, declutter, declutter. Reining in chaos around the house is never a bad idea. Before your guests arrive, vanquish piles of clutter: if it’s useful or beautiful, keep; otherwise, toss. You and your visitors will be more comfortable.

2. Provide guests with a clear place to put their things. Give some advance thought to where your company will store their things: A closet (stocked with a variety of hangers)? A dedicated set of hooks? Some drawers? For a smooth arrival, clear out the space now rather than later.

Above: For how to stock the guest bath, take a cue from Berlin's Soho House; visit Steal This Look: Soho House Berlin Bath for details.

3. Fill the guest bathroom with fresh towels and an ample supply of toiletries. Whether or not you have the luxury of an extra guest bath, I like to make a guest kit—a straw basket filled with towels, shampoo, soap, and other basics—for visitors. A couple of lavender sachets atop the fresh towels adds a welcoming touch; for more suggestions, see 10 Easy Pieces: Stocking the Guest Bath (for Under $100).

4. Place some of comforts of home on the bedside table. My stepmother, the consummate hostess, always provides a carafe of water, a few books, a candle, and fresh flowers on my nightstand when I visit. These small touches help me instantly relax, and make the pressures I left behind feel miles away.

Above: An iron rack draped with extra blankets stands behind a bed; photograph by Ruy Teixeira via Be A Heart.

5. When making the bed, provide a few additional pillows and blankets nearby. It’s hard to know how the temperature fluctuates in different parts of your house. Make it easy for guests to quickly grab an extra layer when an unexpected chill rolls in. For the best blankets have a look at 10 Easy Pieces: Winter Wool Blankets and our roundup of Lightweight Cotton Blankets for layering.

6. Stock the fridge with staples, especially breakfast items. A tasty frittata, a fluffy coffee cake, and a large colorful fruit salad can provide a quick and easy breakfast—and the hungry holiday crew can help themselves.

Above: A Breton Buckwheat Cake with Fleur de Sel from David Lebovitz—see Heidi Swanson's adaption of the recipe on 101 Cookbooks—is best served with a winter fruit jam or a splash of maple syrup.

7. Consider making a special meal or dish to welcome your guests. Since I was a little girl, I’ve looked forward to my grandmother’s “company cake” as I boarded the airplane to visit her. Her tried-and-true recipe delivers a scrumptious whip cream-filled vanilla cake (from scratch) covered with homemade chocolate sauce. It's a treat that says, “I’m so glad you're here.”

8. Clear time for yourself. That includes keeping up your regular exercise and self-care routine. It’s easy to overdo the role of hostess, but you don’t need to sacrifice yourself entirely to your company. Your guests will likely appreciate the downtime, not to mention your post-workout good cheer.

Above: Our London editor Christine Chang Hanway points her guests to her favorite spot for a bite to eat, Leila's Greengrocer, on the border of Shoreditch and Bethnal Green.

9.  Keep a printout of your favorite local cafes, boutiques, parks, museums, etc. on hand. This roster might prove handy, particularly for visitors who stay too long or rely on you as their local activities director. Source restaurants and places to shop locally via our own City Guides section. Document locations on a Google maps printout and you won't have to provide directions.

Above: These Gilded Tree decorations that Justine Hand recently wrote about on Gardenista are a reminder to slow down and enjoy holiday making projects and recipes.

10. Allow plenty of time for holiday decompression. Remember that a good host allows space for the guests to do as they please. For your visitors, as well as for yourself, take time this holiday to simply relax, restore, and renew.

We have more tips for you: Gardenista's Michelle Slatalla lays down her own house guest rules in 10 Essential Tips for Surviving House Guests. And don't miss Jackie Ashton's 10 Tips for Surviving Holiday Travel and 10 Secrets for a Better Night's Sleep.

Sixteen years ago, French artist Eric Bonnin made the leap from Paris to New York City and has since worn many different hats, including working as a potter for Jonathan Adler. Bonnin currently turns his own wheel in his Tribeca studio, turning out functional and elegant heirloom pieces. Kam, his latest collection, is a complete table service, from plates, cereal bowls, and cups to pitchers and trays. 

It can be ordered directly from Eric Bonnin Ceramics. Select pieces are also available from retailers Mociun, March, and Spartan. All pieces are made to order and take 2-3 weeks to deliver. 

Above: Scenes from Bonnin's studio photographed by Nicole Franzen; see her interview with the artist on her site, La Buena Vida.

Above: The Kam Dinner Plate in Black, 10.75 inches in diameter, is $44 for Mociun. There is also a Kam Salad Plate, 8.25 inches in diameter, available for $36. The Kam collection is made of brown or white stoneware in a variety of glazes. Contact Bonnin for more color options. 

Above: The Dinner Plate in White, $44, from Mociun. The collection is signed and each piece might vary slightly in size since each is handmade. 

