facade

Wire mesh was sandwich-framed between wood planks to create a modern-looking railing from simple materials—the result of a collaborative brainstorm with the local carpenter.

Sandwiched between two other red-brick properties, the revamped row home now gorgeously stands out with its crisp white facade.

Wooden paneling framing the windows complements the home's custom-built front door.

Large slider doors from Marvin allow easy access to the patio. The couple chose long rectangular stepping blocks in the exact width of the slider to further enhance the view outward.

Constructed from all-natural, sustainable building materials, this home fades into its background and provides protection from the weather.

The new house numbers are the Aurele 6" Matte Black House Numbers from CB2, while the streamlined mailbox is a Wayfair find.

The front façade received fresh white paint and new landscaping. The blue door was painted "Flaming Torch" from Behr, a vibrant orange.

On a plateau three hours outside Mexico City, architect Fernanda Canales created a wild, nature-fueled vacation home for her family surrounding four courtyards. Celebrating the flat, rugged environs, she melded a facade of red, broken brick with warm concrete and wood interiors. To add extra height, she turned to terra-cotta tiled barrel vaults.

The back of the house was designed by owner-architect Caroline Djuric as a contemporary counterpoint to the more traditional front facade. A pergola reaches beyond the roof and over the deck on the second story. An asymmetrical wooden stairway leads down to the garden.

Says Brillhart: “Trip Russell was a modernist and was coming out of that era of the Case Study houses in L.A.” The original house was constructed from CMU blocks with exposed wood rafters and a tongue-and-groove roof deck, which was painstakingly restored.

Per the Kebony website, their wood products are composed of sustainable softwoods that have been modified with a bio-based liquid to give them the characteristics of hardwoods, making the end result hardy and durable.

According to Invisible Studio, "The project was also a way of reconciling all the thermal deficiencies of Moonshine, which is far too lightweight. Starfall is ruthlessly thermally massive, and with it incredibly efficient."

Unlike other new houses in the Garden Oaks/Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston, the Gottschalks embraced a simple, functional pavilion.

A view of the home from the east side.

The view from the home towards the water, sky, and surrounding cliffs.

Architect Dan Rockhill tackled a tight budget and a steep slope to build a modern Midwest haven for a family in Lawrence, Kansas, who had just $214,000 to spend on design and construction. His biggest flourish was a slatted exterior screen of Cumaru wood that shields the inexpensive metal siding.

The outdoors are part of the cohesive design, embracing the vegetation, sites, and sunlight.

The boxy, contemporary new facade was completely restructured.

The astonishing transformation post renovation. The exterior palette consists of white stucco and Ipe wood, and the landscaping in the front yard is comprised of drought-tolerant plants, with a focus on succulents.