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The new kitchen-and-dining area connects to the living area and the rear yard.

The new primary bedroom is outfitted with a bay window that features a built-in bench.

Glass walls wrap the home's western, ocean-facing side, with large glass pieces framed in the same black steel as the adjacent rammed-earth wall panels.

New sliding glass doors provide a seamless connection to exterior living areas.

MASS Design Group cofounder Alan Ricks upgrades his “not structurally sound” bungalow with innovative materials and enough solar panels to produce more energy than it consumes.

In the couple's bedroom, a Gap pendant from Woud hangs in front of a wall clad in STI Otto porcelain tile from Stone Tile.

The alley entrance is shaded by a cantilevered volume on the second floor. Turf-block pavers reduce runoff.

In the kitchen, a glass backsplash is one of many connections to the outdoors. The Hee barstools are by Hay and the Highline pendant light is by Rakumba Lighting Australia.

The Rosy Mound Retreat is comprised of two intersecting volumes: a wood-clad main house and a living room wing.

Since the photo shoot, the couple have placed a desk in the triangular window nook and use the perch as a workspace. “There’s just something about it that hugs you,” says Shelley. “I feel very focused and relaxed when I’m here.”

Super-matte white p-Lam upper cabinets blend with the walls to give the illusion that the space is wider than its 16 feet. Lower cabinets are a rich walnut veneer, topped with Glacier White Corian countertops. Concealed sockets from Bocci add to the sleek, minimalist effect, while a soapstone slab on the island adds a welcoming warmth. “The island is where everyone sits, for breakfast, for snacks, for working,” says Bader. “You don’t want a surface that’s polished and cold.”

One of the first Dwell Houses recently landed near Leslie Scharf’s vineyard home in Healdsburg, California. Norm Architects led the design of the 540-square-foot prefab, which is wrapped in Real Cedar siding.

Outfitted with Woolrich linens and pillows designed by Jim’s wife, Beth Wheeler, the bed is wall-mounted with a hinge from McMaster Carr, so it can be folded up when not in use.