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A patio protected by a steel-and-cedar-slat trellis accommodates a meeting between (left to right) contractor Mark Farha, building owners and developers Brock Oaks and David Farha, and owner and contractor Ted Farha.

A "time and materials" contract outlines a set price for labor and materials based on hourly rates or price per quantity.

4. "Can I afford the payment if one of the buying parties can't?" "Sometimes homes are purchased with two incomes," Hoffman adds. "But then there are instances when one person wants to stay home to take care of children. You do want to think about the future."

Questions from your contractor mean that they have taken the time to review the construction documents or drawings and scope of work.

The entrance to the home features a direct view of the rear courtyard and garden. "We were inspired by the Case Study Houses and some of Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian homes," reveals Chevalier. "The relationship between the interior and exterior gardens was [something we] carefully studied."

The owners built the house as a place to gather with their three adult children on Loon Lake, where they had vacationed at the husband’s family home for years. The modern Adirondack chairs are by Loll Designs.

Now, an eight-foot sliding door brings light into the kitchen and enables fluid movement between inside and out. The wider steps can serve as seats during a party, and they make for a graceful transition to the yard.

The side patio doubles as a parking spot for a custom-built 1970 Honda CB750.

This tiny one-bedroom rental was designed by Cornwall-based architecture firm Studio Arc, with interiors by Jess Clark. Originally a thatched cottage, the space was updated with aged concrete for a modern feel, while wood shingle walls add a sense of nostalgia.

In the Norwegian town of Larvik in Vestfold County, Oslo-based practice Lund Hagem Architects renovated a summer cabin on a rocky terrain with generous outdoor patios that take advantage of dramatic coastal views.

With views like these, the studio's rationale is simple, "We’re proud of how Darkwood’s stepped design makes the most of the view yet still feels connected to the nature around it."

Golden hour on the serene rooftop offers some of the city's finest views out onto the harbour below and far beyond.

The couple is eager to host a party with Diego’s band after the pandemic to take full advantage of the new deck and its amphitheater-like seating.

This midcentury gem lays in Crestwood Hills, in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, an endangered enclave of midcentury post-and-beam houses designed by A. Quincy Jones and Whitney R. Smith.