There's nothing quite like a simple black and white bath; the crisp contrast is always pleasing.

Above: An exotic black and white tiled bath in the SoHo home of Olatz Schnabel, photo by Jason Schmidt for The New York Times.

Above: A bath by Mim Design in Australia

Above: A bath in Paris by architect Antonio Virga.

Above: A clever black tiled backsplash; image via Stilinspiration.

Above: A remodeled bath in Austin, Texas, via Design Sponge.

There's something Scandinavian about baths with wooden shower trays (as they're called); here's a few favorites we've bookmarked for future bath remodels:

Above: A shower in Australia that opens to the outdoors, via The Selby.

Above: A Northern Californian bath by Aidlin Darling Design.

Above: A glass wall panel creates a corner shower; photo via from Cesana.

Above: A perfectly proportioned bath by Cary Bernstein.

Above: A corner shower with wood tray via Agape.

N.B.: Looking for more inspiration? See 732 images of our favorite Showers in our Gallery of rooms and spaces.

Citizens of the world, consider the future kitchen: you brew a rapid espresso while your refrigerator delivers the news, while an app starts a new wash of laundry, while a robot cleans the kitchen floor. We've tracked down five time-saving appliances with the potential to radically change your daily routine for the better.

Above: The Samsung 4-Door LCD Refrigerator with Apps can do it all: keep track of your groceries, sync up with your Google calendar, read news updates from Associated Press, leave messages for family members, and more with the WiFi enabled LCD touch screen. The refrigerator has 28 cubic feet capacity and features double-door refrigeration, a freezer drawer, and a FlexZone™ drawer; $3,699 from Samsung.

Above: At just five inches wide, the CitiZ is well suited to urban domiciles. Designed by Antoine Cahen and made in Switzerland, the CitiZ Espresso Machine is available in silver (shown), cream, or red; $239.99 at Amazon.

Above: The Samsung Smart Washer features an 8-Inch LCD Touch Screen and allows you to control and monitor your washer using your smartphone. The washer's SpeedSpray™ function saves up to 90 minutes on an average week's load of laundry and thoroughly washes large loads with PowerFoam™ technology. With 4.5 cubic feet capacity, the washer is available in Onyx for $1,799 from Samsung.

Above: iRobot's vacuum cleaning robots pick up dirt, dust, and pet hair; allow you to program cleaning while you're out of the house; and the robot's HEPA filter refreshes air with each use; the Roomba 760 Vacuum is $499 from Amazon; or £399 from iRobot in the UK.

Above: Ideal for last-minute plate warming at your next dinner party: Miele's Europa Clean-Touch Steel 30-Inch Convection Warming Drawer (ESW 4816) is engineered to hold up to 30 pounds while fully extended. It also has a removable anti-slip silicone pad to keep plates from sliding around and heats from 104 to 185 degrees; $1,345 at AJ Madison.

Short on space? Here are five kitchen tools with a small imprint (they also reinforce the idea that not all kitchen implements need to be plastic).

Above: The Multi-Purpose Cookset 1 from Japanese company Snow Peak is a heavy-duty cook set including pots, a colander, and a frying pan (the entire set can be stacked). Originally designed for campers (but we can see it working well in a studio apartment), the entire set is $169.95.

Above: Handcrafted wooden Whale Tongs from Design House Stockholm feature a magnetic hinge that make them easy to take apart to clean (and to store); they can be used both as tongs and salad servers; $50 from Lumens.

Above: Kyocera's ceramic knives are smaller and lighter than traditional knives; the White Ceramic Knife is $59.95 from Cooking.com

Above: This Propeller Trivet folds to a tube shape and is easily stored in a drawer; $20 from Luminaire.

Above: The Five Piece Bamboo Utensil Set can be easily stacked in a drawer: $19.95 from Crate and Barrel. Made from organic bamboo, the set includes cooking spoons, two turners, and one slotted spoon.

N.B. Are you a small space dweller? See 1,401 images of Small Space Living in our Gallery of rooms and spaces.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on February 28, 2012.

A roundup of ingenious kitchen spaces—some no larger than a closet—that are minuscule yet functional.

Above: A tiny kitchen by Mesh Architectures occupies a nook in a 300-square-foot art dealer's studio. The high-mounted oven includes a space saving feature where the bottom drops down for you to insert the food then retracts back up into the heat. See: Remodelista's Favorite Space Saving Appliances for Small Kitchens.

