Don't worry if you aren't quite sure where to start. With this eight-step guide, your space will be sparkling in no time.

Spring cleaning is the perfect time to move larger appliances and heavier pieces of furniture to clean all the dirt, dust, and grime that is usually left unnoticed.

A simple, chic, elegant modern prefab open kitchen.

This "local prefab" home on the Isle of Skye is made mostly from materials sourced in northern Scotland. The timber-framed model, meant to evoke the simple agrarian barns of the area, can be constructed on-site in as little as a day and is designed for affordability.

Black and white kitchen cabinets painted with a triangular pattern add a whimsical touch to this funky kitchen.

How to Talk to Contractors: Don’t get lost in building jargon when planning your latest project. Illustration by Blanca Gómez

This round table is made from solid white oak and hard maple.

Handmade Corian butterfly keys were used to join the two kinds of wood.

When Abbie and Bill Burton hired Marmol Radziner to design their prefab weekend home, their two requests were “simple-simple, replaceable materials,” says Abbie—such as concrete floors (poured offsite in Marmol Radziner's factory) and metal panel siding—and “the ability to be indoors or outdoors with ease.” Deep overhangs provide shade and protection from rain, so the Burtons can leave their doors open year-round and hang out on their 70-foot-long deck even in inclement weather. They visit the house once a month, usually for a week at a time, with Vinnie and Stella, their rescue Bernese Mountain dogs. Their two adult children occasionally join them. The couple hopes to one day retire here.

Flavin created minimalist sculptures using commercially available flourescent lights, like the 1977 piece seen here, called (In memory of Sandy Calder)V. Placed side by side, the two primary-colored compositions that comprise it recall the work of Alexander Calder. The bed at the end of the space, Single Bed #32 (Daybed), is one of Judd's furniture designs. Image © Judd Foundation; Photo credit: Maris Hutchinson, EPW Studio; Judd Foundation Archive; Flavin artwork © 2015 Stephen Flavin/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; courtesy David Zwirner, New York/London; Licensed by VAGA

The concrete wall mimics the slope of the hill outside as a reference to early Maori structures that were dug into the land. The simple kitchen has strandboard cabinetry and an MDF island that conceals a fireplace at one end. The ceramic works on the built-in seat at right are by Raewyn Atkinson and Robyn Lewis.

After living on and studying a woodsy acre of land in North Zealand, Denmark, architect Jesper Brask cleared a stand of pine trees and, from the timber, built a getaway open to its surroundings. The house, which Brask shares with his wife, Lene, and sons, Kristian, Jens, and Niels, is used mainly in summer, when the weather is optimal for throwing open the glass doors.

Mami and Goo the Kishu dog return from a frolic in the forest, which the couple, along with Hideaki, has thinned and trimmed back over many weekends. It’s an idyllic escape and a world away from the concrete expanse of Tokyo.

In Seattle's rapidly developing South Lake Union neighborhood, the Art Stable is a classic example of urban infill. Built on the site of a former horse stable, the seven-story mixed-use building carries its history into the future with highly adaptable live/work units.

Japanese showers are usually set low down so the bather can sit on a stool and scrub, then pour cedar buckets of hot water over their heads for a refreshing rinse. This homeowner in Venice, California mounted a handheld shower head on the wall for added flexibility. The drain is under the removable cedar floor slats, keeping the room design uncluttered. Wood tubs are cleaned with a simple rinse and last for decades, as the antiseptic properties of cedar guard against mold and rot. This ofuro was designed by Santiago Ortiz and fabricated by Bartok Design.

Choosing a kitchen or bathroom countertop can be nerve-wracking, and we understand why—they can be one of the most expensive aspects of a renovation, with the added responsibility of impacting the aesthetics of a space. Read on as we work our way through the pros and cons of seven of the most common countertop materials.

Tanya, Chris, Jackson, and Zeke spend much of their day outside.

