In lieu of a checkerboard effect, Kovel kept his carpet squares all vibrantly verdant. With the bamboo cabinets and countertops the whole space has a pastoral feel. “I wanted it to be like the Bradys’ backyard,” he says.

The House Café evokes colonnaded patterns of mosques, albeit in a secular manner.

Moonshine is beautifully set in an isolated spot in the English countryside outside of Bath. The dramatic juxtaposition of a stone gamekeeper's cottage and a modern timber framed addition gives the home a quaint, pastoral feel while capitalizing on the dramatic view of St. Catherine's Valley.

The cabinetry is fabricated by a local Indian craftsman styled in the manner of modern German and Italian kitchens at a fraction of the cost.

The living area features glass doors to ensure it is bathed in light, warmth, and pastoral outlooks.

Inside, playful pillows can be rearranged in any manner, and are often used as mock beds for relaxing and looking at the canopies above.

Here's a view of the main floor of the store, a spacious and airy atelier filled with all manner of wonderful things.

This little side table was next to a small bed. It has all manner of cases and keys on it including a holster for a pistol.

Farnham and Kasia sit in front of the home’s most impressive feature: an enclosed atrium overlooking the living area. In 2007, Dale Loughins outfitted the atrium with all manner of exotic epiphytes and an automated misting system.

The home extends over the rocky shore of the island in a manner reminiscent of Wright's Fallingwater.

The kitchen has been modernizing it in a period-appropriate manner and includes plenty of well-designed storage space.

Villa Vals is subtly out carved from an alpine slope in Vals, Switzerland. The unique design by SeARCH and Christian Müller Architects provides both a comfortably sized patio, and stunning mountain views while remaining visually unobtrusive in the pastoral landscape. Photo by Iwan Baan.

A central staircase creates a dynamic, semi-open space, with floating steps in solid oak, creating a flow that connects the house vertically in a harmonious and contemporary manner.

The current owners employed architects Jared Della Valle and Andrew Bernheimer to update the penthouse in a manner consistent with Rudolph's original vision. Their work on 23 Beekman was awarded by the American Institute of Architecture.

Hydraulic cement tiles in the kitchen are presented in a "carpet-like" manner surrounding the kitchen island. The hexagonal tiles were designed by Reinpintado and manufactured by Mosaista. The custom millwork was designed specifically by Estudio Caballero Colón for this home.

Hollywood Pastoral

"You really get the sense that you are just floating up there in a different world," remarks Chudleigh.

DublDoms are designed so that they can be integrated into many different settings—houses have been shipped as far away as Italy and France. Though they are standardized, it’s the interiors and “energy” that make each one unique, Ovchinnikov says. Anna envisioned her house as a pastoral contrast to her hectic urban life. In a guest room, an IKEA sleeper sofa sits opposite an antique chest.

The clients—Dr. Merriss Waters, a veterinarian, and Dr. Andrew Fleming, a clinical child psychologist—had a lifelong dream to live in a pristine, pastoral setting in the Pacific Northwest. “They live an active lifestyle and enjoy exploring the islands,” says architect Taylor Bode. “Their hobbies include mountain biking, trail running, farming, and cooking for friends and family.” In addition to an event space in an existing barn and cabin rentals, Saltwater Farm is home to productive gardens and a variety of animals.

Beyond its sliding doors, this storybook barn in Gallatin is airy and filled with natural light, courtesy of old, quirky window sashes. Original wood from the vast, open structure—privacy awaits in the reading nook—has been re-imagined and bolstered by throw rugs and glamorous chandeliers. With views onto the pastoral meadow, alfresco grilling feasts around the deck’s hand-made black locust table are bound to become a nightly occurrence.

Large glass doors frame views of the pastoral setting.

Pastoral beauty: wind farm and grazing sheep.

It was quite hot in the factory, and very very noisy. Workmen and all manner of machines were at a fever pitch getting Nouvel Studio's products just right.

Upstairs is a kind of reading room that houses all manner of cheese and food tomes as well as lectures and discussions. I love the task lights affixed to the wall.

“Gliders are all pretty ugly—even the ones that are sort of trying to not be,” says Merrill. “So, we decided to get the biggest and clunkiest–just the most basic, giant thing–and turn it into something fun.” The chair is upholstered in a quilt-like manner using fabric the homeowner collected.

Moeller calls the National Mall “a great big void.” The Smithsonian museums and federal institutions that ring the central green attract all manner of tourists.

Next to an old farmhouse in the East Tyrolean village of Nussdorf, Austria, is an unusually shaped, shingle-clad cabin that's raised up on skinny steel struts. Set on a hilly incline and designed by architects Peter and Lukas Jungmann, the cabin appears to hover above ground like some sort of alien object—a stark contrast to its pastoral environment and the traditional Austrian chalets that surround it. Because of its irregular, otherworldly form, and how it seems to be suspended in midair, the cabin was named

A former boarding house in pastoral Shohola, Pennsylvania is transformed into a large and cozy holiday rental.

The dark, timber-clad walls and ceilings recall the building's pastoral heritage while presenting a calming oasis for guests to sleep, read, and unwind.

This Victorian-era home in Melbourne, renovated by OOF! Architecture, maintains privacy from the street, but does so in an unusually "friendly" manner—with a giant brick wall that spells out "Hello," a collaboration with local artist Rose Nolan. The residents wanted their house to appeal to passersby, since it sits on a well-trafficked block near a café.

Now, soft white bagged brick and linear clarity unite the rear facade in a visually pleasing manner.

The market’s shelves are lined with all manner of Italian goodies, and the lighting grid on the ceiling, made of chain-link fence posts, is a nod to the grids common in Italian delis.

Desai Chia Architecture created this transparent prefab to dazzle the pastoral landscape of Dutchess County, New York.

The property's location in a pastoral valley is surrounded by the Green Mountains of Vermont. A stream runs from the top of the valley to the pond, which is bordered by an old stone dam.

A home in Sonoma County, California uses redwood for the interior beams, trim, and entryway storage to evoke a pastoral warmth.

A home in Sonoma County, California uses redwood for the interior beams, trim, and entryway storage to evoke a pastoral warmth.