Some of our favorite interior spaces feature birds perched in unlikely spots (above a dining table, in a stairwell, or soaring overhead in a hallway). Here are five spaces enlivened by an avian presence:

Above L: The dining room in the Solbrinken Ordinary House by Stockholm architecture firm In Praise of Shadows. Above R: A cockatoo perched in the hallway in Aunt Stephanie's house, via Design Skool.

Above: The bar at the Hotel St. Cecilia in Austin, Texas; photo by Michael A. Muller.

Above: Birds in flight in designer Tanja Janicke's home in Helsinki, Finland; images via Bolig Magasinet.

Above: A bird surveys the scene at Bar & Co. in Helsinki, Finland, designed by Joanna Laajisto; photo by Mikko Ryhanen via Yatzer.

Above: A crow is perched in the Stockholm kitchen of Mats Gustafson (see Glamor in Stockholm); photo by Jacob Hertzell for T Magazine.

We've admired the humble plumbing pipe reimagined as storage rails ever since we spotted designers Roman and Williams using the industrial piping in the bathrooms of the Ace Hotels. Indestructible plumbing pipe is perfect for hanging towels, curtains, kitchen pots, or the coats and bags that can overwhelm an entry.

Above: The bathrooms at the Ace Hotels in Portland, New York and Palm Springs incorporate bath hooks, towel bars, and toilet roll holders made by Roman and Williams from powder-coated plumbing pipe.

Above: The 18-Inch Plumbing Pipe Storage Bar can be used as a towel bar with or without hooks (the set of Vintage French Butcher Hooks is $60). Made with recycled 1/2-inch diameter steel plumbing pipe and fittings that are hand finished with an ebonized rust patina with a moisture-resistant protective satin clear-coat finish; $135 from Flea Market Rx.

Above: Flea Market Rx offers the vintage plumbing pipe bars in a variety of lengths, including the 24-Inch Plumbing Pipe Storage Bar shown here working as an entry coat rack; $140.

Above: West Elm's Industrial Pipe Curtain Rods are available in rubbed iron or brushed nickel finishes. Offered in two adjustable sizes: 22 to 48 inches and 44 to 108 inches; $69 and $99 respectively.

Above: Wire & Twine sells an Industrial Toilet Roll Holder for $45. For more ideas on creating an industrial bath space, see Steal This Look: Ace Hotel Bath.

Explore more images of Industrial Spaces in our Gallery.

Take note: the rainy season is well upon us in most parts of the Northern Hemisphere. To divert runoff and collect rainwater for irrigation and livestock, here are five attractive solutions:

Above: A modular system includes the Buttonwood Wood Slat System (contact Shift directly for ordering information) and the Fitzwater Raintank ($1,800) and Pennsgrove Planter ($910); both available at Horne. For more, see "Minimalist Garden Products with a Mission."

Above: The Sheet Steel Rain Barrel is made from galvanized and powder-coated green sheet steel. The rainwater barrel features a brass tap with a hose fitting and has a capacity of about 40 gallons of water; €428 from Manufactum.

Above: The Exaco Trading Wooden Rain Barrel is made in Canada from FSC-certified spruce wood with a brass tap; $277.19 from Amazon.

Above: For a serious DIY project, see instructions for this rain barrel made from a 55-gallon metal malt drum via Forgotten Skills.

Above: The Square Rain Barrel is made from long-lasting, heat-treated spruce wood that will repel termites; $239.95 from Sur La Table.

N.B.: Looking for more garden solutions? See nine other posts on 5 Quick Fixes.

A quick (and inexpensive) way to add character to an otherwise austere space: plywood-faced ceilings. Here are five we like:

Above: A photo from the Dwell House Tour, via Morgan Satterfield's The Brick House.

Above: The Catskills kitchen of Jeff Madalena and Jason Gnewikow, via Design Crisis.

Above: A house in the Hamptons by Selldorf Architects.

Above L: A kitchen in Australia by Nathan Gibson Judd. Above R: A kitchen spotted on Kitka.

Above: A modern kitchen in Massachusetts with plywood ceilings by Burr & McCallum.

As the holiday season looms, here are five easy ways to decorate in a seasonally appropriate way: using dried foliage.

Even though I live in California, it seems counterintuitive to accent the house with fresh flowers during the winter season (especially when there are so many lovely alternatives). Here is a roundup of some inspirational spaces that make use of leaves and branches, for arrangements that can work year-round.

