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Glass panels brighten up and modernize the interiors.

The architects installed modern, floating stairs with a wooden tread and steel railings.

The curved blue kitchen larder has a projecting “nose” that illuminates the worktop and a mirrored eye that “winks” each time the door is opened.

Jagoda installed two Velux skylights in the kitchen and one apiece in the kids’ bathroom and the parents’. “Ideally, every room in the house has enough natural light that you don’t have to turn on the lights during the day,” says the architect. The frost bathroom tile is from Heath Ceramics, while the faucet is from Vola

Classic Ceramics wall tiles are combined with Caroma Cube ceramic basins in the bathrooms.

The sleek modern kitchen is compact, but has floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets neatly tucked away on either side providing ample storage. Locally made features include Monogram appliances, the porcelain tile, repurposed countertops, and FSC-certified, toxin-free custom cabinetry.

A polished concrete island top contrasts with oak timber cabinetry in the kitchen.

An emblem of modernism, the white-and-green kitchen was once a floor model in Scavolini's Birmingham store.

Portland-based pastry chef Andrea Nicholas purchased a 1953 midcentury ranch whose 2,500 square feet needed "a lot of TLC." Nicholas hired architect Risa Boyer to design the renovation, which involved opening up the kitchen to the dining room and creating a contemporary open-plan living space.

Low-VOC, zero-formaldehyde white plywood cabinets, a subway-tile backsplash, and stone counters run through the kitchen.

The homeowners are both in the creative field, with connections to a slew of talented artists. What hangs on the walls is only a small portion of their collection.

The kitchen island is nine-and-a-half feet long, made possible by knocking down non-load-bearing walls and enlarging the room’s footprint. The island is “much larger than what most people would do in that space, because it's not that large of a space, but knocking down those walls and going with a large island makes the kitchen feel a lot more grand,” says Devlin.

Plan B carpenters built the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves as well as the cabinetry in the kitchen at the far end of the room.

In the master bath, Hale chose slate tile for the floors and green-and-brown glass tile by Lunada Bay for the walls, both from United Tile. The Japanese Ofuro soaking tub, crafted from Hinoki wood, is by Zen Bathworks.

A green guest bathroom with a vanity designed by Pascali Semerjdian and wood panels by Plancus.

Cero offers an offset vanity and a circular bowl.

The minimal material palette extends into the bathroom with muted tiles and clean lines.

Architect Charlie Lazor designed this peaceful, lakeside prefab in Ontario, Canada, with a Japanese-style bathroom clad in richly stained teak with a matching tub and sink by Bath in Wood.

The main bathroom, with a prominently placed soaking tub, is a restorative haven within the home. "My favorite part [of the home] is the bathtub, which has a clerestory window of the downtown skyline, and another window that looks out to see the Hollywood sign in the distance," shares Melanie. The luminous space features ceramic floor tile from Ceramic Technics in Ecco Mineral Stone 2.0, Wilsonart quartz counters in Rio Upano, and a white LED sconce by StudioM. The white oak vanity was custom designed by OPEN For Humans.

A primary suite was created on the new second level, complete with a freestanding tub.

The Forest House’s detailed design includes concrete ceilings with openings that allow planted trees to stretch toward the sky.

A maple tree grows through an ipe deck in this garden that Mary Barensfeld designed for a family in Berkeley, California. A reflecting pool separates it from a granite patio, which is furnished with a Petal dining table by Richard Schultz and chairs by Mario Bellini. The 1,150-square-foot garden serves as an elegant transition from the couple’s 1964 Japanese-style town house to a small, elevated terrace with views of San Francisco Bay. Filigreed Cor-Ten steel fence screens—perforated with a water-jet cutter to cast dappled shadows on a bench and the ground below—and zigzagging board-formed concrete retaining walls are examples.

The home showcases the classic design language of the 1960s and consists primarily of glass, steel, concrete, and clinker bricks.

Bright and airy, the classic midcentury open floorplan features a split-level, with the living area just a few steps down from the dining room.

The intricate metal curtain doubles as a work of art.

Tall indigenous wetland grasses grow fecund, right up to the border of the saltwater swimming pool.

Back into the forest, the Pool House is oriented for panoramic views of the valley floor.

The living room takes advantage of the Californian climate, opening completely to the deck adjoining two indoor/outdoor wings.

The galley kitchen comes with all new appliances, a ceramic backsplash, and plentiful storage.

A textured tile wall elevates visual interest in the dining area, while a corner fireplace in the living room pays homage to the minimalism of the midcentury aesthetic.