If there is one chef who could turn a former government tax office into an atmospheric restaurant with indoor garden, it's Skye Gyngell. After all, she made her name cooking from a shed at a plant nursery in Richmond, England. It was at Petersham Nurseries and her garden-to-plate cooking won her a Michelin star. With Skye, it's clear that there are few limits.

Now installed in a proper kitchen in London's West End, her new restaurant can be found in the labyrinthine Somerset House—it's the hugely talked about and evocatively named Spring.

Photography by Tom Mannion, except where noted.

Above: Seasonal, informal, original food is the big draw. Photograph via Somerset House.

Spring is situated in the New Wing at Somerset House, which isn't new at all: It was built in 1856 as the final part of a series of government offices housing the Inland Revenue. The last of the tax people have gone and the New Wing is open to the public for the first time.

Above: Pink is the dominant accent color in a palette of white and light neutrals. The clustered hanging lights are a New York import—they're Apparatus Studio's Cloud design. Photograph via Spring.

Above: The banquettes rest on an oak floor from Dinesen of Denmark—see World's Most Beautiful Wood Floors. Photograph via Spring.

Above: Skye Gyngell is a much-loved character who cut her teeth in London working with Fergus Henderson (of St John) and his future wife Margot Henderson (Rochelle Canteen) at the little restaurant above the legendary French House pub in Soho. She was also food editor at British Vogue. Join us for a tour of her home kitchen here. Photograph by Amber Rowlands.

Above: The leather chairs pair well with a wall of robin's egg blue.

Above: Skye asked garden designer Jinny Blom to make a garden-like space within the bigger restaurant. It's a plant-filled atrium, with repeated reliefs of leafy gunnera along the walls. 

Jinny's brief was to create a garden for a restaurant with no outside space. "When a client says, 'I want it to be a garden,' and the space is indoors and with low natural light levels," explains Jinny, "then it's time to get creative."

Above: Jinny says the project was "everything I love: technically complex and creative, allowing me free artistic reign to reimagine the space."

Above: Jinny brings her outside experience to bear on her work: She has a longstanding interest in craft and is an active member of the Art Workers' Guild, and also sits on the board of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network.

Above: Somerset House is a cultural hub in central London. Perched on the side of the Thames, it has slowly been reclaimed from the Inland Revenue and currently plays host to the Courtauld Institute, London Fashion Week, a winter ice rink, an outdoor cinema, and concerts and cultural exhibitions. To get to Spring, take a right after the Courtauld.

See Skye Gyngell's home kitchen in our posts In the Kitchen with London's Chef du Jour and Steal This Look: A Star Chef's Kitchen.

Looking for a place to stay? See Live Like a Londoner, 15 Short-Term Rentals, High to Low.

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Most of us are not destined to live in a domicile designed by an internationally celebrated architect. But you can add world-class architecture to your daily life with flatware by current notables, such as Renzo Piano and Jean Nouvel, and 20th-century greats, including Josef Hoffman and Arne Jacobsen. Here are our favorite architect-designed flatware sets.

Above: Arne Jacobsen designed this minimalist brushed-stainless line of flatware for Georg Jensen in 1957; a Five-Piece Place Setting is $95 at LX Studio.

Above: Inspired by the austere lifestyle of Bohemian monks, English architect John Pawson designed this spartan set of cutlery for Belgian company When Objects Work. The When Objects Work John Pawson Stainless Tableware Set of six four-piece place settings is $672 at Fitzsu. March in SF offers the design in Sterling Silver.

Above: French architect and 2008 Pritzker Prize laureate Jean Nouvel designed this matte stainless-steel line of flatware for Georg Jensen in 2004. Jean Nouvel Steel Matte Cutlery is €15.20 ($16.51) for a dinner fork and spoon and €17.60 ($19.12) for a dinner knife at Georg Jensen.

Above: Italian architect Renzo Piano designed the curvaceous Piano 98 flatware for Scandinavian company Iittala in 1998. The polished stainless Iittala Piano Workshop Cutlery is $76.79 for a five-piece place setting and the Iittala Piano Collection Wood-Handled Serving Set is $102.64, both at Amazon.

Above: Italian architect and designer Antonio Citterio created a brushed stainless cutlery line for Iittala of Finland. The Citterio 98 Cutlery Five-Piece Set is $60 from Y Living.

Above: The Colombina Flatware Collection designed by Italian architects Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas in 2007 for Alessi is available in a high-polished stainless steel finish; $53 for a five-piece place setting at A+R Shop.

Above: In 1938, a trio of Italian architects and industrial designers collaborated on the Caccia line of flatware (it was initially produced only in sterling silver). In 1990 the company began offering the line in stainless steel; the Alessi's Caccia Five-Piece Cutlery Set is $114 from Lumens.

Above: Iconic Italian architect and designer Gio Ponti created a line of cutlery for Sambonet. Available in matte and polished stainless steel, the Gio Ponti Sambonet Flatware Five-Piece Setting is $85 from Sambonet.

Above: Achille Castiglioni's Dry Line reinterpretation of classic Italian tableware is available in mirror-polished and matte finish stainless steel; the Dry Cutlery 5-Piece Setting is $84 at the MoMA Store.

Above: Austrian architect Josef Hoffman designed a line of flatware in 1906 for the Wiener Werkstaette. Alessi recently reintroduced the Rundes Modell Flatware line in mirror-polished stainless steel; the pieces are sold individually in sets of six, starting at $132 for six Rundes Modell Dessert Forks, at Alessi.

Above: Grethe Meyer trained as an architect at the Academy of Arts in Copenhagen; her elegantly proportioned Georg Jensen Copenhagen Steel Cutlery is available in a matte and a mirror finish; €48 ($52.14) for a four-piece place setting at Georg Jensen.

Above: Alessi's Nuovo Milano Flatware by Italian architect Ettore Scottsass features a mirrored stainless steel finish; $128 for a six-piece place setting (including dessert fork and knife and coffee spoon, not shown) at Hive Modern.

For more flatware, see our previous posts: 

• 10 Easy Pieces: Everyday Stainless Steel Flatware 
• 10 Easy Pieces: Bistro-Style Flatware
• Ask the Expert: Corin Mellor Explains What to Look for in Flatware

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on March 9, 2011, as part of our Channeling Downton Abbey issue.

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• 10 Easy Pieces: Handmade Dinnerware from Ceramics Studios
• 10 Easy Pieces: Basic Drinking Glasses

London couturier Anna Valentine was a ballet dancer before becoming a designer. And, with her former business partner, Antonia Robinson, she deftly made her mark in the fashion world by dressing Camilla Parker Bowles in flattering dove gray silk (take a look) for her 2005 wedding to Prince Charles.

Known for her quietly cerebral and refined approach to design—she says she takes her influences "from the fluidity and elegance of dancers costumes, the pared-down simplicity of Scandinavian design, and the flattering rigors of Japanese-style draping"—Valentine, now solo, has gone on to outfit a number of royals and recently introduced her own ready-to-wear line. But what caught our attention is her magically ethereal-looking kitchen. 

Above: Valentine and her husband, entertainment lawyer Jonathan Berger, live in one of the choicest corners of the city: an apartment in a Georgian house on Bryanston Square in Marylebone. Valentine worked with London architects DRDH on its renovation, which involved restoring original details, such as the moldings, while, in the architects' words "opening up the plan to light and the spatial interconnectedness of contemporary life." 

The look of the rooms, from pale palette to window height to herringbone wood floor, was inspired by the turn-of-the-20th-century paintings of hushed interiors by Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershoi. The trestle table and rustic stools, however, are a 21st-century casual-elegant twist. (For similar designs, consider Russell Pinch's Oak and Walnut Imo Stool and Achille Castiglioni's Leonardo Dining Table, both from the Conran Shop.)

Above: French doors stand alongside bespoke cabinetry with marble counters. The apartment is on the piano nobile and opens to the garden. Learn about wood floor designs in our posts Herringbone and Chevron: Spot the Difference and Remodeling 101: Wood Floor Patterns.

Hammershoi's Dust Motes Dancing in the Sunbeams from 1900.

