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A Wellington, New Zealand, couple loved their neighborhood of Berhampore, but found that with two young sons, they were running out of space. They called on Parsonson Architects to devise a solution, which came in the form of a 183-square-foot studio in the backyard of their two-bedroom Victorian cottage.

A translucent pergola shades this 183-square-foot studio made from hardy OSB.

Nestled among towering fir trees and magnificent dogwoods in Cobb, California—just an hour north of Napa Valley—is the 700-square-foot cabin Hope Mendes recreated as an idyllic family escape. "We’ve always had a dream of owning and renovating a cabin in the woods," Hope says, "a place [where] we could take our kids when we need to get away from the hustle and bustle of our work lives."

371 Mavis Drive features three bedrooms and two bathrooms in the main house, including an open loft-style bedroom in the A-frame.

The bright living room incorporates some of their own furniture prototypes with treasured midcentury collectibles. The T-square on the wall came from the estate of Albuquerque architect George Pearl; the hanging textile opposite is by fiber artist Romeo Reyna. The Finn Juhl chair comes from another estate sale, while the lights were made from standard, off-the-shelf parts. Darci and Dale also built the console and coffee table.

Geoff and Joanna Mouming’s compact modern farmhouse is the first permanent structure at Yum Yum Farm in Wellman, Iowa. On the field that stretches out before it, organic vegetables will soon make attentive farmers of the Moumings. The benches on their entry porch were built by Geoff using a design plan by Aldo Leopold, the pioneering Iowa-born conservationist and writer whose spirit and thoughts seem to preside over the house.

At 23 years old, self-taught designer Mariah Hoffman set out to craft her own 156-square-foot sanctuary.

L'Abri reinterprets the legendary A-frame to create a secluded shelter just north of Ottawa, Canada.

The wood-burning fireplace in the living room is vented through the warehouse’s sawtooth roof, sheathed in plywood above the living room.

Woodworkers Justin and Kathleen Brady from Bell Buckle, Tennessee, transformed a 1976 GMC Motorhome into a mobile dwelling to be used for weekend getaways and their annual pilgrimage out west. The couple had to work meticulously to make the most of the 150-square-foot space, and they got creative with cabinetry and millwork throughout.

The kitchen countertops are black quartz, offering a strong visual contrast to the plywood. “Leïla and Xavier enjoy having friends over to sit at the kitchen island, which is the center of the space,” says architect Catherine Milanese.

What Carstensen saved on labor costs he was able to put into furnishings. The interior of the screened-in porch is outfitted with a mix of furnishings, both vintage and new. He purchased the vintage Malm fireplace in Los Angeles on a work trip and had it shipped to Portland. The rug, shelf unit, and loveseat are all from the locally-based Schoolhouse Electric, as are the ceiling lights: Factory Light No. 7 in Green.

Whisper Rock Ranch just north of Pioneertown, California.

Bright and airy, the main living areas rest under the dynamic A-frame roof, which is gracefully split open by expansive clerestory windows. Stacked red brick intersect with exposed beams.

Architect Jesse Garlick’s rural Washington vacation home references its rugged surroundings. The steel cladding has developed a patina similar to the ochre-red color of bedrock found in the area.

Constructed on land he had owned for years, this tiny cabin is also totally green.

The main hangout space, the living room, is full of fun finds including a Total Design Company rug, local foliage, an HD Buttercup hoop chair and pillows and rugs from The Garage Collective.

In the kitchen, birch cabinets painted in a bright white are topped with solid ash countertops.

Verdugo Mountains Open Space Preserve, affording the home complete privacy, as well as the enjoyment of local wildlife and the natural landscape.

In a chaotic stretch of Brooklyn, architect Nicholas Hunt built a 55-square-foot reprieve from the bustle in his own backyard. The studio, crafted with salvaged fence pickets and cedar planks, is crowned with a Plexiglas skylight.

"We believe that the space should feel like it belongs in the environment and community that it’s a part of," Rich says. For this kitchen, that means sticking to natural materials—including the stone accent on the island and the cactus near the entryway.

Qn the opposite end of the covered patio the Smirkes built two long benches that overlook the open desert. The canvas is a flag they had made by Lindsay Smith of Makers Workshop that says, “Joshua Tree Est. 1957” the year the original cabin was constructed.

A porch enclosed with a screen to increase light and air-flow became a dining area.

Here are a few questions Smirke recommends asking: When is a permit required? Will you need to submit plans for your renovation project? Were there un-permitted improvements made to the property? If so, what will be required upon inspection? Are there new fire, energy, and safety requirements that will need to be met to meet current building codes?

Maria Milans del Bosch’s Catskills home is attuned to the changing seasons. Sunlight pours into the double-height living room, where a Stûv fireplace and radiant floors keep the space warm in winter.

A new wood-panel wall is a focal point in the open layout. The original white oak floors were also refinished.

The built-in sofa anchors the living room and faces the existing fireplace. The Leather Oval Chair with a red steel base sits off to the side, and the coffee table was fashioned by attaching vintage steel legs to another tile sample board.

The Airstream has a bathroom and sleeps four. "The kids love it," says Billinkoff.

After spending an adventurous summer traveling in a van with their dog, Richmond, Virginia–based couple Grace Kuhn and David Phinney wanted to take their van life adventures to the next level with an Airstream trailer.

An exterior canopy extends to create an outdoor living area. Solar panels adorn the roof, catching the sun's rays and generating power for living off-grid.

Furnishings fold away to create a sense of spaciousness in the compact Airstream. The vinyl floor is from Altra floor in the UK.