The perfect summer picnic setting comes with a healthy mix of sun and shade, plus a bit of a breeze. To prevent your tablecloth from turning into a parachute, here are five handy table anchors some of which can be concocted on the spot.

Above: Keep outdoor tablecloths from flying away with a set of Four Metal Pegs of stainless steel; €7,20 from Manufactum in Germany. We first featured the pegs on Gardenista in Steal This Look: The Last Outdoor Dinner of the Season. Another option are Coleman's less heavy-duty but still effective set of six Tablecloth Clamps; $3.49.

Above: Take a tip from paint and color expert Eve Ashcraft and paint a set of rocks and shells natural objects in different colors and patterns. Use the rocks to hold down each corner of the tablecloth on the base.

Above: Alternatively, wrap twine or sisal around heavy stones and hang over the sides to weigh down the tablecloth. Seen on Lush Home.

Above: Enjoy sewing? Take the idea a step further and stitch four pockets into the corners of your tablecloth. Insert small weights to each, a project seen on Creations by Kara.

Above: The Martha Stewart approach is, not surprsingly, a bit more elaborate: she tidily anchors the tablecloth below the table with a few strategically placed grommets and a bungee cord.

To complete the experience, find the The Perfect Picnic Table on Gardenista. And consider making your own DIY: Natural Turmeric-Dyed Tablecloth. Then sift through some of our favorite ways to set the table presented in Gardenista's Photo Gallery.

More Stories from Remodelista

• Trex Decking for High-Performance Outdoor Living
• 10 Favorites: Scandi Midsummer Essentials
• Trending on Gardenista: Tool Sheds and Tomatoes

Trex® is the world's first composite deck, delivering ultra-low-maintenance beauty. From high-performance decking and railing to an innovative steel substructure to lighting and furniture options, Trex® makes it easy to customize a deckscape to meet your entertaining needs.

Above: Trex® decking is backed by a 25-year limited fade and stain warranty, the industry's best.

Above: Trex® composite decks keep 400 million pounds of waste out of landfills each year. Shown here is Trex Transcend® Decking in Gravel Path.

Above: From dining chairs to rockers and benches, Trex® Outdoor Furniture™ is made from recycled lumber that is easy to maintain. Shown here is the Yacht Club Rocking Chair in Charcoal Black and Transcend® Porch Flooring in Gravel Path.

Above: Trex Elevations® steel deck frame is stronger and straighter than conventional lumber.

Above: Trex's fade-, stain-, scratch-, and mold-resistant shell delivers years of use and makes for easy soap-and-water cleanup. Shown here is Trex Transcend® in Lava Rock.

Above: Trex® comes in a choice of 17 colors or your own custom-match shade. Shown here is Trex Transcend® Decking in Fire Pit.

More Stories from Remodelista

• 5 Quick Fixes: Solutions for Anchoring the Outdoor Tablecloth
• 10 Favorites: Scandi Midsummer Essentials
• Trending on Gardenista: Tool Sheds and Tomatoes

In addition to receiving a project profile on our site, all 10 winners of the 2014 Remodelista Considered Design Awards will receive a limited-edition Jieldé SI333 Signal Desk Lamp in Bronze (a powder-coated finish that was commissioned exclusively for us). We love the industrial chic of the iconic French lamp, and are confident our winners will, too.

Photography by Emily Johnston Anderson for Remodelista.

Above: The Jieldé SI333 Signal Desk Lamp in Bronze, on Julie's desk in Mill Valley.

A bit of history: The first Jieldé lamp was created in 1950 by Jean Louis Domecq, a designer in Lyon, France. Frustrated by the lack of heavy-duty, hardworking task lamps on the market, Domecq set out to design the most functional working lamp in the world. In the end, he created something that was not just functional, but also beautiful. In 2006, Jieldé introduced the Signal collection, including a line of smaller-scaled lamps for the home, in a range of finishes.

Above: The Jieldé SI333 Signal Desk Lamp is adjustable at each joint, with a base diameter of about 6 inches and two articulated arms, each about 12 inches long. The size is ideal for a home office or bedside use.

Above: The lamp's bronze finish functions as a neutral but adds a glamorous note to any space. Each lamp comes with a numbered plate.

Above: The on/off switch registers a heavy, satisfying click.

How to Enter the 2014 Remodelista Considered Design Awards:

We've simplified the entry process. Write an overall design statement describing your project and submit up to six photos of the project, along with a separate caption for each photo. You may submit one project in each category for which you qualify. All projects will be published in the Gallery tab of the contest site within a few minutes of submitting. For each category, a guest judge will work with Remodelista editors to review all the entries and choose up to five finalists. After we announce our finalists, we will invite friends, family, and fellow Remodelista readers to cast their votes.  

See our contest Terms & Conditions and FAQ for more information. 

Enter the contest here.

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Homemade sausages, beer on tap, and a casual vibe are the idea behind Printz Mathall, Stockholm's upscale answer to the German beer hall. What caught our attention are the long communal tables, industrial lights, and white subway tiles with a brass gleam. Grab a stool.

Photographs from Rubn, unless otherwise noted. 

Above: Rows of pendant fixtures animate the tall ceilings of the expansive dining space. All of the lighting is by Rubn: for details, see yesterday's post, The New Classic Lighting from Sweden.

