Happy holiday weekend, everyone. Here's some summer browsing for hammock or chaise.

• Above: A new prefab for busting out of town.  
• American homes through the decades. 
• Guidelines for Made in America products. 

• Above: Color-dipped birch cutlery, a good alternative to plastic. 
• A shiny new clubhouse at LA International Airport for Virgin Atlantic's first-class customers. 
• How to throw a vegetarian-friendly barbecue. 

• Above: State-of-the-art marshmallow and weenie roasters.

• One of our favorite shopping destinations in the North of England, RE in Northumberland, is holding an event for Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer, owners of Honey & Co., Remodelista's go-to lunch spot in London. The culinary couple will be discussing their latest publication, The Baking Book. 

Instagram and Pinterest Picks of the Week

• Above: If your Instagram feed could use more summertime scenes, consider following Kaufmann Mercantile (@kaufmannmercantile). 

• Above: For Independence Day inspiration, we're perusing Pendleton's Americana Board. 

For more posts, see our Summer Kitchen issue, and head to Gardenista to see their week dedicated to Independence Day. 

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O say can you see? The holiday weekend has put us in a patriotic mood—join us this week as we shine a light on the best of homegrown, made-in-the-US design. 

Above: A PO that offers more than stamps and mail service at the Marin Country Mart in Larkspur, California. See Steal This Look: A Patriot's Post Office.

Monday

Above: Just what the cabin calls for: potholders made in the Pacific Northwest from wool blanket remnants—watch for Julie's latest Kitchen Find. 

Tuesday

Above: Ledge power. In Expert Advice, Justine offers tip and tricks for maximizing storage in the minimalist bathroom. Also take a look at her 11 Tricks for Making a Room Look Bigger.

Wednesday

Above: A few weeks back, we offered a Canvas Floor Cloth DIY. On Wednesday, we're spotlighting our inspiration: Maine-made mats with summery nautical patterns.

Thursday

Above: World's nicest office kitchen? Our Kitchen of the Week, built for a food website, is filled with cost-conscious design takeaway.

Above: Meet our latest coffee fixation on Thursday.

Friday

Above: One of our favorite ceramic artists has just set up home and shop in a storefront in Hudson, New York. We can't wait to take a look upstairs and down in Friday's Studio Visit.

Head over to Gardenista this week for a hydrangrea smackdown, ideas to steal from English cottage gardens, raised bed roundup, and more.

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Enough with the skimpy Turkish fringed foutas. True, they work well as sarongs, but for lounging in the sand and drying off, we prefer towels with a bit more bulk. Classic bands of color, too, please. The good news: Even though July is only just under way, beach towel sale season is now starting.

Above: Made of Japanese cotton terrycloth, the oversize Narrow Stripe Beach Towel from James Perse is available in gray/white and black/white; $225 each.

Above: The Vertical Rugby Stripe Teach Towel from Lands' End is $19 (down from $29) and comes in 10 color combinations.

Above: Serena and Lily's take on the Fouta Beach Towel is a combination of flat-weave cotton and terry. Shown here in kelly green and navy, it's available in five other colorways and is $38 (marked down from $48).

Above: The Belize Stripe Beach Towel in charcoal has one terry loop side and one cotton gauze side; $46 (down from $69) at Restoration Hardware.

Above: The Hudson's Bay Blanket Company is now applying its signature stripes to beach towels; $40 from Hudson's Bay. Read about the company's origins as a trading post and learn where to source the blankets in Object Lessons. Photograph via Camille Styles.

Above: Apolis's Hand-Loomed Beach Towel is made in Mumbai of Indian cotton lined with terry. Shown here in olive/white, it also comes in navy/white and red/white; $48.

Above: The extra-large GBC Positano Toweling—39 by 71 inches—is made in Portugal for Guideboat Co.; $55.

Above: New York textile design studio Todd Heim Projects specializes in color-blocked Irish linen for use as towels, picnic blankets, tablecloths, and bed covers. This Linen Beach Towel measures 40 by 80 inches and comes in five palettes; $160. Heim also offers twice-as-large striped beach blankets. See some of his designs made in collaboration with Fredericks & Mae in The Ultimate Houseboat in NYC.

A summer house to go with your beach towels? Go to Beach Style for ideas, including 12 Summery Spaces, Horseshoe Crab Decor Included and Ideas to Steal from the Scandi Summer House.

