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A new cantilevered stair behind a batten screen was key to a more open, light-filled interior—and it offered a consistent design element that cut through the section of the home. “The wood elements really envelope you and define the space,” says architect Ian Starling.

The beams were part of the original structure of the home. Ceilings are quite tall—10 feet or higher.

The second-story studio overlooks oak, maple, and birch trees to the east. The Ypperlig table lamps are by Hay for IKEA, and the desk and floors are made of Viroc, a composite material formed from cement and wood fiber.

The bedroom is lined in spruce and sparsely furnished, save for a built-in bed designed by Ateljé Sotamaa. The coverlet and pillows feature a folkloric pattern by Klaus Haapaniemi & Co.

A Murphy bed folds up for additional living space, and sliders provide access to the deck.

The owners did not want window treatments that would obscure the views, so motorized privacy shades and insect screens were installed on the exterior. The polished concrete floor slab helps cool the home in the summer and retain heat in the winter.

Surrounded by an apple orchard, an evergreen grove, and gardens originally tended by the owners’ parents, Sheffield Residence keeps family memories alive.

While it's not your traditional backsplash material, when properly prepared and treated, wood can make for an effective, functional, and beautiful backsplash. Here, the wood backsplash matches the wood of the nearby kitchen island in an otherwise white kitchen with white cabinetry.

White quartz for the island and countertops offsets dramatic blue cabinetry in the kitchen of this modern home in Sun Valley, Idaho, designed by Sarah Latham.

Rather than demolishing the neighboring remains of a 17th-century factory, Will Gamble Architects incorporated the ruins into a Northamptonshire, England, home that blends old and new.

Birched plywood shelving was installed in the loft bedroom.