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San Francisco–based Studio PLOW brought its sleek aesthetic from the big city to the redwood forest, transforming this weekend retreat from dark and dated to bright and modern.

At 23 years old, self-taught designer Mariah Hoffman set out to craft her own 156-square-foot sanctuary.

With an off-the-grid house on a remote mountain, architect Smiljan Radić rebuilds the past.

Stuck in the 1970s, this Big Bear A-frame was given a new look for $40,000. The owner embraced the cabin’s midcentury vibe while updating all of the tired decorative elements, like wall-to-wall carpeting and a drab color scheme.

Den's A frame house is designed with 1,000 square feet of living space.

To make the home more thermally comfortable and energy efficient, eight inches of insulation was added to the roof, which is finished in yellow cedar shakes—a thicker alternative to shingles. The eaves of the house are painted in Outrageous Orange by Benjamin Moore, referencing the orange elements in the main living space.

Edgar referred to several precedents when working on the renovation. "I love Chad Randl’s book on the A-frame typology, which allowed me to understand what I had on my hands with its copious illustrations and drawing documentation," he says. "The lovable architect Andrew Geller did at least two seminal A-frame homes during the midcentury in the Hamptons, the Betty Reese houses I and II. I took the catwalk notion from Reese house II."

The lower "basement" level sits beneath the main level of the home and is accessible from doors at the rear, and from an internal stair. The original deck was replaced by one that visually extends the new entry footbridge around the home.

While the cabin was built for year-round use, its location in the village of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François in Québec, Canada, makes for a cozy winter retreat while skiing at nearby slopes.

A metal roof is adorned in moss that was found on the property.

In a quiet coastal town north of Amsterdam, Ayla Geest and Jordie Kuin renovated a house for Ayla’s parents while designing a private extension for themselves.

The asymmetrical roof has a steep side and a low pitched side.

Annemariken and Geert sourced old oak trees from their estate to build a barn that provides space for storage, working, and a car port.

Lit from within, the guesthouse is a welcoming beacon in the night. “It’s nice to show that this kind of agricultural vernacular can be a contemporary thing,” says designer Jason Kentner.

Sliding doors in the slatted shell conceal the side entry.

The ground floor is dedicated to an open-plan living and dining space that connects with the garden through the new extension, while the upper floors contain bedrooms and a rumpus room.

Floor-to-ceiling windows on the front facade of the cabin allow guests to take in views of the woods and sand dunes.

Clad in Douglas fir, the home is constructed of low maintenance materials that tie in with the natural surroundings.