New at Terrain; stoneware Nested Bowls in a matte palette of cream, light gray, and deep gray; $60 for the trio.

In today's Architect Visit: Elizabeth Roberts in Brooklyn, we admired Roberts' light-handed touch with the interiors, in particular, her way with fixtures and fittings. Here's a roundup of ideas we gleaned from the project.

LIGHTING

Roberts took a leap of faith and ordered most of her light fixtures and door knobs from Thomas Hoof Produckt in Germany (in fact, she told us she discovered Hoof on Remodelista), a company founded in 1998 with a mission of bringing back classic, out-of-production fixtures for the home. "I had a great contractor who was able to rewire all the lights and work with the European door knobs," she says.

Above: The Bolich Metal Pendant Light features a black enamel exterior, a porcelain pulley, and a cylindrical glass lens; €149 from Thomas Hoof.

Above L: The Angle-Mounting Porcelain Light was designed in the 1930s; €27 at Thomas Hoof. Above R: Ceiling-Mounting Porcelain Light; €25 at Thomas Hoof.

Above: In her bedroom, Roberts used a Ceramic Ceiling Light from Undine, Italy; €139 at Thomas Hoof.

PAINT

Above L: "Benjamin Moore Cloud White OC-130 is a nice white for an older house with modern details," Roberts says. Above R: "Benjamin Moore Decorators White I-04 is good for baths because it compliments the bright white tiles and fixtures."

DOOR & CABINET HARDWARE

Above: In the kitchen, Roberts used white epoxy/polyester Kosing Knobs from Ikea that are just under an inch in diameter and cost $1.99 for a six pack.

Above: Porcelain White Door Knob with plain brass ring; €25 at Thomas Hoof (also available with a nickel-plated brass ring).

PLUMBING FIXTURES & TILE

Above: "Speakman faucets are designed for institutional use, which means they can stand up to a lot of abuse," Roberts says. The Speakman SC-3001 LD Commander Faucet with ceramic cartridges and cross handles is $122.85 from CSN Stores.

Above: "I prefer to use matte white subway tile (as opposed to glossy) paired with a stone tiled floor," Roberts says. Yukon White Matte tile by Northeastern Tile is $2.30 a square foot at Tile.com.

Above: Daltile Keystones Arctic White 1 x 1 Porcelain Penny Round Tile is $16.64 per square foot at Every Floor.

Above: The workhouse Speakman SC-1131-AF Commander Two-Valve Shower with Four-Arm Handles is $182.79 at Every Faucet.

Above: Roberts replaced the existing cast iron radiators with affordable Gov-Free Freestanding Cast Iron Radiators from Governale, a Brooklyn manufacturer of heating elements that's been in business since 1917. "The original cast iron radiators were huge and leaky," she says. "The Gov-Free line of radiators is super slim (2.5 inches deep) and can be slipped in almost anywhere. Plus, they cost about $100 each."

We recently asked fellow blogger Myles Henry to share his in-house cocktail setup—annexed from a corner of his Brooklyn galley kitchen and featuring his trademark mix of "clean/minimal and industrial/rustic"—with Remodelista. Recreate the look with the elements shown below.

N.B. In other news, we're looking forward to Henry's upcoming show at the HVW8 Gallery in Los Angeles, opening March 12. "My blog will basically come to life; I'll be taking over the space and decorating it as if it were a home. Everything in the space will be for sale, including furniture, home accessories, clothing, and some original Myles Henry product."

Above: Henry found the vintage bread-making cabinet, which functions as kitchen counter and storage space, at a flea market. The KitchenAid Artisan Five-Quart Stand Mixer in imperial gray is $255.84 at Amazon.

Here's a template (including recipe) for creating an urban cocktail setup in your own space:

MYLES HENRY COCKTAIL
Fill a highball glass with 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
Muddle mint (about 10 leaves) with a couple of small pieces of fresh ginger
Add 2 oz. Hendricks Gin
Fill glass with ice and pour ginger beer over the top
Garnish with a wedge of lime

Above: The Top Class 12.25 Ounce High Ball Glass by Luigi Bormioli is $4.99 at Bloomingdale's.

