Farmhouse = Family

Homeowner Tom Givone states, “The hope has been to combine archaic and modern elements in a way that would enhance the beauty of each by virtue of its contrast with the other." While the table is situated in front of the house’s rear wall of skyscraper glass. The laminated kitchen cabinets by Ikea are framed in wraparound bluestone; the 48-inch commercial range is by FiveStar. Photo by: Mark Mahaney

Kolasiński got rid of half the ceiling, letting it soar up to 23 feet. “My biggest aim was to create an open space and make the house look bigger,” he says.

“When you’re working on something inexpensive and then decide you don’t like it, fine. You’re not tearing down millions of kroners worth of work.” —Mette Lyng Hansen

Built by a crew of three, the home makes a virtue out of being unfussy and straightforward. The north-facing glass wall under the gable, with a triple-glazed facade, doesn't require shading or insulation. The quick-to-build structure—which consists of just structural insulated panels (SIB) made from OSB panels with a foam core, and a concrete floor that retains heat—doesn't include any complicated systems or require much maintenance.

A picnic table in a matching hue to the Stealth Barn rests between the two structures.

Michèle Monory’s Chinon farmhouse is an idyllic getaway from her home basein Paris. After she inherited the property and centuries-old structure from her father, she hired Matali Crasset, who runs a cutting-edge architecture and design firm, to update the living spaces.