Located two hours north of Boston, the Rocky Brook weeHouse is carved out of the grade of a steep creekside lot.
Located two hours north of Boston, the Rocky Brook weeHouse is carved out of the grade of a steep creekside lot.
“Metaphorically, the cabin’s exterior is like a cut log,” Lane says. “The black-stained Western red cedar is the bark, and the Douglas fir siding under cover is the exposed wood once the log has been cut.” Beyond the house and native sod gardens, a meadowscape blends into the mature pine forest at the lakefront. “We wanted a woodland garden quality,” landscape architect Soren deNiord says.
“Metaphorically, the cabin’s exterior is like a cut log,” Lane says. “The black-stained Western red cedar is the bark, and the Douglas fir siding under cover is the exposed wood once the log has been cut.” Beyond the house and native sod gardens, a meadowscape blends into the mature pine forest at the lakefront. “We wanted a woodland garden quality,” landscape architect Soren deNiord says.
Loon Lake Retreat floor plan
Loon Lake Retreat floor plan
Ashoka enlisted the services of the San Miguel de Allende–based interior studio NAMUH in selecting pieces for the interiors. The living room features a soft gray buffalo leather sofa, a reclaimed oak table with metal accents, and an Indian jute rug.
Ashoka enlisted the services of the San Miguel de Allende–based interior studio NAMUH in selecting pieces for the interiors. The living room features a soft gray buffalo leather sofa, a reclaimed oak table with metal accents, and an Indian jute rug.
The interior features exposed ceiling beams and concrete walls, and the decor celebrates natural materials like timber and jute.
The interior features exposed ceiling beams and concrete walls, and the decor celebrates natural materials like timber and jute.
The decked patio and pool area is shaded by olive and pomegranate trees.
The decked patio and pool area is shaded by olive and pomegranate trees.
A dusty-pink facade is only a hint of what’s inside this 18th-century structure. For Sérgio Antunes, cofounder of Lisbon-based Aurora Arquitectos, the charming exterior and its rich pigment provided a fascinating starting point for the renovation of the Rose Building—a single-family residence in southern Portugal that his team turned into five glowing apartments in collaboration with Lisbon architecture studio FURO. Throughout are huge swaths of color with unique touches: For example, painted on the ceiling of the central stair is a moody mural of a woman in the style of a fresco, and in one of the unit’s bathrooms, more ceiling artwork depicts a mermaid emerging from a swirl of waves. Elsewhere, arched windows, sloped ceilings, ornate moldings, and wooden doors elegantly play off Portuguese marble and patterned ceramic tiles. With the go-ahead from the city, the architects were also able to construct a modern addition at the rear—The Mustard Building—that pairs natural wood partitions with the subdued tones of creamy terrazzo.
A dusty-pink facade is only a hint of what’s inside this 18th-century structure. For Sérgio Antunes, cofounder of Lisbon-based Aurora Arquitectos, the charming exterior and its rich pigment provided a fascinating starting point for the renovation of the Rose Building—a single-family residence in southern Portugal that his team turned into five glowing apartments in collaboration with Lisbon architecture studio FURO. Throughout are huge swaths of color with unique touches: For example, painted on the ceiling of the central stair is a moody mural of a woman in the style of a fresco, and in one of the unit’s bathrooms, more ceiling artwork depicts a mermaid emerging from a swirl of waves. Elsewhere, arched windows, sloped ceilings, ornate moldings, and wooden doors elegantly play off Portuguese marble and patterned ceramic tiles. With the go-ahead from the city, the architects were also able to construct a modern addition at the rear—The Mustard Building—that pairs natural wood partitions with the subdued tones of creamy terrazzo.
What was once a single-family residence now comprises five different apartments, all of which are defined by distinct palettes that bring together dreamy, chromatic combinations with colorful ceramic tiles, ceiling artwork, and contrasting furnishings and painted walls.
What was once a single-family residence now comprises five different apartments, all of which are defined by distinct palettes that bring together dreamy, chromatic combinations with colorful ceramic tiles, ceiling artwork, and contrasting furnishings and painted walls.

31 more saves