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Extended south-facing windows replaced tiny builder-grade openings, flooding the walkout basement with natural light and strengthening its connection to the garden beyond.

A scalloped red lacquered MDF island adds sculptural presence to the compact kitchen, paired with Cambria Minnesota Snow countertops in matte finish—chosen after visiting countless showrooms.

"In the more rural areas of Newfoundland, it's rare to have such a contemporary build,

"We named the home Windhaven after the farm I grew up on in Wisconsin,

Floor plan of Windhaven by Hoyles Architecture

Landscape architect Margot Jacobs took inspiration from Japanese stone gardens, mixing the design with Californian and Mediterranean plant life.

The kitchen underwent the most dramatic change, being relocated to the back of the house adjacent to the living room. White Oak floors and casework and new Kolbe windows warm up the space. The pendant light is from Design Within Reach, and the bar stools are custom from Sean Woolsey.

A patio spins off the northern end of the house’s main level. It fronts “Main Street,” which unwinds from the heart of downtown Seattle into a pedestrian foot path bordered by a woodland. “We went with a low and robust barrier instead of a tall wood fence to preserve views to the park,” Schaer says. The table and benches are by Crate & Barrel.

Jennifer requested the Japanese-style outdoor soaking tub, but it’s enjoyed by the whole family. It was built by J&K Cedar Works for around $6,500.

The Northern Lights outdoor hot tub and sauna top off this wooded retreat.

“The idea was not to make a total break between the existing building and the new work, but to allow a sort of deliberate overlap,” explains Brian.

This midcentury home, originally owned by a local illustrator, needed updating, remodeling, and fortifying. Seattle-based SHED Architecture & Design tackled the project, keeping some classic features while updating others, like the front door in a semi-gloss orange.

Interesting dormers and protrusions add volume and dimension to the non-dominant sides of the home. “Paying just as much attention to the two sides of the A-frame as to the end walls ensured that the home would be striking and attention-grabbing from all angles,” shares Mather.

In an effort to root the home to its location, the team elected to use dry-stacked slate quarried from a nearby island for much of the main structure. “These walls are common in the Pelion area of Greece,” says Achilleas.

“Everything needed to be approachable and simple,” says Hilary. “The house reflects who we are.”

Their creative confections may ruin our diets, but we’re happy to be their taste testers anytime.

In this custom-built London guesthouse kitchen designed by Studiomama, lustrous vertically clad cabinetry achieves additional depth with the addition of the chairs, which were picked up for $15 each at a local market and powder coated in bright orange.

Inspired by the sea and sand, Richard and Jackie Willcocks chose blue and orange joinery colors for their 1,140-square-foot prefab. The modular home is by New South Wales company ArchiBlox.