Above: Along the perimeter, pendant lights are cantilevered from a metal bar support.

Above: Brass screws contrast with black-painted metal tubing. 

Above: The tiles are edged with brass strips that lend a touch of polish and shine.

Above: Cool color is introduced via painted wood chairs. Photograph by Rippler via boarding.no.

Above: A round dining table is highlighted by a circular chandelier. 

Above: Shelving provides a separation from the busy dining room while still providing a look at the action. 

Above: Pendant lights share space with exposed ducts.

Above: Clamped onto the wooden shelf, task lighting calls attention to sausage- and beer-themed book titles. 

Above: For more details, go to Printz Mathall.  Photograph via Reactor. 

White subway tile allows for design creativity; have a look at some of the myriad ways to use it in Remodeling 101: White Tile Pattern Glossary. Planning a trip to Sweden,? Our City Guides will direct you to our favorite design spots. And on Gardenista, have a look at A Modular Danish Summer House that takes advantage of the long days of summer. 

Below: Location of Printz Mathall in Stockholm.

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• Great Dane: Hotel SP34 in Copenhagen

Förstberg Arkitektur of Malmo, Sweden, have a way with rough construction materials. In their hands, simple forms, a thoughtful layout, and considered details transform the mundane into architectural poetry. Have a look at a 1,400-square-foot summerhouse that they recently completed.

Photography via Förstberg Arkitektur.  

Above: On a narrow plot of land in Linköping, Sweden, the architects created pure forms by wrapping the elevations (and roofs, too) in raw corrugated aluminium. The two parallel volumes are connected in one place but staggered, creating outdoor spaces both in the front and the back of the building. The front volume holds the bedroom and studio; the recessed one is devoted to kitchen, dining, and living areas. 

Above: A basic palette of natural and stained plywood and polished concrete floors runs throughout the house. In the studio, the polished concrete floor has been extended along the perimeter to become a bench and shelf.

Above: In the studio, the butt joints, where the plywood sheets meet, are repeated in intervals around the room, turning them into an elegant architectural detail. 

Above: Behind the kitchen, a dark-gray-stained hut-like interior structure echoes the angle of the roofline; it houses a bathroom and laundry room.

Above: In the same volume, the separation between the dining area and living area is achieved through a simple shift in color.

Above: The subtle (but impactful) line of demarcation between dining and living area.

Above: A grid of basic white tiles outlined with dark grout lend the bathroom pattern and texture. See Remodeling 101: White Tile Pattern Glossary for more ways to use white tiles. 

Above: In the backyard, a third, smaller volume houses a gardening shed.  

Above: A floor plan of the multi-volume house. 

For more posts about inspired uses of building basics, see Extreme Repurposing in Sydney, Tin Shed Edition and Shocking Color in a Swedish Summer House. In Hardscaping 101: Standing Seam Metal Roofs, we investigate Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory members' favorite roofing material.

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• Rhapsody in Blue: A Finnish Stylist at Home in the Hamptons
• A Masculine Midcentury Revival in LA
• Barrier-Free Living, SF Loft Edition

Last fall, when I dropped in on Mjölk, my favorite Toronto housewares emporium, owner John Baker invited me upstairs to see the newly renovated flat where he lives with his wife, Juli, and their two daughters. The first thing I noticed were the pale Scandi floors. When I commented on their perfection, John said, "It's much easier than you think to get the look." (He was referring to our post How to Create Scandi Whitewashed Floors, which describes a more complicated route.) Of course I immediately asked John to share his secrets; here's what he told us:

Above: John and Juli's Toronto kitchen.

Above: "First, we applied a coat of Woca Wood Lye to bleach the boards."

Above: "Next, we applied several coats of white wood soap. You could also coat the floors with a white pigmented oil or clear matte urethane for an even tougher finish. However, the soap treatment is the traditional Scandinavian way and it will develop a beautiful patina with age. We have used this finish on both our cottage and home, and we are really happy with it."

Above: "We used 10-inch wide solid Douglas fir boards from Peerless Forest Products in British Columbia. They're tongue and grooved and also screwed and plugged with matching Doug fir dowels (the boards have to be screwed, otherwise they would begin to bow with age)," John says. "It's not fancy stuff, but it's reasonably priced and we actually like all of the knots. Compared with the prices from Dinesen, the standard bearer, Canadian Douglas fir is cheap, It didn't make sense shipping wood from Denmark, anyway, when we have so much of it here in Canada."

For another (slightly more involved) technique, see Izabella's post Scandi Whitewashed Floors: Before and After. Also have a look at Dinesen's Custom Floors.

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• A Finnish Design Fete: Tiina's Midsummer Table
• The Power Outlet, Wooden Bead Edition

We're loving the long-overdue redesign of electrical hardware. The latest? The Oon Power Outlet from Los Angeles studio Okum. The playful design consists of maple blocks and beads that hold three electrical outlets strung along a colorful cloth cord. Perhaps the best part? The outlets flip to accommodate a plug from any side.

Above: The Oon Power Outlet is available in three colorways; Noon, shown about, is all white with a red cloth cord; $79 each.

Above: Each outlet turns to accommodate plugs from any side. 

Above: Oon in Dusk: white, slate, and black beads with a blue cloth cord. 

Above: The design in Dawn comes with blocks of white, green, and blue—and looks not unlike a row of children's blocks.

