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With little to no permitting required because of its small size, Sett Studio units can be used for an extra bedroom, a yoga studio, a hydroponics growing area or an office space, like this 96-square-foot one shown here.

“A lot of attention had been given to living well in the tropics,” Elwin says of the original design. The architect took out walls to accentuate the feeling of openness in the living room, now casually furnished with a Muji bench and a chair from Ton.

Ceaserstone in Blizzard was used for the perimeter countertop, and Silestone in Lusso for the island top and the waterfall edges.

The master bedroom is enclosed in glass, and connects to the outdoors via massive pivot doors.

When Austin-based firm Matt Fajkus Architecture was tasked with renovating this classic midcentury home, they sought to open up the interior—not only by unifying the common areas into an open-plan layout, but also by literally raising the home's roof. This strategy increased the ceiling height on three sides of the home, allowing for the insertion of clerestory windows to create a bright and airy open living space. "The raised ceiling maintains the original pitched roof geometry to stay harmonious with the existing gabled roof in the private zone," explain the architects in a statement.

All of Scott Palamar’s selections and customizations brought the total to $150,000 for the 640-square-foot home and surrounding land. “I feel like I struck on such a novel solution because I was able to afford a home tailored to my lifestyle,” he says.

Built in 1962, the four-bedroom, two-bath home has already been spruced up with modern features that respect the home’s original midcentury modern character. Highlights include updated bathrooms with Carrara marble and walnut cabinetry, a private backyard, and a renovated kitchen with a pretty impressive "edible garden" off the side.

REPII floor plan

The untreated wood will develop a silvery gray patina over time.

The shutters can be opened to allow views and cross breezes through the building.

Like the main house, both guest homes are lined with timber inside and out.

Curtains can be pulled along a ceiling track for privacy.

The interior design was handled by local firm (and a personal friend of the architects) Studio CL, which sourced all the furniture from Kavehome.

Untreated Lapacho timber planks—the same material used on the main house—clad the exterior of the two guest homes. In contrast to the horizontal cladding of the main house, the planks are vertically oriented here.

The independent modular guest houses give the client the flexibility to expand in the future.

Rudolph used red cannonballs as weights to hold the home’s signature wood shutters in place.

Aaron and Yuka Ruell transformed a 1950s Portland ranch house into a retro-inspired family home with plenty of spaces for their four children to roam. In the kitchen, interior designer Emily Knudsen Leland replaced purple laminate cabinets with flat-sawn eastern walnut, and added PentalQuartz countertops in polished Super White for contrast. The kitchen island is clad with original red tiles, and hanging cabinets above it were removed to maximize light and family-room views.

In the office, existing track lighting illuminates cabinetry covered in Lemon Bar by Miller Paint.