Find your picnic blankets on Gardenista.

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If you've ever worked out of a cubicle or a tiny home office, you understand the value of quality air flow, especially at the height of summer. We size up a group of table and desk fans—some with a retro appeal and others more modern.

Retro-Inspired Fans

Above: The Allaire Desk Fan from Restoration Hardware comes in two sizes and three finishes (brushed nickel, silver sage, black); prices start at $129. For more desktop ideas, see 10 Easy Pieces: Task Desk Lamps.

Above: The retro-inspired, handmade Bianca Directional Ceiling Fan from Matthews Fan Company is a ceiling-mounted option; it's available in 10 finishes, including brushed nickel and bronze; $784 at Lumens. For more ceiling fan ideas, see 10 Easy Pieces: Ceiling Lamps.

Above: The Retro Table Top Fan by Minka Air is made of solid steel and has three speeds; $56.02 at Amazon.

Above: The Charly Little Fan from Swizz Style is $130 at Williams-Sonoma.

Above: The Deco Breeze Round Retro Table Fan is encased in a stainless steel shell and measures about 12.5 inches tall; $60 at ATG Stores.

Above: The Hunter Century 12-Inch Portable Table Fan in brushed nickel is $77.95 from Hunter Air.

Mod Table Fans

Above: The whisper-quiet Otto Fan from Swizz Style is made of oiled African sapele wood and high-grade steel; $199 at Amazon. In the Remodelista book, it's featured in the Remodelista 100, our collection of favorite everyday objects.

Above: The 10-inch-tall Soleus Air Soft Blade Table Fan has safe-to-touch gray blades and is also notably quiet; $25 from Linens 'n Things.

Above: The USB Desk Fan from Muji has two separate sets of blades for maximum air circulation; $29.50.

Go to our Appliance posts for more suggestions, including the Dyson Hot + Cool Heater/Fan and Gardenista's selection of Patio Heaters.

Upgrading your kitchen? See How to Choose Your Refrigerator and How to Select a Dishwasher.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on July 21, 2010.

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The inspiration behind Justine's recent DIY floorcloth? These nautical canvas mats by Black Point Mercantile of Portland, Maine, tailor-made for the summer cottage and cabin. Even Justine says, "These are so spot on that next time, I think I'll go straight to the source."

Photography from Sharktooth.

Above: Black Point Mercantile's floorcloths are sold by Sharktooth of Williamsburg, Brooklyn; John Derian in NYC and Provincetown, Massachusetts; and Pancho and Lefty of Sweden. Made of heavyweight canvas that's painted, waxed, and distressed, they're $425 at Sharktooth for the four-by-six-foot size, shown here. (Go to Black Point Mercantile and John Derian to see variations of this pattern.)

A consortium of designers, painters, and craftsmen, Black Point Mercantile—not to be confused with Remodelista favorite, Black Creek Mercantile & Trading Co.—specializes in "durable products that will last as long as you do." The group is currently at work transforming a defunct movie theater in downtown Portland, Maine, into Black Point Mercantile's combination factory and shop/gallery.

Above: These two-by-three-foot Floorcloths are $275 each at Sharktooth.

Above: An 8-by-10-foot Diamond Pattern; $750 at Sharktooth. Custom sizes, colors, and patterns are available. 

Above: This six-by-nine-foot example is $550 at Sharktooth.

Above: A detail of the distressed surface and the stitching.

Above: Primary colors from Black Point Mercantile's about-to-be-introduced new series.

Above: A new design from Black Point Mercantile shown "in its native habitat," in the company's Portland movie theater.

We love living with canvas. For ideas, go to 7 Easy Summer DIY Projects with Painter's Drop Cloths. And to make your own summer rugs, see DIY: The Swedish-Striped Canvas Floorcloth.

Peruse more textiles from Sharktooth in our post The Patchwork Quilt Gets a Modern Makeover. 

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San Francisco readers: You're invited! Join us at the Blu Dot San Francisco store (560 Valencia) on Thursday, July 9, from 5 to 8 pm for a Remodelista after-work party: drinks, light fare, and great furniture. Bring your copy of Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home to have it signed by Remodelista editor-in-chief Julie Carlson. Chat with editors, shop Blu Dot, and stand to win one of five signed books we'll be giving away throughout the night.

Note: We won't be selling books at the event. Bring your own copy or purchase one in advance: Call around for availability at local booksellers, or order the book for $20 on Amazon and choose one-day shipping.