More ideas for disguising cords? See DIY: A Lamp Cord Made of Wooden Beads; 5 Favorites: Alternative Extension Cords; and DIY: How Do You Make an Extension Cord Beautiful? You Bead It. 

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• Trend Alert: 8 Yellow-Painted Floors
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Earlier this the week, we presented the ingredients for the classic Swedish Midsummer table, garlands and schnapps glasses included. At home in the Hamptons, Finnish fashion stylish and shop owner Tiina Laakonen takes her own pattern-filled approach to the holiday. At our request, she set her table a few days in advance of the solstice—it's this Saturday, June 21—and let us in on the plans.

Photographs by Heikki Aho for Remodelista.

Above: Tiina adheres to a palette of black, white, and blue in every room in her house—for a tour, go to our Monday post Rhapsody in Blue. So we weren't surprised that she applies the same scheme to her table: "Blue and white," she points out, "are the colors of Finland and our flag." The tablecloth is made of Marimekko yardage in Yhdessa, a patchwork design available from Tiina's Amagansett, NY, shop, Tiina The Store; it provides the backdrop for a playful but cohesive mix of patterns, all from Finland. 

Above: Tiina uses three different plate and napkin patterns: "By sticking to a simple color palette, you can mix patterns in a free way," she says. "The black and white Marimekko designs are all classics and most have a similar hand-drawn look. The blues add color and keep it all from looking too stark and cold." The black-and-white plates are the Paratiisi pattern from Arabia; the blue and white are Arabia's Valencia pattern (now discontinued); and the black plates are Iittala's Teema design, the subject of this week's Object Lesson.

Above: The midnight blue Valencia plates and covered bowl were a wedding gift to Tiina and her husband, Jon Rosen, from Tiina's family in Finland. Though production ceased in 2002, the pattern can be sourced on Etsy and eBay. The wine glasses are Essence and the water glasses in blue and gray are Kartio, both from Iittala. Similar Marimekko napkins are available from Marimekko. The flatware is the Lion pattern from Hackman, sold by the Finnish Design Shop. The votives in shades of blue are the Kivi design from Iittala. The pitchers are vintage Finnish.

Above: The table and bench are from Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek's scrapwood series. Not everyone likes a bench, but I do," says Tiina by way of explaining the table's compromise: a bench on one side and Scandinavian chairs from eBay on the other. Landscape designer Deborah Nevins, a Hamptons neighbor and member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory, supplied the fragrant flowering branches.

Here's Tiina's Midsummer menu, which is being cooked by her friend Petteri Luoto, a New York-based Finnish artist and chef:
- Mixed tomatoes with feta, cilantro, and sweet red onion dressing
- Roasted vegetable trio: zucchini and broccoli with fennel vinaigrette; curry-roasted cauliflower; ad green asparagus, snow peas, and scallions with dill pesto
- White asparagus with truffled corn sauce
- Slightly smoked vendace (a freshwater whitefish) with grated golden beets and apples and micro greens
- Ceviche of cod, avocado chunks, and mama’s cucumbers
- Roasted whole sea bass with Kalle’s Caviar remoulade
- Summer potatoes crushed with lemon, brown butter, and grated horseradish
- Japanese-style spiced ground beef served with fresh cabbage leaves
- Traditional lamb worschmak from Finland in a crispy crust
- White chocolate panna cotta with liquorice and fresh berries 

For the complete tour of Tiina's house, see "Fully Finnish" in the Remodelista book.  

More table setting ideas?  Have a look at Easter in the Garden with Diane Keaton and Gwyneth Paltrow's Spring Lunch in London.

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• Trend Alert: 8 Yellow-Painted Floors
• The Power Outlet, Wooden Bead Edition
• Remodeling 101: Easy Whitewashed Scandi Floors

Is yellow the new black? Lately we've been noticing cheery yellow-painted floors that add a jolt of color to otherwise monochromatic rooms.

Above: Alvar Aalto's sanatorium in Paimio, Finland, designed in 1932, continues to function as a general hospital (and to provide color inspiration to a new generation of architects). Photo via Little Helsinki.

Above: A minimalist Gallerist's Apartment in New Zealand designed by stylist, designer, and owner of Everyday Needs, Katie Lockhart. Because her client had a lot of artwork to hang, Lockhart decided to focus all of the color on the wood floors, and who opted for bright yellow. She used Le Corbusier's Polychromie Architecturale to help her select the pinkish color that runs like a baseboard along the skirt of the wall (and continues around the door frames). Photograph by Derek Henderson for Katie Lockhart.

Above: Yellow floors in a Swedish kitchen via Stadshem.

Above: Yellow floors and artwork in Mexican architect Luis Barragán's own home.

Above L: Constantino Nivola painted the floors of his Long Island house using yellow tractor paint. Photo by Don Freeman for Artists' Handmade Houses, via Improvised Life. Above R: A floor in Farrow & Ball's Babouche.

Above: A glossy yellow-painted floor via Ikea's Livet Hemma.

Above: Auckland, New Zealand, gallerist Michael Lett's own home features bright yellow floors; photos via Design Studio Blu.

Looking for more color ideas? See our recent post 10 Rooms with Color-Washed Wood, or, if you love yellow, have a look at our Photo Gallery of Yellow rooms.

