AZ

Entry Courtyard

A steel-and-glass extension hosts the main living spaces and flows into the backyard.

A private garden is accessible by a glass panel.

The bathroom continues the black perforated theme, and features an asymmetric pitched roof.

A 100-year-old oak shades the front of the house, which is clad in weathering yellow cedar.

Walnut and Formica cabinetry, Neolith basalt counters, and concrete floors make up the kitchen’s minimal palette; a large clerestory ushers in natural light.

In the coastal town of Byron Bay in New South Wales, Australia, local practice Harley Graham Architects elevates the Australian "garden studio" with this 646-square-foot granny flat. Named Marvel Street Studio, the guesthouse is an addition to a home designed by Paul Uhlmann.

The bar area is set off to the side but still a part of the kitchen. "When I entertain, it’s so great because I can set up glasses and booze by the bar so that my guests can easily help themselves without disrupting anything that is going on over by the stove," Andrea adds.

Portland-based pastry chef Andrea Nicholas purchased a 1953 midcentury ranch whose 2,500 square feet needed "a lot of TLC." Nicholas hired architect Risa Boyer to design the renovation, which involved opening up the kitchen to the dining room and creating a contemporary open-plan living space.

The entry to the 1953 midcentury ranch was reworked by Boyer. To the left, the popped-out window box contains a built-in bench which is part of the home office nook.

In Los Angeles’s Nichols Canyon, architect Dan Brunn was tasked with renovating a home rich in architectural history, but lacking in modern functionality. The 1957 home's closed-off kitchen was thoughtfully reimagined, maintaining the post-and-beam structure of the Edward Fickett–designed home while updating and opening up selective areas to the outdoors.

Edward Ogosta Architecture renovates and extends a Californian dwelling, creating a breezy, light-filled home for a family of five.

A dated midcentury dwelling in Santa Barbara is transformed into a bright, airy abode—perfectly suited for contemporary living.

"The owners wanted to stay away from marble for durability reasons and didn’t like the look of a lot of traditional granites,

The living room includes contemporary furnishings in a minimalist palette; a built-in, concrete-and-glass fire pit, and original brickwork.

The backyard is one of this home’s best features. With a lot that nearly equals the square footage of the home itself, there was plenty of room to play with landscaping.