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Lighten your energy consumption (and your home) with smart lighting strategies. Energy efficiencies can be found in light sources, fixtures, and with tools that ensure lights are only used when needed; here are five ideas for reducing your energy consumption without sacrificing style.

Above: Replacing your five most frequently used light fixtures can be a boon for energy savings; bathrooms are a good starting point. The elegant Malone Vanity Light from Hudson Valley Lighting offers a nod to an earlier era, but with modern ENERGY STAR ratings; $500 at Wayfair.

Above: Outdoor lights are often a culprit for overuse of energy. Many outdoor light fixtures come not only with fluorescent bulbs but also equipped with a photocell that turns the light on only when it gets dark outside. The ENERGY STAR Seagull Lighting Sebring Outdoor Wall Light in brushed stainless offers energy saving fluorescent lighting and includes a photocell for nighttime control; $304 at Seagull Lighting.

Above: The One Light Gather Bathroom Sconce is a more affordable option. Available with nickel or antique bronze finish, it is ENERGY STAR Compliant; CAD$39.95 at Sescolite.

Above: For task lighting, switch to an LED light source, which is light efficient, emitting light in a specific direction (incandescent or fluorescent bulbs emit light in all directions). They are also energy efficient, using up to 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. The Element 790 Led Light designed by Mark McKenna for Humanscale is the first solid-state task light to meet ENERGY STAR requirements. It uses only seven watts of power to produce light output equivalent to 90 watts of incandescent lighting. It also has a dimmer, a feature not commonly found in task lamps, that furthers energy savings; $325 at YLighting.

Above: The One Light Bronze Floor Lamp evokes an old library feel. The adjustable ENERGY STAR-complaint lamp is available in a bronze finish and stands 54 inches tall; CAD$189.95 at Sescolite.

Located in a renovated turn of the century artist's warehouse in an industrial area of San Francisco, Anchor & Hope recently made Travel & Leisure's list of Best Seafood Restaurants in the US, thanks to chef Vernon Morales, who has done stints at El Bulli and Restaurant Daniel. The nautical chic interior is also well worth a look.

Above: The restaurant is located at 83 Minna Street between 1st and 2nd Street in San Francisco.

Above: The cocktail crew at work.

Above: The mural depicting a school of piranhas is by owner Doug Washington's wife.

Above: The interior features nautical flourishes: rope, buoys, and Emeco navy chairs.

Above: A detail of the rope-draped rafters.

Above: Another view of the bar area.

We've been coveting a set of round linen pillows for a while now (so much more interesting than the usual square or rectangular shapes); here are two options at different ends of the price spectrum.

Above: The Canvas Round Pillow in linen stone color; $110.

Above: The Canvas store's Round Pillow is available in 20 or 30-inch rounds and start at $110. They are hand-woven from hand-dyed linen with a decorative stitch and a hidden zipper (insert included).

Above: West Elm's Round Gusset Pillow is available in dusty blue, plaster, and slate; currently on sale for $29.99.

Above: The Round Gusset Pillow in the color slate. The pillows are made from 100% linen with a hidden zipper.

What happens when an architect and a graphic designer take 530 square feet of blank space and open it up to the creative public? Answer: anything from a pop-up travel agency to a woodcraft shop specializing in longboards made from reclaimed wood.

Conceived by Yosh Asato and David Baker, StoreFrontLab in Sanfrancisco's Mission District, is an experiment in "community, creativity, and local industry." The space is designed to be flexible, accomomdating anything from a pop-up travel agency promoting car-free trips to an interactive kids' playground; from a week-long artist-in-residency to a one-day DJ vinyl exchange. All you have to do is apply. Funded by the Micro Mission 888 Foundation, StoreFrontLab invites proposals for projects lasting from one day to one month.

Next at StoreFrontLab: Pallette Playhouses. For a complete calendar of events, visit StoreFrontLab's website.

Above: StoreFrontLab's first event was an artist-in-residency by Deep Craft Atelier.

Above: A wide view of the Deep Craft's event shows goods including Scott Constable’s long boards made from reclaimed California woods.

Above: Deep Craft's distinctive mallets, cheese boards, and long boards adorn one wall.