Above: The Cocktail Set by Matz Borgstrom is currently on sale at Design Within Reach for $25.50 (down from $30).

Above L: The Cocktail Shaker by Matz Borgstrom is on sale at DWR for $28 (down from $40). Above R: Schott Zwiesel Steel Shaker is $39.95 at Sur La Table.

Thad Vogler, bartender and founder of San Francisco's Bar Agricole (known locally as the Chez Panisse of cocktails), uses laboratory glass beakers to create his esoteric concoctions. Create your lab-style home bar with the following accoutrements.

Above: Photo via Myles Henry.

Above: The Kimble Kimax Beaker Starter Set includes five beakers of varying sizes (one each of 50, 100, 250, 600, and 1000ml sizes); $26.37 at Amazon. Single beakers are also available, such as the Pyrex 1000ml Griffen Beaker for $9.90 at Amazon.

Above: For serving water or spirits, we like the Pyrex 1000ml Flask; $9.95 at Scientifics Online. A Set of Six Pyrex 1000ml Flasks is available for $53.97 at Amazon.

Above: Stainless Steel Straws are $18 for a set of six at Brook Farm General store in Brooklyn (photo via Apartment 132). Above R: Glass Straws range from $6.50 to $8.50 each, depending on length, from Glass Dharma.

Above: The Beaker Glass Pitcher is 10.75 inches tall and is handmade from borosilicate lab glass; $5.95 at CB2. Above R: A 12-inch-long Glass Stir Rod is $2 at Amazon.

Inexplicably appealing: the ceramic Jailhouse Cup from Dutch designer Rob Brandt (the creator of the Crinkle Cup), painted to resemble an inmate's painted tin cup.

Above: The Jailhouse Cup is available from Thorsten van Elten in two sizes; prices start at £6.75 for a small cup. In Australia, the Jailhouse Espresso Cup is available from Safari Living; a set of four is $46.

Is Toronto ground zero for innovative design? Our latest discovery is Commute Home, a shop/design studio founded by Sara Parisotto and Hamid Samad that sells custom furniture, casegoods, and filament bulb light fixtures and also creates raw, modern interiors for restaurants, shops, and residences. Go to Commute Home to see the full line of offerings.

Above: Stick Chandelier.

Above: Headlight Chandelier.

Above: Plaster Antiqued Mirror.

Above L: Gilded Laurel Leaf Mirror. Above R: Plaster Cast Antiqued Mirror.

Above: Reclaimed Wood and Steel Coffee Table.

Above: Steel and Walnut Parson Style Table.

Above: Double Socketed Pendant Light.

Noticed (and admired) lately: interior walls with windows to allow light to pass from room to room, especially important during the winter months.

Above: A bathroom in a Paris apartment; via the Living Agency.

Above: A window in a stairway landing; from the portfolio of Sheila Narusawa Architects.

Above: A Paris atelier from the portfolio of Sarah Lavoine.

Above: Meg Ryan's kitchen in Martha's Vineyard, via Elle Decor.

Above: Clerestory height windows from the portfolio of photographer Per Gunnarsson.

Above: A bedroom in a Paris atelier, via Sarah Lavoine.

Above: An apartment found on 1st Options.

Above: An interior from the portfolio of Sarah Lavoine.

One of life's necessities: A good upholstered arm chair for reading, sprawling, dozing. Here are our nominations for best classic off-the-floor upholstered armchairs; we've purposely sorted for scale, favoring slimmer dimensions over space-hogging behemoths.

N.B. Drop us a line at Remodelista and let us know if you have a nominee not seen here.

Above: Bay Area-based Serena & Lily recently introduced a line of classic upholstered furniture, including the Spruce Street Chair, which comes upholstered in muslin and with a washable slipcover (available in a wide variety of fabrics); $1,250 to $1,550 at Serena & Lily.

Above: Cisco Brothers' Alma Chair is made of 100 percent FSC Pure certified wood and features natural and organic upholstery and slipcover options, including linens, hemps, and velvets. Priced from $1,740 at Cisco Home.

