Favorites

In Chicago’s Lower West Side, editorial director Chelsea Jackson and and her chef husband Arthur renovated their fourth-floor condominium to include a custom Bulthaup kitchen. "We wanted to find a kitchen island that would be light enough to make the room seem large while still standing up to heavy-duty cooking," Chelsea notes. Calls to kitchen retailers were fruitless until Arthur reached the Bulthaup showroom, where the staff suggested he come check out a floor model of the discontinued System 20 kitchen. The stainless steel island, with its precise profile and gas cooktop, was exactly what the couple was after, and they bought it on the spot. A full Bulthaup kitchen—completed with components from the B3 range—would soon become the centerpiece of their new home.

The new kitchen features a full-sized refrigerator behind the paneling, a multi-functional oven and induction cooktop, and a stainless-steel sink with integrated cutting boards. “The induction stove top was carefully chosen because it's a durable glass top and it's very efficient,” says Jones. “It's also spatially efficient because you can put a cutting board on top of it, or prepare food on top of it.”

A refrigerator, drawers, and storage space are cleverly tucked into the side of the staircase.

The couple named their company Konga after the young son, Vinca’s mispronunciation of the Lithuanian word for “socks” when he was learning to speak. “For us, it formed a symbolic association with the feeling of the earth under bare feet,” says Goda. “It encouraged us to leave our footprint, but with minimal impact on nature and meaningful value to humans.”

The connected Konga cabin costs €56K, while the off-grid version is slightly more expensive at €69K. “One of the challenges was that the off-grid Konga cabin is more expensive,” says Goda.

The target market for the KONGA Cabin is initially Scandinavian countries, but the couple have also had enquiries from Holland, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. According to the founders of KONGA, it is intended to be used for short-term rentals, a luxury hotel room in a remote location, or a “hideaway house” for landowners.

Connect Homes are named simply according to the number of modules they contain. The smallest model, the 460-square-foot Connect 1, starts at a base price of $260,000 installed, while the 3,200-square-foot Connect 10 runs just over $1M. Their new Pro Series is lower cost, with the 640-square-foot Pro 2 starting at $208,500 installed. On a rocky terrain in Ojai, California, the Connect 1 shown here integrates a site-built deck to extend the living space and embrace the rugged landscape.

CACN offers four model types. Pictured here is their MOR.II - a one bedroom unit with 540 square feet plus a 300 square feet wraparound deck.

A highlight of the overhaul is the floor-to-ceiling glass on the north side, which includes a five-panel bifold door. The door opens to the couple’s favorite area of the house, the backyard. The deck is shaded by the cantilevered roof, and Ren planted drought-resistant brush amid the existing oak trees.

Now a one-bedroom, it flexes from family home to makerspace with ease.

An upcoming visit from a friend who needed a break from wedding planning gave the couple the incentive to finish the tree deck, which has a wood-fired hot tub on the lower level.

Molly and Jeff wanted their guests to have creature comforts, so early on they built an outdoor shower that’s illuminated by string lights at night.

Pale-toned European larch flooring and ceilings are juxtaposed with the dark-stained walls of the cabin, lending stark contrast and drama for the interior.

Rustic, Scandinavian-style The Hut, in Ohio, is a true family affair; the sustainable cabin, covered in cedar shingles, was built by architect Greg Dutton and his brother and father. Inside, views are amplified through a 25-foot wall of floor-to-ceiling windows.

The home was designed as much for outdoor living as it was for indoor living, with a large porch around the home.

A hammock chair in the living room overlooks the wood stove at the center and the sofa against the west wall, creating a cozy living space.