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The outdoor dining area (which includes a table that can comfortably accommodate 18) and lounge space includes a brick fireplace.

Two of the additional bedrooms on the upper level share a Jack and Jill bath.

“A delicate path through lush landscaping leads to the generous guesthouse with vaulted ceilings highlighting a full kitchen, separate bedroom, and full bath,” says the listing agent.

From the opposite angle, it becomes apparent how important it was to remove the support post and add in a new header to open up the views between rooms. “I think it changes everything,” says Amber. The large rugs were picked up on Amber’s travels, and she hasn’t had rooms big enough to display them until now.

Two-tone cabinets anchor the kitchen, including stained white oak on the bottom and white uppers.

“Compact spaces are hard, and narrow ones are even harder,” says architect Kip Katich of the 16-and-a-half-foot-wide cottage. “Every design decision impacts the choreography of a narrow space and how useful it can be.”

The ofuro was intentionally recessed, to avoid blocking sightlines to the backyard. “We wanted to be able to step down into the ofuro, so that the volume of the tub would not block natural light,” says Katich.

Unsurprisingly, the ofuro is a favorite part of the home for the young family. “They use the ofuro all the time, just as they said they would!” says Katich of his clients.

“MA03 Library House was designed to meet the requirements of a ceramicist and a lawyer in need of a home capable of holding their extensive book collection as well as providing them with spaces for work and creative activity,” say Fria Folket, the architect behind this cabin in Sweden.

Adapting to the discovery, VFA Architecture + Design incorporates the room in the renovation of this southern Ontario retreat.

18. Drawings

17. East Facade

A sensitivity to color and texture drove many design decisions. In the family room, a plywood climbing wall adds a playful touch.

Jagoda installed two Velux skylights in the kitchen and one apiece in the kids’ bathroom and the parents’. “Ideally, every room in the house has enough natural light that you don’t have to turn on the lights during the day,” says the architect. The frost bathroom tile is from Heath Ceramics, while the faucet is from Vola