Above: The Celia Chair from Terence Conran's Well Considered Collection features elegant proportions and a soft feather cushion seat; $895 from the Conran Shop.

Above: The Fritillaria Chair by New York-based decoupage artist John Derian is based on an original Napoleon III-style pair of chairs; $1,950 in muslin (the cost for an accompanying slipcover is $570) or $2,460 in Belgian linen through Cisco Home.

Above: The American-made Paris Bedroom Chair features a sustainably harvested wood frame with feather wrapped foam cushions (100 percent feather-filled cushions are also available) and is available in a range of cottons, linens, and velvets; $1,980 from Canvas in New York.

Above: The Graydon Chair is upholstered in Patton pewter linen and costs $1,750 at Jayson Home and Garden.

Above: Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams' Anna Chair starts at $1,670 through Ruby Living.

Above: The American-made Pimlico Bedroom Chair features a sustainably harvested wood frame with feather wrapped foam cushions (100 percent feather-filled cushions are also available) and is available in a range of cottons, linens, and velvets; $1,890 at Canvas in New York.

Above: Lee Industries was an early leader in eco-friendly manufacturing; the company's Chair 1573-01 can be ordered through Alan Ferguson.

Above: Cisco Brothers Betula Chair; prices start at $1,910 at Cisco Home.

Above: From Belgian-influenced furniture maker Verellen comes the Maggie Chair, which is available from Wildflower Organics; prices start at $1,900.

Discovered via The Reference Library: the work of Brendan Ravenhill, who studied sculpture at Oberlin College, earned a masters in industrial design at RISD, and currently lives and works in Los Angeles.

Above: In the Bare Light, "the natural electrical insulating properties of glass are utilized to create a light socket that allows the electrical components to be seen—yet safely protected." The Bare Light features blown glass, electrical components, and a 14-foot-long cloth cord; $150 each.

Above: Made of hand-cast plastic, steel, wood, and a 10-foot-long cloth cord, the Cord Lamp is $150 directly from Brendan Ravenhill. "The Cord Lamp is an evolutionary descendant of Jean Prouve's Jib Arm Lamp; the simple structure of the Cord Lamp allows it to fold flat and pack into a standard poster tube."

Above: Ravenill's Facet Lamps "draw their inspiration from industrial light fixtures; the forms are derived from the manufacturing process of bent sheet metal construction." The Octagon Facet Lamp in white is $222 and in red is $300.

SPONSORED POST

On our wish list for a while now: pieces from Diesel's edgy, indigo-dyed furniture collection for Italian company Moroso. Dzine, a San Francisco-based design showroom, is offering Remodelista readers a chance to win the Overdyed Side Table designed by the Diesel creative team for Moroso. The adjustable table features a tubular lacquered raw steel base and a wood top painted with a "ragging technique," which means that the natural grain of the wood is revealed for a vintage effect. Register here to enter to win the Diesel Side Table, which retails for $630.

Above: Photo by Janet Hall.

Spotted on Architizer: Metzgerstüble, a bar and restaurant in the village of Mellau, Austria, designed by local architect Bernardo Bader. He describes the project as "an attempt to develop a contemporary building for guests away from alpine clichés that welcomes both tourists and the residents of Mellau." The long, narrow rectangular structure allows the beauty of the wood exterior and interiors to shine forth and stands in marked contrast to the town's traditional alpine architecture. To see more of the architect's work, go to Architekt DI Bernardo Bader.

Above: The entrance is marked by an alcove that provides shelter in snowy or raining weather.

Above: Locally sourced white fir was used for the exterior as well as interior walls. A long window provides a view of the village and the river.

Above: The bar shelves are set against a wall of windows.

Above: The cafe stands in contrast to the town's traditional Austrian architecture.

Above: Seen from the riverside, the cafe seems to float atop the stone embankment.

Above: The building casts a welcoming glow in the evenings.