Above: The integrated marble sink. Considering marble for your own kitchen? Get the lowdown in Remodeling 101: Marble Countertops.

Above: The otherwise minimalist arrangement offers plenty of storage in a tall cabinet that's layered on top with a still life of vases and tableware. The kitchen opens to a hall of doors and windows that echo Hammershoi's own rooms. "As in Hammershoi’s paintings of his home, at Strandgade 30 in Copenhagen, doors of varying scales not only mediate the relationships between new and existing elements but establish themselves as figures that occupy space and define its character," explain the architects. The balloon-shaped Doorknobs are architect 6a designs from Izé,

Above: Hammershoi's Interior Strandgade 30, another of his room portraits from 1900.

Above: Like Hammershoi's paintings, the kitchen speaks in a whisper—and fridge and stove are kept out of sight.

Above: DRDH's apartment plan details the considerable space devoted to the kitchen.

Go to Kitchens to see more of our favorite designs, including:

• 13 Favorite Minimalist British Kitchens
• Before/After: A Cool and Confident Kitchen in Los Angeles
• Rehab Diary: The $350 Kitchen Overhaul in Two Weekends
• The Ultimate Outdoor Kitchens
• A Refrigerator-Free Kitchen

More Stories from Remodelista

• Architect Visit: Herringbone House in London
• Rescued Relic: A Romantic Atelier in Japan
• Sevil Peach Studio in Primrose Hill

A British classic with a distinctly continental flair, the Ercol stacking chair was designed by an Italian immigrant brought up in London's East End. Lucian Ercolani founded Ercol in 1920, and during the Second World War, the company made its name mass-producing kitchen chairs for the government-sponsored Utility Furniture Scheme. It wasn't until the burst of national pride and optimism of the 1950s that Ercol dusted off its wartime image and came up with something more streamlined and cheerful. Love seats and nesting tables were introduced and, to prove just how light and practical this new aesthetic could be, the stacking chair was launched in 1957. This design, with its slender, tapered, outward-turning legs enabled the chair to be stacked vertically, making it ideal for the compact modern home as well as for public spaces. 

In 2002, British fashion designer Margaret Howell collaborated with Ercol to revive some of its notable midcentury designs, including the stacking chair, to sell in her shops. The reissues were a great success and the styles are now available as part of the Ercol Originals collection. The Ercol factory is still family run (Lucian's grandson, Edward, now heads the company) and the furniture continues to be made in Britain using environmentally sound practices. Here are some examples.

Above: The Ercol stacking chair, 17.75 inches wide, 19.75 inches deep, and 30.25 inches tall, is £315 ($466) in natural or black at Haus.

Above: In the US, the Ercol stacking chair is available in beech or elm and in a natural finish as well as black, white, and several colors for $585 from A+R in LA. The chair is also sold by Top Hat in New York; for pricing and to place orders, contact Sweet Bella.

Above: The Utility Furniture Scheme was created by the British Board of Trade in 1942 to make affordable furnishings. The catalog featured one of the Ercol stacking chair's predecessors, the Windsor-style Ercol kitchen chair, far right. Photograph via Ercol.

Above: A selection of Ercol Reissue Chairs in the window of Margaret Howell on Wigmore Street, London. The chairs are available at Margaret Howell shops in London, Paris, and Tokyo—have a look at them stacked in white in our post on the Tokyo outpost, Japan's Best Brit Brand.

Above: Vintage Ercol chairs are used at Rochelle Canteen, in Shoreditch, London, and can be sourced on eBay (for the most choices, search UK sellers).

Read about Christine's Ercol obsession in Design Sleuth: Stalking the Ercol Stacking Chair.

Looking for more vintage inspiration? Browse our photo gallery of Midcentury Designs (and Modern Interpretations). For outdoor seating ideas (including some stackable and folding designs), see Gardenista's 10 Easy Pieces: Outdoor Bistro Table and Chair Sets. 

This post is an update. It originally ran on April 8, 2014, as part of our Warm Minimalism issue.

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If you've fallen under the spell of UK phenom Edmund de Waal (as we have), you might find yourself obsessively rearranging your pottery in an attempt to replicate his inspired groupings. "How to live with objects, how to arrange them and give them space within the home, is central to my life," de Waal told The Sunday Times. Here are six lessons culled from the master for living an artful yet uncluttered life.

1. Layer Objects in Unused Spaces

Above: For his Ghost exhibit at Kettle's Yard in Cambridge (the town where he was raised), de Waal propped a suite of porcelain platters and vessels on a doorframe ledge. As he told The London Sunday Times, "Layer objects in unused spaces—on a wall, above a cornice, or over a door frame. Not everything has to be at eye level."

2. Look Up

Above: Skylight as design moment? De Waal grouped pale celadon pots in his Porcelain Room at the Geffrye Museum in London. He explained to the London Sunday Times: "Recently, I've tried new ways of layering my work into people's spaces, making installations that can hover high above the traffic of family life."

3. Group Objects in Frames

Above: Good news for collectors: "Clutter becomes a collection when it's framed—for example, on a shelf or in a case," says de Waal in The Sunday Times. 

Above: "Framed clutter" from de Waal's On the Properties of Fire exhibit at Waddesdon Manor.

4. Everything Doesn't Have to Match

Above: As de Waal tells The Independent, "I don't think one should be evangelical about using handmade things. It's just too expensive and doesn't reflect the way we live. Be like the Japanese. Nothing matches." Case in point, the cupboard of US/Japan glassmaker Peter Ivy (above), which features a mix of glass and porcelain. 

5. Find Power in Multiples

Above: For an installation at Blackwell House in Cumbria, de Waal installed a suite of sylphlike pots to contrast with the ornamental architecture. "My work is about the language of sculpture, it's about multiples and minimalism," he says in the New York Times.

6. Think Outside the Box

Above: For his Ghost exhibit at Kettle's Yard, de Waal tucked ceramics between volumes in the bookshelves and in rustic wood cupboards. 

Select pieces by Edmund de Waal are available at Matin in Los Angeles.

 For more design lessons, see:

• 11 Zero-Cost Room-Changing Ideas
• Expert Advice: 10 Tips on Displaying Art at Home
• The Art of the Salon-Style Art Wall
• Carmella's 7-Step Plan to Clutter-Free Living

More Stories from Remodelista

• 7 Favorites: Minimalist Brass Pendants
• Table of Contents: London Minimalism
• Current Obsessions: Pastel Appeal

As founder and editor of Cereal, a magazine devoted to travel and style, Rosa Park has the enviable task of flying around the world, visiting and researching cities to share with her readers. Park, a lifelong traveler and magazine lover with a background in fashion and beauty marketing, launched Cereal in 2012 with her partner, creative director Rich Stapleton, who has an engineering background. The magazine's look strongly reflects the couple's keenly honed personal style; Park and Stapleton personally visit every location before deciding how the story should unfold in Cereal. 

Even the most inveterate explorers need a place to relax and recharge, however. Park recently moved from Bristol, England, to a flat in Bath close to The Royal Crescent. (Cereal's offices are just a short train ride away in Bristol.) It's here that, between expeditions, she's made a home that feels very much like the pages of the magazine brought to life. 

Photography by Rich Stapleton.

Above: A view of Bath's iconic architecture (of Bath stone) looking down the street from Park's flat toward the Royal Crescent.

Above: Park's gray-painted front door.

Above: In the living room, Park adheres to a black, gray, and white palette. The pair of Oslo Chairs by Muuto are her favorite pieces—they're surprisingly comfortable, she says. The light is a George Nelson Saucer Pendant. In lieu of shades, the windows have shutters. Considering your own? See Remodeling 101: Interior Shutters.

Above: Park's meticulously displayed collection of coffee table books includes monographs on the work of Agnes Martin and Fan Ho, and Phaidon's book about concrete in design.

Above: A photo by Stapleton (inspired by Hiroshi Sugimoto) rests on the mantel. Stapleton is responsible for much of the photography in Cereal, as well as the magazine's design.

Above: The Anglepoise Lamp—a UK classic (and Remodelista favorite) was invented in Bath. Read about the history of the design in the Remodelista book, where Megan Wilson describes it as "a lamp that maintains great poise at rakish angles."

