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Andrea Register and Matthew Kaniaris live in one of 124 midcentury homes in the National Register-listed postwar neighborhood of Arapahoe Acres in Englewood, Colorado. Photo by Daniel Scott Jenkins

Set on a steep, forested hillside, Saul Zaik’s 1961 residence evokes a tree house with two wings connected by a series of cantilevered decks and a glass pavilion.

Kele Dobrinski and Christina Valencia, of Sacramento, California-based Colossus Mfg., revamped a 2008 Starstream Starcraft camper that allows their family of five to comfortably explore nature in different landscapes for weeks at a time.

Getting the hammock installed posed a bit of a challenge. Adair and Kopp found it tough to find a company to help with executing their idea. “It’s interesting to know that if you want to do something with a little bit of risk, it really takes some convincing,” says Adair. With the help of a U.S.-based company that dealt with large-scale net facilities, they got a group together and lashed the whole perimeter to create a safe, sturdy, supportive weaving.

The thrill of a home renovation can quickly be diminished by unforeseen circumstances, stretched budgets, and other unexpected issues. The good news is that most of the time these problems can be mitigated, if not avoided entirely, by keeping an eye out for warning signals. Read on as we go through essential home renovation tips to consider before kicking off your own revamp.

Hiring a general contractor (GC) may not be as exciting as picking an architect, but it’s definitely as important. After all, this is the person who will determine whether you’re sleeping in a beautiful new bedroom or a motel when your projected move-in date rolls around.

- Tehachapi Mountains, California Dwell Magazine : November / December 2017

In this living area, a built-in Murphy bed can be pulled down to create a flexible sleeping area when needed. This Murphy bed incorporates two small bedside nooks with built-in lighting.

The airy feeling is accentuated by painted white walls and white ceramic roof tiles that are visible on the ceiling. The tile motif was adapted from Portuguese colonial architecture and remains prominent in the region. The custom two-sided sofa is by Atelier Branco.

A service yard is discreetly concealed behind a concrete screen. What appears as a series of concrete blocks opens up and becomes completely transparent on the hillside. It's all about embracing the views, the setting, and the climate.

Natural light permeates the brickwork to illuminate a bedroom.

A concrete block wall (above) separates the entry from the living area, where an Arne Norell Kontiki easy chair joins an Eames lounge chair.

Ornate concrete blocks screen a storage area in the kitchen while letting light through. The effect is “romantic—romantyczny,” says Nix.

side facade view

Working within a tight footprint due to building restrictions, the two-story main building includes most of the bedrooms and communal spaces, with guest quarters placed in a separate structure.

A walkway leads into the gray-plastered entrance hall.

A screen made from concrete breeze-blocks allows breeze and filtered light into the stairwell.