Architects Tania Garbe and Ida Polzer want to mix good design with good stewardship. Their new webshop, Design With Benefits, offers unique, high design accessories that are socially and environmentally conscious. We're talking radios from an Indonesian plant that teaches former farmers craftsmanship skills and jewelry made from a salvaged historic Frank Lloyd Wright roof. Fun stuff!

This mini-trend of bright, textured rugs, poufs and accessories for children fits in nicely with the larger movement towards handmade goods with a modern twist. It also has the added benefit of being really visual and fun. 

Michael Shaikin, owner of Ottawa-based The Modern Shop, wants to bring a fresh take on modern design to Canada. As the former owner of a vintage resell shop, Michael certainly has the retail chops for this venture. And with an eye for great designs from Europe and the US, he has style covered, too.

Once in a while a great image will stick with you, where the color, texture, pattern and style all align to create a beautiful end result. More

This recent house tour -- Mary Lee's Life in 300 Square Feet -- is a perfect example of carving out a bedroom space even in a small studio. By day this room serves as cozy little living room, complete with a home office. By night, the sofa folds out, the bedding comes out of the storage cubes, and voila -- a bedroom. I rounded up a shopping list of the essential components of Mary's living room, along with a quick guide to why it works...

Badger Cushion

• £72
• Donna Wilson

Honey badger don't care what your kids put their heads on, but Donna Wilson does.

I think you know the drill by now: I give you one look and two drastically different budgets. Today's room is for the well-traveled, with a mix of cultures, super saturated colors, lots of texture and carved wood. The price, and its less expensive counterpoint, is next: