According to Virginia Woolf, you need a room of your own to make art. But in her new book, London journalist Caroline Clifton-Mogg shows how to create a sanctuary for work in even the smallest of nooks.

A Space of My Own outlines the elements necessary to pull together a purposeful study or craft area, and showcases a number of design solutions, ranging from whole rooms to desks tucked under stairs. Whether the space will be used for creative work or running a business, Clifton-Mogg writes, "The important thing is that it is known to all as very much your space and feels private; somewhere specifically designed to cater to you and what you are doing."

Above: A table on wheels and an oversized lamp on a pulley offer adjustable lighting for an artist.

Above: In a bright corner under the roof of a former factory, gilded mirrors and a tablecloth soften the industrial structure.

Above: In this Danish home, a long row of built-ins provide drop-down workspaces for the writers in residence.

Above: Architect Paul Mrozinski uses a vintage printing table and swing-arm lights to do drafting at his house in Provence.

Above: A Space of My Own (Ryland Peters & Small) is available from Amazon for $19.77.

We're delighted to welcome you to the new Remodelista, which we've been working on behind the scenes for several months now.

You might remember our questionnaire asking for reader feedback a while ago; we took note of your thoughtful suggestions and observations and incorporated your ideas (better search capabilities! easier commenting! huge photos!). In addition, we've combined some of the best features of a magazine (weekly issue themes, larger images on our post pages) with the power of the web to create a richer reader experience.

Here are a few of the features we're excited about:

• Read Anywhere: Our new layout adjusts to mobile devices (iPhones, iPads, or any other mobile or tablet device), while maintaining the integrity of the site layout.
• City Guides: Our new City Guides feature more than 1,000 posts on hotels, lodging, and restaurants all over the world, organized by location.
• Improved Search and Navigation: You can now search by room, color, and type of product, from bathroom fixtures to flooring.
• Enhanced Sharing: Share content more easily via Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.
• Improved Comments: You'll be able to see (and make comments) immediately.
• Better Balance Between Content and Ads. As part of SAY's Clean Campaign, we'll be featuring a single spotlight ad, eliminating clutter and highlighting content. Read more at SAY.

This is just the beginning. Over the next few months, we'll be introducing more new enhancements and welcoming a roster of contributing editors (including paint expert Eve Ashcraft, among others). We hope you enjoy the new and improved Remodelista, and we'd love to hear your thoughts!

N.B.: A huge thank you to SAY's talented in-house Media Lab (thanks, Alex, William, Adrian, and Amy!) in San Francisco, who worked tirelessly on the Remodelista redesign.

We have been having a love affair with Babylonstoren lately; see Hotels & Lodging: Babylonstoren in South Africa. We just can't get enough of the white-washed color palette and rustic texture.

The resort, located in the Cape Winelands outside Franschhoek, was designed by former SA Elle Decor editor Karen Roos and is one of the oldest farms in the Cape Dutch style, dating back to 1690. In her design, Roos chose to preserve the historic elements while updating the rooms with modern furniture from notable designers like the Bouroullec brothers. We've singled out some of her additions below.

Above: A white-painted barn door opens into a bedroom suite.

Above: The suite is furnished primarily in white.

Above: Jute rugs delineate the sleeping area.

Above: Dark wood furnishings and a black coverlet stand out in an otherwise white room.

Above: The Tree Coat Stand by Michael Young and Katrin Petursdottir; $699 from Generate.Above: The Steelwood Chair by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec for Magis is $679 from Nest Living.Above: Steelwood Table; $1,719 from Nest Living.

Above: Botanical Illustration Posters; prices range from $2 to $14 at Emerald Honeybee.Above: Cappellini Basket Two-Seat Sofa by Bouroullec; $9,921 from Unica Home.

Above: Antique English 19th-Century Turned-Leg Stool with Wicker Top from Yew Tree House Antiques; contact 1st Dibs for pricing and availability.

