Underneath the fire pit (surrounded by Barcelona Teak chairs from Via Terra), an underground concrete cistern holds rainwater, diverted from pipes on the roof that run through a filtration system in the garage. It services the whole house, save for the landscape irrigation, done off of a well. In a part of the country where water is scarce, it was important to think sustainably. The pool’s fully retractable cover prevents rapid evaporation in another water-friendly move.
When the couple noticed tile poking out of the ground near the front door, they began excavating. To their surprise, they discovered a rectangular reflecting pool that had been buried due to neglect. Now a concrete bridge leads over the rebuilt water feature to the front door, which is painted an eye-catching orange to match its original color.
The cabin thoughtfully blends aesthetics from Japanese design and Scandinavian minimalism.
When looking to add an ADU to their backyard in Highland Park, Oni Lazarus and her partner Didi went with Cover’s turnkey offering. The Los Angeles–based prefab builders managed every step, giving the couple an idyllic, indoor/outdoor rental unit that capitalizes on sunny Southern California weather.
The interiors feature accoya flooring, which extends outside to a wraparound deck. The home faces east to soak up morning sunlight.
Garcia clad the ADU’s exterior with a local Texas limestone, similar in color and texture to the main house, “just to tie the two together visually,” says the architect.
The homeowners wanted to maintain "the midcentury principle of thoughtful design that brings the outside in," Kasey says. The couple worked with the architect to create a home "where everything has a use and isn’t more than you need," she continues.
Seattle-based Robert Hutchison Architecture worked with the homeowners to design an addition to the residence that respects its original post-and-beam construction.
Escalante Escape exterior
Escalante Escape exterior
Escalante Escape exterior
At the rear of Long Point Getaway, the back windows span 25 feet, opening up the home to waterfront views.
Terra House | Bernardes Arquitetura
Terra House | Bernardes Arquitetura
The Luoto sauna-cabin is perfect for lakeside settings where its full-height window provides unobstructed views, and its slim profile blends in with the surrounding shoreline.
"They desperately needed more space for their soon-to-be growing family,
Photo by Aldo Lanzi
The main bedroom on the second floor takes advantage of the curtain wall's openness.
Perched below the Griffith Observatory and overlooking Hollywood is a lush lot crowned with four towering olive trees and a 1965 home designed by modernist architect Craig Ellwood. When a young couple purchased the home in 2018, it needed substantial work. For a historic restoration, they called on Woods + Dangaran, a local firm fluent in modernist history. The team completed a meticulous restoration of the home while keeping original components like the linear shape, open plan, and expansive windows. One of the most striking features is the original koi pond (a feature deemed so essential that its preservation was a condition of escrow) that is now crossed via a bridge that leads to a new lap pool—perhaps the biggest intervention on the property.
It’s hard to believe that, only two years ago, Jessy Moss and Steve Jocz’s glistening white home in Indian Wells, California, was being marketed as a teardown. Jessy, an interior designer who used to be a singer/songwriter, and Steve, a realtor who was once a member of the band Sum 41, saw the stucco-clad home’s potential and made it their mission to fix 50 years of decay. As the project unfolded, they researched the home’s origins, turning up troves of documents that strongly suggest it is an unrecognized work by midcentury icon William F. Cody. The circular concrete pavers in the driveway, replicas of originals, are reminiscent of pavers that Cody used for a motor court at another Southern California home.
A Chicago-based firm known for preserving cultural landmarks builds a refined weekend home on Lake Michigan’s southern shore.
Composed of overlapping cubes of different sizes, the Gjøvik house by Danish firm Norm Architects gracefully embraces its hillside terrain—naturally blending in with its stunning surroundings near Mjøsa Lake an hour north of Oslo.
The color of the plaster and the use of landscaped elements help to soften the rectilinear form and minimize the impact of the building on the neighborhood. Creeping fig vines help ground the home to the site, and as they grow they will camouflage the mass of the built form.