Above: The gray and white kitchen overlooks a golf course; Park says the light is especially memorable at sunrise. She looks forward to long breakfasts on weekends.

Above L: In a high/low corner, a Hans Wegner Wishbone Chair draped with an Icelandic sheepskin is paired with an Ikea Ranarp reading lamp (Park first spotted the light on Instagram). Above R: Park arranges her favorite ceramics, cookbooks, and kitchen items, all in a muted palette, on her bookshelves.

Above: The bedroom is a soothing mix of calm neutrals.

Above L: Office items are smartly stored in Desktop Boxes by Danish company Hay. Above R: Park's minimalist workspace contains little more than the essentials: desk, chair, lamp (another Anglepoise), and laptop.

Above L: A bamboo bath tray. Above R: A Skagerak bamboo floor mat from Denmark, purchased at a shop in Bath—to source your own, see 10 Easy Pieces: Wooden Bath Mats.

Go to Cereal  to order the latest issue and follow them on Instagram here: @cerealmag.

Join us for some more House Calls: 

• An Artist's Home in Shoreditch
• La Vie en Rose: An Emerging Fashion Star in Upstate New York
• A Sexy, Minimalist Remodel in Berlin

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• Kitchen of the Week: A Culinary Space Inspired by a Painting
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• Rescued Relic: A Romantic Atelier in Japan

Warm and accommodating, butcher block is an affordable countertop material with a lot going for it. Maintain it regularly and your butcher block will reward you by aging gracefully. But without proper upkeep, it can dull and crack. Is it the right material for you and your kitchen? Read our butcher block counter primer to find out.

Above: A butcher block countertop in a British Standard Cupboard Kitchen by Plain English. 

What is butcher block?

Butcher block is made from straight cuts of wood glued together into thick slabs that provide a particularly sturdy and stable work surface in a kitchen, whether as a cutting board, tabletop, or counter.

Above: John Boos Blended North American Hard Rock Maple Butcher Block with edge-grain construction and finger jointed random length boards. 

Are there different types of butcher block?

There are three basic construction styles of butcher block: edge grain, flat grain, and end grain: 

Edge grain is the one most commonly used for counters because it's strong, stable, and less expensive than the others. It's made by placing long boards on their sides and joining them so that their long narrow edges form the surface. The boards can be continuous lengths of wood with no joints, or random length boards that are finger-jointed (as shown above). 

Flat grain butcher block is constructed from boards that are laid flat, their full widths forming a surface with a streamlined look. Susceptible to marks when used for chopping and cutting, flat grain is less suitable for working kitchen counters than the others.

End grain construction is made from small rectangular blocks arranged so that the ends (with growth rings showing) are visible on the surface. The strongest and most expensive type of butcher block, it's great for surfaces dedicated to cutting, because it camouflages knife marks and is gentle on blade edges (they slide into the grain rather than against it). 

Above: San Francisco architect Mark Reilly used end-grain butcher block counters in a kitchen in a turn of the century house in Palo Alto. "The countertop was originally Formica, but the client wanted a material that didn't clink when glass or serving wares were placed on it," Reilly says. "After exploring several options, we decided on end-grain butcher block because of its warmth, soft feel, and vintage-inspired look." Photograph by Mark Reilly. N.B. See how the architect created an open kitchen in a Victorian house in Remodelista Best Design Professional Space Winner: Mark Reilly.

Above L: End-grain butcher block. Above R: Flat-grain butcher block. Photographs via DeVos Wordworking.

What types of wood are used for butcher block?

Butcher block can be made from nearly any wood. Maple is one of the best and most popular for butcher block counters because it's hard and has a clear grain. Cherry and red oak offer rich color. Butcher block can also be crafted from bamboo (it works best with end-grain construction) and sustainably farmed exotics such as wenge and zebrawood.

Above: Flat-grain butcher block tops an island in a Seattle kitchen designed by Roy McMakin.

Does butcher block need to be sealed?

For kitchen counter applications, it's important to use unsealed, oil-finished wood. Sealed countertops are not meant to be used as food-prep work surfaces—they're not food or knife friendly. Mark Squire of Quality Kitchen Cabinets in San Francisco explains: "Using sealed wood defeats the purpose of butcher block, because it covers up the natural warm surface with plastic." Sealed butcher block does offer shine and can work well as a work desk or bar top in a kitchen that doesn't involve food. (And when needed for food prep, pair it with a cutting board.) Note that unsealed butcher block is not recommended immediately around a sink: Over time it will likely discolor and rot.

Above: A long butcher block countertop and shelves warm up a kitchen by LA designers Alexandra and Eliot Angle. See more of the room at Steal This Look: Aqua Vitae Kitchen.

How do you best maintain butcher block?

At a minimum, butcher block countertops require oiling every six months to keep the wood protected. Different woods come with different finishing oil recommendations and it's best to follow the instructions of your installer. Depending on level of use, butcher block may also require more frequent oiling and conditioning to prevent the wood from cracking and looking dull. N.B.: Avoid using cooking oil to treat butcher block; it can damage the wood. Note that because butcher block is soft, it mars more than other materials—leading some people to use it for certain surfaces only, such as work islands. Just before oiling, you can lightly remove scratches, burns, and other surface damages with fine sandpaper, and your countertop will look like new. 

Above: Christine wanted a warm material for her open kitchen, so she selected edge-grain countertops of solid oak treated with several coats of Danish oil for a hardwearing finish. For the full story, see Rehab Diary: Sleuthing for Space in My Kitchen. Photography by Kristin Perers for Remodelista.

Can butcher block be used as a cutting surface? 

Yes, unsealed butcher block works well as a large stationary work surface and has been used this way for centuries (after all, it comes by its name honestly). That said, it's not as easy to clean a butcher block counter as it is a movable cutting board, which explains why many owners use cutting boards on top of butcher block. And, as mentioned, cutting on butcher block over time leaves marks and scratches—character defining to some, best avoided to others.

Above: In this kitchen by New York designer Robert Stilin, an edge-grain butcher block is used as the countertop on the island while white Carrara marble is used for the work surfaces by the sink.

What does butcher block cost?

Prices vary depending on the type of wood, the grain construction, and the thickness. In general, custom-made quality butcher block countertops range from $75 to $150 per square foot. In other words, good butcher block is more expensive than mid-range granite, but less expensive than top-of-the-line natural stone. 

The good news is that several manufacturers offer off-the-shelf butcher block work tops in standard counter-depth sizes with variable lengths. If your setup allows, this is the affordable way to go. And the DIY-inclined can cut butcher block slabs to fit around appliances, corners, and other obstacles—not something you can pull off on your own with stone.

Above: In her cabin kitchen, Sarah Samuel of Smitten Studio installed Ikea's affordable edge-grain, oiled-beech Numerar Wood Countertop. Ikea now offers a similar Hammarp Beach Countertop, which comes in precut lengths.

Butcher Block Recap 

Pros: 

• Butcher block counters add warmth and natural coloring. 
• It's a soft material that's easy on glassware and dishes: No clatter when you put down a stack of plates.
• Wood mixes well with many other countertop materials, especially marble.
• If maintained properly, it's a long lasting and durable choice.
• Unlike laminate or solid-surface counters, wood countertops are repairable: Nicks and burns can be lightly sanded and the surface re-oiled.
• It develops a lovely patina over time.
• Wood has natural antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.

Cons:

• Wood counters are not heat or stain resistant. Hot pans can't be set down on the counter without a pad or trivet.
• Wood can swell and shrink in conditions of extreme dryness or humidity, which may cause cracking.
• Excessive wetness makes the wood susceptible to rot and discoloration.
• It develops a patina over time (a detail that also falls in the Pro category; it's a matter of taste).
• Butcher block requires some maintenance.

Above: Italian kitchen designers Schiffini use end-grain butcher block at the end of a kitchen island.