Reminder: Blu Dot is giving away a $1,000 gift card to one lucky Remodelista reader in the US, UK, or Canada (except Quebec). Enter Online by July 14 or enter in person at the San Francisco store event. For ideas on how to spend your winnings, browse the Remodelista editors' Blu Dot shopping list, The Best of Blu Dot: Remodelista's Picks. 

The store is located at 560 Valencia, between 16th and 17th. For directions, transit, and parking information, visit Blu Dot San Francisco. 

We hope to see you there!

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When we first met Paula Greif back in 2012, she had set out to make every utensil in her Brooklyn kitchen herself out of clay: See The Handmade Kitchen. (We date our infatuation with small-batch pottery back to that post—and Paula's work remains the standard bearer.) Since then, the former graphic designer and director of music videos and commercials has devoted herself full time to her ceramics, and set a new goal: To establish her own all-in-one studio, home, and retail shop. After a two-year budget remodel of an impossibly skinny three-story structure in Hudson, NY, she has just opened for business.

Photography by Paula Greif for Remodelista.

The Shop

Above: Located on Warren Street, Hudson's shopping hub, Paula's new quarters are a mere 10 feet wide (nine feet on the inside) and "must have been built as an alley infill," she says. The building, likely a commercial space to begin with, was used as a house in recent years. Paula gave it a gut renovation, including introducing a storefront and painting the exterior black (it's Benjamin Moore Black Tar).

Above: Paula worked on the project with her friend Stephen Shadley, Diane Keaton's longtime interior designer, who happens to be building his own place across the river. Starting on the ground floor, which includes the shop and studio in the back, Paula had every room paneled with pre-primed horizontal poplar Trim Boards for a shiplap effect: "This was my splurge. It makes the place feel like a treehouse in Scandinavia, or a glamorous trailer."

Above L: Ceramic serving utensils—which look something like pieces from a children's book illustration brought to life and are fully functional (even dishwasher safe)—are displayed above a chair made from an old headboard. Above R: A beaker and plate.

Paula works in stoneware, porcelain, and terracotta, and uses a range of techniques: "hand building, slab, wheel, pinched." Most of her pieces are one- or few-of-a-kind. Her new shop is the best source, and they're also available online at Paula Greif Ceramics, but tend to sell out fast (Paula sends alerts to subscribers every few months when she replenishes her site.) A Spotted Pitcher, similar to the beaker, is $210; an indigo-dotted Peacock Platter is $285.

Above: Paula's work and her new setup are inspired by celebrated ceramic artist Lucie Rie, who fled Nazi Vienna and had her own live/work studio in a mews house in London from 1939 to 1995. A longstanding collector, Paula furnished upstairs and down with the best of her antiques holdings. 

Above: Paula's wares are displayed on simple wooden box shelves.

Above: A porcelain bowl and compote with hand-drawn lines. Similar Striped Nesting Bowls are $300 for a pair, and a 7.7-inch-tall Footed Bowl is $295.

Above: More from Paula's blue-and-white collection. Her signature cat dishes, she says, "started as a funny going-away-to-college gift for my kid, Anna—we're cat people." See terracotta versions of the Cats in her online shop.

The Living Quarters

Above: The interior narrows from 600 square feet downstairs to 400 square feet on the second floor, home to the living room and kitchen.

Paula's vintage Knole settee, a long-ago purchase, is "in its fourth life, last slipcovered in white canvas and now upholstered in yellow linen." The floors throughout are painted Benjamin Moore Decorator's White in a gloss.

Above: The room doubles as guest quarters thanks to this pair of 1940s chairs that each convert into a twin bed. Paula bought them from her next-door neighbor, antiques dealer Vincent Mulford. The Indian block-printed pillows are from Layla in Brooklyn. The New Guinea wall hanging and many other of Paula's best finds came from late-great downtown NYC shop Joel Mathiesen Antiques.

Above:  I did everything at the lowest cost possible," says Paula, who credits her builder Glenn Young of Catskill, NY, with "always having the right solution." In the kitchen that involved coming up with an affordable combination of custom cabinetry with white Formica counters on plywood. Paula looked for white appliances, and paired an Ikea built-in range (a since discontinued model) with a Whirlpool cooktop and a 24-inch-deep Summit refrigerator ("the cheapest counter depth you can find"), both special ordered for her by her local Home Depot in Catskill. Paula sprang for a Bosch dishwasher and vent—"worth it for their soundlessness."