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• A Finnish Design Fete: Tiina's Midsummer Table
• The Power Outlet, Wooden Bead Edition
• Remodeling 101: Easy Whitewashed Scandi Floors

Swedish hotelier Nobis Group have renovated a former girls' school in an Art Nouveau building, transforming it into Stockholm’s latest must-visit hotel. At Miss Clara, the guest rooms offer sparse yet warmly detailed Scandi comforts, and the public spaces are resplendent with Art Nouveau décor. 

Photographs via Miss Clara Hotel.

Above: The renovation of the 1910 building was carried out by Swedish architect Gert Wingårdh. While sparsely furnished, the guest rooms are rich in texture. A herringbone-patterned wood floor continues up the walls to form a wainscot. An elegant valet perched at the bottom of the bed is made from bentwood and echoes the form of a Thonet chair. 

Above: A sculptural "type-objet" Lampe Gras lamp is wall mounted as a bedside lamp.

Above: A detail of the dark wood herringbone wainscot. In Chevron and Herringbone: Spot the Difference, we discuss how to tell the two patterns apart. And for more inspiration, browse our Wood Floor posts.

Above: The building retains its original Art Nouveau arched windows. Image via Design Hotels. 

Above: Sculptural brass hooks mounted on wood panels created attractive open storage.

Above: The cabinetry is modern and minimal in detail.

Above: An open metal stair rail with a distinctive Art Nouveau pattern is decorative as well as functional.

Above: At the reception desk, a row of cut-glass pendants contrast with the cool aesthetic of Apple monitors. Did you know that cut glass is looking good again? See Trend Alert: Your Grandmother's Cut Crystal Makes a Comeback.

Above: The warm tones of a wood-topped table and amber glass chandelier complement the dark grays of the dining room. 

Above: A metal framework of pendant lights animate the tall ceilings of the restaurant.

Above: Floor-to-ceiling curtains add warmth, texture, and a sense of coziness to the space.

Above: The Miss Clara has a corner entry marked by a column in the middle of an Art Nouveau arch.

In Reader Rehab: An Art Nouveau Apartment in Antwerp, graphic designer Davy Dooms takes his color cues from a poster. If you're planning a trip to Sweden, our City Guides will help you map out design spots. And on Gardenista, we offer 10 Garden Ideas to Steal from Scandinavia. 

Below: Hotel Clara is centrally located in Stockholm:

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• Printz, a German Beer Hall in Stockholm
• An Idyllic Inn in Sweden, Archipelago Edition

Our roundup of five high/low Scandi classics.

Above: John and Juli Baker, owners of Toronto shop Mjölk, are fans of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto's Tea Trolley (you can order it from Mjölk for CA $2,600). In the US, the Tea Trolley 901 is available from Hive Modern.

Above: The Trendig Occasional Table in birch is reminiscent of Aalto's tea trolley and is $69 at Ikea.

Above: Designed by Finnish-born architect Eero Saarinen, the Saarinen Dining Table starts at $1,879 at Design Within Reach.

Above: The Odyssey White Dining Table is $199 from CB2.

Above: The Greta Grossman Cobra Table Light is $455 at Design Within Reach.

Above: The profile of CB2's Odyssey Lamp is reminiscent of Greta Grossman's lamp; $129.

Above: The ch20 Elbow Chair by Hans Wegner is $680 at Hive Modern.

Above: The John Vogel Dining Chair by South African furniture maker John Vogel is $299 from West Elm.

Above L: The Arne Jacobsen AJ Floor Lamp is $1,098 at Design Within Reach. Above R: Ikea's Stockholm Floor/Read Lamp is $99.

Have a look at more of our High/Low finds, including the Dornbracht vs. Grohe Kitchen Faucet, and, on Gardenista, Fermob for Less. 

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Swedish company Byggfabriken (translation: "Build Factory") has two stores—one in Stockholm and one in Malmo—and produces its own line of retro-styled hardware and fixtures designed to "work in old houses and apartments in Sweden," according to the owners. "Our goal is to create classic fittings that allow homeowners to maintain or restore the original qualities of a home or building during a renovation or restoration."

N.B. Byggfabriken ships worldwide on orders of more than SEK 1,000 (approximately $150).

Above: The sun-flooded interior; photo by Katie Newburn.

Above: A Byggfabriken door handle and faucet.

Above: Paint samples; photo by Katie Newburn.

Above: Tiled walls, house numbers.

Above: Brooms appealing enough to display.

Above: Simple porcelain Lampset with twisted fabric cord; SEK 395 each (approximately $60).

Above: Kitchen drawer and cabinet hardware.

Above: The Funkistrycke Svart Bakelit door handle is SEK 490 (approximately $75).

Above: The Koksblandare faucet is SEK 5980 (approximately $900).

More of our foreign discoveries? We also love the lighting, porcelain doorknobs, and other basics by Thomas Hoof Produkt of Germany and Zangra of Belgium.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on November 8, 2010, as part of our Scandinavian Design issue.

More Stories from Remodelista

• Miss Clara: Glamorous Comfort in Stockholm
• Printz, a German Beer Hall in Stockholm
• An Idyllic Inn in Sweden, Archipelago Edition

Happy summer solstice! Gardenista has us prepped to greet the new season, flower confetti and grottage (garage guest cottage) at the ready. 