Researching new countertops? Read 5 Questions to Ask When Choosing Your Kitchen Countertops. And for more on the subject, see the following Remodeling 101 posts:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Remodelista Kitchen Countertop Picks
• A Marble Countertop Look-alike, Minus the Maintenance
• Remodeling 101: Concrete Kitchen Countertops
• Remodeling 101: Soapstone Countertops
• Remodeling 101: Stainless Steel Countertops
• Remodeling 101: Marble Countertops
• The Intel on Black Marble Countertops
• Remodeling 101: Corian Countertops (And the New Corian Look-alikes)
• Remodeling 101: Engineered Quartz Countertops
• Remodeling 101: Paper Composite Countertops for the Kitchen

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• 11 Money-Saving Remodeling Strategies from a Hollywood House Flipper
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"They are helpful background pieces, not showstoppers," says designer Ilse Crawford of the collection of 30 pieces that her London studio has created for Ikea. The mandate was to use natural materials to produce "simple, useful forms that fit into everyday life." Take a look at the results—they make their debut at Ikea stores worldwide this August. We plan to be the first in line.

Photography via Ikea and Studioilse.

Above: The collection, which Ikea has dubbed Sinnerlig, ranges from settees and tables to tableware and lighting.

Above: Studioilse worked with cork, ceramics, glass, seagrass, and bamboo—"tactile materials that appeal to us because they feel as good as they look," says Crawford. She adds, "We worked with all aspects of the Ikea system: We developed the range together with the material, production, sustainability, design, and logistics experts, making sure at every step that no part of the process was compromised."

Above: A cork-topped trestle table and bench with steel legs and brass detailing.

Above: A woven indoor-outdoor settee with pillows in Crawford's signature muted palette. Studioilse unveiled the collection recently in the garden at Ett Hem, the Stockholm hotel that Crawford designed. 

Above: The cork also comes in a dark brown. The bench is shown here with a glass and cork table light, companion glass vases, and a group of ceramic planters. The basket is made of seagrass and will be available in a variety of sizes designed to nest. 

Above: Cork-topped stools will be offered in two versions. 

Above: The collection is "supposed to work in a bathroom in Mumbai as well as a kitchen in northwest London; it has to fit into people's lives," Crawford told UK design magazine Dezeen. 

Above: "We all need a number of lights that aren't supposed to be waving at you," says Crawford. 

Above: Bamboo-lattice pendant lights. 

Above: Handblown glass bottles with cork stoppers. "What's very interesting is the idea of working with a company that has a very smart system, a scientific system," Crawford told Dezeen. "It's been a fascinating project to create design for the many at the same level that you can achieve working for smaller companies." 

Where Ilse Crawford goes, we follow. See more of her work in our posts:

• Mastering Warm Minimalism: Ilse Crawford in Copenhagen
• Steal This Look: A Glamorous Hong Kong Flat by Studioilse
• Aristocratic Dining (and a Side of Gossip) at Kettner's in London
• Subtle Splendor in Stockholm: Ett Hem Hotel
• Hotels & Lodging: The Crown in Amersham, England
• The Olde Belle Inn, a Revamped Elizabethan Coaching Inn

For more Ikea designs (and favorite Ikea hacks), go to:

• 10 Favorites: Best of Ikea 2015
• New from Ikea: 11 Essentials for Small-Space Gardens
• Ikea Upgrade: The Semihandmade Kitchen Remodel
• Rehab Diary: An Ikea Kitchen by House Tweaking
• Steal This Look: A Cottage Kitchenette by Ikea
• Superfront: An Instant Upgrade for Ikea Cabinets
• Pretty Pegs: New Legs for Ikea Furniture

More Stories from Remodelista

• Artful Minimalism: 6 Lessons in Display from Edmund de Waal
• 7 Favorites: Minimalist Brass Pendants
• Table of Contents: London Minimalism

Britain's Landmark Trust is a charity devoted to "giving buildings a new life as inspiring places to stay." It has a large roster of rentals in notable historic structures (mostly in the UK, but also in Italy, France, and the US)—from a pineapple-shaped folly in Dunmore, Scotland, to a seaside clock tower in Devon. And it's continually adding to its roster. But what to do when the property in question is the architectural equivalent of a tattered ball gown?

Astley Castle in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, dates to the 13th century and was the domain of three queens (Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV; Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VIII; and Lady Jane Grey, who reigned for nine days). It was used as convalescence home in World War II and later became a hotel, but a 1978 fire left it on the verge of collapse. When the Landmark Trust first attempted a conventional restoration almost 25 years ago, it realized the site was too far gone and threw in the towel. Later, when Astley landed on Britain's most endangered buildings list, the group issued a save-our-castle design contest. Witherford Watson Mann Architects of London won the job—and the RIBA Stirling Prize of 2013, the Royal Institute of British Architects highest honor, for the results. Come see why.

Photography via the Landmark Trust, except where noted.

Above: Barely standing when Witherford Watson Mann took on the project, the designers filled in the blanks with modern brickwork and wood-framed windows that unabashedly contrast with the original structure. The revival was partially funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Above L and R: Witherford Watson Mann stepped up to their task by constructing what the Landmark Trust calls "an unequivocally modern living accommodation clasped within the shell of the ancient castle." The architects put it this way: "Contemporary brick, concrete, and timber construction sits directly on the medieval rubble walls, reoccupying the ancient manor. The project opens this private estate for public access through a network of new pathways and salvages the ruins of the castle, binding them into a vivid new house." Photographs by Design Hunter.

Above: The second floor is devoted to a vast open-plan contemporary kitchen and dining area. At the dining table, the views are of not only 13th- and 21st-century construction, but also the remains of 15th-and 17th-century wings.

Above: The kitchen overlooks a living room with new exposed wood beams and sliding glass doors that open to a balcony so that occupants can survey their domain. Photograph by Hélène Binet.

Above: Astley's crumbling Tudor and Jacobean wings have been artfully converted into courtyards. 

Above: The interior offers framed views of the courtyards.

Above: There are four bedrooms (two doubles and two twins) on the ground floor, and the castle can accommodate eight people.

Above: The bathrooms, too, are a mix of ancient and modern. Photograph via VPW magazine.

Above: A bedroom with an old stone wall and sliding glass doors that open onto what the Landmark Trust describes as "the ghost of pleasure gardens."

Above: A view of the Astley church. There's also a lake and stable block and a network of walking paths.

Above: A wood stair with an openwork design that echoes the ceiling treatment connects bedrooms to the living area. The architects also inserted an elevator to make the structure accessible to all. Photograph by Hélène Binet.

Above: Newly fortified ruins in a wing of the castle. Photograph via VPW magazine.

Above: A view of the architects' house-within-a-house approach.

Above: Witherford Watson Mann's plan for the living floor—which includes a green roof off the kitchen/dining area—details the new and existing parts of the structure.

Astley Castle is located in the town of Nuneaton, Warwickshire, in England's West Midlands. It rents for £871 ($1,291.69) for four nights for up to eight people, and is almost fully booked through 2016. The Landmark Trust will next be accepting reservations this September for 2017. Go to the Landmark Trust for details, including a full accounting of the restoration, and to see the group's other rental properties.

Planning a getaway? Take a look at other rental houses on our radar:

• Greatest Hits: 33 Top Rental Houses Featured on Remodelista
• Live Like a Londoner: 15 Short-Term Rentals, High to Low
• The Home Away from Home: Kid & Coe's Worldwide Rentals
• Editors' Picks: 15 Favorite Vacation Rental Resources
• The State-of-the-Art Rental Cabin, Devon Edition
• 11 Farmhouse Rentals in Italy 

More Stories from Remodelista

• At Home with Rosa Park of Cereal Magazine
• Kitchen of the Week: A Culinary Space Inspired by a Painting
• Architect Visit: Herringbone House in London

Spotted lately: tiles so subtly patterned they require a second look.

Above: Brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec say their Pico Tile for Mutina has a "matte finish with a sensual surface feel. With its slightly irregular dotted texture, Pico stands in contrast with the extreme brightness and slickness of today's coating materials." The tiles are available in several colorways; go to Mutina for more information.

Above: Parisian designer Inga Sempé created a collection of tiles in eight patterns for Mutina; shown above is the Epi pattern.

Above: Designed by UK artist Neisha Crosland, Haveli tiles for Ann Sacks have a subtle geometric pattern. 

