In Esperance, Australia, Fiona and Matt Shillington turned an outdated holiday resort into a cozy compound with restored A-frames, log cabins, and cottages.

The clients for an existing home in Seattle approached Best Practice Architecture with a need to make space for an aging family member, but the home on-site was already filled to the brim. The firm's answer was to expand the existing detached garage into a gracious and airy living suite. The architects worked with the natural, six-foot slope of the site and built the Granny Pad into the hill to gain the needed interior height. The volume on the right is the original garage footprint, which now houses a kitchen and sitting room. The added volume on the left hosts the bedroom, as well as a bathroom beneath the loft space.

Klopf Architecture's modest 72-square-foot addition at the front of the home blends in with the original structure while giving the owners a greater sense of openness in the master and hall bathrooms. Inside, the re-imagined great room now features dining space.

Generations of family have lived on this wooded, waterfront site, where architect Will Randolph has built a weekend getaway for less than $70,000.

Beach days, park picnics, and backyard barbecues—wherever your Fourth of July weekend takes you, these products will elevate your event with ease.

The once dim, cramped kitchen in this 1963 Eichler in San Jose, California, now features luxe vinyl tiling, white slab fronts from Semihandmade, and a dual-pane window, courtesy of Cathie Hong Interiors.

“Architecture and sculpture are both about breaking norms,” says Winka Dubbeldam, designer.

This double A-frame Eichler was renovated by Phoenix–based Mackenzie Collier Interiors. Joanne Encarnacion's office is located in the atrium, on the opposite side of her husband's. Graphic bursts of black and white are complemented by greenery and positive affirmations.

Bark gives the exterior walls a textured appearance and allows them to blend into the forested surroundings.

Love the tile, and great solution for a small space - put the tub in the shower !

Livning room through slide away glass doors to patio. Indoor/Outdoor living at its best.

Front entry with peekaboo door and walnut slat screen.

This living/bedroom space showcases neutral tones and shades of white to contrast the continued use of natural, treated wood surfaces.

Newly relined pool, and original cement lined patio with Schultz Patio pieces

al Fresco dining 60's style

V60by Volvo In showrooms early 2014, the new V60 sports wagon features fold-down seats for versatility. Like all of Volvo’s fleet, the V60 includes the company’s low-speed collision-avoidance technology, called City Safety. It works at speeds up to 31 mph, automatically braking the car to prevent collisions. Responding to increasing traffic congestion and the fact that most accidents occur at low speeds, the systems in 2014 models will now include cyclist detection. volvocars.com

Klopf Architecture updated this Eichler with a radiant floor heating system, re-stained paneling, and a new office/guest room filled with Eichler hallmarks like dark bronze door handles.

Cambrian black granite countertops lie in contrast with white cabinetry below and open shelves above in this contemporary kitchen. "One of the favorite things I have to do in the kitchen is wash dishes, just because it’s such a delightful view out the window," says the owner.

Some of this Eichler's original highlights remain, such as the tongue-and-groove redwood ceiling decking and the now re-stained luan wall paneling. In the kitchen, walnut is juxtaposed with crisp white, and the light blue found in the dining area is a unifying accent color.

The SSB is made of four pieces that slot together to create the central V design and comes in two types of wood or steel. It can hold an open cookbook in the kitchen, display favorite titles in the living room, and it also works well for kids.

Love the walnut wrapped bookshelves, and the original tile on the fireplace. That smoked glass vintage dining table and Eames chairs help finish the Mad Man look.

Ribbon Bookends by Book/Shop, $16 each Gifting a book to the particular bibliophile can be tricky business—better to err on the side of utility. Case in point: these nifty steel bookends designed by Oakland-based bookstore Book/Shop. Fabricated locally in California, they come in three colors: yellow, white, and blue.