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Brian Libby is a Portland-based architecture writer who has contributed to Dwell since 2004. He has also written for The New York Times, Architect, CityLab, Salon, Metropolis, Architectural Record and The Oregonian, among others. Libby is the author of In Search of Portland: Exploring a Transforming City (Oregon State University Press, 2026).

Budget Breakdown: With $288K, Two Architects Opened Up Their House and Filled It With Surprises
In stages, Office of Things principals Katie Stranix and JT Bachman updated their 1950s “starter home” with a skylit shower, a...
Construction Diary: How Japanese Minka Homes Inspired a Designer’s Coastal Cabin in Maine
“The root inspiration was how enchanted I was seeing folk houses during trips to Japan through the years,” says Scott Stultz.
It Doesn’t Look Like an Average Garage—and It Helps Power Their Home
After expanding their farmhouse, a rural Illinois couple called on Converge Architecture to help them design a space that’s “more...
Budget Breakdown: They Built a Lakeside Canadian Cabin With a Twist for $412K
A couple hired architect Josh Kjenner—their brother-in-law—to create a compact getaway with durable materials, vibrant common...
Budget Breakdown: A Designer Builds Her First House for $659K—on a Fully Forested Portland Hillside
Zoé Stone and her father navigate tricky terrain as they create a serene home with charred wood siding, cantilevered decks, and...
Before & After: Their Rebuilt Philly Town House Makes a Case for the Solarium—and a Bathroom Fridge
The design team “poked fun” at the homeowner for her unusual request, but they’ve since recommended the cold storage solution to...
Budget Breakdown: It Took $1.6M and 100 Tons of Stone to Revive This ’60s Kit Home in Hawaii
Architect Brandon Jørgensen, who once studied under Tadao Ando, believes that “everything you touch and interact with should be...
Before & After: A Flooded Basement Kicked Off a Family’s Whole-Home Renovation in Montana
A new soft-blue kitchen that’s now open to the dining area sets the tone for the updated Bozeman midcentury.
Before & After: There’s a Hidden Meadow at the Heart of This Wabi-Sabi D.C. Home
After spending several years in Tokyo, a family revamps an American Foursquare with a fresh floor plan, a glassy extension, and...
Almost Every Furnishing in This Multigenerational Flat Was Designed From Scratch
In India, architect Abhishek Patel works with local manufacturers to create marble, brass, and plywood furniture perfectly...
Budget Breakdown: $49K of Curvy Cabinetry Solved This NYC Couple’s Storage Conundrum
Architect Fareez Giga deploys a suite of custom built-ins to upgrade a 715-square-foot flat for a bibliophile and a passionate...
Glass-Enclosed Rooms Feel Like They’re Floating at This Olson Kundig Home in Virginia
Wings of the cruciform residence jut out over the landscape on stilts to capture panoramic views.
Before & After: A Family (Quite Literally) Fills the Walls of Their Midcentury Home With Memories
Los Angeles firm Chet Architecture crafts a deeply personal hillside home packed with primary colors—including a custom mural...
Budget Breakdown: This $558K Texas Home Celebrates the Charm of Simple Sheds
Wrapped in corrugated metal, the Hill Country getaway reflects designer and artist John Redington’s long-held passion for...
Private Nooks Unfold at Every Turn in This Origami-Inspired Japanese Home
The naturally ventilated Kumagaya House has a central breezeway, soaring volumes, and secluded spaces that give its occupants...
Before & After: An Architect Does It All for a 1967 Split-Level in Bozeman
Open Studio Collective founder Allison Bryan was both architect and builder on her dream home, infusing the gut job with playful...
Budget Breakdown: This $865K Coastal Dwelling Is So Much More Than a Starter House
For the price of a Bay Area fixer-upper, a young architect builds a fire-resistant home where he can live, work, and surf.
Construction Diary: In West Texas, an Adobe House Gets a Donald Judd–Inspired Revamp
Twenty minutes from Marfa, a couple bring a 1914 home back to basics by peeling away faux stone, preserving marbleized tile, and...
Before & After: Their 1890 Farmhouse Hides a World of Color Behind Its Gray Facade
In Portland, Oregon, a culinary couple call on architect Michael Howells to raise the roof, revamp the floor plan, and spice up...
Budget Breakdown: A Kitchen Renovation Uses Sustainable Materials and Lush Wallpaper to Go Green
An appliance update turned into a full-on remodel in this Portland, Oregon, family's home.
Budget Breakdown: A $336K Cottage Renovation Gives an Oregon Widow a Fresh Start
Barbara McDonald’s architect son updated the 1946 home by raising the ceilings, opening the floor plan, and installing low-cost,...
Budget Breakdown: They Gave a Legendary Artist’s Home an Era-Appropriate Revamp for $442K
For a family of four, Ueda Design Studio restores the luminous-yet-drafty midcentury home of Alden Mason with warm materials and...
Budget Breakdown: Near Melbourne, Former Bandmates Make a Modest House Sing for $290K
The countryside residence favors simple, sustainable moves over square footage, and strategically captures views without walls of...
Near Joshua Tree, a Sublime Desert Home Embraces Shadows and Sunlight
Drawing inspiration from Japanese architecture and beach umbrellas planted in the sand, Mapa Architects crafts a calming escape...
He Only Built One Home—So They Gave It a Singular Renovation
A thoughtful restoration celebrates the only house ever built by architect and activist Kazuo Umemoto.
Before & After: They Loved Their Cozy Cottage, So They a Built an Annex to Match
In leafy northwest Washington, D.C., a two-story addition expands a 1936 home without overwhelming it.
A California Retreat Has Walls Made Out of the Beach
Field Architecture harvested this sandcastle’s site to create panels that match the sparkling Carmel coast.
The Coolest Indoor Tree House Is Tucked Away in This Stately Tudor
Architect Sonya Lee hides a custom, birch-plywood escape inside a typical Queens home.
This L.A. Home Hides a Second Story Beneath Its Steeply Pitched Roof
“It’s almost an optical illusion,” says designer Robert Sweet about the Manhattan Beach residence’s massive gable.
Budget Breakdown: They DIYed a $212K ADU—and Loved It So Much That They Moved Right In
A Seattle couple built their own backyard house with a city-sponsored design—and then rented out their old home on the property...
Budget Breakdown: Two Retired Teachers Build Oregon’s First All-CLT House for $591K
Surrounded by forest and accessed via a fairy-tale bridge, the resilient forever home showcases the strength of cross-laminated...
Before & After: This Reinvented Monterey Bungalow Shows That Sometimes, Smaller Is Better
Architect Merritt Amanti Palminteri redesigns her family home to add volume, flow, and infinite charm without changing the...
A Floating Living Room Sets a Family’s Lake Michigan Cottage Apart From the Rest
The elevated glass-wrapped space juts out from the two-level plan, giving a unique perspective of the waterfront setting.
What Does It Take to #VanLife as a Family?
Two couples with young children—road veterans and complete newbies—share how they make close quarters on the go work for them.
Before & After: A Couple Fix Up an Heirloom Cottage in the Town Where They First Met
The refreshed, third-generation beach house embraces its place between the dunes and wetlands of Neskowin, Oregon.
Budget Breakdown: An Indiana Couple Hand-Build the Farmhouse of Their Dreams for $166K
The proprietors of the furniture company Siosi take on a bigger project: their own home.
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