The kitchen opens to a newly added back porch that makes the narrow space feel bigger. The yellow floor mat is from Ikea and the ladderback chair is a Brooklyn street find. 

Above: Paula's Grohoe Minta Pull-Out Spray Faucet came from Faucet Direct—"I was hesitant to buy stuff online but was blown away by the service; I had to exchange things and there were no questions asked and shipping was free." The aluminum cabinet pulls are Ikea's Blankett design ($3.99 for two)—"not bad knockoffs of Sagatsune."

Above: The paneling extends to the 300-square-foot top floor, devoted to the master bedroom and bath. The soaking tub is the Wyndam Collection's 5.58-Foot Laura, another Home Depot special order ("They, too, were great to work with, and we got a contractor discount"). The sink is a Kingston Brass Sierra Square with a Grohe Starlight Chrome Single-Hole Faucet, both from Faucet Direct.

Above: In Paula's tranquil bedroom, a bench from the Essex Street Market in NYC holds one of her terracotta vases. The bed has Ikea white linens topped with a Turkish carpet from Kea Carpets of Hudson, NY.

Above: The shop is at 419 1/2 Warren Street, sandwiched between Vincent Mulford Antiques and Old Hudson Market, and is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays—"unless I'm off on a family or friend festivity," writes Paula on her site.

"What I love about living here is that there's so much talent and vision on all sides," she says. "Hudson has an amazing history and a complicated and diverse population. A big Bangladeshi community came in the 1980s, and so did the antiques dealers. More recently, the artists and young farmers and makers have moved in. I'm very at home here."

Where Paula goes, we follow. Take a look at her previous Brooklyn apartment and peruse more of her ceramics.

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Here's what we've been obsessing over this week. 

• Above: Next week, in honor of Bastille Day, we'll be taking an immersion course in French design. Right now, we're admiring Le Corbusier's Sante Marie de la Tourette in Lyon. Photograph by Alicja Dobrucka. 
• How to change a duvet without breaking a sweat. 
• A woodworking camp in San Francisco for kids. 

• Above: Our friends at Grain on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, are holding a Moving Sale this week, July 11 and 12. (Take a tour of their house to see what might be up for grabs.)
• A charming video celebration of everyday color. 
• A Japanese-made canvas rocking chair. 

• Above: Shades of blue in a creative couple's Maine live/work space. Photograph via Lonny. 
• Exposed brick and rafters in Portland-based graphic designer Shauna Haider's new studio. 
• A look at the living rooms of eight fashion designers. 

• Above: Marine-inspired lighting at UK retailer Rowen and Wren. 

Instagram and Pinterest Picks of the Week

• Above: For a look at the projects and processes of an interior design firm, consider following Jessica Helgerson Interior Design (@jhinteriordesign) on Instagram.

• Above: Find hue inspiration on blogger Erin Hiemstra's Color board. 

To catch up on our latest posts, go to our New Americana issue—and don't miss Country House week.

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In honor of Bastille Day, we're spending the week investigating the current design scene in France.

Monday

Above: In today's Furniture post, Margot surveys the latest G-Star-Vitra Prouvé collaboration.

Tuesday

Above: We'll be rounding up the best French market baskets in 10 Easy Pieces.

Wednesday

Above: On Wednesday, our Object Lessons columnist, Megan Wilson, delves into the history of France's oldest glassware company.

Thursday

Above: In Thursday's Tableware post, we drop in on our new favorite French ceramicist.

Friday

Above: On Friday, we'll be paying a House Call to French kids' design entrepreneur Cécile Roederer in Paris.

There are big improvements afoot—it's Before and After week at Gardenista.

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If, like us, you're still dreaming about the château we visited yesterday in the Charente region of France—see La Vie en Vert—the good news is that most of the furnishings are available. Owners Isabelle Dubois-Dumee and Hubert Bettan run Les Petites Emplettes (translation: The Little Shop), an emporium of French and Moroccan household staples, straight from their enchanted castle. Here's a sampling.

Baskets and Furniture 

Above: A Mini Hanging Basket made in Morocco of braided palm; €17 ($18.70).

Above: Woven fiber Round Poufs are €49 ($53.92) each.

