Of all the holiday trimmings, I am particularly fond of stockings. Stocking stuffers—tiny treats both indulgent and practical—are invariably more exciting to me come Christmas morning than any bigger present under the tree. And hung by the chimney (or, in our case, from an old disused mantel), stockings themselves add a sense of anticipation and festivity in the weeks before. That’s particularly true of the sophisticated collection we’re noting this year, some maximalist and patterned, many made from scrap fabric or re-used blankets, all in saturated, vibrant hues—a compelling case for moving beyond the standard red and green. Take a…

A pergola adds a stylish touch to your garden and could be the best addition you make to your outdoor living space. Whether entertaining friends or just relaxing with family, having the perfect lighting for the occasion is a must. 14 Easy Pergola Lighting Ideas Here we share fourteen ideas to take your pergola from dark to dazzling in very little time. Paper Lanterns Ryann Ford Made of thin paper covering a wire framework, paper lanterns come in all colors and sizes. Illuminated from the inside, they provide a soft glow over the surrounding area. For safety’s sake, it’s best…

Weekend sales, two new books, pop-ups in New York, London, and California, and more this post-holiday weekend: Above: A glimpse of this week’s before and after story: The House on Dolphin Street: A Remodeling Tale of Tenacity and High Style. Photograph courtesy of Russell Loughlan. Margot is eagerly awaiting Never Waste a Good Crisis, a new book by international organization What Design Can Do, featuring “31 creative optimists who are working to reinvent our relationship with waste.” Longtime Remodelista favorites Henry Street Studio is having their annual winter ceramics sale next week, December 2-3 from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.…

Winter—and these days in particular—is a good time to gift a bit of cheerfulness—a reminder that design, and our spaces, needn’t always be so serious. For gifts sure to bring joy to all, we like Areaware, which offers gifts and objects for home, work and play created in collaboration with independent designers. Every homeware piece is equal parts uplifting, the company says, and functional, intended to bring delight every time it’s used. Now, as part of Areaware’s Happy Holidays Sale, readers get 30 percent off sitewide; use code HAPPY30 at checkout. Head to Areaware to browse all of the offerings,…

At Remodelista we’re ever on the lookout for menorahs of distinction. What we’re hoping to find are designs that do the trick at Hanukkah, and that we’d want to put to use as candleholders throughout the year. Until recently, that was a tall order. Enter the handmade movement: of late a number of creative studios have been contributing to the cause. Here are this year’s eight standouts. Above: From her Camden, Maine, studio, Ariela Nomi Kuh of ANK Ceramics makes tableware and a line of menorahs in editions of one, no two alike. They’re priced from $200 to $300 and tend…

Depending on how you look at it, an old, untouched, architecturally interesting house is either a treasure or a teardown. Fortunately for this 1960s-era modernist home in a suburb of the Adelaide foothills in Australia, its new owners (a couple with two kids) admired its provenance and recognized its potential. Soon after they made the purchase, they hired Northern Edge Studio to update the neglected home and shuttle it into the 21st century without losing its character. “The house was damp, had some failing plumbing and electricity, and had lots of little things wrong with it,” says architect Paul Cooksey.…