Above: Dried ferns and flora taped to the wall create an instant decorative tableau, via Pia Jane Bijkerk.

Above: Branches of dried leaves hang in the hallway of Pensao Favorita, which we covered previously in Hotels, Lodging & Restaurants: Pensao Favorita in Portugal.

Above: Australian-based artist Tiel Seivl-Keever's collection of local foliage, from The Design Files.

Above: Dried branches as decor; photo by Simon Bevan.

Above: A bough suspended above the dining room at the Lloyd Hotel, which we wrote about in Hotels, Lodging & Restaurants: Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam.

Above: Silver-dollar eucalyptus displayed to great effect against a white wall, via Cupcakes and Cashmere.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on December 5, 2012.

Summer is a distant memory, but these interiors featuring bright yellow lamp shades help us remember what the sun looks like.

Above: A cheerful bedside lamp in an interior by LA-based Reath Design.

Above: A yellow lampshade in the bedroom of Marianna Kennedy, London's Sorceress of Color. Photo by Kristin Perers for Remodelista.

Above: Another yellow lampshade in the home of Marianna Kennedy, London's Sorceress of Color. Photo by Kristin Perers for Remodelista.

Above L: An inexpensive glass lamp from Target topped with a yellow shade; via The Artful Abode. Above R: A bedroom from the portfolio of photographer Frédéric Vasseur.

Above: A dark lamp shade lined in yellow in an interior by Parisian designer Sarah Lavoine.

Create your own indoor winter wonderland with our five favorite paper ornaments:

Above: Create a festive note with the 11 feet long Gold Paper Garland, made in France, $35 from Alder & Co.

Above: Make your own ornaments with pre-cut sheets of gold and silver shapes from Berlin design company, Kolor; €6.90 for two sheets. For more information, contact Kolor.

Above: Bunting can always be relied on to lend an air of festivity; at this time of year, silver and gold add holiday glamor; £9.50 from Toast.

Above: Fold your own origami lanterns to pop over the bulbs on your string lights with this DIY tutorial from Wit & Whistle, or purchase them premade from Etsy; $32.00 for a set of 50. Image via With & Whistle.

Above: Spotted on Annaleena's Hem, white tissue paper honeycomb balls remind us of snow balls (without the melting); $1.29 for 8-inch ball and $1.79 for 12-inch ball through Amazon; £5.00 for 30-cm ball from Not on the High Street.

Above: These Washi Paper Snowflakes from Japan attach to windows and mirrors with a little water sprayed on them. Can be reused up to five times; £10 for a package of either one large and one small or 5 small from Nonesuch Things.

N.B. Looking for other ornament ideas? See 19 back posts of Ornaments.

It's not that we Design Dictators are controlling or anything: It's just that we're convinced that the best toys for going the distance are the ones we want to play with as well. Here are five favorites from around the world.

Above: For Rubik's Cube lovers, the Cubebot is a non-traditional take on the toy robot and was inspired by Japanese Shinto Kumi-ki puzzles; $28, Areaware; £23.99, SCP.

Above: Fort Standard's Balancing Blocks are Bauhaus Inspired and made from repurposed scrap wood. The ultimate purist amongst you design dictators can have them in all white but we're relaxed on this one; $48, Areaware.

Above: It's never too early to introduce your children to the joys of design. When my eldest was two, he was so inspired by an architecture picture book we read together that he named his baby brother Colm (column). Draw Me a House by Thibaud Herem is an interactive coloring book that will inspire everyone to become interested in their built environment; $13.60, amazon.com; £11.66, amazon.co.uk.

Above: Fionn the Fox, Liam the Hare and Brigid the Sheep, a trio of hand-knitted and friendly animals from Irish designer/knitter Claire-Anne O'Brien in collaboration with the fabulous Irish brothers' duo Makers & Brothers; €62 to €68.

Above: These ORB money banks by Danish designers Studio Arhoj are inspired by a fortuneteller's crystal ball and encourage saving for the future with good design; for more information see HAY.

Above: Based on his observations, designer Doshi Levien noticed that toys with the greatest staying power are the ones where "children apply their imaginations onto found objects already in the home and thus begat the "Rocker"; an 'improvised ride" on a found object; see Richard Lampert for more information.

N.B.: To make sure we've got everyone on your list covered, see all of our gift guides to date in our House Gifts section.