Above: Decorative Wooden Trees, approximately 29.5 inches tall, are €39 ($42.92), and "some slightly bend for poetic attitude as if the wind were blowing."

Tableware

Above: Dejeuner sur L'herbe, €31 ($34.11), is a biodegradable collection of lunch-on-the-grass dishes and utensils for eight, vial of salt included.

Above: A Wool Storage Cube, made in France of unbleached wool, is €21 ($23.11). "Small decorative tip," write the couple, "adding textiles to your home adds warmth."

Above: A Mini Panier, sized for sugar cubes or paper clips, is €8 ($8.80).

Above: A hostess gift Tabletop Pack, €24 ($26.40), comes in a wooden crate and includes picnic items for two: glasses covered with woven fiber, fiber mats, wooden spoons, lemongrass candles, and a pair of vases (flowers included). A set of four Natural Fiber Placemats is €29 ($31.91). The glasses are also sold separately.

For the Bedroom

Above: An organic cotton Star-Adorned Duvet Cover and Pillowcase—with black and glow-in-the-dark stars—is €180 ($198.07). 

Above: A string of Wicker Lights (20 lights total) is €120 ($132.05). 

Above: Les Petites Emplettes' made-in-France Organic Cotton Duvet Cover and Pillowcase of unbleached cotton is stamped "chut," which means "shhh." The set comes in two sizes starting at €159 ($174.96).

Go to La Vie en Vert and Les Petites Emplettes to see more.

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Several years before Columbus set out for America, a glassworks was set up at La Rochère, a mountainous area of timbered houses and waterfalls near the Swiss border of France. After a few false starts (a devastating fire followed by the Thirty Years' War), the furnace was relit in 1666 and has been going strong ever since. Over the centuries La Rochère has produced canning jars, medical equipment, window panes, and roof tiles, but the company is best known for its drinking glasses. La Rochère's wide range of glasses, plain and fluted, retain shapes that were as popular in 19th-century dining rooms as they are today. It's not difficult to imagine the local writer Victor Hugo and painter Gustave Courbet taking refreshment from La Rochère goblets while nibbling the area's famous Comté cheese at a rustic cafe.

Today the company is run by the descendants of the 19th-century owners and sells its traditional hand-blown as well as more affordable pressed-glass ranges worldwide. Here's a selection of some utilitarian favorites.

Above: A table set with La Rochère glassware from the Perigord line at London popup restaurant Pips Dish (see London's Best Below-Stairs Lunch, Hoxton Edition). Photograph by Simon Bevan for Remodelista.

Four to Buy

Above L: A set of six La Rochère Perigord Tall Drink Glasses is $65.48 from Amazon. Above R: A set of four Perigord Glass Water Tumblers is $40 from Posh Chicago. 

Above: A set of six La Rochèe Traditional North Africa Espresso Cups is $51.55 from Amazon; the same Espresso Glass is €4.50 ($4.95) at Merci.

Above: A set of six 8-Ounce Balloon Decor Water Glasses is $51.86; a set of six 4.5 Ounce Balloon Decor Red Wine Glasses is $51.32; and a set of six La Rochère 2.5-Ounce Balloon Dessert Wine Glasses is $47.81, all from Amazon.

Above: A set of six 15.2 ounce La Rochère Ouessant Iced Tea Glasses is $77 from Sur la Table.

Object Lessons columnist Megan Wilson is the owner of Ancient Industries and the curator of the Remodelista 100, a collection of everyday essential objects presented in the Remodelista book. Have a look at her past lessons on iconic designs, including Cafe Ware from Duralex, La Rochère's competitor, and Le Parfait and Other Canning Jars.

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A self-taught ceramic artist, Justine Lacoste has a degree in anthropology, which, she says, trained her to pay attention to the tiniest details. Inspired by things such as pastry wrapper folds and the weave of a dish towel, her pieces have a poetry about them that has us enchanted. 

Photography by Epure-Justine Lacoste, unless otherwise noted.

Above: Did someone say idyllic? After working for a series of potters and mold makers, Lacoste established her own studio, Epure, in a centuries-old barn on a farm in Brittany, where she lives and works with her husband, Jean: "I focus on the creative side and Jean on the production. We do everything: the ceramics, photography, website, selling, cooking, and not sleeping."

Above: Porcelain wares and molds—made from an old English milk bottle (see below)—on a much-used old workbench in the studio. 

