Homes that Restore Life/Work Balance

NArchitekTURA chose a monochromatic white interior for its "Apartment of the Future—R&D Laboratory" in Dobrodzień, Poland, taking a cue from the design of contemporary cellphones and other mobile devices.

Open shelving between the living room and dining area maximizes light and air flow and showcases eclectic objects, which include old printing blocks found at a garage sale and bowls homeowner Kathryn Tyler’s mother bought in South Africa. For Tyler, storage is critical. "It's something that always gets overlooked but it's actually the most important thing. I calculated the linear footage of the books I own to make sure everything would fit."

In the house’s front room Monkman relaxes on a stool from local retailer Andrew Richard Designs. A new window system draws in sunlight and views of the front courtyard designed by local landscape architect Terry McGlade, the building’s former owner.

Jane Wright, a painter and printmaker, uses one end of the building as a studio. The space served as a lanuching pad for her new interior design business, Roost Modern.

Nederhof purchased the vintage teak dresser from an online secondhand store. On it stand fertility statues and a miniature sculpture by Antonino Sciortino. The steel-framed glass doors fold back into the wall, and the space is oriented so clients can enter the office without traipsing through the entire flat.