Above: The single pelt Auskin Sheepskin Longwool Rug is $69.95 at Sierra Trading Post.Above: The Edland Four-Poster Bed Frame in White is $299 from Ikea.

Above: Antique American Wicker Side Chairs from 1910 from Corner House Antiques; contact 1st Dibs for pricing and availability.

Above: Tarnby Jute Rug; $99.99 from Ikea.Above: The adjustable-height Tolomeo Reading Floor Lamp has an aluminum frame and parchment shade; $620 at Room & Board.Above: John Lewis Plain Lambswool Throw in black; £60.

Above: Faux Fur Stool; £79 from Dwell in the UK.

We like the Mondrian-esque palette of colors on these mirrors designed by Grain, which add both a touch of texture and color to the wall.

We've been keeping an eye on Grain, a Bainbridge Island, WA, collaborative, for a while now. Owners Chelsea Green and James Minola met during a course in Guatemala while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design. In 2008, the socially conscious couple launched a line of products created as sustainably as possible in the Pacific Northwest and in collaboration with artisan communities in Guatemala. We recently featured their popular shower curtain (see our previous post: Bath: Ty DIY Shower Curtain from Grain). The Bound Mirrors below feature hemp twine around the rim and are available in a selection of colors.

Above: Large Bound Mirror in Red Multi ($1,100) and Small Bound Mirror in Blue Multi ($750).

Above: The mirrors are made with FSC-certified Baltic birch plywood and hemp twine.

Above: The mirrors have a touch of color and texture.

At our house, we are constantly hunting around for children's jackets and other items that have gone astray. We hereby appoint the Moose on the Loose to be our new Mascot of Organization.

The coat rack is by the UK's All Lovely Stüff, a housewares company started by Carl Clerkin and Ed Ward, which produces gently whimsical products. In the US, they are carried by Gretel in Miami.

Above: The Moose on the Loose Coat Rack is made from machined beech and plywood; $39 at Gretel.

A surprising combination of nature and nurture: the Pablo Clamp Lamp, which combines sustainable LED technology within a wooden frame.

It was designed by Dana Cannam for Pablo Designs, a San Francisco-based lighting company which has been raising the design bar for LED lighting. The lamp is made of solid wood and is available in a walnut or white oak finish.

Above: The Pablo Clamp Lamp has a light that can be raised up and down along its arm, and rotates 360 degrees around its clamping post; $350 at Horne.

Above: The leather-padded wood clamp easily secures the lamp in place on any flat surface.

Above: The lamp is made of just three simple components.

We like these raffia baskets, made by women artists who are Australian Aborigines: the baskets represent the continuation of a traditional craft as well as meaningful employment for these rural communities.

The Tjanpi ("Grass") Desert Weavers association represents 400 women artists across 28 aboriginal communities in Australia, including some in the most remote regions of Australia. The coil baskets are woven with bunched minarri (greybeard) grass and wrapped in both natural and dyed raffia.

Above: Yilpi Lewis Basket from the Amata aboriginal community; $115 from Mr Kitly.

Above: The Yilpi Lewis basket features raffia that is colored with dyes derived from local plant sources.

Above: Maringka Burton Basket from the Indulkana aboriginal community; $115 from Mr Kitly.

Above: The work of the Tjanpi Desert Weavers is represented in several museums in Australia.

On our radar: New Factory, a San Francisco-based design collaborative dedicated to the creation of everyday objects of beauty.

Using traditional methods, founders Yvonne Mouser and Adam Reineck seek to reinterpret utilitarian goods as hand-crafted works of art, which “tell a story through their function.” In so doing, they hope to “engage people in new behaviors and meaningful interactions,” thereby elevating the ordinary to the extraordinary. To see Mouser's studio and home, go to Yvonne Mouser and the New Factory.

Above: Made of solid birch, the Bucket Stool comes in two sizes: a simple round stool ($300) and a “double-wide” ($450).

