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Rather than positioning their bed against a wall, Andrea used a dresser to create a floating support so that Rick and Lucy's bed would be centered to the window with expansive views of the surrounding coast.

In Palm Springs, Sander Architects created an energy-efficient hybrid prefab home that’s designed to stay naturally cool in the desert heat, which often climbs to triple digits in the summer.

In the kitchen, which faces west to capture views of the San Jacinto Mountains, a large red work by James Jensen punctuates one wall. The induction cooktop is from Gaggenau; the sinks were sourced from Blanco.

The custom Bulthaup kitchen is outfitted with Gaggenau appliances and Caesarstone countertops.

In the living room, the team raised the firebox, cladded the hearth in a tactile plaster finish, and installed a floating limestone bench that wraps the column. On the left (unseen) is integrated firewood storage, and a cozy reading nook sits on the right. "The bench was designed to be used as a social space/lounge, and is well-used," says Coffey. The wood beams and red brick were scraped and stripped many times to remove the silver paint and reclaim a natural state.

Reilly, pictured here, deleted the original front door in order to create an expanse of uninterrupted wall in the living room. The existing slider is now the main entry point. She clad the exterior with planks marketed as a shou sugi ban product that reads as burned, knotty cedar. A new, corrugated metal roof replaced asphalt shingles.

The home’s upper level includes the guest rooms and master bedroom, which features an expansive ensuite master bath with a soaking tub and glass-enclosed shower lined in marble with Cle tile accents.

Working with a sumptuous material palette, Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects designed a sprawling new residence in Palo Alto for Mark and Laura Pine. The teak wood and handmade Danish bricks that define the exterior are used inside as well; distressed stainless steel panels by Chris French Metal sheathe one side of the upper volume. Blasen Landscape Architecture chose Peruvian feather grass to flank the entrance walkway.

A chain curtain from Cascade Coil separates the kitchen without interrupting sightlines or sunlight. “When you light the outside brighter than the inside at night, it becomes more opaque,” says Mark. Bulthaup cabinetry joins appliances by Gaggenau and Miele.

No whiteware here. In this moody apartment in Berlin, multi-toned charcoal gray subway tiles make up the backsplash, which contrasts with the pop of rosy color on the kitchen cabinets.

A custom pivot door by Archispec opens onto a foyer with a poured-concrete floor. The oil painting at right is by Derrick Buisch.

In the master bathroom, Dolomite marble was installed on the walls to complement Caesarstone countertops. Both contrast with the dark Montauk slate on the floor.

A fluid living space for cooking, eating, and relaxing is now the heartbeat of this 1960s secondary home northwest of Montréal.

“The contrast between the minimalist features of the interior and the Art Nouveau building is a real surprise for people who come to the apartment,” says architect Piero Zucchi.

The walk-in shower has a skylight, and is covered in Ann Sacks Square Arcilla tile, which the architects chose because it doesn’t look "too precise." The floor is Waterworks terrazzo.

The home’s exterior contrasts bluestone with copper. The entry court and the southwestern elevation is shown here.

Set among fields along the south facing coast of Long Island and within a short walk to the ocean, this Hamptons residence is a quiet refuge for a growing family and offers extraordinary views of the surrounding landscape. The volume of the house is a two-story wood, steel, and glass structure; transparent walls provide delicacy to the house. Louvered screens and deep overhangs shield the interior spaces from summer sun and allow warm winter light to dip below the roofline.

The Kitchen