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Shannon Richards, Caleb’s partner, often uses her laptop at the 13-foot long banquette, which needed to be finessed a bit because the initial version looked too bulky. The team laid the maple floorboards at an angle and used a white-tinged stain that will preserve their natural appearance.

“We pulled apart one volume and staggered it along the buildable area of the property,” says architect Matthew Ahlberg of Portland firm Barrett Made. The home is clad in unfinished cedar, meant to weather over time.

The new material palette is a clean, sophisticated application of blackened steel, oak floors and cabinetry, and white walls.

Architect Adam Kushner reimagined this landmark 19th-century home with a double-height living area, a central courtyard, and a rooftop deck.

Mystery novels line the shelves that conceal the hidden door, hinting that there's more than meets the eye.

A breezeway complete with swings connects the front and back decks. “We knew we wanted a covered entry, but we left it open to create a larger outdoor space,” says Scott, who admits to occasionally using the swings himself. Mud guards are built into the Kebony decking to keep dirt from being tracked inside. The teak chairs are by Skagerak.

The underwater pool window not only adds a touch of whimsy, but helps illuminate the basement.

In this Australian project, a resort-worthy swimming pool sits beside the industrial-chic kitchen and living area. It's a joy to swim in, of course, but the body of water also provides evaporative cooling for the courtyard.

"A steep or unstable site can make it difficult and costly to seismically retrofit a structure, or stabilize the site,” says Thomas Schaer at SHED Architecture and Design, a Seattle-based firm with extensive experience in adaptive reuse, as well as midcentury remodel. “There also may be land-use code provisions that limit or prevent development on the lot."

6. "Am I the 'fixer-upper' type?" "The truth is that an additional $100,000 on your purchase price is only about $300 more in payments,” she says. “If you work long hours and don't have a handy bone in your body, you might be better off buying a more fixed-up home.” 7. "Who are all of the decision makers, and can they actually see the home?" "There are times when parents may be helping out children with their down payment," she says. “It's always better to have the parents in on the process as early as possible."

Deciding to buy a home comes with its own unique set of pressures. Oftentimes, it’s seen as a seal of adulthood, an acceptance of permanence, and perhaps most importantly, it also means that you’re about to spend a large sum of money; it makes sense that no one wants to go about it in a casual way.

The spacious, covered deck is ready for anything. “From snowstorms to eclipse, we can play here,” says Adair. It’s turned into a big gathering space for their community; sometimes the family hosts film screenings en plein air.

Adair and Kopp built the booth right into the kitchen island to help make the kitchen the center of the house. “It’s purposeful programming,” says Adair. “We want to have more conversations with our kids. So even if we’re cooking, we’re still right there.” The cabinets here store snacks and art supplies.

Adair and Kopp commissioned the metal fabricator who did the railings to create the monkey-bar rungs that line the hallway, powder-coated in seafoam green. Rings can attach to the monkey bars to give the boys a different type of challenge.

"Functionally, we have so much more countertop space for prep,

A view from the loft. Large sliding glass doors allow the sunken living room to be opened up to the outdoors connecting to both the south yard and west patio at our Not Precious project.

Completed in just six weeks by Australian practice Archiblox, this modest prefab home is perched atop cliffs with prime views of Avalon Beach, just a short drive away from Sydney. Oriented east to west to maximize cross ventilation, the house is clad in marine-grade Colorbond Ultra steel and Queensland blue gum to protect against the elements.