Above: As part of StoreFrontLab's mission, all events actively engaged the public. Here, Deep Craft's Scott Constable demonstrates how he makes a long board. Photo by Hans Kwiotek.

Above: A Deep Jersey by Gabriel Russo for Deep Craft hangs alongside other wear by Mary Brogger.

Above: The storefront, located at 337 Shotwell Street in San Francisco's Mission District. The design of the physical storefront represents a collaboration between architects David Baker and Jane Martin and fabricator Hoss Ward.

Launched at Tent 2012 during London Design Week, UK furniture designer Sebastian Cox’s latest pieces find beauty in the twisted, knot-filled branches that he can’t use for his furniture.

While still a student, Cox began researching coppicing, an ancient method of woodland management which takes advantage of the fact that if cut down regularly; many trees resprout straight-growing "rods" from the stump or roots, providing the next crop of usable wood. Each one of his Hazel Pendant Lights is unique and crafted out of the most interesting pieces of hazel grown in the coppice, paired with lampshades made from thin hazel shavings. “Often these pieces include twisted branches from suffocated ivy or clematis growth, which are just too beautiful to leave behind,” says Cox.

Above: Contact Sebastian Cox with specific size requirements and he will source an appropriately sized piece of hazel for your needs: £750 for a five-pendant arrangement.

Above: The beauty of irregularity is highlighted in the entry hall of a gracious home.

Above: The pendant light shades are made from fine hazel shavings.

Above: The Hazel Pendant Light was launched at Tent 2012 during London Design Week. Photograph by Christine Hanway.

N.B. Inspired by Sebastian Cox's Hazel Pendant Lights? See 1788 images of Rustic Lights in our Gallery of rooms and spaces.

A design office in Mill Valley pays homage to a celebrated local architect—and to the power of Northern California light.

Alison Davin of Jute likes natural light. “I don’t like to turn on the electricity," she says. Her office in Mill Valley was originally designed by renowned Marin architect John Marsh Davis, and the building boasts his signature flourishes: exposed plumbing and large windows that allow for ample sunlight. Davin and her assistant, Bekah Fletcher (to whom she gives the credit), recently customized the office by adding new shelving and storage options to accommodate a growing inventory of samples and project-related items.

To see more of Davin's work, go to Designer Visit: San Anselmo Bungalow. Photos by Drew Kelly.

Above: San Francisco-based woodworker Andrew Woodside Carter built the work table; the vintage stools were sourced from Galerie Half in Los Angeles. The leather handle baskets are from Waterworks.

Above: To accommodate a variety of storage needs, Carter custom-built the large shelves to include compartments of various sizes. The entire piece is upholstered in linen with leather welt added to the edges.

Above: The ultimate flea market find: pendant lights made from "vintage industrial baking whisks that were electrified," says Davin.

Above: A side view of the work table.

Above: A dual workspace with two Vapor Bar Stools by CB2.

Explore more office spaces.

There’s little you can’t make (or bake) with a 10-inch cast iron skillet, and if you look after it properly (season it regularly), cast iron cookware will last you a lifetime and beyond. Here are five favorites.

Above: A row of variously sized cast iron skillets; a chef's dream. Image via Brook Farm General Store.

Above: Vintage Griswold or Wagner cast iron skillets (the Rolls Royce of the cast iron world) can be found on eBay from $80 to $250.

Above: The 10-inch Lodge Logic Skillet is available through Amazon; $15.92.

Above: The 10-inch Camp Chef Cast Iron Skillet is available through Amazon; $17.99.

Above: The one drawback to the cast iron skillet is that the handle gets very hot. The Lodge Signature 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet with Stainless Steel Handles offers a cooler handle option; available through Amazon, $57.39.

Above: The 10-inch Staub Marin Fry Pan is made of black matte enamel interior; $99.95 at Sur La Table.

N.B. Looking for cookware? See 41 backposts of Cookware.

I've always had a secret longing for a built-in day bed for afternoon reading sessions (read: naps), so I took note when I spotted this DIY day bed made by Helsinki-based freelance stylist Minna Jones, who writes the blog Time of the Aquarius.

Here's a brief tutorial on building something similar:

Above: Jones opted to paint the daybed white and added pillows and an Ikea mattress. She also added a front panel, which is attached with an angle iron for a more finished look.

Above: The day bed abuts a corner fireplace.

