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In an upstairs bedroom, glass panels offer views of the sky. The sconce is from Schoolhouse Electric, and the blanket is from Pendleton.

Eight-foot-wide sliding glass doors connect the interior of the cabin to the natural landscape. "Window placements are always a fine balance of several ingredients that include amount of light, type of light, privacy, heat loss, especially in Canada, heat gain, cross ventilation, framing views, how the exterior of the house looks, and of course functionality,

Hidden cabinetry in the main-floor bedroom's pine plywood walls provides more storage while preserving floor space.

The light palette of the pine plywood finishes provides a fresh contrast to the black-stained exterior.

Even as the square footage of this cottage in Fayston, Vermont, shrank in response to budget constraints, architect Elizabeth Herrmann remained focused on making the space feel warm and functional for a family of four and their dog and cat. "I think the trick to making small spaces feel much larger is to design the experience of being there,

San Francisco–based Studio PLOW brought its sleek aesthetic from the big city to the redwood forest, transforming this weekend retreat from dark and dated to bright and modern.

The generous deck is accessed by both living rooms.

The three-bedroom Iniö model from Pluspuu features floor-to-ceiling windows, a loft-like interior, a wraparound deck, and a gable outline reminiscent of a traditional log cabin.

Saugerties Residence floor plan

The master bedroom in this prefab passive house in the Catskills looks out onto a private, cantilevered deck. "This house for me is about contemplation," says homeowner Adrian. "You come here from the city and the place is saying, ‘Hi, meet yourself again.’" A low platform bed with stacked pillows instead of a headboard helps maintain that casual feel.

The rear garden is filled with ferns, sedges, lowbush blueberry, and a poplar tree growing out of a rock face. “The request for grasses and the directive for a soothing green landscape dictated that the gardens be wildish in nature,” Edmonson further explains.

Using exclusively native plants, landscape designer Karin Ursula Edmondson created a layered garden of creeping sedges, ornamental grasses, bee balm, mountain mint, shrubby St. John’s wort, fragrant sumac, and more. “The eco-system of the site was so spectacular, it was all I needed for inspiration,” she says.

Assembled in just two weeks, this cedar-wrapped passive house near Woodstock, New York, designed by BriggsKnowles A+D, realized a couple's dream of rural living.

All-Weather 8000 Series double-glazed sliding doors frame views of the landscape and flood the interior with natural light.

Casa Prisma floor plan