Kate’s father predicted they would never use the crow’s nest–like tower, which is reached by climbing a narrow staircase.

Karen White, David MacNaughtan, and their sons, Griffin and Finlay, hang out on the front deckof their narrow home in Toronto’s leafy Roncesvalles neighborhood. A narrow modernist composition of glass panes and purple brick, the house slips like a bookmark between two older buildings, a bright three-story abode on a lot narrower than most suburban driveways. Photo by Dean Kaufman. Read more about the small house here.

The space is also adorned with timber cladding, as seen on the entry door.

Stepstone's narrow concrete pavers add a graphic touch to the garden.

White oak paneling imbues uniformity and warmth into the hallway, kitchen, and living spaces.

Another original Knoll design from 1946, the Straight Chair is Nakashima’s spin on the standard Windsor, incorporating traditional techniques, Nakashima sometimes called himself a "Japanese Shaker," in reference to his fusion of classic, Modernist, and Shaker styles.

Stepstone's narrow concrete pavers add a graphic touch to the garden in the Mill Valley home of Dwell founder Lara Hedberg Deam and architect Chris Deam. Photo by Dustin Aksland.

A path created with Stepstone's narrow concrete pavers meanders through the garden past the master bedroom.

Storey calls this house the “Eel’s Nest,” after the narrow urban properties that go by that name in Japan. Its façade was originally going to be wood, but because of local building codes and the fact the building is built along the edge of the property line, the exterior had to be fireproof. Storey covered it with stucco instead. “I wanted it to look as rough as possible,” says the architect. “Since it’s such a small house, it needed to be tough-looking.” The workshop at ground level measures less than 200 square feet, but is set up to accommodate any kind of woodworking or welding; when not in use, the architect parks his car inside.

Adjaye cut a gap straight through the roof and facade.

Fontanez solved LOT-EK’s conundrum of how to situate the bed against the center wall while still maintaining closet access by suggesting an automated dry-cleaning rack in the narrow closet. He and Russell access the closet from opposite ends. “We just have to make sure we don’t spin it at the same time,” Fontanez says. Don't miss a word of Dwell! Download our FREE app from iTunes, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter!

To achieve a level of comfort on a plot wedged between virtually identical prefab houses, the architects brought in a sense of the outdoors with this courtyard that's finished with a grey brick floor and a live Evergreen Ash tree.

Living small is par for the course in New York City, but accommodating a family of four in under 700 square feet rarely looks as effortless as in this storage-smart renovation. Scott Oliver and Margarita McGrath of noroof architects created many clever built-ins and transformable furniture in this apartment. Photo by Raimund Koch. See how the rooms transform in this extended slideshow.

When extended, the metal-mesh curtain wall deflects the sunlight to mitigate the internal temperature of the structure. Similar energy-efficient gestures include geothermal heating and cooling, shading and venting systems, solar panels, and organic finishes and materials.

Bedmar worked with CAPÓ Estudio to refine the interiors. The existing concrete slab ceiling was replaced with glass to let natural light enter.

Every leftover space was put to use. Here, a narrow slot behind the structure allows just enough room for a tight walk-in closet.

Architect Ernesto Bedmar had previously converted an unused alley into a loft. As it started to deteriorate, he had the idea to transform the space into a high-design restaurant called El Papagayo. The site is under eight feet wide and around 105 feet long.

Just beyond the pergola's reach, a narrow pool is heated by direct sunlight.

Due to the narrowness of the property, each floor only contains one room, lending the house a certain coziness.

Visitors are meant to progress from level to level at their leisure. “The ritual of the sauna is going into the sauna box, jumping into the cold water, and then relaxing,” says Kampshoff. “All concrete elements are simply stacked on another and there is a gap of light between each one, offering breathing space.”

A glass roof at the top of the stairwell also helps light filter through the interiors.

Visitors enter through a narrow staircase, visible here as a slit to the right of the courtyard.

Yvette Leeper-Bueno and Adrian Bueno’s home, on West 112th Street in New York City, is recognizable by its two-story bay window angled to bring light and views into the dark, narrow structure. "There’s a threshold of planting between the outside and inside,” says architect Laura Briggs, citing the blooming boxes on the sidewalk, the rear deck, and the master-suite terrace (above the bay window). Photo by Adam Friedberg. See how the rooms stack up inside the narrow shell.

The narrow Marlborough House, situated on an infill lot in Toronto, features a three-story void in the center that lets light into the interior rooms.

Even the bathroom features narrow ocean views.

In a narrow residual area between the breezeway and the house's northern elevation, Cohen created a so-called "skinny space," with a changing area accessible to the outdoor shower.

Going Vintage The shape is what really matters here. The fabric, in 99 percent of cases, will be changed, and the insides will be replaced with fresh down and foam. If the shape is good, a little work and the sofa is like new. Narrow Arm sofa by Calvin Klein Curator Collection, $4,400.

Some aspects of the design continue to puzzle Cook and Compa, who compare the narrow kitchen to an airplane galley.

In the corners of the kitchen and living room, narrow screened doors let the southeast breezes flow through the home and allow the remaining glass windows to stay fixed and clear.

2014 ASID Designer of Distinction Tama Duffy Day of Gensler was recognized for her body of work in healthcare design, which demonstrates the positive impact design can have on the human experience. The ASID Awards celebration will take place during Dwell on Design in Los Angeles. Photo courtesy Alan Karchmer/Sandra Benedum.

From the street, a narrow passageway leads to the tea house's modern glass entrance.

The new kitchen opens out completely and magnificently into a sloping garden. There is no wall, no door, no windows, nothing: just straight out into the yard.

A narrow terrace—one of three—hangs precariously over the street.

A rear view of the narrow house shows how Chong twisted the house’s volumes to bring daylight into each room.

The narrow streets of downtown Lima show the modern alongside the colonial.

The Deans’ new kitchen is long and narrow, punctuated by the small windows that dot the façade and one large light-giving window at the end.