Above: Jones attached the bed frame to the walls using heavy-duty screws.

Above: Jones used two sets of Ikea Sultan Lade slatted bed bases and screwed the slats to the top of the bed frame. For added support, she screwed leg supports into the frame.

Above: Another view of the finished day bed.

Above: More views of the cabin.

Petaluma is on the ups. The onetime Northern Californian farm town is a go-to source for antique lovers, the food cognoscenti flock to Della Fattoria, but we think it's Maude, the delightful children (and adult's) clothing store, that's really putting Petaluma on the map.

Stacy Lauer, who designed the interiors of Saltwater, which we featured earlier this week, and doll and clothing designer Jess Brown (we posted her Petaluma Home yesterday) met through their children's school. They knew they were kindred spirits when they noticed that they both were wearing Erica Tanov clothing while their children sported Flora and Henri (let's just say, not typical Petaluma wear). Before they knew it, the two had opened a small shop downtown selling the sort of hard-to-find handmade children's clothing that they appreciate with small accessories and women's clothing added to the mix. For more, visit Maude.

Photography by Mimi Giboin for Remodelista.

Above: Painter's drop cloths function as room dividers; the rustic furniture is made to order; contact Maude for ordering information.

Above: Housed in a former downtown jewelry shop, the once dark and dingy store was opened up into a large, bright loft-like space.

Above: Among the children's clothing offerings: pieces from San Francisco designer Dagmar Daley and New York-based Makie.

Above: In addition to clothing, the store carries select goods for the home, including Fog Linen napkins, ceramics, and other finds.

Above: Dolls by Jess Brown. Since the launch of her clothing line.

Above: Cotton Turkish towels from Erica Tanov, displayed in a vintage case.

Above: Zippered purses made by cult French children's clothing company, Le Vestiaire de Jeanne. In the foreground are bags by Dean.

Above: A long wooden table is used for holding children's workshops (ranging the gamut from book binding to paper doll making).

Above: The vitrined store front.

Browse more Shopper's Diary.

Walking past the stacks of wood at Arborica with owner Evan Shively, I am reminded of the first time I went to a cherry blossom viewing in Japan; when I looked up at the canopy of pretty pink petals, I knew I was seeing only a fraction of what everyone else saw. History, knowledge, and experience were required to see deeper. It was the same feeling at Arborica.

Wedged into a rolling West Marin landscape not far from Tomales Bay is a road lined with salvaged trunks and stacks of wood piled high. Welcome to Arborico, Shively's lumber yard, mill, and showroom, which has become a prized resource for craftsmen and designers alike. Shively's own foray into wood was a circuitous one. The Harvard grad worked as a chef for many years (at Postrio, Enrico's, and Manka's), but sees his "work with wood is a continuation of what I learned in the kitchen: being grateful for one another." Frustrated at not being able to find wood for his own creations, he resorted to sourcing it, and unwittingly found himself presiding over a wood salvage business. Despite the burly nature of the trade, Shively's humility and deference to his craft are evident when he says, "You need the wisdom to try to minimize your own preconceptions and your own sense of entitlement and appreciate what things actually are." For more information, go to Arborica.

Photography by Mimi Giboin for Remodelista.

Above: Shively describes his business as "big, gnarly, loud, and dangerous," but adds that when cutting wood, "the goal is to have the same regard and tenderness that you have for making furniture."

Above: When you saw a tree, "it dictates where it wants to be cut."

Above: Wood stacked along the road.

Above: A relatively small percentage of salvaged wood is good for lumber, and Shively has created a system for using the whole tree. Eucalyptus and fir do not work well for scale but can be used for sculptural work or cabinet stock and flooring.

Above: A detail of a cross section of wood.

Above L: Shively at work. Above R: "It is easy to project expectations but the trees owe me nothing," Shively say. "There are astonishing moments because the wood so often exceeds expectations of how beautiful it can be."

Above: Inventory in the showroom, with a sculpture of Shively's in the foreground.

Above: Bay laurel, redwood, and California nutmeg are some of the woods on display.

N.B.: If you want to see Shively's work in situ, The Coal and Feed is his rental house that sits on Tomales Bay.

Check out our Gallery of houses featuring wood.

