Logan Hull

To maintain the clean and uncluttered aesthetic we installed this Floating Concrete sink by Compound Concrete with a floating Fenix drawer by Lignum Cabinets underneath. It provided necessary storage and gave the sink a bold defining shape.

A plastered fireplace column acts as a divider between the living spaces and the single bedroom.

The second floor is where all three generations come together to eat, play, work, and gather around the fireplace.

The sunken living room features a multifunctional piece of built-in furniture that integrates a sofa, sound system, and television, and also contains a "secret door" that leads to a wine cellar. "[We incorporated this] as a clin d’oeil to the midcentury tradition of built-in work stations and bookshelves," says Morales.

Street view of the double gable

Front court walkway

Homeowner Jay Longtin served as the general contractor and performed the majority of the remodel work, aside from the outdoor floors, concrete, and pool, which were done by Architectural Blue.

Lockyer added native desert plans to a courtyard near the garage.

Designed by award-winning Sant Architects, this four-bedroom vacation rental near Topanga elevates the concept of a mountain retreat to new heights—from its raw, concrete facade and hillside pool, to the Bauhaus-inspired interiors that feature expansive glass walls that overlook the Pacific Ocean. The clean, architectural lines are expressed using iron beams, concrete slabs, timber-panelled walls, and glass, and the sprawling, open-plan living area features a slide-away fireplace and enormous windows that seamlessly transition the property from cosy winter retreat to breezy summer getaway.

On the outskirts of Grândola—a small Alentejan town in the Setúbal district of Portugal—a dramatic architectural form sits in the vast, arid landscape amidst cork trees and herds of cows. The whitewashed guesthouse is known as Casa da Volta, which translates as "Home of the Return,

Now, a walk-in shower and soaking tub are tucked under the roof line.

This master bedroom features a vintage Danish teak platform bed from Nordisk Andels-Eksport, a Globe pendant from West Elm, and drapes from IKEA. A simple globe pendant offers the perfect, understated touch of elegant lighting.

Greenery brightens a patch of outdoor space just off the main bathroom.

Review the number of sinks you need. While two sinks can help ease morning traffic, they also reduce countertop space. Ask yourself: would a double sink with little countertop space be more useful than a single sink with more surface space?

The custom white oak vanity was given the same treatment as the storage in the family room.

Large-format wall tiles create organic texture in a neutral color, consistent with the the rest of the house.

The bathrooms can be equipped with a large free-standing bath or shower/wet room.

In the main bath, a wall of Heath Ceramics tile joins a terrazzo floor from Ann Sacks.

For the bathroom, local studio Dusty Whipple Designs created a custom concrete sink. It sits within waterproof tadelakt plaster walls that run into the shower and around the room.

A marble-clad bathroom joins the bedroom and overlooks the skylit living area below.

Storage had to be dialed in within the narrow footprint of the brownstone. The black core holds the pantry, while on the right, a bank of custom cabinetry hosts the command station, mop closet, and a concealed bar.-

Cabinetry maker Forest Designs used birch plywood to craft the U-shaped kitchen island, which is topped with quartz from Floform. The Ziro floor tiles in Gris are from Navarti and the contemporary metal edge pulls are from Richelieu. The appliances are from Whirlpool.

A new, lowered level at the back of the home hosts the kitchen and dining room, and is accessed via concrete steps that deliberately double as informal seating. “We loved the idea of being able to read the sunken part of the house as an entirely concrete element, which would give the space a feeling of being grounded,” says the architect. “[It also] provides a robust base for the timber frame and a series of plinths on which different activities can take place—such as sitting, cooking, reading, or exercising.”