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Dal Tile “Keystones” in Arctic White and Emerald cover the guest bathroom.

In the kitchen, minimalism prevails. Jared notes that the use of plywood was loosely inspired by design seen in the 1960s Sonoma County Sea Ranch community. "It's something that one of my heroes, [architect] Barbara Bestor has done very well," he says.

The kitchen is outfitted in custom birch joinery and Maple countertops, designed by Braithwaite and team. Open shelves display collections of glassware and cookbooks.

The interior contrasts the dark exterior with white plaster, allowing natural light to disperse throughout the home.

The second-level bathroom is adorned with a decadent shade of green tile and wall-and-ceiling paint, linking the space to the lush landscape.

Storage is cleverly concealed beneath the sleeping areas, making the most of the compact floor plan. A row of windows alongside the bed connects inhabitants to the natural surroundings.

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The concept was simple: To create a cabin that is small and sparse yet spatially rich. The 592-square-foot structure, completed in 2016, comprises a large living area, bedroom, ski room, and small annex with a utility space. The home functions off the water and electricity grids.

The house is divided into three sections connected by a series of outdoor galleries. “When I walk from one room to another, I have to go outdoors and feel the weather and nature—rain, cold, and sun,” says Sævik. Instead of emphasizing the expansive panorama of oak, pine, and aspen trees, the house frames select views—a move inspired by Japanese design.

Large windows bring plenty of light into the living room, which blends subdued white walls with colorful furnishings.

Inside, Graff restored cedar planking and added new walls and floor panels. The kitchen features fresh Fisher & Paykel appliances, while an original slanted wood wall with a built-in credenza defines the dining room. “We brought in Corian and used wood planking and terrazzo, since that was a big thing in the 1960s,” the architect says.

A first-floor seating area gets some drama thanks to a mesh net fastened overhead, which creates a spot for playful lounging without compromising the overhead daylighting.

"I wanted to see what it felt like to use the very best materials on this small, originally very modest house,

The project’s signature material was discovered on a trip to a recycled brick yard, where Welsch and the homeowners found light, cream-colored bricks and fell in love. "It was a decision made on the spot," explains Welsch. The original plan was to find darker materials that would make the home feel more cozy and cave-like, but the way these bricks reflected the sunlight was just irresistible. "You don’t necessarily expect that soft light feeling from a material like brick."

The new flooring throughout is cork from Prestige, and a Gubi Semi Pendant in "Matte Black

Adjustable pegboards help lawyer Dan Franklin manage his compact apartment in downtown Manhattan. The Executive Chair is by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller.

A screen made of white oak separates the living room from the dining room and kitchen. The lower level has concrete floors.

Wood on the ceiling and slate on the floor carries through to the veranda, forging another layer of dialogue between the indoors and outdoors.

Celebrating the natural landscape was important to the client. The dining room, which as a table crafted from the same white oak used for the cabinetry, amplifies the connection through the new glass curtain walls.

Tigg Coll Architects took a new approach to a straightforward town house renovation and expansion in London. The home’s rear extension has its own personality, with with pivoting glass doors, sharp red support beams, and a wood-burning fireplace. The overhanging concrete plinth acts as a hearth or, as Tigg imagines it, a sort of contemporary inglenook. Wood piles neatly between the beam and wall. The fireplace, a Stovax Riva 2, is flanked by a Lampe Gras wall lamp; firewood is cleverly stored in the narrow space between the fireplace and the red support beam, creating a fun moment of practical texture in the room.

Sandy Chilewich and architect Joe Sultan, proprietors of textiles firm Chilewich|Sultan designed their own vacation home together in Columbia County, in upstate New York. On a simple wooded lot, they developed a contemporary loft-style home with furnishings from B&B Italia, Feel Good side chairs by Flexform, and a suspended, contemporary Ergofocus fireplace from Focus.

Mandel designed a six-by-eight-foot extension for additional space on the ground floor.

A central wood-burning fireplace efficiently heats the whole home, minimizing the need for supplemental in-floor heating incorporated in the concrete floors. Natural cross-ventilation is achieved through the use of CO2 directed grills at the north and south of the home, an added green feature that further reduces the ecological footprint.

Ipe paneling and concrete floors continue into the living area, where a photograph by Scott McFarland hangs above the fireplace. Surrounding the dining table, by Riva 1920, are walnut chairs the couple found locally.

In the living room, spare Scandinavian design takes center stage. Hans Wegner’s Wishbone chairs surround an Essay dining table by Cecilie Manz for Fritz Hansen; a mostly wood palette is enhanced by slate-gray brick around the fireplace. The paper lanterns throughout the home are a mixture of classics by Isamu Noguchi alongside those picked up in Japan and France.

In the lounge, a sofa from Flexform joins a rug and poufs from Gandia Blasco. “We used boulders found onsite in the walls and windows as a way to reinforce the home’s connection with the desert environment,” Lockyer explains. As throughout, the wall and ceiling are painted with Cool December from Dunn-Edwards.

Pair of Lounge Chairs by Gio Ponti Italy c. 1964 Ash, brass, cotton velvet. This model was designed exclusively for the Parco dei Principi hotels and produced by Cassina.

The beautiful, modern design generously created by our architect.