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The U-shaped floorplan wraps around a sunny central courtyard.

Native New Yorkers, the Merola family have long held a tradition of spending summers in Rhode Island. When they learned the costs of renovating their existing cottage would significantly outweigh the benefits, they instead opted to build new. The result—a distinctively modernist box structure clad in milled slats of charred, brushed, and oiled cypress manufactured by Delta Millworks—sits nestled within the marshy landscape of Quonochontaug Pond.

The 3,900-square-foot lakeside home for homeowners Matt and Sarah and their two daughters features four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, and was designed by Liz Hoekzema at KLH Custom Homes. “Sarah and I met Liz and Kevin through mutual friends,” recalls homeowner Matt Saiia. “Over the years we became friends and admirers of their work—Liz embodies a special aesthetic sensibility and Kevin is passionate about building amazing spaces.”

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The homeowners took charge with the interiors (running their selections by Spiers), and landed on polished concrete in the kitchen that features local aggregate mixed in.

It was Elsie, the goldendoodle, who started it. “We were living in a tiny house in the center of Byron Bay with two little children and Elsie in the middle of the wet season,” says homeowner Cheryl Kitchener.

A special finish brings out the grain in the kitchen's walnut cabinetry.

A good dose of inspiration from Luis Barragán turned a dark and beleaguered midcentury house into a family home for the ages. The paint colors chosen by the residents and architect Linda Taalman are American Cheese and Blushing Bride, both by Benjamin Moore, creating a tapestry of color and texture.

Their carpenter Proedl built a lot of the storage and furniture in the apartment, including these concealed cubbies beneath the stairs—with room for a dry bar, of course.