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The library is lit by the front courtyard. The chartreuse vent, originally painted vermilion, is the one architectural color inside the house. Two Cantilever Cane chairs by Mies van der Rohe face Isaacson as he rests upon a Pernilla easy chair by Bruno Mathsson.

The main entry, located off the front courtyard is more practical than grand. The door opens onto a PK15 chair by Poul Kjaerholm and built-in coat cabinets that direct movement to either side of the hall and into the living area.

Two Faber Cylindra mount range hoods add contrast above the cooktop, while coordinating with the Paperclip stools by Kinetic.

Homeowners Izabel and Paul made a large open kitchen a top priority, insisting on counters at double the standard width.

Both kids' bedrooms also have en suite bathrooms.

A sitting area in the front yard encourages neighbors to stop by for a chat.

Heath tiles were used in the primary bathroom, and unlacquered brass fixtures from Watermark continue the theme.

During storm season, nature’s awe-inspiring light show is on full display through the oversized windows.

The kitchen now occupies the addition, and the island was detailed to look like a piece of furniture to better meld with the living room. The cabinet colors are Farrow & Ball’s Skimming Stone and Sherwin-Williams’s Garden Gate, and were handpainted instead of spray-finished, so as "not to have something too slick or sterile," says VW. "We wanted them to be warm and have personality."

Barbara Hill's Dancehall/House in Marfa, Texas September 14, 2010 Misty Keasler

A gravel path leads to a guesthouse, where Trainor supplemented an existing garden of yuccas and palm trees with succulent aeoniums and flowering euphorbias.

The kitchen includes two sinks and dishwashers, one to serve as a scullery for events. The island surface is soapstone and the counters Carrera marble.

A level, trellised garapa-wood deck connects the main structure to the pool house. "The arbors near the pool knit everything together," says Mikiten. "The deck is constructed over a drainage pit so the wood surface can be completely flush with the interior floor and the surrounding yard, which is critical for a fluid experience by someone using a wheelchair."

The house that Richard Naish of RTA Studio created for his family in Grey Lynn, Auckland, is a series of pavilions and courtyards designed to make the most of the narrow site and the area’s mild weather.