Colorado Duck

The pantry features black-stained timber doors that conceal appliances, keeping the kitchen surfaces clear.

Flashy silver brick, bright red accents, and a black utilitarian floor obscure the loft's better qualities: high ceilings and exposed wood beams. Coffey notes there was also "an open enclave between the kitchen and living area [that] had a raised platform and no real programmatic use."

Michael Benjamin Lerner of the band Telekinesis collaborated with local prefab builder NODE to build a 392-square-foot DADU in Lerner’s Seattle backyard. The builder took care of design, permitting, site prep, and the foundation and framing. Michael tackled the finish work.

Rather than expand their midcentury home, Anthony Marks and his partner built a guesthouse on the unused half of their double lot, in Denton, Texas. The gated fence borrows from the material palette used for the dwelling. “It’s like an introduction, or preview, to what lies beyond,” says architect Michael Gooden.

The Lofthouse is built one of the many hills separating it from the couple’s main residence. "Excavation was a challenge, as we wanted to maintain as much of the existing landscape as possible, but needed to clear out trees for the foundation," says Tarah.

Oak Woodland

The architects removed decorative wood beams and wood paneling, and raised the ceiling to reveal a bright, open space. The existing fireplace mantle was swapped out for Bolection molding, a minimal-yet-traditional profile that allows more space for wall art. Hendricks installed the sconces and Noguchi lantern above the clients' wood table and chairs.

Anthony, his fiance, and Rossi on the rooftop deck.

Why Now, More Than Ever, the ADU Is the Future of Home: Whether it serves as an investment, backyard office, or intergenerational housing, the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) has never made more sense.

At the end of a dirt road in Bissel Cove, Rhode Island, this 1940s bungalow is surrounded by tall trees and a small horse farm. "It’s very enchanting and quiet—in the best way," note the residents, who own East Surf Co., a surf wax company.

Fed up with flashy, environmentally insensitive beach homes, architect Gerald Parsonson and his wife, Kate, designed a humble hideaway nestled behind sand dunes along the New Zealand coastline. Crafted in the image of a modest Kiwi bach, their 1,670-square-foot retreat consists of a group of small buildings clad in black-stained pine weatherboards and fiber-cement sheets.

Kayak in hand, Tom and Will make a break for the beach.

HGTV stars Robert and Cortney Novogratz transformed a "generic white box prefab" into a cozy surfer paradise for a family of four in Montauk, New York. The clients’ paddle collection and surf art are used as interior decor, while large windows and sliding glass doors emphasize the indoor/outdoor living experience.

Bifold sliding doors seamlessly open the dining space to an outdoor deck, which also cantilevers over the backyard. The space is covered by a balcony off of the master suite.

The engawa deck is a traditional Japanese feature. It's a place where guests are often greeted to sit with a casual cup of tea. The David and Mayuko also uses it as a viewing porch toward the back yard for when the kids play in the grass.

Choosing a kitchen or bathroom countertop can be nerve-wracking, and we understand why—they can be one of the most expensive aspects of a renovation, with the added responsibility of impacting the aesthetics of a space. Read on as we work our way through the pros and cons of seven of the most common countertop materials.

What the original building lacked in period detailing, it made up for with massive interior spaces, natural light, and a hardy palette of wood and raw brick. Working with these loft signatures, David developed the hall’s liveable side, adding under-floor heating, and a gigantic kitchen on the upper floor running the width of the building, with a 37-foot-long solid walnut counter on top of stainless steel cabinets. This unites the dining, cooking and social spaces that run the length of the front façade on the upper floor.

"Historically, this topmost room would have housed the silk weavers' rooms, but the room is now Zen, one where you might relax into a freestanding tub or sink into a bed of plumped up pillows," says Eayrs.

A wet bar with Lawson Fenning Orsini stools.

A streamlined kitchen is defined by its white cabinetry against the surrounding cedar walls. The floor is composed of Ash wood.

The kitchen of this renovated apartment in Rome dramatically puts a deep veined marble for the counters and backsplash against the dark millwork.

Containing the kitchen, office, library, and plant room, the building can be seen as a form of a pulpit, a place to foster the owner’s life and work. A birch plywood skin wraps the mezzanine structure, linking spaces and functions.

Large windows and floor-to-ceiling sliding doors have been integrated into the living space, providing an abundance of natural light, as well as easy access to the outdoor garden space.

The kitchen area is full of charm, starting with the original painted brick wall and continuing with cabinets made from reclaimed Iroko wood. The uneven application of paint mimics the aged wood.

The smooth, raven-hued island in this kitchen is made of oak with a thin stone countertop. A Foscarini Gregg Pendant hangs overhead.

Lush plants and cool shades of blue and green bring a little nature into this chic, urban home.

In the kitchen, the showstopping ceiling’s herringbone pattern is echoed by the terra-cotta tiles on the floor. Architect Michael O’Sullivan, who designed the steel-and-glass kitchen cabinets, the table, and the pendant lights (made by Lava Glass), further amped up the richness of the room by specifying an onyx kitchen island. Interior designer Yvette Jay, a collaborator and classmate of O’Sullivan, kept her material palette “tight and limited. I had to restrict myself so that everything here ties in with the architecture.”

By changing the roofline, Beebe Skidmore introduced light and usable space to the third floor. "It was not a lot of extra space, but we got headroom," explains Beebe.

Sandwiched between two ornate Victorians, the London home designed by Alma-nac remedies a midcentury blunder with a contemporary correction.

Bookshelves add extra utility to the undulating staircase in Tokyo's 921-square-foot Coil house. The space was designed by architect Akihisa Hirata for Sakura and Ryo Sugiura, a young couple with two children.

The lot’s second home was demolished to make room for a large backyard by L.A. standards. The picture window provides an interesting perch.

Shands paired maple wood kitchen cabinets with veined marble countertops to provide character to the space without overwhelming it. "These materials, complemented by the open shelves with stacked ceramics, are key to the experience," she says. Sub-Zero undercounter refrigerators and freezer opened the kitchen up to allow for more counter space.

With regards to the woodwork, "all of the new stuff that we added all have modern profiles," says Rausch, but their application recalls the home’s traditional roots. White paint marries new and old.

Leather sling chairs from CB2 surround a dining table by Joel Duprass.

Six-year-old twins Nicolas and Constanza use Pentimento as their “little battleground,” says Pasternak. “They have some options here that they will not find anywhere else.” Among those options are a climbing wall offering easy access to the roof.