Space in New York City is at a premium—even rooftop real estate is a coveted amenity. When a client of architect Robert Kahn asked for ideas on developing the rooftop of his Lower East Side duplex, Kahn (a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory) suggested an observation deck whose shape would pay homage to the iconic water towers that mark the cityscape. The client initially dismissed this idea (too impractical), but the concept eventually captured his imagination (and now his roof is a fixture of the downtown New York skyline). To see more work, go to Robert Kahn.

Above: "My definition of a folly is something that is built which gives great pleasure but is completely unnecessary," says Kahn.

Above: Two separate spiral staircases add to the sense of exploration.

Above: While the materials are industrial, the details—the wood treads, for instance—are refined.

Above: Kahn integrated the observation deck with the existing hot tub and terrace. "We had no desire to hide anything," he says.

Above: Kahn worked with a manufacturer of airport runway lights to achieve the right degree of nighttime illumination.

Above: A shadow version of New York's water towers hovers above this Lower East side block.

Many of Japan's traditional architectural icons embody the essential elements of wabi-sabi, which is translated loosely as the "acceptance of transience and imperfection." In this refurbished modern-day Tokyo apartment, Naruse Inokuma Architects, in collaboration with Hiroko Karibe Architects, applied the ancient principles of wabi-sabi to a contemporary setting.

The reinforced concrete building, located in the city's west-side neighborhood of Setagaya, was stripped down to its essential elements. The architects installed larch plywood to counter the original exposed concrete; in the process of stripping off the wallpaper, they discovered an interesting patina. They liked the imperfect look so much that they used cement rendering (a thin coat of sand, cement, and lime plaster) and putty to recreate the look throughout the apartment. Naruse notes, "By using new materials to create a sense of the old, we created a dynamic interior; the existing space adapts to the new, yet the age-old beauty remains."

Photography by Masano Nishikawa.

Above: The wall surfaces take on an aged patina, thanks to an application of cement rendering and putty.

Above: The architects created a focal point in each room; in this room, a low shelf runs the full length of the space.

Above: The architects made a conscious decision to use a limited number of materials: Larch plywood contrasts with a plaster-like surface here.

Above: Simple open shelving houses a collection of earthenware dishes.

Above: The space is opened up with the removal of sliding doors between the rooms.

Above: A built-in plywood bookcase acts as a room divider.

Above: Plywood panels are used in place of traditional fusuma (sliding doors).

Seen and admired last week at the "Hemma: Swedish Design Goes London" exhibition at the Swedish ambassador's residence (a gracious 18th-century Robert and James Adam-designed house in Marylebone): hefty cast-iron candlesticks from Swedish designer Tove Thambert's Camouflage Me collection. Thambert describes her collection as "objects in disguise." What appears at first to be a couple of candlesticks is, in fact, a set of dumbbells, manufactured in a small foundry in Sweden using traditional methods. For ordering information, contact Tove Thambert directly.

Above: The cast iron has a pleasingly tactile heft and weight; photo by Kent Johansson.

Above: The weight of each candlestick is stamped on the bottom.

Above: The candlesticks come in an array of different heights.

Now you can have your everyday linen tablecloth and eat on it, too, thanks to the family-run UK company Volga Linen. Volga specializes in linen bedding, quilts, curtains, and fabrics for the home; the linen is sourced from Europe and Russia, where linen production remains one of the country's oldest industries. Volga's easily-wiped-clean Check Linen Oilcloth is available by the roll (150 cm, or nearly 5 feet wide) in traditional red-and-white check as well as other colors; £36 per meter.

Above: Black and White Check Linen Oilcloth; £36.

Above: Parma Gray Check Linen Oilcloth; £36.

Above: Red and White Check Linen Oilcloth; £36.

We love the patina of a well-worn plank; however, sourcing reclaimed wood for large projects can sometimes be a challenge, especially if you're looking for a uniform look and feel. Matt Stroud, who ran a furniture building and restoration shop for many years, and Shelby Keyser spotted this need; they pooled their talents to form TImeline Surface Materials, based in downtown L.A. The duo produces prefinished lumber using sustainable wood that is hand-chiseled and finished with multiple water-based UV coats to give color, depth, and texture. For more information, go to TImeline Surface Materials.

Above: Cottonwood White.

Above: Northern Ebony.

