Lake House

A closer peek at the kitchen. Here, you can see how the counter extends to the outdoor patio.

Nestled among trees and apple orchards, this warm and inviting family home makes the most of its peaceful wooded plot.

Inspired by historic American farmhouses, this modern dwelling is sited at the base of the Rocky Mountain Foothills in West Boulder, Colorado. Designed by Surround Architecture, the 6,800-square-foot property features a unique layout that makes the best use of its one-acre site, while also responding to its long driveway access.

The Kavner house is a California take on the classic Adirondack style of upstate New York. The main house is used every weekend and the cabins fill up at family gatherings.

This contemporary farmhouse was designed for a client that loves to cook and entertain in the open air.

Nicknamed the Floating Farmhouse, this 200-year-old home inspired one former copywriter to delve into architecture as a living. Inside, renovator and owner Tom Givone mixes vintage and industrial decor. Photo by Mark Mahaney.

This 191-square-foot cabin near Vancouver and its glass facades "forces you to engage with the bigger landscape," architect Tom Kundig says, but it seals up tight when its owner is away. The unfinished steel cladding slides over the windows, turning it into a protected bunker. Read the full story here.

The bright and airy master bedroom features expansive glazing and has a high ceiling with exposed beams.

The living room features a wood-burning fireplace, as well as a tongue-and-groove ceiling that has been painted white.

The light-filled indoor/outdoor art studio features large window-paned garage-doors, which open the space to its verdant surroundings.

One of the main goals of the construction was to do as little harm as possible to the existing environment, which includes waterways that salmon depend upon. Herrin and his team created a garden roof that covers the full extent of the home to meet this objective. “This helps control storm water runoff and also replaces lost insect habitat—insects being a critical food source for juvenile salmon,” he says.

A cantilevered cabin designed by R D Gentzler blends into the forest, even as it hovers above a 20-foot drop-off. Its south face is almost entirely glass, but a roof canopy limits solar gain. “We sit on the deck all afternoon watching the trees, and the time just flies by,” says resident Maricela Salas.

For outdoor enthusiasts Bob and Pam Norton, the town of Big Sky, Montana, was a natural choice for the location of their second home. Having purchased a remote lot with views of Lone Peak, Pioneer Mountain, and Cedar Mountain, they envisioned a private, year-round retreat that integrated with the terrain. “We wanted to live in the view,” says Pam. “We wanted the outdoors to come in.”

The master bedroom is a texturally rich space and offers views of Lone Peak.

A Montana-shaped stone is just one of the textural details that ground the home in the rugged environment.

The bunk room welcomes family and friends.

In an effort to keep costs within budget without sacrificing looks, the fully gutted and renovated kitchen features IKEA cabinetry framework with shaker-style fronts by Semihandmade. The cabinets were painted Farrow & Ball Pigeon.