Spotted on the Finnish home design site Lily: a DIY project to enliven a child's dresser. Paint the knobs in a range of complementary hues, or go with a candy-colored variety-pack mix.

Above: A white Hemnes dresser from IKEA ($299) gains personality with knobs painted a range of blues; image via NIB, via the Boo and the Boy.

Above: Candy-colored knobs via Lily. Paint manufacturers often sell small quantities in sample sizes; for instance, Benjamin Moore offers 3,000 colors in one-pint cans ($6.49 each).

Our friend Shari, our expert on vintage toys, introduced us to a wonderful source of inspiration for children's rooms. Edition Paumes is a small Japanese publishing house, run by Hisashi Tokuyoshi (a photographer and art director) and Fumie Shimoji (an artists' representative). After moving to Paris in the early 1990s, they became friends with many French designers and artists; upon their return to Japan, they were inspired to produce books devoted to the homes of their friends—and friends of friends. The result is a series of small paperbacks on different themes, each a delightfully personal collection that needs no translation. We especially like Children's Rooms Stockholm and Children's Rooms Copenhagen, and we have high hopes for their forthcoming Children's Rooms Finland. They are in stock at specialty stores across the country, including one of our favorites, Mint in Mill Valley.

Images via édition Paumes.

San Francisco's Miette (which means "crumb" in French) got its start as a bakery. But when it branched out into candy and opened Miette Confiserie in Hayes Valley five years ago, even our friends on the other coast sat up and took notice. We're happy to report that the store is as adorable as ever, offering plenty of eye candy as well as artisanal sweets. (Organic cotton candy, anyone?)

Photography by Mimi Giboin for Remodelista.

Architect Robert Dye, based in northwest London, is fascinated with contemporary urban design; before starting his own firm, he worked for James Stirling, one of the UK's most influential architecture firms. Dye keeps a foot in academia (he lectures at the Bartlett, London's pre-eminent architecture school), while also taking on private commissions. The Stealth House is his reworking of a 1950s bomb-site infill house, a common—and notoriously unattractive—dwelling strategy in the city. Here, Dye has cleverly managed to go from two to five bedrooms by punching out the old shell, and also manages to play nice with the house's modern and traditional neighbors.

Photography via Robert Dye Architects.

Above: "The black cloak increases the volume of the two main floors and mediates between the existing Modernist and Edwardian neighbors," says Dye.

Above: An offset entry (versus a grand front door) reinforces the idea of stealth.

Above: The black wall in the garden echoes the black-clad exterior.

Above: Skylights bring natural lighting into interior spaces.

Above: A contemporary bath allows decorative objects from the past to shine forth.

Above: A black-clad bathtub lends drama to the quiet space.

Above: In addition to the peaked roof on the penthouse, a diversity of window types—including bay windows—bridge the past with the present.

A while back we admired Klein Reid's alternative to fireplace logs, the porcelain StillLife Wood Set; now we're coveting cast glass logs from Jeff Benroth, first spotted at the Gardener in Berkeley. "We worked with Chad DeWitt Design here in the Bay Area to develop these logs," says Benroth. "Each one is made by impressing a real piece of wood into a specially bound casting sand, then pouring 2,300-degree-Fahrenheit molten glass into the cavity left behind." The signed, numbered logs are 15 inches long and 4 inches wide; for ordering information, go to Jeff Benroth Glass.

Above: Benroth recommends strategically placed tea lights to create a warm glow.

If you're late to the game with Halloween decorations, here's a roundup of last-minute ideas for the laggards among us.

Above: Etsy seller Bookity offers jet-black paper heart garlands made with recycled jute twine; $24 via Bookity. Make your own with black construction paper and a stapler; for instructions, go to Colour Her Hope.

Above: Spotted on Annaleenas Hem: a lamp frame adorned with black feathers.

Above: Black paper roses made from newspaper spray-painted black; for complete instructions, go to Red Headed Frog.

Above: Drape cheesecloth over a sofa for a spiderweb effect; photo via Country Living.

Adam White and Clive Watson (co-founders of the Garrison and Village East, two of Bermondsey's finest) have come north and opened a new-all day brasserie in Fitzrovia on the corner of Riding House and Great Titchfield streets. Aptly named The Riding House Cafe, the owners, with the help of their designer, Louise Davies, have created interiors with an eccentric English quality (think taxidermy light fixtures and a teal-meets-tomato-soup palette), where everything has been refashioned or remade, including midcentury seating in updated colors.

Photography via The Riding House Cafe.