Above: The porcelain Muse tile line by English designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby "is strongly influenced by the city of London, where we both live," they say. "It's inspired by the history and the personality of the British capital, and by the huge variety of textures characterizing its infrastructures, such as bricks, wooden floors, and irregular geometrical patterns."

Above: Inga Sempé's Aqua and Feutre patterns for Mutina.

Patterned tile is having a moment; see more of our favorites and read our advice in:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Handmade Patterned Tile
• Patchwork Tiles: 11 Mix-and-Match Ideas
• Remodeling 101: How to Choose a Kitchen Backsplash
• Living in Black and White: Concrete Tiles from Commune Design
• 10 Easy Pieces: Tile House Numbers

More Stories from Remodelista

• 13 Favorite Minimalist British Kitchens
• Decoding BTUs: How Much Cooking Power Do You Really Need?
• Kitchen of the Week: An Artful Aerie in Mill Valley

This week, Michelle and team headed to the UK with us to explore tiny, inventive urban plantings. They also took detours to plan Easter DIYs, egg posies included.

Above: 11 Garden Ideas to Steal from London.

Above: DIY: Wheatgrass Eggs. Also take a look at DIY: Hanging Easter Posies.

Above: The Gardenista 100: Best Rattan Lounge Chairs.

Above: Garden Visit: The Little House at No. 24a Dorset Road.

Above: 10 Easy Pieces: Zinc Barrel Planters.

Above: The State-of-the-Art Rental Cabin, Devon Edition.

Explore more at Gardenista's Minimal London issue.

More Stories from Remodelista

• Trending on Gardenista: Spring Awakening
• Trending on Gardenista: Luck of the Irish
• Trending on Gardenista: California Cool

This month, Brooklyn-based British interiors stylist Hilary Robertson comes out with her latest book, Monochrome Home, inspired by Scandinavian Pinterest boards she discovered after digging deep into Scandinavian blogs and noticing a freshness to the timeless appeal of the monochromatic home. We asked her to share her insights.

Photography by Pia Ulin from Monochrome Home, Elegant Interiors in Black and White (see below for details).

Remodelista: Would you describe your own home as monochrome?
Hilary Robertson: It is pretty monochrome, but I can’t quite resist a bit of color. I like tertiary pinks and taupes in different shades and intensities because they add depth to the room.

Above: Furnishings in muted shades in architect Joseph Dirand's Parisian apartment, which has walls finished in marmorino plaster made of marble dust and lime putty.

RM: How do you approach a new space and decide on a direction?

HR: It depends on the orientation of the room and the light. Whenever I move into a new space, I like to wash the walls and floors in a white paint, then stand back and see what the light does. It’s the least expensive way to approach a space. I think this comes from being a stylist and working in all-white studios.

Above: Parashkev Nachev's London mews house features brick walls painted inky black.

RM: When would you go with a dark color?
HR: It's really all about what sort of person you are. Neuroscientist and neurologist Parashkev Nachev [his space is featured in the Night Owl chapter] lives in a completely dark-colored apartment—a greenish black. Of course, he is never there in the daytime; for him, it is a nighttime retreat, so it works well for him. I love to do all dark, but it depends on the space. The middle room in my brownstone does not get a lot of light, and painting it white didn’t help. Instead, I went for a black chalkboard paint and use lots of good lighting. The dark works because of the lack of natural light.

RM: Does psychology play a role with color?
HR: People are very different, and while some people are happy to be in the dark, others want a bright room that will give energy. People are light sensitive and emotionally driven by color, so it really depends on the individual and the space.  

Above: A black-and-white kitchen in Lyon, designed by Stephane Garotin and Pierre Emmanuel Martin of Maison Hand, features glossy black tiles and bitter chocolate walls. 

RM: How do you work with a single color when designing a monochromatic space?
HR: If you stick to one color, you can add layers with textures, patterns, and pieces from different periods. There are also lots of nuances within the color itself.  If you are working with black, it can be greenish hue or a true black, but you can play with these tones. Black can be a very restful color.

Above: The kitchen of Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen—a partner in the Copenhagen firm Norm architects—is a lesson in practical minimalism with its unadorned white cabinets and reclaimed bleached herringbone parquet countertop.

RM: You mentioned a monochrome palette being like the no makeup look. What do you mean?
HR: It’s all about subtlety and the quality of the container. The Norm house is a perfect example of this, where you have good bones and a great backdrop: It has cast concrete floors, white walls, and lots of period detail—which is unified by the monochrome palette. 

Above: The temporary home of designer and stylist Annaleena Leino Karlsson, who has taken a 1970s cottage and, with lashings of white paint, created an all-white canvas punctuated by graphic black accents.

RM: Is a monochrome palette a more expensive proposition?

HR: No, it can go high and low. Annaleena’s home is a great example. It’s a rented temporary space where she covered the floors with hardboard and painted them white, then brought in some Ikea furnishings. She’s a good example of how to work with uncompromising ingredients. Monochrome as a strategy is quite flexible and can be quite forgiving. 

RM: You define gray as being “in between territory.” Can you discuss its merits? 

HR: You have a lot of choices with gray. I prefer the warm ones with brown, green, and violet tones over the bluer, colder ones that can get a little institutional. Dark gray is great with old things, as it is forgiving and makes them look good. Many antique dealers love a Gustavian gray as it is a softer background for patinated pieces and it has a modern association.

Above: A collection of art and white ceramics are highlighted against the dark wall in the home designed by Maison Hand. 

RM: Advice on displaying objects in a monochrome interior?
HR: You can do something really interesting by grouping a lot of different objects in one color. It’s less about the objects—they can be quite ordinary—but more about making something sculptural with what you pull together; the whole is greater than its parts. It’s as simple as taking some cheap white vases or glass bottles from Ikea and making a shape out of that. In this case the whole is more important than the individual piece.

A monochrome environment becomes more interesting when you play with scale. With an all-white room you can get something really big and paint it white, or keep it black, and it will make things interesting. I just did this for a client with a tire, which I painted white and hung from the ceiling on a thick rope to make a swing. Adding a large-scale shape floating in space was fun and gave the room a focal point.

Above: Monochrome Home by Hilary Robertson, published by Ryland Peters & Small, comes out April 15; it can be advance ordered from the publisher for $35. If (like me) you are interested in recommended shades, there is a paint directory at the back of the book. 

For more on Hilary, see our post on her previous book, The Stuff of Life, devoted to the art of display.

Looking for some ideas for summer entertaining? Read our Expert Advice post with Hilary. 

More Stories from Remodelista

• Currently Coveting: Ilse Crawford's New Collection for Ikea
• Artful Minimalism: 6 Lessons in Display from Edmund de Waal
• 7 Favorites: Minimalist Brass Pendants

Read on to find out what's grabbing our attention this holiday weekend. 

• Above: Bun Wallpaper from Lake August features a running bunny pattern on clay-coated paper.
• Out-of-the-box methods for decorating with bunnies this Easter. 

• Above: With a week of spring cleaning ahead of us, we're looking at more than a dozen items owned by organized people, shelf dividers included. 
• Better than a thumbtack. 

• Above: An egg DIY for adults. 
• Read this before you begin a major clean out. 
• Temporary tattoos make ingenious egg decorations. 

• Above: We love this arrangement for an at-home brunch, Easter or otherwise.
• The perfect bookshelf is a mix of books and keepsakes. 
• A glimpse of the new Frank Gehry–designed Facebook headquarters. 

• Above: A family kitchen in Athens, Greece, with an Easter-esque paint job. 
• Hillary Clinton plans to set up campaign headquarters in Brooklyn. 

Instagram and Pinterest Picks of the Week

• Above: Olmay Home's (@olmayhome) Instagram feed has us in the mood to clean. 

• Above: Still seeking Easter inspiration? Check out Lea Bo's Easter board on Pinterest. 

If you missed our week dedicated to London Minimalism, you can read all of the posts here. And head to Gardenista to see London's best minimal gardens.