Above: The Dinner Plate in Oatmeal has a lyrical white band across the center, $42 from Mociun.

Above: A vignette in Bonnin's studio, courtesy of photographer Nicole Franzen.

Above: The Sylvia Bowl 1/2 In Black (also available in white and oatmeal) measures approximately 5.5 inches in diameter and 2.5 inches in height. The bowls are hand thrown and then formed into an oval shape and made to stack; $18 from Mociun. The Kam collection also includes Stacking Mixing Bowls with spouts.

Above: The Oatmeal Kam Cups, also in black and white, are $28 each from Mociun.

Above: The Kam Tumbler in White is $24 and currently out of stock. Contact Mociun or Bonnin directly to inquire about ordering. 

Above: The Medium Bird Vase in Oatmeal is 6 inches tall and 5 inches wide; $80 from Mociun. 

How about a ceramic light fixture? This one by Natalie Page is impressive. Curious about Mociun? See our post, A Nomad Sets Up Shop in Williamsburg.

In need of an instant holiday dining table? If you lack space for large furniture and are expecting guests, this easy-to-make, instant dining table might be the answer. Assembled from basic construction materials, the table and bench set cost less than $100, and most of it can be flat packed for future use—or deconstructed and used for other projects.

Finished Look

Above: The just-assembled table and benches, all made from standard building supplies. Draping the designs in textiles that you have on hand, such as a drop cloth, adds the finishing touch. Original photography shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR. The filmmaker's camera.

Materials

• Eight Gray Concrete Half Blocks, measuring 8 x 8 x 8; $1.31 each from The Home Depot.
• Two Signature Development 29 Inch Sawhorses; $18.98 each from The Home Depot.
• Five planks of #2 Whitewood Pine Board, measuring 1 x 12 x 4; $7.16 each from The Home Depot.
• Sandpaper, such as the Norton 120-Grit Medium Premium Sanding Sheets; $3.97 for a pack of 3 from The Home Depot.
• Sibiu Canvas Drop Cloth to use as a tablecloth; $15.98 from The Home Depot.

Instructions

Step One: Sand the edges of each plank of wood and both sawhorses (which are likely to be on the rougher side).

Step Two: Set up your sawhorses in the middle of the room; make sure that there's enough space for the benches to fit on either side, and for guests to get in and out—once the table is set up, you're committed to its location. Position three planks of pine board across the top of the sawhorses to form a tabletop that sits firmly.

Step Three: On either side of the table, stack two sets of two cinder blocks and add a single plank of pine to each to form two 12-foot-long benches.

Step Four: Cover the table with a drop cloth and drape the benches with wool throws, tablecloths, or any other textiles you happen to have around.

Above: Now your that your sawhorse table is put together, dress it up for dinner.

Above: Celebrate your results with a strand of holiday lights, such as the LED Warm White Electric String Light; $38.98 for 20 feet from The Home Depot.

-Alexa Hotz

This week the Gardenista team went on a holiday decorating spree, DIY style. Plus they rounded up the 10 best firewood log carries and shared the 411 on choosing and storing firewood.

Above: This season, Justine went with a live Christmas tree (see DIY: Plant Your Christmas Tree) and made her own ornaments with her two children (see Gilded Tree: Inspired by Nature).

Above: Meredith rounded up a Garden-to-Garland Gallery of holiday decor (shown above, Shane Powers' dried flower garland).

Above: Justine found a glamorous brass Himmeli Wreath, perfect for the Scandinavian minimalist.

Above: Erin sussed out the 10 Best Firewood Log Carriers, and while she was at it, gave us the 411 on Firewood, with five tips for choosing and storing firewood.

Above: Justine rounded up 5 Ornaments for Nature Lovers (we want them all).

We recently posted a Steal This Look Budget Bedroom featuring Lindsey Adelman's DIY ceiling pendant. No matter where we turn, her sculptural light designs—and homemade facsimilies—follow us. Now, West Elm has come up with its own version of her bronze chandelier with glass globe shades. For those who can't pony up for a bonafide Adelman, West Elm might do the trick, at least for now. 

HIGH

Above: Lindsey Adelman's SB.09.01 Chandelier features a frame of oil-rubbed bronze with blown glass globes wrapped in 24k gold. It's handmade in Adelman's New York studio and is priced at $19,800. N.B.: The design is also available in satin nickel, brushed brass, and vintage brass finishes and several types of glass shades. The kindred but smaller, three-armed BB.03.01 is $6,600.

LOW

Above: West Elm's Mobile Chandelier has moveable metal arms that are plated with an antique bronze finish and can be arranged in different configurations. It uses clear Round Light Bulbs (sold separately for $15 each), and sells for $249.

Are you a fan of our High/Low posts? Here's our recent one featuring two Arctic Pear Chandeliers at opposite ends of the price spectrum. Fill us in on your own High/Low discoveries in the comments section below.

