Duncan Nielsen is the design news editor at Dwell, where he’s led coverage of home design and the built environment for five years. In a former life, he wrote songs that aired in major streaming series including “Nashville” and “The Sinner.” Share tips or ideas at duncan at dwell dot com.

It’s an ADU, Their Family Home, and a... Coffee Shop?
Sydney Wayser and Isaac Watters didn’t realize that what they wanted out of their Los Angeles address would also make a great...
We’re All Just Visitors at the Whale House
Santa Barbara’s famous novelty home is a seductive, unwieldy world of possibility. Its newest owners want to see how deep it goes.
My House: Designer and Maker Nick Pourfard’s San Diego Home Might Never Be Finished
At first he wasn’t sure how to update the ’80s residence by famed midcentury architect Walter S. White.