Dwell Nov-15

Why is the idea of downsizing such a common daydream? Perhaps we equate paring down belongings and reducing domestic square footage with having a simpler, happier life. After all, being unencumbered by the unnecessary certainly sounds good. That’s not to say that the decision to live with less is a simple one—it requires more than a fascination with so-called tiny-house movements or a sudden appreciation for transformable furnishings. Changing one’s lifestyle to accommodate a drastic reduction in livable space dictates a slew of compromises, and, often, an escalating series of challenges that are only revealed over time. In the pages that follow, we share projects that explore many of the hurdles connected with smallerspace living which, for this issue, we define as under 1,000 square feet. It’s worth noting that…

LETTERS This is a note following your recent issue on technology (“Today’s Smart Home,” July/August 2015). We make insulation from sheep’s wool sourced in New Zealand and processed in Reno, Nevada. We consider ourselves lucky to participate in a quest to create awareness around an old “technology” that has been not much more than underappreciated since the proliferation of synthetics began. Fortunately, amidst the race to obsolescence, we find an increasing lot who agree that nature does indeed do it better. Andrew Legge Truckee, California As a technophobe, it’s exciting to read how these new, user-friendly technologies appear to integrate home management so families can enjoy the experience of living together (“Today’s Smart Home,” July/August 2015). Thanks for continuing to cover the topics that are important while remaining true to…

Anna Moller A fine art and commercial photographer living in New York, Anna Moller has been featured in a range of publications, from Real Simple to T Magazine. She captured a tiny artist’s cottage in Foster, Rhode Island, for this issue (“Back to the Garden,” p. 98). “It felt very dreamlike,” she says of the 530-square-foot space. “I could imagine lying in the bed and feeling very peaceful.” If you were trying to downsize, what would you get rid of first? “We have a really big couch— all three members of my family can recline on it at the same time. That thing might have to be the first to go.” Mary Ore Los Angeles–based writer and editor Mary Ore wrote about a small, 17th-century Alpine house in Switzerland renovated…

ELDORADO STONE The modern elegance in Eldorado Stone's Cut Course Stone, shown here in Oyster, is reminiscent of a saw-cut Turkish Limestone. The highly contemporary linear-style installs with a clean, dry stack application and the muted color palette is indicative of natural limestone. Transform your space with the richness and texture only stone can provide. Eldorado Stone makes this possible with the world's most believable architectural stone veneer. Visit our website to find a dealer nearest you. TO THE TRADE eldoradostone.com NEW AT LUMENS The Capsula LED Pendant by Brokis is just as much a light pendant as it is a hanging art piece. While its unique modern design lends itself to limitless artistic interpretation, it also elicits a soft, warm illumination throughout any interior. See this and more from…

LĀLO The Bigua chair, artfully designed by Carlos Motta, manufactured by Butzke and presented by LĀLO was inspired by the anatomy of the Brazilian Bigua bird. The slats mimic the bird’s plumage creating elegant lines, swooping curves and comfort inspired by nature. DESIGNED WELL lalo-outdoor.com CALIFORNIA CLOSETS California Closets creates customized solutions for every room of the home to match the personal style of each individual client. This combination reach-in closet/wardrobe with built-in credenza is crafted in a rich mid-century color palette, featuring sliding doors, oil-rubbed bronze accents, and interior lighting. It’s a stylish solution for the homeowner who wants a master closet but does not have the room for a walk-in. Discover the beauty and expertise California Closets can bring to your client’s home. Showrooms throughout North America. DESIGNED…

Design heads extoll the rectilinear, plywood creations of modernist Donald Judd (1928-1994), whose four-decade body of self-described “specific objects” posed visceral meditations on scale, space, and context. But few may be familiar with Judd’s Cor-Ten steel sculptures, which he began to produce in 1989, just a few years before his death. The uniquely oxidizing metal surfaces introduced new avenues of chance, color, and tactility to his longtime signature for smooth, machine-made surfaces of Plexiglas, metal, and wood. Composed of four Cor-Ten steel boxes and yellow paint, this untitled 1991 piece is among those featured in a new show focused on this latter body of work, on view November 7 to December 19 at New York’s David Zwirner Gallery. davidzwirner.com 38 Houses We Love: Brooklyn 44 Outside: Prefab Cabin 52 Big Idea:…