Small house

When the bed reaches the threshold, it slides out from the frame like a drawer so it's completely outside. "Because there are few chances to sleep outside, due to temperature or insects or humidity, the opportunities are really special," Senhauser says. "You can't do it every couple of days—it becomes a treat."

A tight construction budget informed the choices Sean Guess made as he designed a house for a couple in Austin, Texas. Budget-minded materials, like the James Hardie fiber-cement siding, helped hold construction costs to $130 per square foot. Sherwin-Williams’s Cyberspace hue colors the exterior and Parakeet coats the custom kitchen cabinets by Austin Wood Works. The planter is made from Cor-Ten steel.