exteriors

A midcentury-style walnut screen separates the entry from the living room, yet allows connection with its permeability.

Both bedrooms now glory in the inlet views.

Local woodworkers made the chairs in the living room. Claudio and Aranza lined up nine blocks of wood from nearby construction sites to create an ad hoc coffee table. The enclosed portions of the house have massive louvered sliders, also built by local carpenters.

The Irwin pool house designed by Landis Gores in 1957 boasts a central room with high ceilings and an unobstructed view of the landscape. In 2005, the Town of New Canaan purchased the property and added exhibition spaces, as well as rooms for lectures and events. The small pavilion also houses an oversized, monumental brick fireplace design that divides the main space from the kitchen area.

A brick fireplace feature creates a low window from the kitchen into the living room to keep a connection between the rooms without relying on a completely open floor plan. Energy-efficient MR16 halogen lights are recessed into the wood ceiling to further emphasize the clean lines throughout the interior spaces.

Block It OutSeeking an inexpensive way to create a screen effect between the bathroom and bedroom, Novak-Zemplinski and Nix hit on the idea of stacked open-cell concrete blocks, more typically used in parking areas. They discovered blocks with a more-interesting-than-average pattern in Chyżne, a town near Kraków. Better still, they cost just two dollars each. “When we saw how good these parking blocks looked in the bedroom, we thought they’d be a good way to hide clutter in the kitchen, too,” says Novak-Zemplinski. chyzbet.pl

Originally dating to the 1970s, Hotel Carlota was revamped by JSa Arquitectura and completed in 2015. As part of the renovation, a pool became the focal point of the courtyard, and its modernized, streamlined design makes a dramatic statement.

Located in São Paulo, Brazil, this serene outdoor space is part of the Aigai Spa, which was designed by figueroa.arq, but it could just as easily be someone’s home. The elongated pool runs the length of the patio and at one end hangs a multicolored swinging chair. Photo courtesy of Leonardo Finotti

A 100-foot-long wall of terracotta breeze blocks designed by Patricia Urquiola for Mutina—called Tierras 3D—surrounds the reception window and extends into a seating area.

Reclaimed breeze block filters the morning light

Burnt Cedar

“The living space is defined by exposed Douglas fir beams that continue inside from [street] entrance,” Weber said. The floor’s polished “Light Grey” tiles from Olympia Tile’s Unicolor Series are a muted detail.

Benjamin Moore’s “White Dove,” painted on the interior walls, brightens the varying shades of the woods.

“We used extensive glazing in the kitchen, dining, and bedroom areas to capture views of Lake Washington and downtown Bellevue across the water,” Weber said. The chrome chandelier above the dining table is by Artcraft Lighting.

The house features 16-foot-high ceilings and is heated and cooled primarily from geothermal ground loops, with radiant lines inside the concrete floors. A central "cube" designed and fabricated by the architects offers pantry storage and delineates the kitchen, living, and bar areas. The glossy sheen comes courtesy of white automotive paint.

Zen BathWorks strengthened this large tub with an apron that doubles as a cup rest. The room’s walls are wood-clad to reduce visual clutter and the tub rim is indented to direct water towards a floor drain shared by a shower. Soaking tubs are often smaller than conventional tubs as the bather sits with knees to chest-great if you have a small bathroom but want a tub. Sides can be sloped or straight and wood with knots generally costs less than straight-grained planks. If you’re curious about cedar’s scent, the bars sold in hardware stores for use as a moth-repellent give a general idea. Photo courtesy of: Zen BathWorks

The Citrons inherited the Modernica sofa, chaise, and table from the previous owners. They added a Jasper Morrison cork stools, all by Vitra. The cedar interior walls were inspired by the exterior cladding and are finished in orange oil beeswax by Howard.

This home's open kitchen, living, and dining area includes a small pantry and an office, but the cedar cladding is the showstopper.

The Sea Ranch-inspired home will weather gracefully over time.