Above: Traditional Barn Red.

Located in a historic building on Madrid's Grand Via, the Hotel Praktik Metropol bills itself as a design hotel with low-cost prices (rooms start at €50). With the tagline "Less is luxe," designer Lazaro Rosa-Violan of Contemporain Studio kept it simple: white painted paneled rooms with practical Shaker-like storage pegs, simple cream coverlets with linen pillows, and tiled baths with pedestal sinks. For more information, go to Hotel Praktik Metropol.

When people talk of style influencers, Dutch-born, Paris-based Li Edlekoort owns the title. The celebrated color and design forecaster, whose clients range from Moooi to Coca-Cola, describes herself as someone "who constantly lives in the future." But at home, she is anything but trendy. Her airy, three-story Paris house is simply furnished but layered with texture. We particularly like Edelkoort's kitchen, where she has combined African handicrafts with a collection of earthenware dishes and pots, which are testament to her own credo that "objects are narrative." Recreate Edlekoort's casual, worldly vibe with the following elements.

Above: Industrial steel fixtures are balanced with more rough-hewn elements such as the vintage work bench. Kitchen tools are hung from a simple stainless steel rail; for similar rails, see Kitchen: Open Rail Storage Systems.

Above: Wood floors are painted a light gloss grey. A collection of objects and plants are displayed on the window ledge, including a pumpkin from Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.

Above: Comb your local antiques outpost for vintage work benches (if you lived in Devon, you could opt for Yarrow 155's Oak Workbench for £400) or consider a Reclaimed Pine and Marble Island from Williams-Sonoma; prices start at $999 for the smaller size.

Above: The Luzon Woven Round Tray with rope handles is $59 from Williams-Sonoma.

Above: The Ballon Carafe, $59 from Williams-Sonoma, is reminiscent of French wine jugs.

Above: Wooden Pedestal Bowl from Zimbabwe; $75.50 from Deep Dark Africa.

Above: Vintage African Senufo Stool; $450 at Ethno Gallery.

Above: Arcadian Scissors by Sibella Court for Anthropologie; $28; ideal for small kitchen tasks.

Above: Edelkoort has amassed an extensive collection of hand-thrown pottery; for similar pieces, go to Japanese shop Analogue Life, which offers items such as this Katakuchi Serving Bowl for $44.42.

Above: Cast Iron Teapot: $99.95 from Teavana.

Above: The Pia Wallen Crux Blanket is £583 from Skandium in the UK.

Above: On the windowsill, next to the aloe, are two specimens of Euphorbia milli (crown of thorns), a houseplant that produces colorful bracts almost year-round. Edelkoort has chosen to let hers grow leggy for their sculptural properties.

British artist Clare Goddard studied at the Loughborough College of Art & Design and the Royal College of Art; later, she worked in textile design and on interior projects. Her work reminds us that what we use every day can be a thing of beauty. Goddard is something of a magpie: "I collect bits and pieces from junk shops and random things that people normally throw away—used train tickets, old letters and photos, packaging, rusty cutlery, odd buttons, scraps of fabric. These things have all served their purpose in the past, and I enjoy being able to bring them together to create something beautiful."

Goddard exhibits her work all over the world (including De Vera in New York and Miller Bertaux in Paris); to see more, go to Clare Goddard.

Above: Goddard's kitchen utensils are made from paper, wood, and string.

Above: Tableware made from recycled tea bags: "Used materials have their own unique identity and history in the form of marks, stains, scratches, and tears which new materials do not have. There is little point in bullying new materials when there is so much material to utilize," Goddard said in a 1999 interview.

Above: Papier-mache spoons for measuring out scoops of imagination.

A chef friend of mine swears by her old-fashioned, manually operated apple peeler and corer (known in Sweden as Aunt Hulda's apple peeler). Here are a couple of sourcing ideas for the pie maker or the tarte tatin aficionado.

Above two photos: Aunt Hulda's Apple Peeler in black is €32 at Pannacotta.

Above: Williams-Sonoma offers a sturdy, dark red enameled cast-steel Apple Peeler/Corer for $28.