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When the trees leaf out, the overhauled guest cabin, the couple’s “Scandinavian dream cabin in the woods,” is hidden from view from the main house, making for a private retreat.

Space for entertaining was important to the couple, who wanted a home they could share with friends.

The new addition is spanned by a sliding glass door to the kitchen, bringing in much more natural light and creating easy flow between inside and out. The owners especially appreciate how the new deck is at grade with the exterior door for a seamless transition, making the kitchen feel “a part of the garden,” says the homeowner.

Eisler Landscapes provided plants for the yard.

Sleeping Cabin from southeast lawn and existing storage shed beyond.

The window and door frames have also been built from untreated yellow cedar, which will weather to a gray patina.

The view from the rear lawn towards the house. The outdoor living room is accessible from the family room (on the right) and the living room (on the left).

The large pocket doors of Mandeville Canyon House open up the corner of the living room to the concrete terrace and lawn beyond. This house, designed by Dutton Architects, is perfect for informal living and taking advantage of the southern California climate.

Sherry Birk and Anthony Orona, tapped HR Design Dept, whose co-principal, Eric Hughes, is a longtime friend of Anthony’s, to design the midcentury-inspired, one-story house in Austin. The dark metal fascia emphasizes the home’s horizontality and complements the earth-toned brick facade.

Amending Meeuwissen’s early request for an open bathroom space, the architects devised a more private chamber with an overhead skylight and walls in stone tile from Intercodam Tegels.

The clients enjoy boating and kayaking and often utilize the site’s direct water access. “There’s a boathouse at the bottom of the site, so we’ve tried to clean the view up,” says architect Fraser Mudge of the framing. “We also controlled the height of it a little bit to frame the beauty of the water and the National Park, rather than the sky.”

Simon Knight Architects turns a historic building into a contemporary family home by sprucing up its exterior and rejiggering the ground floor.

Situated on a gentle slope, the tiny home features a gable roof, a rectangular silhouette, and an expansive wood deck that extends from the front facade.

SF Historic Renovation

Studio Entry Court

“The clients live inside and out,” says architect Jeffrey Bokey-Grant. “It sounds cliched but the idea is that the doors are generally open all the time and you flow in and out without barriers.” The main balcony and rear doors are all weather so the doors can even remain open in the rain.

Thanks to its natural color, concrete also serves as a wonderful “blank canvas” for landscaping.

Questions from your contractor mean that they have taken the time to review the construction documents or drawings and scope of work.