Cabins

The 800-square-foot cabins in Pioneertown, California, near Joshua Tree, designed by Duane Smith of Palm Springs-based Hundred Mile House are sided with vertical tongue-and-groove pine.

In Chile's Chiloé Archipelago, architect Guillermo Acuña developed a 12-acre island for his friends and family to unwind, first with a boathouse, later with pathway-connected cabins at the water's edge. Design details include glazed walls, eco-friendly pine, and a bright red palette that calls to mind the intensely colored chilco flowers that bloom here come spring and summer.

L'Abri reinterprets the legendary A-frame to create a secluded shelter just north of Ottawa, Canada.

Inspired by the Ice Age rock formations found throughout the region, the Meteorite, so named for obvious reasons, is a faceted dwelling designed by Kivi and Tuuli Sotamaa, the brother-and-sister team behind Ateljé Sotamaa.

The kitchen is outfitted with IKEA and Bosch appliances and a custom sink and countertop by Durat.

Twenty-foot sliders flank the living/dining area, providing spectacular views in both directions. The painting is by Randi Mork-Ulnes, Casper’s mother.

The master bathroom is encased in wood, from the floors and shower walls, to the vanity and toilet button plate. A small door opens to the outside.

Beyond the facade of rough-cut logs laid out in a diagonal pattern, Casper and Lexie Mork-Ulnes’ rural Norwegian home is defined by a material palette of pine, brightened by the natural light and wood and meadow views that pour through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Rast provides the feeling of being outdoors wile remaining inside.

The designer clad the interior walls and ceiling with a pale birch veneer and vinyl flooring. The living area of the tiny home displays a built-in convertible table and daybed.

The compact house is sheathed in cypress, glass, and copper and features an expandable roof.

"It's simple, yet it's expressive,” Scardulla says. “We don't like excesses. We don't like when you enter a space, and everything is immediately declared, everything is clear. We like discovery and complexity. That's why we love that you get there and you get to the door, and you have one perception, then you enter and get another, step down, and have a new perception, and so on. You take the bed down and get a new perception again."

Salvaged ironbark floors in the living room step down to the adjacent kitchen and dining space, creating a built-in seating area.

The couple named their company Konga after the young son, Vinca’s mispronunciation of the Lithuanian word for “socks” when he was learning to speak. “For us, it formed a symbolic association with the feeling of the earth under bare feet,” says Goda. “It encouraged us to leave our footprint, but with minimal impact on nature and meaningful value to humans.”