More Stories from Remodelista

• Expert Advice: Monochrome for the Minimalist (and Maximalist)
• Currently Coveting: Ilse Crawford's New Collection for Ikea
• Artful Minimalism: 6 Lessons in Display from Edmund de Waal

Ready for a fresh start? Join us for a week of putting things in order. Along the way we'll be visiting calm and collected interiors, presenting strategic organizing tips, and extolling the satisfactions of cleaning.

Above: Arts & Sciences in Paris sets the standard for luxe-utilitarian fashion and perfect presentation. Photograph by Alexa Hotz from Posh Japanese Workwear by Way of Paris.

Monday

Above: Now trending: Clothes hangers good-looking enough to be put on display (and used for not just clothes, but towels, scarves, and jewelry). Watch for today's 5 Favorites post.

Tuesday

Above: Designers Cheryl and Jeffrey Katz have lived in their Beacon Hill townhouse in Boston for 30 years. Recently they embarked on a refresh; in Tuesday's Designer Visit, Justine leads us on a tour of the results. Photography by Justine Hand for Remodelista.

Wednesday

Above: Ironing boards are also coming out of hiding thanks to a revival of old-fashioned wooden designs. Ready for an upgrade? Meredith rounds up options worth considering in this week's 10 Easy Pieces.

Thursday

Above: An important detail to factor into your closet clean up: good lighting (translation: lighting that's not only flattering but enables you to see what's what). Get advice from a pro in this week's Remodeling 101. 

Friday

Above: In Friday's Expert Advice column, we delve into sleep-enhancing sheets and bedding (and simple laundry tips and tricks). In the meantime, take a look at 5 Favorites: Pale Pink Linen Sheets and 10 Secrets for a Better Night's Sleep.

Over at Gardenista this week, the topic is the Indoor-Outdoor Life. 

More Stories from Remodelista

• Trend Alert: 7 Canvas Bins for Books and More
• Current Obsessions: Rabbit Rabbit
• Expert Advice: Monochrome for the Minimalist (and Maximalist)

Daniel Lee, founder of a London-based software development house, works in the digital world but is an architectural enthusiast and designer on the side. For a late-19th century, 3,000-square-foot terraced house in Fulham that he and his photographer wife and their two small children lived in until recently (they've since moved on to the next project), he designed and oversaw the renovation himself. "I worked with an architect to get the necessary permits from the city," Lee says. "Once those were in place, I worked directly with the builder, designing the internal layout and specifying the materials and fixtures, both internal and external." The result? A clean-lined family house with a warm, calm, and uncluttered Scandi aesthetic. 

Photography by Rory Gardiner.

Above: On the ground floor, the living, dining, and kitchen area opens directly onto the garden. The oak flooring is from Danish company Dinesen. 

Above: Vintage wood stools and an Oval Eero Saarinen Tulip Table create an elegant, informal dining area. Lee added texture and relief to the walls with strips of MDF (medium-density fiberboard). The walls are painted Flake White from Fired Earth.

Above: A row of Gubi Semi Pendants, a 1968 design by Claus Bonderup and Torsten Thorup, hang over the island and draw the eye to the garden.

Above: The kitchen cabinets are faced with Dinesen wood and outlined with vertical blackened steel frames.

Above: An unobtrusive flat-screen television fits in with the overall color scheme.

Above: Favorite kitchen implements are on display above the limestone counter.

Above: "The design was focused around the Dinesen flooring, so we chose simple, off-white walls and used the wood for the backsplash wall and the cabinets, not just on the floor," Lee says.

Above: A daybed from Designer's Guild and a side table fashioned from a log create a quiet reading corner.

Above: Custom steel-and-glass doors optimize the amount of natural daylight that comes into the space.

Above: Lee enlarged the living space by excavating the basement, where he put in a screening room and an office at the back. A modular Charles Sofa from B&B Italia provides seating for movie watching.

Above: Lee designed and built the office's open shelving system.

Above: A skylight brings in an abundance of natural light from the garden.

Above: Upstairs, wood shutters help to modulate the light in the master bedroom. Learn about interior shutter possibilities and sources in Remodeling 101.

Above: In the sink vanity and bathtub surround, Lee repeats the use of Dinesen wood.

Above: The Duravit tub's wood surround creates an architectural statement, and shutters allow for privacy.

Above: Lee designed the handmade raw brass bathroom fittings for his new fixtures and fittings company; contact Studio Ore (website under construction). With its unlacquered finish, the shower thermostat will acquire a patina over time.

Above: In the children's bedroom, storage has been incorporated into two corner niches.

Above: In the guest bedroom, an open frame is central to the quiet composition above the side table.

Above: A view of the house from the back shows the relationship of the kitchen area to the basement office below the skylight.

For more London Minimalism, have a look at:

• At Home with Rosa Park of Cereal Magazine
• In the Kitchen with Skye Gyngell, London's Chef du Jour
• Endless Summer in a London Victorian
• A Scandi Kitchen in a London Victorian
• Maximum Calm in a London Townhouse

More Stories from Remodelista

• Improper Bostonians: Jeffrey and Cheryl Katz at Home on Beacon Hill
• Astley Castle: A Ruin Reinvented (and Available for Rent)
• At Home with Rosa Park of Cereal Magazine

Have you noticed? Clothes hangers are getting interesting. You don't need a closetful; just one or two will do—for displaying a favorite frock or a collection of scarves or necklaces.

Above: The handmade Steel Hanger from March is $40; it's lovely (Alexa has one).

Above: The vintage-inspired collapsible Flex Hanger is $14 from Anthropologie.

Above: Ferm Living's Wire Hanger, of black powder-coated steel, is €12 ($13.19) for two from the Finnish Design Shop.

Above: The wood and leather Georg Hanger from Skagerak of Denmark is $75 for a pair from the Danish Design Store. It's shown here with the Georg Wardrobe Rack; $225. See more of the line in our post Storage Furniture from Denmark. (And for other inventive uses for leather cord, take a look at our three DIYs: Leather Lace and Wooden Ball Door Pull, Leather Shower Curtain Rings, and Braided Leather Drawer Pulls for $1.25 Each.)

Above: Designed by Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, the Sigmoid Hangers are available in two sizes ($6.30 for the small and $8.10 for the large) from Rakuten Global Market.

Above: Handmade in Japan, the Brass Towel Hanger with visible hammer marks is $53 NZD ($40.14 USD). It's also available in Iron for $46 NZD ($34.84 USD) and recommended as a hand towel holder in bathrooms and kitchens. 

Above: From Danish design company Hay, we're coveting a set of five Copper Hangers; €10 ($10.78) at the Finnish Design Shop. 

Above: A Copper Round Scarf/Towel Hanger from UK shop Posh Totty; £7.50 ($11.73).

Above: Another notable design by Hay, the string-wrapped Cord Hanger comes in several color combinations (gray shown here); a set of three is 129 DKK ($18.99) from Hay.

Above: Fog Linen's brass Shirt Hangers, hand-wrought in India, are $9 each.

Above: The Oksana Coat Hanger from Swiss design studio Bernhard Burkard is made of Ukrainian belt ribbon fitted with wood slats. Winner of the 2014 Bronze A' Design Award, the ultralight hangers are $28 each (less for 10 or more) and can be customized in different woven patterns; for details and to place orders, write to info(at)bernhard(dot)burkard.com.

See our Clothing Storage and Closet Picks posts for more ideas, including:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Modern Wood Armoires
• 10 Easy Pieces: Freestanding Wood Clothing Racks
• 10 Easy Pieces: Metal Clothing Racks

This post is an update; it originally ran on March 26, 2014, as part of our Spring Forward issue.

More Stories from Remodelista

• 13 Clever Storage Ideas for the Closet
• Steal This Look: A Well-Organized Closet on a Budget
• Steal This Look: A Discreetly Luxe Bedroom Suite in London

I have only good memories of walk-in closets, except for the time I was rummaging around in the back of one—and suddenly came across a high-top sneaker with two kittens sitting in it.

It was a charming scene really, with one tiny kitten gnawing on a shoelace and the other batting at his brother with a fuzzy paw, unless you stopped to consider the cold facts of the situation. My closet was so stuffed with clothing that I hadn't noticed when my cat gave birth to a litter in there several weeks earlier.