Because the house is narrow and long (16 by 68 feet), the design team decided to create a huge open-air space to light the interior naturally. Two retractable motor-driven canvas canopies shelter the space during Singapore’s frequent rains.

On the outskirts of Austin, Texas, author Chris Brown and his dog Katsu head to the river; the path was once a dumping ground on top of a long-defunct underground oil pipeline. The green roof was conceptualized by John Hart Asher of the Ecosystem Design Group at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin.

“Before, the house turned its back on the landscape,” said Parish. “This renovation and addition really animates the garden.” Sliding glass doors match those of the living room beyond the deck, and both can be completely open to the yard.

Tom Givone’s clients, Rose and Steve Smith, teach overseas and have owned their house for 26 years. They intended to fix it up slowly and retire there. As one problem led to another, they reached a point when they felt their only option, as Rose put it, was to “burn it down.”

In the photos that follow, we take a look at the product offerings inspired by the house, which Yeon designed when he was only 27 years old.

Clad in Western red cedar siding and punctuated with floor-to-ceiling windows, this minimalist two-bedroom home boasts sunrise views over the Sonoma hills.

In Los Angeles, homeowner Bill Thompson warmed up his otherwise dark living room with a series of Douglas fir slats applied above the fireplace, as well as other wood accents throughout the room; the slats provide both texture and pattern to the fireplace, acting as a focal point and emphasizing the space's vertical height.

At just 350 square feet, this remote cabin with a view for the Sol Duc River sits on stilts to protect it from flooding and the dampness of the northwestern rainforest. Its shutters can be operated manually by custom steel rods.

A couple takes a minimalist approach to their Brooklyn apartment, focusing on supple materials, subtle gradations of color, and custom finishes by local craftsmen. The Mandayam–Vohra family gathers under one of Workstead’s signature three-arm chandeliers, shown here in its horizontal configuration. Bartenschlager designed the white cabinets and is responsible for the walnut counters both on the kitchen island and near the stove.

“The backyard, which was kind of the focus of the project, was overgrown and quite disconnected from the house itself,” said architect Nigel Parish. The glass doors of the addition open onto a patio and lawn where the kids can play.

On growing up in South Carolina and his first job: I had job opportunities when I was ten and thirteen...even if it [was] shelling beans. Even when I did that, I noticed that the store was busy. I remember the first phone call I made on a brand new phone we just got. It was back to that store. I said, "May I speak to the owner? I'm Lou. I'm one of the kids outside that helps you. I noticed you're very busy inside the store. Do you need some help? Can I work in the store?" He says, "What's your name again? If you are coming here tomorrow, come in and see me." Right away, I was working in the store. I remember taking over the vegetable area and the stock was selling out like crazy. He said, "What are you doing? Giving this stuff away?" I said, "No! I'm giving them a good deal, which they think they're getting." It's not the way I sell design services. It's just being at the right place at the right time and getting the opportunity and seizing the moment. I think that that's key. (Above: St. John’s University – 101 Astor Place, designed by The Switzer Group)

On moving from mail clerk to draftsman at an architecture firm: When I arrived here [New York City] in 1966, right out of high school, I started looking for a job in the architectural profession. The first three months, I worked in a supermarket. Every Monday I could go to the employment office to see what jobs were available. I got a job opportunity: "call Elizabeth Hambright at Sherburn Associates." They were looking for a mail room clerk. I said, "Perfect!" I took that job and within three months I got a tap on my shoulder. "I've [been] told you have a portfolio. Can you bring it in?" So I brought the work in, showed the guy who was the office manager. "These are your drawings?" he said. "Yeah." "You're sure these are your drawings?" he asked. "Of course they're my drawings!" "You did these drawings?!" he asked again. "Yes!" "Where?" he said. "High School". "They were teaching you this in High School?!" he said. "Yeah." "I'm promoting you to a draftsman. You're a draftsman now. Get someone to fill your spot." (Above: St. John’s University – 101 Astor Place, designed by The Switzer Group)