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Compact apartment with versatile furniture made from custom carpentry.

Located steps from the beach in Kent, England, the recently renovated structure has a Flemish-bond brick facade, limewashed interiors, and a striking steel staircase.

A family chose MyCabin to construct prefab structures in their home country of Latvia. The prefab structures have space for work, sleep, and relaxation.

The concrete wall behind the porch provides a backdrop for the wood stove and privacy from the road.

Lane also designed a detached screen porch for the property. Its orientation captures the view of a small mountain across the lake. “A New Hampshire lake house always has a screened porch,” he says. “This one allows for a separate experience that connects you to nature.”

DeNiord designed a simple concrete bench with a honed top to run parallel to the randomly sized concrete pads that lead to the covered entry. He planted blueberry bushes behind the bench and a river birch tree behind the boulder. To conjure a wabi-sabi feel outdoors, diNiord poured concrete around a boulder. “It represents the interruption of perfect geometry,” he says.

Now more than ever, having a sustainable home that conserves resources and energy usage is paramount. Sustainable design and architecture has seen tremendous growth over the last decade—as has the number of professionals who specialize in designing and building green homes. While major sustainable features pertain to the initial design, planning, and building stages, there are still plenty of changes to make in your home for a greener lifestyle. Have you covered all your bases?

Architect Johan Sundberg looked to Japanese architects like Kengo Kuma for inspiration for the design of a holiday home in southern Sweden. "We call it the Katsura typology, but that's probably sacrilegious," he says. The eaves of the gently sloped hipped roof extend generously in all directions, turning the deck into a covered retreat that’s part veranda, part engawa, the Japanese version of a porch.

Two glass doors flank a window to form a 16x9 foot wall of steel and glass at the rear. “We went back and forth so many times,” remembers Brittany, concerning the design of the wall and the size of the panes. “Now, I couldn't imagine them smaller and I couldn't imagine them bigger. So, I think it turned out to be the perfect decision for us.”

Removing the wall brightened up the interior considerably, and there’s now a bar and lounge in the middle of the plan.

There’s now enough space for a large island with seating at the center of the room.

The balance of new and old can be seen in how the kid’s bath received all new finishes, while Kaplan kept the floors, stair rail, and stained-glass skylight in the hall. “Throughout the day, as the sun moves, that color [from the stained-glass] just moves around and then hits the property line wall, and goes all the way down the stair,” says Kaplan.

A wet room that combines the shower and soaking tub saves space in the layout.

“This sink is one of the craziest things I've done in my whole career,” says Kaplan, who had his long-time stone fabricator build it from scratch, crafted with mitered pieces of marble fit together so the veining runs through uninterrupted in “beautiful waterfalls,” and the infinity drain is tiled out of view.

The pantry lines the wall to the right.

Custom woodwork adds helpful shelving in the bathroom, while a long skylight draws in natural light.