Above: Forgotten and Reborn Containers are antique vessels which have been given new life with individual hand-turned wooden tops (many of the lids also double as actual spinning tops); $45 each.

Above: The hand-turned lids are made from small scrap pieces of wood at the studio.

Above: Inspired by an old superstition that it’s bad luck to rest a broom on its bristles, the Superstitious Hand Broom has a steam-bent ash handle and horsehair bristles; $95.

Above: The handy bent handle allows the Superstitious Hand Broom to be hung up or stand upright. N.B.: The company currently does not have an online shop; to order, contact the company directly.

We're convinced that a good task lamp helps us get more work done. Here are our top ten functional—and beautiful—desk lights.

Beauty comes at a price, so you might also want to take a look at our top economical desk light options in 10 Easy Pieces: Economical Task Lights.Above: Original BTC's Hector Table Lamp, designed by Peter Bowles, has a bone china shade and a ceramic base with a cotton-braided cord; available at Conran USA for $275.

Above: The Job Table Lamp from Germany has a glass arm and polished stainless steel shade; $2,200 at Plug Lighting.

Above: The Bestlite BL1 was designed by Robert Dudley Best in 1930; it is in the collection of the Design Museum in London; $647 from All Modern Outlet.

Above: Designed by Jean-Louis Domecq in the 1950s, the French Jielde Signal Desk Lamp is an industrial-age classic. It is available in 17 different colors from Horne for $440.

Above: The Tolomeo Desk Lamp in aluminum is $420 from Design Within Reach.

Above: Adjustable Arc 109 Lamp from Brooklyn-based David Weeks Studio.

Above: The Ballfinger Table Lamp was designed in 2005 by Roland Schneider for German company Ballfinger; $750 at Nest Living.

Above: Designed by Ilse Crawford for Swedish lighting company Wästberg, the Studioilse w084t Wastberg Lamp is $500 at Horne.

Above: The AJ Table Lamp by Louis Poulsen in black; $812 from Nest Living.

Above: CB2's Bruno Lamp is made of powder-coated cast iron and oak; $99.95.

One of the more impressive DIY projects we've featured: a built-in desk made from plumbing pipes and wood shelving by Houston-based firm Analog/Dialog.

We've been admiring shelving made from plumbing pipes for a while now, every since we spotted them at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs (we hadn't seen a version that incorporates a desk until this project, however). The best on-line tutorial for creating something similar comes from Morgan Satterfield of The Brick House; she used different lengths of plumbing pipes (all measuring a half inch in diameter) and three types of fittings, which she spray-painted black. The shelving is made of pine wood planks which were sanded and given a walnut stain. For those intrepid enough to take this on, we refer you to Satterfield's step-by-step instructions.

Above: A nice example of the plumbing-fixtures desk by Houston-based firm Analog/Dialog.

Above: The entire shelving unit, impressive in size and function.

As stationery enthusiasts, we are entranced with the offerings from Present & Correct's finely edited and personality-filled online store.

The UK company was started by Neal Whittington and Mark Smith, who are two graphic designers (a fact that is immediately apparent from the website). Present & Correct stocks sundry stationery items that are strangely familiar, and yet not. Whittington and Smith travel around Europe and further afield four times a year to refresh and add to their growing collection of "paper and office objects which are inspired by homework, the post office, and school." They "hope to spark a distant memory, make you smile, or look at the most mundane in a new, and fonder, light."

Above: Everything about this German Krups Clock, from the color to the graphics, brings back the 1970s with a vengeance; £95.

Above: A Japanese hand-crafted Wood Divider Tray is useful for keeping desks tidy; £25.

Above: Colorful Vintage Money Bags can be used for various niggling organizational needs: Sort your stamps, dry-cleaner stubs, and receipts; £7.50 for five bags.

Above: The German Bike Light Chart is reminiscent of the days when diagrams were simpler; £95.

Above: Present & Correct's Strips of Clips shows the principals' eyes for small details; £15.