Here are our favorite posts from this week's Scandi Midsummer issue:

Above: "It's everyone's fantasy (well, at least it's mine): Buy a piece of land in the mountains, by the sea, or near a lake and build a small cabin," writes Sarah. In Architect Visit, she shows us reasonably priced, modular summerhouses designed by Danish architecture firm Lykke + Nielsen. Lead time: six months.

Above: Do you love to deadhead flowers? Put them to use as Floral Confetti for tabletops and pathways, says Kendra. And don't feel restricted to roses. (These are Bupleurum, a classic bouquet filler.) 

Above: An Enchanted Garden in Sweden is this week's Garden Visit—and the interiors at Häringe Slott, a castle-turned-hotel near Stockholm, are equally intriguing.

Above: Pelargoniums are not to be confused with geraniums. They're a cult plant in Sweden, and the subject of this week's Field Guide.

Above: Do you have a garage that's a grottage in the making? The Outbuilding of the Week is a former one-car garage converted into a 186-square-foot guest cottage, compact kitchen and bathroom included.

Above: Just as we kick off the Remodelista Considered Design Awards this week, Gardenista is doing the same—and offering a new crop of award categories. Go here to find out how to enter, and here to read about the prize for winning entries: a limited-edition Jieldé Desk Lamp.

Weekend alert: GROW London, a new contemporary garden fair in Hampstead Heath, is taking place June 20-22—and Gardenista is a co-sponsor. Remodelista's Christine Chang Hanway is one of the featured speakers, and Gardenista's Kendra Wilson will be curating a display of outdoor furniture and accessories. We have our eye on this set from Uno Più of Italy.

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Do you prefer warm hues or cool colors in the kitchen? We asked a few members of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory for their strategies when it comes to choosing color. 

Portland, Oregon-based designer Carole Magness of Magness Interiors responded to the question with more questions: "Are we in the woods? At the sea? In the city? Does your kitchen have a nice amount of natural light on its own, or not so much?" Magness then set us straight: "Whether to go with warm tones or cool really depends on the setting." Here are successful kitchens at opposite ends of the color spectrum, plus some paint suggestions for both approaches.

Cool Tones

Above: Located in a 1920s house in Portland, Oregon, this kitchen remodel by architect Michael Howells of Howells Architecture + Design in Oregon features a dark blue, white, and black color palette—one that isn't commonly used in kitchens. It works because the bold blue is offset by English scullery details like beadboard that the architect injected, creating an overall look that's cool but far from cold. Photo by Anna M. Campbell. 

Above: "The kitchen is light and bright and bold, which really helps keep things cheerful in the gray Portland climate," says Howells. For a full tour of the design (including before shots), see Rehab Diaries: An Oregon Kitchen with a Dose of Downton Abbey.  

On the subject of pale kitchens, Magness notes: "The dark time zone and cold climate in Scandinavia are the very reason so many interiors there are light and clean and bright—white finishes are possibly one of the cleverest ways to keep people upbeat when it gets dark at 3:30 pm in winter." In terms of paint colors, Magness advises: "It's nice to split the difference in a kitchen—so it doesn't feel like a laboratory, but also isn't so busy with color that it doesn't feel as clean as we'd like."

Above: Here are two cool colors to consider for a kitchen: Valspar Royal Gray (L), and Benjamin Moore's Super White (R). For more paint recommendations, see Palette & Paints: Coastline-Inspired Blues and Remodeling 101: Best Colors for Urban Kitchens.

Above: An example of a GE Monogram kitchen that makes use of a cool color palette. 

Warm Tones

Above: In this project by Jonathan Feldman of Feldman Architecture in San Francisco, the intent was to balance crisp modernism elements with natural materials. Says the architect: "We typically like the primary surfaces (floors, walls, counters, and cabinets) to be subtle, so that they recede and don't call too much attention to themselves." Photo by Paul Dyer. 

Above: As for Feldman's color strategy, he says: "We don't think of kitchen colors any differently than we think of colors in general; we almost always prefer to keep them muted. We also worry that our client might get tired of a bold color over time, so we add color with furniture and art." His favorite colors for the kitchen are grays, whites, and light and dark woods that aren't too yellow, orange, or red.

Learn all the details about the kitchen in The Architect Is In: A Kitchen Expert Answers Your Queries. 

Above: "There should be a combination of cool and warm colors in the kitchen," says Jayne Michaels of NYC-based 2Michaels Design. "A sterile kitchen is lifeless and unappealing, and a cluttered, dark kitchen is unappetizing." Here are two warm shades to consider. Above L: Farrow & Ball Elephant's Breath is a complex gray that Carole Magness used in her own farmhouse kitchen. Above R: Pratt & Lambert's Seed Pearl is a creamy white singled out as a favorite for small kitchens by Lake | Flato Architects. For more paint colors, see Remodeling 101: Best Colors for Urban Kitchens.

Above: Even though the walls of this GE Monogram kitchen are dark blue-green, the space is warmed by wood.