Above: A galley kitchen in London by Mlinaric, Henry & Zervudachi featuring walls of framed photographs and—ingeniously—kitchen implements either hung from hooks or mounted directly on the wall for immediate access.

Above: Brooklyn design firm Workstead integrated a tiny kitchen corner into living area of a small one-bedroom apartment; for more photos and information, go to Dwell.

Above: A compact kitchen tucked under a stairwell in the Broome Street loft project by Loading Dock 5 Architecture in New York. Photo by Sophie Munro.

Above: A tiny kitchen in a revamped carriage house in Oakland by SF architect Christi Azevedo.

Above: A kitchen in an East Village studio apartment of NYC by Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture.

Above: A minimal kitchen space made with reclaimed wood in a West Broadway loft by Ryall Porter Sheridan Architect.

Above: The Studiomama Beach Chalet on the coast of England.

Above: Two kitchens via The Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

Above: A tiny cottage kitchen in Helsinki, photo by Andreas Meichsner for the New York Times.

N.B.: For more kitchen inspiration, see 1125 images of Kitchens in our Gallery of rooms and spaces. This post is an update; the original ran on November 4, 2010.

Rumor has it that industrial design-rock star Yves Behar is working on a design-worthy smoke alarm. In the meantime, we embarked on a search for attractive alternatives to the ubiquitous smoke alarm.

Above: Kupu Photoelectric Smoke Alarm by Finnish designer Harri Koskinen for Jalo Helsinki has a soft fabric cover and is affixed to the wall or ceiling surface with 3M tape (no need for screws or a power drill). There are no tiny push buttons, rather the whole external casing acts as a press switch for silencing false alarms and testing the performance of the product. Battery powered (no hardwiring, which means it can be used in countries with different electric voltage); €24.90 at the Finnish Design Shop.

Above: Winner of the 2011 Red Dot Design Award, the Kupu Photoelectric Smoke Alarm is available in white, green, gray and pink.

Above: Slated to come on the market in 2013, the Modern Smoke Detector by Architectural Devices is designed to lay recessed and nearly flush-mounted into the gypsum board of a wall or ceiling to blend in seamlessly. It runs on a 9-volt battery and can be linked to up to 12 other detectors. It will be retail for around $199. Contact Architectural Devices for further information.

Above: The Kidde Silhouette Low-Profile Smoke Alarm protrudes a mere half inch from the ceiling once installed. It contains a rechargeable battery that runs off central electricity and lasts the lifetime of the unit. Hardwiring required; $13.95 at Amazon.

Above: The Gira Smoke Alarm is an advanced heat and smoke detector that won the 2010 Red Dot award for product design; £40.01 for the battery operated unit through Gira UK. Not yet available in the US.

Above: Designed for a child's room (and inspired by the American Black-capped Chickadee bird), the battery-operated Chick-A-Dee Smoke Alarm by Dutch designer Louise van der Veld is $75 in black or white at the A+R Store in Los Angeles.

Neatly tied or left frayed at the ends, a good piece of rope can add an unexpected touch to dressers, bureaus, even doors.

Here are five ideas, easily emulated.

Above: Spotted in the interior of Folk in Munich: knotted marine rope used as drawer pulls. A good online source of marine rope is Knot & Rope Supply, which carries a wide selection in a variety of colors.

Above: Our friend Tricia Rose (creator of Rough Linen) has a nautical theme going on in her home: To spruce up some drawers, she threaded rope through four drilled holes.

Above: Sub out less-desirable drawer handles with this Pliant Rope Handle by Sibella Court for Anthropologie; $12.

Above: A rustic door handle, which we covered previously in Steal This Look: Vintage Bath from Country Living Magazine.

Above: Another good application for nautical knots besides the high seas: a rope-pull; via Kojo Designs.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on March 1, 2012.

There's still life in the dip-dyed trend: here are five products spotted recently we find ourselves coveting.

Above: New from Anthropologie, the Submergent Ladder from Lostine is made of oak with a dark stain; $348.

Above: Wicker lamps dip-dyed in indigo, via The Andes House.

Above: V-Room Face Towel in navy: $198 from Lost & Found.

Above: The willow Color Block Utility Basket is available in three sizes at Terrain; prices start at $98 for the small size.

Above: A set of four teak Two-Tone Wood Spoons is $18.

For those of us who live in the US, July was the hottest month in decades (breaking the steamy Dust Bowl record set in the 1930s). Is that why boathouses seem so appealing? Here are five we're dreaming about:

Above: A boat house by Dutch designer Piet Boon, via Desire to Inspire.

