Additions

In the kitchen, Bontempo cabinetry by Armazem Design complements iceberg quartzite slabs for counters and backsplash. The pendants are by Matter Made.

“These clients really wanted it to be as dead accurate as it could be,” architect Jordan Snittjer says of this Chicago town house’s masonry, which transitions to an overhauled interior and a glassy rear extension.

Floor plan of Hyde Park Residence by Scott Parks Studio

The cantilevered addition was kept, and another bedroom added to the second floor over the existing house. Parks collaborated with Fort Structures to ensure that the third addition would sync with the rest of the house, replicating the window placement to make them sit between the roof beams, while still meeting current code and insulating the ceiling.

"The design intent was to calm down the geometry of the house," says Blue Truck Studio’s Peter Liang of the renovation.

The couple ripped out the dated cabinets and replaced them with sleek Ikea ones, devoid of handles, alongside glossy white tile counters.

<span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">The exterior is clad in untreated cedar, "so it gets grayer every year,

The new rear, two-story addition adds over 2,000 square feet of living space without sacrificing the backyard. The repetition of the curved elements, such as the tall, cement-rendered columns that band the exterior, are a subtle reference to the scale and proportions of the Victorian style.

The “Casita” gave the family 1,095 square feet of extra space, and has multiple functions, including flexible space for guests, a home office where they can host firm meetings, and an exercise area with a traditional Finnish sauna.

“That swoop was my least favorite thing about the house,” admits Fred. “I was looking forward to an angular, Craftsman-type thing. But I said, I’m going to trust Kristin.”

Architect Gabriele Mary Ann Schicketanz designed a modular compound in Carmel-by-the-Sea to house her son’s family and her own, offering a cost-effective alternative to the area’s $2–3 million homes. Placed on a nearly five-acre lot beneath old oaks, the project includes a three-bedroom main house, a freestanding ADU, and a site-built garage, all oriented for views and privacy.

“The house is kind of crooked, with rough floors, and no fancy finishes—but it has lots of personality,” says architect Francisco Mesquita Moura.