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Located in West Village, designer Suchi Reddy constructs a modern family-friendly apartment.

Located on the outskirts of Morelia, Mexico, the 5,920-square-foot UC House by architectural designer Daniela Bucio Sistos is grounded by a foyer with a raised, circular ceiling, which houses a tree that grows out from a hole in the floor at the center.

A wall on the second level features a built-in bookcase with a reading nook.

After a tree falls in Santa Monica, a garage is reborn as a 600-square-foot family gathering spot.

Architect Tamira Sawatzky used Ikea components—one-inch Lagan butcher block countertops and inexpensive Ekby Lerberg brackets—when designing the bookshelves along the living room wall in the home/studio he designed for himself and his wife in Toronto.

To impart a high-design feel to the space, architect Mike Jacobs wrapped cabinetry from Ikea with a marble countertop and designed built-in bookshelves around the kitchen and study to help unify the area. Trips to shops in Palm Springs yielded the red side chair and metal magazine rack. The brown suede chair is from MidcenturyLA.

One of the greatest design challenges, according to Franz and Paré-Mayer, was reimagining the dark, unfinished garage space in a way that would “establish [it] as primary, instead of an afterthought to the original floor above.” This was achieved by layering open, linked spaces on the ground floor and sticking to a few carefully selected materials for cohesion and fluidity. There are hardly any hallways in the home; every space serves a function. Polished concrete floors continue throughout the new living level, and a bent metal dining chair with a reclaimed Douglas fir backrest made by Scholz sits in front of an open white oak staircase.

Architect Gustavo Costa calls the home library the “project’s heart.” This central space houses the owner’s expansive collection of about 5,000 books, and acts as a meeting place for friends and colleagues. A Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Red and Blue chair completes the space.

The Bionic Fire wood-burning stove by Rais can be pivoted outward to warm the deck.

The couple are avid readers; a hallway of shelving is now home to their ample book collection. “As we walk by, we catch a glimpse of something we haven’t read in 30 years… or never have read at all,” says Donna.

City Cabin | Olson Kundig

A rendering shows Kabinka set up as a lakeside cabin with a different timber finish and a glazed facade.

The fully glazed north faced overlooks a private garden to the rear. This large area of glazing allows natural light to fill the home.

"I've always loved the way buildings look when they're under construction, and the walls of the office are basically like open framing," Davis says.

Black kitchen cabinetry and appliances reinforce the interior's contrasting color palette. The double-height space also emphasizes the structure's A-frame design with soaring ceilings.

A wall of custom blackbutt cabinetry conceals the fridge and lots of storage.