Above: Lacoste's designs are available directly from Epure. Though the online shop only gets updated every few months (stay tuned for new pieces in September), the couple takes orders on request and Lacoste posts her latest work on Instagram (@epurejustinelacoste). Shown here, her signature Canelé collection of hand-shaped porcelain serving dishes, which are also available from French online shop Le Repère des Belettes, starting at €12.50 ($13.66) for a Mini Starry Pot. All are dishwasher and microwave safe.

Above: The Canelé Light, €155 ($169.41), in a matte or glazed finish, hangs from a cloth-covered twisted cord.

Above: Porcelain serving boards in an array of impressed patterns are ideal for hanging.

Above: Lacoste's bottle-shaped Point Vases, some with subtle gold detailing, are priced from €23 to €37 ($25.14 to $40.44).

Above: Canelé Bowls (L) are available on request from Epure, and Star Plates (R) are in stock at Le Repère des Belettes, starting at €27.50 ($30). Photograph via Le Repère des Belettes.

Above: Handmade Limoges porcelain Plats Trame Lin are textured with old linen, €38 ($41.53) and €45 ($49.18). 

Above: Milk Bottles for serving drinks or displaying flowers are €26 ($28.42) each. Photograph via Le Repère des Belettes.

We found Lacoste's work by chance, but it turns out it's a small world: Her neighbor Mathilde Labrouche of Pierre Coté makes Painterly Porcelain Plates, and her friends Isabelle Dubois-Dumee and Hubert Bettan run Les Petites Emplettes, A Housewares Shop in a Chateau. 

Go to Ceramics to see more of our favorites, including Janaki Larsen's Pottery at Le Marche St. George in Vancouver and Rustic Italian Planters by Flò.

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Here's what we've been obsessing over this week.

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This week we're celebrating the pared-down, minimalist-leaning life, from a zero-waste restaurant in the UK to a budget kitchen renovation in New Zealand. 

Above: Photograph via Saar Manche, a lovely lifestyle blog by an illustrator who lives in the Netherlands.

Monday

Above: Christine visits 2015's Best House of the Year, a minimalist country manor in the UK, in our Architect Visit column.

Tuesday

Above: In Tuesday's Fabrics & Linens spotlight, Izabella checks out a line of summery textiles by a Brooklyn designer.

Wednesday

Above: In 10 Easy Pieces, Margot rounds up the best refrigerator drawers out there.

Thursday

Above: Our Kitchen of the Week is a cost-conscious DIY remodel in New Zealand.

Friday

Above: In Storage news, we're admiring a chic bicycle rack from France.

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"Each piece begins as a rough concept sketch and is slowly brought to life through a careful alchemy of design work, material sourcing, and production methods," says Susan Connor of her hand-printed textiles. 

The self-taught designer moved to New York in 2007 and fulfilled a longtime dream to live in a city full of life and diversity—and inspiration for fabric patterns. In 2014, Connor presented her first collection of limited-edition pillows and throws made in her studio in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Here's a look at her latest work and some of the steps that go into it. 

Photography by Susan Connor.

Above: Connor's pattern designs begin as intricate hand-drawn sketches, which she then carves onto blocks for hand stamping textural patterns onto fabric. 

Above: The fabrics have a bohemian, relaxed feel. "My work gives a nod to traditional block-printing styles and techniques, but pushes the boundary of detail achievable with hand-printing," says Connor. 

Above: The Ponti Cushion of ivory linen is patterned with a hand-printed geometric design in indigo. All cushions are available in four sizes and come with a 10/90 down insert (10 percent down, 90 percent feathers). A 12-by-18-inch cushion (shown) is $115 from Connor's online shop. 

Above: The ivory linen Inlay Cushion has a design inspired by a set of ancient wooden inlaid doors. The cushion is $150, insert included.

Above: The Tribe Indigo Chambray Throw is 72 by 57 inches and can be used as a bedcover, tablecloth, or picnic blanket; $160. 

Above: A linen Vatta Cushion starts at $115 for the smallest size; a linen Totem Throw, with a pattern inspired by ancient tools and jewelry, is $160. 

Above: Connor at work in her Bushwick studio. "From the start, the vision behind my company has been for my clients to feel as if they are in the studio beside me, in an artistic setting" she says.

Above: Connor's block carvings: "The goal is to allow the textural details in some of the carvings to become almost a second color, like a wash of texture." When asked what her blocks are made of, Connor told us she'd like to keep that detail her secret. 

