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Architect George Bradley and his husband, Eddie Baba, renovated a 1941 house in San Francisco. Tiles from Heath Ceramics surround the Ortal Clear 130LS fireplace. The white ceramic logs are by Klein Reid (but of course can be replaced with real firewood!), and the firewood storage continues the same dark horizontal band that contrasts with the light-colored fireplace cladding.

Artist and corrective-exercise specialist, Ruth Hiller, moved to Winter Park, Colorado from New York knowing that her home would be glass and steel with wraparound windows. She hopped on the phone with architect Michael Johnson, he drew the sketch, and it took a mere five minutes to decide on the design. The common areas are suspended and cantilevered over the backyard ravine, offering views of a winding mountain creek while also doubling the square footage. A Bathyscafocus by Focus Creations fireplace warms up the modern abode.

The new kitchen is light and bright, with dark green Reform cabinets to provide a grounding energy. "We wanted colors that were calming and soothing, and it's almost got a PNW vibe,

"Style-wise, I loved the midcentury modern vibe,

For the living room, Caroline chose lounge chairs from Australia’s Barnaby Lane, a coffee table from Sobu, Maiden Home sofas, and a Moroccan rug from Muima.

The adjoining bathroom gets indirect daylight via openings in the brick wall and a transom window.

Plan B carpenters built the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves as well as the cabinetry in the kitchen at the far end of the room.

A fire pit and heaters inside the screened-in porch allow for continued use of the outdoor spaces even as the temperatures drop.

The dramatic staircase in architect Dom Dimster’s Southern California home is made from T- and L-profile steel, shelf board, glass panels, and plate steel. Electric shades on the outside of the house keep the sun from penetrating the glass wall of the staircase and overheating the interior.

The bathroom towards the front of the building had a greater width than the staircase: rather than having a notch, Bader curved the wall. “It gave it flow instead of an abrupt change of direction.” That theme is echoed on the main level, with a curved ceiling in the kitchen to disguise a pesky bulkhead.

Paul pushed hard for a laundry chute from the third floor. The door is concealed in the custom bedside drawers.

From one end, there’s a stunning view of West Toronto; on the other side, the family overlooks a vibrant alleyway (“We see garages and houses, a patchwork of people’s interests,” says Shelley.)

The bathroom's shower is wheelchair accessible, if needed.

Popham Design supplied the tiles in the bathrooms, were Gebhardt chose to incorporate more color.

Having the inside open to a patio makes it feel much larger