Old doors as decor? We've been noticing repurposed vintage doors used in a variety of ways; here are five examples we like:

Above: A wall paneled in reclaimed doors via the master of reclamation Piet Hein Eek.

Above: A table made from a reclaimed door with a rope-wrapped base; via Woodnote Photography.

Above: A pair of vintage shutters from New Orleans in the apartment of designer Rachel Krauskopf; photo by Jacob Snavely for Design Sponge.

Above: A table made from a vintage door, with metal fasteners intact; via Fork and Flower.

Above: Vintage doors make an impromptu headboard; photo via Hus & Hem.

Above: Artist Robin Luciano Beaty's art studio; photo by Eric Piasecki for Martha Stewart Whole Living.

If you are a book lover and owner (like my husband, who collects fly-fishing tomes), you are, by default, a conservator. Here are five tools we use at home to protect our library.

For more ideas, see How to Protect Your Books at the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. And if you have any genius tips, let us know in the comments section.

• A hygrometer (shown above) is used to detect levels of humidity. My husband bought his from a cigar store in Chicago and strives for the opposite range of moisture that cigars enjoy. Cigars like humidity (think Miami, FL, at 65 percent), while books love low humidity levels, in the 30 to 40 percent range. Less than 20 percent humidity causes paper to become brittle and susceptible to cracking. Rule of thumb: if you are comfortable, your books are as well. A similar looking Analog Hygrometer is available for $11.79 from Amazon.

• Keep your books dust-free with Lambswool Dusters made by the Wool Shop in Missouri, which come in three sizes, from $5 to $12, at West Elm.

• Book Jacket Protectors (known in the book industry by their trade name, “Brodart”) preserve books and protect they from harmful UV rays. The covers start at $7.55, depending on size, from Brodart.

• Bone Paper Holders are used to apply pressure and crease the corners over dust jackets. This authentic knife-like device is indeed made of bone, but is now also alternatively available made from Teflon; depending on size, they start at $6.60 from Blick.

• Books like a stable temperature (ideally, between 65 and 70 degrees Farenheit); during our recent remodel, we installed the Nest Learning Thermostat, which automatically adjusts your home’s temperature ($249 at the company's online store).

Here are our latest additions in our long-running obsession with loo roll holders.

Above: Add a dash of color to the bathroom with the Diabolo Holder, a simple rope and metal hub inspired by sailing equipment and designed by London-based Yang:Ripol Design Studio for Vandiss. Also available in black rope with a chrome hub, both available soon at GSelect.

Above: One of my favorites to date, the Concrete Toilet Paper Holder with birch handle by Swedish designer Lovisa Wattman; CA $65 from Mjolk.

Above: Josh Owen's Hanging Line is comprised of a silicon band with a magnetic catch. Available in Ferrari Red, shown above, and Matte Black and Porcelain White. The Toilet Paper Hanging Line is $19 from Kontextur.

Above: Glimpsed in a European bath (spotted on OWI): a rubber strap used as toilet roll holder. For something similar, consider the Droog Strap by NL Architects; $34.38 from All Modern.

Above: Spotted in this Swedish bathroom on Stadshem, a hanging string bag that accommodates plenty of rolls, a useful solution in a small space. The Ecobag String Bag is available for $9.99 from Green Living.

See more of our Toilet Paper solutions and If you missed it, check out Michelle's TP wrangling post on Gardenista: Crisis in the Commode: Powder Room Edition.

Explore More: DIY, Baths

It's the littlest ones who need the most assistance, and make the most mess in the bath. Here are six solutions for the children's bathroom to keep them safe and clean.

Above: A sink with a built-in step designed by Vincent Van Duysen via Marie Claire Maison.

Above: Two wall hooks in the shape of mounted deer are fixed between the children's sinks; below are two hampers for hiding linens and clothing. Photograph of a home in Denmark by Bjarne B. Jacobson for Bolig Magazine.

Above: A green lacquered vanity unit handles wear and tear well in the children's bath of a North London home from Living Etc.

Above: Stylist Aurélie Lécuyer of Le Dans La uses the Pro Ven Di Revolving Soap Holder to avoid a soapy mess in the children's bathroom.

Above: A tiny silver bells allows for children to ring for assistance; in the guest bathroom of Swedish shop owner, Julia, from Swedish Guest Bathroom Under the Stairs.

Above: A crate used as a step stool for getting in and out of the bathtub at the Ace Hotel from Bath: Black Tub Roundup.