Above: The Sabine Table Runner is a collaboration between Connor and small-batch design group Mavenhaus Collective. 

Above: Connor values linen fabrics produced in the US. Sourcing the right fabric to fit the printing technique is essential: "It has to be smooth enough to hold the print, yet soft enough to be comfortable for use in the home."

Visit Susan Connor to see more.

Browse more of our favorite artist-designed textiles:

• Mexchic: High-Style Design from South of the Border
• Sustainable Home Goods from the Deep South
• Textiles by Kirsten Hecktermann
• Sketches of Cape Cod: Rebecca Atwood's New Fabric Collection

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Modern versions of the general store have sprung up all over the US in the past few years. But back in 2009, when Philippa Content and Christopher Winterbourne were setting up shop under the Williamsburg Bridge, they were pioneers. Specializing in hard-to-find household essentials, the couple supplied wood-handled vegetable brushes and Le Corbusier's favorite reading lamp to Brooklynites, many moving into their first apartments.

They shuttered their shop a few years ago (but kept it going online), and traded life on the urban frontier for decidedly cushier digs in the Hamptons with their two young kids, and chickens, too. Having gotten their bearings, they've just opened Housefolk on Main Street in East Hampton. Catering to a second-home-owning, pleasure-seeking crowd, it's a grown-up version of Brook Farm, but rest assured, says Philippa: "We still follow the same philosophy that beauty and function should go hand in hand." 

Above: A woven armchair from Swaziland has been one of the shop's overnight bestsellers.

Above: The focus is on everyday luxuries, from well-made baskets to blankets. Philippa and Christopher have international backgrounds—she grew up in northern Maine with a Puerto Rican mother and a Dutch father, he's from London with a French mother and British father—and know where to find household basics made the old-fashioned way.

Above: Shelves are stocked with handmade ceramics, including Frances Palmer's terracotta flowerpots and straw food domes from Swaziland.

Above: We have our eye on Housefolk's collection of modernized blue-and-white bone china made in Stoke on Trent. A serving bowl patterned with flowers, foxes, and rabbits is $212.

Above: English ironstone pitchers start at $39 for the one-pint size. The swan-necked chair is the Nicolle, a 1933 French design originally made for use in factories and workshops; it's available in seat- and stool-height, starting at $325.

Above: In the toiletries corner, industrial modern lighting by Workstead, a Remodelista favorite. Jardins dD'Escrivains of Gras, France, makes the perfume.

Above: Indigo blankets, throws, and shawls are a speciality. 

Above: The ceramic bells are by Michele Quan. We'd like a stack of the navy-striped white linen dish towels.

Above: Baskets from Tanzania and Ghana top a bracketed display shelf.

Above: As evidenced by the brush selection, Philippa and Christopher have remained true to their roots.

Above: French stoneware breakfast bowls and lidded storage jars (the smallest with holes is a garlic keeper). See more at Housefolk.

For Housefolk's California counterparts, take a look at An SF General Store Opens in Venice Beach and Neighbor in Oakland.

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Suddenly on the rise: wall-mounted marble shelves. Here are five good choices for the kitchen and bath, from high to low.

Above: Spanish designer Jaime Hayon came up with the Diamante Marble Bathroom Shelf for Bisazza Bagno. To locate a dealer in the US, go to Bisazza Bagno.

Above: Michael Anastassiades' T-Square Marble Shelf is, in his words, "a simple shelf, suspended by a strap, in perfect balance." Go to Coedition for ordering information.

Above: Fort Standard's Small Marble Shelf with brass screws is $275 (available in white Carrara marble or black granite).

Above: The 36-inch White Marble Shelf with Brushed Silver Brackets is $178.95 from Crate & Barrel.

Above: House Doctor's Marble Shelf is $58 from Scandinavian Design. 

Above: The 24-inch-wide Marble Wall-Mounted Shelf with brass-finish brackets is $59.95 from CB2.

Browse our photo gallery for Bathroom Design Ideas. Getting organized? Go to our Shelving posts for more ideas, including 14 Bathroom Storage Tips to Steal for the Kitchen and 15 Life-Changing Storage Ideas for the Kitchen. And, on Gardenista, see 10 Easy Pieces: Garage Storage Units.

