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“I don’t believe in TVs in bedrooms,” Sean says. He prefers viewing the pool and its surrounding plant life. The walls and ceiling feature a custom shade of Portola limewash called Dunes, with art by Northern California painter Jupiter Lockett.

A palette of wood, stone, and steel extends from the outside in.

The open living area is light and bright, with flexibility integrated into the plan. A simple oak credenza provides minimal separation between the living area and the cooking/dining space. Large windows introduce plentiful natural light, while sliding glass doors draw in the garden. Oak paneling conceals additional kitchen storage space.

The neglected state of the home required nearly ever space to be updated for both structural and functional reasons. "This house can be considered a brand new home with Herbert Burns' bones," says Thomas. "Every single surface has been touched, from all new electrical, plumbing, HVAC, windows, roof, poured terrazzo floors, the landscape—you name it, we touched it."

A three-seater Ella sofa and footrest in Vega Anthracit by Sofacompany anchor the living room. The steel coffee table is by Lim and the rug is from Coral & Hive. The shelving and cabinets are custom from Holz Cabinetry. The lamp is from Vamp and the lampshade is from Skinny laMinx. The chairs are from Chair Crazy and the television is from Samsung.

The living room on the first floor is the main family gathering space. “It is the collection zone for togetherness, and offers an abundance of natural light and extended views out to the bay and beyond,” says architect Tony Vella.

The overlapping roofs rest on structural timber window frames, allowing for column-free views through the interior.

A view from the kitchen out toward the living area provides a sense of the lofted interior.

On the top floor, the dropped ceiling follows the shape of the exterior with a new layer of insulation. "This measure gave the living room a pleasant height, without needing to lift up the entire ceiling at unpredictable costs," says owner-designer Uli Wagner.

The common spaces in the Suteki House deliberately frame exterior views. "The beautiful oak trees on the opposite side of the creek are still ‘belonging’ to this house by the use of shakkei, which expands limits visually," explain the architects.

For the renovation of their midcentury ranch house in Chicago, Trey Berre and his wife, Maria Ponce Berre, compared bids from three contractors, ultimately hiring ABO Construction. The total budget for the project climbed to $174 per square foot after it was discovered that the roof had suffered rain damage and needed to be replaced for $40,000.

Lofty and bright, the residence benefits from its prime position perched on the roof of an old pencil factory and its expansive industrial windows, which flood the space with clarifying light.

Berube's starting point was the continuous wall of black millwork clad in a solid matte surface by Fenix. "We decided on a dark palette to work with the exterior,

A music room was a must-have for the owners. “My wife plays piano an hour a day, and I like to play records,” the husband says. “The kids know this is mom and dad’s room.” The seating is by Blu Dot.

In the dining area, a custom table by interior designer Elizabeth Bolognino is surrounded by Spoleto chairs by Knoll.