Admired lately: wall lights inspired by Jean Prouve; here are two favorites at different ends of the price spectrum.

Above: House Doctor's New York Black & Copper Wall Light; £150.

Above: Ikea PS 2012; $49.99.

It's probably happened to you. You've inherited glassware—etched champagne glasses or wee cordials—that have nothing to do with how you live your life. You don't want to do the same to your progeny; a San Francisco-based designer has a solution.

Kaii Tu, a graduate of Harvard, Design Academy Eindhoven, and California College of the Arts, has created the Valence system of glass molds, which can be reconfigured to create glassware of myriad shapes and sizes for a variety of uses. An heirloom in and of itself, Valence is made from traditional cherry wood and crafted with the help of CAD and a computerized router.

Discovered via Hand Full of Salt.

Above: The versatile Valence system is not yet available for retail sales, but individual commissions and commercial inquiries are welcome. Just contact Kaii.

Above: A variety of glasses created with the Valence system.

Above: The Valence mold in assembly mode.

Above: Step-by-step imagery shows the Valence system in action. (Of course, the glass blowing step should only be attempted by a professional.)

Disillusioned with the amount of waste and lack of innovation she witnessed in the fashion industry, UK textile designer Tamasyn Gambell turned her sights to fabrics for the home; I spotted her work at Tent London recently and especially admired her collaborations with Ercol and her geometric-printed lamp shades.

Gambell studied at Chelsea College of Art and the Royal College, has worked at Louis Vuitton and Sonia Rykiel, and has lived in London, Paris, and Stockholm. She aims to "produce luxurious, considered designs while upholding a responsibility to work in the most environmentally and socially responsible methods available. We hand print all our materials in our London-based studio using organic dyestuffs and water based inks. Our production runs are small, minimizing waste and surplus goods." To see more, go to Tamasyn Gambell.

Above: Gambell's abstract patterns and bold colors are inspired by midcentury design. See Tamasyn Gambell for more information.

Above: An Ercol settee upholstered in Tamasyn Gambell fabric.

Above: Gambell's fabrics are available by the meter.

Above: Ercol chairs with Gambell-upholstered seats and backs.

Above: A midcentury chair is reupholstered with Gambell's Abstract Square Print.

Above: An assortment of lampshades made from Gambell's designs.

N.B. Interested in seeing more bold colors? See 81 images of Bold Colors in our Gallery of rooms and spaces.

Here's a roundup of what's piquing our interest this week:

Above: Admiring Leslie Williamson's visit to Atelier Brancusi in Paris.

• Julie's planning on making this before winter weather sets in.

• Both Stacey and Alexa read this piece about Caroline de Maigret on Into the Gloss.

Above: Enjoying a virtual tour of Dosa.

• Sarah is coveting one of these.

• Sourcing pumpkin inspiration for the upcoming holiday like these no-carve decorating ideas.

Above: Alexa has been admiring Dutch artist Marlene Kleinbloesem's butcher-inspired textiles, spotted on April and May.

• Checking out this roundup of black houses, including one of our favorites from Envelope A+D in San Francisco.

Above: Christine is watching Thiebaud via Morandi. (in which California artist Wayne Thiebaud discussions the influence of Giorgio Morandi on his work).

• Our crowd: Alexa's pinboard of architects and designers we've featured on Remodelista.

Above: Alexa's making a necklace inspired by Lauren Manoogian's Palms necklace made from raffia; photograph via Brook & Lyn.

• Curious about these energy-efficient prefab houses from New Hampshire.

Meanwhile, on Gardenista:

Above: Checking out garden concoctions (like these roasted plums) by Karen Mordechai of Sunday Suppers.

• Admiring the use of persimmons in flower arrangements from The Little Flower School's Dutch Masters Class.

This week, Jayne and Joan Michaels of 2Michaels Design share their go-to source for midcentury furniture and art: Larry Weinberg of Weinberg Modern. As an added bonus; they pick their five favorite pieces from his collection

In the early 1990s, Weinberg was a graduate student in history when a chance encounter with Mark Isaacson, an early champion of 20th century decorative arts and owner of Gallery Fifty 50, changed his life. Weinberg went on to become an influential pioneer in helping to uncover and rediscover twentieth century design from the 1930s to the 1970s. “I had an emotional and visceral response to these objects in space," he says. "Abstraction was on my mind; it was what I was seeing. It was a bit of a free for all back then; a Noguchi table could be had for $10.”