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Designer Samu-Jussi Koski is refining the new Finnish aesthetic through his fashion label, Samuji, which he launched in Helsinki three years ago. Style in Finland, Samu explains, is informed by its locale, sandwiched between the ultra-minimalist style of Swedish design and the heavily-patterned folk prints of Russia. "This combination is even seen in Marimekko," he says, referring to the textile and design house that has put Finnish fashion on the map since 1951. Samu began his own career at Marimekko, first as an assistant designer and later creative director. "Marimekko has defined fashion in Finland for so long," he says. "There was a time when I was working there that the company was selling 80 percent of its product within Finland: everyone in Helsinki was wearing Marimekko."

In 2011, Samu ventured out on his own and started with the basics. "I wanted to create a complete wardrobe, and asked all my friends what they would choose if they could only have ten pieces of clothing. Almost every one of them said the same thing: a perfect T-shirt, a pair of jeans, a black dress, the perfect knit. So I began from there." Each collection is divided between classic silhouettes and what Samu calls his "Seasonal" works—in which textures and prints emerge based on a feeling and set of current inspirations. When asked what defines Finnish fashion, he replies, "For us, everything should always be functional. It's about having a love of necessary things."

Above: Samuji's summer 2014 look book was shot in the atelier and home of Finnish functionalist architect Yrjö Kukkapuro and his wife, graphic designer Isa Kukkapuro-Enbom, built in 1968. Shown here, Samuji's striped Renja Dress. Photograph by Cel Jarvis for Samuji.

Samu is a fashion designer interested, he says "in almost everything but fashion." He grew up in Muurame, just north of Helsinki, the hometown of architect Alvar Aalto, whose many buildings define the region. Samu's approach is holistic, and he draws much of his inspiration from sculpture, painting, and architecture. "I don't feel very comfortable in the fashion scene as it is now; I'm always eager to collaborate with other worlds." In addition to fashion, Samu has worked on collections for Iittala and Artek, and he is designing a line of Samuji housewares for fall.

Above: We caught up with Samu during his recent stay in New York to discuss his personal style. Photograph by Alexa Hotz for Remodelista.

Remodelista: How would you describe your look?
Samu-Jussi Koski: When I was younger, I went through every possible style and phase, so now I'm over that game. My personal style is quite boring actually—my friends call me "old papa" or "papito" because I remind them of an old Italian grandpa.

Above: Another view of Yrjö Kukkapuro's atelier. Shown here, the salmon-colored Damira Skirt from Samuji's spring Seasonal Collection. All of Samuji's clothes are designed in Finland and sustainably manufactured in Europe.

RM: What season works best for you?
SK: Summer, but in Finland we are so lucky to have all four seasons, so in a way, I love them all. The magnitudes could vary though: I would take a longer summer and the winter could be done in just a month or two.

RM: What are your summer wardrobe staples?
SK: I love to change sandals, and prefer them handmade of quality leather. The simpler the better. Lately, I've been into those Jesus-like strap sandals—the ones made by Francesco Da Firenze in Florence, for example. Those are great.

Above: Samuji's Leather Gloves and Vene Purse, both made in Italy. Photograph by Alexa Hotz for Remodelista.

RM: Wardrobe maintenance tips?
SK: Get your accessories made from quality leather; that way they'll only get more beautiful as they age and wear out.

RM: Favorite scent?
SK: I love all the natural fragrances: tuberose, gardenia, jasmine, lily of the valley. And not just the more feminine fragrances, but masculine, too, like leather and gasoline (both of which are in Santa Maria Novella's Nostalgia cologne). I also carry with me a small bottle of Chanel No. 22; it's an old bottle—Chanel used to be made from non-synthetics.

Above: A few of Samu's essentials, including his Japanese ceramic good luck owl. Photograph by Alexa Hotz for Remodelista.

RM: What's in your bag? What do you travel with?
SK: First there is my little Japanese owl, or fukuro statue. The word fukuro can be written in different kanji characters to give it different meanings, such as "luck comes" or "no hardship or suffering." I carry it as a luck charm with me wherever I go, and I've given these statues to everyone at Samuji. Then there is my pencil and brass sharpener; I always draw with a soft pencil—it should be 2B or 4B, really dark and messy. It's important to me to do the first design sketches by hand.

Above: The exterior of Kukkapuro's 1968 studio, located in Kauniainen, just outside of Helsinki.

RM: Last thing you purchased for your home?
SK: I've been traveling now for the past year so I haven't been decorating my home that much, but I just bought some weird old flower vases from a flea market to bring back with me.

RM: What's the first thing on your wish list?
SK: A summerhouse by a lake.

Above: The entrance to Alvar Aalto's own home in Helsinki.  Photograph via Nowness.

RM: Favorite art piece or architectural work of the moment?
SK: I love the works of Heikki Marila, a Finnish artist. He just had a big exhibition in Helsinki and we had the privilege of staging Samuji's fashion show at the gallery surrounded by Marila's beautiful paintings. In architecture, my all-time favorite is Alvar Aalto.

RM: What's next? 
SK: We're getting ready to launch Samuji's first housewares collection in September: mouth-blown glassware, candleholders, printed fabrics, throws—we're looking at all of these traditional art forms in a more modern way.

For more on Finnish design, see our recent posts on the houses of blogger Suki Vento of Varpunen and stylist and shop owner Tiina Laakonen in the Hamptons.

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Take a look at what's on our radar this week:

• Above: Julie and Margot have been admiring the latest textile patterns from Zak+Fox (shown here with art from Lawton Mull).
• The 411 on curtains and drapes. 
• DIY cushion cover.

