When asked to modernise a charming but dilapidated art-deco house in Melbourne, the team at C. Kairouz Architects created an uplifting modern space which sits in delightful contrast with the original building.

 Miist is a new furniture brand founded by designer Alex Baser featuring sleek, minimalist lines with a dash of design flair, imbuing the products with a sense of refinement and warmth.

 From the outside, this handsome villa in Helsingborg, Sweden is a textbook example of classic restraint. Inside, the ground floor apartment is a surprisingly elegant combination of old and new. 

 This Victorian villa in Melbourne has been extended by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design to create an uplifting space which more than fulfils the homeowners' brief to optimise their outdoor living space.

 Ski chalet apartments often fall into the cliche of sauna-like wood panelling with Heidi-inspired decorative details.  Not so for this apartment in the Italian resort of Cortina.

 It may be difficult to draw the line between the soft comforts of home and the hard edges of a professional office, but if the right balance is struck the results can be impressively uplifting. 

  Minimalism and nature are not easy to reconcile, but the Verdable side-table planters designed by Berlin-based Beriana come pretty close.

Paris-based Corpus Studio came up with a design concept which looks resolutely contemporary but yet totally in tune with the timeless beauty of the surrounding countryside.

If the greatest trick of the devil is to convince the world that he does not exist, then perhaps the cleverest trick of the architect is to make a building disappear.

This small house by Satoshi Kurosaki is a masterclass on how to maximise light and openness in a hemmed-in urban plot. 

Italian production house Car-Met has turned to a new generation of designers to create an enchanting collection of furniture that plays on shapes, colours and versatility.