Here at Remodelista, we work remotely from diverse spaces and places, most of which don't include a typical office. Instead of clocking in, we now plug in, and within seconds we're online and our workday begins. I myself prefer to work in my light-filled living room (the most inspiring room in our house). My husband, meanwhile, works from our converted attic with a tree-top view that keeps him inspired. No matter where you get your job done, here are a holiday gift ideas for your colleagues, and perhaps for yourself.

N.B.: To make sure we've got everyone on your list covered, we're posting a new gift guide every weekday from now until Christmas. See all of the Gift Guides to date in our archive.

Above: Julie and Sarah recently spotted these sculptural Hand-Turned Desk Accessories made in North Carolina from black walnut; $35 each at Nickey Kehoe.

Above: A subtle hint to a messy desk mate? Consider the German-made Laptop Brush; $28 from Brook Farm General Store.

Above: New York's Fort Standard takes magnets to another level. Their Standard Magnets are made from different types of hardwoods. A set of six is $58 from Fort Standard.

Above: Surprisingly useful: an old-fashioned Mini Desk Calendar, available in black or white, $3.33 from Muji, possibly the world's best source for well-priced and stylish office accessories (you could cover your whole office here).

 
Above: Do you always seem to lose your pens, scissors, and tools? Winter Session's Roll-Up has got you covered (and organized). The case is made in Denver from waxed canvas (available in several colors) and has a leather closure tap; $65 from Winter Session.

Above: Keep track of your thoughts with the Five Year Diary, a page-a-day journal with sections to record your travels and books read. It's at Canoe; $24.95.

Above: If you really like your office mate, consider the Laptop Leather Folio by Field Theories. Handmade from a single piece of latigo leather using "the same architecture as an envelope," explains the designer, the 13 inch long case is sized for toting an iPad and papers or a 13-inch Mac Book Pro (custom sizes also available); $145 via Field Theories' Etsy shop.

Stocking up on office supplies? Have a look at one of our favorite sources: Present & Correct in London. And here are 5 Holiday Gift Wrap Ideas from kraft paper and string.

This weekend you'll find us at our LA Holiday Market on Saturday (hurry over!), and this coming week, San Francisco residents can check in with Julie—and get a signed copy of our new book—at Anthropologie on Thursday, followed by our SF Holiday Market at Heath Ceramics on Saturday. Meanwhile, get ready for a week of posts about Scandinavian design—we've been stockpiling our finds, and the Scandis know how to do up the winter holidays. And for your weekend inspiration, have a look at what's catching our eye right now.

Above: A dream-like wooden boat dock at the Bäka Light House in Latvia by SAALS SIA architects, via Architizer.

We just got word from across the pond that our friend Richard Stepney has created another of his seasonal pop-ups in his London rooftop hair salon, Fourth Floor. The Fourth Floor Corner Shop is a collaboration with design studio North and will include Timothy Everest's menswear and Jeremy Pitt's birch pimps (that's Brit-speak for fire starters). Information here.

Above: From solar-powered to LEDs, energy saving holiday lights are the way to go, and Sunset Magazine has the subject covered. Photograph via DIY: Christmas Window Boxes on Gardenista.

We're bookmarking these closet organizing tips via Popsugar Home to revisit after New Year's.

Above: Our friends at Dosa are celebrating the release of Alice Water's new book, The Art of Simple Food II, as well as helping to raise money for the Edible Schoolyard Project, with a book signing and sale on Sunday, December 8, from 2-5pm; details here. Photograph of a papel picado ceiling installation at Dosa 818 in LA.

Above: Artful mantle clutter is okay with us. Here are 12 accessible holiday mantels worth replicating via Country Living. Also have a look at our off-season favorites in Hearths with Foraged Decor.

Another great addition to the Portland, OR, retail scene: Imogene + Willie.

Above: Julie is taking notes from Roberta Bendavid, the woman behind Gramercy Tavern's flower arrangements; Food52's "How to Build a Holiday Tablescape" details her surprisingly simple ideas.

Above: Heath Ceramics will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this Saturday, Dec 7th, from 5:30 to 8 pm, at its SF and LA locations, with the opening of a show of one-of-a-kind clocks made by friends and collaborators. See Design in Time for details.  And mark your calendars: we'll be back at Heath for our SF Remodelista Holiday Market on Dec 14th.

Can't face the crowds? Let us to do the holiday shopping for you: check out our gift guides; we're running one every weekday until Christmas. 

As an urbanite, I long for wide-open spaces, but what I dream of are lofts rather than Great Plains. Designing lofts, however, comes with its own set of unwieldy challenges. This week, New York architect Eric Lifton of Mesh Architectures shares a new Nolita loft conversion and his insights into the design process. He's available for the next 48 hours to answer and any and all questions. Ask away!

