San Francisco furniture designer Ted Boerner has an antidote for that cheerless cabinet, drab chest of drawers, or dreary door in your life.

Drawing from his background in theatrical set design, Boerner has created a collection of sculptural knobs and pulls for Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Hardware. By juxtaposing an architectural aesthetic with the primitive allure of hand-forged metal (in this case, recycled art-grade bronze, available in a range of patinas), Boerner has designed five collections—Shift, Bird, Tab, Brut, and Empire—which exhibit imperfections both inherent (from sand- and investment-casting processes) and carefully considered (asymmetrical silhouettes). Boerner's aim was "sculpturally bold forms that function as jewelry for furniture."

Above L: The Shift Knob is shown here in silicon bronze, which will darken over time; $44. Above R: Seen here in white bronze, the shine on the Square Tab Pull will dull with age; $47.

Above: The appeal of the Shift Pendant comes from its asymmetrical "tassels" and rusty patina; $129. The Tab Pendant can be used as a character-building pull or latch; $69.

Spotted recently: colored yarn as a quick fix for a monochromatic palette at home.

After spending too much/not enough time on some of our favorite blogs, like Le Dans La and Loppelilla, we began noticing a pattern of bright yarn, artfully used to tie up items and as decorative accents. This left us wondering: Is colored yarn the next washi tape?

Above: Maxima Highlighter Merino Wool Yarn from Loopy Mango, a great yarn resource in SoHo; $15 per skein.

Above: A collection of sticks and seed pods is accented with hot-pink yarn; image via Le Dans La.

Above: A linen tablecloth features a hand-stitched border of cotton yarn; image via Moa og Kaffekoppen.

Above: A skein of yellow yarn; image via Le Dans La.

Above: Skeins of mocha-colored yarn piled in a stone bowl; image via Moa og Kaffekoppen.

Above: Yellow crocheted accents in a white room; image via Loppelilla.

Above: Pink and taupe yarn stand out in a natural reed basket; image via The Daily Purl.

Above: Pale pink embroidery thread is wrapped around dried leaves and echinacea stems; image via Le Dans La.

Located on a secluded estate in Austin, Texas, Hotel Saint Cecilia is named for the patron saint of music and poetry and is a Liz Lambert project (of Hotel San Jose fame).

Accommodations consist of five distinct suites, six poolside bungalows, and three studios, all designed "to stir the artist and poet in all of us"; every room has the by-now de rigueur turntable and a Geneva sound system. Got to Hotel Saint Cecilia for more information.

Photography by Michael A. Muller (except where noted).

Above: Photo via Saint Cecilia.

Above: Photograph via Hotel Saint Cecilia.

Above: Photograph via Hotel Saint Cecilia.

Above: Above photographs via Hotel Saint Cecilia.

N.B. This post is an update, the original post date was March 12, 2010.

Some of our favorite baths noted recently feature concrete sinks, tubs, even walls, for a rough yet refined look.

Above: A concrete basin in a bath photographed by Paul Ryan Goff, via Style Files.

Above: An industrial-looking sink via Blue Ant Studio.

Above: A simple concrete wash basin by Heike Muehlhaus in Germany.

Above: Concrete bath from Belgian firm ISO (L). A concrete bath in a summerhouse in Portugal (R), via Marie Claire Maison (and Purple Area).

Above: A concrete bath in France, via OWI.

Above: A concrete wall in a bath, photographed by Karina Tenburg.

Above: A bath in London by architect Jamie Forbert.

Above: A concrete tub surround and wall, paired with a wood floor, in a bath spotted at Taverne Agency.

Whenever we need a dose of architectural inspiration, we head over to Michael Cannell's House Vote, which is where we discovered this otherworldly outdoor dining pavilion by Herbst Architects.

Designed by South African-trained, New Zealand-based Lance and Nicky Herbst of Herbst Architects, the simple outdoor structure blends rustic elements (a timber frame clad in rough manuka sticks) with modern materials (translucent sheets of polycarbonate siding). To learn more, go to Herbst Architects; to pay a visit to Cannell's curated collection of projects, go to The House Vote.