Making a splash in this Stockholm office by No Picnic: a suite of fluoro orange seating by British designer Tom Dixon, which enlivens an otherwise pristine white space.

The conference room of No Picnic (spotted on Dezeen), a design consultancy in Stockholm, features Dixon's Offcut Stool in signature fluorescent orange. The stool gets its name from its circular seat, which cleverly makes use of curved offcuts, remnants of leftover wood.

Above: No Picnic's new office was recently completed by local architecture firm Elding Oscarson. Photograph by Åke E:son Lindman.

Above: The Offcut Stool is constructed with wooden pegs instead of screws, assembles easily, and comes flat-packed; it's $235 at Lumens. It is also available in oak with a natural soaped finish.

Our photographer friend in Athens, Lydia Chroni, tipped us off to Proposa, a restaurant housed in a former glass factory in Athens' bustling Rouf neighborhood.

Proposa takes its theme from the railroad tracks that run right outside the building; inside, the interior features an edgy mix of graphics and innovative lighting, including pendant lamps by Moooi. Known for its Mediterranean cuisine and affordable wine list, the restaurant offers open-air dining on the square facing St. Basil's Church during the summer. The new Benaki Museum is right around the corner. Designer Alexandros Tsikordanos of 360id preserved some of the factory's brick walls and covered others with cheeky stencils by artist Manolis Angelakis.

Photography by Vangelis Paterakis via Yatzer.

Above: The new knotty-pine ceiling introduces a warmer element to the otherwise contemporary dining room.

Above: The dining room seating is Stefano Giovannoni's stackable Chair First for Magis.

Above: A graphic mural by Manolis Angelakis depicts the cooking process as a circuit diagram.

Above: Exposed ducts and the original factory windows are softened by Dome Pendant Lamps from Moooi.

Above: The floor alternates bands of hardwood with strips of polished concrete, breaking up the large space.

Above: Minimalist light fixtures, custom-made by designer Alexandros Tsikordanos, have a pleasing geometry against the limed brick wall.

We subscribe to the theory that you can never have too many desk accessories, especially when it comes to large clips, useful for a myriad of tasks.

In my house, large clips regularly migrate out of the office and into the kitchen, where they are used for hanging tea towels, sealing bags of coffee, drying out herbs from the garden, and corralling shopping lists. While the humble bulldog clip is a favorite standby, here's a roundup of our recent finds.

Above: The Ephemera Clip in antiqued iron, designed by Sibella Court for Anthropologie; $8 each.

Above: Nickel-plated Poster Clips come in a box of 12; $10 from Hammerpress.

Above: The Japanese Aluminium Pinch comes in a pack of 24 from Labour and Wait in the UK. Similar Metal Clips are also available in the US from Kiosk; $10 for a set of 10.

Here's a creative solution for city dwellers looking to maximize space: Brooklyn-based architect Peter Pawlak integrated a pair of built-in desks right into a couple's bedroom, creating a home office that can be hidden away when not in use.

Pawlak found a way to provide a versatile work area for the couple, who envisioned a functional space that would conceal all evidence of their work lives; when the desk tops are closed, the built-in unit acts as a console.

Above: Pawlak used anigre wood veneer for the built-ins and seagrass wallpaper to echo the color of the veneer. A pair of Eames Soft Pad Chairs from Herman Miller have rubber wheels, which protects the fumed oak floors.

Above: The desks feature unobstructed legroom; when closed, they function as a console for art and books.

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Above: The desktops open and close with spring-loaded levers on both sides; the lid raises to reveal a corkboard on the underside. The drawers hold files and also conceal the printer.

Californian sculptor and artist Richard Carter restores a farmhouse with painstaking attention to detail, embracing its natural imperfections to create a simple home where humble materials take center stage.