Above: Traditional oak paneling creates a clubby atmosphere within the 1950s building. The architect, Louise Davies of Box 9 Architects, found a vintage lamp shade in Colorado and had it copied at Ann's on Kensington Church Street.

Above: "The squirrel taxidermy light fixtures have been highly controversial," White says."As with Marmite, people either love them or hate them. The debate over the origin of red squirrels and brown squirrels has been interesting. Plenty of squirrel boffins out there."

Above: The banquette was modeled after a beautiful old sofa the owners and designer saw in the shop window of Christopher Howe. White calls the color "Heinz tomato soup" of childhood memories.

Above: Another taxidermy light fixture—this time of a bird in flight—confirms an English sense of humor.

Above: Turquoise bar stools are a complementary retro color to the orange-red.

Above: Turquoise-tinted water glasses tie in with the color of the bar stools.

Above: The table is laid simply for all-day brasserie fare.

Our friend Hugh Hales-Tooke, an accomplished fashion photographer, has recently returned to painting. At Meg Cohen Design Shop in Soho, through November 5, he is showing "Micrographia," a series of shadowy paintings of 17th-century buildings at Cambridge University designed by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke. Hales-Tooke, who grew up in Cambridge, describes his work as an "investigation of architecture designed by men who were involved with the emergence of scientific investigation and rational thought." (Micrographia is Hooke's groundbreaking illustrated volume of organisms viewed through the newly invented microscope.) The paintings also represent Hales-Tooke's own sentimental journey—and restart. "I used exactly the same materials that I used in grade school. The buildings are portrayed in a simple, reduced way that hearkens back to trying to depict something for the first time," he says.

Above: After creating frames to match his paintings, Hales-Tooke painted a wall charcoal-black in his otherwise white living room—an inspired way to set off his black and white work and make it all of a piece.

Above: Guston is a painting of Emmanuel College Chapel at Cambridge. Hales-Tooke allows the buildings to fill the frame, so that the results are akin to architectural elevations. He points out that unlike landscape paintings, elevations are timeless. "I wanted my paintings to make use of that same abstract space," he says.

Above: Garde Ta Foy portrays the crest and motto of the university's Magdalene College, standing over an archway leading to the dining hall. The school's motto translates to "Keep Faith" or more literally, "Guard Your Liver." Hales-Tooke likes the latter as well as the fact that the lions, with their Restoration-style wigs, "look like a caricature of Charles II."

Above: Shadow depicts the Pepys Library, which houses Samuel Pepys' famous diaries as well as his personal collection of 3,000 books, arranged from smallest to largest. "Apparently, Pepys thought that 3,000 was the correct number for an educated gentleman to own because he kept that exact number and sold off books when he acquired too many, " says Hales-Tooke. "Even the oak bookcases Pepys had made are fascinating—they're modular."

Seattle-based architects Balance Associates (members of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory) remind us that a modest budget need not inhibit good architecture with their Pine Forest Cabin in Washington's Methow Valley. Designed for a couple as a quiet retreat and launch pad for outdoor activities, the 850-square-foot space is a cantilevered box of fir plywood, held in place over a hillside by a concrete cradle and providing unobstructed views of the hills beyond.

Photography by Steve Keating.

Above: The architects cantilevered the home over a concrete foundation built into the hillside.

Above: The cabin's modest entrance belies the grandness of the view beyond.

Above: The entire space functions as a viewing platform overlooking the forest and hills.

Above: Open kitchen shelving provides useful storage space and eliminates the need for costly overhead cabinets.

Above: Standard-sized 4-by-8-foot plywood sheeting was used on both the exterior and the interior. In the interior, a thin metal grid gives a finished look.

Above: The modest and practical bathroom makes use of economical finishes and simple details.

Every Halloween, London architect and interior designer Ben Pentreath turns his Bloomsbury store on Rugby Street into a veritable cabinet of curiosities. Pentreath and his shop overseer Bridie Hall (she's also an artist) create displays using "anything we can get our hands on that sparks an interest, catches our eye, makes us happy, makes us confused, makes us laugh, makes us cry. The aim is to create a feast for the eyes and imagination." For those lucky enough to be in the neighborhood, the display runs through November 8.

Photography by Simon Bevan for Remodelista and Ben Pentreath.

Above: The table à deux is anchored by a tall pair of brass candlesticks with bark-colored candles; bright orange glasses add a dash of fluorescent to the setting.

Above: Autumnal vegetables from the local farmers market become part of the tableau.

Above: A crocodile's skull makes a macabre placeholder for the fox placecard. A striped napkin from Les Toiles du Soleil sits atop a classic Hunslet dinner plate.

Above: A vintage opium bottle from Pentreath friends Fox & Flyte.

