The Ultimate in Occasional Furniture

Take a note from the Europeans and start mixing your tiles in patchwork patterns.

Techne Architects created a modern Mexican vibe in their design for Fonda Windsor in Melbourne, using sombrero-shaped chandeliers, hand-strung rope benches, and a dramatic color palette.

A quick roundup of practical ideas for using marine rope in the home, knotting skills not required.

Inspired by the Acapulco chair (named after the Mexican beach town of the same name), Mexican designers Léon Léon update the classic 1950s chair. Did we mention the chairs are named for cocktails?

Stylist and designer Katie Lockhart of Everyday Needs has focused her eye on Martino Gamper, an Italian designer based in the UK who, as Lockhart says, "nurtures an interest in found and unwanted objects. Reworking furniture that he finds in skips and on the streets, he has created an eclectic and mismatched family of objects."

Considering a new paint color? Look to this visual tool from Sherwin-Williams for inspiration and guidance.

Last year I found a wooden table on the street in the worst shade of cheap wood stain. I walked past it twice on my way to the market, and then I turned back around. After a few coats of paint, the table is now one of my favorite pieces in my apartment.

Mrs. Robertson in Brooklyn is an interiors shop that's not afraid to bring a little bit of the outdoors in. To great effect:

Located along the Canal Saint-Martin (one of the most happening parts of Paris), Chez Prune draws an un-touristy crowd of regulars with its off-kilter charm.

The secret weapon for a restaurant interior on a budget? An industrial stool spray-painted a cheery shade.

Instant pencil holders made from dip dyed tin cans.