You couldn't invent designer Matt Dick; his approach to style is so personal, so particular, so unexpected. Although he was born and raised in the Bay Area, Matt is clearly a citizen of the world.

Last week I dropped in on the SF-based sage of global style for a Q & A. The takeaway? It's all about layers—tunics over jeans, scents on top of scents, strands of necklaces and stacks of leather bracelets.

Photography by Mimi Giboin for Remodelista.

Above: Matt in the doorway of Small Trade Company, his studio and workshop on the edge of SF's Tenderloin.

RM: When did the tunic become your everyday uniform?
MD: I first started wearing a kurta (Turkish for tunic) about 10 years ago when I began doing yoga. I bought my first at Dosa, as I loved the Khadi cotton, but it went threadbare pretty quickly so I started making my own.

RM: The necklaces?
MD: I've acquired a collection over time, and each one has a story. This one includes feathers from Accident and Artifact on Valencia, bells from Kapital in Tokyo (one of my favorite stores), and a wooden charm I whittled myself during a weekend in Inverness

RM: On your wrists?
MD: The cuffs are by Henry Beguelin (for the record, it's stamped leather). The rest are mostly pieces by Stacey Lorinczi, which we collaborated on when I oversaw the shop at Bardessono.

RM: Jeans of choice?
MD: Kota, who works here in the studio with me, makes a lot of my jeans. He has a vintage Levi's machine that is solely for creating the double-locked chain stitch (it was originally used for the inseam of the 501 jeans). If I do buy jeans, it's either Levis or Acne.

RM: Where do you find your simple white shirts?
MD: They're all Comme des Garcons, one from each trip to Japan. There are a few Yohji mixed in, too.

RM: What's on your feet?
MD: These boots are by Belgian line Elsa, although my everyday ones are Fiorentini and Baker.

RM: Key chain?
MD: I make my own with leather and indigo tassels.

RM: The wallets?
MD: Ben Philips at Levi's saw one of the wallets that I had made for myself and commissioned these. I used to have two Martin Margiela Wallets that I bought in LA, but I lost them both; luxury goods seem to run away from me. We added the indigo tassels instead of a label, as they seem to have become our logo.

RM: Hair care?
MD: I'm an Oribe devotee. I use Oribe Signature Shampoo and Conditioner, which my hair cutter Marcy Harman (she's based in LA but comes periodically to Harper Paige in SF) introduced me to.

RM: What's your everyday scent?
MD: I wear In Fiore's solid perfumes, either Oud Amberi Attar or Vetiver Sambac. Then I might layer on Escentric Molecules 01, which starts neutral then develops a scent with the skin.

RM:: Reading material?
MD: I'm a magazine junkie. I read Apartamento, Casa Brutus, Man About Town, Fantastic Men, Monocle, Numero and Numero Home, and Acne Paper. I even get a Sunday-only subscription to the New York Times just for T Magazine.

Dutch phenom Marcel Wanders was the first designer we spotted wearing a man necklace (it was a couple of years ago at ICFF in NYC). Since then, we've been noticing stylish males decked out in strands of turquoise, leather, feathers, tribal beads.

Above: Rene Holguin of RTH in Los Angeles, decked out in stones, beads, and a leather feather of his own design.

Above: Matt Dick's multi-layered necklaces include a leather pouch with Fire Opals from Mexico, a leather leaf, (a gift from Rene before he opened RTH), a Bolivian Bird of Paradise earring, Black Tahitian pearls ,and an In Fiore scented amulet made from black oxidized silver gold.

Above: Fashion scene maker Bryan Boy with an exotic necklace; photographed by The Sartorialist on the streets of New York.

Moon Rhee and Hey Ja's loft on Rivington Street in NYC makes us want to paint our floors desert-bone white.

We recently caught up with Moon and Hey (they're the founder and creative director of the boutique and fashion/accessories label DEAR:Rivington+) and discovered a compellingly creative couple. Their combined talents, which include interiors, furnishings, and fashion design, culminate in their loft in New York's Chinatown, photographed recently by New York-based Michael Mundy for his site An Afternoon With.