Designing a kid's room? Peruse 248 inspiration images of Children's Rooms in our Gallery of rooms and spaces. Looking for more solutions in the home? See all 60 5 Quick Fixes posts in our Archive.

We think most things look—and feel—better once they're worn in, wood included. Here are five favorite spaces with wood that flaunts the lived-in look; some of it centuries old, some brand new.

For more from our member architects and designers, visit the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory.

Above: Elizabeth Roberts Design installed new white oak floors throughout this duplex renovation in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The muted color pairs well with the home's historic features.

Above: Architects Liddicoat & Goldhill remodeled this 19th-century terraced house in London for a client who is an avid collector of vintage and reclaimed materials. The client's antiques and the home's original woodwork (such as wood paneled shutters) were the designer's palette. Photo by Tom Gildon.

Above: Hundred-year-old beams (and relatively newer Wishbone chairs) in a Tribeca loft by Wettling Architects.

Above: A credenza set for serving in the home of Santa Barbara-based Carole Magness of Magness Interiors. The designer's home, a 1919 farmhouse, was designed by Wallace Neff.

Above: A mix of old and new in a Brooklyn Heights loft remodel by Elizabeth Roberts Design. A new open kitchen and reclaimed-wood dining table suit the owners' entertaining needs.

Above: Golden wood and gilded frames warm this modern kitchen/dining renovation by SF-based Nick Noyes Architecture.

Get even cozier with 613 images of Rooms with Rugs in our gallery of rooms and spaces.

Is there anything burlap can't do? It can cover windows, skylights, serve as a table runner, divide a room, and more. Here are five spaces that make clever use of this humble material.

Above: A handmade burlap curtain in a room designed by Sibella Court.

Above: Fabienne Collombel's bedroom in Marseilles features an instant burlap headboard, photo via Marie Claire Maison (via The Design Vote).

Above: Burlap serves as a skylight cover in this room featuring White Bookshelf Wallpaper designed by Young & Battaglia.

Above: Burlap curtains serve as room dividers in Scott Newkirk's Brooklyn flat.

Above: A painted burlap table runner by Radical Possibility.

I hate cords. Even the word "cords" is ugly. Yet they were everywhere in my life, snaking across the floor, tangled under my desk, draped over the nightstand, twining themselves around the headboard and conspiring to strangle me as I slept. I tried to corral them with twist ties, cord-wrapper hubs, plastic cord-tamer shoe boxes. But nothing worked—until I discovered five foolproof ways to put them in their place.

It started with a remodel. One day, while my designer friend Stephanie Dorfman was sitting at her kitchen table sketching new cabinets for my house, I started telling her about the bad dream I'd had the previous night. "All the computer cords and cell phone chargers were wrapped around my ankles, and there was an evil enchanted power strip, and it said, 'Can you hear the lambs screaming, Michelle?'"

Stephanie looked up from her drawing. "Don't worry, we can hide every cord in your house," she said. "They'll never be able to hurt you again."

Sure enough, Stephanie designed clever cabinetry—for the home office, the TV room, and the master bedroom—with more secret compartments and hidden trap doors than a Vegas magician. You cannot see one single cord in the whole house. But the beauty of her system is this: you don't need to remodel your house to hide your cords. Here are some Penn & Teller tricks that will work for you.

Photographs by Michelle Slatalla.

Above: The home office, where both my husband and I work, is a glorified alcove off the living room; from the front hallway, you can see straight through the house to our desks. So it was imperative that every ugly cord, charger, power strip, cable modem, and random electronic gadget be invisible. Can you spot the printer?

Above: Stephanie Dorfman's design for the house involved false walls, pullout drawers, hidden electrical outlets, and vented doors (to prevent electronic components from overheating). In the office, the two desks and a long wall of low cabinets form a horseshoe shape.

Above: Behind the U-shaped countertop is a dropped ledge; it's 3 inches lower than the height of the countertop. On the ledge behind each of the two desks is a hole, big enough for all the cords to fit. The computer cords, the phone cords, the camera cord, even the cord from the electric pencil sharpener—they all disappear into that hole, positioned behind the pedestal of my computer monitor.

Above: There's a false wall behind each desk. The cords drop behind the two-paneled false wall and are plugged into power strips that sit, hidden, on the floor behind.

Of course, you don't need to install built-in cabinetry to get the same look. Stephanie suggests this simple method:

Secret No. 1: Build a false wall.

