Ceiling

The eight-foot drywall ceiling that originally existed was removed, with Mila sanding, painting, and insulating the original trusses to highlight them as a design element.

The double-height living space is anchored by a wood-burning stove by Lopi in the corner. The large east-facing window on the far wall floods the room with magical morning light. All the windows and doors are by Quantum.

View from the dining table towards the garden. A completely opening back glass harmonica door makes the difference between in and outside minimal.

The core of the home, the living room has large glass doors on either end, allowing a visual and practical pass-through from the front garden to the back garden.

Eager to leave Taipei behind for a quieter life in the mountains, a retired Taiwanese couple took the recommendation of their son-in-law and hired Spanish architect Urdaneta Zeberio to realize their vision of an affordable retirement home in rural Nanzhuang, two hours north of Taichung. The open-plan living areas and outdoor terrace are located on the south side of the home.

In one kitchen, the countertops are Corian, while in the other, you’ll find stainless steel. “We changed materials for each to give them a different identity,” says Elsley.

A custom commissioned orange island out of steel is the centerpiece of the Sorth cabin.

Birdseye designed the home to be "as visually quiet as possible," says Mac.

The flooring in the main room and bedroom is Worthwood Solid End Grain from Oregon Lumber.

The sunken living room features a multifunctional piece of built-in furniture that integrates a sofa, sound system, and television, and also contains a "secret door" that leads to a wine cellar. "[We incorporated this] as a clin d’oeil to the midcentury tradition of built-in work stations and bookshelves," says Morales.

The west-facing common room rises to a height of 16 feet above the dining area, where vintage Mg5 chairs by Matteo Grassi surround an elliptical table. Christine designed the limestone hearth and travertine coffee table in the living area, which she anchored with a 1960s-era Harvey Probber sofa.

The ceiling is untreated white oak.

The living room features a sectional sofa and leather chair by Zanotta, coffee tables by Porro, a Kymo rug, and a floor lamp from Flos.

An archway separates the main living space from the rest of the ground floor.

Althought Henrybuilt's Opencase system was not a new product, the house gave the brand the opportunity to experiment with using it in a new way, as wainscotting.

Professional grade appliances offer a modern and elegant take on the "traditional kitchen", which is further enhanced by long, seemingly frameless, windows.

The whitened Ash slat detail runs across the ceiling and down the front of a cabinet that conceals office supplies.