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Door hardware is a small design detail, but as with all decor choices, a wise one can effortlessly elevate the overall aesthetic. From hardware style to finish and form, that doorknob you put your hands on every day can really make a statement.

The view down from the bathroom window provides a closer look at the white and green pendants that Annemie made from glass found at a flea market. The doors and windows were crafted by carpenter Peeters Schrijnwerkerij, the side tables are custom, and the chair is a vintage find.

The new sliding door is by Jeld-Wen, while the rug was found at a local shop called Portia’s Barn. The floors are white oak.

Reilly slotted a utility room behind the kitchen to house the oven, an extra fridge, pantry cabinets, and the laundry. A Navajo rug that Reilly found at a local yard sale adds a touch of color. The countertop and backsplash are stainless steel. She found the counter stools at a local thrift shop. “I scour every secondhand shop and go to ever yard sale in the Hamptons,” she says. “Each piece is the result of weeks of searching.”

The dining room, which features an original pressed-metal ceiling detail and fireplace, has a large window that opens directly to the sidewalk. The step down from the dining room to the living room represents the junction between the original terrace and the newly built addition. The exposed steel beam running above this junction is also new. "In opening up the house to the courtyard, we had to remove two walls," says Joe. "The steel beams and column support the upper floor of the original house in this area."

Avid cooks, Jinhee and John spend part of every day around their custom-built kitchen island, surrounded by Compasso d’Oro barstools. The island is on castors, so it easily moves around the kitchen as needed. An edamame plant on their patio occasionally provides leaves for Korean dishes.

The Monocular - Front Perspective

Shane Michael Pavonetti, an Austin-based architect and contractor, and his wife, Holly, built their eco-friendly home on a lean budget of $175,000. The cedar siding used on the exterior reappears throughout the house. Keen on recycling the wood, the couple added shelving to their kitchen as well.

The streamlined shape of the home kept slab, framing, and roofing costs down, Pavonetti explains. A barn red shade on the front door adds a touch of farmhouse whimsy to the modern structure.

Vincent (left) and Jan-Nicolas hang out on the main house’s terrace, where they can watch fishing boats catch lobster, halibut, and other sea creatures depending on the season. “We know where our food comes from,” says Jan-Nicolas with a smile.

The couple chose partially open shelving in the kitchen. “We’re not minimalists, and we wanted to display different objects we’ve collected,” Vincent says. The cabinetry, conceived as freestanding pieces of furniture, turned out even better than they had imagined. The dining chairs are from Ikea and the appliances are by KitchenAid.

A moodier aesthetic emerges in the guest house with concrete and inky tones.

Oak lines the interior for a tactile surprise, and the marble counter echoes the marble on the island and perimeter counters.

In the kids’ bath, green hexagon tile from Heath Ceramics is a lovely backdrop for the walnut vanity.

Alloi's design solution for the exterior envelope included exterior rigid insulation to reduce solar heat gain, and recycled newspaper blown-in cellulose insulation at interior and exterior walls, creating an energy efficient and peacefully quiet home.

"I often choose finishes that allow the natural texture to show through, and finishes that emphasize the cathedrals and burls of the graining,

The couple has two rescue dogs, Wren and Lint.

"The house meets all the requirements for being a Greenbuilt Home,