The kitchen was custom made by a local carpenter due to its unconventional scale. The appliances consist of a De Dietrich oven, Amana refrigerator, and Imperial microwave.

Christine (at left), and Amanda (at right) chat with David’s sister Aroha Yates-Smith (center) in the kitchen.

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.

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.

Inspired by skateboards, the swing seats are made of European oak. “At first we tried bigger boards, but you can’t sit on them,” Parzyszek says.

Designed by Jagoda, the door swings open to fit in front of a bookshelf.

The master bath contains all functions in the white fiberglass panel that runs the length of the wall. Lazor designed the vanity; the tub is by Duravit.

“It was a major decision to put the kitchen in the center where everything would revolve around it,” says Lazor. “We did this simply by following what patterns we observed—it was just where people gravitated.” The bar stools are by Blu Dot, and the chairs by Charles and Ray Eames.

The living room is light and airy thanks to the glass wall and doors (formerly a solid wall) framing the parkland greenery outside.

Once inside, visitors are greeted by three ten-foot-tall hand-carved antique panel doors.

In another section of the yard, Cooper added varying-sized circular cement stepping stones, which lead toward an elevated planter filled with California-native plants.

Architect Javier Senosiain created this remarkable home on a hilly site near Mexico City. “The green dune wraps itself around the inside spaces almost completely, rendering it almost invisible. From the outside, all one sees are grass, bushes, trees, and flowers,” he says.

Mirrored glass allows this holiday home in Mexico to blend in with it's woodland site.

Homeowner Simon Doonan stands next to the front door. "We have flamboyance, and we’re not inhibited about anything. [Architect] Gray Organschi gave [the house] that intellectual rigor needed to make it beautiful. We were well matched."

Suzanne and Brooks Kelley at the back of their 1,100-square-foot guest cottage.

Double doors open to the deck.

A bright yellow front door adds a bold pop of color to the minimal exterior palette.

In 1962, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architect Arthur Witthoefft won the AIA's highest honor for a home he built in the lush woods of Westchester County. Having fended off a developer's wrecking ball, Todd Goddard and Andrew Mandolene went above and beyond to make this manse mint again.

Entry hall with Ingo Mauer chandelier

Pictured here is the door to the bathroom. White curtains inside the bathroom provide privacy.

In the DoghousePaul and Shoko's dog, Mei, has lucked into a small prefab home of her own. Making use of a water jet cutter at his office, and using Adobe Illustrator as his design tool, Paul fashioned a series of panels that slot together without any nails or screws.

In their bedroom, Anya and Yash hang out in the boat-shaped swing by Haba that their aunt brought them from Germany (it’s not currently available in the United States). A Rapson Rapid Rocker by Rapson-Inc. sits next to the window.

An installation brought 20 circular, glowing swings to a grassy area near the Boston Convention Center. LED lights embedded in the polypropylene swings change color depending on its motion.

On a trip to Naoshima, Japan, the Houston newlyweds behind Robertson Design fell in love with Tadao Ando’s concrete-composed museums. This led the couple to create a residence of their own comprised of a low concrete wall, concrete cube, and box clad in Siberian larch. The indoors are rounded out with white oak, marble, and leather-finished granite.

A honed basalt walkway leads to the re-imagined front door.

This door with space-age knobs is painted with Behr's Flaming Torch. The brass wall hanging above the landing is by C. Jeré.

The entrance is an artistic mix of midcentury lines and features globe pendant lighting.

The gate, opening onto the entry courtyard, serves as the pavilion's front door.

"It was rundown, dark, and divided," recalls Masaaki of his first impression of the warehouse, the ground floor of a multistory apartment building. But after some thought, Masaaki, a Japanese-born architect, and Esther, an artist from Minorca, realized that owning the combined 2,700 square feet would allow them to headquarter Mas-aqui, the architecture and design firm they were planning to start, on-site. They bought the property and within months transformed it into a bright, modern live/work space.

Fifty miles north of New York City, a controversial home and guesthouse were built from Frank Lloyd Wright’s drawings on a private island. Intriguingly, the main home was completed in 1996 following Wright's original sketches for the 1950s owner of the island, who ultimately instead commissioned a 1,200-square-foot home on the island because of the high cost. Today, that 1,200-square-foot home serves as a three-bedroom guesthouse—the perfect space for extended family to stay.

An oversized entrance door leads to an angled hallway that obscures views to create an element of surprise. The Vollen bench in Custom Red Lacquer is from Chadhaus.