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“From anywhere in the house, you have a sense of the outdoors,” says Melonie, “and yet it’s very private.” Ikegami agrees. “The building was really about the landscape—it can dissolve into the background,” he says. In the master bedroom, Japanese Tansu chests from the couple’s previous home flank a Duxiana bed. The full-height windows and swing door are from Western Window Systems.

Recently retired and ready to downsize, Paul and Melonie Brophy found a lot in Palo Alto that gave them the chance to start fresh. Their glass, concrete, and wood house, designed by Feldman Architecture, seems to float above a landscape by Bernard Trainor. Of the board-formed concrete wall, architect Taisuke Ikegami says, "It connects the building to the ground plane while allowing the house to be a landscape element."

The exterior walls are from Kebony, the roof from Prefa, and the windows from Velfac

The curves of the deck follow the contour of the land.

The firm juxtaposed a standing-seam metal envelope with thin strips of cedar on the exterior. “We're playing with the textures on the outside of the house,” says Campos, pointing out that the cedar brings a “human scale” to the industrial nature of the metal.

Large sliding windows retract at the corner, opening the living area onto a lawn overlooking Long Island Sound.

The windows in the living area provide views out to the treetops. A rattan loveseat from Golden & Pine softens one corner of the space.

Lake|Flato designed a weekend home on North Fork, Long Island that nods to the rustic agricultural structures dotting the region. Western red cedar siding is stained black to help the home's three structures recede into the landscape.

There are easy lines of sight between the main floor and the upper level.

Beach, hills, and flatlands vibes all swirl together in architect Clive Wilkinson's Los Angeles home, where guests are greeted with a laser-cut metal stair railing. Situated on a steeply sloping site, the distinctive structure lends itself to a living attic, pool deck, and garden terrace, mixing elements like low-slung Italian furniture and oak flooring. Bright green makes a splash in the kitchen, which is tucked underneath Douglas fir rafters.

“We designed the landscape and house in tandem to ensure continuity between the exterior and interior,” diNiord says. An outdoor sling chair by Croft House sits in front of the outdoor shower under the covered patio in front of the primary bedroom.

Nestled amongst native Araucaria trees, the cabin and its three elevated decks were carefully sited so as not to disturb any existing trees, which are protected by Chilean law. "This area is the only place on the planet where the Araucaria pine grows,

Dark furnishings, light fixtures, and cabinetry complete the insular, protective feel of the interiors. The dining table was custom-designed by the architects and crafted from recycled wood from Vinuela's grandfather.

Floor-to-ceiling glass in the living room makes it feel as though the room merges with the natural setting.

It was important to make the home as fire-resistant as possible, granted its wooded Northern California site. (Natalie is on the board of the wildfire council.) The Harrisons pulled the siding off the house and put it through a shou sugi ban treatment — contractors created a giant burn box and roasted the whole pile. “It feels earthy, and also like you never have to treat it again,” explains Natalie. “We found people to actually do this—they burn it, and put it back up.”

The sliding garage door was made by local fabricator Anomal.