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Backdrop’s After Hours, a soft charcoal hue, gives Carlos Naude and Whitney Brown’s home in Woodland Hills, California, sleek curb appeal. Lund Sconces by Kuzco Lighting punctuate the exterior, and the streamlined garage doors are by Amarr.

Enveloped by trees, shrubs, and grasses, the two-structure home was dreamed up by a contractor-turned-screenwriter and his wife.

A 1000xBetter removed the wrought iron and striped awning, and covered the façade in wood, leaving the distinct midcentury elements intact.

A vintage rug sits with a Koti Sofa by Hem, reproduction Eames moulded plywood chairs, and a vintage travertine table from Midcentury LA. The credenza is also vintage, with the artwork above it by Maja Dlogolecki.

A closer look at the expansive reflecting pool, highlighting the numerous floor-to-ceiling windows lining the home's side facade.

Top 10 Black Gable Homes of 2020: A dramatic take on an archetypal shape, these pitch-roofed residences cut a striking figure.

Perched below the Griffith Observatory and overlooking Hollywood is a lush lot crowned with four towering olive trees and a 1965 home designed by modernist architect Craig Ellwood. When a young couple purchased the home in 2018, it needed substantial work. For a historic restoration, they called on Woods + Dangaran, a local firm fluent in modernist history. The team completed a meticulous restoration of the home while keeping original components like the linear shape, open plan, and expansive windows. One of the most striking features is the original koi pond (a feature deemed so essential that its preservation was a condition of escrow) that is now crossed via a bridge that leads to a new lap pool—perhaps the biggest intervention on the property.

In October 2017, the catastrophic Nuns fire incinerated the ’70s-era A-frame in Napa County, California, that had served as a family retreat for 20 years and that the owners, who are mostly retired, were in the process of turning into their permanent home. (When the fire hit, the couple had already brought nearly all their family keepsakes and heirlooms, making the loss especially poignant.) Working with architectural designer Brandon Jørgensen, the couple turned the loss into a chance to build what is now their permanent home with fire resistance baked into the design.

The living room has views of the veranda and kitchen through sliding glass doors.

Packed with sustainable technologies, this creative compound consists of a two-level art studio and a one-bedroom house.

Working with a sumptuous material palette, Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects designed a sprawling new residence in Palo Alto for Mark and Laura Pine. The teak wood and handmade Danish bricks that define the exterior are used inside as well; distressed stainless steel panels by Chris French Metal sheathe one side of the upper volume. Blasen Landscape Architecture chose Peruvian feather grass to flank the entrance walkway.

Navigating a tricky corner lot, the founders of OPEN For Humans create a live/work sanctuary that privileges outdoor spaces.

Susan Lankford created a custom headboard in Romo fabric for the primary bedroom, to accompany a custom bed. A Parachilna pendant and vintage lounge chair are on the far end of the room.

Although it’s “veiled” from the street, the light-filled hideaway amplifies its connection to the outdoors.

The Ramseys finished the pool after they moved in. Although Alterstudio had also designed a cabana, the couple decided not to build it in favor of keeping more outdoor space. Chairs and lounges by Loll join an umbrella by California Umbrella.

Originally designed by Cliff May in 1954, this Rancho Estates residence recently underwent a complete overhaul and is now a two-level, single-family home measuring 2,288 square feet.