The 1903 property sits on 85 rolling acres at the bottom of a ravine in Pope Valley, located to the east of Napa; unlike its more glamorous neighbor, the area is a curious mixture of extremes, where trailer homes and cattle sit side-by-side with landed gentry and well-tended horses. Carter purchased the house from the original family of owners, who raised 11 children on the premises; the original property included an array of sheds and barns that have since been converted into a studio and residences. (Carter is both mentor and tutor to several students who live on the ranch.) A former barn houses several wood-burning kilns built by Carter and his students and are used for frequent firings.

Carter’s own work includes large grid installations of tiles with distressed surfaces and rough stoneware clay balls embedded with quartz with fissured surfaces. His artistry extends to his domestic environs, which he has carefully restored in a way that makes the buildings look like they have been there forever. As a former student says, “This place is Carter’s canvas; every detail considered and attended to as part of his daily routine.”

Photography by Douglas Sterling for Remodelista.

Above: The flag pole was made by Carter from a fir sapling that had fallen on the property.

Above: A high performance semi-gloss enamel coating of Devoe paint was used on the deck. It is typically used for metals to prevent rust but works equally well on wood.

Above: Carter opened up the original flat, low ceilings in the dining and living rooms, revealing the pitch of the roof. He added insulation and then covered them in salvaged bead board. The glass Meridian Pendant Lamp above the table came from Sundance. The Adam and Eve piece on the wall above the cabinet is by Carter's former teacher and mentor Ken Ferguson, renowned in the field of ceramics.

Above: Carter restored the formerly bricked-up fireplace, creating a Rumford-style hearth (it's taller and shallower than a conventional fireplace and gives off an enormous amount of heat). He added a wooden mantelpiece, which serves as a display shelf for his collection of bottles and jars filled with objects ranging from marbles to arrowheads. The bear head above the mantlepiece is from Steed Fine Hoarding and Tack.

Above: A view from the porch into the dining room.

Above; Carter, who spent several years working at the original French Laundry (pre-Keller) is an avid cook and typically prepares meals and dines with his residents daily.

Above: Carter has an extensive collection of tableware including many pieces made by his students-in-residence over the years.

Above: The porch area houses a long dining table with wooden benches that came with the house. The large white shallow bowl on the table is one of Carter's pieces fired in his kiln (see Tabletop: Holiday Cocktail Party in Pope Valley). Carter collects antique flat milk glass shades, including the one shown here over the table.

Above: Carter found the dresser on the property and had it stripped and restored. Carter keeps three kerosene lamps, made in the US by Aladdin, on hand—a necessity as the power frequently goes out. The Amish rocker is from Pennsylvania; Carter picked up the Mexican bear rug from the 1920s at an antique store in Petaluma.

Above: Baskets and a wreath made from Napa Valley grape vines.

Above: Carter inherited the trunk from his great grandfather; a pile of ironstone plates sits atop, next to a work by Kenneth Ferguson.

Above: Carter sourced the cast iron hearth from Norwegian company Jøtul, which has been making them since 1853. (He also has one in the living room) The clay tile hanging on the wall is by Carter.

Above: Carter "has a thing for old chimneys," he salvaged the above chimney when a tree fell on neighbor's house (he plans to use it on the roof of his own house one of these days).

Above: One of the wooden houses for the artists-in-residence features an installation of old metal hub caps on the side, a relic from the former owners. The pile of chopped wood is from fallen trees on the land; wood is a constant necessity, both for heating the entire house and for firing the kilns.

Above: Much of the food eaten is sourced from the gardens above.

Currently coveting: a Shaker-inspired table and bench in black walnut, made by Portland, OR-based furniture designer Reed LaPlant.

LaPlant makes a point of using traditional joinery techniques in his work, as in this clean-lined table and bench fastened with exposed tenon detailing. The pieces are available through Portland-based Schoolhouse Electric, which recently branched out from lights into home furnishings. "We work with fine craftsmen like Reed who are willing to put in motion 'small production runs' or case work of this caliber," says Schoolhouse Electric owner Brian Faherty.

