While there are some windows facing the street, the majority of the light comes through the more exposed side of the house. The exterior is clad in Hardie Board siding and features Ridley windows. The structure has zero setback from three of its four property lines, a potential fire hazard according to the building department. In order to build as close to the edges as possible, the team had to introduce a commercial sprinkler system to ensure that flames could be contained.

Mitchell says that the red cedar “provided a nice level of contrast from the white siding on top and helps to establish those two spaces as distinctly separate.” The siding is from James Hardie.

Mobile sustainability: The sliding doors were made in Syracuse by CabFab with a formaldehyde-free plant-and-soy-based composite board manufactured by e2e of Ithaca, New York. The mobile partitions were fashioned from TimberStrand, an engineered lumber made from younger trees rather than old-growth timber. cabfab.com e2ematerials.com ilevel.com An unconventional exterior: The solar screen is made from medium-density overlay plywood, a widely available and relatively affordable material whose traditional use for highway signs testifies to its durability.

Raleigh-based In Situ Studio designed "Fred" to nestle up to a wooded site, using Sto Powerwall stucco on the main body, with Hardie Plank siding and MiraTEC trim on the pop-out. Read about another North Carolina home by the architects in the May issue of Dwell. Courtesy of Richard Leo Johnson / Atlantic Archives Inc.

A Dornbracht tap sits above a custom-built glacier white Corian countertop and sink. The sink is covered by a removable cutting board that can be kept in place for an added work surface, or removed for dedicated sink use. The cutout in the center allows water from the tap to flow straight through to the custom Corian drainer.

At a design-focused mansion in Belgium, the soaring atrium is home to a jacaranda high board from the 1960s, a chrome and glass lamp from Italy, a black leather chair and footstool by Sergio Rodrigues, a Berber rug, and a pair of photographs by the Brazilian artist Luiz Braga.

Merge Architects wrapped the peg wall around three sides of a bathroom to hide a door and provide a storage for books and knick knacks.

An almost-concealed door designed as a part of the kitchen cabinetry leads to the main bedroom and en-suite bath.

From On Our Table, the BlockBowl is an innovative walnut accessory that is both a cutting block and serving bowl.

A built-in closet and chalkboard surface in the entry keeps things tidy and the couple's to-do list in order.

SLATE CHEESE BOARD This cheeseboard from Brooklyn Slate is a one-of-a-kind serving platter that is locally sourced from co-founder Kristy Hadeka’s family quarry in upstate New York. Each board also includes a piece of soapstone chalk so you can write which kind of cheeses, smoked meats, or other kinds of hors d’oeuvres are being served.

STONE CHOPPING BOARD From the British design outfit Tom Dixon, this Stone Chopping Board adapts to your culinary needs, elegantly accompanying you as you work and serve. A slab of carved white Morwad marble provides the perfect base for chopping, cutting, and rolling, while the delicate, hand-formed brass saucer can be used to collect crumbs, hold dips, or whatever else you may need it for.

Looming over the LaSalle St. “canyon,” this Art Deco-era skyscraper has a way with the imagination. The tower is a favorite destination of moviemakers, most recently gracing screens as the backdrop for a high-speed showdown between Batman and the Joker in The Dark Knight. When it’s not hosting superheroes, the building is home to the less thrilling but equally important Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The visitor’s center, located in the lobby, offers information and exhibits on the history of the building and its tenants. Photo by: Mohammed Benni

Slate Serving Board ($30)

Slate Cheese Board Presentation is everything. Brooklyn Slate Company manufactures a rustic slate slab perfect for displaying cheeses at your next dinner party. They even provide a soapstone pencil to identify your cheeses your guests will be devouring. from $24

Bamboo Cheese Board “We’re very big fans of animals in this shop,” says store manager Alba Ponce de Leon. “We recently came across this cheeseboard, and love it because it’s practical to use when people come over, and it’s something nobody else will have.” Probably safe to say you’re friends didn’t have zinc chicken feet at their last dinner party.

"Very ugly countertops are common," Perelman says. "I've mostly gone in the grin and bear it camp, but at the same time I think investing in a beautiful cutting board will make you feel much better about your kitchen. I bought a beautiful black maple cutting board and I'll always have it. You could probably get one the size of your counter. The whole idea is you can take it with you." This 12-by-20-inch walnut board is available from Jewett Farms Workshop for $46.

The kitchen addition is clad in James Hardie fiber-cement board.

The team installed narrow strips of Hardie cement board in a shiplap application, to give the rear facade depth.

A Dutch door is camouflaged in the home's board and batten siding. The Master Bedroom's private garden court gains privacy with the use of etched glass panels.

The Becerril family embraces stark modernism with a mute facade clad in Hardie board and acrylic panels. Access to the heart of the house is through the bamboo garden.

Board By Design's handmade shelf lets you hang your bike by its saddle, handling any and all bike shapes and sizes. Your bike will look as if its floating elegantly by the wall. Better yet, The Bike All shelf has two hooks for your helmet and bag. Place your smaller belongings on the top shelf—there's even an opening for your cell phone charger. The all-wood unit is especially handy for the space-deprived, measuring in at only 20-inches long and 7-inches tall. Photo by: BBD

Arrow board by Noble Goods, from $120 Whimsical, handcrafted details mark this food-safe, solid cherry board with an inlaid resin design.

Typography is an oft-forgotten but effective tool in facilitating creativity and inspiration. Whether the purpose is to enhance a written message with the right font or be used as a message itself, typography has a firm place in modern design. See more typography by clicking here.

Many experts and enthusiasts alike would argue that chairs are the building block of modern design. With some of these examples we've "pinned," it's easy to see why. View Dwell's modern chair picks.

Reclaimed Cheese Slate Board by Uncommon Goods Jump on the cheese board trend in a sustainable way. Handmade in Wisconsin these boards are made from reclaimed chalkboards from an Illinois elementary school. Reclaimed cork feet allow them to be displayed on any surface without risk of scratching or discoloration. $28 for a 12"x 10" board

On certain occasions, inspiration means getting as far away from home as possible. In this board, we do a bit of the travelling for you. See the travel pins for yourself.

Christopher Culley's Design Furniture Greatness has 169 pins, including shots of furniture from his shop.

Bonnie Tsang's Things board has 1,117 pins of things she "needs and wants."

From this high activity area, you move to “the little bedrooms”, which is really a large room full of beds where curtains can be drawn to separate one from the other. “I love a good sofa but there is nothing more inviting in the world than a bed with soft accessories and duvets in soft linens and upholstery. In this house you can fall asleep anywhere, and you can invite 40 for dinner and they can all sleep over,” says Campbell.

Myan Duong's Smarchitecture board has 981 pins of interiors and exteriors.

Loïc Dupasquier's Furniture Design pinboard has 609 pins devoted to modern design.

Richard LaRue's Design Thinking board has 1,194 pins covering a large assortment of graphic design projects.

Clad in a mix of stained cedar, Metal Sales corrugated siding, and James Hardie cement board, houses in The Village are arranged along winding paths intended to provide opportunities for neighbors to interact.