How do closets get so overcrowded? How does a pair of blue jeans you had in college manage to surreptitiously elude the Salvation Army dragnet for decades to follow you as you move across the country, back and forth and back again, to each new walk-in closet?

Yet. When I remodeled my house last year, No. 1 on my wish list was a walk-in closet. Less than nine months later, the closet is already a shambles. By last week, every time I tried to walk in, a stray shoe would trip me. The sleeves from blouses were twining themselves, anaconda style, around my neck.

It was time to clean out the closet, drastically and once-and-for-all. I was sick of feeling as if my clothes owned me. I came up with a new strategy: Define the season's wardrobe as minimally as possible—I pared down to 10 pieces—and put everything else into organized deep storage. I know 10 pieces sounds pretty draconian. But if you look at a weather map, you'll see most of us live in climates defined by three-month stretches that don't vary that much. And more minimal is always more peaceful.

My 10 essential pieces include jeans, black pants, khaki pants, a knit dress, a pencil skirt, two collared shirts, a cardigan, a blazer, and a white T-shirt. Here's how to pare down your closet to your own personal 10 essential pieces.

Have you ever whittled your wardrobe to a few key items? Tell us about it in the Comments section below.

Photography by Zoe Quittner, except where noted.

Above: My closet, edited for spring. Photograph by Michelle Slatalla.

Step No. 1: Confront your closet. Can you even see what's in there? Start the cleanout by reaching in to grab every piece of clothing you love. Note: If you hesitate over an item for even a second, you don't love it.

Place the clothes you love on your bed. Arrange the articles by type: jeans, pants, shirts, etc.

Above: My essentials.

Step No. 2: Examine the items on the bed to see if a theme emerges. Is everything blue? Perhaps you chose clothes made only from comfortable fabrics. Did you choose only your best-fitting pair of jeans? Did you leave all the skirts in the closet?

By examining the clothes you love in a vacuum—that is, without the rest of your wardrobe surrounding them and clamoring for attention—you will see a pattern. Maybe you like striped shirts best. Or maybe you really only feel comfortable in black. Next time you're on the verge of a purchase, think back to this moment: How would the new piece you're considering fit in with your favorites?

Step No. 3: Make outfits. How many different ways can you mix key pieces to create different looks? Lay out as many ensembles as possible. (Power user tip: Snap photos with your phone of each outfit; when you wake up tomorrow morning and can't decide what to wear, you can remind yourself of the possibilities.)

Step No. 4: Edit. Are there favorite pieces that didn't make the cut when you were putting together outfits? Take them off the bed.

Above: It turns out I lean toward a blue palette. Photograph via Ralph Lauren.

Step No. 5: Pick and choose. Ask yourself: Is there essential piece missing? If you go back to your closet to get a particular jacket or shirt or pair of pants that you now regret leaving behind, will that article of clothing enable you to create several more outfits? If so, grab it.

Step No. 6: Repair, replace buttons, and iron every piece of clothing that needs attention. If an item doesn't fit properly, take it to the tailor; shorten the sleeves, nip in the waist, lift a hemline to the most flattering length. If you don't want to make that investment, get rid of the piece. Trust me, it doesn't look good on you.

N.B.: Looking for more tips for caring for your clothes? See Expert Advice: 10 Wardrobe Maintenance Essentials.

Step No. 7: Take everything else out of your closet and put it in deep storage. Organize these pieces by season when you pack them away. Maybe you are lucky enough to have a backup closet in a guest room where you can store it for now. If not, get some squish bags; with vacuum-sealed Space Bags ($8.99 for a package of three from the Container Store) you can suck the air out of the bag to store more clothes in a small space. (Three months from now, pull out the clothing and pick your favorites for the next season.)

Above: It was harder to winnow down shoes than clothes. Photograph by Michelle Slatalla.

Step No. 8: Edit your favorites. Which were the 10 key pieces you used most often to create outfits? Put those back in your closet on hangers or shelves where they are most visible and accessible.

Above: A Cedar Hanger is $3.49 from the Container Store.

Fold the rest of your favorites and if you are very brave, give them the squish bag treatment as well. If the thought of that gives you hives, put this second tier of favorites in the back of your closet; you can access them, but only in an emergency.

Step No. 9: Wear your 10 favorite pieces, in as many combinations as possible, for a week. See how that feels. If things are going well, try a second week. If you are missing a key piece, pull it out of the back of the closet; it's not the end of the world if you wear 11 essential pieces of clothing.

Step No. 10: Shoes, handbags, and accessories. This proved harder for me than culling clothes. I love shoes, and have many pairs. For the season, I pared down to three pairs: black flats, black heels, and espadrilles. (I also have a pair of running shoes, but running shoes are ugly and therefore don't count as a pair of shoes.) I winnowed handbags to two—a neutral-colored bag with a shoulder strap and a tote big enough to hold my laptop. As for belts? One skinny, one wide.

I took three pairs of off-season shoes to the cobbler to get new heels and soles, and stored off-season handbags in cloth bags to protect them.

It is now Day 3, post-cleanout. It feels pretty good. I am wearing the same jeans and the same shirt I would have been wearing even if my closet were still stuffed full of clothes. The challenge, I can see, is going to be keeping fewer items looking good: with more ironing, frequent laundering, and fewer stains from messy sandwiches eaten at my desk.

As for my closet? God, an almost-empty closet looks beautiful and so very serene. Not that I have anything against kittens.

Take a look at our own essentials in Editors' Picks: The Essential Minimal Wardrobe. Wondering what to pack for an out-of-town trip? See Style Counsel: Heidi Swanson's Travel Kit.

And read more of Michelle's Domestic Dispatches, including My Worst Design Decision Ever (her tale of paring down her book collection) and Miracles Do Exist: 5 Ways to Banish Computer Cords.

This post originally appeared on Gardenista as part of the Spring Cleaning issue. 

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• Object Lessons: The Most Elegant Stacking Chair
• Easy DIY: Homemade Dish Soap
• The Binchotan Boom: 10 Ways to Use Charcoal at Home

Last month I moved into an apartment that is just shy of 400 square feet. Its two closets each are a generous seven (or so) square feet, but they fit no more than 20 garments on the existing hanging bars. And so I've become storage obsessed, spending late hours combing through Pinterest images and reading up on strategic stacking methods. And what I've learned via trial and error is that for the best use of space, nothing beats a chest of drawers in the closet (open storage requires too much tending to keep tidy).

This rather minimal closet, which I spotted on Stadshem, a Swedish real estate site, presents a series of smart, affordable solutions, including the use of staggered dressers to allow space to hang longer garments. Here, we've deconstructed the design.

Above: This well-organized black-and-white closet makes good use of air space above and below the hanging rack. Photograph via Stadshem in Sweden.

The Basics

Above: Benjamin Moore's Decorator's White is a shade that is much brighter than it looks on the swatch; $36.99 for a gallon of Ben Interior Paint. For more options, see our post 10 Easy Pieces: Architects' White Paint Picks.

Above: The simple, inexpensive Ekby Amund Shelf is made of white-painted particleboard and measures 59 inches by 11 inches; $19.99 at Ikea.

Above: The solid wood Ekby Valter Bracket comes in two finishes: birch (shown here, which can be customized with paint) and black; $4 each from Ikea.

Above: My Fix It Up Life fashioned a similar closet rod using a Black Steel Gas Pipe ($17.60 for a 72-inch-long, three-quarter-inch pipe at Home Depot), two Iron-Threaded Floor Flanges ($5.41 each for the three-quarter-inch size at Home Depot), and Black Sharp Point Drywall Screws ($21.97 for a five-pound pack at Home Depot).

Furniture and Lighting

Above: Re-create the cluster light fixture using a black string of lights, such as the Loop of 10 Bulbs for 449 SEK ($52.85) from Granit, and the DIY tutorial from Swedish blog Avenymamma.

Above: Ikea's new Nordli Six-Drawer Chest is 31 1/2 inches wide and 56 1/4 inches tall; $219.

Above: The Nordli Three-Drawer Chest is 31 1/2 inches wide and 29 1/2 tall; $129 from Ikea.

