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The Little Owl A-Frame’s matte-black exterior sets it apart from its woodsy neighbors.

The outdoor space includes a fire pit.

The A-frame was tall enough for a queen-bed sized sleeping nook to be placed on a platform above the second-story bedroom and bath. “The loft was the perfect place to introduce more playfulness,” Pedraza says of the layout. “We want guests to have that summer break feeling you get when you’re up past your bedtime, eating popcorn and watching a movie.”

A Seattle couple built their own backyard house with a city-sponsored design—and then rented out their old home on the property to friends.

“We pulled apart one volume and staggered it along the buildable area of the property,” says architect Matthew Ahlberg of Portland firm Barrett Made. The home is clad in unfinished cedar, meant to weather over time.

Reclaimed wood covers the ceiling in the main room and bedroom. The large white light fixture was reused from the barn’s previous incarnation, and the sectional is from Interior Define.

In Southern Mississippi, hurricanes are a very real concern. Mark and Madison ensured decisions were made with storm-resistance in mind: for instance, sturdy aluminum-clad windows instead of vinyl-clad.

An outdoor fireplace and courtyard create what Twohill calls a distinct “territory” between the main house (right) and the new addition while maintaining privacy for both dwellings. “The courtyard is particularly important because the family loves being on the ground,” he says. The stools are from Martin’s furniture company.

One of the first Dwell Houses, built by Abodu, was installed at Leslie Scharf’s vineyard home in Healdsburg, California. Norm Architects led the design of the 540-square-foot prefab, which is wrapped in Real Cedar siding.

While the owners really liked the idea of shou sugi ban, they opted for a more cost-effective black stain. The random-width, reverse board-and-batten siding reflects the wabi-sabi concept. “The builder said the math for the random siding was torturous,” the wife said. “We didn’t know how hard it was to make things look simple.” DeNiord planted hay-scented fern and lowbush blueberry sod around the house. “We didn't want any side of the house to feel unconsidered,” he says. As for the local boulders he placed around the house and terrace, he says, “They give the feeling that the house grew up around the outcroppings.”

Summary harnesses the power of prefabrication to create a set of compact homes on a breathtaking site.

The concrete foundation was poured on top of a rock outcropping, so that the house would feel like part of the natural features of the site.

Tucked away in California’s Sierra National Forest, this remote and rentable vacation home has a cozy interior that embraces outdoor views.

Van Beek’s extra space is home to her office. She works on a Tense table by Piergiorgio and Michele Cazzaniga and Flow chairs by Jean Marie Massaud, both for MDF Italia.

Designed by Espen Surnevik, the PAN Treetop Cabins consist of two A-frame structures elevated into the treetops of a Norwegian forest.

Originally built in 1974 as a kit home, this A-frame cabin was saved from ruins by an ambitious couple who temporarily turned it into a home for five.