Here's how. First make a desk, creating a base with two file cabinets such as White File Cabinets ($159 apiece from CB2) as a support for a desk top. For the desk top use a wooden door or other piece of solid wood that measures from 1.5 inches to 3 inches deep and has a 6-inch overhang when placed atop the file cabinets. For instance, if your file cabinets are 19.5 inches deep, the desktop should be 25.5 inches deep.

Position the desktop on the file cabinets to create a 1-inch overhang on the front and a 5-inch overhang on the back of the file cabinets.

Next, buy a piece of 3/8-inch-thick plywood and cut it to cover the opening below the desktop. Screw the plywood into the back of the file cabinets and paint the front of the plywood—the side facing into the room—the same color as the wall behind it. Now you have a false wall.

Above: Cords are gathered together, then threaded through the top of the ledge on the back of my desk.

Secret No. 2: Cut a hole in your desktop to make cords disappear.

Cut a 3.5-inch round hole in the back overhang. Attach a White Round Plastic Desk Grommet with Cover; $6.60 from Cable Organizer.

Secret No. 3: Don't stint on the power strips. Behind the false wall under my desk are two Belkin 6-Outlet Home/Office Surge Protectors ($6.33 apiece from Amazon). Get two, even if you think one is enough, because there is always going to be something else you'll want to add in the future—a desk lamp, say—to the jungle of cords in your office. Also, it's easier to keep the cords from tangling or knotting if each one has some "air space" around it on the surge protector.

Above: Printers are very ugly. And bulky. I never want to see one again. The wall of drawers in my office includes a double-deep drawer in the middle. That's where my printer lurks.

Secret No. 4: Buy a wireless printer such as an Epson Workforce 545 All-in-One Printer ($152 from Amazon). A wireless printer eliminates the need to run a cord between it and your computer. Getting rid of even one cord feels so sweet. Put your printer inside a drawer and install an electrical outlet inside the drawer. Plug in the printer and never again see its cord.

Above: My printer is on a sliding shelf inside the drawer. When the drawer opens, the printer rolls back, creating enough space for copies to come out the front.

Secret No. 5: Put your printer on a rolling shelf to make it easier to add paper, remove copies, and operate the controls. Sources for a wide selection of different sizes and types of glide-out shelves include Shelf Genie, Hafele, and Rev-a-Shelf.

Above: All that's left on my desk: some Spanish bluebells from the garden.

N.B.: See more Domestic Dispatches for 7 Secrets to Make the Perfect Bed and Help! My Marble Backsplash is Stained.

I don't have anything against the idea of TV; in fact I consider TV to be the new novel. When I power-watch three or four—OK, five—episodes, I get the same woozy, drugged-out high as from being lost in a book. What I hate is how a TV looks, a black hole on the wall trying to suck light out of a whole universe. Plus, it has ugly sidekicks skulking around: modems, woofers, blink-y black boxes, and cords. Here's how to fix those problems:

But first: how did I come own an enormous flat screen TV in the first place? The usual way. My husband tricked me into it.

About three years ago, we moved across the country and my husband, arriving in New York City a few weeks ahead of me, took advantage of my absence to rush out to a harshly lit electronics store on Broadway to buy the biggest TV he could find—possibly the largest one in existence at that time. I got to town to find it propped on cinder blocks in the otherwise unfurnished living room of our apartment, with about a billion black snaky cords spilling out and attaching it to a life support system of bizarrely pulsating blink-y box things. "Isn't it beautiful?" my husband asked.

Of course I wanted to get rid of it. I mean, I haven't even known how to turn on a TV since the advent of those remote control things, much less how to change a channel (are they still called channels?). But then the weather turned cold and gray, and I got sucked into watching episode after episode of Downton Abbey or Mad Men or Grey's Anatomy. (This is a much more instantaneous way to entertain oneself in New York, by the way, than bundling up in a coat and boots and scarf and gloves and going into the hall to wait for the creaky old elevator; riding slo-o-o-wly down nine flights with the neighbors who you don't know and their dog; walking to the subway; breathing through your mouth to avoid the bad underground smell while waiting for a train, and then riding it somewhere to do something.)

By the time I moved back to California and remodeled my house a year ago, the TV was my friend. I wanted to find a way to keep it in my life without ruining the beauty of the new, no-cinder-block decor of my house. This is where my friend Stephanie Dorfman, a designer and certified cord removal specialist, stepped into the picture.

