Natural materials were selected as much for tactile delight as for health and environmental benefits.
Floor Plan of Fernhill MCM by Risa Boyer Architecture
Wrapped in glass on three sides, the Woodnest tree houses offer panoramic views of the surroundings mountains and fjord.
Each tiny home houses a wood-burning stove, a living space, a composting toilet, and a lofted bed tucked under a slightly pitched roof. Although compact, they offer all the comforts of home—including lights, outlets, and radiant floor heating. Floor-to-ceiling windows and lofted sleeping spaces make the tiny homes feel larger and brighter than their square footage, and the dwellings provide the additional space and privacy the homeowners desired.
Upon relocating to the Methow Valley, a family finds their compact cabin to be a little too cozy—so they roll up their sleeves and break ground.
Danish architect and designer Sigurd Larsen teamed up with Raus to create a 193-square-foot cabin in Berlin, Germany, that lets city dwellers escape the hustle and bustle of urban life and connect with nature.
On a rocky bank, Hebra Arquitectos builds a breezy home that opens wide to nature.
“I envision people writing their books, music, refuelling their creative flow,” says Castillero. He should know about its energizing power more than anyone, really: it brought him back to his love of architecture, after all. “It’s truly my new happy place.”
This particular cabin may be done, but Castillero and Reed are just getting started. “I like the idea of working on something and tweaking and perfecting it,” says Castillero, who is now envisioning building a network for Hideouts, each iteration improving on the next to provide an even better getaway for creatives to disconnect with the world and reconnect with nature.
In turning the second level of the garage behind their duplex into a multifunctional workspace without breaking the bank, Kyle Huberty relied on friends, family, and the community at large.
Black-framed, custom windows by Euro Vinyl are chic frames to the outdoors.
In addition to a sound-proof movie theater, the home also features a spacious pool. Plenty of
Designed by acclaimed architect Doug Rucker, the post-and-beam dwelling was the pilot house for the Roy Rogers Estates enclave in Los Angeles.
Another view of the backyard showcasing the glistening curved pool and spa.
Exposed wood beams and columns supporting the structure in place of bearing walls, allowing for wide open interiors.
At 74 square meters (797 square feet), this variation of the Vinkelhuset line by Danish modular cabin designer Møn Huset is L-shaped in plan and hits all the right notes, boasting clean lines, a practical gabled roof, and simple, attractive detailing on the interior.
Rear Addition
On the left, stairs over the sauna lead up to an elevated lookout on the right. Beneath it is the bathhouse.
Pine slats, which were intentionally spaced unevenly, partially enclose the side deck. Outdoor areas add nearly 300 square feet to the cabin, whose interior measures about 1,000 square feet.
Scaly Mountain, North Carolina
Dwell Magazine : September / October 2017
An upstairs bedroom features a balanced gallery wall of prints and photos from old books.
Second bath, Maison JJ Joubert
The island and cabinets, fashioned from remilled Douglas-fir beams salvaged from upstate New York, sport inexpensive drawers from Ikea. The Carrara marble for the sink surround also came from the firm’s warehouse, from a section of slab orphaned from an earlier commission. A Viking chimney wall hood tops a free-standing range by Bluestar.
The Torroja pendant light by David Weeks hangs in the dining area, standing in sharp relief to the home’s original brick, now painted white (in Benjamin Moore Paper White)along with the wooden floorboards (in Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter). Radiant heat underfoot means a toasty interior even without a surfeit of textiles.
By moving the foot of the stairway away from the front door, Bischoff and his team carved out a transition point from the stoop and sidewalk below, providing a welcome measure of privacy. (Visitors must scale the steps and stand at the door before they can peer in.) The concrete floor tiles were left over from an earlier MADE project. “We didn’t have an equal balance of black and white or even the right sizes,” Bischoff says, “so we made a design moment out of what we had.” Saving on the floor tiles meant that Casale and Crofton could spring for hand-finished wallpaper by Swedish company Sandberg.
“When you come in, you immediately get an understanding of the space, and that leads to a feeling of safety,
Despite the pandemic, Joshua and his roommates have gotten to know the other tenants in the building, many of whom are artists, designers, and musicians. They love the creative community and have no intention of moving out anytime soon.
Joshua’s favorite piece of furniture is a William Katavolos T Side Chair in the living room. “It’s pretty special to me because I actually met Katavolos at Pratt and had a good conversation with him,” he says. Not long after that, he saw a T Side Chair on Craigslist, but it was too expensive for his student budget. “I had told myself if I ever see another one of these, I have to get it because they’re so rare.” He found one in 2019 for $700—his first big purchase after being hired by the Museum of Ice Cream.
The loft is on the third floor, and the windows look out onto a parking lot and church, so they offer unobstructed light and views. "In the summer, I could just sit here and watch the fireworks," he says.
A wall of shelves holds color-blocked books, 3D-printed prototypes (including several versions of Joshua’s soy sauce cruet), and objets the designer has collected over the years, like a 1937 Top-O-Stove Potato Baker by Raymond Barton and salt and pepper shakers by William Lescaze.
“This is not a custom home—it’s the case of a builder who put something up in D.C. catering to a more traditional market,” explains Balodemas. “He framed the ceilings down to make them symmetrical. It would’ve been weird at that time to have the rooms oddly shaped. People were way too timid back then.” The rear terrace features new pavers from Pennsylvania Blue Slate and Crate and Barrel seating.
In the renovated kitchen space, Dianne chose quartz counters in Blizzard by Caesarstone.
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