"Having committed to the courtyard idea, we had to then refine it and study the many plan configurations possible around it," says Joe. "We looked to the traditional riad courtyard houses of Morocco—houses with lush, shady courtyards which have a strong sense of interiority, coupled with severe exteriors to street. We then layered other ideas such the notion of an ‘adaptable house’ and the somewhat contradictory idea of being able to open the entire living area direct to the sidewalk."
After living in NYC for years, Jessica Califano and her husband bought a house in the Catskills during the pandemic. “We both got really into hiking and being outside in nature,” says Jessica.
For the renovation of the East Fremantle House in the suburbs of Perth, architect Nic Brunsdon added a rear extension that playfully mixes white stucco and warm timber. Within the 3,229-square-foot residence, an airy common space, which Brunsdon refers to as “the garden room,” features a giant sliding door that connects the indoor living areas with a sunny green courtyard.
The large sliding doors are a telescoping design, which means they fit into one another and can therefore maximize the opening to the yard.
The dining room and upstairs view from the courtyard.
Sliding glass doors spanning 15 feet create a generous exchange between the main interior and rear yard.
Once the awkward back staircase was removed, the designers made way for a new family room downstairs.
"It looks like an ordinary home, but there are decisions here that are out of the ordinary,
The tub sold the downstairs tenants on the unit.
Cape Long lights by Cedar and Moss illuminate the kitchen, which features dark Dekton countertops and Thonet Bentwood counter stools.
The husband-and-wife duo gave the 500-square-foot space a complete overhaul, from rewiring electricity to refinishing the wood flooring.
Photo by Aldo Lanzi
When architects Thomas Karsten and Alexandra Erhard toured the raw industrial space, they were struck by how much light streamed in, a gift bestowed by large windows and the rare presence of a private patio.
A concrete staircase leads to a newly added mezzanine that contains Onur and Alix’s bathroom and a small sauna. A gloss-sealed MDF closet doubles as a headboard for the couple’s floating concrete bed. Behind the closet is the girls’ bedroom and bath.
Dwellings
Winner: Casa Ter by Mesura
Mesura designed a retreat for a family of five in the Catalonian countryside, utilizing regional and artisanal building techniques and local materials for a sustainable home that blends with the landscape.
Rather than treating the concrete walls, Morrison hung a massive painting by her brother to give the dining room depth.
The addition houses a kitchen and family room on the main level, and the master bedroom and roof deck above. Sliding glass doors now allow generous sightlines to the yard, and also convey a lightness to the new architecture that contrasts with the character of the old.
The Hansen Residence—also known as Modern Surf Shack or Casa Los Arboles—is a simple concrete construction, providing a robust envelope to withstand storms (the walls are double the thickness required by code). From the beach, stairs lead up to the main bedroom.
In the couple’s bedroom, mirrored cabinets bounce light back toward an office nook. The rug is from Armadillo & Co., and the throw blanket is from Città Design.
In one of several distinct outdoor spaces, a pink terrazzo tub creates an oasis under the palms.
“We kept coming to the dog beach and driving past this house until, one day, we decided to take a look.” Cheryl, who works in tech, is perched on a banquette built cleverly into the narrow deck that skirts the home’s new north-facing wing, wide open to the winter sun.
“Watching the sunrise and moonrise from the living room is gobsmacking,” says James.
To his credit, the original owner and builder of an ’80s-era home in Byron Bay, Australia, kept it “in pretty good nick,” as designer Micka Etheridge puts it. “He’d dusted the window frames once a week for thirty-five years.” Etheridge took that same care expanding the house for its new owners, Cheryl and James Kitchener, who love its greenery and mellow, vintage vibe.
"They desperately needed more space for their soon-to-be growing family,
"The site has lush vegetation dotted with mature live oak trees, and Sarah is a gifted gardener who keeps the yard beautiful,
A new office sits at the front of the house, and its moody walls and bookshelves contrast the other rooms' mostly light and neutral palette.
"A majority of the existing roof was removed to frame the new second floor,
An exterior view of a penthouse, with interior and exterior design by Olson Kundig.
Cyclists returning from a ride with the Mill District Velo Club in Healdsburg, California.
Upstairs is a show-stopping oversize bathroom. “When I chose the tile, I was afraid I was going to get sick of it,” says homeowner Melina Polly, “but I do love it. It makes me happy every time I walk in there.” The tiles are Fez by Granada Tile, the sinks are from Kohler, and the faucets are from Newport Brass.
In the bedroom , Ball Light pendants by Michael Anastassiades hang above Tulip side tables by Eero Saarinen for Knoll. The linens are by Brooklinen, and the Serif TV is by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Samsung.
“The atrium is the first place you enter,” says Leidner. “Traditionally, it’s a hardscaped area with some potted plants, but we wanted it to be more like a full garden, right in the middle of the house.”
A pathway winds between a pair of Japanese maples and a myrtle tree that dates to the home’s original construction. The floor-to-ceiling windows and sliders are by Fleetwood.
The dwelling’s concrete slab meets a New Zealand pine deck at the custom steel entrance door.
Tasmania, Australia
Dwell Magazine : September / October 2017
2 more saves