Moon arranges his vast collection of vintage furnishing and objects, accumulated over the past sixteen years, in unexpected ways—their juxtapositions, whether visual, narrative, or both, feature a richness based on the sheer depth of his collection. "I have always been interested in decoration," he says, "I acquired too much and had nowhere to put it all." (It's no mystery that he's in the secret address book of every in-the-know theater, film, and retail production scout; including J Crew, Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger). To tour the couple's shop, go to DEAR:Rivington+Living.

Photography by Michael Mundy (to see more, go to An Afternoon With).

Above: The simple rustic plank wood dining table is a neutral backdrop for Moon and Hey's curiosities; a pair of Koushi lamps by Mark Eden Schooley hovers above the table.

Above: A composition of vintage objects has been curated through color and shape.

Above: All the surfaces of the loft have been painted white providing a blank canvas for the display of objects.

Above: A collection of family photos through the years are unified in modern black frames and juxtaposed with a vintage camera.

Above: The original cast iron ceiling is typical of buildings in downtown Manhattan, which were commercial buildings in a previous life.

Above: A vintage coffee bean grinder and temple bell.

Above: Antique clothing on display from the couple's collection.

Above: A rocking chair upholstered in vintage fabric.

Above: For more information see DEAR:Rivington+Living.

Joshua Tree boasts an otherworldly terrain, but accommodations in California's high desert can be decidedly down to earth.

LA designer Blake Simpson has solved this problem with Mojave Sands. A decade ago, he spotted a run-down midcentury motel off the highway and saw its potential. He overhauled the property (with the help of friends such as actress Ann Magnuson), transforming it into a low-key, eco-friendly desert hangout. The exterior has been ruggedized with stacked stone; the five guest rooms feature vintage typewriters, working turntables, and walnut platform beds made by Simpson. We'd bring a copy of Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire to read.

New at Anthropologie: Hand-forged iron hooks with a rustic Wild West appeal.

Above: The Light Bulb Hook is 5.5 inches high and $24 at Anthropologie.

Above: The Light Bulb Hook (L) works well with the Light Bulb Hook Wide; $24 at Anthropologie.

Modern interpretations of Native American dreamcatchers, via Brooklyn-based Electric Love, made from elemental materials.

Hitomi Matarese and Charlie Walker, a husband-and-wife designer duo, make these wall hangings from their Brooklyn loft using wire, vintage deer leather, turkey feathers, yarn, thread, and quartz crystals. The dramatic hoops, festooned with feathers dangling from leather strips, have attracted a following that includes Liz Lambert of yesterday's Hotel Saint Cecilia. The dreamcatchers are currently sold at Love Adorned and by special request at Spartan.

Above: Strips of leather in the Electric Love studio. Photograph by Currie Pearson of Spartan (see more at Spartan Journal).

Above: A similar Deercatchers is $385 at Love Adorned.

Located on San Francisco's foggy periphery near Ocean Beach, Outerlands is as much a gathering spot for sand-dusted surfers as it is a destination for Bay Area foodies.

Owners David Muller and Lana Porcello—both visual artists, longtime Outer Sunset dwellers, and veteran food vendors at the Berkeley Farmers Market—opened the small corner restaurant in 2009, using weather-beaten wood planks as a design motif. "We salvaged materials over the course of a year," says Porcello. "We took down fences in exchange for keeping the wood and collected driftwood from local beaches. We also connected with friends who volunteered to craft details throughout the space." The warm wood interior is redolent with the yeasty aroma of baking bread and the presence of a large pot of earthy soup warming on the stove. The menu gets decidedly more epicurean at dinnertime—chef Brett Cooper uses whatever's fresh at the market to curate the delicacies du jour.

Photography by Eric Wolfinger (except where noted).

Above: The restaurant gets its name from its location on the outskirts of the city.

Above: Pain au levain loaves proof atop the scrap-walnut countertop by Eric Roberts.

Above: Woodworker Keith Aderholdt, who also helped design nearby Mollusk Surf Shop and Trouble Coffee Company, came up with the concept for the patchwork wood paneling.

Above: Salt and pepper shakes are corralled together with silverware. Photograph by Janet Hall for Remodelista.

Above: The seating is appropriately rustic.

Above: The menu spotlights the local and the seasonal. Image via Flickr.

