Favorites

The Irwin pool house designed by Landis Gores in 1957 boasts a central room with high ceilings and an unobstructed view of the landscape. In 2005, the Town of New Canaan purchased the property and added exhibition spaces, as well as rooms for lectures and events. The small pavilion also houses an oversized, monumental brick fireplace design that divides the main space from the kitchen area.

This San Francisco home in the Theatre Lofts building, built in 1926 as a movie palace, was given a sophisticated upgrade by LOCZIdesign for a couple. A new study makes it possible for the husband to read and work late into the night, while the wife sleeps upstairs. The modern fireplace is clad in ceramic tile with a subtle textural pattern.

In Los Angeles, homeowner Bill Thompson warmed up his otherwise dark living room with a series of Douglas fir slats applied above the fireplace, as well as other wood accents throughout the room; the slats provide both texture and pattern to the fireplace, acting as a focal point and emphasizing the space's vertical height.

Linda Taalman and Alan Koch built a home by Joshua Tree National Park, where temperatures can span from 32 degrees to over 100. The two opted for a glass enclosure with raw industrial style and green design that allowed them to live lightly on the land. iT House has floor-to-ceiling windows to take in the landscape, a suspended fireplace by Fire Orb for cold nights, and an abundance of spaces that open up to the outdoors.

Three small pavilions connected by a deck form a summer retreat that balances privacy with a panoramic view—all in less than 900 square feet. Among the three pavilions are the standard comforts of any home: a kitchen, living space, and dining area are situated in an open floor plan in the main cabin, where a collection of vintage pieces—including leather lounge chairs from Belgium and a modern fireplace by Preway (whose chimney stretches into the tall ceilings)—mix with white Bertoia wire chairs and Noguchi table lamps.

PARLOR FLOOR - KITCHEN Photo © Ashok Sinha

PARLOR FLOOR - LIVING ROOM & KITCHEN Photo © Ashok Sinha

In this remote holiday rental home in New Zealand, guests can warm themselves by the asymmetrically shaped fireplace while looking out to views of a gorgeous, deserted by.

The kitchen is accessed via the main entrance hall, down three steps made from a dark timber that echoes the cherry wood cabinetry. The stairs are framed by green slatted cabinets finished in Jewell Beetle paint by Little Greene.

The backsplash is made from the same green kit kat tiles that clad the island. The worktops are Silestone, a solid surface by Cosentino, and cost $X,XXXX. To save on overhead and profit costs—which are usually calculated by the contractor at 10% to 15%—the clients purchased tapware, kitchen appliances, and lighting themselves. The pendants in the kitchen are Muuto Rime Pendants, which retail for $XXXX for the small and $XXXX for the medium.

The floor is terrazzo-effect rubber flooring from Nora with an acoustic underlay. A cherry wood veneer bookcase for cookbooks has been inserted between the kitchen cabinets and a storage room for coats and shoes.