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Mill Valley, California Dwell Magazine : September / October 2017

Once the sun sets, the Clocktower Penthouse glows like a beautiful beacon of light.

Exposed brick continues into the home's upper levels, including the expansive game room.

In the living room, the team raised the firebox, cladded the hearth in a tactile plaster finish, and installed a floating limestone bench that wraps the column. On the left (unseen) is integrated firewood storage, and a cozy reading nook sits on the right. "The bench was designed to be used as a social space/lounge, and is well-used," says Coffey. The wood beams and red brick were scraped and stripped many times to remove the silver paint and reclaim a natural state.

The firm’s founder and principal architect Sumiou Mizumoto stripped away the house’s side extension.

She used cedar planks from Lowe's and stained them to match the vanity and other wood elements in the room. “We sealed the cedar planks with tung oil, and after a year it's held up wonderfully against water seepage,” says Bertolini

Remotely operable clerestory windows under the raised roof allow more natural light and airflow. A new fireplace and shelving were also added; the central hearth mimics the design of the cantilevered front balcony. The original midcentury Herman Miller sofa and coffee table were given to the new owners and reupholstered.

A breakfast nook off the kitchen is designed as a solarium and looks out onto the lush backyard. The glass ceiling and wall of windows allow sunshine to warm the space, which also features an exposed brick wall and built-in china cabinets on both sides.

Pinon Ranch appears to emerge from the dense oak grove.

A lap pool fills the expanse between the music studio and the house.

The home features concrete floors with radiant heating. A custom folded-steel, double-sided fireplace separates the living room from the dining area. The chandelier is from Restoration Hardware, and the coffee table is custom made.

Boyer inserted a home office just off the kitchen so that Nicholas could have designated office space and also a home for her cookbooks. The built-in bench (which also houses storage drawers underneath) is a popped boxed window which is visible to the left as you enter the home.

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.

Located in Springfield, Missouri, Streamline House is set on a hill just above the Jones Branch, a spring-fed stream that pumps more than 300,000 gallons of crystal-clear water through the site every day.

Topped with a custom-made steel roof, the home is wrapped in glass and painted brick.

A Cor-Ten retaining wall contours the site into terraces to create more usable outdoor space, and was carefully positioned to save existing mature trees.

An indigo-velvet Restoration Hardware Chesterfield sectional anchors the living room located in the heart of the home.

The house draws power from a geothermal well system with wells drilled in the front yard.