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Floor Plan of Riverview Hutte by Christie Schoepp

A small open closet behind the ladder wall hides coats, boots, and fishing gear.

The cabin is constructed predominantly with plywood that Christie finished with a custom whitewash of 4:1 water to white paint, with a dash of green. "I wanted it pale,

Madison points out that the pod concept would make it easy to add an extension if necessary. “We see it as a house that can grow with us—and that we can pay for as we go along.”

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Floor Plan of Southfield Farm Cabin by Barlis Wedlick Architects

Reclaimed wood covers the ceiling in the main room and bedroom. The large white light fixture was reused from the barn’s previous incarnation, and the sectional is from Interior Define.

According to Michael, the centralized table is a contemporary take on a traditional trestle table, combining raw steel plate "legs" with a bleached ash slab with wenge keys. The chairs are powder-coated steel and maple, with sheepskin cushions, and the floors are whitewashed birch hardwood. The chandelier is inspired in part by a Lindsey Adelman design and built to fit the space.

This 195-square-foot, shingled studio includes a library, reading nook, and workstation—and it’s totally DIY. Creative couple Michael and Christina Hara built the retreat just steps away from their back door, in order to carve out "space for creativity and respite from our chaotic, toddler-filled house," as Michael explains. The project, called the Fish Scale Studio, took eight months to complete, with Haras doing all of the design and construction themselves—for just $18,275.

The home is located in Todds Valley, a 10-minute drive from Nelson, where architect William Samuels grew up—and one of the least affordable areas in New Zealand. “The obsession with the price of housing is pervasive and can cloud our thinking when we consider the true value of a home,” he says. “In New Zealand, there is a tendency to think of housing purely as an asset, an investment, rather than a home, a place for life to happen.”

The home is clad in corrugated iron coated with Zincalume. “We chose the cladding so we could curve the metal sheets and create barrel vaulted roofs,” says architect William Samuels. “The finish gives a natural reflection to the surface of the house, picking up on the colors of the surrounding bush and the changing daylight.”

"I wanted the bones of the house to be bold, strong and simple,

Hanson planted the green roof with succulents, grass, flowers and moss.

The large, round Douglas fir trunk contrasts with the rectangular ceiling beams and provides raw, organic texture in the open-plan living room.

The open-plan kitchen-and-dining space features a Douglas fir ceiling and ceiling beams and polished concrete floors.

The green roof, wood cladding, and low profile help to integrate the home with its lush, natural surroundings.