Above: Tiny bird skulls perched atop a pair of brass candlesticks.

Above: A John Derian paperweight guards a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula, an atmospheric read to start the meal.

Above: A collection of detachable collars (from guests who refused to leave?).

Above: A display of ruby red oblong vases, mercury glass candlesticks, and pink mercury votives.

Above: The entry to Ben Pentreath's jewel-like shop, featuring an assortment of wrapping paper, seagrass square floor coverings, and iikat silk cushions on the Kelim Chaufeusses.

In the UK, residences of cultural notables are commemorated with "blue plaques," indicating where a famous departed playwright, sculptor, poet, architect, scientist lived or worked. In 1991, British artist Gavin Turk decided to riff off the idea for a student show at the Royal School of Art entitled "Cave," featuring an all-white room containing nothing but a plaque declaring his immortality as a sculptor. He earned a failing grade for his project, but famed art collector Charles Saatchi saw his potential and the rest is history. Turk has since created a limited-edition Cave Rug for contemporary rug maker Christopher Farr, who is known for his collaborations with artists.

Above: The limited-edition Cave Rug is made of hand-knotted wool and mohair and measures 8 feet in diameter; price upon request. It is available at Christopher Farr in London or in Los Angeles.

Spotted on Nordic Design: A modern take on an ancient Viking candleholder by Danish designer Pernille Vea for Menu. The cast-iron candle holders are designed to be hammered into a wood surface and come in indoor and outdoor versions (the latter version comes with a glass shade to protect the flame). Consider driving the holder into a tree trunk or a wooden beam outside, or into a piece of firewood indoors—or, as the designer suggests, if you're a true Viking, hammer it directly into a door frame or tabletop.

Above: In this interior, a row of candles nailed into the floor serves as an illuminated landing strip.

Above: Pipe Candleholders nailed into a fence.

Above: Pipe Candleholders illuminate a tree trunk.

Above (L to R): Pipe Hurricane Horizontal; $37.09 at Scandinavian Design Center, Pipe Hurricane Vertical; $37.09 at Scandinavian Design Center, Pipe Candleholders (set of 2); $43.29 at Scandinavian Design Center.

Dione Carston is one of those compulsively creative people; when she's not riding horses she's creating new vignettes in her Saint Helena barn-cum-store, Steed Fine Hoarding & Tack (which we wrote about in an installation of Shopper's Diary). Her latest creation is the Culo Drum, an ottoman made from a metal drum and featuring a plush cowhide cushion, which can be made to order in a choice of colors. For ordering information, contact Carston at (707) 738-6969.

Above: The Culo Drum is 23 inches in diameter and costs $425 ($375 for two or more) at Steed Fine Hoarding and Tack.

Above: Carsten added sturdy rope handles so the ottoman can be easily moved.

Earlier today, we looked at London-style ghoulishness (see Tablescapes: Ben Pentreath's Cabinet of Curiosities). For San Franciscans who gravitate toward the bizarre and macabre, there's Paxton Gate. Located in the city's Mission District, the store offers an eclectic mix of what is described as "treasures and oddities inspired by the garden and the natural sciences." It's like wandering through a Victorian scientist's study, with plenty of skulls and taxidermy to marvel at mixed in with practical items for the home and garden. Owner Sean Quigley also presides over the companion kids' store, Paxton Gate's Curiosities for Kids, down the street; the latest branch on the shop's evolutionary tree is Paxton Gate in Portland, Oregon.

Photography by Mimi Giboin for Remodelista.

Above: The Paxton Gate storefront on Valencia Street.

Above: A griffin (a baboon with turkey wings) overlooks an assortment of ram, coyote, bobcat, and muskrat bones.

Above: Equilateral triangle Birdhouse made from stoneware clay slabs with a dark metallic glaze; $130.

Above: Framed Butterflies (other insects, including beetles, butterflies, and tarantulas are available); prices start at $25.

Above L: The Trook Tree Magnet is $12.50. Above R: Trook Tree Hooks are $10 each.

Above: A ram's skull by a genie's lamp.

Discovered via Martha Stewart: A style-infused yet hard-wearing boys' bath in Austin, Texas, featuring a red cross tile detail (reflected in the vanity mirror, the cross adds a bright graphic note to an otherwise black and white space). Re-create the look with the elements below; to see more of the designer's work, go to The Renner Project.

Above: Photo for Martha Stewart by Colleen Duffley.

Above: The classic three-foot-long Kohler Brockway Wash Sink with drillings for two faucets (also available in four- and five-foot lengths); $808.86 at Every Faucet.

