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Solomon Troupe Architects designed this 430-square-foot backyard bedroom suite for the owners to retreat to when their family comes to visit.

The interior is lined with Rimu, a native timber from New Zealand. This cladding follows the same gentle arch of the barrel vault and imbues the interior with warmth and the beauty of natural timber. “The curved rimu-lined barrel vaults are one of my favorite moments,” reveals architect William Samuels. “I love the way they draw the eye to the arched windows at either end and provide warmth and delight to the interiors.”

Eight-foot-wide sliding glass doors connect the interior of the cabin to the natural landscape. "Window placements are always a fine balance of several ingredients that include amount of light, type of light, privacy, heat loss, especially in Canada, heat gain, cross ventilation, framing views, how the exterior of the house looks, and of course functionality,

The custom cabinetry for the bathroom is made of laminated pine board with a water-base finish that's resistant to color change and similar to what you see in the rest of the house as we wanted to create a consistent story,

The light palette of the pine plywood finishes provides a fresh contrast to the black-stained exterior.

An expansive picture window frames the natural surround in the living room, where a built-in sofa and bench provide perches for soaking in views and sunlight.

The interior of the micro cabin is finished with pine plywood walls, ceiling, and floors that lend pattern and an organic quality. Stainless steel cabinetry, counters, and appliances in the kitchen offer a more industrial quality that balances the materiality of the wood.

The owners built the house as a place to gather with their three adult children on Loon Lake, where they had vacationed at the husband’s family home for years. The modern Adirondack chairs are by Loll Designs.

Colter says that the banquette off the entryway is "Airstream-esque.

The owner and architect chose to outfit almost every aspect of the studio in Douglas fir plywood.

Singita

Built in 1946 by a photographer/curator couple, the recently updated home has a backyard studio and floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto a large, greenery-filled lot.

In the living area, Jeremy, left, and Joe relax on a green Muuto sectional. “We never would have chosen it on our own,” says Joe, extending praise to their architects for nudging them to take chances. “Now we can’t imagine any other sofa. It’s perfect.” The velvet sofa upholstery in Moss is from Knoll, while the rug is from Armadillo.

From a classic IKEA number to a wood table from Sossego, there’s a hardworking desk to suit every style and budget.

The Monocular - Breezeway

The Monocular - Breezeway at Dawn

The Monocular - Wood Slat Cladding

Norske Mikrohus’s latest project, Rast, is a 174-square-foot-home that promises to get you closer to nature.

Nathalie and Greg Kupfer used salvaged and gifted materials to construct a tiny cabin in Alberta, Canada. They spent $2,109 on the build and recouped $2,087 by selling items they had obtained by bartering.