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Susan Hoff's live/work space occupies two small rooms (a total of 502 square feet) in a nondescript two-story building that she shares with three other artists and a dance studio. Having grown up restoring a 19th-century farm with her family in Illinois, she was equipped to build a sense of comfort and personality into her unorthodox rental in San Francisco's Mission District, where she handcrafts tote bags made from retired sails and spent horse tack. Let's take a look. 

Photography by Dalilah Arja  for Remodelista.

Above: Susan spent her childhood horseback riding on her grandparents' farm in Illinois. In college, she took up sailing and spent a semester on a schooner in the Caribbean as a part of a Sea Education Association program. She studied art at Colorado College, where she picked up her sewing skills. The bags, her most recent venture, "are a marriage of the two biggest passions in my life, sailing and horseback riding."  

Before arriving in San Francisco in 2010, Susan found her live/work quarters on Craigslist. An uncommon occurrence in today's impacted rental market, Susan signed the lease on her first day in the city. "Originally I only rented half of the studio space; enough room for a small sewing table and a stack of sails," Susan says. Since then, she's also rented an additional room as her living quarters. 

Living Space

Above: Down the hall from her workspace, and directly across from the dance studio, Susan's 238-square-foot bedroom is a calm respite in the middle of a communal building. The community kitchen and bathroom are next door. 

Above: A 10-foot-wide area next to Susan's bed serves as the living room. Like most things in her space, the sofa cushions and pillow covers are Susan's own creations and are made out of sail cloth. 

Above: Susan used boat rope to secure an old sail as the curtain in her bedroom which creates a soft, diffused light. She made the bracket and dowel from spare wood she had lying around. 

Above: Seashells and surfboard wax sit neatly on an antique credenza. 

Above: Another sail cushion made by Susan tops a midcentury teak recliner.

Above: Next to the sofa, a surfboard and tote bags made by Susan are stored on a wall.

Above: A bundle of dried seaweed hang from a simple sconce.

Above: Books and souvenirs from Susan's travels are perched on a shelf in the nook. 

Work Space

Above: In the 264-square-foot studio a few steps from her bedroom, Susan is a one-woman band: she executes everything from drafting and cutting patterns to sewing each bag in this space. Go to Susan Hoff to see her designs.

Above: When Susan first moved in five years ago, she only rented the studio space, so she built a tiny loft where she slept. It's now her storage area. 

Above: Susan's bags and layers of horse tack that will eventually become tote handles hang along a gray wall. 

Above: Opposite the gray wall, sewing patterns and extra materials are stored in a cube shelf that doubles as a divider separating Susan's space from the artist's studio next door.  

Above: A beachy vignette.

Seeking more rental inspiration? See Sarah's Refined Rental in St. Helena and Life in a Tiny Apartment, Brooklyn Edition.

Looking for more workspaces? Take a look at The Unplanned Designer's Loft in Brooklyn and Kelly Lamb's Glamorous LA Art Studio. 

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Based in Montpelier, in the south of France, Thibaut Malet is a young artist with a penchant for wood. "I love handcraft and especially woodworking," he says. "I think design should optimize space and minimize the use of materials, from packaging to the final form. I try to conceive simple objects that are easy to dismantle and move."

Above: The single Bike Hanger 3 is €350 ($383.93). The Bike Hanger with Two Supports is €450 ($493.63).

Above: "The BH3 Bike Hanger is foldable and is based on the ladder principle," Malet says.

Above: Detail shots of the bicycle rack, which is backed with cork to prevent damage to the wall. See more at Thibaut Malet. 

Interested in more bike storage ideas? See 10 Favorites: Indoor Bicycle Storage and The Bike Shelf.

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Ready to venture into a bean tunnel? How about hanging a backyard canopy and pulling up a lounge chair? This week Gardenista is all about unearthing the good life.

Above: The DIY Bean Trellis.

Above: They look good closeup, too: Purple Pole Snap Beans grown from Tennessee heirloom seeds.

Above: The voting is on now through August 15: Vote for the Best Edible Garden (and More) in the Gardenista Considered Design Awards.

Above: Expert Advice: The 10 Best Hydrangeas to Grow Right Now—or Anytime.

Above: 10 Easy Pieces: Indoor-Outdoor Jute Rugs.

Above: DIY: A Soothing Sunburn Cure (with a Secret Ingredient).

Above: Simple Summer Style: 10 Garden Ideas for a Backyard Canopy.

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