Above: The chalkboard documenting the daily cocktail offerings (which feature housemade syrups and seasonal ingredients) is charmingly framed by uneven wood slats (L). Fresh-from-the-oven bread cools on a rack over the stove (R).

Above: A row of Chemex coffeemakers. Photograph by Janet Hall for Remodelista.

Architects love stairs: it's a chance to create sculpture in a domestic environment. Here are some of recent favorites.

Above: A staircase in Sander Architects' Canal House features treads that were made by folding half-inch steel plate.

Above: In a renovation of a pre-war New York townhouse by Julian King Architects, a minimalist steel handrail negotiates the transition between a floor of reclaimed brick pavers and ipe treads that float up the wall.

Above: Cast-iron treads and railing of black-oxidized cold-rolled steel form a sculptural stair in an Upper East Side townhouse by Deborah Berke & Partners Architects. Photography by Jason Schmidt.

Above: A glass-and-steel staircase with open rises allows light to filter through a renovated 1906 Victorian in San Francisco by Feldman Architecture. Photograph by Paul Dyer.

Above: Leather stitching along a staircase in Casa do Conto, a Portuguese hotel renovated by Pedra Liquida (see: The Story of Casa do Conto). Photography by FG+SG.

Above: Architect Owen Kennerly designed a railing with hemp twine and storage niches for a San Francisco house (see: Owen Kennerly Renovation in San Francisco). Photograph by Matthew Millman.

Above: For a Bay Area home, CCS Architecture designed with open risers made of white oak and railings cables of stainless steel. Photography by César Rubio (L) and Eric Laignel (R).

Some of our favorite living spaces feature oversize Akari globe lanterns, designed by Isamu Noguchi, suspended from the ceiling like moons.

Designed by Noguchi in 1951 and handmade by the original manufacturer in Gifu, Japan, the ceiling shades are made of handmade washi paper and bamboo ribbing. The Globe Akari Lantern is available in five sizes, ranging from a 12-inch size ($130) to a 47-by-46-inch size ($1.335), directly from The Noguchi Museum in NY.

Above: A serene dining room photographed by Melanie Acevedo.

Above: Designer Chad McPhail's Williamsburg apartment; photo by Jolie Ruben for Time Out New York. The lantern is a licensed reproduction from the Noguchi Museum; "There are obviously a bazillion rip-offs all over the place," McPhail says, "but as an interior designer, I feel bad buying rip-offs."

Above: The Stockholm apartment of artist Mats Gustafson, photo by Magnus Marding via the NY Times.

Above: Julianne Moore's NYC parlor (for more, see Steal This Look: Julianne Moore's West Village Living Room).

Above: The home of Nantes-based Mr. and Mrs. Clynk.

We did a double take when we spotted this home on Design Boom: It looks like a conventional two-story house from the exterior, but inside it's a giant loft.

The clients of Akasaka Shinichiro Atelier asked for a home in Sapporo that could someday accommodate a cafe and large events on the first floor. Instead of segregating the house into two distinct levels, the architects designed an open, double-height atrium, so that the second-floor living quarters overlook the floor below. By using the same plywood paneling for the ceiling and the floors, and leaving the structural beams exposed (adding only the very minimum of interior walls), the architects have created the domestic equivalent of an industrial warehouse: a blank slate for whatever may come. Named the Small Box House, the home looks anything but small.

Photography by Koji Sakai.

Above: Lofts upon lofts: This is the second level of the house; the ground level is below. The bedroom level also has a small mezzanine level, where stepladders provide access to the roof.

A

Above: From the outside, the house appears to be a simple, modest structure.

Above: Looking down from the second-floor mezzanine to the dining area below, the effect is vertiginous.

Above: The exposed beams and stepladders give the home the feeling of a treehouse, with its sense of play and adventure.

Above: The dining area is where a small cafe may be located in the future.

Above: Eames seating (L) and a spiral staircase (R) underscore the clients' interest in design and architecture.

Above: The understated entrance to the house.

Spotted on Dezeen: a low-cost kitchen by Tank Architects of Tokyo, designed for a couple with a passion for cooking but a limited budget.

The homeowners of House K wanted a kitchen with enough space for serious culinary experimentation. The solution? Humble materials like concrete blocks and larch plywood topped with polished stainless steel countertops, which add a finished note to the otherwise rough-looking space. Here are some ideas for recreating the look.