Above: A boathouse in Sweden, from the portfolio of photographer Pia Ulin.

Above: A boathouse in Texas by Andersson-Wise Architects.

Above: A combination cabin/boat dock on Lake Huron, Ontario, by Michael Meredith and Hilary Sample of MOS Design, floats atop a structure of steel pontoons.

Above: A boathouse in the Pacific Northwest by Bosworth Hoedemaker.

Forget the ice and the rock salt; it's easier than ever to churn a batch of homemade ice cream with a new wave of fully automatic ice cream makers.

Automatic ice cream makers fall into two categories: those with built-in refrigerator compressors and those with pre-freeze bowls. The compressor ice cream makers have built-in refrigeration units that enable you to churn ice cream with no advance chilling of the parts or the mix. They are fast (usually 30 minutes or less) and can make multiple batches. The cost of convenience is the weight; many of the compressor machines approach 40 pounds. The pre-freeze models are more affordable, but require the bowl (insulated with a special liquid to create even freezing) to be frozen before use; multiple batches require multiple frozen bowls. Traditionalists need not fret, hand churn makers are still available.

REFRIGERATOR COMPRESSOR MODELS

Above: Leave it to the Italians to create the elegant Musso Lussino Ice Cream Maker with all-stainless steel construction. Fully automatic and timer controlled, the machine shuts off automatically when the ice cream becomes too hard. Comes with a 1.5 quart bowl and a one-year warranty; $693.57 at Amazon.

Above: The Cuisinart ICE-100 Ice Cream and Gelato Maker has a 1.5-quart bowl and LCD touchpad display. Creates ice cream in approximately 60 minutes. Reviewed well for results but is said to be louder than other makes; $299 at Sur La Table.

Above: The DeLonghi GM6000 Gelato Maker gets high marks and is known to be especially quiet. The bowl, paddle, and lid are dishwasher safe; $247.99 at Amazon.

PRE-FREEZE BOWL MODELS

Above: The Cuisinart Stainless-Steel Ice Cream Maker is a simple pre-freeze cannister model with a generous two-quart capacity; $89.95 at Williams-Sonoma.

Above: The Cuisinart Classic Ice Cream Maker with Extra Freezer Bowl offers simple one-switch operation and a 1.5-quart capacity; $89.95 at Williams-Sonoma. The Cuisinart Classic Ice Cream Maker is available in several colors for $59.95 at Sur La Table.

Above: Turn your KitchenAid mixer into an ice cream maker with the KitchenAid Stand Mixer Ice Cream Maker Attachment. The double-insulated bowl has a 2-quart capacity and requires 24-hour pre-freezing; $79.95 at Williams-Sonoma.

THE CLASSIC

Above: White Mountain Appalachian Series Hand-Crank Ice Cream Maker features a wooden bucket, stainless steel cannister with lid, and a cast iron dasher (paddle); $179.99 for the 4-quart size at Amazon.

Above: Get inspired with recipes from San Francisco Bi-Rite Creamery's Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones; $14.98 at Amazon. Note to San Francisco ice cream lovers, Bi-Rite Creamery is opening a second location in NOPA soon.

Are outdoor kitchens the new outdoor bathtubs? Another out-of-reach fantasy for those of us who live in colder climes?

There is something wonderfully irreverent about carrying out one of life's daily activities without a roof over your head; here's a roundup of five outdoor culinary spaces in climates ranging from near-tropical to Northern European.

Above: LA design collective Commune created this pergola-like outdoor kitchen in a remodel of a Buff & Hensman house in Nichols Canyon. (N.B. For more information, see Commune in Nichols Canyon, LA.) Photography by Richard Powers.

Above: A minimal outdoor kitchen in a Maine cabin, courtesy of Justine at Design Skool.

Above: Made of separate components, the WWOO kitchen by Dutch designer Piet Jan van den Kommer offers ultimate flexibility; for more on the WWOO kitchen, see The Ultimate Outdoor Kitchen. Image via vtwonen.

Above: MZC Architects create an outdoor in kitchen in Treviso, Italy, with a built-in concrete table. Photograph by Marco Zanta via Contemporist.

Above: During apple and plum picking season, the outdoor kitchen at Villa Else in the middle of Søllerød Nature Reserve in Denmark gets used for making preserves. Photograph by Stuart McIntyre via KML Design.

Above: Colorful chairs adorn the tables in this outdoor communal kitchen in the eco-resort at Onar on the Greek island of Andros (see more at Stealth Luxury on a Greek Island). Photograph by Christine Chang Hanway.

