A Shelf Bracket with a Secret

When we were dreaming up prizes for our very first Remodelista Considered Design Awards, we thought immediately of the Symi lantern from Casamidy. Why? It's shape is vaguely houselike (it even has a front door), the materials are simple and timeless (iron and leather), it can be used indoors and outdoors, and it's made in Mexico by our friends Jorge Alameda and Anne-Marie Midy. So get out your cameras or iPhones now (entries due by June 14, please).

Color zoning is an easy and inexpensive way to transform a simple kitchen. The only caveat being that you can't use just any paint; you'll need something washable and durable to withstand regular kitchen use.

London designer Philippe Malouin brings us the ultimate in occasional furniture—the dual-function Hanger chair.

The colorful Fold Unfold Tablecloth from Hay in Copenhagen is proving to be this season's hottest selling tablecloth, our friends in LA tell us.

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: