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At just under 14 feet wide, the CH House could have felt cramped. But the architects created empty volumes within the plan to make it feel more spacious and airy. Standing in the double-height library, where there’s enough vertical space for a tree to grow, one can see down into the shared living areas and up into a kid’s bedroom at the fifth floor.

White plaster walls and a curved ceiling play up natural lighting, while minimalist decor and furnishings (many of which they designed themselves) make the small space feel larger.

Tucked below the central staircase is a generously sized bathtub. "This involved creating a load-bearing structure under the floor to support the tub. It acts as a filter between the study area and bedroom and creates a very distinctive play of pure volumes," explains Rocca.

Biophilic design prefers natural over synthetic materials, as human beings innately feel more at ease with the former. In this house in Israel, the limestone walls are recycled from dismantled houses in the region. The stone staircase is original.

The architects created a proper entry by placing it between the first and second floors, and defining it with Clé tile with a wave motif. A half flight of stairs leads to the second floor, where all of the bedrooms are located.

Heritage architecture can be found all throughout the abode, including the built-in bookshelves winding up the main staircase.

A new stair wrapped in a metal cocoon and painted with bright blue leads up to the attic which the couple converted into the primary bedroom.

A second story loft offers a cozy place to lounge and watch movies. The stairwell wall is the "guest book

The stairwell of this Melbourne house by LLDS looks like it could be inside the Goethenaum.

The kitchen island and cabinets at this Melbourne renovation are made of recycled timber, taking cue from the wooden bookcase that designer Kim Kneipp installed during the home’s first restyling.

The brass backsplash was a risky experiment carried off by Natalie, who started with unlacquered 4x8 foot sheets, then gave them patina by covering them in vinegar, ketchup, and salt, and leaving them out in the sun. The resulting pattern was aligned as carefully as possible, and the surface sealed. “We just had to essentially cut the topography into a way that felt really great,” says Natalie.

Perpetually Devastated spent a long time looking specifically for a 1968 Airstream for the Dunhams. This model features rectangular windows. (In the later ‘60s and early ‘70s, they become oval.)

An enormous bread oven was uncovered during the works, completely changing the vision for the new kitchen. As a result, the couple had to re-apply for planning permissions to incorporate it into the kitchen. The blue Verner Panton Flower Pot pendant lamp over the center island is a nod to the blue staircase and acts as a counterpoint to the earthy tones. “It’s one of my favorite purchases for the house,” says Simon.

"I really appreciate as a designer, things that make me stop and go, 'Oh, I never thought of that,'