Photographs by Michelle Slatalla.

Above: Do you feel this the biggest TV you have ever seen? No? Good. It's an optical illusion.

Secret No. 1: To minimize the TV's hulk-iness, Stephanie surrounded it with deep bookshelves. The screen sits flush with the front of the shelves, making the TV seem barely three-dimensional and no more obtrusive than, say, a chalkboard.

Secret No. 2: The TV is surrounded by a generously sized (it's 5 inches wide) frame with a beveled edge, like a picture frame, further diminishing the screen. (The frame is attached by magnets and pops off so my husband can rummage around behind it with cords, etc.).

Secret No. 3: Notice how the whole wall—shelves, cabinetry, frame—is painted a single neutral, light color. This further downplays the TV, which is mounted on an arm against a false wall that's shallower than the wall behind the surrounding bookshelves; cords attached to the TV drop behind it into the cabinets below.

Dealing with TVs is one of those design dilemmas that never goes away. In other words, the size and shape of TVs change but they still look bad—just in new, bad ways. In my grandparents' house, an entire corner of the living room was a no-man's-zone given over to an old-fashioned TV cabinet from the Pleistocene Era; the set hadn't worked for years but there was no move to get rid of it (in those days, furniture was a life sentence; the prehistoric sofa had lace doilies sewn over bare patches on the arms). You knew to avoid the TV cabinet corner if you were playing hide-and-seek because it had sharp corners to jab you as you tried to slip past the person who was "It" without being tagged.

Then came Armoire Armageddon. In the 1990s, TV sets still were about three feet deep, and I was one of those people who bought into the "let's-get-an-armoire-to hide-the-TV" craze. Flash forward 20 years, with flat screens everywhere and all these hulking, superfluous armoire things taking up space in living rooms across America. I gave mine away—overnight, it seemed, its value had dropped from the $800 I'd paid for it to $0—and still feel lucky that someone would take it. Given the number of TV armoires that are still out there, lurking in corners of living rooms, I expect that eventually we'll see them littering highways like discarded mattresses.

Secret No. 4: Put all that horrible TV-related stuff inside cabinets, and put vented doors on the front so the electronics don't overheat. Beneath the TV, Stephanie designed doors with Octagon Cane Decorative Perforated Metal. For more information on perforated metal patterns, see Direct Metals.

See where the cords drop down from the TV above?

Secret No. 5: Put all the electronic components on pull-out drawers so it's easy to get to the cords at the back. Our TV is attached to a receiver that's connected to a set of five surround sound speakers including a subwoofer the size of a dorm refrigerator; a router; a Blu-Ray DVD player; a Sonos hi-fi system bridge, and an Apple TV. I don't know what any of these things are—my husband insisted we "needed" them—but I am happy I cannot see them. They live inside these cabinets.

There is a messy tangle of cords attendant to any entertainment center setup; I put a few books on the bottom shelf to hide the cords (and the power strip to which they are attached).

Secret No. 6: Let your furniture help you hide the cords. At my house, the power strip hides between two pieces of my sectional sofa.

In the family room, we lounge around a lot on the sectional with our computers (sometimes while simultaneously watching TV—sick, I know). Where the two pieces of my sectional meet, a power strip lurks beneath on the floor. You can pull up a cell phone charger, an iPad cord, possibly even the charger to my husband's electric shaver. There's a lot hidden under the cushions.

Above: From a distance you would never know a tangle of nasty wire is attached to the power strip that sits beneath the sectional. The whole spaghetti-bowl mess is tucked between the cushions of the sofa, and we fish out the appropriate cord when we need it. Cost: $8.99 (for a Belkin 6-Outlet Home/Office Surge Protector from Amazon).

If you don't have a sectional, you still may be able to accomplish this neat trick. Simply attach your power cords to a power strip that sits on the floor behind the sofa, and thread the cords up through cushions or unobtrusively up the side of an arm.

Secret No. 7: Maintain some electronics-free zones in the family room. On my bookshelves are, well, books. And plants. Can't you just feel all that oxygen coursing into the room? Empty white space is a design element that makes the area around the TV set feel more open and spacious.

And now? I still have a few episodes of House of Cards (the British version—I finished power watching Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright last week) to catch up on. Reminds me of Bleak House.

Emboldened to rid your life of all cords, once and for all? Miracles do exist. See 5 Ways to Banish Computer Cords From Your Home Office.

