Upon his first visit to Tasmania, an island south of the Australian mainland, resident David Burns was immediately smitten with its varied, pristine landscape. Working with architecture firm Misho+Associates, he built a self-sustaining, 818-square-foot retreat that would allow him to completely unplug from urban life.

The Element House by MOS Architects stands on pylons, creating the illusion of it hovering over the desert floor. Nine thermal chimneys, one of which can be seen right, channel hot air out from the interior living areas.

This simple desk organizer is carved out of solid oak.

A small airspace separates the building's aluminum skin from the wall underneath. The aluminum acts like a heat sink during the day: it absorbs heat but remains thermally separated (by the narrow gap) from the Element House walls.

Sunlight permeates the interior thanks to skylights within the thermal chimneys. A single common area, comprising a kitchen, dining, and living area, links all the three bedrooms.

The Element House stands on pylons, creating the illusion of it hovering over the desert floor. Nine thermal chimneys, one of which can be seen right, channel hot air out from the interior living areas.

The Element House is powered by solar panels, seen right.

Born in Poland but emerging from the Brazilian design scene, Jorge Zalszupin created this space-age wall-mounted organizer from plastic and mirror in 1970.

For those with New Year's resolutions in mind, the shop offers a range of materials for organizing, like the Pinorama wall board. At $250, the large size is the most expensive item in the collection.

Hernaez organizes CDs on a modular lapacho wood shelf designed by Sticotti.

The kitchen island, also Douglas fir, showcases the material’s rich striations and color variations. Behind the kitchen are two bedrooms and a single bathroom. A large open air pavilion, built concurrently with the cabin, can be seen from the windows on the right.

Outside, a gridded trellis with sheet-punched panels overlays the structure and extends into the landscape, providing shade in the warm desert climate.

GRID, Carter Williamson Architects, 2012 Envisioned as emergency housing for after tsunamis, this steel prefab from Australia arrives flat-packed and can be assembled in four hours. With solar panels and rainwater tanks, it's possible for it to house up to 10 people in a pinch.

Brownstone Desk Organizer by Aaron Linn "AaronLinnBrownstone“ $55.00 for one "Aaron Linn has hand crafted these very heavy note pad holders from authentic Brooklyn brownstone. For those of us who cannot own our very own Brooklyn brownstone apartment, we now have a chance to own a tiny piece of one. Very sturdy and well made." photo by Jacob Krupnick

Wooden Desk Organizer by Aaron Linn ($350.00 for one) text "AaronLinnDeskOrganizer“ to 767825 (portal) "Aaron is a goldmine find for Subports; he is truly a unique, under-the-radar craftsman. Aaron grew up working the land of the Oklahoma plains, and that farming sensibility plays into his wonderful handcrafted designs. No one else on the planet is doing the types of products Aaron is producing. Now based in Brooklyn, one of Aaron Linn's newest creations is a series of desk organizers from logs found in his NYC neighborhood (we know--trees here? Who knew). Each unit takes 4 weeks to hand-carve and features a lazy-Susan base and a built-in pencil sharpener. Looks great with his handmade Reclaimed Floorboard Scissors ("aaronlinnfloorscissors", $30.00) and the Trusted Sentiments Pencils from Et Al., Etc. ("etaletcsentiments", $9.50). Aaron's work is unbelievable and exclusive to Subports." photo by Jacob Krupnick

Stock—–like Aaron Linn’s hand-carved Log Desk Organizer—–can rotate as often as the meter runs out.

Off-The-Grid Desert Escape (Pioneertown, USA) Dwell profiled this counterintuitive desert concept near Joshua Tree, an uncoupled, environmentally friendly escape with glass walls and cross-ventilation instead of air conditioning and shade. Wrapped in glass, the waystation is more a watchtower for the desert scenery. Just imagine the stars at night as you huddle around the indoor fireplace. Named the "iT House” as a reference to the “It Girl,” not any IT (there’s no wifi here), it’s an ideal space to disappear amidst the thermals and 100-plus temperatures. Listing at Off-grid itHouse

“Often when we talk about sustainability we focus on the gadgetry, what makes things feasible off grid,” Moffitt says. “But to me there are more interesting things in passive design that rely on the available sun and wind.” An eight-panel solar array does chip in significantly, generating all the electricity the house needs.

The grid pattern ebbs and flows in popularity in art and fashion as well as in design. Artist Jean-Pierre Raynaud is famous for his home in Paris, La Maison in La Celle-Saint-Cloud, which sported an interior composed almost entirely of 15-centimeter-square white tiles, evenly spaced out with black grout.

For Design Miami 2014, gallerist Patrick Parrish showed a Superstudio-inspired tableau of RO/LU furniture and clothing by Various Projects.

AP Works of Japan created this playful placemat, which uses an illusion to make it seem "as if the pattern has sunk under the weight of tableware."

Grid of all the promo cards included in the separate envelope.

Designed by Peter Bohlin of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the 3,000-square-foot house "incorporates the natural world by allowing one to experience the temperature, sights, and smells of the island as you travel through the house," Kasper says. He calls it "the house that Nirvana built," from his time as a producer for the world-famous band, along with their Seattle grunge brethren Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and the Foo Fighters.

The 3,000-square-foot house sits partially on stilts to tread as lightly as possible on its natural island site.

@yahooshine: "Spotted these leather organizers designed in LA for your techie gear and more. #thisisground #dod2014 #timetoorganize"

Fabrica Extra-Ordinary Gallery at the Ace Hotel Shoreditch (September 16-21) The Shoreditch hub during the design festival, the Ace Hotel will be buzzing with exhibitions and installations. The Extra Ordinary Gallery, organized by the Fabrica Design Studio, fuses up-and-coming design talent and Italian craftsmanship for a new view on everyday objects. Federico Florianai's BU! wall organizer recalls the ornate railings found across southern Italy.

Bay and clerestory windows from Window Craft abound throughout.

A horizontal sliver of window allows light into the bathroom, with tile by Ann Sacks, a Zuma Collection C Series tub, a Kohler tub filler, and an Elkay faucet.

The opposite view reveals a modest open kitchen.

From the water, the house blends into the landscape, which was the intention of the owners and the architectural team.

I-beams extend beyond the house and add a perpendicular gesture to the otherwise elongated home. With virtually no neighbors, the family enjoys a private indoor-outdoor lifestyle. The doors throughout are from Northstar Woodworks.

The Element House also features eight balconies, two of which (seen left) border the living area.

While a lengthy building lifespan minimizes environmental impact—for example, the charred cedar will last 80 years—an array of solar panels 50 yards from the house also allows it to operate independently from the electrical grid. A cistern collects fresh water from a nearby natural spring.

Entirely off the grid, the house is powered by four photovoltaic panels that supply electricity to lights, small appliances, and water pumps.

Apply the grid look from floor to ceiling with Ferm Living's WallSmart wallpaper, a new generation of non-woven wallpaper that is supposed to be easier and faster to hang.