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Skylights placed between the existing eaves fill the new bathroom with light. “That was a moment where we thought that we could tie in our changes to the house seamlessly with the old design,” says Marsh. “When the light goes over the skylight, it creates different shadow lines.”

Cheng specified brass schluter inlay between the terrazzo tiles at the floor. "These are installed in an offset Y pattern, which is the first letter of their last name," says the designer.

Now, a walk-in shower and soaking tub are tucked under the roof line.

Evaluate your sink needs. Your vanity cabinet may require a specific type of sink, or it may even come with a sink, so be sure you read the product details carefully before you make your selection.

Measuring is key. Once you’ve decided on your ideal vanity size, confirm that you have enough clearance around any opening doors, shower stalls, and drawers, as there is nothing worse than installing a big new vanity and not being able to open the bathroom door all the way.

The wooden ceiling above the dining nook is one of the few remaining features from the home's midcentury past.

Artist Cori Creed sits at the center of the vacation home in rural British Columbia that she and her husband, Craig Cameron, built with their friend and architect, Kevin Vallely. Dubbed WingSpan House, the split structure opens up to a large courtyard and stunning views of Skaha Lake. “It’s almost like an embrace,” says Vallely. “It’s like the two wings are capturing the heart of the home.”

The sink hardware is by Cal Faucets, and the sconces are by Triple Seven. “We selected materials with subdued tones that still maintained visual interest,” Maziarski says.

A1000xBetter took some square footage from an adjoining guest closet to create space for a freestanding tub. The hexagonal floor tile is by Arto.

Carstensen landscaped the backyard and added a simple fire pit circle with chairs. He updated the deck, replacing the vertical posts with screens to create a more open feeling.

Clay Anderson of Olson Kundig and Alex Almerico of NBBJ give their 505-square-foot home in Capitol Hill a serious upgrade on a strict budget. Adding built-in plywood bookshelves to the living room side of the kitchen island was a logical way to add storage and display space. Anderson also built a coffee table to match, using a remnant piece of blackened steel from his office, building a plywood box, and adding caster wheels. The pendant lights are simple matte black metal pipes that the couple ordered off Etsy from Greece. They also chose a Brizo matte black faucet to continue the "pipe look."

Earth tones adorn the living room, which is anchored by a Sisal rug from ABC Carpet. A low-slung Dune sofa from Poliform is an invitation to lounge.

The Juniper Room. As for the name, Rich explains, "there's a big Juniper plant I initially wanted to get rid of to make this room happen, but my contractor told me I couldn't do that because it was a 500 year old Juniper and that we had to build around it. So we did."

"We went for as many windows as we could," notes Rich, "because the surroundings are so beautiful. And what we did was try to maximize the amount of light and glass; we pushed it basically as far as we could push it without allowing the house to fall down."

The clients removed the floors themselves to save on costs.

“We were inspired by memories of the space—full of life and entertainment, warmth and familiarity,” says Allegra. Adds Erik, “We wanted to build on that legacy by preserving the great entertaining spaces and using familiar materials in contemporary ways.”

Black granite from Atlantis Tile & Marble frames the island in the vaulted kitchen, which Allegra and Bill envisioned as an open volume. IKEA cabinets and a Whirlpool fridge are wrapped in pieces of birch plywood individually cut by cabinetmaker Joe Corsi with a CNC machine and glued into sections. The sconces are from Restoration Hardware and the pendants are from Schoolhouse.