For more outdoor kitchens, see "Outdoor Kitchens from a Dutch Designer."

N.B. Looking for more outdoor inspiration? See 713 images of the Outdoors in our Gallery of rooms and spaces.

Rainy days take on new meaning when your children can literally climb the walls. Here are five ingenious walls we think could keep multiple family members happy, busy and fit.

Above: Norwegian designer Kaja Osholm Kjolas developed a kit of Y-shaped branches that allow for an endless number of configurations. Image via Handmade Charlotte.

Above: Japanese design firm Nendo constructed a climbing wall using an eclectic mix of baroque picture frames, mirrors, deer heads, bird cages, and flower vases in Omotesando, an upscale shopping center in Tokyo. Image via My Modern Met.

Above: The climbing wall in a child's room in New York also adds colorful accents to the room. Image via AlignedNYC.

Above: This climbing wall by Feldman Architecture allows a child to climb to the next floor. Photo by Joe Fletcher.

Above: Shades of Green Landscape Architecture incorporated a climbing wall into the garden wall. Image via Houzz.

N.B. See 10 Radical Staircases for Tight Spaces for more climbing inspiration.

Branches are a quick and easy decor fix and add instant rustic charm to a child's room; here are five examples we like.

N.B.: Smaller branches can be anchored in a pot with stones; for larger ones, attach hooks to a wall or ceiling and use clear fishing line to attach.

Above: Colored pom poms decorate a branch in the home of the French stylist Aurélie Lécuyer of the blog Le Dans La.

Above: A branch serves as clothes rack from textile maker Olli.

Above: Jess Brown (creator of her eponymous Rag Dolls as well as a new line of women's clothing) created this room for her daughter Stella, using a salvaged tree trunk as bed canopy.

Above: A mobile made from a hanging branch. Photograph via The Boo and the Boy.

Above: A children's nursery in Australia spotted on Apartment Therapy.

N.B. For more of our Five Quick Fixes, click here.

While the aim of an off-the-kitchen utility space might draw from a rustic sentiment, its fundamental purpose is domestic efficiency. So whether you're an urbanite or a rural dweller, space and energy saving appliances are first on the list. Here are five quick fixes for a laundry room with the right balance.

Above: For small-space living, wall storage is ideal for hanging towels and brushes. The metal Rack of Hooks is $49 NZD from Father Rabbit in New Zealand.

Above: The Samsung High Efficiency Washer (WA456) features a king-sized capacity of 4.5 cubic feet, and with its Vibration Reduction Technology™, noise is significantly reduced—making it quiet enough to install on the second floor or near bedrooms. The washer is available in White (shown) for $949.99 or Stainless Platinum for $1,049.99 from Samsung.

Above: The willow Color Block Utility Basket is available in three sizes at Terrain; prices start at $98 for the small size.

Above: The Asko Hidden Helper Ironing Board is an ingenious add-on and even features a plug for your iron.

Above: The rustic, height-adjustable drying rack from Sheila Made Clothes Airer facilitates indoor drying in small spaces and cuts down on energy use; $135 from Ancient Industries.

Industrial carts with casters, repurposed as bar carts, add an edge to a very sophisticated proposition. Here are five that will create an instant party vibe wherever you take them.

Above: An industrial cart from the 1930s is available at Modern 50; $885.

Above: Industrial wood and metal rolling carts can be found on eBay. Single drawer metal card files are useful for storing bar accessories and can be found on eBay as well. Image via Because I'm Addicted.

Above: A wood utility cart has a third shelf which is useful for storage. A modern version that can be painted, stained, or left unfinished is available at Williams-Sonoma; $159.95. Image via Because I'm Addicted.

Above: Vintage wood crates can be stacked on a wood dolly to create a bar cart with character. Hardwood dollies are available at Global for $28.95 to $43.95, depending on size. Vintage wood crates can be found on Etsy. Image via Flickr.

Above: An industrial metal cart keeps bottles tidy in a corner. A Three-Shelf Table on Wheels is available at CB2 for $129. Image via Tumblr.

N.B. Thinking of introducing some industrial shelving into your home? See 537 images of Industrial Shelves in our Gallery of rooms and spaces.

Here's a genius use for sliding barn doors in the kitchen: as pantry cupboard doors. Here are five good inspiration examples.

Above: A kitchen pantry in Sweden, concealed by a sliding barn door, via Basic Lab.

