Marni Katz

Sarah Pease is a student designer, maker, and researcher. Through her work in all mediums, Pease strives to create products that challenge notions of value and function. Her appreciation for straightforward thinking and efficient construction manifests in minimal aesthetics and intuitive interfaces. A Rhode Island native, Pease is currently completing her senior year in the Department of Furniture Design at RISD. She was recently noted in Dwell magazine as one of the “youngest and most promising designing minds at work today,” and has been highlighted by Core77 and Lifehacker for her work as a visiting student at the MIT Media Lab. Let's see what she puts forth as her Friday Five.

Visit the Brooklyn studio of jewelry maker Aaron Ruff of Digby & Iona, which he shares with rescue dog Nuki, loud machines and curiosities.

When you see her work, you won't be surprised that stylist/designer Katrine Martensen-Larsen of KML Design is Danish, based out of Copenhagen. With white as her base, she adds bright shots of color to rooms, transforming them to light, airy, and in this case, wonderfully playful modern spaces. This Copenhagen flat is a Scandinavian riot, so to speak.

New York City-based textiles and design company, ZAK+FOX is headed by Zak Profera, with help from his trusty Shiba Inu, Shinji. The textile collection, comprised of 10 designs, is defined by an aesthetic that is warm, modern, and eclectic. His work draws influence from his early studies of conceptual art at the San Francisco Art Institute, as well as his recent international treks – from the outskirts of Istanbul in search of vintage finds, to the depths of the Black Forest for an open-air expedition. As for "Fox," he says, “I loved the idea of a boy and his dog traversing the globe, unearthing ancient treasures." In this week's Friday Five, we can see where the pair finds inspiration.

In an effort to fulfill your cravings for more interior design, we'll be brining you themed round ups of amazing spaces, culled from the portfolios of different designers. As the weather turns crisp (in our part of the world at least), we dream longingly of long, hot soaks in luxurious tubs that overlook the most fantastic landscapes, be it fields, mountains, forests, or oceans. Which is most appealing to you?

Although this month's Design Store(y) subject has a distinctly French name, it's actually located in the Veneto region of Italy. Maison 203, is a glass-fronted, white slice of a shop on a quaint brick street that opened in June 2010. The owners, husband-and-wife designers, curate covetable items from a respectable roster of established international designers and emerging brands. We've long been fans of their sleek web shop, and were thrilled to discover they exist IRL (that's "in real life" for those of you not versed in txting) as well. Let's step inside and find out more about the business.

Anne Harper, who works out of Atlanta and New York and studied Design and Photography at the University of Miami, is an abstract painter and musician. This week, for CMYLK, we created Colourlovers palettes of works done in acrylics and mixed media on canvas, which were shown in a solo exhibition at the Arden Fritz Gallery in Miami earlier this year. The pieces are at once feminine and strong, and extremely appealing. Her new series, "Weighted," will be completed next summer.

If you haven't heard, Oprah-approved interior designer Nate Berkus debuts The Nate Berkus Collection at Target, online and in stores, this month. And yes, his signature line of home products remains available on HSN. This Chicago-based designer, who established his firm in 1995, is ever busy. While his two-year stint with his talk show has wrapped, Berkus took on a new role in entertainment—that of executive producer on the Disney and DreamWorks film The Help. This fall, he's also publishing his second book, The Things That Matter (Spiegel & Grau). Berkus shares his inspirations for this week's Friday Five.

For this month's Destination Design we fly up and over to Iceland (not really, we wish!) for a stay at the dramatic 101 Hotel Reykjavik. Situated in the heart of the city's historic district, the sleek design is a symphony of black and white, punctuated with cozy touches like the fireplace in the lounge, and old-fashioned freestanding tubs in some guest rooms. Contemporary art, from standing and crouching nudes of slightly indiscriminate gender to misty abstract canvases, dot the public spaces, lending an almost eerie feel to the cutting-edge design. As you've probably figured out by now, we're huge fans of boutique hotels that incorporate art galleries into the experience.

This week's CMYLK finds us creating Colourlovers palettes all over New York City. The rooms were created by interior designer Fawn Galli, mingles the old and the new, vintage and contemporary. Although schooled in political science, following a stint at Christie's auction house in the European furniture department, Galli learned the design trade in positions at renown architecture and design firms of Robert A.M. Stern and Peter Marino. We love her style, especially the colors.

.PSLAB was borne in Beirut in 2004 out of a desire to provide unique lighting solutions. As lighting designers and manufacturers of site-specific lighting products, .PSLAB follows a tailored approach, collaborating with architects to create customized lighting concepts that takes every element of the space into account. Products are manufactured in their own factory using high-end materials, and assembled by their team of artisans using hand executed techniques, imprinting the products with an artisanal feel. In addition to its Beirut headquarters, the company has offices in Bologna, Stuttgart, and Helsinki, with plans to expand into Singapore next. Let's look at the team's Friday Five to learn about their philosophy and inspirations.

A former national arts magazine editor and freelance writer with a degree in literature, Jeni Tu studied Industrial Design at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, finished her degree in San Francisco at California College of the Arts, and re-launched her career as a furniture and product designer. Tu lends us the details of a busy day for this month's Designer Dailies.