A loft renovation in Stockholm is stylish, relaxed and timeless, a bit like the inspiration pictures that informed the project – a brown cashmere coat, a pair of sand-colored sneakers and a plaza in Rome.

“When it was our turn to renew the the 200 square meter apartment our first step was to simplify everything we felt was too much, in terms of dimensions and materials. The task was to create a relaxed, soft environment and the main interior feature is a dark, low-lying base line that runs like a unifying horizon through the whole apartment. All walls and ceilings are painted in apricot pink and sandy beige tones which gives a soft, hazy atmosphere, creating a dynamic but gentle contrast to the blue-gray base. Nothing in the apartment is white!!”

Inner City Blue by Stockholm-based design studio Note.

A modern luxe, a contemporary richness. Restrained and sophisticated. I could pull a few more words from my thesaurus but you get the idea. It’s all about elegant eclecticism. New York-based interior design studio FERRER.

I’ve always had a thing for cacti. A pot or two about the house has been more than satisfactory… until now. Now I want  a garden just like this by Phoenix, Arizona based landscape architects Colwell Shelor. It may necessitate a move to an arid climate but I can’t see that being a problem.

Inner city living often means that a garden has to be multifunctional. Parking space, entertaining area, a place to relax, a little greenery to counteract the harsh urban landscape. A multifunctional oasis. If you can through in a small pool and a statement orange wall well things just got turned up a notch. Loving this St Kilda, Melbourne courtyard by Eckersley Garden Architecture.

There is something about Brazilian design. Fresh, young, a little bit cheeky, accessible but definitely not cookie cutter. Love the transition of the floor treatments between kitchen and living room and the touches of retro. Apartamento do Pátio in São Paulo by Felipe Hess.