Above: The Radford-Brown table and benches of reclaimed black walnut wood comfortably seat up to eight people.

Above: LaPlant uses traditional tenon joints in in his furniture; the exposed joints are a subtle detail on the table and bench.

Above: The Radford-Brown Table is 84 inches long; $2,350 at Schoolhouse Electric.

Above: The Radford-Brown Bench is 64 inches long; $1,250 from Schoolhouse Electric.

Noticed lately: old-fashioned iron radiators painted in vibrant colors.

Here's a collection of images that inspire us; for instructions on painting a traditional cast-iron radiator, go to Casa Sugar.

Above: A radiator and its fellow pipe are gloriously conspicuous. (To try this at home, use a paint that is designed to withstand high heat; Krylon makes a line of High Heat & Radiator Paints.) Photograph by Christopher Baker for Blueprint Magazine.

Above: A radiator painted pale pink in a London house; photo via Light Locations.

Above: A bright red radiator in the home of Ellen Lupton and Abbott Miller, via Design Sponge.

Above: Heating made into minimalist art, via Office for Word and Image.

Above: A raspberry colored radiator; spotted in Toast's winter catalog.

The porcelain ware of Montreal-based Ceramik B., notable for its delicacy, just shot to the top of our wish list.

Ceramicist Basma Osama has a vision all her own; her line of slipcast dishes have a simplicity that calls to mind natural forms (her butter dishes, for instance, resemble seed pods). "I am touched by lines, curves, textures, pebbles," she says. Even the names of the pieces—Belia, Sultan—are beautiful, reflecting her polyglot heritage. Originally from Egypt, she speaks French, Arabic, English, and Spanish. She recently released a line of eggshell-thin porcelain that recalls Eva Zeisel’s famous midcentury tea sets, but with an asymmetrical dash all her own (covered in StyleFiles by Canadian House and Home). The line is available through Made in Toronto; contact the company to order.

Above: A stack of the Vizira side plates.

Above: The Morjiana cups in white.

Above: The Nouma salt-and-pepper shaker set fits together like a deviled egg. Osama says it was inspired by the relationship she has with her son. "When I created it, he was little, and would often nest in me."

Above: The Wassi serving dish.

Above: Osama's pieces are glazed inside for easy cleaning, and have a matte exterior finish. They are available in white, sage, cocoa, and crème.

As a floral designer in my past life, I have long been an admirer of San Francisco's Studio Choo for their emphasis on locally grown and wild flora.

I was so interested in their work that one foggy afternoon a few years ago, I drove from the city to an address listed on their blog in Pacifica. I assumed that they had a store there, but when I pulled onto a quiet residential street, I realized that proprietors Alethea Harampolish and Jill Rizzo designed flowers out of their houses. I was too shy to knock, but when the two best friends opened their official store in January of 2010, I was delighted to visit and have referred friends there ever since. Located on Divisadero Street in San Francisco, Studio Choo (as a part of Prairie Collective, a group of friends with similar small business) boasts a selection of home accessories in addition to seasonal flower arrangements.

Above: An arrangement of scabiosa stellata, olive branches, bearded iris, and kangaroo paw mingles with a collection of locally produced ceramics.

Above: Wooden utensils sit in a wire mesh basket.

Above: Grapevines adorn a mantel.

Above: A succulent wreath hangs above vases of tulips, daffodils, and ranunculus.

Above: The store's home goods include wool blankets, pottery, and apothecary jars of wooden matches.

Above: A bromeliad air plant sits in a gourd container, while dried hydrangea is arranged in a stoneware ceramic vase.

Above: Welsh woven blankets and pillows are paired with a vase of pink foxglove. White blooming branches stretch out over the display cabinet.

Above: The store on Divisadero is painted white to set off the wooden beams.

Above: Yellow rosa banksia stand out on a foggy afternoon.

Above: Studio Choo's sandwich board keeps passersby informed of new arrivals from the market.