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Two passthrough in the kitchen open to the living room and breakfast nook.

The siting of the home was intended to take advantage of the proximity to Lake Ontario, with windows aimed at the waterfront wherever possible.

Curved forms reverberate throughout the property, including this spiral staircase that connects the two floors of the guesthouse.

The home’s imposing entrance conceals a tranquil inner courtyard.

Nine-year-old Stan reads on the platform bed his father built for him. A trio of birch branches helps to bring the outdoors in. The pendant and bed linens are custom.

Board-formed concrete encloses a walled garden at the entrance to David D’Hulst and Annemie Lathouwers’s house in Antwerp province, Belgium.

The kitchen includes two sinks and dishwashers, one to serve as a scullery for events. The island surface is soapstone and the counters Carrera marble.

In the kitchen, copper-colored stainless steel tiles from TileBar create a glowing backsplash that is offset by the neutral white cabinets. The cabinetry is by IKEA, the countertop is Caesarstone, and the induction cooktop is by Bosch.

In the previous floor plan, the dining room was closed off from the kitchen and accessed by swinging doors. Paying special attention to how the old and new spaces meet, the architects widened the opening between the old dining room and new kitchen, and installed a plaster arch that reflects the home’s historic character.

This revamped Montreal flat includes a rooftop sauna lined with torrified, or dried, cedar. Outfitted with glass paneling and oriented to capture views of Mount Royal, it is the ideal haven for this hardworking homeowner.

On the exterior, Eva chose to cover the existing yellow brick with Prodema wood paneling installed by GFS Architectural Systems, Inc

Taking an active role in the restoration of a midcentury house she and her husband bought near Chicago in 2013, Eva Kowalow honored the vision of the home’s architect and previous owner, Jack Viks, while updating the structure to fit her style and the needs of her family. The entrance gate, designed by Viks, is original.

The front door and foyer will make gains not only in aesthetics, but functionality as well. Here, at the Artery Residency by Hufft, a large wood door welcomes visitors while the foyer acts as a buffer zone to the main living areas.

The open-plan layout features a kitchen and dining nook just off the living room. “We debated taking out the wall that separates the kitchen from the living room and replacing it with an island,” says Christa. “But after living in the house for a year, hosting parties and cooking holiday dinners for 18 people, we realized that having the partial separation was necessary for our sanity.”

Christa envisioned the main bathroom on the upper level as a sanctuary with a soaking tub. “We opened up the ceiling to expose the volume to its full 14-foot height,” she explains. “We kept the same layout, but replaced the shallow alcove tub with a soaking tub and Vola faucets. We found a floating vanity with a matching medicine cabinet, and a wall-mount toilet.” The dimensional wall tile is Ann Sacks Context Pillow Mosaic, which comes alive as natural light streams in from clerestory windows.