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Due to zoning restrictions, the house's footprint had to be relatively small, so Svensen devised a solution: split levels. The library occupies a landing on the staircase and features shelves built by Atlanta's Dark Horse Woodwork.

After a tree falls in Santa Monica, a garage is reborn as a 600-square-foot family gathering spot.

Michael Marriott bookshelves in an England home kitchen, paired with a Nelson bubble lamp and Artek table and chairs. Swoon.

Architect Tamira Sawatzky used Ikea components—one-inch Lagan butcher block countertops and inexpensive Ekby Lerberg brackets—when designing the bookshelves along the living room wall in the home/studio he designed for himself and his wife in Toronto.

Muriel samples some of Haley’s culinary offerings in the new kitchen. The deep window doubles as an eating area and a place to serve guests.

Mason and friends scramble around his soon-to-be tree house as Muriel swings. What remains of the original brick house can be seen on the right side of the structure, with the new master bedroom on top and living area on the left. A hot tub and seating area are accessible through the basement and living area.

Suspended over the living room, the library bridge connects the second floor rooms of the house. The transitional space contains built-ins and desks where the owners and their three-year-old daughter can sit and read. The steel of the staircase is supported entirely by the adjacent concrete wall. A marriage of concrete, wood, and glass is used in the space, and the large windows let light in and offer a view of the roof garden.

Use this as a guide to finding the right architect for your new home or renovation—and what to expect during the process.

The library is lined in reclaimed spotted gum that Maynard says “brings with it wisdom from its previous life.” A stained glass window by Leigh Schellekens makes the contemplative room feel like a domestic chapel.

Architect Gustavo Costa calls the home library the “project’s heart.” This central space houses the owner’s expansive collection of about 5,000 books, and acts as a meeting place for friends and colleagues. A Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Red and Blue chair completes the space.

Sporting restored midcentury furniture, the main great room is a time capsule in itself. Wood beams contrast with the crisp white, vaulted ceilings, which provide indirect cove lighting. An original fireplace sits tucked in the corner.

Leroy with his menagerie and the highway-spanning bridge beyond.

Angus opts to sleep on top of the bed rather than beneath it.