Fancy Firewood

This luxurious five-bedroom villa in Zermatt is sited in the heart of the village and close to shops, the town’s main railway station and the Sunnegga funicular, which will whisk you up to the ski slopes within minutes.

A gravel path leads to a bench meant for slipping off one’s shoes before entering. The slatted screen above the firewood holder helps protect the north façade from snow.

Self-taught designer Tom Givone fixed up his 1882 row house in New York City over many years. Located in the Washington Heights neighborhood of upper Manhattan, the house—designed in 1882 by architect Gilbert Robinson Jr. to resemble an 18th-century mansion nearby—is an anomaly in steel-and-concrete New York.

Garden, yardscape

The home's form and position have been informed by the path of the sun.

Matte-black Tolix chairs surround a 14-foot harvest dining table that dates back to the 1800s.

“In every season, in every setting, it’s beautiful,” says Emilie.

David has built a number of screens and fences around the two cabins to increase privacy. "We now have a good feel of rustic isolation," says Diane.

looking back towards the house

At a contemporary farmhouse in a canyon in Utah, the site is adjacent to the Park City ski resort with ski-in access, and texture and natural materials are found throughout the project. For example, the living room fireplace extends outdoors with a board-formed concrete bench.

The fireplace is supplied with sustainably sourced timber from the estate.

The existing structures were updated with a material palette that included natural aging patinas, raw steel doors and shelves, zinc countertops, and wood-paneled and beamed ceilings—juxtaposed with clean and modern smooth plaster finishes.

Vintage bent plywood stacking chairs by Roland Rainer are purposeful and can be moved to suit any situation.

This traditional stone home in France was renovated with a living room that features built-in storage for firewood, allowing the homeowners to stack logs by the fireplace.

The Stovax freestanding wood fire in the living room is used to heat the home. The concrete floor provides thermal mass, which helps maintain thermal stability.

“On the main floor, sliding doors with large glass panes framed in black steel pair modern minimalism with traditional panel-door proportions,” say the architects.