Above: CB2's Carpenter Chrome Lamp is $79.95. Alternatively, Ikea's Forså Work Lamp—another a chrome task lamp with an adjustable arm and a flat base—is $19.99.

Storage Accessories

Above: Ikea's Bumerang Curved Clothes Hangers are available in white (shown here), black, gray/brown, and natural; $4.99 for a pack of eight. For display-worthy hangers, see our 11 Favorites roundup.

Above: Display inspirational photos in wood frames, such as these Black Gallery Frames from West Elm; $12 to $99 depending on size.

Reorganizing your closets? See our posts:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Modular Closet Systems, High to Low 
• Expert Advice: Architects' 10 Favorite Closet Picks
• Closet Clean Out: The Only 10 Pieces of Clothing You Need
• Editors' Picks: The Essential Minimal Wardrobe

This post is an update. It originally ran on September 2, 2014, as part of The Organized Life issue.

More Stories from Remodelista

• 13 Clever Storage Ideas for the Closet
• 11 Favorites: Display-Worthy Clothes Hangers
• Steal This Look: A Discreetly Luxe Bedroom Suite in London

In 1984, designers Jeffrey and Cheryl Katz purchased a four-story townhouse in Boston's historic Beacon Hill. A corner tenement with a winding stair, the building had long-haul potential: "It was a rabbit warren of rooms," remembers Cheryl. "When one tenant would move out, we'd take over the floor. The only problem was that given the building's age and condition, we'd often find ourselves on one floor to use the stove, another to use the oven. We’d give our daughter Fanny a bath on the second floor, but we had to shower on the fourth floor." Finally, having gutted the house and updated the systems, they were able to set about raising their new family and growing their architecture and interior design business, C&J Katz Studio.

Fast-forward 30 years. With the kids now out of the house, Cheryl (whose background also includes fashion styling) and Jeffrey (a graduate of Harvard's Graduate School of Design and a member of the RISD faculty) decided to mark this new chapter in their lives with a less ambitious renovation: After replacing the well-worn kitchen, they applied a fresh coat of paint to "every nook and cranny" of the house.

Photography by Justine Hand for Remodelista.

Above: After three decades, Cheryl and Jeffrey's open-plan kitchen, which they describe as the "heart and soul of the house" had taken a beating. Inspired by their restaurant work—they count several major Boston chefs as clients and friends—and images they've admired on Remodelista, the couple set out to update the space. Renovations included replacing all the appliances and cabinets, installing open shelving, and painting the floors (Benjamin Moore Randolph Gray) and walls (Benjamin Moore Snowfall White).

Above L: Jeffrey and Cheryl in their newly renovated kitchen. Above R: Their prized glassware collection is within easy reach over the sink. 

By combining high/low elements and a lot of personal details, Jeffrey and Cheryl were able to keep the costs within reason. In the sink area, they paired a Venatino marble counter with Ikea cabinets. Several salvaged restaurant supply tables provide additional counter and work space.

Above: A collection of white ceramics is stored on glass shelves built with standard-issue brackets.

Above: Chosen for its modest size and stainless construction, a freestanding Bertazzoni range sits under a charcoal piece by the couple's friend, architect Richard Griswold. See 7 High-Style Italian Ranges for ideas and sources.

Above: The ground floor's open plan creates a communal flow between the kitchen and dining area. A farmhouse table from Conran, Salt chairs from DWR, and a fireplace painted in Benjamin Moore Gunsmith Gray create a homey, relaxed feel. The wood floors throughout the kitchen/dining area are painted Benjamin Moore Randolph Gray. 

In addition to the kitchen redo, Jeffrey and Cheryl painted the entire interior Benjamin Moore Snowfall White, even the closets. The by-product was a great culling and reorganizing: "We touched every single item, from shoes to books to kids' report cards, that we had accumulated in our 30 years here." 

Above L and R: Jeffrey's art hangs in the dining room over a side table and mantel (shown above). 

Above: Art by family and friends on a second-story wall opposite the living room. The portraits of Jeffrey and Cheryl are by Tarek Ashkar. The chairs are Victorian klismos, modeled after ancient Greek designs, and came from a shop nearby on Charles Street.

Above: Over the living room fireplace, two early-20th-century Frankart heads watch over the couple's collection of African stools.

Above L and R: A flea-market-chair, recently reupholstered in black velvet, provides a sunny reading spot.

Above: The living room opens to a formal dining area. Here a Philippe Starck table—the first "real" piece of furniture the couple bought—is illuminated by an Italian chandelier in playful turquoise. The couple chose Benjamin Moore's Museum Piece to frame a set of 18th-century prints taken from a volume of Sir William Hamilton's vase collection.

Above: When the designers moved in, this fourth-floor studio served as the office for their fledgling business. It's now Jeffrey's art studio. 

Above: On the top floor, which overlooks the Boston skyline, Cheryl and Jeffrey created a bedroom in the clouds by painting the entire space Benjamin Moore Snowfall White. 

Above: Opposite the bed, a midcentury klismos chair by T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings stands alongside windows with floor-to-ceiling sheer curtains and a painted brick fireplace.

Above: A bold move: To take advantage of the light from an interior window, the couple eliminated the closet door, leaving their shoe collection exposed.

His and hers corners. Above L: Jeffrey's work shirts and paints sit under his desk. Above R: On the kitchen mantle, Cheryl's prized BDDW Coffee Mug and a vase from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

Interested in a tour of more of Beantown's best? Visit:

• A Hose Factory Transformed, West Bridge Restaurant in Boston
• Kind of Blue: Modern New England Cuisine at Puritan and Co.
• Oenophiles and Amateurs Welcome, Urban Grape
• Behind the Scenes at Winston Flowers in Boston

More Stories from Remodelista

• The Uncluttered Life in London
• Astley Castle: A Ruin Reinvented (and Available for Rent)
• At Home with Rosa Park of Cereal Magazine

I first came across canvas book bins at Beams, one of my favorite Japanese shops. Since then I've been on the lookout for more and am happy to report that the canvas catchall—a trend going strong in Japan—seems to be slowly making its way to the States. Designed for storage but with handles for lugging, the totes work well for stowing books and magazines—and, as a DJ I was happy to discover, they're also perfect for records. 

Above: Raregem of Japan's Canvas Magazine Holder is available at Book/Shop of Oakland, California. The canvas is woven on a Belgian loom that was brought to Japan in the 1930s and is doubled over on the top and edged with a canvas band to give the shape structure. It's 15 inches wide, 11 inches deep, and 10 inches tall; $125. Book/Shop is a Remodelista favorite; read about it in our post The New Bookstore Model.

Above: Crate & Barrel's Rectangular Canvas Bin with Leather Handles, 18 inches wide, 12 inches deep, and 11.5 inches tall, is $39.95.

Above: The Tembea Book Tote, made in Japan of a super-high-quality canvas, is the first of these that I came across via Beams. Tembea has done totes for Beams, Monocle, and Hickoree's Hard Goods, among others. This one is available via Tembea in a range of colors; it comes in small and medium for ¥8,800 ($73.65) and ¥9,800 ($82).

Above: Steele Canvas of Boston—a company we singled out in the Remodelista 100—makes this durable Steele Canvas Storage Bin on wooden sliders. It's 19 inches wide, 15 inches deep, and 13 inches tall and is available in five colors; $129 at Urban Outfitters.

Above: Serax's Set of Three Canvas Baskets work for laundry as well as for books. The set is €56 ($61.26) from Lili's.

Above: The Crunch Large Tote from Umbra is cotton canvas with a laminated liner. It comes in several sizes and colors; this one is 13 inches wide, 13 inches deep, and 10 inches wide; $13 from Umbra.

Above: Lands' End makes a bin that you can personalize if you want. The Extra-Small Canvas Storage Tote comes in four different colorways; it's 10 inches wide, 10 inches deep, and 9 inches tall, and is currently on sale for $12.99.

 

Go to our Storage & Organization posts for more ideas, including Marine Canvas Water Buckets as Bathroom Storage and the Object Lessons: The Classic Canvas Tote. On Gardenista, learn how to make a Waxed Canvas Tote.

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