Beetle’s House, by architect Terunobu Fujimori.

The Japanese architect is known for cladding exteriors with charred cedar, but in this vacation retreat he adorns the wall surrounding an interior fireplace with an arresting composition of scorched wood strips.

This is the entrance to my backyard. To the left is my bedroom and to the right is my garage. We have 3 fruit trees and we used to have healthy grass but my husky has wore out my grass. I used to sit under tree during summer and relax but its not so relacing anymore. Id like a mini outdoor kitchen to entertain maybe to the left?

Terunobu Fujimori's Charred Cedar House, completed in 2007, is clad in charred cedar boards, which have been treated with an ancient Japanese technique that seals the wood against rain and rot. Read our profile on the Japanese architect. Photo by Adam Friedberg.

The kitchen opens to the elements thanks to sliding doors from C.R. Laurence. The anigre in the kitchen is the same employed in the master bedroom.

At a seaside New Zealand house, the simple kitchen has strandboard cabinetry and an MDF island that conceals a fireplace at one end. The bright green cabinetry of the island are a happy pop of color that references the native greenery outside.

Sliding doors cast shadows across the concrete floor.

While modern in style, Heva channels the beauty of nature.

This writer’s studio features ample lighting and carefully chosen windows and openings—essential elements of an uplifting she shed or other outbuildings.

Miguel Angel Aragonés is seen in the cantilevered second-floor bedroom that overlooks the rear courtyard.

The extensive use of natural wood on nearly every surface makes the inside of The Barn feel like an extension of the landscape outside.

Canary yellow doors keep the house from feeling austere. The sliding function also saves space.

To further connect the indoor spaces with the New England landscape outside, glass walls in the living and dining areas slide open to eliminate the barriers between indoors and outdoors. Green slate tiles compose the flooring inside.

"The kitchen is pretty astonishing, really, considering it’s 40 years old," says resident Louise Jenkins. Large square tiles in green with sunflowers compliment the cabinets' natural wood finish.

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

“Before, the house turned its back on the landscape,” said Parish. “This renovation and addition really animates the garden.” Sliding glass doors match those of the living room beyond the deck, and both can be completely open to the yard.

Open enclosures and connections to adjacent living spaces keep the home inviting and airy rather than densely packed—a key feature for an owner of two dogs: Ben, a whippet, and Flynn, an Irish gypsy dog.

Douglas and Derek’s shared taste is on display in the dining area, with its mix of timber, steel, and slate. “Everything was selected to exude warmth and tactility and to offer splashes of color,” Douglas says. The solid oak table is also by Mudge, and the chairs are from South African furniture company Houtlander.

The subdued palette blends warm timber tones with white interiors and stone accents.

Opening to the home's main entrance on the upper level, a large red sliding door—one of three—is painted Gypsy Red by Sherwin-Williams. To the left is the kitchen and dining space, and to the right is the living room and studio.

Lift-and-slide doors open the ground-floor living space up to the outdoor courtyard. The exposed concrete floor of the interior is echoed in the courtyard by linear concrete pavers to emphasize indoor/outdoor living.

Located 31 miles north of Lima, the C3 House is set in a windswept Ancón landscape that the architects describe as "martian-like."

Sliding fritted glass doors provide privacy and sectioned-off spaces when needed.