Above: At Hendy's Home Store Kitchen in Hastings a sliding barn door opens onto the kitchen.

Above: In a kitchen designed by Karen Cole, a sliding panel conceals pantry shelving, via House & Home.

Above: A kitchen outside Philadelphia with a sliding pantry door, via Cote de Texas.

Above: A pantry concealed behind farm-style sliding barn doors in Chicago by Rebekah Zaveloff.

Above: With a simple Shaker sensibility, this sliding barn door divides the dining and play spaces at the Seesaw Cafe in San Francisco.

N.B. See our gallery of Sliding Doors.

The classic German biergarten table is more versatile than you think: it functions as a desk, a craft table, and as a dining table for narrow apartment spaces. Here are five smart ways to use an outdoor table indoors (plus sourcing ideas).

Where can you buy a biergarten table? Oktobefest Haus offers an authentic Biergarten Folding Wood Table and Bench Set for $549. Sausalito, CA-based Roost offers a Biergarten Table with Benches for $662.50 via Aldea Home.

Above: A classic biergarten table in a Scandinavian-inspired UK home. Photograph by Simon Eldon for Heart Home Magazine, spotted on Desire to Inspire.

Above: An antique biergarten table in the Brooklyn apartment of director/photography Poppy de Villeneuve. Photograph by Sam Horine for Refinery29.

Above: A German beer table is used in an indoor/outdoor living space from Shareen Joel Design.

Above: London shop owner Amanda Cox uses a painted beer garden table as a desk; see more at Secrets of an Urban Sleuth, London Edition.

Above: Justine Glanfield, a designer at Cotton and Milk, uses a traditional beer table in her son's arts and crafts area; photograph via Milk Magazine.

It makes so much sense: kitchens concealed behind accordion doors, sliding doors, cabinet doors; anything it takes to keep the clutter out of sight when space is tight. Here are five we've been admiring recently.

Above: A minimalist kitchen in an apartment in Cadaques, Spain, designed by Fracesc Rife Studio.

Above: All appliances are concealed behind full-length oak cabinet doors in this kitchen by Danish company Kobenhavns Mobelsnedkeri.

Above: Kitchen appliances and necessities are hidden behind a series of doors in this apartment in Australia by Jason Gibney of Tobias Partners.

Above: A small kitchen concealed behind slatted doors in a musician's apartment in Basel, Switzerland, designed by Buol & Zund; photo by Michael Fritschi via Arch Daily.

Above: An entire kitchen concealed behind folding doors in a project by Gray Organschi Architecture; photo by Mark Mahaney via Dwell.

If you're like us, and you tend to do things at the very last minute, here are some ideas for spur-of-the moment decor; all that's required is a can of black matte spray paint.

Above: A pumpkin spray painted with black matte paint, via Sweet Paul.

Above: Wine bottles (corks included) painted matte black; image via Curbly.

Above: A stag chandelier painted black; photo via Flickr.

Above: A row of ladles painted black holds a row of votive candles.

Above: A jar painted matte black makes an instant Goth candleholder; image via Pure and Noble.

Above: Barnes Black Resin Buffalo/Bison Skull; $64.99 from White Faux Taxidermy on Etsy.

A few years ago, I made a pilgrimage to the grave of Nico, the Velvet Underground singer and collaborator, in the depths of the Friedhof Grunewald Forest in Berlin. My friend and I both took a rubbing of her tombstone that read simply: "Nico, Christa Päffgen 1938-1988." We did the same at Jim Morrison's grave in Paris; today our interests and rockstar obsessions have evolved, but we'll always have the macabre prints to remind us. Here are five ways to use grave rubbings—and even tombstones—as art.

Above: A slim headstone leans against a fireplace in England; photo by Antony Crolla, discovered via Desire to Inspire.

Above: UK artist Samantha Sweeting created this hand-engraved, unglazed earthenware plate with text taken from a gravestone rubbing in Devon.

Above: LA-based artist Christopher Garrett created this grave rubbing at a local cemetery for the "Sound of Silence" show at the AMP Gallery in Athens, Greece; image via The Eternal Optimist.

Above: A room in a renovated Grade II listed Georgian house in Spitalfields for photographer Oliver Chanarin by architect Chris Dyson.

Above: A Screen Print of Jim Morrison's Gravestone in Paris is €49 from Jim Morrison Paris, printed on handmade acid-free Lokta paper with a deckled edge.

Above: A Charcoal Relief Framed Grave Stone is $65 from Magnolia's Caboose on Etsy.