Advice

The home has a mansard roof with shakes and real hardwood tongue and groove siding. “I liked the idea of making this ugly duckling into something with character versus landing a modern spaceship house in an old neighborhood dominated by vinyl homes,” architect/homeowner Caleb Johnson says.

The insides of the carcass are as beautiful as the exposed faces. “You can’t capture a piece of solid wood in a frame or it will expand, contract, and crack, so we re-assembled our leftover walnut strips to infill the framework,” Stuart says.

“Sometimes you go with emotions rather than logic,” says Woodhull founder Caleb Johnson. “I just wanted to renovate the little Pizza Hut look-alike my son told me looked like a blowfish.”

In the living space, instead of one large expanse of glass, which would have been expensive, Solk used multiple smaller windows from Marvin. To open up the living room, Solk removed a fireplace, which caused drafts and also leaked. “Other families may think that’s bonkers, but it worked for us,” Erika says. “We'll take the floor space over the fireplace.”

Actor and designer Krysta Rodriguez brought in vintage furniture, warm tones, and a faux fireplace to help her longtime friend Adam Levy bounce back from a breakup.

The house is clad with shou sugi ban-treated cedar siding.

Drawing atmospheric inspiration from the city, Waechter Architecture infuses a hilltop home with panoramic Bay views, utilitarian finishes, and a bathroom that evokes a misty day.

Before inhabiting a 2,000- square-foot space on N. Highland Avenue in Marfa, Wrong—the brainchild of Camp Bosworth and Buck Johnston—thrived for years in an 1880s adobe church and parsonage.

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

Marie Saldivar’s experimental metal-clad dwelling is the perfect place to host family—and proof of concept for her new prefab company.

The naturally ventilated Kumagaya House has a central breezeway, soaring volumes, and secluded spaces that give its occupants room to breathe.

Floor Plan of Kumagaya House by Chop + Archi

The floor is a woven vinyl from Sweden in the primary bedroom.

The custom sofa.

"The first thing you like is often the thing you should choose," says Nadine. "I ordered hundreds of tile samples for the bathroom, and I went with the first one I liked. The same with paint samples. I’ve tested every neutral shade out there, and it’s always the first one or two that I go with. Don’t overcomplicate things, and trust your instincts."

The floor tiles were chosen to emulate the type of concrete floor found in contemporary Mediterranean interiors. "There are so many gorgeous patterned tiles out there which are way more interesting, but I really can’t trust myself to be content with them in years to come," says Nadine.