Lifton's brief was to turn two apartments into a single 3,400 square-foot loft for two writers who had been living side by side in a divided industrial space when they fell in love and decided to combine assets. On their wish list: a heavy-duty kitchen, a living and dining space, master bedroom suite, two writing studios, a guest room, and a guest bathroom.

Lifton, a founding partner of Mesh Architectures and a member of the Remodelista Architect & Designer Directory, agreed to work within a cost-conscious budget, but his task was admittedly daunting. “With lofts, you start with these wide-open spaces, and after you fit in all the programmatic requirements, you run the risk of ending up with either a traditional apartment layout or, worse, a series of rooms running down a corridor as in a hotel,” he says. “The problem is also compounded by the fact that in typical old loft buildings such as this, the windows are only in the front and back, leaving you with a vast middle area that gets no sunlight; we're always left puzzling, 'How do we use this space?'” The architect rose to the challenge through an ingenious use of translucent materials and moving bookshelves in the heart of the loft, and without sacrificing any of the expansiveness. Have a look.

Photographs by Frank Oudeman.

Above: The 3,400 square foot loft has an open central corridor. Bookshelves in the windowless middle area section off a library/media room. The space is on the second floor of what was once probably a slaughterhouse. The architect exposed all of the wooden joists in the ceiling and cleaned out layers of dirt and char from old fires by shot blasting them. The red steel columns were installed in a previous renovation and most likely replaced columns that had been damaged by fire. "The columns were already painted red," Lifton says. "We treated them as found objects and left them that way."

Above: The kitchen displays the materials and color palette that extends throughout. "We used a lot of Baltic birch plywood; the natural warmth of the material and the maple flooring balances our inclusion of some bold synthetic colors, such as the kitchen's blue," he says. To get the color, a high-strength and durable blue epoxy was poured onto the floor and continued up the kitchen island, creating a sculptured effect.

Above: Tucked into a back corner, the guest powder room has a metal mesh door and ceiling made of Panelite panels, a translucent material with an aluminum honeycomb core and fiber glass facings.

Above: The central area of the loft is occupied by a combination library and media room. Lifton turned the lack of natural daylight into a feature. "At night, a space with no windows feels intimate and protected, and so we created a cozy room, and then designed the walls as bookshelves that open up—one bookshelf slides, the other pivots," he explains. "The owners entertain a lot, and this mechanism enables a wide-open space conducive to parties. Alternatively, if some of the family are watching a movie or reading, they can close the library for privacy." Watch the video at the end of the post to see how the moving walls create flexibility.

Above: Adjacent to the library, the architect created a translucent master bathroom out of Panelite panels. Lit from without (below the floor and above the ceiling), the bathroom acts like a giant light fixture for the loft, illuminating and activating the space around it. "As you can see in the photo, only elements that are close to the panels are visible," Lifton says. "If you desire more discretion, don't lean against the material and you won't be seen." 

Above: The concept of the master bath as a translucent cube was borne out of a practical requirement: the room had to be build on a platform above the plumbing. The result is a futuristic space with a fiberglass Panelite floor and the surprise addition of an old cast-iron clawfoot tub in bright orange.

Above: All of the bedroom doors, including the master bedroom shown here, are made of birch plywood that have been laminated around sheets of orange acrylic. The cut-outs offer an inexpensive solution to creating unique doors with controlled degrees of transparency. The hallway is lit by Lifton's Pointer-Pipe Light mounted using pipe fittings on the exposed ceiling joists. Along with his other light designs, the Pointer-Pipe Light is available from through his Etsy store, MESH architectures.

Above: In the master bedroom, the red is used as an unexpected accent on the windows and closet door (previously a cabin door on a ship).  "The red curtains are graphic and bold—the opposite of white sheers which normally impart serenity," Lifton says. "These curtains are energetic and passionate."

Above: Tucked away at the back with no natural light, the guest room has decorative doors that are bi-fold so that when not in use, the room can be wide open to the rest of the loft. The cut-out acrylic draws light into the area. Fun detail: The corner door leads to one of the writer's studies, and the vertical stripe of transparent acrylic to the left of it is shows the layers of soundproofing that were required between it and the other writer's studio.

Above: The architect used epoxy flooring in areas of high traffic for easy cleaning and water resistance. The blue epoxy floor from the kitchen curves around in front of the entrance to the loft and into the guest bathroom behind the kitchen.

Above: The plan of the 3,400 square foot loft for two writers. "The construction budget was extremely aggressive, which I don't mind because economy breeds invention," LIfton says.  

Above: Watch this video to better understand how the library/media room becomes another space through the use of bookshelf walls that move. 

Still longing for the wide-open spaces of New York?  See another firm's very different solution to loft challenges in The Architect Is In: Seeking Sunlight in Chelsea.