5. "What are the top 10 most important things I must have in a home?" "If there are two people buying the home, write your answers down separately, starting with your absolute must-haves," Hoffman explains. “Putting together a list separately can give both parties and the realtor a clear picture of what the perfect home will have for both of you."

The planks inside the house blend into those on the small porch just outside. It's a nice touch that helps marry the outdoors with the home's interior.

The couple stockpiles wood under the deck.

Pine was used for the exterior siding and the lower perimeter base is lined in reinforced concrete.

Even in cold weather, they open the sliding doors to let the fresh air in.

An outdoor shower tucked behind a screen off the master bedroom neutralizes this threat. “We thought it sounded great for muddy kids to run up and shower off there,” Coco says.

Cal and Macy jump rope with mom and dad.

The second Jean Nouvel-inspired staircase lives outside, clinging to the side of the house and leading up to the roof deck, where there's a hot tub shaded by sun sails.

In the backyard, Kunigk “montaged” what she admired in the work of John Pawson, Tadao Ando, and Piet Oudolf, the Dutch garden designer who collaborated on landscaping for New York’s High Line. She plans to reconfigure the plantings again with the landscape designer Rina Zweig, who worked on the front yard.

Architect Bruno Despierre built a deck for outdoor activities from pine wood.

The house is surrounded by buildings on all sides except its south facade, which faces the street. An expansive operable window is key for effective ventilation during hot summer months. Additionally, a cantilevered balcony shelters a carport, bike storage, and even a playful swing.

The bach’s beachfront site is nestled behind sand dunes with views toward Kapiti Island, a nature sanctuary.

Decorative Accessory: A careful curation of decorative accessories finishes the styling of a room. Give this Re-Turned Owl Wood Figurine designed by Lars Beller Fjetland. Works great as an accent on a bookshelf, desk, or even a nursery shelf.

To the south, a small soaking pool sits outside Austin’s studio, where he’ll often lie and meditate: “I’m a great floater, and can look at the clouds for an hour everyday,” he says. The adjacent wall was coated with smooth sand plaster finish to accommodate video and film projections by night.

The butterfly-roof pavilion by architects Kate Simonen, Benjamin Parco, and Phil Kaefer connects to the low-slung home Joseph Esherick designed in 1954 via two covered walkways and an open-air tearoom. All three structures sit lightly on the landscape designed by Lawrence Halprin and updated over 50 years later by Gary Roth, a former employee.

Just Glaze Double-glazed windows are typically composed of two layers of glass with a layer of air in between. You might spend more on them upfront ($200–$1,500 each), but the extra insulation can save loads on your heating bill and more than recoup your investment over time. weathershield.com

“We relied on different-sized windows and a varied the placement of the windows. Rather than place a big glass wall, we used the windows to craft views of the property. If you want to see outside go outside, but inside, the framed views let you see everything differently,” explains Fenster.

Jimena makes use of a giant chalkboard just outside.

The Bigelows’ house throws a nod to its midcentury modern neighbors with its subdivided plan and shallow-pitched roof. The three pavilion layout was also partly in response to tough city restrictions regarding the removal of the various beech and redwood trees on the property. However, the Butler Armsden design team was able to use the profusion of trees to their advantage, creating lines of sight to foliage from almost anywhere in the house. The exterior features locally reclaimed redwood siding that provides another connection with the redwoods on the site. The stucco is painted in custom color-matched Benjamin Moore paint.

Five-year-old Thomas Dochter plays outside the houses.

Just outside the lobby is a drive-through for Spiekermann’s Audi.

Designed by architecture firm Arkin Tilt, Bernie Tershy and Erika Zavaleta’s 2,500-square-foot straw-bale home marries cutting-edge green technology with natural building techniques and locally sourced materials.

The facade uses sustainably harvested and local PEFC-certified Australian timber cladding. Not only does the material palette blend in with the surrounding landscape, but it also serves a practical purposes: it is resistant to brush fire and extreme weather.

Produced by Emeco and designed by Konstantin Grgic of Munich-based KGID specifically for the museum, the Parrish Chair will be launched at Salone del Mobile in April of 2013.

Paula Leen and Kees Middendorp lived in their home for 16 years before they finally purchased and renovated it.

A wide corridor, essentially the spine of the building, is flanked by galleries, the café and gift shop, administrative offices and a 200-seat multi-purpose room.

The two combined families return to the home each summer.

Setsumasa and Mami Kobayashi are ready for adventure.

The outside deck, made of local celery-top pine, welcomes both humans and the natural landscape further into the house.

“The [home] is a sanctuary, despite being a duplex on a standard lot in a regular urban grid,” Marble says. Irrigation was limited to vegetable beds that feature drought-tolerant landscaping.

In front, a stone walkway leads a covered entrance.

Completed in 2008, the rectilinear home features a roofline with a dramatic parabolic curve that creates two bulbous volumes inside the home, one of which houses a curved skylit shower.

The Parsonsons' dog takes a breather.

The plexiglass tube's reverse lighting scheme emulates a starry sky above the patio when the interior is lit up at night.

Jorge’s office is on the basement level which provides easy access to the outside.