• Above: Dalilah is looking forward to the summer launch of home decor company The Citizenry. 
• Fashion designer Liza Bruce's home away from home near Marrakech. 
• Creating your own woven headboard is easier than it sounds. 

• Above: Meredith is eager to visit Rachel Comey's recently opened flagship store at 95 Crosby Street in NYC. Photograph by Gus Powell. 
• A Q & A with our friends at Nickey Kehoe in LA.
• A look at the London abode of Remodelista's UK editor Christine Hanway, palm trees included. 

• Above: A leather daybed and woven pillows made in Marfa and available at Heath Ceramics retail stores.
  
• On our wish list: anything by fashion designer Martha McQuade. 
• Warby Parker and their suspended glass house recently moved into LA's Alchemy Works. 

• Above: We're partnering with our friends at Fireclay Tile to give three readers a set of coasters and a trivet from Fireclay's hand-painted collection. Watch for details on our Facebook page next week.
• Love where you live? Submit your space to the 2014 Remodelista Considered Design Awards by July 7.

For more from this week on Remodelista, see our Scandi Midsummer issue, and don't miss Gardenista's Nordic issue. 

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• 5 Favorites: High/Low Scandi Classics Roundup
• 2014 Considered Design Award Prize
• Guest Judges of the 2014 Considered Design Awards

Now that it's officially summer, we're heading to the waterfront. Join us this week as we hang out in hammocks and celebrate all things nautical.

Above: Care for a dock off your front door?  Photograph from A Floating House on Lake Huron.

Monday

Above: Izabella shows us around Oaxen Slip, a remarkable new Stockholm bistro and Michelin-starred dining room in a rebuilt boatyard—it's today's Restaurant Visit.

Tuesday

Above: Did you know that the British Royal Navy once slept aboard ship in cocoon-like hammocks that rocked with the waves? This week's Object Lesson by Megan Wilson is the nautical hammock. 

Wednesday

Above: A group of NYC creatives (including the duo behind Fredericks & Mae) spend summer weekends on a houseboat docked a subway ride away. It's Wednesday's Rehab Diary. Photograph by Douglas Lyle Thompson for Remodelista.

Thursday

Above: In Thursday's House Call, Julie presents a well-accessorized beach house available for rent in Cornwall, England.  

Friday

Above: Artist Cassandra Wilson applies a new twist to the classic sailor's monkey knot; read about her designs in Margot's Friday Nautical Accessories post.

Saturday

Above: Christine's Weekend Spotlight is a Seattle boathouse artfully converted into living quarters, standing seam metal roof included.

Have a look at Gardenista—they're also celebrating the Life Aquatic this week.

Behind in your Remodelista reading? Peruse all of our Back Issues, and also seewhat we're up to on Pinterest.

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Tom Scheerer has been called the Billy Baldwin of our day. A designer with a knack for combining the composed (he trained as an architect at Cooper Union) with the comfy, and the high with the low, he specializes in the "potently atmospheric" writes Mimi Read. Read is the author of Tom Scheerer Decorates, an impressive compendium of 15 years of work that came out last winter. 

As is almost always the case with decorator's designs, we especially admire Scheerer's own houses in which his practicality and old-fashioned graciousness have been granted free reign. To launch our Life Aquatic issue, Scheerer agreed to give us a tour of his two Harbour Island cottages in the Bahamas that he lovingly overhauled. (And then, like a lot of serial remodelers, he moved on to the next: he's currently building a beach house from the ground up on the Bahamian island of Abaco.)

Photographs by Francesco Lagnese courtesy of The Vendome Press.

Above: Dubbed the Cash Box—because it previously belonged to Mary Cash, one of the matriarchs of Harbour Island—Scheerer's 1800 guest house is situated across from an old convent that he revived and turned into his main house. Of the Cash Box he says, "I restored and modernized being mindful of its historic and rustic (but atmospheric) qualities." Both structures are built of coral stone blocks quarried when the basements were excavated. "The original wood parts—roof, floors, ceiling, and interior walls—were made from a native wood known as Abaco pine that admirably survived even though the houses were in ruin."

Above: The Cash Box entryhall has "a junky white painted table with a convenient drawer," says Scheerer. Hats hang on Thonet hooks and beach towels and mats are at the ready.

Above: The Cash Box's original kitchen is housed in its own outbuilding.  The kitchen had been modernized in the 1940s," says Scheerer. " I revealed the coral stone hearth and restored the structure, keeping the mod cons—stove and fridge—out of sight." Scheerer likes to take a preservationist approach to his remodels: "He'd rather work with a house more or less the way he finds it than expensively deracinate it with a gut renovation," explains Read in Tom Scheerer Decorates. But, she says, he also has a practical streak: "'Don't make too much trouble for yourself' is one of his mottos. 'Live life now, rather than after a torturous renovation.'" 

Above: Scheerer added encaustic cement Cuban tiles over the kitchen's cement floor. "Cuban tiles are very at home in the Bahamas; they're found in most of the oldest houses," he says. Now made in the Dominican Republic and Mexico, they're available through Villa Lagoon Tile.

Above: Scheerer has a weakness for old Thonet bentwood chairs: "I collect them whenever I can; I find them useful in rustic and in urbane interiors." 

