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The well-preserved wood-and-stone-clad home rests at the end of a long, gravel drive, surrounded by a mature forest. Its bright red door extends a cheerful welcome.

This 530-square-foot prefab in East Sussex, England, was designed by Michael Kendrick Architects for a family who wanted to build a woodland retreat/rental on their property. Immersing the lodge into the forest reflects the family’s intent to, as the architects explain, “enhance the ecological biodiversity of the area, protect wildlife, and enable guests … to understand and appreciate the fauna, flora, and unique history and nature of the area, while supporting and promoting the local economy.”

Reclaimed wood covers the ceiling in the main room and bedroom. The large white light fixture was reused from the barn’s previous incarnation, and the sectional is from Interior Define.

The renovation introduced a new deck, and opened up the living and kitchen areas. “The home is ‘so Warrandyte,’” says builder Hamish White. “It has a great connection with the outdoors, views of trees from most windows, and a homely and familiar feel which makes it really comfortable to be in.”

Working with salvaged and donated materials (and without ferry service), the Stinn Family assembled this dreamy getaway piece by piece.

Powers clad the exterior in western red cedar shingles, knowing that they would age gracefully over the years with minimal upkeep. They provide texture and pattern to the roof and exterior walls, which merge at the home’s apex.

359 Bear Cub Ln in Lake Placid, New York, is currently listed for $449,000 by Kathleen Fischer of BHHS Adirondack Premier Properties.

"One visit over the winter, and we drove up to find four feet of snow covering the driveway and stairs down to the cabin,

The Pine wood-clad cabin sits atop an elevated platform left behind by a previous builder in a failed first construction attempt, and overlooks the Cautín River. "

Terreo Studio aimed to make this seven-unit apartment complex look “unrecognizable, so it stays a mystery from the outside.” From the white stone facades, through the interior marble and complimentary soft palette of the furnishings, to the open floor plan that meanders between courtyards, the architects took cues from Grecian architecture: Natural materials are used in abundance to create a structure that embraces the environment.

The two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath cabin in Nova Scotia serves as a vacation getaway for a couple.

The 1,000-square-foot contemporary structure overlooks a nearby lake through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Black granite counters top fir cabinets, and are accented by walnut open shelving in the new kitchen. The pendants are by Visual Comfort.

"Mountain peaks, river valleys and glacial lakes sketch the sub-alpine landscape of the southern lakes – an environment revered by Jennifer Arnold and Alan Luckie. ‘It’s the wilderness of it all,’ notes Jennifer. ‘That immense space with its diamond sharp air and the ability to engage with all the elements.’ With a bare site overlooking Lake Wakatipu, they engaged architect Vaughn McQuarrie to design a shelter that would ‘sing with the music of the sun, wind and rain’. They discussed bivvies and huts, thermal efficiency and humble materials, and didn’t need (or necessarily want) the final design to resemble a traditional house."

"The 1970s houses of Whangamatā were the design source for this new beach bach—the simple gables, lean-tos, decks and yards. ‘The clients and I walked the neighbourhood to have a look at the existing character,’ says architect Paul Clarke. ‘They wanted to build sympathetically in the form and size of the building, so we’ve reused elements we know well, but combined them in a new way to put together something different.’"

Clad in salvaged wood and adorned with moss, this tiny hexagonal home is #cabinlife goals.

The 377-square-foot Woodland Cabin by London-based practice De Rosee Sa was completed over the course of multiple trips to the lakeside lot in the village of Nouvelles in southern Belgium. The steeply pitched structure is clad in timber that was stained black from used tractor engine oil, which is a popular finish for local agricultural buildings.