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Usha and Mike Kreaden had a virtually blank slate when it came to the garden outside the 1958 Joseph Eichler house that they bought in Silicon Valley two decades ago.

Landscape designer Bernard Trainor’s creative use of poured-in-place concrete pavers—such as off the living room, where they break up a low-maintenance lawn of June grass—give the irregularly shaped lot a sense of order. Foxtail ferns and blue chalk sticks, a succulent, lend dashes of color to the entry courtyard, while thyme makes for a fragrant accent between the pavers.

“Eichlers aren’t very big—that’s why so much emphasis was on the outside. The house had to look like it extended out.” —Bernard Trainor, landscape designer

A contractor drilled holes in a boulder, creating a fountain that he placed in the backyard outside the master bedroom, where the sound of water lulls the Kreadens to sleep.

Behind the resin screen is the property’s centerpiece: an entry garden that Trainor recast as an outdoor living room. Sparta stacking chairs, a deep-wicker Baia sofa, and matching Baia armchairs, all by Mamagreen, are arranged around a custom concrete fire pit. Orange kangaroo paws lean in from the sides, creating a sense of privacy without sacrificing views. It’s a welcoming space that serves as a casual gathering spot when the weather cooperates.

Actress Lena Headey (with her mother, Susan) worked with builder Ted Broden to give her 1950s house an open feel. The living room includes a Cloud Track Arm sofa and chair from Restoration Hardware, a Woven Accents rug, and a Keegan chandelier by Arteriors.

Adding a partial second floor accommodated bedrooms for Lena; her son, Wylie; and her daughter, Teddy. The master bedroom features a Chesterfield bed from Restoration Hardware and a pendant by Seppo Koho. “I saw tons of houses that were done and a few that needed redoing,” says Lena. “This one was small, but it made sense.”

A crisp concrete pathway leads to the entrance.

In the backyard, Lena combined a hammock from a former home with Maya chaises from Room & Board. A Woolly Pockets green wall system holds a variety of succulents. “They’re beautiful and architectural,” Lena says of the plants. “And I can’t kill them, which makes me so happy.”

Fleetwood sliders open the kitchen and family room to the backyard.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design, with project manager and lead designer Emily Kudsen Leland at the helm, remade a Portland abode with a crisp paint palette: Benjamin Moore’s Wrought Iron for the cladding and Venetian Gold for the front door. The home was originally designed by Saul Zaik in Southwest Portland, complete with a wood-clad exterior, in 1956. As part of the renovation, landscape design was completed by Lilyvilla Gardens.

The new kitchen borrowed space and light from the original courtyard. The spirit of the courtyard remains with the buffer between the kitchen and the exterior wall. The cabinets are from Ikea, the countertops are quartzite, and the grill top is from Bertazzoni.

Architect Don Dimster integrated a new roof deck and custom furnishings into Chris and Marjorie Rice’s 1960s Buff, Straub and Hensman home in Los Angeles.

Outside, a contemplative sitting area centers on a fountain clad in tiles by Heath Ceramics. A Case Study Stainless couch by Modernica and Magic Hole armchairs by Kartell are positioned around Jolly side tables by Kartell.

Part surf shack, part modernist dwelling, this 2,500-square-foot house on Sweden’s southwestern shore is no fussy show home. Board storage is integrated into the design, so residents just grab and go—and nobody worries about sand or wet footprints brought in from the beach on the concrete floor.