Above: A favorite trick of our architect friend Jerome Buttrick; brushed stainless Decora Switchplates from Leviton paired with gray electricals.

Above: If you're not ready to commit to a tiling job, consider Kikkerland's First Aid Box, which can be wall mounted and comes in red or white; $24 from Velocity Art & Design.

Above: Flos May Day Utility Light (available is several colors); $108 at Lumens.

Above: Activa HP Rubber Flooring in Blazer is resistant to grease and oil and is naturally glossy. Contact PRF USA at 201-804-5565 for a local representative.

Above: The Flint Bar Stool at CB2 is $119.

Daniel Bellow is the Berkshire Hills, MA-based ceramist behind the softly hued porcelain collection Pinched Corners, (currently on offer through Anthropologie). He runs his pottery business out of a 19th-century carriage house; "Things that are made by hand have a life of their own, a spirit that machine-made objects, no matter how well designed, are lacking," says Bellow. To view more of his collection, go to Daniel Bellow.

Above: Pinched Corners Tea Bowl in plum; $38 at Anthropologie.

Above: Pinched Corners Mug in white; $38 at Anthropologie.

Above: The Pinched Corners collection, shown in Bellow's studio.

Combat cold weather with cozy wool pillows, emblazoned with a Swiss Army cross, from Alder & Co., one of our favorite stores in Portland, Oregon. Made by a local design company called NPG (which stands for non-perishable goods), they've got Pendleton wool on the front and a linen backing.

Above: Wool and Linen Pillow; $120 from Alder & Co.

One of our favorite greenery experts, Flora Grubb of Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco, is a genius at finding ways to sneak plants into the urban environment. When Grubb designed a wall of tillandsias at Napa's Bardessono Hotel, she was besieged by requests from admirers who wanted to know how to create that airy, exotic—and low-maintenance—look at home. Voilà, the company's new product: the Thigmotrope Satellite, a wall-mounted plant hook designed to support a tillandsia. Grubb designed the hook with local architect Seth Boor of Boor Bridges Architecture; this past weekend, the duo created an installation at SightGlass in SF, one of the city's latest artisanal coffee roasters; here's a DIY report.

Above: Flora Grubb and Seth Boor; collaborators and co-designers of several vertical gardens.

Above: After the layout is determined, Boor takes a drill to the wall.

Above: Grubb places the tillandsias onto the hooks.

Above: There are more than 500 known species of tillandsia, a type of bromeliad.

Above: Tillandsias need only bright light and an occasional misting of water to flourish, making them ideal houseplants.

Above: The steel Thigmotrope Satellite is 2 inches in diameter and extends 3 inches from the wall; $40 for a set of three at Flora Grubb Gardens.

As the weather turns cool, harvest the last herbs of the season from the garden and hang them to dry; snip as needed (or make a tisane).

Above: Herb and Flower Dryer; £15.50 at Cox & Cox.

Now that fall has firmly arrived, it's time to start thinking about floor coverings; necessary for fending off the chill and creating a sense of warmth. We've researched the neutral wool rug, searching out the best choices from familiar national retailers (no trips to the nearest Design Center necessary). Here are our top picks:

Above: Room & Board's Arden Natural High Loop Rug is woven in the US of New Zealand wool. Also available in shag and low shag; $999 to $1,999 depending on style and size.

Above: Rows of felted wool loops create the texture of West Elm's Pebble Rug; $129 to $799, depending on size.

Above: Made of New Zealand wool that is slightly felted before weaving, Pottery Barn's Dalton Shag Rug is on sale for $219 to $899, depending on size.

Above: Design Within Reach's Nesta Rug has a 3-inch-deep shag of undyed wool and is made by a Rugmark-compliant producer (ensuring that no child labor was used); $980 to $1,380, depending on size.

Above: Handwoven in India, the Chunky Braided Wool Rug from Restoration Hardware is currently on sale; prices range from $845 to $2,035.

Above: CB2's Lounge Natural Shag Rug is a 5-by-8-foot shag rug made of New Zealand wool; $299.

Above: The 6-foot-diameter Celeste Round Shag Rug from Crate and Barrel mixes three gauges of New Zealand wool to create a fluffy, high pile; $599.

Above: The hand-knotted wool Vitten Rug from Ikea; $139 to $199 depending on size.

Above: The Flokati Rug from Williams-Sonoma Home is made of New Zealand wool; $795.99 to $1,599.99, depending on size.

Above: Love Ewe Rug Tiles from Flor are easy to install (and replace, when the inevitable stain appears). Made in the US from undyed wool, they measure 19.7 inches square and are $20.99 each.