Hooked on Domestic Dispatches? See all of Michelle's weekly columns here.

Confession: I am a reluctant composter. I know, I know. My impulse is to scrape the dinner plates into the sink, whirl the disposal, and be done with it. I do have a stainless compost bucket under the sink, but it's an awkward—and less-than-fragrant—arrangement. In my next life, I plan to incorporate an in-counter compost solution. And you? Do you keep a lidded pail on the counter? Tell us your techniques in the comments section.

Above: An integrated countertop compost portal. Photograph via Cultivate.

Above: Two pullout drawers—the top one has a cutting board and the one below holds both a garbage and a compost bin. Photograph via The Farm Chicks.

Above: A stainless steel bucket you can lift out and carry to the compost bin in the backyard. Photograph via Blanco.

Above: An in-counter removable bowl to collect scraps. Photograph via Studio Gorm.

Above: A DIY Compost Farm by Charlotte Dieckmann.

For more compost solutions, see Compost Like a Pro: Maven Bins Made in Vermont.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on March 29, 2013 as part of our Belgium and Beyond issue.

There’s little you can’t make (or bake) with a 10-inch cast iron skillet, and if you look after it properly (season it regularly), cast iron cookware will last you a lifetime and beyond. Here are five favorites.

Above: A chef's dream: a row of variously sized cast iron skillet. Image via Brook Farm General Store.

Above: Vintage Griswold or Wagner cast iron skillets, the Rolls Royce of the cast iron world, can be found on eBay from $80 to $250.

Above: The 10-inch Lodge Logic Skillet is available through Amazon; $15.92.

Above: The 10-inch Camp Chef Cast Iron Skillet is available through Amazon; $17.99.

Above: The one drawback of the cast iron skillet is that its handle gets very hot. The Lodge Signature 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet with Stainless Steel Handles offers a cooler handle option; available through Amazon, $57.39.

Above: At FeLion Studios, you can even have a cast iron skillet made in the shape of your homestate. See FeLion for more details. 

As you get ready for the holidays, have a look at our post 10 Easy Pieces: Oven to Table Cookware. And for more cast iron, see Iron Man, Jasper Morrison.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on October 18, 2012.

Beyond the standard issue hose hanger; five practical and innovative ideas to detangle the garden hose and keep it off the ground.

Above: The galvanized Steel Hose Hanger from Swiss company Alba Krapf hangs on to any existing tap wall mounting, neatly solving the problem of where to stow the garden hose; €19 at Manufactum.

Above: Old wooden textile spools (found at antique shops and flea markets) bolted to a backyard fence create a hose hangar. Via Sunset.

Above: An industrial-strength steel bracket is bolted to a deck support beam for instant hose storage. Via Modern Cottage.

Above: This Galvanized Bucket bolted to the wall not only serves as a hose hanger, but also as a caddy for the sprinkler (or other gardening implements); $13.99 at Amazon. Go to Martha Stewart for instructions.

Above: Another simple bucket solution: store your hose in a large galvanized wash tub, like the Behrens 35-Gallon Round Steel Tub ($46.80 at Amazon). Via Addicted to Homes.

More Stories from Remodelista

Candlelight was the first—and for centuries, only—truly reliable source of flattering illumination at outdoor dinner parties. No more. Here are five up-to-date lanterns, all of which use high-efficiency LEDs to light things up.

Above: Molo Design's Hobo Lanterns owe their glow to light-emitting diodes (doesn't that sound so much more melodious than the acronym "LED"?) inside simple felt bags. With battery packs, they're portable. We'd like an assortment to light the patio this summer; $100 each.

Above: Un Sac de Lumière is a set of four white waxed paper bags and tea lights, all hung with a piece of wire; $16 each.

Above: The rechargeable Portable LED Lantern comes in two colors, white or amber; three levels of brightness can be controlled by touch. It's $79.99 at Mr. Light.

Above: The rechargeable Luau can be dimmed by twisting its base; $199.99 from Oxo.

Above: The battery-powered Soji Solar Lantern is white; a colored LED inside is responsible for the amber glow. We'd hang a cluster in a tree at the far edge of the garden.

Above: Ikea's solar-powered Solvinden Lantern ($14.99) uses the sun to recharge its built-in battery; after nine to twelve hours of sunlight, it will last for up to twelve hours.

(N.B.: Happily, the price has been cut to $17 since the last time we admired it.)

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on March 27, 2012.

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