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Architect Alex Gil and his wife, Claudia DeSimio, affixed a 750-square-foot addition to the roof of a 19th-century Williamsburg townhouse, transforming their cramped third-floor apartment into a modern duplex. The original fireplace remains, but has been stripped down to exposed brick, as have the surrounding walls, creating an almost wainscot-like design of exposed brick with flat white drywall above.

Located in Orinda, California, a three-bedroom house by architect Greg Faulkner took its first aesthetic cue from a large oak tree on the site. Cor-Ten steel panels clad the exterior, while white oak offers a material counterpoint on the interior. A 12-foot-wide sliding pocket wall opens the living/dining area to a terrace with a Wave Chaise longue by Paola Lenti. The landscape design is by Thuilot Associates.

DZINE Concept did the interior design throughout. The dining room features a Liquid table by Baxter and Charme chairs from Busnelli.

“Although the LDK (living room, dining room, kitchen) faces east, it is bathed in light reflected off the hill in the afternoon,” say the architects. “With the absence of beams and sealing strips, the rafter seems to protrude from the white structural wall, making the LDK seem like a semi-outdoor veranda. The living room has become part of the garden, where you can naturally engage with the children playing or sprawling on the slope of the hill.”

The white plaster inside the home signals a continuation of the outdoor facade. The cave-like nook was inspired by the fireplace in Swedish architect Erik Gunnar Asplund's summer house.

Teak is used extensively throughout the home—from the flooring to the kitchen cabinetry. The dining chairs and table are from Sakura Shop.

A cedar clad garage door.

A custom kitchen with a cantilevered countertop mimics the way the house is perched on a hillside, seeming to defy gravity.

The master bathroom features an Agape tub with a Watermark filler.

Facing another courtyard, an office nook features a Caesarstone countertop and walnut built-ins by Austin Wood Work.

The long standing-seam zinc roof extends over the pool to provide shade to the outdoor lounge.

Back into the forest, the Pool House is oriented for panoramic views of the valley floor.

The living area features Roche Bobois furnishings and a rug made from the farm’s sheep wool. Not pictured is the central fireplace built of locally quarried stone.

Once the pivot door is opened, the indoor bathing and showering experience becomes an outdoor experience