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After renting in San Francisco for a decade, DIY couple Molly Fiffer and Jeff Waldman bought 10 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where the pair and their friends built a cabin compound complete with sheds, tree decks, a pavilion, a wood-fired hot tub, an outhouse, and an outdoor shower. The cabin is made from locally sourced, rough-sawn redwood, which the couple stained with nontoxic Eco Wood Treatment to give the panels an aged appearance and a dark patina.

Anthony Pellecchia and Kathy Wesselman's careful site planning garnered a waterfront view at little cost to the trees.

The topography proved challenging so the designers elevated the house on piers.

The Blue Sky prototype house leads a second life as desert getaway for David McAdam and his partner Scott Smith.

The Fish Camp acts as the couple’s forest getaway, just a quarter mile from their main house.

DiNiord collaborated with craftsman Ken Hood to design the concrete bench with firewood storage and detachable wood back. Douglas fir columns along the walkway creates a colonnade. The mono-sloped roof is a nod to the long roofline of the original house that stood on the property. “Reducing the angles also reflects the strictness to budget,” the wife says.

Josh kept the original Pella windows and Andersen doors and painted the great room’s cedar interior Extra White from Sherwin-Williams. Kalispel upholstery covers a sectional from Dania.

Blend Outdoor Design in Spokane oversaw the design of a new deck and fire feature.

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.”

“We bought the land not knowing what we could build or where. It’s off by itself and pretty isolated,” says Jeff.

SET Ideas designed the Mod_Tiny to be used as a studio apartment.

The expansive windows offer unparalleled views of La Plata peak while also providing lots of natural light to the living room and kitchen.

The upstairs bathroom layout was adjusted to allow for a large, walk-in shower lined with white subway tile. A marble-topped vanity with an oil-rubbed bronze faucet sits atop gray, hexagonal floor tiles.

Airbnb guests will find creative handmade touches throughout Alpenglow Cabin like wooden headboards, Colorado wildflower botanical prints sourced from Etsy, pillow covers, local pottery, and more.