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1,000 square feet

Built in 1962, the four-bedroom, two-bath home has already been spruced up with modern features that respect the home’s original midcentury modern character. Highlights include updated bathrooms with Carrara marble and walnut cabinetry, a private backyard, and a renovated kitchen with a pretty impressive "edible garden" off the side.

With post-and-beam construction, a thin roof profile, and an open floor plan that facilitates an interplay between the interior and exterior, the Dwell Prefab Palm Springs by Turkel Design bears all the signatures of the architecture firm. The show home is its first in California, which allowed Turkel and his team to put extra emphasis on indoor/outdoor living.

Florida couple John Pirman and Steve Tetreault built a new house inspired by the Sarasota School. Today’s FEMA codes required a plinth to lift the house five-and-a-half feet above grade and a roof that can withstand hurricane wind loads, making it a challenge to re-create the lightness of midcentury design, Pirman says.

The home's exterior, composed of concrete and glass, welcomes guests with a traditional water fountain in the entryway. Photo by: Bill Timmerman

Composed of primarily steel, this prefab home has sufficient outdoor space. Photo by: Daniel Hennessy

Mass Studio completed the renovation of a 1960s house in Brentwood, California, that came complete with a classic midcentury kidney pool. During the renovation, the patio and area around the pool was refreshed with a lounge area, fire pit, and plants.

Underneath the fire pit (surrounded by Barcelona Teak chairs from Via Terra), an underground concrete cistern holds rainwater, diverted from pipes on the roof that run through a filtration system in the garage. It services the whole house, save for the landscape irrigation, done off of a well. In a part of the country where water is scarce, it was important to think sustainably. The pool’s fully retractable cover prevents rapid evaporation in another water-friendly move.

“I designed the pool as a form related to the house, but almost stepping down in scale,” says architect Kirsten Johnstone. “Australia’s strict regulations around pools create challenges to achieve compliance. Here, we have used some timber battens and continuous bluestone paving to connect the pool to the entertaining area.” The garden is planted with drought-tolerant indigenous plants to support local wildlife.

The salvaged redwood siding was given a new configuration, with both vertical and horizontal boards.

The couple liked their living room from the start, with windows on three sides bringing plenty of natural light, even during Montana's cold, dark winter days.

On the premises, the Matajas have 48KW solar, four Tesla battery packs, and two 10,000 gallon water tanks—allowing them to be fully off-grid when necessary.

Drought-tolerant native plants line the entry to the guest house. Sited above the main residence, the 700-square-foot structure includes an efficiently organized kitchen, bathroom, and outdoor deck. “At the guest house, you walk outside and you see all the way out to the Channel Islands,” says Bata.

The office also offers a serene view of the new atrium.

The same large format porcelain was used for the exterior patio, which is flush with the thresholds on the sliding glass doors. Blaine added a small bumpout at the end to accommodate a larger primary suite shower.

With its low-slung roof, wood siding, and generous eaves, the exterior delivers classic midcentury flair.

The home features a classic midcentury color palette. Warm earth tones are paired with ochre-tinted stucco and a coral front door.