Weinberg works with private clients and designers to find the right pieces including the New York apartment featured last week – A Midcentury Dream on the Upper West Side, designed by 2Michaels a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory.

Above: A leading authority in the field, Weinberg can often be found writing in his gallery, Weinberg Modern which is in the New York Design Center. An 8' tall metal sculpture, "Queen" by Richard Filipowski sits behind a String Armchair by Irving Sabo for J.G. Furniture of Brooklyn. The Chest of Drawers was designed by Marcel Breuer for a house in Duxbury, MA while the square cocktail table is a rare Luther Conover design.

Above: The Streamlined Mueller Armchair from the 1940's was designed to ship flat in four pieces. "This chair has great lines, it's chic, low slung and it would add a sculptural quality to any room," says Joan Michaels of 2Michaels Design.

Above: This Early Josef Frank Lamp is from his Austrian period and was produced for his firm Haus & Garten in 1928. "We like the playfulness of the double-curve element in this lamp, says Michaels. "It was designed in the 20's and it still looks fresh."

Above: This Custom Unit Chest was produced in the early 1940's by Eric R.E. Schuster of the Art and Trade Shop of NYC is stylistically related to the Eames/Saarinen case pieces for the MoMA Organic Design show of 1941. "The bold grained book-matched birch veneer has a rich, buttery patina and gives this piece its beauty," says Michaels. "Its simple shape with elegant details such as the recessed round pulls and the straight metal legs make it truly special."

Above: This Abstract Study was painted by Boston-area artist Richard Filipowski right after his two-year stint teaching a Bauhaus fundamentals course at the Harvard School of Design. He was the only American to teach alongside Moholy-Nagy and Gropius and remained a link to the Bauhaus until his retirement form teaching in 1986. "Richard Filipowski's work is a bit under the radar," says Michaels. "His works is a good investment for a collector of mid century art."

Above: This cut plywood "Butterfly" Table designed by Dan Cooper and produced by Drexel Furniture in the early 1940's was intended for a mobile wartime population and was easily disassembled and transported. Because of it's disposability, very few have survived. Weinberg has only come across two in the last twenty years. "The midcentury organic design of this table is extremely rare and wonderful and I haven't seen anything quite like it," says Michaels. "It should be in a museum."

Above: The living room from the Upper West Side apartment designed by 2 Michaels Design. To see more, go to A Midcentury Dream on the Upper West Side.

N.B. Interested in Midcentury furniture? See 824 images of Midcentury Furniture in our Gallery of rooms and spaces.

A collaboration between interior designer Burcu Akin and textile designer Piyush Suri, London-based Akin & Suri run Handmade Interiors, two shops in London dedicated to showcasing the best of Britain's designer-maker movement.

Piyush (a judge on the new BBC 2 series Paul Martin's Handmade Revolution) is Indian and Burcu is Turkish, and they frequently reference their home countries in their fabric designs, which are handscreened in India and notable for their arresting color combinations and playful symmetries. Go to Handmade Interiors to see more.

Above: Akin & Suri's Elmas (shown in the background), a pattern inspired by 1970s Scandinavian tiles, is available in cotton flax as well as upholstery-weight cotton canvas. The pillows are in Nila, a design that both complements Elmas and stands on its own.

Above: Akin & Suri's references range from Turkish tile to French lace. Their fabrics are available in the US through Studio Four NYC.

Above: Iznik comes in an appealing range of colorways.

Above: Suri & Akin's designs are sold through their online store. Pillows come in three sizes, starting at $48.59, and the fabric is $48.59 per meter.

Above: Akin & Suri's two-patterned cotton quilts start at $235 for a bed throw.

Above: The Handmade Interiors outpost at 4 Formosa Street in West London. The other Handmade Interiors shop is in Shoreditch at 10 Cheshire Street.

Above: Yardage samples hang on a wall. The ceramics on the table are from a recent show at Handmade Interiors of white clay pottery from Tobe on the Japanese island of Shikoku.

Portland-based designer Ben Klebba references George Nelson's Swag Desk, mixed with the simplicity of utilitarian Shaker furniture, in his new Laura desk.