Above: The Cash Box attic is now the master suite. It had a rough pine floor that Scheerer painted with "many, many coats of shiny white: the white floor bounces a lot of light into the room and off the ceiling." The seafoam green walls are, writes Read, "a nod to a Harbour Island old wives' tale about the wasp-repellent properties of the color green." Scheerer found the iron campaign bed at Anthropologie. 

Above: A peacock wicker chair stands next to the bed and one of the attic's shuttered windows: "There were no windows at the dormer and gable-end openings, only shutters. I added louvered interior shutters for privacy (with a breeze). No screens. No glass."

Above: One of the great luxuries at the Convent is a new bathroom with a claw-footed tub that Scheerer went to great lengths to get to the island. As in the Cash Box attic, the windows have shutters only. 

Above: At the Cash Box, Scheerer built a simple outdoor dining area "proximate to the kitchen and porch." The table is shaded by a Balinese parasol.

Above: "Lunch is my favorite hobby—and no sandwiches!" says Scheerer. The faux bois plates came with Martha Stewart.

Above: One of the final—and best—additions made to the Cash Box: a bamboo-fenced outdoor shower.

For more beach design, browse our Photo Gallery and have a look at our recent posts: The Outermost House: Modest Modernism in Wellfleet and Architect Visit: A Louvered Beach House on the Arabian Sea. And over on Gardenista, consider Rustic Living on the Beach in Uruguay.

More Stories from Remodelista

• A Swedish Summerhouse Made from Humble Materials
• Rhapsody in Blue: A Finnish Stylist at Home in the Hamptons
• A Masculine Midcentury Revival in LA

Designed to shine through mist, fog, and other wet-weather conditions, nautical-inspired bulkhead lighting is a great choice for outdoor spaces. Here are ten options to consider:

(N.B.: Our selections are all rated for wet conditions, but work equally well indoors.)

Above: Said to have graced the decks of famous ships, including the Titanic, the Davey Lighting Small Oval Bulkhead Light has roots dating back to the shipyards of London in the 19th century, when the company (now part of Original BTC) was formed. Handcrafted in the UK of die-cast natural brass, the light measures 7 inches tall and 5.25 inches wide (two larger sizes are also available); $285 at Design Within Reach.

Above: The round Davey Lighting Small Bulkhead Light measures 7 inches in diameter. Handcrafted in the UK of die-cast natural brass; $375 at Design Within Reach.

Above: The porthole-shaped Garey Round Wall Light designed by Thomas O'Brien measures 11.25 inches in diameter and is available in three finishes: antique brass, bronze, and polished nickel; $789 at Circa Lighting.

Above: The Round Aluminum Wall Lamp with glazed glass facing is 8.25 inches in diameter; €86 at Manufactum.

Above: The Chrome Bulkhead Light with Hood from Shiplights is designed to withstand wet conditions. It measures 9.6 inches in diameter and is also available in unlacquered brass as well as a range of custom finishes; $295 for the chrome finish shown here.

Above: The Chrome Bulkhead Light with Crossbar is 9.6 inches in diameter and is also available in unlacquered brass and a range of custom finishes; $290 at Shiplights.

Above: The Small Aluminium Wall Lamp is made of cast aluminum and glazed glass. It's just shy of 8 inches tall and is 4.3 inches wide; €74 at Manufactum.

Above: The Neptune Bulkhead Wall Sconce by Hilite Manufacturing is $138 for the 7.5 inch diameter size at Form+Function. It's shown here in a galvanized finish.

Above: The simple Amidships Bulkhead Wall Mount Light from Hi-Lite Manufacturing measures 8.5 inches tall and 5.25 inches wide. It's rated for wet locations and is available in a choice of four finishes, including white shown here; $142 at Barn Light Electric.

Above: Simple and affordable, the Access Lighting Nauticus Bulkhead Light with frosted glass is 7.5 inches in diameter and available in black, white, and satin nickel finish; $32.50 at Wayfair.

Above: Here's a stainless option: the Design Classics Stainless Steel Marine Light. It measures 8 inches in diameter, and is $39.96 at Destination Lighting.

For more outdoor lighting inspiration, see Gardenista's posts: 10 Easy Pieces: Pathway Lighting and 10 Easy Pieces: Barnhouse-Style Outdoor Lights.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on June 24, 2009.

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There are two full weeks left to submit your projects to the second annual Remodelista + Gardenista Considered Design Awards.

Be sure to get your entries in by Monday, July 7, for a chance to win a special edition Jieldé Lamp. We can't wait to see your spaces!

On Remodelista, we will run a separate contest for amateur and professional designers in each of these categories:

• Best Kitchen Space
• Best Living/Dining Space
• Best Bedroom Space
• Best Bath Space
• Best Office Space

On Gardenista, we have two categories for amateurs, two categories for professionals, and three categories open to everyone: 

• Best Overall Garden (Amateur)
• Best Small Garden (Amateur)
• Best Outdoor Living Space (Everyone)
• Best Edible Garden (Everyone)
• Best Hardscape Project (Everyone)
• Best Professional Landscape (Professional)
• Best Garden Shed or Outbuilding (Professional)

Enter here for Remodelista and Gardenista, and browse the entries already submitted. See the roster of esteemed Remodelista Guest Judges, and don't forget to submit by July 7 before midnight PDT. 

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• Table of Contents: The Life Aquatic
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