Photography by Eric Bossic.

Above: The kitchen's minimalist elegance makes a virtue out of an economical building material.

Above: A stack of concrete blocks creates a slim counter that divides the space.

Above: The polished stainless counters bounce light into the kitchen.

Above: Oldcastle Concrete Block is 16 inches long; $1.14 at Home Depot.

Above: Stainless Steel Counter Tops are available in standard sizes from A Best Kitchen; a 24-by-25-inch length is $388. Image via fixedbyphil.com.

Above: FSC-Certified Fir Plywood is available in a 15/32-inch-thick size for shelving; a 4-by-8-feet panel is $30.97 at Home Depot.

Above: Elements of Design Single Handle Faucet in polished chrome; $193.17 at eFaucets.

Above: Smeg Classic Design 24-Inch Gas Cooktop; $620 from AJ Madison.

Above: Nutid Free-Hanging Extractor Hood in stainless steel; $1,199 from Ikea.

Above: The exposed light sockets can be created using a Standard Porcelain Lamp Socket; $6.99 at Aubuchon Hardware.

The fine art of everyday objects comes to the forefront at Kanaami-Tsuji, a Japanese company offering handmade wire strainers in patterns like "chrysanthemum" and "tortoise-shell."

The Kyoto company was founded by Kenichi Tsuji, and kanaami are Japanese wire-netting kitchen implements. Used for straining tea, serving tofu, and sifting powders, they are carefully made by hand in the time-honored tradition. When a tried-and-true item is damaged by use, the Kitayama workshop offers a repair service to bring it back to life. The wares are currently sold from the company's Kodai-ji shop and retailers in Japan; according to the website, a list of overseas sources will be forthcoming.

Above: Kanaami-Tsuji's products include (from left to right): tofu servers, tea strainers, mesh strainers, and serving trays.

Above: Some of the company's products are made by hand-twisting wire.

Above: A cane container (L) and a sifter made with horsehair (R).

Above: Tea strainers with teak handles (L) and tea strainers of bronze wire (R).

Above: A copper grater (L) and a tofu serving plate (R).

Above: An octagonal tray (L) and a ginkgo-nut roaster (R). The company takes advantage of machine-made mesh when a finer screen is required, but the products themselves are created by hand.

De rigueur for the Eastern-inspired kitchen: cookware from Tokyo-based designer Makoto Koizumi, made of white enamel coated steel with maple wood handles.

Above: The Kaico Kettle is $140 from Emmo Home.

Above: The Kaico Coffee Pot is $130 at Emmo Home.

Above: The Kaico Pasta Pan Set includes a stainless steel strainer insert; $190 at Alder & Co.

Photograph by Rebecca Westby for Alder & Co.

Lightweight and portable, there is poetry and practicality to these plywood accessories made in Japan.

Yu Ito, the designer behind Flat Packables, graduated in industrial design from RISD, and has since made it his mission to use technology more thoughtfully. "As laser-cutting technology became increasingly accessible, I started to see a lot of poorly designed laser-cut products. That inspired me to introduce unique designs that are original in not only appearance but in how they interlock together." Ito's Flat Packables are laser-cut from plywood, then hand-sanded and finished with beeswax. Compactly packed into a custom-designed box for shipping, the pieces are easily assembled into their final 3D form. "I am always interested in designing products that prompt the user to be part of the design process," says Ito.

Above: The Folding Travel Hanger is perfect for planes or hotels (where there never seem to be enough hangers); $16.

Above: Hibachi Tealight Holder; $16.

Above: Hibachi Tealight Holder with a Red Tealight Candle; $16.

Above: The holder and the tealight are packed just so to minimize bulk for shipping.

Above: Packable iPhone Stand; $8.

Tokyo-based Jurgen Lehl—a German who has lived in Japan for several decades—is a textile and fashion designer; he also offers a range of housewares under the Babaghuri line, including these Hanging Vases suspended from rope that is handmade from the bark of the Japanese lime tree.

Above: The vases cost around $120 each (9,500 Yen), depending on design, and are available from Analogue Life.