Klebba debuted the desk on October 3 at ShowPDX, a biennial furntiure design competition in Portland, OR. Each piece is made by to order by hand and is and available in domestic hardwoods: walnut, cherry, rift sawn white oak, or ash. For more from Klebba, see his blog post on how the desk was made and his shared studio space at Beam & Anchor.

Above: The Laura Desk is made to order in Portland, Oregon, and requires a lead time of about eight to ten weeks; contact Klebba at Phloem Studio for pricing and ordering.

Above: A rectangle, triangle, and circle are cut out in the storage drawers for collecting small items like pens and paper clips.

Above: The front edge of the desk features two tapered, angled drawers that pull out for storage solutions.

Above: The desk features three open cubbies at the back end, hiding two cord ports in the shadows. Klebba uses high-quality 1/16-inch plywood that is stitched with a thick veneer and laid over a solid core; this produces an heirloom quality writing surface over typical 1/32-inch thick plywood pieces.

N.B.: Looking for more desks? See 67 Desks & Worktables in our furniture section of the shop.

Sarah O'Neil, the owner of Smallspaces, likes to live simply: "Have less and invest in better-quality pieces that you can engage with on multiple levels" is the advice she offers.

The idea for opening her shop in Redfern, a suburb of Sydney (think Brooklyn 10 years ago), came after she purchased her own small space: "I bought a tiny apartment and then discovered that while in the Northern Hemisphere there was a myriad of furniture and homewares designed for small space living, no one was catering to the market in Australia," she says. "Inner city space has become a highly valued commodity as people are less able and inclined to spend the time and money on long commutes to and from work."

As for her won approach to small space living? "I have less of everything material. The pieces I do have are either highly functional or give me great sensual or sentimental pleasure and often both. I'm much more selective in my purchasing these days, which means I have more time and money to do the things I enjoy." Sounds compelling. To learn more, visit Smallspaces.

Above "My favorite small space pieces are the Muuto Stacked shelving. It's so clever, versatile, and simple." says O'Neil. The green Raw stool is by Muuto.

Above: O'Neil makes is a policy to only stock things she would have at home, offering her take on the best daybed, small table, stacking stool, and the like."

Above: "I make sure that I have a range of price points so everyone feels welcome and that the concept is attainable," O'Neil says. "Many of my customers comment that the space feels like a home, I think they are responding to the wabi-sabi aspect."

Above: A diminutive glass lamp by Muuto.

Above: What draws people to the store? According to O'Neil, "I think it's the mix of beautiful pieces from the Japanese firm Maruni with beaten-up Ercol chairs and tables that I'm in the process of sanding and loving back to life, art and ceramics by local on-the-rise artists, hand-knitted hot water bottle covers—and me, covered in sawdust or paint, chasing my dog off the sofa! Yes, luckily people seem to get the fact that I'm doing something I love and believe in and they can do too."

Above: O'Neill, who used to work in the fashion industry, outside her shop. When asked if she misses that world, she says, "There's nothing I miss except being able to wear Collette Dinnigan's exquisite pieces to work every day!"

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on May 31, 2012.

We were instant devotees of the simple Shaker-meets-Scandinavian wooden furniture from Another Country when it launched a couple of years ago. Now they've released a set of desk accessories that perfectly embody their modern finely crafted aesthetic (we're already thinking holiday gifts).

Above L to R: Tape Dispenser; £25, Eraser Pot; £18, Pencil Sharpener; £25 and Pen Pot; £20. The whole set can be purchased for £88 from Another Country.

Above: Designed by Simon Donald and made in the UK, each piece is made from maple. The tape dispenser has a brass serrated arm and the lid of the eraser pot is actually a large green rubber eraser with room inside for bits and pieces. The pencil sharpener comes with a motif handle on the lid. Beauty-meets-function at its best.

See more of our posts on Another Country.

See more Desk Accessories.

We're so pleased (make that thrilled): Our new site, Gardenista, edited by former New York Times columnist Michelle Slatalla, has just been named to Time magazine's annual tribute to the best in blogging. See more at Time ("it's about much more than just gardens and gardening; plant Gardenista in your bookmarks," Doug Aarnoth says).

Above: Photo by Aya Brackett for Gardenista