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Ben Allen renovated this old Victorian in London using a rainbow of colored concrete. One of the new bathrooms is cast in mossy green with an arch motif that appears throughout the home.

From the sky

Extensive glazing lining the front facade enhances the property's intimate ties with nature.

Makai’s structural steel components were designed by Mark Donofrio and affixed to the lava at four points. The kitchen contains a Kohler sink and pot racks from IKEA. "Because of the angle of the lava, it’s asymmetrical," says architect Erin Moore.

A highlight of the overhaul is the floor-to-ceiling glass on the north side, which includes a five-panel bifold door. The door opens to the couple’s favorite area of the house, the backyard. The deck is shaded by the cantilevered roof, and Ren planted drought-resistant brush amid the existing oak trees.

After finding paradise on a Hawaiian papaya farm, filmmaker Jess Bianchi and jewelry designer Malia Grace Mau tapped San Francisco artist Jay Nelson to design and build their dream home in just five weeks. Located just one block from the beach, the home takes inspiration from laid-back surf shacks and is mainly built with reclaimed wood.

Inside the couple's home, vividly painted rooms intertwine with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and luminous skylights.